Top Indian Songs of the week 4th June 2023

Here are the best songs released in India across languages and genres for the week ending 4th June 2023. 

If you are a musician submit your new music here.

1. Phir Aur Kya Chahiye

Singer - Arijit Singh, Sachin- Jigar

Music - Sachin- Jigar

Lyrics - Amitabh Bhattacharya

Programmed & Arranged By - Sachin- Jigar

Music Production Head - Romil Ved

Sachin and Jigar the composer duo, are like Michael Bevan, the cricketer. He used to come in and bat for around 10 overs and without a single boundary, suddenly you will see him in his 40s. I have been quite impressed with how their original scores are very good despite not getting too much attention and fan following (in my opinion) me. Bhediya was a very good album, with 2 fine songs and a good original background score as well. 

Arijit Singh has been in prime form and I feel like he has rediscovered himself as a vocalist because the usual style of singing which was getting somewhat stale has been left behind. Arijit brings out the protagonist's vulnerability and emotions rather than showcasing his vocal skills, and that is why O'Bedardeya and Bairiya which were released in 2023 got featured by me. 

Kalyan Baruah is amazing on the guitars and Sachin-Jigar's Keyboard programming is fantastic, and you can realise this if you focus on the background rather than Arijit's vocals singing the title line. The Alt-pop influence is something that sticks to the mind and pulls the song to this week's number 1 spot. Pratiksha Kale, Maanuni Desai and Sahil Vishvakarma sing the chorus "Tu heere" in the interlude. The programming and arrangements are by Sachin-Jigar and Romil Ved is the Music Production Head. Amitabh Bhattacharya pens the lovely lyrics. 

Tejas Vinchurkar instils love with his flute solo and Sachin-Jigar composes a very likeable and rich stanza, with Arijit excelling with every note like only he can. I love the line "ugta nahi hain suraj mera". Tatiana Kritskaya plays the Cello and when we get to the outro Arijit improvises splendidly as usual. The song is mixed and mastered by Eric Pillai with Michael Edwin Pillai assisting with the mixing. Swar Mehta is the recording engineer. The song has that tone and resemblance to "Main Tenu Samjhawan Ki".

@sachinjigar @arijitsingh @amitabhbhattacharyaofficial @saregama_official @soulfulsachin @jigarsariaya @tejas.flute @tanikacello @romilved @pratikshakale @scarlettvictim @sahilvmusic @ericpillai @swar_440 @michaeledwinpillai 

2. Time For 2

Performed by Yamini Lavanian, Zohran Miranda

Written by Yamini Lavanian, Zohran Jude Miranda

Produced by Zohran and Jovian Soans

Language: English

Genre: Synth Pop

Zohran Miranda is a guitarist and producer from Mumbai and he has worked with many top-notch singer-songwriters. This is my debut EP and I must say that I was mighty impressed with it, and I recommend you all listen to the EP. Though this is the song I have picked for featuring now, I did fancy a couple of more songs in the EP. I did feature Zohran back in 2021 for a single called "Heavy on Time".

The sound design and production are phenomenal and you know this is world-class the moment you hear it. Zohran collaborates with another fantastic artist Yamini Lavanian and they write, compose and perform together on this song. I featured Yamini in a song with Vinay Kaushal more than a year ago and she possesses a gifted voice and she too puts it to full use here. 

Jovian Soans and Zohran produced the songs and kudos to both of them. Aditya Ashok is fabulous and he generates such good interest through the drums, and we have the eminent Rushad Mistry as the bassist. Yamini begins her vocals and you lose track of all your other senses. She exhibits great control in her delivery and embellishes every note with a cool attitude and style. The line "Sky's opening, fire is burning high" is so beautifully composed with such an unpredictable shift in notes towards the note and the falsetto is just spot-on. 

Zohrans vocal lines are more funky and fun and the two combine, and it does feel like "perfect storm brewing, just me and you". The album artwork is done by Sadek Merchant, and the photo art design is by Anahaa Chattaraj with Herbert Fernandes as the Photographer. The outro on guitars, drums and the humming is a magical fitting end. 

