If you are a musician wanting your new release to be heard and reviewed,  submit your music here.Here are the best songs released in India across languages and genres for the week ending 25th October20261.Main BaavriMusic Composed by Monali ThakurLyrics: Alok Ranjan SrivastavaMusic Produced by Sahil VishwakarmaLanguage: HindiGenre: Indie PopMood: RomanceA simple but succulent riff on live guitars by Dhruv Srivastava (Dexter) and you know you are in for a treat already. This week features two songs with Monali Thakur, but this one is composed by this super-talented artist and produced by Sahil Vishwakarma. The melody is set in Raag Yaman, as she sings “Nazar Nazar ki baat main” with the amazing Alok Ranjan Srivastava as the lyricist.The melody then transforms into something monumental, still following the same Raag pattern, but the notes just pierce through you with additional keys further elevating the line “ye jo hua hai khwaab sa , haseen sa hai haadsa”. Wait for it, magic and mesmerism is about to come and hit your face, and this is why this song deserves loads of love. Monali Thakur excels as a composer thanks to this subsequent chorus phrase “aa hui haan main baavri, aa hui, haan jo main teri” with the tantalizing keys, guitars and drums.Will I ever come back to the ground, or is Monali going to keep me in a space of eternal bliss and rushing towards the heavens? Listen to the beauty of the line “ye kya kiya piya mera jiya rah ana naam ka”. Kudos to Monali , Alok and Sahil for showering us with this magical song. Dhruv is not only keeping this energy flowing with the acoustic guitars, but also inciting all our inner desires with that fiery electric guitar solo from time to time. The antara is all about milder elements on production, and this allows the singing prowess of Monali to come to light and we hear the fine harkatein in “ behki hai raat kya karein”. The tracks are mixed and mastered by Pukhraj Sonkar.@monalithakur03 @dexter8guitars_ @hashtag.jazbaat @sahilvmusic2.SakhiyeVocals: Sid SriramLyrics: Dhananjay RanjanMusic composed and produced by Charan RajLanguage: KannadaGenre: Light Music/PopMood: RomanceYou know, you can never keep the splendid Charan Raj away from the spotlight for too long and here he is, producing some magic once again. This single from the upcoming movie album “Shankarabharanna” is composed, arranged and produced by Charan Raj. The piano starts playing and this riff generates all the necessary feelings of love when the strings section follows. What I love is the second layer of vocals that interjects as Sid Sroram’s voice comes with “Saguta Saguta Seralu” as a background secondary layer behind the lead vocal phrases. Charan absolutely decimates me, and floors me down with that phrase “Kaadu Kaadu Neenu Bande” with the harmonies add further musical richness.Keba Jeremiah on bass here gives the oomph, and he also plays the guitars in this song, as soon as the chorus segment begins with Aid’s endearing “Sakhiye Sakhiye” Keba’s acoustic guitar and the Keys sprinkle love all over. Dhananjay Ranjan writes beautiful words, and the song has Sujith Sreedhar working on programming along with Charan. We get an interlude with the children’s chorus, and we all know what a powerfully inspiring tool that is with Danvi, Anaya, Aarav and Chiguru singing Karthik Chennoji’s English lyrics. Kudos to Meghana Kulkarni Joshi for conducting the kids chorus. A moving re-creation of the chorus line comes in the form of the strings section, and thanks to Kalyani’s Nair’s arrangements and conducting skills we get to feel the total power of the strings.The fact that Charan Raj is an absolute outliuer in todays cinema space and overall music space itself is commendable. You can count the number of musicians who can compose melodies with such elaborate phrases with one hand. Listen to the charanam and he has written 4 phrases if I am counting right. The first one that ends with “Muluguva Sanjeli” , the second that ends with “Thahisi Saaguva” , the third phrase that ends with “ baala bayalali” and finally the landing phrase that ends with “Jagave Kaanada Sneha Nammade”. Take a bow Charan Raj, for being incredibly consistent and championing great music. There is pain as intended when Sid sings that “ooh ooh “humming. Kalyani Nair, the performers on the strings and Charan go all out when we hear the Pallavi and anu Pallavi and we hear a shower of violins and violas. The tracks are mixed and mastered by Sujith Sreedhar, all additional programming duties are handled by Sanjay Ramaould and Raghothama NS. The recording engineers are Siva Sathya and Hariharan.@charanraj27185 @kebajer @sujithsreedhar @kalyaninair86 3.Jeev Ri JadiVocals: Divya Kumar

