Top Indian Songs of the week 7th January 2024

If you are a musician submit your new music here.

Here are the best songs released in India across languages and genres for the week ending 7th January 2024. 

1. Jaadu

Performed by Saptak Chatterjee

Written by Saptak Chatterjee

Produced by Saptak Chatterjee

Language: Hindi

Genre: Semi-classical

Mood: Relaxed

It is amazing to welcome Saptak Chatterjee back to the weeklies on my website after a minor hiatus. It seems he wanted to use the gap to rekindle some ideas and come back with the good stuff. It has worked like wonders is what I believe. This song touched me, the moment I heard it and it just keeps getting better as we progress into the song. 

The technical prowess of all the Hindustani vocal training is evident in every note he utters and Saptak combines a beautiful voice with that to give us a fulfilling experience. Shrikant Biswakarma plays the guitars and along with the rhythms, we get the necessary layers to elevate the song's output. The vocal harmony layers that flow in with the swaras being sung are an attractive portion that comes as an interlude. 

I love the segment Shrikant gets more lively with the electric guitars in the background and the solo deserves a special mention. The segment where he sings "jaadu tera , tera nasha" repetitively towards the outro is a fitting end. Saptak has written, composed and produced the song with Keshav Dhar on mixing and mastering. 

@saptakchatterjeeofficial @keshavdhar @strings_of_karma 

2. Ahilya

Composition, Sitar: Malvica Chopra

Arrangement, Production, Mix: Pranav Nigam

Language: Instrumental

Genre: Classical Fusion

Mood: Relaxed

Malvica is a trained Sitar player who has been sharpening her skills for 16 years and it shows in this composition and performance. When she reached out to me with this track, I had my heart filled with joy listening to the calmness and serenity the composition fetched me. The song was conceptualised and written a couple of years ago when Malvica Chopra was a student of music in California and she gets Pranav Nigram on board for this instrumental piece with the latter producing it and giving us a delectable output.

The sound design is perfect and it intends to relax the mind with the sound of water and the impending artistry in the Sitar. Something I have released is that not only songs but all kinds of tracks like these amazing instrumental pieces should be featured alongside in my weeklies. Why should music lovers be kept away from just gorgeous displays? The Piano that accompanies right through is played by Pranav and he also does the arrangements.

I do sense traces of Raag Bilawal and there are movements when the Piano fades away leaving us just Malvica weaving magic on the Sitar and the chirping birds in the background. It soon is followed by a resounding Piano entry and mild layers of vocal harmony. Kudos to Malvica for instilling such vigour in our hearts and exhibiting the power of instrumental music. Pranav other than all the endearing work on production also does the mixing and the mastering is done by Aniruddha Purushe. Check out the amazing music video as well on YouTube created by Dipankar Jain and Fiza of Nazariya Stories. Diskha Sharma Raina is the dancer in the video with the elegant moves. 

@malvicachopra @pranavnigam06 @dipankar.jain @pencil_bicycler @ani.purushe

3. Megham Pol Aagi

Song Composed Arranged by JAKES BEJOY 

Lyrics: THAMARAI

Singer : KAPIL KAPILAN

Music Producers : 

JAKES BEJOY, HARISANKAR V

Language: Tamil

Genre: Light Music / Pop

Mood: Happy

Just like I have consciously decided to include instrumental music every week, I am also going to get Tamil songs into the list as long are worthy of the spot. Last year I published a monthly on Tamil music ( Tamil being my native tongue) and kept them away from the India weeklies, but now I believe the larger crowd will benefit and take inspiration from the great Tamil songs too if I include them in the weekly playlists. 

This one is from an upcoming Tamil movie called "Nirangal Moondru" and it has some good music as of now with the first single turning out to be a delightful melody. Kapil Kapilan sings it with such finesse and there is romance flowing through his delivery. Thamarai writes beautiful lyrics that blossom in love just like the name Thamarai which means "Lotus". I just love the anu pallavi " kaatrum veesuthe, kaathoram pesuthe" is terrific musically and lyrically. The rhythms and keys are terrific in the programming. 

The trumpet by Babu solely adorns the interlude segment with Jakes and Harisankar V being the men in charge of production. The stanza continues to serenade us and when Kapil sees a shift in the trajectory with the line " Naan ezhutha kavithaiyellam unnodu, nee nadanthal nizhalai pinnodu" is a stunning landing line from the charanam to the chorus segment of teh song. Kapil's mild vibrato does more than enough to steal your heart. 

The clarinet (programmed) is excellent in the written notes and execution and makes for one dreamy interlude. The session is arranged by Daniel Joseph Antony and Maneeth Manoj. The guitars, mild strings section, horns and keys celebrate the melody to its fullest. The recording engineers are Midhun Anand, Daniel Joseph, Maneeth and Midhun Manoj. The tracks are mixed and mastered by Midhun Anand. 