@sadekmerchant @yamini_lavanian_music @joviancity @ox7gen @anahaachattaraj @rushad1981 @originaldogofficial @zohranmiranda

3. Roop Sajalaya

Vocals: Arya Ambaekar, Ajay Ranpise

Music composer: Ajay Ranpise

Lyrics: Ajay Ranpise

Music Produced & Arrange: Arjit Chakraborty

Language: Marathi

Genre: Filmi Pop

Ajay Ranpise composes this extremely hummable melody in Marathi and it is not just the tune, but also the production and arrangements by Arjit Chakraborty that stand out. The keyboards are on the job right from the beginning and we get to hear Shomu Seal's guitars slowly strumming away. 

The song has a nicely composed Pallavi and Anupallavi section, and when you hear the bass guitars you also hear a mild Tabla and that works well. Raju Sardar & Sanjeev Sen play the Tabla and Dholak. The richest line is the title line that follows and this is where Arjit also arranges the Strings Section played by Prakash Peters. Ajay sings the line beautifully adding a few ghamakas. 

The interlude has the Shehnai as the lead with the same notes then sung by the chorus featuring Zoheb Ahmed. The chorus reminds me of AR Rahman's "Kehna Hai Kya". Arya Ambekar joins in during the stanza and her voice is loaded with sweetness I feel like the same title line sounds even better when sung by Arya. The interplay of the Piano, bass guitars, and acoustic guitars along with the Tabla and Dholak is seamless and feels natural rather than forced. Chinmay Hulyalkar is the mix/master engineer. 

@ajay_ranpise @ambekaraarya @arijitchakraborty18 @shomu_seal @chinmayh8 @gettogethermarathifilm 

4. Sahara Tu Mera

Music - Sangeet Haldipur & Siddharth Haldipur 

Lyrics - Garima Obrah 

Singers - Asees Kaur, Sangeet & Siddharth

Music Arrangement & Production - Sangeet & Siddharth

Language: Hindi

Genre: Filmi Pop

A movie like this which is based on a real story and which has intense and long court proceedings hardly entails any songs. But 'Sirf Ek Bandaa Kaafi Hai' has 2 good songs composed by Sangeet and Siddharth Haldipur. This one is my favourite from the EP and it is performed by Asees Kaur as the female lead with both Sangeet and Siddharth also lending their voices. 

I remember an indie single composed and sung by Sangeet called 'Hua Mera' and so I did have a certain amount of high expectations before I even played the song. The songs in the EP are composed, arranged and produced by Sangeet and Siddharth. Asees is easily one of the finest playback singers and vocalists in the country, and it is her tone that works to her advantage. The title line "Sahara tu mera' is such a delight to hear, as she emotes the words perfectly and all the chords in the background make for some splendid listening. 

Varad Kathapurkar plays the flute in the interlude, and a beautiful intervention in the stanza as well. The production is solid and we can feel the song being elevated thanks to the Keys. Sangeet plays the acoustic guitars right through the song. Garima Obrah is the lyricist, and we have the song being mixed/mastered by Rupak Thakur at RT Studio. The recording engineer is Kardamsharma Joshi

@sangeetsiddharthofficial @aseeskaurmusic @garimaobrah @siddharthhaldipur @songsteering @thakurrupak @apoorvsinghkarki01 @zeestudiosofficial @poojapv @varadflute_official @kardamsharma 

5. Inee Raavil

Singer K.S.Harishankar

Lyricist: Anoop G

Music Composed and Arranged: Sreekanth S Narayan 

Language: Malayalam

Genre: Classical Carnatic-Pop

I believe I am featuring Sreekanth S Narayan for the very first time, and here he composes this gentle melody. KS Harisankar delightfully opens the vocals and this is where I sense some Nalinakanthi Ragam influence. Sreekanth arranges for the song, and Ajin Pullandan handles the programming and Keys. Anoop G is the lyricist. 

As a music journalist, it felt nice to recognise the ragam influence correctly and what gave me validation was well when I heard the sax(programmed) interlude of the famous Carnatic Kriti called "Manavyalakinchara" because this is based on Nalinakanti Ragam. The rhythms are arranged by Bijin Pullandan. The stanza has so many things happening, on the guitars and strings section, but they all come second to Harisankar's voice which can transport us all to a happy and peaceful place no matter what reality we are living in right now. 

Renjith C Rajan does the mix/master engineering and the recording engineers are Akshay Kakkoth, Vishal Bharathan with vocal editing by Sai Prakash.