If you are a musician wanting your new release to be heard and reviewed,  submit your music here.Here are the best songs released in India across languages and genres for the week ending 18th October20261. Endhayya SaamiVocals: Ajay Gogavale & Shweta MohanLyrics: “Saraswatiputra” Ramajogayya SastryComposed and produced by Ajay-AtulLanguage: TeluguGenre: Light MusicMood: RomanceI am not sure if the movie is going to be worth my time, with many reviews being very critical of the screenplay and acting, but I do love these songs in the album, thanks to the amazing duo of Ajay-Atul. The album has 3 very good songs, but this one here is my favorite with vocals by Ajay Gogavale and Shweta Mohan. It is no surprise that the melody is brilliant because that is what we have come to expect from the duo. The lyrics in the original Telugu album are written by “Saraswatiputra” Ramajogayya Sastry, with the composition and production done by Ajay-Atul.The flute solo by Varad Kathapurkar, along with ethnic strings (maybe an Ektara)  in the intro, does create a sound that is reflective of a period in time that is more than 50-100 years in the past. The arrangements become elaborate and grand with the String Section subsequently, and this is all performed by The Sunshine Orchestra. Shweta Mohan sings with that affable voice and her delivery in the high pitch is exemplary. As we enter the segment called the Anupallavi, we have the strings and the flute solo intervening in delightful fashion every time Shweta’s line pauses, for example, when she sings “ Veeche gaali ki attaraddindi evvaru”.The heavy percussion is all in typical Ajay-Atul folkish style. BY the time we come to the line “nee Chilipi Kallalo” we are now listening to a beautiful romantic lullaby. The beautiful elements start slowly building up, and where not many composers arrive, are these standalone melodic phrases on instrumentals, like the soulful Sitar played by Kishore. No wonder Ajay-Atul are fans and devotees of the works of Maestro Ilaiyaraja, and you can feel that in every note and every arrangement, especially in the strings section in the interlude. “Meesame Guchina Chali Sakkera Muddaina , Churuku Mantadi, Ey Mana Thoti Savasam” brings back my memories of the great album “Sairat” by Ajay-Atul.This charanam and this portion specifically make my heart flutter thanks to the mellifluous notes. I love how Ajay’s lines are only supported by Strings, and the amazing percussion only comes on board with Shweta singing this time. How many musicians in today’s day and age can give the music lover two varied interludes between each charanam? Well almost none, but here are Ajay-Atul saying, “yes We can”. Just listen to the splendid tone of Ajay sir’s vocals and feel bliss even more with Shweta’s gentle but stunning vibrato. Balesh plays the Shehnai in the interlude; Vignes U is the soloist on violin. Amal Mithu, Midhun Manoj are recording engineers, and Vijay Dalal is the mixing engineer.@ajayatulofficial @_shwetamohan_ @thesunshineorchestra @midhunmanojj 2. Song of First LoveVocals: Sahana SaikrishnanLyrics: DeepadamalliMusic composed and arranged by Shibi SrinivasanLanguage: KannadaGenre: Light MusicMood: RomanceWhen an acclaimed celebrated directors’ hands an opportunity to a technician, especially something like music composition, it is a terrific opportunity especially for someone making their debut. This is precisely what I felt when I discovered that Roopa Rao, who made the amazing Gantumoote a few years ago, is coming up with her next feature film “Bhayankara Preeti”. Now the duty of composing music lands on Shibi Srinivasan’s hands. This is a fine vocalist who works with The Indian Choral Ensemble as well and he gives an excellent romantic single.Feel the goosebumps with the choral humming right at the intro, as though Shibi is opening the doorway to heaven, and then we get the whistle, a sound that always captivates when used properly in a song. The melody in the whistle by Shenbagaraj brings out Shibi’s intricate skills as a composer, and when it is accompanied by the Ukulele and strings in the background, we can only feel thankful for the choices Shibi is making here. Is there some Raag Jog in the melody, as my mind travels to “Panivizhum Malarvanam” and Sahana Saikrishnan is delivering with some stunning beauty in “Neenu Anantha Sagara”.Richard plays the guitar and Ukulele, and all the programming is done by Keshav Vond and Shibi. The melody takes an unexpected turn with the chord progression in the Anu Pallavi, becoming unpredictable even for the avid music lover.  “Nee Bayalaoo, Naa Hasiroo Ee dharaya Vismaya”. However, what continues to impress is the strings in the background that act as counterpoints and these are arranged by Diwacara Thiyagarajan, and Shibi.Truly, just like the words spell it out this song does feel like an ocean of joy (Anantha Sagara). Aniirudh Kasyap plays the role of the soloist on the Violin and Viola. It is interesting that instead of any other instrumental choice, we get Shebagaraj’s whistle and I love how he slowly keeps moving one keynote higher, probably depicting what the hero does, ending in a mild laugh by the heroine as a reaction. Shibi, who has done all the arrangements anc composition, must be complimented for maintaining the richness as we enter the charanam phrase. Here we get the stylish bass accompaniment and these violin interjections in the melodious phrase “gaali gandha bhaava bandha muttuva manasu”. Sahana definitely keeps the pristine beauty of her voice intact irrespective of the notes and phrases.The rhythms pick up the intensity from “Manna Mugila” and all the percussion by Dhina add to the enhanced energy. This is a segment I felt a vague similarity to Govind Vasantha’s ‘Anthaathi’ from the album ‘96’. Devu Mathew, Ayshwarya Venkat and Keshav Vinod come together as backing vocalists and deliver this wonderful phrase “Nithyavu Vasanta Olavu Nirdiganta’. The recording engineers are Vijay Mathew and Sankeerth Shaji. The tracks are mixed and mastered by Abin Pushpakaran.

