Top Indian Songs of the week 12th March 2023

Here are the best songs released in India across languages and genres for the week ending 12th March 2023. 

If you are a musician submit your new music here.

1. Roses

Writing and Composition - Kalpana 

Music Production - Sanjai Shine, Balaji Krishnan

Guitars and Keys - Sanjai Shine 

Language: English

Genre: Ballad

Kalpana wrote, composed and performed one of the best English songs of 2022 with 'Helpline' and I featured and reviewed that humdinger of a song. Now she is back with this even better song and I hope my excitement while listening to it spills over into the writing. Sanjai Shine who also worked on Kalpana's previous project makes an unassailable contribution here with his thumping guitars that strike you straight at the beginning of the song. 

Everything everywhere is forgotten at once when Kalpana starts singing thanks to her magnetic voice that stays so low on the vocal range. She is impeccable with her vibrato and her improvisations that don't seem affected and forced. Sanjai also plays the Keys and one important merit for the song is the wonderful vocal harmonies and how amazingly they are arranged. You will feel the song's mercury rising slowly rising and the best compliment I can give to Kalpana, Sanjai and Balaji Krishnan is that this soars and stays in your mind as a much better song compared to the 4 English ones which were nominated alongside Naatu Naatu in the Oscars for the 'Best Original Song' Category. I have listened to all of them and I mean it. 

The guitars, strings section, Keys and all the layers of vocals are spellbinding and this is the kind of music we should be proud of as Indians. Winning awards on a global scale, although encouraging, still is secondary to creating beautiful and original music like this. Sanjai and Balaji are the producers of this song and they better be proud of their work. Kalpana has just raised the bar and I have total confidence that she will not only cross it the next time but will raise it further higher too. The song is mixed by Pritpal Sudan, a brilliant producer himself, and mastered by Thomas Juth. The recording studio where all the magic transpired is Kanha Shanti Vanam. Teh video is shot by Anand Kantiban who has worked on the masterpiece movie 'Karnan'. 

@theofficialkalpana @sanjaishine @balaji_r_krishnan @notsudan @kanhastudio__ @kanhashantivanam @thomas_juth @anandkantiban

2. Kaana Chillamel

Composed, Produced, and Arranged - Arun Raj

Singer - Amritha Suressh

Lyrics - Sandeep Sudha

Language: Malayalam

Genre: Filmi Melody

It begins with a male sermon that we would hear in a Church, and it is so heartwarming to hear Amritha Suressh who I am featuring after her brilliant show in Sufiyum Sujathayaum' in the song "Alhamdulillah". She has this excellent texture that you just will end up falling in love with and that is why I wish we hear much more of her voice in 2023. Sumesh Parameswar plays the guitars and bass and he has his stamp of authority written all over.

The anu pallavi segment is very good as it has Amritha singing in the high pitch and she still manages to effectively sing with fantastic ghamakas, reminding us of the nightingale KS Chitra. Arun Raj has composed, produced and arranged the song, so you know he has done remarkably well when the strings are programmed in the background here. 

The clear game-changer was the interlude with the flute solo by Abhijith along with the accompanying Keyboards and guitars. The stanza is all about her vocals and the brilliant guitars and bass by Sumesh. The song is mixed and mastered by Nandhagopan V, with Amal Raj and Amal Mithu as the recording engineers. 

@arunrajmusiq7 @amruthasuresh @parameswarsumesh @

3. Andame

Sung & composed: Sahithi Chaganti 

Concept: Sahithi Chaganti & Prerna Roy 

Music Production: Rakesh Venkatapuram 

Lyrics: Suresh Banisetty 

Language: Telugu

Genre: Waltz 

I am glad to see that Sahithi Chaganti who I have featured quite many times as a backing vocalist and then a leading vocalist for many composers in Telugu, has now graduated to becoming a composer herself. Also, this is probably the best song I have featured Sahithi in and so I can only assume that the future seems bright for her. The song feels like a track that is part of a Broadway theatrical production. 

