Top Indian Songs of the week 3rd March 2024

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Here are the best songs released in India across languages and genres for the week ending 3rd March 2024.

1. Viduthal

Singers: Dhee, ofRo

Composed, Arranged, Produced: Santhosh Narayanan

Additional Programming: Aditya Ravindran

Lyrics: Mu.Ri

Language: Malayalam

Genre: Heavy Metal

Mood: Energetic / Eerie

I was eagerly awaiting the release of the movie " Anweshippin Kandethum" to see Tovino Thomas in the lead, and more importantly, it would be Santhosh's full and proper debut in Malayalam as the composer. There was only one full-length song in this thriller and it was released a few days before the movie. This song had everything I needed to be blown away, from Dhee and ofRo's superlative lead vocals to some exhilarating live instrumentals. Mu.Ri is the lyricist

Santhosh Narayanan lives up to his name as he creates this track that matches the tone of the movie. Slow and intriguing at times, and then brisk and energetic within seconds. Dhee uses her amazing tone to sing these lines with such intensity and passion and the heavy Piano adds to the intrigue. She ends her line with a high-pitched note and then the blazing electric guitars knock you down thanks to Aditya Ravindran and Simeon Telfer. 

OfRo joins the party singing the title lines and it feels like an anthem egging Tovino on his journey to solving the murder mysteries. This is supreme Heavy metal stuff, and where Santhosh keeps delivering is when during the next verse, the bass guitars and the lo-fi-styled vocal samples create an eerie tone. I love how Santhosh then creates a melody on the electric guitars and that forms the interlude. 

It is not over yet as we get Manoj Kumar playing a scintillating solo on the violin. He pierces the heart deep with that solo and he ends it with a nerve-wracking high-pitched finish. Notice the way the electric guitars and the phenomenal drums join during the end of the interlude. There are these vocal harmonies we keep hearing adding to the thrill and they are performed and arranged by Aditya. Finally, we get the title line being uttered by OfRo and David Thomas earns huge respect for his outstanding drums, especially the way he just beautifully increases the beats per minute just before the bridge section. 

OfRo exhibits incredible energy towards the end and Manoj delivers the icing on the cake with another magical solo intervention on the Violin. Dhee hits the winning runs by closing the song with that admirable line of rising notes. We have Vijaynarain and Santhosh on the chorus, and the song's recording is done by Santhosh, Karthik Manickavasakam, Pranav Muniraj and Rupendar Venkatesh. Rupendar is the mix/master engineer with Meenakshi Santhosh as the Musicians' Co-ordinator. 

@musicsanthosh @adityaravindran95 @ofrooooo @parari_muhsin @dhee__ @vijaynarain @rupendar_venkatesh @karthikmanickavasakam @pranavbalu @davidthejoseph @manojviolinist @simeontelfer 

2. Nandanandanaa

Music: Gopi Sundar

Lyrics: Anantha Sriram

Singer: Sid Sriram

Song Arranged And Programmed By: Gopi Sundar

Language: Telugu

Genre: Semi-classical Pop

Mood: Romantic

He is back again, Gopi Sundar with a brilliant composition in Tollywood. He ropes in Sid Sriram and the combination works like wine and cheese. It is not easy to serenade a music lover with such beauty these days, because we are now in an age where a few gimmicks and production alone compensate for any writing deficits by a composer. 

I am hoping that the song has influences from Abhogi Ragam and the song that I am reminded of the most is Vidyadagar's " Konja Neram konja Neram". Sumesh Parameswar is a gentle giant on guitars and bass here making a delightful start and Sid just drizzles with his fantastic tone all over. The humming that comes like a guitar being strummed feels chirpy and stylish. Christakala and Athira Janakan join in chorus. 

Biju Annamanada plays the Veena solo in the interlude and here one more amazing semi-classical number I am reminded of is Maestro Ilaiyaraja's "Indraikku Yen Indha". This is accompanied by the Ghatam and the violin by Idappally Ajith Kumar playing mildly in the background. Gopi Sundar makes some magic by mixing semi-classical notes with a very funky Pop style of arrangements. OK Gopi is mesmerising on the Nadaswaram in the second interlude. The interventions on the Violin and Veena are outstanding during the stanzas. Babu Velayudhan, Priya Nair are the Music Production Managers. The recording engineers are Rajath Raveendran, Nevin C Delson, Gopi Sundar and Joe Antony. The mixing and mastering are done by Balu Thankachan @ 20db Black Studios. 