@jakes_bejoy @kavignarthamarai @maneethmanoj @midhunmanojj @midhunanand_official @daniboy__7

4. Kaakarattan

Composer- G.V. Prakash Kumar

Music Producer- Sathyaprakash 

Main Artist- Vidya Vox, Rajalakshmi Senthilganesan

Lyricist- Yugabharathi

Language: Tamil

Genre: Folk-Pop

Mood: Happy

GV Prakash begins 2024 on a great note and isn't that true for Tamil music fans as well? I felt Coke Studio Tamil Season 1 was quite successful and saw the creation of some excellent music, and we are here to witness the birth of Season 2. The stringed instruments we hear are the Mandolin, Ukulele and Saz played by Sachidanand Sankaranarayanan and then the folkish texture emerges with Balasubramani's Nadaswaram. One can still feel that fusion effect with the bass guitars by Derick McArthur. Yugabharathi continues his great form with lyrics as he did in 2023. 

The lead vocalists are Vidya Vox, Rajalakshmi Senthilganesan who just provide varying tones to the vocals. I love the strings in the interlude, but I can never take my ears off the sizzling bass guitar notes in the background. I am reminded of AR Rahman's "Maanoothu Mandhaiyile". GV Prakash is the composer but it is Sathyaprakash who produced this with a lot of style and substance. The fusion stems from bringing the folk percussion and tapes by Livingstone along with drums by Kumaran SS. The Thavil is played by Shruthiraj. 

The stanza begins with Vidya Vox's sweet and stunning voice and there is a touch of innocence in her voice. GV has composed a very likeable and hummable melody, especially in the long and winding stanza. Abinandan plays the electric guitar and Lakshmikanth M does all the programming and delightful arrangements. 

A big shout to Kalyani Nair's The Indian Choral Ensemble, as we have exceptional vocalists viz. Alisha Mathew Thayil, Yazhini on Sopranos, Sumathi Shekar as the Alto singer, Shridhar Ramesh, Manikandan Chembai and Akash VH as Tenors. Kalyani does all the vocal arrangements. The tracks are mixed and mastered by Balu Thankachan at 20DB Black assisted by Paul Daniel and the recording engineers are Lijesh Kumar and Davidson Christopher. 

@gvprakash @vidyavox @rajalakshmifolk_official @cokestudiotamil @yughabharathi @kalyaninair86 @theindianchoralensemble @abinandan_r @alishamathewthayil @sumathi_shekar @thebaluthankachan 

5. Dhoore Dhoore 

Music & Arranged by: 4 Musics

Lyrics: Sam Mathew

Singer: Biby Mathew

Music Programmed by: Sannjith Rajendran

Additional Lyrics: Biby Mathew

Language: Malayalam

Genre: Light Music

Mood: Emotional

4 Musics is the band which composes such pristine melodies, and I when listen to their work in Mollywood or indie music in Tamil and Malayalam, it feels like they never gotten adulterated as a band and that they will always ensure good quality music is offered to us. No wonder that the Mollywood space trusts the band so much and offers frequent projects.

The electric violin solo by Balagopal R is a combination of hope and sadness right at the start, and when things are handed over to Biby Mathew on vocals the mood starts turning happier. The anupallavi is rich with some very beautiful notes, and the effect is heightened thanks to the strings section and the synths. The solo violin in the interlude does remind me of Neelambari Ragam. Anju Abraham backs up in the vocals in the stanza and we hear some fine rhythms and keys here. Sannjith Rajendran does the programming and the lyrics are penned by Sam Mathew along with Biby. The recording engineer is Jim Jacob and Aswin Andrews is the mix/master engineer.

@the4musics @jaffaridukki_official @mangomury @sammathew 

 6. Laayee Mohabbat

SINGER - ARCHIT TAK

LYRICIST - ARCHIT TAK

COMPOSER - ARCHIT TAK

MUSIC PRODUCER - QULID

Language: Hindi

Genre: Semi-classical Pop

Mood: Relaxed

The song came as a total surprise to me when I heard it because until then I hadn't heard much about Archit Tak. Here he is writing, composing and singing this beautiful song which has influences of Raag Bhimpalasi. It is only the Keys in the background, but Archit has this excellent texture and he sings with an amazing pose, especially in the title line.

The interlude has this nicely executed aalap and swara before he goes on the sing the stanza. Here too he doesn't stop to surprise me with some creative aalap. The song is simple but it is powerful thanks to the tune, vocals and production by Qulid. As the title says it has brought love to whoever listens to this semi-classical pop single. 