If you are a musician wanting your new release to be heard and reviewed,  submit your music here.Here are the best songs released in India across languages and genres for the week ending 11th October20261. Alif MaamathiVocals: TM Krishna & Shahabaz AmanMusic Composed by Shahabaz AmanLyrics: Sree Narayana Guru & Icha Abdul Qadir MastanMusic Produced by Rex VijayanLanguage: MalayalamGenre: Folk-Rock/indieIt has been a while since we have had a song released under “Guru Meets Mastan”, and this was totally worth the wait. What a brilliant collaboration: Shahabaz Aman and TM Krishna, vocalists who instill divine exuberance in listeners' hearts, come together to deliver a song that fuses classical Indian melodic verses with evocative Western instruments and arrangements. Sree Narayana Guru & Icha Abdul Qadir Mastan penned the lyrics. I was stunned like a snake bit me, and the venom here was not corrupting me but purifying me of my darkness. The aalap by TM Krishna with every note and every brief phrase of vocalization, is a great way to sensitize us to what is about to come.The production is mild, but Rex Vijayan makes your heart race ahead with the onset of rhythms in the background. As Krishna begins to sing “Ponnayama madhiyil” I am reminded of the great song “Maraindhirundhe Parkum” from the movie album ‘Thillana Mohanambal”. The accompanying guitars are creating a rage here, and we feel the mesmerism of these fused styles of global music. The tinge of the Mandolin is a great addition to softening the impact of the electrifying guitars. We have Sujith VV on both these instruments. Bliss is when we have the outstanding chorus singers performing in harmony, thanks to Chorus Lal Krishna Jasim Jamal, Amithav Suresh and Akhil Dev. Shahnaz Aman makes his entry and elevates the divinity quotient further.The gears keep changing as rex Vijayan works in a devilish mode, enhancing the soundscape with keys, guitars and rhythms. The interludes are brief, but we get a dose of interesting percussions, and maybe the Oud to give a middle eastern sound. The song takes a turn, a detour into another serene territory and past the 6th minute what I hear briefly is more of Raag Shindhubhaiaravi. The tracks are mixed and mastered by Rex Vijayan and the recording engineer is Sai Prakash.@lal_music @tmkrishnaofficial @jasim__jamal @akhildevvvv @sujith_v_v @saiprakashh @rex_vijayan @shahabazaman52. Amma Na HaaduVocals: Sid SriramLyrics: AP ArjunMusic composed and produced by Arjun JanyaLanguage: KannadaGenre: Light MusicMood: PathosIt has been a while since Arjun Janya was featured on my website, featuring the best of Indian music, and this one totally deserves a spot here this week. Sid Sriram is the playback singer, and he works with a more mellowed down approach using minimal vocalization. The gentle Piano, by David Selvam and the intervening flute by Sathish all do enough to let the melody instill some pathos into our hearts. The melody probably has shades of Raag Keeravani. “Ninna Thyagaki mikilu innyaramma” brings a tear or two thanks to Arjun’s mellifluous ballad, and the subtle but meaningful arrangements as well.We have a layer of strings in the background to enhance the pathos but immediately the transformation with the “laali laali laali” and the accompanying guitars, bass and rhythms act as a mollifying and pacifying agent. The solo on the Nadaswaram by Bala is evocative, but the best phrase is the one that follows with the choral section, with nice pauses, the Piano and Nadaswraam together. The melody written here works like magic and kudos to all the vocalists on chorus viz. Bishan Rai, Darshan Melavanki and Abhishek MR.The melody in the charanam takes a very divergent melodic route and maybe there is some delightful Brindavan Sarang involved here, the added impact of the chorus rather than just Sid’s voice makes it more blissful in my opinion. Ganapathy works the percussion and when the ending line of the charnam arrives , all you can think of is an image of your own mother in your mind as Sid Sriram effectively delivers the phrase “Amma Anno hesare punya amma” David Selvam handles all the mixing and mastering duties at Berachah Studios. The recording engineers are Roopesh CK and Siddharth ST.@arjun_janya @davidselvam_official @berachahstudios3. Raynnn

If you are a musician wanting your new release to be heard and reviewed,  submit your music here.Here are the best songs released in India across languages and genres for the week ending 4th October20261. Naadasunaada Composed, Produced by Hesham Abdul WahabLyrics by V Nagendra PrasadVocals: Shreya GhoshalLanguage: KannadaGenre: Light MusicMood: Romance Hesham Abdul Wahab has reinvented himself in 2026 with some very enjoyable music and this new song from the Kannada movie album “Brindavihari” is one more proof of that. I listened to it and yes it does have the typical strains of Hesham’s music composition with classical raga influences, yet this one soars thanks to the fine arrangements, production, elaborate instrumental arrangements and a mellifluous meandering melody. The Nadaswaram plays and you are amidst some divinity, and the influences of Raag Dharmavathi become apparent. The Mrridangam , other percussion along with the string arrangements are executed beautifully and when Shreya Ghoshal sings with such class, there is nothing left to discuss and debate. I just then realized that the acoustic guitar arpeggios are stunning as well with some flute solo interventions. Get ready for some more magic on the Veena solo and when Shreya sings the swaras in the interlude, there could be some Kanada Raagam here, taking me back to ‘Alaipayuthey’. Hesham is just teasing us with some many variations as the melody treads into a new path here and this beautiful Charanam probably has the gloss and grandeur of Malayamaarutham. V Nagendra Prasad is the lyricist. The way she reaches the high-pitched notes, in this extended fag end of the charanam is testament to her legendary prowess as a vocalist. The whole song feels like a tribute to some of the great semi-classical music we have listened to old south Indian movies. “Neeni helo nanna Madhavane” and the notes that continue is one of my favorites of the song.