@gopisundar__official @anantha.sriram @parameswarsumesh @christakalaofficial @athirajanakan 

3. Whatever

Written and Performed by: Hasan

Produced by Aman Arakh 

Drum Programming: Gaurav Khanna

Language: English

Genre: Ballad/Rock

Mood: Relaxing

Hasan reached out to me ahead of his new song, and I love when such interactions turn out to be treasure troves like this one. This ballad is gentle but it knocks on your door relentlessly and rises in intensity. The melody and lyrics are penned by Hasan and he evokes all the right emotions while performing the lead vocals. 

Aman Arakh masterfully produces the song and if Hasan plays the titillating acoustic guitar, Yohaan Pissurlenker is the cool bassist. I love the line in the verse " And I don't want to move ahead now, But I'm at a fork and I've got to choose myself", both for the notes and words. The backing vocalists add a beautiful layer and it it helps the song get a richer tone. Damini Gautam and the sensational Brecilla D'Souza are the vocalists here. 

The song rocks you away to a gentle sleep during many portions thanks to the beautiful melody and overall arrangments. Tanishk Diwaker plays the keys and Gaurav Khanna makes things upbeat by working on the drum programming. The writing and vocals are magnificent, to say the least, and another example here is " Endings can be beautiful, Sunsets don't torture your soul. They always lead to new dawns". A cameo awaits and Warren Mendonsa explodes onto the scene with his electric guitar solo towards the end. Shikhar Chaudhary and Aman play additional guitars. 

The vocal harmonies are arranged to perfection with not even a second being dulled down or being predictable. These are the kinds of songs that give music lovers hope, "Yes we'll find a way now. Kudos to the whole team. Aman is the recording, mixing and mastering engineer. 

@hasanbaldiwalax @acrimonius_aman @gauravvkhannaa @yohaanbass @blablaboi.10 @shikhar_c @daminivox @brecilladsouza @blackstratblues 

4. Entha Prema

Singers: Sunitha Upadrasta & Achu Rajamani

Music Director: Achu Rajamani

Lyrics: Krishna Kanth

Language: Telugu

Genre: Ballad

Mood: Relaxed

If I have to quickly mention the composer and singer here, I am enthralled and enamoured by both of these amazing musicians. Achu Rajamani, the composer has been around for a while now and making steady waves. His pedigree is rich and he has also assisted MM Keeravani. Recently I featured an amazing song "Oh na Madhu" from the album 'Month of Madhu' and when a Telugu-speaking friend of mine appreciated the BGM score of the movie so much.

When it comes to Sunita Upadrasta, I keep wondering why I haven't featured her even once since 2019 when I started my journey of music journalism. Just last month I featured a beautiful melody performed by Sunita called "Sandela Kusuni" and now I keep raving to people about her voice and her immense abilities. This is a ARRahman-esque song with terrific sound design and arrangements and it feels like KS Chithra is in full flow. 

You are drawn into the song and when she sings "Entha Prema" you just have to fall in love with the music. Chennai Strings dominate in the interludes and background after she finishes singing " manasa". It feels like Raag Desh or maybe Raag Shankarabharanam (Bilawal in Hindustani) to me, either way the melody is pristine, and Sunitha makes it heavenly with her vocals. The strings section along with the rhythms is just like drops of honey falling on my lips. Bruce plays the guitars and Balaji Bhaskaran handles Sound Modification. 

Krishna Kanth has penned the beautiful words, and Achu also sings the Tamil lines in a bridge section, and this too sounds and feels like AR Rahman's striking vocals. Tanushree does the Premix, and Lokesh Vijayakumar is the mix/master engineer.  

@achu_rajamani @upadrastasunitha @lokesh_vijiya_kumar 

5. Late Night City

Performed by Megan Murray

Written by John Hahn, Megan Murray

Composed by Megan Murray

Produced by Dex Green

Language: English

Genre: Rock

Mood: Energetic

This Indian singer-songwriter moved from the home of Bollywood (Mumbai) to the home of Hollywood (LA), but she writes, composes and sings this spicy Blues/Rock song and dedicates it to Maximum City Mumbai. I must agree that the spirit of the song matches that of the city. Megan co-writes it with John Hahn and the superlative production is by Dex Green. 

