Top Indian Songs of the week 6th October 2024

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Here are the best songs released in India across languages and genres for the week ending 6th October 2024

1. Mera Yaar Purana

Written, sung and composed by Mansa Jimmy

Music Produced By: Vaibhav Pani

Language: Hindi

Genre: Sufi- fusion

Mood: Devotional

Mansa Jimmy is a singer with immense potential and it feels amazing to see her in a new release, especially with the 'Merchant Records' label. SOundchk Season 2 continues to impress and inspire and now we have this stunning track composed, written and performed by Mansa with Vaibhav Pani elevating it and projecting it onto us thanks to his musical production. The sound design feels like an AR Rahman production with the keys by Elroy Vincent and the Sufi-styled melody that follows. The initial segment of the melody is where I hear some Raag Maand

Shikhar Aggarwal plays the flute solo and the Tabla by Fareed Hussain plays gently alongside. Kushagra, Kanika Pandey and Elna Maria sing as backing vocalists leading up to the lead vocals by Mansa. Be prepared to be blown away by this enthralling vocal exhibition. The devotion comes through in the lyrics, melody and vocals but the sound design and arrangements reign supreme at every juncture. The verse is constructed beautifully as well and here I do sense some Raag Yaman. Mohd Iqbaal intervenes with poise and surety on the Harmonium and the flute arrangements too are exquisite. 

When we get back to the songs Sthayi and Antara we feel pure divinity with Mansa singing "ishq ka rog sayana, maane na deewana". The tracks are mixed and mastered by Tejus Srivastava at Blue Productions. Vaibhav goes crazy on keys, synths and rhythms in the interlude as he takes us into a synth/electronic pop-based trance mode. The bridge section "jise laagi man ki laagi", feels exhilarating and wait for the vocal harmonies and the thumping drum arrangements as well. 

As we head into the outro, Shokhar sizzles with a stunning flute solo in the background and we float into the heavens as the song comes to an end. I live and write for music like this!

@mansa_jimmy @shikhar_flute @elroyvincent @kushagradudejasings @kanika_8kp @mehra_krish @merchant_records @salimsulaimanmusic @iqbalnizami0786 @vidhipoddarmusic @nidhi_ketan @sherishshaikh @tusharmahajanofficial @vaibhavpani @bonnygosain @shivansh.j 

2. Allah Ke Pyaare Nabi

Music Composed & Produced by: Salim Sulaiman

Singers: Richa Sharma, Salim Merchant

Lyrics: Kamal Haji

Music Co-Produced: Raj Pandit

Language: Hindi

Genre: Sufi fusion

Mood: Devotional

'Bhoomi' for 2024 is here and I always look forward to this collection of great music, fantastic collaborations and ingrained purpose. It is already a masterstroke to get Richa Sharma ji to perform this devotional track in praise of Allah. Salim and Sulaiman weave some of their magic The lead vocalists are Richa and Salim and this is the 2nd time I am captivated by her after "Mirza" from the album 'Maidaan' in early 2024. The intro has Richa calling out into the heavens and when she sings with such power and poise I cannot help but close my eyes and surrender.

It sounds like Raag Bilawal when the title line is performed by Richa and Salim and the power of the song intensifies with the backing vocals of Raj Pandit, Shivansh Jindal, Aditya Kalway and Keshav Anand. The guitar by Rhythm Shaw paints a mild stroke, and the energy surges with the Tabla by Naeem Sayyed. Aslam Dafrani's Dholak, Harmonium by Muheet Bharti and Raj Pandit make the interlude swell with admiration for the Almighty. The singing is flawless with Richa singing in the baritonish register and the accompanying Piano by Jarvis Menezes and intervening electric guitar by Nyzel D'lima are excellent decorative elements in this beautiful song. 