Sahithi has composed and sung with incredible poise and the concept comes to life thanks to Prerna Roy and Sahithi. Prerna handles both the art direction and animation bits but the song in terms of its sound is the work of Rakesh Venkatapuram and his production. It has come fantastic interventions on the flute by Pramod Umapathi, which make us imagine a Ballroom setting with dancers doing the Waltz. Pramod excels every bit of the way as the interlude is filled with the Flute solo and accompanying him is Joel Sastry on guitars. Suresh Banisetty writes beautiful words that are supposed to depict the simple pleasures of life as sung by the protagonist. 

Sahithi shines unopposedly in two aspects viz. her flawless singing with numerous instances of tough-to-deliver vibrato and her elaborate and joyful composition. Rakesh scores a winner with his outstanding composition never leaving a single second of dullness. Abin Paul has mixed and mastered the track. 

@sahithichaganti @prernaroyy @rakeshchary16 @sureshbanisetti_lyricist @joelsastry @pramodumapathi @mixwithabin

4. Miles

Performed by Left Hand Drive

Written by Left Hand Drive

Produced by Left Hand Drive

Language: English

Genre: Folk/Rock

I heard this song as I was sitting in a pub waiting for a band to perform. Despite the noisy EDM music playing in the pub, I could listen to the EP by Left Hand Drive called "Chunkathumpa". However, I ended up enjoying all the intricate details, instruments and programming in this amazing song 'Miles'. The 3-piece band goes all out in this song bringing in some fantastic varied elements together.

The guitars, bass and percussions which sound like the Cajon drum combine beautifully. The vocals never take away too much of the attention and that is something I love about the song. This is when things get even hotter to handle, as Ajay Jayanthi enters the fray and plays this solo on the Violin. This is the moment that raises the song's quality multifold and kudos to the champion producer Aman Moroney for envisioning this and bringing the arrangements together with such immense quality. 

This feels like a folk/country song from the mid-western parts of US with some rock and Indian classical flavours added as well. I also love the fact that I can hear some slide guitar and bass guitar bits, Aman also does the mixing and mastering of this song. 

@lhd_band @ajayjayanthi @aman_mornoney @joshiandthepushycats @titussaviopinto @aneesh_balas @chunkathumpa @parthdrummer 

5. Honestly

Performed by Abhibyanjana Rubhi Thatal

Written by Abhibyanjana Rubhi Thatal

Produced by Tapanjyoti Phukan

Language: English

Genre: Ballad/pop

I have never heard of her before and that is why it got me more excited to know about this amazing artist from Gangtok who is Mumbai-based now. Abhibyanjana Rubhi Thatal (ART hereafter)released her EP 'Breexing through' and I loved 2 songs in this 4-song EP. The other song I loved was "River'. 

ART waves around a beautiful web of notes with her enchanting voice a composition that is never run-of-the-mill. She has this innate sense of inducing mystery and intrigue with her vocals. The best line both musically and lyrically is when she sings " All that I dream is that of freedom". ART delivers the message of the protagonist caught in a world with shackles. The drums that play mildly, along with the lead guitars and bass add their touches to this melody that achieves traction and doesn't breeze through. 

The song's tones are like a wind that blows soft at times, but at times blows hard and makes you take notice. The lyrics and the vocals affect you in every way possible and that is where ART achieves what a musician sets out as the initial target. After those lines that I love, there is a humming bit that too connects nicely with the listener. 

The bridge section too is engaging and it is where I could sense the impact of the Piano and then when the humming begins, the multiple layers of vocals leave a lasting impression. Let us give applause of acknowledgement to the song's brilliant production and the musician behind it all Tapanjyoti Phukan. His choice of instruments and their arrangements complete the song in every way possible. Rahul Rabha is the sound engineer.