@heshamabdulwahab @aanandaaudio @malvikasharmaofficial @devikabhattt @brindavihari_ @shreyaghoshal  2. Kaathangal Dhoore Vocals: Sanjith HegdeComposed, Produced by Mujeeb MajeedLyrics: Shabareesh Varma  We are welcome into this world with some beautifully arranged and executed harmonies and that is music can impact, affect and make or break your day. Thanks, Mujeeb Majeed for consistently creating songs that make our sapid days feel a little better. The melody feels like Raag Harikamboji to me because I do hear traces of Maestro’s “Pazhamudhircholai Unakkaga Thaan”, and to hear this mesmerizing line in Sanjith Hegde’s voice is another remarkable delight. The intriguing tempo, and the accompanying Ukulele and guitars by Anurag Rajeev Nayan make the listening experience an absolute treat. And what never fails is the kids chorus and here too Mujeeb employs that magical element. Yadhu Krishna’s gives a solo on the flute which plays a pacifying role with the gentle energy mf Goutham Suresh’s additional rhythms. Mujeeb Majeed makes his second album in a month after a very successful “Pradhama Drishtiya Kuttakar” and this song from “It’s a Medical Miracle” is a gem. The choral harmonies at the end of the interlude feel like blissful treatment, thanks to Moses Toby’s vocal arrangements. The charanam goes onto become a milder expression with rhythms fading away, but I love the phrase “Kina megangal kolam maridum”. We get a masterclass in vocal arrangements as the layers of backing vocals is constant and elevating the experience. Kudos to Aadya Aneesh, Nila Raj and Vishnudath Santosh who are part of the kids’ chorus team. Leav it to Sanjith Hegde to serenade you with his vocal expression and some of the soothing aalaps and improvisation, especially towards the end of the song. Rithu Vysakh the genius is on strings, with all the additional programming by Anurag, The recording engineer is Lal Krishna, with mixing done by Balu Thankachan, assisted by Paul Daneil and Sreenivasa Sharma. @mujeeb.majeed @itsamedicalmiracle @thinkmusicofficial @nileen_sandra @sangeeth.prathap @akhilabhargavan @rithuvysakh @thebaluthankachan 3. Jaan Lutaaun Written and performed by Utsavi JhaMusic Produced by Pranay PartiLanguage: HindiGenre: PopMood: Romance

If you are a musician wanting your new release to be heard and reviewed,  submit your music here.Here are the best songs released in India across languages and genres for the week ending 20th September20261.Assa Vegala GaavVocals: Aarya Ambekar & Rahul DeshpandeComposition & Production: Tejas Aditya Joshi, Zariya and Prateek Omkar KelkarLyrics: Vikram EdkeLanguage: MarathiMood: Serene/HappyGenre: Light MusicThis is one striking feature of regional cinema, and Marathi industry stands out as a place where art is preserved, protected and enhanced. JP Thuminad has directed the Marathi remake of ‘Su from So’ which was originally in Kannada, and this title is “Tumbadchi Manjula’. Had it been a Bollywood remake, and I am saying this because I have countless examples, the songs would have been atrocious when compared to the original. But here JP Thuminad picks 3 composers who have given us a song that stands alongside K Sumedh’s original as equally brilliant. Kaushik Kelkar is handling the percussion, and we hear the hand cymbals giving us the feeling of a pristine temple town.The song is composed and produced by the trio Tejas Aditya Joshi, Zariya and Prateek Omkar Kelkar, and I cannot appreciate them enough for the mellifluous melody and the stunning arrangements/production. That faint acoustic guitar by Vicky Hajeri makes a foray and all we have time for now is to surrender to the vocals of two astronomical artists in Rahul Deshpande and Aarya Ambekar. The production is mild and kept that way to allow the listener to pay attention to the words of Vikram Edke as he romantically describes the beauty of the land and the simplicity of the village-dwellers with his lyrics.Once the verse ends, we get a soft pause and the chorus segment is elevated with multiple voices singing in harmony and this feels like a bhajan of insane purity. “Assa Vegala Gaav , Itha Rang Raav” as we have Ruchir, Vitthal, Zariya, Prateek, Shravani Atre and Prarthana Sathe singing the chorus. A striking solo violin by Ruchir Ingale is the hero of the interlude with some additional keys and strings supporting. Aarya Ambekar sings the Antara and if her voice isn’t enough to touch your heart, all the harmonium and female choral interventions just drive that feeling of love and joy deeper into our hearts.The song feels like a modern fusion number with some terrific rhythms and percussion and keyboard programming. That aalaap in the end by Rahul is what makes me realize if there is some Raag Pilu influence in the melody. Get ready to be shaken with that unnerving outro that feels like some techno-folk fusion.@zariya.music @theaudiophile @tejass241 @vikramedke @kswanandi @rahuldeshpandeofficial @ruchir_ingale @vicky.hajeri44 @kaushik.kelkar @ambekaraarya @pandit_dawn2.DavaaWritten & composed by Deepika SethVocals: Deepika SethMusic Produced by Deepika Seth & ParabadhLanguage: HindiGenre: Baroque Pop/ Semi-classicalMood: Immersive/pathosI just cannot wait to listen to Deepika Seth’s new album, and this new song here is the second I am featuring from this upcoming work. This is the kind of music that I cherish, yearn for and makes me feel good about the work I do as a music critic. Deepika Seth writes the lyrics, composes the melody and sings this gem. The viola intrigues you in the intro thanks to Protyay Chakraborty and he plays the strings in the track. Deepika convinces you of her stand “Pyaar Mera Jhootha Nahin” and when someone sings these words, how can you not believe her? The mild acoustic guitar accompanies, and Deepika wins you over time and time again with the emotional aptness in her delivery, because you can feel her pain when she sings “ghaayal hua itni dafa, haane par majboor hai”.The