The song was produced by Salim, Sulaiman, and Raj Pandit, with Salim and Sulaiman composing the stirring melody. The lyrics are penned by Kamal Haji. The chorus singers are Umesh Joshi, Janardhan Dhatrak, Dattatray Mestri, Deepti Rege, Archana Gore and Preeti Rege. Kudos to the bassist Ralph Menezes and Salim for playing the unique Handpan sounds. The recording engineers are Aftab Khan, Raj Pandit and Tejus Srivastava at Blue Productions. The tracks are mixed and mastered by Aftab Khan at Headroom Studio with mix assistants Vatsal Chevli and Elvis Fernandes. 

@salimsulaimanmusic @richasharmaofficial @kamalhaji_ @salimmerchant @rajpandit17 @nyzeldlima @ralphmenezes @mixedbyaftab @rhythm_shaw @ujmusic28 @naeem.sayyed0913 @jarvisintune @vatsalchevli @shivansh.j 

3. Hairan - Siddharth Pandit

Performed by Alok Ranjan Srivastava, Siddharth Pandit

Written by Alok Ranjan Srivastava, Siddharth Pandit

Language: Hindi

Genre: Pop

Mood: Relaxing 

I just released my full video review of this album on IG. Please go check out and make sure you stream this album. It is one of the best indie albums I have heard yet since I started my journey as a music journalist. 'Azaad Sangeet Season 3' will go down as 2024's undisputed best album according to me, and this is the 5th song I am reviewing from this album in the last few months. Siddharth Pandit has composed and produced the song and here he performs the lead vocals, with a lovable coarse texture in his voice. I am reminded of Lucky Ali in certain instances especially lines like "jaage raaton ka aana jaana kuch mahinon se hai" with the higher notes and the flowy Pianos. 

The rhythms keep the energy going and just when you least expect Siddharth throws you a surprise with " Yahin bhaite hain yahin" 

and is this melody wasn't soothing enough, listen to the backing vocals singing "magar hain ghum kahin". The production is phenomenal and the chorus segment develops into something just heartwarming. I am not sure but when I hear these lines I do hear a hint of Raag Khamaj. Kudos to the wonderful guitars where we have Harsh Reality, Marcelo Sorli and Michele B sizzle. 

@panditjeeee @m.sorlii @michel_e_b @hashtag.jazbaat 

4. Zindagi

Composer: Vishal Mishra

Singer: Vishal Mishra

Lyrics: Kaushal Kishore

Music Production: Gaurav Vaswani, Vishal Mishra

Additional Production: Bitupon Boruah

Language: Hindi

Genre: Pop Ballad

Mood: Pathos

He's back and I love it. Vishal Mishra has always been one of my favourite composers in India, but personally, I felt that there was a run of singles and albums which didn't work for me. 'Binny and Family' the album has some good music and this single stands out. The lyrics are written by Kaushal Kishore. Shomul Seal on the acoustic guitar and Parth Shankar on the flute solo strike a chord of gentle love. Vishal's humming is like a father's lullaby that will gently put you to sleep amidst all the worries in the world. 

The composition is by Vishal but it is Vishal and Gaurav Vaswani producing the song. The guitars hit harder and with the heavier rhythms and strings section in the background, the music moves from being just a slow ballad to now an anthem of revival. Parth is outstanding with the Flute playing constantly as a separate track right through. I feel an influence of Raag Desh in the stanza as Vishal decimates you with his singing loaded with ghamakas in the line " tu kissa hai mera, main hoon hissa tera, tu hi ho subah, meri raaton ki". Kudos to Kaushal for these amazing words. 

The music assistants are Kumar Gaurav Singh, Trihangku Lahkar and Bitupon Boruah with Bitupon also working on additional production. The outro has Vidhal just singing the word "Zindagi" followed by some vibrato and humming to take us into a state of tranquillity. The tracks are mixed and mastered by Trihangku Lahkar at VM Studio. 

@vishalmishraofficial @mekaushalkishore @shomu_seal @b2pon_ @kumargauravsing @gauravvaswaniofficial @parthshankarflute @trihangkulahkar 

5. Uff Ye Baarishein

Lyrics, Melody, Vocals: Vidhya Gopal

Music arrangement, Guitar: Ramil Ganjoo

Language: Hindi

Genre: Retro- Blues

Mood: Romantic

Just like the title "Uff Ye Baarishein" the song's gentle production feels like the drizzle of rain that starts falling just when step out of the house. That is exactly what Vidhya writes in the lyrics as well " ghar se joh nikalo do kadam bheeg jaoon uff ye barishein". Vidhya has written, composed and performed the lead vocals and in every department, she shines like that sliver lining around a dark cloud. 