@sreekanth_s_narayan @harisankar_ks @ajin_pulladan @bijin_pulladan_official @akshay_kakkoth @saiprakashh

6. Dost

Lyrics & Composition: Arthish Banerjee

Vocals: Arthish Banerjee

Language: Hindi

Genre: Rock

Waiting List is an indie rock band comprising Aditya Majumdar who plays the guitars, Arthish Banerjee the frontman who has composed, written and sung this song, drummer Swarnadeep Paul, Keyboardist Himaghna Ribhu Maitra and bassist Henry Gomes. This song grew fonder within the first few minutes and I am glad I came across this rock band, I hope to track them closely in the future. 

That electric guitar solo in the beginning with the Keys in the background strikes hard and makes you pay attention. Arthish has a magnetic voice and his vocal stability is solid, you can sense the way his closing notes are at the end of every line. The humming is heartfelt that comes like an interlude along with the electric guitars and drums. "Kaise ho dost, kya tumhe meri yaad aati hai" is a very good line. 

Aditya plays a fantastic electric guitar solo past the 3rd minute, and after that, we get some silence and a drop in activity. It is only the Keys, bass guitars and lead vocals here, and I love the passive intensity here without too much volume. The sound engineer on mixing. mastering and recording are Abhibroto Mitra, with Jawed and Abhranil Chatterjee as assistant sound engineers. The studio used for all engineers, recording is Imaginarium

@waitinglistofficial @iamrickdb @earth.his @thakumar_jhooli @_.sindhura.mukherjee._ @henryygomes

7. Tumi Aru Moi

Singer: Zubeen Garg and Deeplina Deka

Lyrics: Diganta Bharati

Music: Pranoy Dutta

It has been a while since I featured an Assamese number here, and I am so glad I got this beautiful melody in this week's list. Zubeen Garg and Deeplina Deka are renowned Assamese vocalists and they never let you down when you hit the play button. The melody is so refreshing and Pranoy Dutta composes the tune with Diganta Bharati writing the lyrics. 

Pranoy also produces and arranges with such finesses making it a loop-worthy song. The interlude is all some funky notes on the Keys, with sounds of the Sitar and Shehnai also accompanying. Deeplina smashes her lines for a six with all her tenderness and delivery. The stanza is just as enjoyable as the opening segment. Enjoy this Assamese awesome sauce. 

@deeplina_deka @zubeen.garg @pranoy.dutta.5

8. Phir Se Dil Toota

Music Composed Arranged, and Produced by Mark K Robin 

Lyricist- Kausar Munir  

Singer Vishal Mishra  

Language: Hindi

Genre: Alt-Rock

I have rated 8 AM Metro as one of the best Hindi EPs of 2023 so far, and I am confident it will stay that way when the year ends. There are 3 fantastic songs and I have written a review of Ghoomey last week. This is sung by one of my favourite vocalists in India, Vishal Mishra and he emotes and sings with impeccable ease and passion, something many young singers can take inspiration from.

Mark K Robin has upped his game so much that my expectations from the composer also have risen multi-fold. This song is proof of his performance as he not only composes a fantastic song but correctly picks the vocalist to deliver. Vishal singing in the higher vocal range is something to cherish. Kausar Munir writes the perfect words to deliver the message of heartbreak. The electric guitar solo is hair-raising good, played by the dependable Keba Jeremiah. We have Keith Peters on the bass and David Joseph thumping the drums. 

The chorus comprising Gary Misquitta, Rishikesh Kamerkar, Rahul Pandey, Sunayana Sarkar, Shazneen Arethna, and Suzanne D’Mello did an excellent job too. We have Antony Karuna on the orchestration with Shadab Rayeen doing the mixing and mastering. 

 @iammarkkrobin @shadabrayeen @gboy.nwc @suzanne_dmello @shazneenarethna @keithpeters_bassman @kebajer @vishalmishraofficial @kausarmunir

9. Hai Kaisi Kaisi

Singer: Jubin Nautiyal

Music: Rocky - Jubin

Lyrics: Rocky Khanna

Music Producer: Abraham Khanna

Language: Hindi

Genre:

I am listening to a Jubin Nautiyal composition for the first time, and it is a collaboration between Jubin and Rocky Khanna, with the latter also writing the lyrics. Jubin's vocals do all that is necessary to engage us and the production stands out. The strings section in the opening segment offers more for us to enjoy musically.