verse gets repeated but this time the strings and keys join with incredible effect and elevation. The magic is yet to happen “Koi Davaa Do Isse” is the most haunting line, though eh is asking for a tonic to her pains, the line feels like it sends you further into a path of musical madness. The harmonies are emphatic and the pause hits you harder. An interlude follows with the Requinto Guitar played by Mohit Shankar, and this feels like a earthy sound of the Sarod. Sanmbhav Pratap Singh is the acoustic guitarist, and we have the Bass Drum played by David De Menezes. Protyay is relentless with the strings, and we get to a point where the melody takes very unexpected routes and transformations especially the bridge section as she sings “Kya koi khabar, pohonchi teri dagar”. I have, with my limited knowledge, felt influences of Raag Bhageshree and maybe some Khamaj too, and when the bridge section arrives, the pathos of Raag Cahrukeshi too.Jami Bolton plays the French Horn, the recording engineer is Praneeth Kumar, and the tracks are mixed and mastered by Prathamesh Dudhane. The outro with beautifully, seductively arranged harmonies feels like a gift that I never want to send the end of.@deepikasethamusic @parabdhtiiwari @anikabharwani @sarahhhbadarrr @prathmeshdudhane @jamibolton @davidde11 @praneethkumar @protyaych @mohit.chankar_

If you are a musician wanting your new release to be heard and reviewed,  submit your music here.Here are the best songs released in India across languages and genres for the week ending 13th September20261.Dil Ki AawaazPerformed by AntarikshVocals: Rahul RamWritten and produced by: Varun RajputLanguage: HindiGenre: RockMood: EnergeticWhen you have a band that reaches for the stars every time they perform, we get an astronomical output like this. Antariksh is in terrific form and on top of that they get the vocal presence of Rahul Ram to uplift this song even further. The intro lead guitar arpeggios fee like cosmic rays that reach the earth from outer space. Varun opens the lad vocals in the verse here and I was already intrigues, but the Sarod by Rohan Prasanna was ethereal to say the least, and the phrase that he plays also feels magnetic in its impact. The use of Sarod in a hard rock number always feels like a great fusion choice and when Arko Ganguly’s drums and guitars by Shrikant Biswakarma and Varun.Here comes Rahul Ram and the way he delivers “lehron ke tofaanon mein” , he does create a stormy whirlwind by himself. Danik Ghosh is the bassist adding all the grooviness, and we get a very heartwarming segment as they go “yeh to Zindagi ka raaz hai” with Varun and Ishita Singh joining forces as backing vocalists.Things slow down to such a peaceful tempo, and the Sarod solo makes us feel the intensity of this tranquility. The Antara that follows treads through the same route with Varun delivering the words and we get a lavish and uber-cool guitar intervention in reggae style as he sings “ Tu, Kahin na rukha , badhta hi chala” with some Keys and synth support too, by Ashwin Krishnan. These creative choices, with drops in tempo, altered styles, and some funky arrangements all are the reason this song comes right on top of the list this week. We can also hear some Gospel styled harmonies in the background and Rahul Ram, with the high-pitched delivery and lead guitar counterpoints, just steals the show. M Krishna Rao is the mixing engineer here.@antariksh_official @varunrajput_75 @rahulnram @rohanprasanna @strings_of_karma @drarko05 @ashkrish6 @mkrishnarao2.Halki HalkiVocals& Lyrics: SaahelComposed and Produced by SaahelLanguage: HindiGenre: Qawwali-popMood: RomanceThe sound of the Harmonium calms you down in a few seconds itself, and to take down our heart rate down further, Saahel’s voice does the rest as he sings “ In fizaaon mein hum Kahin ghum ho gaye”, and the mild strumming of the rhythm guitar by Syed Shujauddin takes us along this dreamy melody. Saahel has been incredibly consistent with his music and I rate him easily as one of the top 5 indie musicians in the Hindi space. The melody starts ringing in our ears and Saahel has the ability to write a tune with such meaningful and moving notes and it happens here in the pre chorus section. “Halki Halki Bekarari” hits you like a feather, light but inducing joy like seeing light at the end of a tunnel. The rhythm production is very mild and that allows the melody and vocals to remain.The guy is also a gifted singer who never tries to morph or imitate some famous singer’s tone and that is why his singing wins hearts. “chupke tare main na dekhu, muje pe teri peheredaari” is a perfect example of how Saahel can sing the high-pitched notes with such conviction and when he delivers a few subtle harkatein, it mesmerizes you. This is also proof of the songwriter in him, which shines every single time. I do sense some Raag Bilawal as well as some influences of Raag Hamsadhwani as well in various portions and phrases of the melody.Now we move onto the producer and arranger in him, pay attention to the dynamics of the drums, as we have a change in beats and intensity when the second verse begins as he sings “ wakt ke fasle”, and the gentle keys accompany.  Saahel gives you the confidence that this artist is not here to settle for something easy, but he will strive for creativity and excellence. Listen to how he introduces this long phrase of sargams and that comes as a surprise but also showcases his technical expertise as a musician. Is that the sound of the Banjo in the background? The tracks are mixed and mastered by Ashish Raitani.@saahellmusic @ashish.raitani @pushkar.mp4 @shujauddin.syed @krish.wadhw43.Anta Mugisele

