Top Non-Film Songs of 2024

क्रम
Rank

गीत
Song

संगीतकार, गीतकार, गायक
Music Director, Lyricist, Singer(s)

अंक
Score (5)

ज्यूरी की राय
Jury's say (Expand or Collapse all)

सकल बन (हीरामंडी)

sakal ban (Heeramandi)

Tags: celebration, classical, classical dance music, ecstasy, folk, grand, haunting, indian classical, intense, mujra, qawwali, semi classical, thumri, traditional

संजय लीला भंसाली
Sanjay Leela Bhansali

(अमीर ख़ुसरौ)
(Amir Khusrau)

राजा हसन
Raja Hasan

3.47

Toggle Jury's comments

Raja Hasan's rendition is absolutely splendid. A standout composition, reimagined while staying true to the essence of Khusro's lyrics. -Poulomi

It's great to see Amir Khusro’s poem about a *blooming* forest composed in none other than Bahar, aka *Spring", raag! -Vishal

It was a relief to listen to a straighforward, semi-classical number that gets the job done without gimmicks or miguided attempts at "fusion" music. -Shalini

A classical piece of music presented very beautifully and respectfully for the new generation. -Pulkit

It is no mean feat to take a 700-year old revered song and keep its essence while make it appetiizng to the newer generation of listeners. Obviously over the years, the song got made by multiple renowned artists (the Sabri Brothers version is probably the top of the totempole), but Raja Hasan manages to make this version his own with some very measured, controlled singing to try and showcase the beauty of Raag Basant. Excellent use of the backing vocals. I would have loved for the song to be much longer, which I guess that is a compliment to the makers. More of this please. -Apoorv

Traditional thumri wonderfully re-imagined by SLB and team. -Anish

Lovely. -Subrat

Famous bandish, not very original, but very nicely done. -Ashwini

Simply Terrific. -Anas

The oft-covered Khusrau qawwali gets another adaptation at the hands of Sanjay Leela Bhansali. Nicely done, but nothing particularly extraordinary at play here. The singing is quality though. -Vipin

This is the musical equivalent of a Sanjay Leela Bhansali film. Opulent, overpowering, emotional. -Harsh

Charged arrangement, great vocal. -Uday

रे मन (कोक स्टूडियो भारत)

re man (Coke Studio Bharat)

Tags: consolation, folk, fusion, inspiration, lilting, lori, lori-esque, lullaby, melodious, philosophical, philosophy, poetic, romantic, soothing, soulful, sweet, warm

स्वानंद किरकिरे
Swanand Kirkire

श्रेया घोषाल, स्वानंद किरकिरे
Shreya Ghoshal, Swanand Kirkire

3.08

Toggle Jury's comments

What a wonderful song! Swanand Kirkire's lyrics, singing and music made me want to listen to it over and over. -Vaishali

Great use of acoustics playing off against such an indian melody. Love the way song is structured, beginning with a sombre intro before Shreya's sweetness takes over. And yet, at the end of it all, I wonder if this is a song about battling your anxiety. -Harsh

The song, with a philosophical bent to it, has been one of the best offerings from Coke Studio Bharat. -Anish

Shreya and Swanand's vocals mesh nicely, and the writing is deft. -Uday

Blissful in every sense. Swanand Kirkire's poignant poetry, his aching adlib, Shreya' Ghoshal's soulful singing, Kavish Seth's mellifluous Noori, and Swanand's calming composition amalgamated to create a soothingly rich experience. दिल में जो सहमा-सहमा डर है या मलाल है, सच कहूँ जो भी है वो सिर्फ़ एक ख़याल है, तेरे ही तस्वीरों का खोखला कमाल है - just goes to show that simplicity has a very long reach. -Apoorv

Lovely melody rendered with sincerity by Shreya. -Shalini

Always liked Swanand's voice. Lyrics are fresh. -Subrat

Excellent harmony between Swanand kirkire's composition and his lyrics. Beautiful melodies and use of strings. -Poulomi

A decent Lori after a long time. Also reminds me of Tumul kolahal of JSP in terms of the theme. Shreya-Swanand present two different images, yet in sync. -Pavan

Beautiful! -Ashwini

Quite moving. -Anas

Amazing use of backing vocals. Shreya (obviously) does a fantastic job here, but I would have loved to hear a little more of Swanand Kirkire in this song! -Vishal

रुत सावन की

rut saawan kii

Tags: classical, female bonding, female duet, folk (?), fusion, hindustani, light classical, lilting, nature, pleasant, sarod, semi-classical, semiclassical, soothing, warm