The acoustic guitar along with the vocal harmonies are delightful and this bluesy production gives a retro feeling, it syncs perfectly with the song's lyrics as she sings "jab woh retro gaane bhaje toh yeh dil bole". The sound of the double bass and lead guitar interventions are just perfectly cohesive ingredients in the interlude. Vidhya Gopal exudes incredible confidence and zest and delivers a fine filmy performance in the song's stanza. Ramil Ganjoo is teh man to be credited for the terrific guitar, arrangements and production. 

@vidhyagopal_ @ramilganjoo @photogaffa 

6. Minnum Tharangal

Music Director: Ashwin Aryan

Singers: Nithya Mammen and Kapil Kapilan

Lyrics: Ajeesh Dasan

Music Producers: Ashwin Aryan, Sabarish Menon, Harikiran Menon

Language: Malayalam

Genre: Light Music

Mood: Romantic

The stalwarts are here, so you can listen with utmost confidence. Nithya Mammen and Kapil Kapilan are two blessed playback singers and when they perform in their peak form, nothing can be as beautiful. The song is a melodic tune composed by Aswin Aryan and it is co-produced by Ashwin, Sabarish Menon and Harikiran Menon. Sandeep N Venkitesh is the percussionist and is in full flow altering between various rhythmic instruments. When I hear the song's pallavi and anupallavi segments there is a sense of Harikhamboji Ragam that I hear. 

Sabarish is making the background sound so dreamy thanks to his acoustic guitars, Guitarlele, Mandolin and the Ukuele. The flute solo in the interlude by Subin Jerson gives that rustic and folkish texture and reminds us of some of AR Rahman's best works in his prime. The melody for the flute is brilliantly written and feel the rhythms in your veins with the Tabla and Ghatam in the background. Nithya is singing like a dream in the stanza and when the melody is constructed with so much love, it is impossible not to feel levitation. The line "minnum tharangalo" in the high pitch along with the backing vocals feels like a joy ride. 

Ashwin Aryan is on backing vocals, and the bassist is Harikiran with Sabarish on electric guitars. The song is rich and makes you visit again and again thanks to the fantastic arrangements, sound design and production. The recording engineers are Arjun B Nair, Rohan Harish and Fenn at Sonic Island Studios and 2 bar Q Studios. The mixing and mastering engineer is Shatarchi Hundet. Kudos to Ajees on the wonderful words for the song. 

@ashwinaryan @kapilkapilanmusic @nithyamammen @ajeesh_dasan_ @sabarishsyn29 @superpolite @subinjerson @shatarchi

7. Navasachi Gauri Mazi

Music Composer & Producer: Sanket Sane

Singer: Abhay Jodhpurkar

Lyrics: Sameer Samant

Language: Marathi

Genre: Light Music

Mood: Devotional 

Marathi film music gets a new name, Sanket Sane. When he sent me this album for my perusal, I did not have any expectations. As I played the album, I found myself impressed and elated that I came across this album. Many musicians stick to a format for devotional music which gets pretty mundane and uninspiring, but Sanket explores fresh ideas, in terms of melodies and production and hence the album is solid. I urge you to listen to this, as this would easily be one of the finest Indian regional albums of 2024. Sameer Samant pens the lyrics for this song. 

This is performed by the ever-dependable Abhay Jodhpurkar and with his vocals one feels like travelling aloft the clouds. Lovenish Sharma on the acoustic guitar, Keshav Iyengar on bass and Raju Dhumal on the Shehnai constantly coat the background with some Indian as well as Western flavours. One thing that will catch your attention is the mindblowing backing vocals by Brecilla Dsouza, Rakhi Shashank Rathod, Lyla, Adinath Patkar, M Sachin and Pranav Kamat. 