If you are a musician wanting your new release to be heard and reviewed,  submit your music here.Here are the best songs released in India across languages and genres for the week ending 6th September20261.Onde ChandraMusic composed, arranged, and produced by Charanraj MRLyrics: Nagarjun SharmaVocals: Antony DaasanLanguage: KannadaGenre: Folk FusionMood: Dance/RomanceA modern-day genius comes on and gives us this brilliant melody that has such folkish fabric woven beautifully all over, thanks to the vocals of Antony Daasan, the Harmonium that intervenes and elevates, and the sensational Indian percussion and rhythms. Charan Raj is the composer, and he offers an absolute treasure here with lyrics by Nagarjun Sharma. “Citylightsal Baalthavo, eshtu chanda kaanthavo” he sings with the intermittent notes on the Piano and Harmonium together. The percussion comes on board as we get the Dhol and Kanjira combining, and the most beautiful line is composed by Charan with “Avala kandre ivanu fidaa, Ivana kandre avalu fidaa,” describing the way the man and woman are falling in love looking at each other, but truly it is the listener who is falling in love with the music; just pay attention to the beautiful Piano in the background.The Antara/charanam starts off, and Charan Raj keeps polishing the melody further and further, and this is why he is one of India’s absolute best, because the most creative juices can only flow in the form of the notes and chord progressions, and with Charan Raj, this will never wear off. The pause after “ Odh Kondiror Sigbodhu” and the Harmonium intervention that follows is all just giving goosebumps to the music lover. The body starts just moving and getting ready to make these short dance steps, all thanks to the arrangements and the vocals.When we get to the end of the second charanam, the beats start to dominate, and a song that this reminds me of is AR Rahman’s “Pennala Pennala Oothapoo”@charanraj27185 @duniyavijayofficial @aanandaaudio @anthony.daasan @nagarjun_sharma2. Kalyana VirundhuMusic composed, arranged, and produced by Maestro Ilaiyaraja.Lyrics: IlaiyarajaVocals: Antony Daasan and YugendranLanguage:Genre: Folk- popMood: DanceThis is a gift, a dream, a blessing to be writing about Maestro Ilaiyaraja’s composition. I am not qualified; I am not knowledgeable enough to review it, but thankfully I was born and raised in TN, listening to His music for 50 years, and that at least gives me the power to appreciate and analyze music. I listened to this and made a full IG video on this song a couple of weeks ago, and here is my written expression of love for this of God’s creation. The masterstrokes are many, but a few things that stand out are picking Yugendran Vasudevan as the lead vocalist, because many of Ilaiyaraja’s greatest dance/folk numbers were performed with great elegance by his father, the great Malaysia Vasudevan.The song begins with that mandatory Thavil, Nadaswaram, and Antony singing with such energy; the third line or anu Pallavi, as always, is the best in this whole segment: “anga nirayum echilila thottilu”, followed by the male chorus and this is the first place where I am reminded of Maestro’s “Mama Un Ponna Kudu”, where the male chorus sings “thali kattavum melam kottavum Neram vanthuduchu”. There is no way you haven’t gotten up from your seat and begun dancing to this tune and beats already. Maestro is giving away these easter eggs, like the interlude on Keys, bass that begins at 1 minute 6 seconds and goes on for the next 6 seconds. This is a completely inspired phrase that appears in the interlude of “Mama Un Ponna Kudu,” and Raja modifies the notes just enough for the true fan to still know what he intended.Yugendran begins singing in the charanam, and his attitude and delivery easily remind us of Malaysia Vasudevan with songs like “Ooru Vittu Ooru vandhu”. The most favourite and melodically richest gem comes in the phrase Love u la sikkum pasangale” as he allows the lead and chorus to sing it multiple times, but with the changing intensity of the Tabla beats, this is pure bliss. Since Maestro is also the lyricist, I think he wrote these lines as a message to every musician making music today: “Vanga da vanga masterclass eduppen”. Listen to the Thavil, Tabla, bass, acoustic guitar, and male chorus combine like God's finest creation.I feel so sorry for every composer of today who will continue to be a fragment of this man’s dream, imagination, creation and achievements; no matter what they try, his music stands tall, original, rich, pure and fresh even today. Maestro’s use of Western trumpets and drums in the second interlude against the folkish Thavil and Naadaswaram also reminds us of a similar technique he employed in “Ooru Vittu Ooru Vandhu”. Priya Jerson is on fire as she delivers the suave vocals as the female lead playback singer in the second charanam with all that contralto tone. Ilaiyaraja shows he’s a songwriter par excellence when his lyrics show the feminist side with words like “ Ponnunga nela unakku puriyadhu, sonnalum un thalaiyil eraadhu”.@yugendranvasudevan @priya.jerson @anthony.daasan @ksubbaraj @ilaiyaraaja_offl

If you are a musician wanting your new release to be heard and reviewed,  submit your music here.Here are the best songs released in India across languages and genres for the week ending 30th August 20261. Ellam Neeye Music composed by Sai PrashobWritten and Performed by Sai PrashobMusic Produced by Sebastain SathishLanguage: TamilGenre: Rock FusionMood: Energetic This is one of the new songs on I-pop Tamil Stars, a reality music show and it blew me away for various reasons like Sai Prashob’s superlative vocals, his composition which sounded delicate and possessing traits of Brindavana Sarang Ragam. Sai also pens the lyrics, and this only creates such high expectations when a young musician can sing, write and compose and here he also plays the guitar with dreamy arrangements and music production by Sebastian Sathish. The Sitar is the star of the show at the very beginning, and you sense the Ragam influences straight away. The drums accompany along with keys, lead guitars and his soothing voice makes you close you eyes just when he sings “ Paara Vizhiyo, Puriya Nilaiya, Unara Unarvo Elamm Neeye”. The drums and guitars start upping the ante and with this instilled energy, we have a neutralizing effect when Sai sings with such classical vocalizations, ghamakas etc., and you can feel the tantalizing power as your hear “ Maraya Nilavo, Slolla Kaviyo”. Sebastian