@artattack_o.o @aakritisimage @kian_in_ @jus_space_boy

6. Fallen

Performed by - Tyesha Kohli

Written by - Tyesha Kohli

Language: English

Genre: Pop/Ballad

She shares the last name with a phenomenally talented sportsperson, and that is not all that is common. Tyesha Kohli is one phenomenal singer and songwriter and it is a rarity if she releases something I don't find it good enough to be among India's best. She has written, composed and performed with such poise, that you feel drawn into the song with every note uttered and you feel whatever she feels. 

Mukul Jiwnani is the man strumming those guitars in a scintillating fashion. The pain and hurt are well-conveyed when she writes and sings " the neighbours have heard my cries, my cries, my cries". Tyesha gives the listener a masterclass in English pop/ballad singing and she frequently gets in and out of these falsetto zones with such amazing efficiency and style. Adhithya Sivakumar is the mixing and mastering engineer. 

Tyesha's skilful lyrics must be appreciated too because we live in a world where global behemoths resort to redundant and amateurish lyrics. I kept thinking, whose voice does Tyesha's remind me of? Then it struck me when she sang " It's f##### up but I liked being blue", she has the tonality and voice of Gloria Estefan, the great Hispanic pop artist from the US. The bridge section is short but one does get a sense of the deviation in "but meeting you was a fragment of my fate". The repetitive "like me" sticks to your mind much after the end of the song. 

@tyeshakohli @mukuljiwnani @adhithya.sivakumar

7. Daaye Baaye

Artist - Saahel

Producer - Jai Karki 

Mixed & Master - Hersh Desai 

Language: Hindi

Genre: Alt-pop

Saahel is the musician here and I am glad this has become another discovery because I haven't heard, of or featured him before. I just fell in love with the line "Na jaane, kahaan kaise tu laut aaye, ke jaise badhalone mein chupi ghataayein". It is not just the touching lines, but the fabulous singing which had a touch of classical music hidden in the mild ghamakas.

Jai Karki is the man who has just garnished and cultivated this song into a real beauty thanks to his production. The synths and keyboards do wonders in addition to Saahel's wonderful vocals. The calming lines that come in the bridge also fit well against the overall tone of the song. 

@saahellmusic @jaikarkiii @hersh.desai9 

8. Fake It 

Singer & Songwriter - Archita Ajgaokar

Music Production & Master - Dev Modi

Language: English

Genre: Alt-Rock

There is no way to fake it if you got no talent. This is what I realise every week when I hear some of the best music across the country. Archita Ajgaokar has written, composed and performed this dreamy Alt-rock song with immaculate ease and style. I was so surprised that I have not listened to her work in the last 3 years of my music review journey. 

Her vocals are laden with style, and panache and she puts in the oomph at regular intervals. Dev Modi who is another wonderfully talented young musician has produced the song and you can feel the energy of the electric guitars and drums and the funk of the bass guitars. Dev also has mixed the track and despite being a short-duration track, it is never short on impact 

9. Leja

Performed by Lost Stories & Jai Dhir

Written by Rishab Joshi, Prayag Mehta & Jai Dhir

Produced by Lost Stories

Language: Punjabi

Genre: Folk/Fusion

I have featured Lost Stories a couple of years ago and they have excelled in bringing to life and relevance some amazing treasures in the Indian folk space that almost seem forgotten. I did listen to this EP called 'marigold Soundsystem' and this song came out on top of the rest of the tracks. The duo of Prayag Mehta and Rishab Joshi, get Jai Dhir on board to perform and the song is also written by Jai along with Lost Stories. 