द अनिरुद्ध वर्मा कलक्टिव
The Anirudh Varma Collective

(पारंपरिक)
(Traditional)

द अनिरुद्ध वर्मा कलक्टिव, बसुधरा रॉय मुंशी, सुहावी कलसी
The Anirudh Varma Collective, Basudhara Roy Munshi, Suhavi Kalsi

3.06

Toggle Jury's comments

Found it - my favorite amongst the non-filmy bunch this year! Be it Suhavi Kalsi and Basudhara Roy Munshi behind the microphone with their delectable voices, or Rohan Prasanna with his effective Sarod play, or Anirudh Varma Collective's smart take on Raag Shankara to showcase its softer side - everything was top-notch here. There is fusion here, but with due respect to both the forms getting fused together. I am elated to have listened to it. -Apoorv

Very well mixed and arranged. Leaves you with such a serene feeling. -Harsh

So floored by this. The tabla is standout as is the sarod. The harmonies and the singing ensemble blend so well together. Really smart use of the western instruments as well. -Poulomi

Simple and pleasant semi-classical rendition. -Anish

Always a sucker for such gentle fusion pieces. Top singing, and especially loved the use of sarod in the arrangements. -Vipin

Nice take on a classic bandish. Loved the sprinkling of sarod throughout the song. -Vishal

The voice, the music, all beautiful. But what is it that is happening with the classical music genre in terms of experiments? -Manjiri

Nice and easy on ears but not memorable. -Subrat

Good old bandish will do just fine :-s). -Armeen

Reminiscent of "garjat barsat sawan aayo re" from Barsat Ki Raat. Liked it very much. -Shalini

Dense but light arrangement, pleasant. -Uday

Nice raga based. Music doesn’t drown out the singers - unlike other tracks in this list. -Ramesh

चौदवीं शब (हीरामंडी)

chaudavii.n shab (Heeramandi)

Tags: classical, evening, gentle, melancholic, mujra, retro, romance/thumri, romantic, semi-classical, sweet, traditional, yaman kalyan

संजय लीला भंसाली
Sanjay Leela Bhansali

ए एम तूराज़
A M Turaz

श्रेया घोषाल
Shreya Ghoshal

3.00

Toggle Jury's comments

A gorgeous thumri that gets everything right. -Anish

Sanjay Leela Bhansali and Shreya Ghoshal - a combo that rarely fails. The melody occasionally reminds me of some classic yaman-based songs like Dilruba Maine Tere (Dil Diya Dard Liya). -Vipin

Echoes of chalte chalte yunhi koi milgaya tha, but not of that caliber. Enjoyable listen nevertheless. -Shalini

Arguably the best song of Heeramandi. It is SLB, it is Yaman Kalyan, and it is Shreya - the trifecta for success is busy at work and they sure come up with a mujra reminiscent of Pakeezah (especially "chalte chalte yunhi koi" with the Keherwa beats) and that is a mountain to climb in and of itself. What I loved was that there was zero prelude, the song just starts within seconds, something that has become progressively lesser visible these days. This is a standout song with evocative melody, apropos lyrics, and a lingering rendition. -Apoorv

Nice melody. -Vaishali

AM Turaz's lyrics are otherwordly, especially the antara. Shreya Ghoshal's vocal range remains unmatched. The simplicity of the arrangements really work wonderfully. -Poulomi

Jeeta hua ishq haar baithein hain, kisi tarah dil ko maar baithein hain
Jaise humne male hain haath apne, jaise haathon ko kaun malta hai
Haaye paani mein kaun jalta hai, Chaudhvi Shab ko kahan chaand koi dhalta hai. -Akanksha

Like so much of Bhansali's work, this track is tasteful but somewhat lifeless. -Uday

Shreya in good form in a run of the mill composition. -Subrat

सैंयाँ हटो जाओ (हीरामंडी)

sai.nyaa.N haTo jaao (Heeramandi)

Tags: chhed-chhad, classical, folk, haunting, indian classical dance, indian semi-classical, longing, mujra, pain, playful, raag based, retro, romantic, seductive, semi classical, semi-classical, semiclassical, tease, thumri, traditional

संजय लीला भंसाली
Sanjay Leela Bhansali

ए एम तूराज़
A M Turaz

बरनली चट्टोपाध्याय
Barnali Chattopadhyay

2.95

Toggle Jury's comments

Barnali Chatterjee's seductive, buttery voice elevates the song's oomph value. Beautifully composed as well. -Poulomi