Sathish is terrific as the music producer as he allows the melody to progress without intrusion, but when there are pauses, he lets the Sitar intervention linger on.The brilliance of the vocals and the composition come in full flow with the variations surrounding “kayangal pala aarudhe”. I am so intrigued by this guys ability to write such heartfelt lyrics in a time when sounds have become lyrics and gibberish has become the soul. Listen to this amazing line “En manadhile varum Thaaragai, varigalai varaadho”. A song I am reminded of is by the great Vidyasagar called “Radhai Mandhil” also set in the same Ragam and obviously the richness of the melody takes my heart to soul to Viswanathan-Ramamurthy’s “Pen Ondru Kanden”. The counterpoints on guitars and Sitar are invigorating as we come towards the outro. That 4-note melody on the Sitar in the end – what a killer! @saiprashob @sebastiansathishmusic 2.Varnajaalam Vocals: K S Harisankar & Poornima KannanLyrics: Vinayak SasikumarMusic composed, arranged and produced by Vishnu VijayLanguage: MalayalamGenre: Light MusicMood: Romance The song is one piece of magic that comes from Vishnu Vijay’s repertoire, and when I watched the film, the song felt even more mystical. Vishnu consistently delivers and how he can come up with these throbbing melodies is bemusing. Keba Jeremiah is the guitarist, and he also plays the bass on this one. KS Harisankar and Poornima Kannan singing unison right from the Pallavi and you feel like your feet are slowly lifting of the ground with their “ chaayameekiyo swarnameghame, sakshiyagayo paaridangale” line and the accompanying guitar. The melody melts your heart with every new note as Vishnu chisels something extraordinary here. Once we get to the chorus segment “perida dweepupol, ninnoren ulthadam, ethu sanchariyaalitha, kaalpadinjaadramaakave …Hey Varnajalaam” with Harsisankar’s high-pitched vocals, lift-off happens and the interlaced flute in the background is simply like a tonic to all our worries and problems. The bass notes on the flute in the interlude feel like the mother’s words of love whispering into our ears. The best part of the song is that it never stops giving and these days when composers get easily satiated with one hook line, here is Vishnu Vijay who after all the splendid Pallavi and Anu Pallavi, gives us even more in the charanam as Harisankar sings “Kodathan Kambalam, choodumee shaakikal..shanthamaayi thannidam thedidum cholakal”. The chorus singers Nila Raj, Chinmayi and Vasudev give us such immense pleasure in the outro. The tracks are mixed and mastered by Sujith Sreedhar, with Amal Raj, and Amal Mithu as recording engineers.@kebajer @sujithsreedhar @yzakmusic @girish.ad @harisankar_ks @vishnuvijay01 @poornimakannan @vinayaksasikumar  3.Mellow

If you are a musician wanting your new release to be heard and reviewed,  submit your music here.Here are the best songs released in India across languages and genres for the week ending 16th August 20261. Bin Tere Written and Composed by Akash TripathiMusic Produced by Ramil GanjooVocals: Janish Joshi and Alvina DsouzaLanguage: HindiGenre: Mariachi/Mexican folkMood: Romance I mean it when I say or write that songs can be made and can be destroyed in seconds. Let’s focus on the positive now, and this song had me with the intro, as male and female vocal harmonies along with Trumpets goes for a killer punch straight away. Akash Tripathi has been having a solid run, and this is the 3rd song I have featured this year I suppose. He has written the lyrics and I love the alternating English and Hindi lines, giving the song a very casual cool structure, almost colloquial. Janisht Joshi is oozing such confidence with his lead vocal lines singing “Smile and all the things you do, I’m staring like a dog at you”. The song’s biggest asset has to be its superlative music production and arrangements whether it is the ravishing horns, or the delectable harmonies. “Kyun dekhe us oar se, dil Daudi mera zor se”, followed by a choral humming, but also has both Janish and Alvina Dsouza singing in harmony. The chorus segment feels like treat for lovers and especially when you are in the mood for a few dance moves too. You better drop everything else and focus on what’s coming, because Alvina is on fire with her suave vocals. If Janisht gave you cool and snazzy, Alvina is ripping your heart apart with such a murderous voice. No man in his senses could turn down this offer with the way Alvina sings “I’m craving just for me and you, tere liye hi saans loon, Aaja mere paas tu”, as she does quite a bit with her falsettos. The acoustic guitar, the brilliant harmonies and horns during the chorus after the second verse is pure magic. The outro is a masterclass in vocal harmony arrangements. The tracks are mixed and mastered by Ramil, with Mrinal Das as the recording engineer at Play Head Studios. @akashtripathi.i @janishtjoshi @alvina._.dsouza @ramilganjoo @lazyom @firstwav @playheadstudio @mrinal.das.334 2. Cold Showers Composed and performed by Sanjith HegdeLyrics: Prashant PandeyMusic Produced by Sanjith Hegde, Gautham Hebbar and Sunny MRLanguage: HindiGenre: PopMood: Immersive Ruaa Kayy invites you with her beautiful vocals singing “bith gaye saawan tujh bin ye mann” in that intro line, and the song rather than just behaving like a pop track with rhythm guitars starts to engage like a mild qawwali fusion as the Dhol-like percussion by Deepes, gets introduced and the song starts to feel like “Ae Hairathe” by AR Rahman. It is impossible to not feel enamored and addicted to something as pure, and pristine as Sanjith’s voice especially when he singing this high-pitched phrase “aa apne nazaarey de, hai dil ki yeh khwaahishein” with that irresistible harkat in the last word and the melody just gets better and better. The lyrics by Prashant Pandey starts touching your heart too with some beautiful expressive lines like “ meri aankhen meri zubaan, tu inhe aazaaz de, hai jo khali aasman, tu hi sooraj de ise”. The music production is where the song gets some extravagant coolness, and one can trust the trio of Gautham Hebbar, Sunny MR and Sanjith to come up with some stylish layers. The basslines kick in but that solo on the guitar in the interlude takes the cake. I have told too many times, that even if you have the worlds best producers upping the vibe of your song, nothing else matters like the melody and Sanjith keeps inspiring with this beautiful Antara, that twists and turns and offers numerous surprises and treasures with its chord progression.