 @takarchit @qulid_ @the_indiandoodler_

7. Zindagi

Performed by Atif Aslam

Music Producer: Leo Twins

Original Music by Nashad

Lyrics: Qateel Shifai

Language: Hindi

Genre: Ghazal/Tumri

The song is a dedication to the legendary Mehdi Hassan Khan and when Sufiscore gets involved in a project you know the output will be world-class. The famous Atif Aslam comes back to perform this original song by Nashad, and this version is produced by Leo Twins. 

I do sense some Raag Darbari and with Atif's gentle vocals and the mild flute in the background, we are serenaded into oblivion. The guitars, keys and rhythms show their presence as peripheral elements and to add to the pathos we get the faint of a solo violin. The Violin has a powerful impact in the interlude, but the combination of bass guitars and the Harmonium is a surprise that works quite well. 

The tracks are mixed and mastered by Darren Heelis, with Shiraz Uppal being the recording engineer at S.U Studios. The song gets a wild twist with some quick violin notes, Keys and aalap towards the end. 

@atifaslam @leotwinsofficial @saboorali @sufiscore @shirazuppal @darrenheelis 

8. Mele Vaanam

Music: Sadique Pandallur

Lyrics: Akhila Sayooj 

Singers: Shahabaz Aman, Sruthy Sivadas

Programmed by: Yasir Ashraf 

Language: Malayalam

Genre: Light Music

Mood: Romantic

Shahbaz Aman follows after Atif Aslam, this is a divine lineup for sure. The guitar strumming by Anurag R Nayan is a terrific start for the song and it takes my memory to Ilaiyaraja's "Oru Koottu Kiliyaga". Sadique Pandallur cooks up this glorious melody and handles all the arrangements, with Yasir Ashraf being the programmer in charge. 

The interlude is long and unpredictable, and when we get to the stanza, we have Sruthy Sivadas on the female lead vocals. She stands up tall against the performance of Shahabaz and walks alongside him beautifully and matching up to his genius. There are moments where I did hear Keeravani Ragam in the stanza. The tracks are mixed and mastered by Sai Prakash at My Studio, Kochi. The recording engineers are Libin, Sreerag Suresh and Misjad Sabu

@akhilasayooj @saregamamalayalam @yasmac78 @sadique_pandallur @shahabazaman5 @sruthy_sivadaas @anuragrajeevnayan @saiprakashh

9. Piya

Performed by Rahul U, Sarah Shipchandler

Written by Rahul Sandeep Uplenchwar, Rahul U

Produced by Rahul U, Vishwesh Vaidya

Language: Hindi

Genre: Alt Hip-hop / Semiclassical fusion

Mood: Energetic

Out of nowhere, I got this request, from Rahul U, to check out his latest song. This is something I welcome the most and anyone reading this, please do share your latest music with me by submitting it on my website. This is the best way for me to make sure I listen to every music single that gets released in India. I was taken aback by the beautiful classical hip-hop fusion in this song and Rahul Uplendhwar has written, composed and performed this song with excellent purpose and poise

During a time when Hip-Hop has become monotonous to hear with poor writing, Rahul has come up with the right goods indeed. I did suspect some Raag Keeravani in the female melody and it is being performed beautifully by Sarah Shipchandler. The production and sound design are emphatic with some thumping rhythm programming by Rahul and Vishwesh Vaidya who are the producers. The sound of the clock tower-like bell and keyboard programming also makes for some exquisite layers. The artwork is by Gaurang Oza.  

@rahuluofficial @vishwesh.music @sarahshipchandler @mohit_shandliya_27 @spacemanstripes @graysparkaudio

10. Ninyaarele

Performed by Armaan Malik, Veer Samarth

Written by Siddu Kodipura, Suni, Veer Samarth

Language: Kannada

Genre: Light Music/ Orchestral 

Mood: Contemplative

The heavy symphony of strings welcomes us and with the mellifluous flute, we come to the end of the beautiful intro. Has Armaan Malik taken over from Sonu Nigam? That is the feeling I get especially when I hear such light-music melodies like this one in Kannada, because for all these it has been the latter who delivers such songs. Whatever the answer to that question Armaan does a fine job on vocals in this Veer Samarth composition. 

The lyrics are penned by Siddu Kodipura. The bass guitars, strings section and keys accompany right through and there is this mild pathos along with a sense of contemplation that gets instilled in the tune and production. This stanza particularly reminds me of some traces of Shanmukhapriya Ragam, and Veer does a fine job of writing the melody which touches the heart gently with the notes and the full impact wouldn't be possible without Armaan's tone, mild ghamakas and emotional depiction of the lines. 

@veersamarth @simplesuni @siddukodipura @armaanmalik @swathishta_krishnan @aanandaaudio @mallika_singh_official_