The city spews magic everywhere and almost nothing can bring it down. I probably haven't heard a better dedication or tribute to Mumbai up until now. The electric guitars are sparkling, just like how the upbeat the energy of the city is and in combination with Tommi Rautiainen's drums, the beating never stops. Megan has perfected the vocals, singing with exorbitant poise and a cool attitude. 

The backing vocalists are up to the task as well and the execution of the harmonies is exquisite thanks to Ashley Wilcoxson, Laura Mayo, Aria Nanji and Bradley Tellis. Jen Gunderman and Dex Green are unstoppable on guitars with the stylish bassline support of "Little" Jack Lawrence. Ashyar Balsara is the mix engineer. 

@meeegaa @chickensplease @costa71 @ashyarbalsara @studioislandcity @ashleylane @ariananji @br4dleyt3llis @ashleylane @lauruhmayoh @jengunderman @drummertommi.rautiainen

6. KO KO

Music composed & Arranged by: Arun Muraleedharan

Lyrics: Titto Thankachan

Singer: Kapil Kapilan

Music Programming: Sreerag Suresh

Language: Malayalam 

Genre: Electronic Pop

Mood: Romantic

Kapil Kapilan turns on the style and heat this song's delivery with Arun Muraleedharan on composition and arrangements. The keys and rhythms programming is very stylish and we have Sreerag Suresh on it. The sound design is amped up and gives us an electronic pop experience. Anurag Nayan's guitars are stunning, but more than anything, I was blown away by the scintillating female chorus. The melody feels like Natai Ragam to me. 

We have Anila Rajeev, Krithika S, and Samanvitha Prashanth on the chorus, and the melody written for this segment is beautiful and it gets amplified by the creative rhythms during this. The stanza continues to ooze style with Kapil's performance and the bass guitars. Arun goes all out in writing a full-fledged melody that never settles for less. Titto Thankachan is the lyricist.

The recording engineers are Vishnu Anil (Tunity Records), Sreerag Suresh (SKR Studios), and Sai Prakash the mix/master engineer at My Studio, Cochin. 

@arunmuraleedharan_musical @sreerag_musiq @kapilkapilanmusic @anuragrajeevnayan @titto_p_thankachen @anila.rajeev @saiprakashh 

7. Azad Hai Tu

Vocals - Durba Banerjee

Music- Durba Banerjee, Krishna Chauhan

Lyrics- Durba Banerjee

Production- Krishh Datta

Language: Hindi

Genre: Alt-Rock

Mood: Pathos

This song is capable of making it even to the higher ranks thanks to its extensive production. Krishh Datta shows able vision and creativity as he masterfully handles the arrangements and gives us a neatly produced song. The mind constantly alters and fights to focus either on Durba Banerjee's passionate vocals and the way the twisting melody meanders beautifully across many scales probably or on the array of instrumental sounds that sound apt and delightful at every segment.

The Keys play along, but the violin tends to keep getting us back to the sense of melancholy inherent in the melody. This is where I keep hearing Raag Charukeshi. The interlude comes off as totally unexpected with the brilliant drums and combination of the electric guitar and bass guitar. The dominant violin intervenes with amazing effect but just when you sway your head to the violin, the thumping drums take over and energise the soul. The melody is co-written by Durba and Krishna Chauhan. 

The fact that every sound we hear is programmed speaks volumes about the effective use of keyboard and rhythm programming. When she sings " tumko bhi kya mehsoos ho rahi hey azaadiyaan", this is where the influence of Raag Charukesi peaks for me. The sizzling electric guitar solo towards the outro feels like an icing on this delicious cake. Krishh Datta is the mix/master engineer. 

@durbasings @breathe_india @krishhdatta @krishna.chauhan @_pritam_debnath_ @s_o_p_n_o.entertainment

8. Gravitate

Composer: Abji George

Lyrics: Abji George

Music Production: Ashish Kujur

Language: English

Genre: Pop

Mood: Romantic

Abji George has been featured by me, before this instance. His vocal tone is biggest asset and like always Abji leverages it to the fullest here too. This soothing melody is written by him and Abji also writes the touching and romantic lyrics. 

Ajay Majethia is the second hero of the song with his beautiful strumming of the acoustic guitars. Ajasra is the bassist and he keeps ensuring that the bass line notes are stylish right through. The song scores heavily on the fantastic arrangements and production. The interlude is grand with the trumpet by Prince Bhatra and the heavy drums by Sakest Rao. For a few seconds, the song feels like "The Animal Song" by 'Savage Garden'. Shardul plays the solo violin and the vision of the producer Ashish Kumur stands out like a diamond in the rough. 