“Boondhe paththon pe tehri hai, aake choo le inko kar de riha” is a magical line and I keep wondering if there is some Raag Shuddh Kalyan in this melody. Roland Fernandes is creating some crafty havoc with his bass guitar and I am getting swooned. The outro aalap and vocalization is another reminder of this man’s capabilities, take a bow Sanjith. The recording engineers are Shubhashree, Nikhil Mathew and Abhishek Poojari. The tracks are mixed and mastered by Sunny MR.@sanjithhegde @warnermusicindia @sunnymr @prashantpandey @ananyaghosh_ @gauthamhebbar @noorhouse.in 3. Bata Zara Lyrics: Mihir ThatteVocals and composition: Subhi

If you are a musician wanting your new release to be heard and reviewed,  submit your music here.Here are the best songs released in India across languages and genres for the week ending 9th August 20261. Sajje KhabbeVocals: Sudhir Yadhuvanshi, Bjorn Surrao, Simiran Kaur DhadliLyrics: Siddhant KaushalMusic composed by Jakes BejoyMusic Producers Jakes Bejoy, Alan Joy Mathew, Agastya Raag, Joel JohnsLanguage: Punjabi/HindiGenre: Disco-Pop/Folk fusionMood: EnergeticI was astonished to see absolutely no promotion, marketing, no reels and videos of this song and the whole album of “I, Nobody” anywhere on the internet and social media. When there are many mediocre songs and albums doing the rounds, how is it that this fine album got lost in the puddle? I recently did a full album review of this on IG last week, do check it out. This track was my absolute favorite, and, in many ways, I find it relatable to the anthem Jakes Bejoy created for Lokah. In my honest opinion this anthem wins over my heart even more than the former. The lyrics are penned by Siddhant Kaushal.The bass guitar feels like the spiderman’s web to me and I am immediately caught in its web thanks to Keba Jeremiah. I believe it is Bjorn Surrao opening the song with his English spoken poetry and this segment reminds me Apache Indians songs. It feels like so many layers of strings, maybe the Mandolin, Maybe the Banjo and maybe a slide guitar all were combining with the bass guitar showing up on top and giving style. All the additional guitars were played by Alan Joy Mathew. The melody was composed by Jakes, with music production handled by the quartet of Joel Johns, Agastya Raag, Alan and Jakes.Sudhir Yadhuvanshi’s voice towers over everything else and I loved Jakes’ pick for lead vocals. Many Bollywood composers make that mistake of constantly using Sukhwinder Singh and that becomes repetitive, uninventive, lazy and stale. Romy would have been another great choice too, but Sudhir truly kills it, and the accompanying harmonies are outstanding too thanks to backing vocalists Maahi Sharma and Prasidhi Patil. When we get to the celebratory chorus segment, don’t forget to notice those rousing horns, thanks to Trumpet Viji. Bjorn comes up with these lines “Nothing is real”. Trumpet Viji goes on to give us a very seductive interlude on trumpets in the bass/tenor zone. This is one  rapturous track and the outro with all the horns, bass, harmonies, and Sudhir’s aalap makes it feel like a worthy finish. The tracks are mixed and mastered by Balu Thankachan, the engineers on board are Amey Londhe, Midhun Manoj, Unmesh Unnikrishnan and Aniruddh Khanna.@jakes.bejoy @bjornsurrao @sudhiryadhuvanshi @simirankaur_dhadli @agastyaraag @theredmoone @joel__johns @midhunanand_official @inobodythemovie @sharmamaahi__ @kebajer @2. Ho Jayenge GhumWritten and composed by Raghav & ArjunVocals: Taba ChakeMusic Produced by Raghav & ArjunLanguage: HindiGenre: PopMood: DreamyThe start with the children’s chorus took me back to ‘Lion King’ and I am sure Raghav & Arjun won’t mind that comparison with the legendary Hans Zimmer. These guys consistently keep coming up with the goods and I have tears when I see that there are such musicians who truly are committed to making original, good, music and stay away from the corrupt environment of mediocrity and greed we are surrounded by. This collaboration is another massive plus point and Raghav & Arjun have been picking great vocalists to deliver their songs of late. Here comes one of my favourites Taba Chake on lead vocals.The guitar riffs are engrossing as they hit deep, but nothing comes close to joy like hearing Taba perform in his lower vocal register as he sings “seedha seedha rasta hai waise toh, tedha medha chalkar yum dekh lo”. The greatest asset for a composer-duo is their ability to write a melody, and Raghav & Arjun make me feel confident of this aspect, a case in point is the next line and how the melody subtly changes, with the chord progression created to cause a light tingle in “ Aur khwaabon ko din mein bhi dekh lo, khayaloon ko aawaara ghoomne do”By the time we hit the pre-chorus segment we are enamoured and a mild layer of harmonies also has a role to play in that effect. The keys and rhythms take a backseat and lose the intensity when he sings “phir main aur tum kho jayenge ghum”, allowing nothing to come in the way of this message of love. The interlude is an offering of bliss again, with the children’s chorus, Piano and relentless guitars. He leave me with a heavy heart whenever Taba sings “phir main aur tum kho jayenge ghum”. But thanks to the beautifully crafted bridge section, I am able to breathe and feel better. “Le jaaye meetha sukoon hum, le jaaye ghamo saare yeh duniya”Raghav & Arjun have created a song that feels close to heart and nourishing to my senses like how Lucky Ali would have in his peak. The tracks are mixed and mastered by Prathamesh Dudhane.@raghavandarjun @taba.chake @firstwav @lazyom @karanutd @raghavmkumar @arjunpremsangeet