Kudos to Brecilla and Ptranav who have handled the vocal arrangements with fabulous poise. The rhythms and percussion keep the listener engaged as well and they provide the traditional fabric and sounds of the Konkan Region. Nitesh Ranadive and Bharath Singh play the live percussions with the former handling rhythm arrangements. Sanket creates some heartwarming melody when we get to the song's chorus segment and the combination of Abhay's beaming voice, the live instrumentals and backing vocal harmonies feels like eating a Modak on Ganesh Chaturthi. 

The interlude is where the song comes to life with the heavy percussion and the melody on the Shehnai. The stanza feels like a pop single with the ravishing backing vocalists performing with relentless energy. The ghamakas seem impossible to replicate and Abhay exhibits his absolute command of vocals here. The recording engineers are Ravindra Adhikari at Correcttone Media and Vinayak Pawar at SoundIdeaz Studios. The tracks are mixed by Vijay Dayal (YRF Studios ) and mastered by Gethin John (Hafod Mastering, Wales, UK ). 

@sanket.sane @pratikshakale @bassysadhu @pranavkmt @abhayjpdhpurkar @brecilladsouza @sameer_no1 @adinath.patkar @lovenish57 

8. Alvida

Performed by FIDDLECRAFT

Produced, mix mastered by Gaurav Kadu 

Language: Hindi

Genre: Rock Ballad

Mood: Pathos

This fantastic band from Pune has been featured before by me with a track called "Jogiya". Folkish Hindi Rock seems to be their forte and they live up to the hype once again. We have 4 members of the band with the frontman, Gaurav Kadu who is a singer/songwriter and also the producer and engineer for this single. The bassist is Atul Massey and the lead guitarist is Akshay More with Raj Sali on drums.

The mesmerism begins like a spell of trance on the guitar riffs, and Gaurav's trembling vocals tell the whole story, it is about a goodbye, "alvida". "maan liya tum faazil" is filled with such delicious ghamakas, so I salute you, Gaurav. The writing, melody and singing make this separation so heartbreaking. The verses keep coming in and pile on the misery, and I have tears when I hear " teri tasveer ghar pe rakh li kahin, par phir hum ghar gaye hi nahin". 

The interlude has this stirring lead guitar solo that speaks 10000 words and when Kartik Tare plays the Violin Solo, we feel a rush, and here comes peace. This is like a massive relief when we realize that even a goodbye can be a special moment, rather than feeling sad and gloomy. 

@kartik_tarte @gauravkudu_fiddlecraft @fiddlecraft @smallpocketdreams @karan.barnabass @rajsali58 @shettysudeep7

9. Khoya

Singer, Composer & Producer: Tushar Joshi

Lyrics: Sadhu Tiwari

Language: Hindi

Genre: Pop

Mood: Romantic

I am fond of Tushar Joshi as a musician, and he lives up to that expectation repeatedly. Whether it be just singing, or production and composition Tushar never settles for less. The song here is composed, performed and produced by Tushar with lyrics by Sadhu Tiwari. Jobin David's acoustic guitar riffs play in the intro and soon we get the enticing vocals of Tushar. My favorite part arrives when the pre-chorus segment brings in multiple layers of vocals as they sing "ek pal bhi door jaoo na, ek pal bhi bhool paao na". 

The titular line is just the magical part which breathes life into the song. The melody written here is rich and it becomes a part that we just keep humming. "khoya khoya dil mein khoya, chehra tera" with the acocmpanying and keyboards and rhythms steal the heart. Kudos to Sadhu for writing these romantic lines. The team here is skilled and has enormous experience working with stalwarts like Pritam, as we have Aniruddh Anantha as the vocal supervisor, and Ashiwn Kulkarni on mixing and mastering. 