Rutvik Talashilkar shines brightly with his Guitars and Ukulele and his contribution is unmistakable in the effect it creates. The Punjabi Folk sounds brilliant thanks to the production by Lost Stories. An outstanding segment is when we hear the outlandish and peppy flute solo by Shriram Sampath. The humming bit right in the interlude followed by an enchanting aalap add so much fervour and paint the song with all of India's classical and folkish goodness. Hanish Taneja does the tough job of mixing these varied elements seamlessly into one amazing end product. Kudos to Jai Dhir for the vocals and if I am not wrong I did sense some Raag Maand 

@jaidhir @loststories @representmgmt @flutewalaa @rutvxk @mixedbyhanish 

10. Lovesong for an Apocalypse

Songwriting and Composition - Aarifah Rebello, Apurv Agrawal, Zubin Pastakia

Additional writing - Jai Row Kavi, Krishna Jhaveri

Language: English

Genre: Synth-pop

I am listening to this band for the very first time, and they were nothing short of impressive on this single. I did later realise that I have featured the 3 band members Aarifah, Apurv and Zubin separately in various indie projects. The last time I came across and wrote about any of them was when Aarifah wrote and sang "Now she knows". Long Distances invites you into this wormhole of a song which takes you back in time and out of the geographical location of India all at once. 

One of the greatest memories and longings for me has been the great synth-pop music of the 1980s and 1990s, and such artists and bands reinvigorate all that love and desire through such music. Aarifah Rebello is pumped and perfect in her vocals and she also engages in the harmonies. The hero element is the synths and for that, we have not just one but three stalwarts in Zubin Pastakia, Krishna Jhaveri and Sanaya Ardeshir. 

Zubin who belongs to the band plays the lead guitar lines and Bass VI guitar arpeggios as well along with backing up on vocals while Apurv Agrawal plays the rhythm guitar and the additional lead guitar. The consistently upbeat drums are by the master Jai Row Kavi and all funk is brought on board from the bass guitars by Krishna. We know that the melody of the song however brilliant, this genre feeds on some sublime production and that is where the band combine with Krishna. One of the most attractive elements of the song is also its superlative video thanks to the creative genius of Saranya Murthi. The track is mixed by Krishna and mastered by Kristian Montano. 

@longdistances.ig @tidal1.wav @citizenkna @montanomastering @kristianmontano @jai_row_kavi @sandunesmusic @sorry_ihaverehearsal @aarifahrebello @zubinski

11. Mehki

Songwriter(s) - Benny Dayal

Music Producer - Hashbass 

Vocals - Benny Dayal

Lyricist - 1080g (aka Gandhaar Kadam)

Language: Hindi

Genre: Classical/Lo-fi fusion

You are always intrigued by the work of Harshit Mishra a.k.a. Hashbass, and rightly so when I put my trust in the song, I was not disappointed. This producer/composer/bassist does a fabulous job of producing and sugarcoating an already attractive product. The song is written by the uber-talented Benny Dayal and not many singers can deliver varied styles of music this convincingly 

Mehki is loaded with the influences of Raag Malkauns (Hindolam in Carnatic) and when you can produce and offer such a classical tune in this style, the producer deserves a huge round of applause. The deeply engaging vocals by Benny are aided by the Keys and the droplets of rain in the background. It is quite interesting how well Hashbass uses some sounds like the remote keys of a car along with rhythm programming. Benny gets so creative and never stops exploring different styles of ghamakas and that is why the same lines never get redundant. 

If I am not wrong we hear the Kazoo in the interlude and with some well-arranged strings in the background, it all sounds complete. The track is mixed and mastered by Ranbeer Sidhu. The lyricist is Gandhaar Kadam a.k.a. 1080g

 @bennydayalofficial @catherinedayal @hashbass @ranbeersidhu @the1080g

12. To be in Love

Written by Sanchi

Composed by Pulkit Jain and Sanchi

Mixed/mastered by Osho Jain

Language: English

Genre: Ballad

Just a couple of weeks ago I discovered Sanchi through a brilliantly hypnotic and addictive song called L.O.M.L. where she and Varun Agnihotri got together and created the original song. Now Sanchi and Pulkit Jain compose a soothing, mesmerising melody with the mixing and mastering duties handled by Osho Jain. The Piano plays along and like a barrage of waves, they keep coming and hitting the shore, never leaving space for mediocrity. Sanchi hits the notes perfectly with that voice that portrays the desire and need for the subject to be in love. 