The solo violin intervention in the second verse is emphatic and Shardul follows right through. The song is a clear example of superior teamwork and the result is there for everyone to hear. Joel Johnson is the recording engineer, Ronak Runwal is the mix/master engineer at Grays Spark Audio, Pune with assistant engineers Megh Mota and Bhavya Bhagat

@saket_rao_ @gaanewalabajaanewala @shardulbapat @ajasra__ @jxoelmusic @guitars_n_chopsticks @graysparkaudioacademy @abjigeorge @themeghmota @ashishkujurmusic 

9. Gulaabo

Composed and Arranged: Sanjith Hegde

Produced by: Charan Raj, Gautham Hebbar, Sanjith Hegde

Performed by - Sanjith Hegde

Lyricist - Shiny Das, Sanjith Hegde

Language: Hindi

Genre: Dance-Pop

Mood: Energetic

Yeah, he is unstoppable. Sanjith Hegde is making ripples, sorry, massive waves. Here he is back on another indie project in Hindi after last year's 'Baadal'. Sanjith has co-written the lyrics with Shiny Das and composed the melody himself. His usual stylish delivery style is strewn all over the place and the saucy guitars by Godfray Immanuel and Santosh Chandran add such a unique style to the song. 

This is dance-pop at its best and The Keys by Joe Johnson along with Napier Naveen's bass guitars give the song some very satiating oomph. The production is of the highest standard and what else can one expect when we have two phenomenal producers in Charan Raj and Gautham Hebbar, with Sanjith too working on production? 

That humming that comes in and plays like an interlude is way too stylish and we get Dhruv Vishwanath and Dishaan Gidwani on backing vocals. Roe Vincent and the Elfe can be heard engaging on the Choir Backing vocals, during the bridge section and outro. Sujith Sridhar of 2BarQ, Chennai is the mixing engineer, Chris Gehringer is the mastering engineer. 

@sanjithhegde @charanraj27185 @gauthamhebbar @nismurphy @warnermusicindia @__joejohnson @tamzidofficial @mrdhruvv @shiny897 @napier_naveen 

10. Veer Kasumbal

Music: Mehul Surti

Lyrics: Parth Tarpara

Singers: Kavya Limaye, Mehul Surti

Language: Gujarati

Genre: Light Music

Mood: Pathos

This is a song from a recently released Gujarati album "Kasoombo", where I did like a couple of songs, but this one stood out for me. The movie is a period film and hence the tone is like an anthem with heavy percussion. Mehul Surti has composed and produced the songs in the album and he also joins in on backing vocals.

The song's arrangements remind me of AR Rahman's work in the 2000s, and that is meant to be a compliment. Kavya Limaye sings the song with precision, and her energy remains subdued all through the song =, and maybe that is the intention. Her vocals and the tempo deliver a mild sense of pathos. The flute plays in the interlude and we have the solo violin and strings section coming as interventions in the stanza to uplift the song's sound and production. 

Kudos to Mehul for some well-written interludes, especially the second with the violin adding to the pathos. The Keys, bass and vocal harmonies become essential layers to keep this wonderful song engaging. The outro is fitting with the addition of some nice interlaying Keys and Mehul's loud chants in the background. Parth Tapara is the lyricist. 

@mehulsurtiofficial @parth.tarpara @raunaqkamdar @vijaygiribava @kavyalimaye17

11. Ishqa Da Jahaan

Written By: Frappe Ash, Encore Abj & Ahmer Zaman

Performed By: Frappe Ash, Encore Abj & Amey Ghule

Music Producer: Aman Sagar

Language: Punjabi

Genre: Alt Hip-Hop

Mood: Energetic

This sounds like one fun track that combines multiple styles from various parts of the world and gives us one super-finished product. When you watch Aman's production breakdown on Instagram, you do understand that almost every sound is created from samples, instead of live instrumentals. But that doesn't stop the song from sounding neat and peppy. 

The song's heavy lifting is done by Aman on production and he deserves credit for that. All the additional production is carried out by Palash Tiwari. The rap sections are written and performed by Dehradhun-bassed rapper Frappe Ash, and this is apparently a story from his life, and he had written the song 12 years ago. Abhijay Negi ( from Hip Hop Duo Seedhe Maut) has also written and performed in this song. 