Tushar as I mentioned, keeps ensuring that that song's melody, never retires or rests, that is why we get a fine stanza. Tushar sings "saans ko saans de, mujhe itna apne paas le" and we get enamoured by the tune, and the arrangements are exquisite, like the bass guitars and strings section. Tushar delivers the lines with a very Indian classical touch and that makes it a notch more attractive and closer to the heart. More points for Tushar for that mild sax in the outro as part of the arrangements 

@tusharjoshiii @sadhutiwari @jobindavid @ashwinkulkarni89 @aniruddhanantha @firstwav @raghavmeattle @amosculture_

10. Dheere

Lyrics: Shiny Das

Melody: Shubham Roy

Composition: Shubham Roy & Rohit Gandhi (GNDHI)

Performed by: Katya Krishnan & Shubham Roy

Produced by: Rohit Gandhi (GNDHI)

Language: Hindi

Genre: Pop Ballad

Mood: Pathos

I don't need a second invitation when I find some excellent musicians in the credits, like this one here. Shubham Roy and Katya Krishnan, well say no more! Both are artists I have loved and featured too and so when Shubham sent this song I wasted no time and got my headphones on. The melody is written by Shubham Roy and he starts with his enchanting and soothing vocals. The notations are so heartwarming and with Riwik Bhattacharya's acoustic guitars and Shint Das' lyrics, the door is wide open for the music lover to enter and feel more than welcome. 

Rohit Gandhi and Shubham work on the composition here and the former is the music producer, so kudos to the gang for some tingling arrangements. Katya had me going nuts last year with her indie single "Surface" which was one of the top English Indie singles of 2023. Here she comes in and just like Shubham, engrosses me with the voice and delivery. Shravan Sridhar is the man on the solo violin and he does his bit to engage me with his usual mastery of the instrument. Can you hear those vivid but gentle percussions by Sidharth Ravi like a Retro song from the 1960s and we have Ujwal KS on drums alongside? 

The Mandolin, bass guitars and vocal harmonies are all exquisite in giving this a wonderful Bluesy texture. The tracks are mixed and mastered by Hanish Taneja, the recording engineers are Leslie Charles & Mrinal M at Stained Class Productions LLP. 

@shubhamroy_music @shiny897 @ujwal_ks @ritwikbhattacharya @gndhimusic @katyakrishnan @sidravi_official @shravansridhar @mixedbyhanish

11. Ghum

Performed by Aaghaz, Khwaab, Rahul Shah, Twinkle Aggrwal

Written by Aaghaz, Khwaab, Rahul Shah

Produced by Khwaab, Ethan Dias

Language: Hindi

Genre: Pop Ballad

Mood: Pathos

Yes, one word says it all, and as the title suggests "ghum" talks about someone missing, and the song is a slow and soft pop ballad that drives the pathos deeper into our hearts. The vocals belong to Twinkle Aggrwal and her tone perfectly conveys the melancholy. The mild accompanying acoustic guitar and the bass ease us into the pain that the protagonist is feeling. The inventiveness comes from the strings section in the background and nothing is synonymous with pathos like the violin, violas, cello and upright bass. 

The song is written by Aaghaz, Khwaab and Rahul Shah and these are fabulous musicians when they come together, one can expect more than a handful. Khwaab and Ethan Dias produced this song and the arrangements enhance every iota of emotion that the words and vocals are trying to express. There are lead guitars, the Ukulele, harmonies and mild horns added into the interlude as layers to amplify the effect of this torn individual. 

@twinkleaggrwal19 @ethand10s @khwaab.music @rahulshah.wav 

12. Hiraeth

Singer/Lyricist/Composer: HEMANSHI

Music Producer: Kuwar

Language: Hindi

Genre: Pop

Mood: Trance

Like I always say, it is a thrilling and gratifying experience to feature someone for the very first time on my website. So here is the self-taught indie musician Hemanshi who has written, composed and performed the lead vocals in this single with music production by Kuwar. The guitar riffs are already creating ripples in my heart right at the instrumental prelude.

The voice is haunting, and Hemanshi throws a spell of magic like a sorceress that one can just not evade. I only end up swaying from left to right and back engrossed in the melody, the minimal keys, and the rhythm production. This is only for a bit before things explode with heavy synths and rhythms and the humming coming together. The verse is once again a subtle expression and kudos to Kuwar for the nice work on arrangements and production. 

@hemanshiiiiiiiiiii @eypcreations