The use of layered vocals in the background helps get the message across with greater intent especially when the title line is performed. How can you not love Sanchi's vocals when she sings "Oh to be loved, to be in love" with a mild vibrato in the end? 

@sanchhhii @pulkitxjain @oshojain_

13. Mahiyaan

Lyrics and Composition - Prithviraj Singh

Music Production - Ashwarya Dhoble and Bharat Chandore

Language: Hindi

Genre: Folk/Filmi Melody

This song took me to one of those Bollywood productions that resemble the work of Pritam or Salim-Sulaiman, and at the moment, this can be one of the best compliments a musician in Hindi indie music can get. Ashwarya Dhoble and Prithviraj Singh produce this mild melody that keeps growing on you. The composition and writing however are all Prithvi's work. To me the arrangements are spot-on and I was having a smile when I heard the combination of the rhythms and the Shehnai, with the former handled by Bharat Chandore and Rajendra Salunke playing the latter. 

Ashwarya has a huge role to play in this song with not only his production but also plays the guitars and later mixes and masters the track. We have an interesting humming that accompanies the Shahnai with the same notes and there are fragments of the great song 'Yes jo des hai tera' by AR Rahman in the album 'Swades'. The solid backing vocals intensify the delivery in many segments and we have these vocalists Gurusha Dubey , Vaishali Modi , Sneha Shirsagar , Sanskar Sharma , Himanshu Raghuvanshi along with Prithvi and Ashwarya. 

Prithvi keeps you hooked to the song with his emotionally perfect delivery and tonality. 

@ashwaryadhoble @prithvirah_sing @baajewaala @rajendra1212_salunke @vaishalimodii @musicalsoul.87 @gurushadubey @himanshu.music_ @r_ati_rai

14. Tum Ho Mere

Performed by Shruti Bhave Srujan Kulkarni

Written by Srujan Shirish Kulkarni

Language: Hindi

Genre: Semi Classical fusion

Srujan Kulkarni is a very talented indie musician and I have featured him before for a beautiful single. He then was part of the team that composed and produced this brilliant Marathi song 'Bawaral Ra'. The song here feels like part of an epic project that is larger than life. The song has this underlying pathos with an Indian classical flavour, but at the same time, the production showcases it differently thanks to the keyboards and rhythms. 

The strings section in the background and the guitars provide a good tonality. The vocal texture and style by Srujan seem to be taking inspiration from the great Sonu Nigam. Shruti Bhave inspires as expected in the interlude and during the main track with her Violin solo. Nidhi Hegde is the female voice in the backing vocals

@violinshrutibhave @devdutta.baji.music @pandit_dawn @nidhihegde.music @roahn_aland 

15. Thehra

Written, composed and performed by Lakshay Khurana

Produced by Lakshay Khurana

Arranged by Lakshay Khurana

Language: Hindi

Genre: Ballad/Rock

A solo project is kind of what we have here with Lakshay Khurana writing, composing, producing, arranging and singing this heart-warming ballad/rock number. Shikhar Chaudhary, Kevin Varghese are stunning on the electric guitar interventions, and Vardaan Malhotra plays the classical guitar throughout. The song's tonality resembles Eric Clapton's humdinger 'Tears in heaven'. 

Very often we get carried away with songs and forget to pay due attention to the vocals, the texture and delivery. This is a trend now because every young singer tries to copy a bigwig and they all sound similar. Thankfully Lakshay sounds fantastic and original and that is like the soul of the song. Vardaan comes in with a melancholic aalap and having multiple layers of these vocals forms a nice interlude. The follow-up with the electric guitar sizzles and the juxtaposition of classical against rock is a treat to the ears. The mild drums are played by Aditya Dutta, and Maadhavan Bhattacharya is the bassist. Aman Arakh does the mixing and mastering. 

@shikhar_c @kevnr @lakshaykhurrana_ @vardaanmalhotraa @adityaduttamusic @bongoland.music @acrimonious_aman @madverse.music