The interplay of the Tabla and harmonium makes this feel desi and folkish. The classical folk segment is the one that feels closest to me, and the chorus portion is sung brilliantly giving vibes of Raag Bhimpalasi. The tracks are mixed and mastered by Vasudev and the EP of this project is Nakshatra Chadha. 

@amansagarr @frappeash @encoreabj @malsonsmedia @_amey_ghule_ @massappealindia @thelegalbing @harshitaaa_joshi @manil.mk.

12. Sheher

Written & Composed by - Rishabh Dyundi

Lead/Backing Vocals- Rishabh Dyundi

Production - Ashish Kujur, Joel Johnson, Ajay Majethia

Language: Hindi

Genre: Pop

Mood: Romantic

You would generally not associate soft, gentle and tranquil with any city! but it is happening here, as this beautiful and serene song has a title called "sheher". He talks about the lanes in a city and yes they can be things of great attraction. Rishabh Dyundi has written the melody as well as the lyrics and he is also the lead vocalist with a very honest and original tone in his voice. Well since he hails from Rishikesh, there is no reason to doubt his love for beauty. 

We have the same set of amazing musicians who worked with Abji George on "gravitate" functioning here as well. Ashish Kujur is one of the producers here along with Joel Johnson and Ajay Majethia. The layers of guitars are like beautiful flavours each adding uniquely to the ultimate sound of this. We can hear the electric guitar tickling away mildly played by Ajay Majethia and Amit Gadgil is on bass. 

There is a little bit of a nasal tone and Rishabh introduces these gentle ghamakas at the end of the lines making it beautiful to hear. I did sense a bit of KK in him, especially in the bridge section. Rishabh kills it with his falsetto exhibition too, so I hope to see so much more from this youngster in the future. The tracks are mixed and mastered by Ronak Runwal at Gray Spark Audio, Pune, India.

@dyundirishabh @tanvi_nambiar @shrutisankar @basswati @graysparkaudio @jxoelmusic @guitars_n_chopsticks @ashishkujurmusic @ronakrunwal 

13. Raaton Mein Ojhal

Lyrics & Composition: Antara Ansuna

Producers: Antara Ansuna & Sangeeth Peter

Vocals: Antara Pota

Language: Hindi

Genre: Semi-classical fusion

Mood: Happy

There is nothing better to hear than the surprisingly good music from unknown, rather 'Ansuna' artists. Here we have Antara Pota a.k.a. Antara Ansuna who blew my mind away with not just her vocals but her composition as well. She is a Hindustani-trained vocalist, with her speciality being the Indore Gharana. This song begins like an unplugged version of an 80's Bollywood melody. 

Pranav Joshi plays the acoustic guitars and the sweet innocent voice of Anatara makes headway. Sherin Mathew is the bassist and the presence is felt right through. The song's melody reminds me of Raag Bilawal and Antara proves that a good song's core strength lies in the melody. She tells me however that it is based in Raag Yaman Kalyan. 

The title line is a beauty as Antara sings "Raaton mein Ojhal" with some intricate and delicate ghamakas. Both Antara and Sangeeth Peter deserve credit for the composition. The gentle Tabla by Tushar Patel combines with the acoustic guitar and every second only beautifies the song with these binding flavors. The usage of vocal harmonies is exciting and I can also hear the Strings section in the background, making the overall experience breathtaking, especially towards the outro. Sangeeth is the recording and mix/master engineer at The Audio Guys(TAG), Mumbai. 

@an.suna_ @sangeeth.peter @tushartabla @pranav2910 @sherinnmathew @firstwav @neroanero_

14. Chupke Se

Composer, Producer - Apurva Krishna

Singer - Manya Narang

Lyrics - Apurva Krishna

It looks like we have many debutants in this week's list, and it is a thrilling experience to feature these splendid musicians for the very first time here. Manya Narang sings this one like a dream, and her delivery is rocking me away into oblivion. The mild Pianos and the backing vocal arrangements and humming do their bit to make this an enjoyable lullaby. 

Apurv Krishna writes the melody and lyrics and he lets Manya wave even more magical patterns into the lovely fabric. The strings section in the background adds some gravity to the sound design and also delivers the mild pathos even better. Neha Roy is the music supervisor, Apurva is the mix/master engineer at Karmman Productions

@apurvakrishnaofficial @iammanyanarang @karmmaproductions @