The song has moments where the drums take a breather and that works well for me. The humming by Jubin is something that sticks to the mind and it is once again a very emotionally apt performance by the lead vocalist. The song is simple as a tune with a lot of the notes getting repeated, yet it is Jubins singing and Rocky's arrangements and production that make the song qualify. The electric guitar solo by Appai Prachotosh Bhowmik is outstanding and he also plays the acoustic guitar. 

The outro is another section which makes us wish the song continued and the concoction of the vocal humming, electric guitar, drums and acoustic guitar is worth cherishing. Shadab Rayeen is the mix/master engineer. 

@jubin_nautiyal @rockywkhanna @crevixa @shadabrayeen @abrahamkhanna @appaithefuzzyguy @samyra_reis @tseries.official 

10. Haari Nazarein

Performed by Abhijeet Srivastava, Suvarna Tiwari

Written by Abhijeet Srivastava, Shayra Apoorva

Produced by 

Language: Hindi

Genre: Lo-fi Classical Pop

I have featured the EP Fungeet in my #1minmusicreviews on my Instagram page and I loved 2 if not 3 songs from the EP. Abhijeet Srivastava, Aman Moroney and Ashish Manchanda produce the songs in the EP and we have Abhijeet composing all the tunes and Shayra Aporrva writing the words. 

This Lo-fi-laden pop is rich in its Bhimpalasi Raag influence and we have Suvarna Tiwari killing it on the vocals. The synths and keys dominate in the background and you can sense even the female vocal humming being done with a Lo-fi refurbishment. Suvarna is explosive singing the classical Hindustani-styled lines and it is a huge game-changer for this song. The Keys and Sitar interventions in the interlude combine beautifully. The stanza is your time to just stay silent and focus on Suvarna's vocals. The way she sings " Sawariya, O Re Sawaraiya" is something one can listen to, multiple times. 

Pagla Jiya sung by Abhijeet is another stunner. This is set in Raag Keeravani and it is such a morose single with Abhijeet's sensibilities and vocal delivery adding to the likability. I can feel the sadness when he sings the title line and once again Abhijeet, Aman and Ashish decorate the song with perfect interventions, arrangements and programming. Hanish Taneja is the mixing engineer

@abhijeetmusic @aman_moroney @mixedbyhanish @shayra22 @imsuvarnatiwari @indiearecords @springboardrecords_bclabels @aniruddhanantha 

11. Thaarake

Music: Sibi Mathew Alex 

Lyrics: Vinayak Sasikumar 

Singer: Vineeth Srinivasan

Rhythm Produced by: Vishnu Anil 

Language: Malayalam

Genre: Alt-pop

We have the 2nd Mollywood song in this week's list and it is no surprise considering the quality of musicians down south. However, it is interesting to note that both Sreekanth S Narayan who scored "Inee Raavil" and this song's composer Sibi Mathew Alex are making their debut feature on this website, so kudos to them. 

Vineeth Sreenivasan is the vocalist, and he tempts you with his unique vocal tone. The strong points of the song are its anupallavi which is when Vineeth sings "Neramai akale" and then we get a barrage of instrumentals supporting the high-pitched line. Leander Widmoser comes in and plays all the percussion and additional drums and the fantastic accompaniments on the woodwinds are by Akhil Anilkumar and Yedhukrishnan S. It begins as a background sound to forming the lead in the interludes. Vinayak Sasikumar is 

If you are wondering why the guitars are sparkling with style, it is because of this champion guitarist Durwin D'Souza. The rhythms are produced by Vishnu Anil. Sibi scores well on the programming and arrangements and it shows in the way he chooses to lower the decibel levels of rhythms and then amps things up. The tracks are mixed by Joy Rayarala and mastered by Abin Paul. The engineers are Sanjay Sukumaran, Ragesh Krishna, Sibi Mathew Alex and Sachu Raj Bhaskar.

@sibi_mathew_alex @janakijaanemovie @vidhya.vijaykumar @manoramamusic @durwin_dsouza @vineeth84 @leanderwidmoser @mixwithabin 

12. Milan

Performed by Dream Note

Written by Dream Note

Produced by Dream Note

Language: Hindi

Genre: Alt-pop

This Jaipur-based pop band has been featured a year ago by me for excellent songs called 'Dil' and 'Zeher' from their EP. This one is a special song as well as band members Gaurav Tiwari and Taresh Agarwal create a dreamy pop single here. The stunning guitar strumming by Taresh takes you into something like Peter Pan's Neverland and Gaurav follows it up with an equally absorbing vocal performance. 

The keys and overall production is adding fuel to this unstoppable fire and with every note uttered the song elevates itself. My favourite line is "jaan main jaake mil gae hain roga aadhe, aur had se bad rahee haya". The line somehow reminds me of Coldplay's "Paradise". The vocals are endearing and they are supported by another layer of additional vocals. Close to the 3rd minute, we get the full impact of the Keys and I think a programmed vocal sound in high pitch. 

@dreamnote_official 

13. Bend

Composed, Produced & Performed By: Shor Police (Clinton Cerejo & Bianca Gomes)

Lyrics: Shor Police

After a terrific single "Live another day" we have one more mesmerising track here by Shor Police. The Paino is mild, yet memorable and we wait for what is about to come. Bianca Gomes starts singing and this impressive vocal rendition fights for my attention against the excellent writing. I rather just stop picking one over the other and enjoy the intelligent lyrics coming through Bioanca's voice. 

The strings section playing in the corner of my ears just does about enough to add some gravity to the message. "Was it the way she left, was it the words", followed by "Why couldn't we just bend" has an important message about human rigidities. 

The song is composed, written and produced by Shor Police and we have Clinton on mixing duties with Aftab Khan doing the mastering. The song reminds me of Shania Twain's "From this moment on". Pallavi Kedar is the recording engineer with recordings taking place at The Groove Room, Mumbai. 

@clintoncerejo @shorpolice @iambinkybee @mixedbyaftab @saumyathakur @kedarpallavi  

14. Obhimon

Composer, Producer, Vocal, Mix & Mastering - Hridoy Khan

Lyrics - Robiul Islam Jibon

Language: Bangla

Genre: Alt-Rock

Hridoy Khan gets cracking on this Bangla song and it has this Alt-Rock flavour to it, but if I am not wrong, there is also an underlying influence of Raag Bhimpalasi. He has composed, sung and produced this inspiring number with lyrics by Robiul Islam Jibon. 

The keys are coming in thick and fast and we get the rhythms joining in as well. The electric guitar support is adding zest and style like no other. I must also compliment Hridoy's tone and delivery which alternates between a classical Indian rendition with ghamakas and a western rock-styled attitude. The music label is HK Production and this is truly a song that can be played on a loop when you need your boredom and monotony to be driven away. 

15. Monot Pore

Song written, performed & Produced by: Taba Chake

Produced & Mixed: Ritwik De (Ghar Ka Studio) New Delhi

Language: Assamese

Genre: Indie pop

Taba Chake composes, writes and performs this Assamese number that hits you like a gentle breeze, and you can't have enough of it. Ritwik De co-produces the song and he also does the mixing of the tracks. The Mandolin by Ritwik dominate the instrumentals, and this way the focus is on Taba's gentle and vulnerable vocals. 

When the humming begins, he gets the support of additional vocals from Smiti Malik & Subhadra Kamath. Here we also hear those fantastic guitars and bass by Ritwik and drums by Aveleon Giles Vaz. By this time this is one outstanding pop number with enchanting guitars and energetic drums enveloping as Taba, Smiti and Subhadra sing the title line. This song feels like a ride in an amusement park, I never want to get out of. The song is mastered by Gethin John. 

@zokovnaice @plabita.manu @aveleonvaz @subblegum @

16. A Tale of 2 Moods

Performed by Deanna DiLandro, Tripped N Sat

Written by Chino Quentin, Deanna DiLandro, Jason Hines, Parichay Nathani

Produced by Tripped N Sat

Language: English

Genre: Alt-Pop/Electronic Pop

I love this song for the mood it creates and Deanna Dilandro's vocals enter my bloodstream like sugar and protein and everything that my body wants. The humming that she does right at the start is a clincher. 

The song is produced by Tripped N Sat who call themselves a genre-less producer/artist duo. They are Parichay Nathani from Raipur and Jason Hines from LA. The genre feels very much like Alt-Pop and some electronic pop as well. Either way, it is too cool to not listen to them. One peculiar reason I had to feature them was the programmed drums that have a fantastic start and progression once every few beats. 

The arrangements and production are fantastic with vocal harmonies, guitars, and keys all coming together creating one magical, tripping feeling. 

@trippednsat @jason____hines @deannadilandro @believemusic