Liked the robust voice. Average composition otherwise. -Subrat

An excellent thumri. This one's for the ages. -Anish

Nice clean singing and tune with substance; fits with the period piece. -Armeen

Lovely traditional melody and arrangements, and wonderful singing by Barnali Chattopadhyay. Great employment of the chorus as well. -Vipin

A thumri with themes prevalent from before the times of "mohe panghaT pe nandlaal", but the song manages to create that tease rather effectively. Be it Barnali's buttery rendition or Bhansali's languid Raag Jog based composition, there is THehraav here which works. The backing vocals have been used with purpose and it indeed adds to the eros. -Apoorv

A very Sanjay Leela Bhansali song - evocative, colorful, grand in its ambitions but in the end, unremarkable. -Shalini

There is such granduer even to Bhansali's pain, what a feeling this song creates. -Harsh

What a command in Barnali's voice. The tabla and harmonium - muaah! -Akanksha

हिचकी 2.0 (बंदिश बैंडिट्स 2.0)

hichakii 2.0 (Bandish Bandits 2.0)

Tags: club song, dance, eclectic, folk, folky, fusion, fusion?, indie pop, irreverent, jazz, melting pot, playful, spanish guitar, swing, xxx

सिद्धार्थ पंडित
Siddharth Pandit

आलोक रंजन श्रीवास्तव, (पारंपरिक)
Alok Ranjan Srivastava, (Traditional)

स्वरूप ख़ान, पूर्वी कौटिश
Swaroop Khan, Poorvi Koutish

2.71

Toggle Jury's comments

A well-balanced blend of folk and pop. -Anish

How absolutely exquisite! The very juxtaposition of Rajasthani folk and Jazz swing is such a brilliant thought! The jugalbandi between Swaroop and Poorvi Koutish is delightful, particularly towards the end when they swap the Rajasthani and Western styles. Hats off to Akash Sengupta for curating this album. -Akanksha

A more successful melding of Rajasthani folk to jump blues. -Uday

Doesn't work. -Ashwini

How can you NOT love this one? -Anas

The vocal chemistry is so so enjoyable. Gotta love the use of guitar here. -Harsh

A delectable fusion and wonderful arrangement. -Vishal

While Harsh Gadhvi's Guitar made my ears perk, Poorvi Koutish's start grated on them. Overall, the base structure of the song was very interesting especially with the jazzy beats, but the singing just seemed to be trying too hard and it got cacophonus as it went. -Apoorv

One of my fav tracks from the Bandish Bandits S2 album. So fresh and fun. Swaroop Khan in fine form. -Poulomi

A rehash of hichaki; tolerable. -Subrat

बेहया हमरे सैंयाँ

behayaa hamare sai.nyaa.N

Tags: classical, classical fusion, faux classical, folk, love, poignant, romance, romance/thumri, romantic, semi-classical, sentimental, thumri

साना मोइडुट्टी
Sanah Moidutty

महेंद्र धीरजलाल कामदार
Mahendra Dhirajlal Kamdar

साना मोइडुट्टी
Sanah Moidutty

2.61

Toggle Jury's comments

Beautiful use of flute. Beautiful melody. Beautiful voice. Sanah Moidutti is a revelation! -Harsh

Couldn't get past the cloying, little-girl voice. -Shalini

Exquisite singer Sanah is! We haven't heard enough of her since Afeemi. The composition is on point which often is an issue with non-film songs. -Akanksha

A pleasant thumri. Nicely sung and arranged. -Anish

Standard thumri template. Boring but worth a listen. -Subrat

Sanah Moidutty's vocal range is impressive. -Poulomi

Beautifully composed and sung by Sanah Moidutty. The flutes compliment the lovely vocals. -Vaishali

The music is soothing, so is the voice. The flute just adds to the magic. -Anas

Sanah’s rendition is great, but if you are going to sing a thumri, you have to get the pronunciations right. (It’s 'sainyaan', not 'saiyaa', and 'zulmi' not 'julmi'. ). -Vishal

Fine vocal, the rest is tasteful. -Uday

A lot of great classical-flavoured songs this year (thanks partly to shows like Heeramandi and Bandish Bandits 2), and this was one of them. Very nice composition and singing by Sanah Moidutty. -Vipin

Sanah Moidutti has a very pleasing voice (with obvious range limitations) and it takes an alluring tone here. Pair that with Lalit Talluri's mellifluous Flute and this THumri comes to life. The lyrics are rather run-of-the-mill but its the essence of the emotion that is maintained well. -Apoorv

ख़ामख़ा (बंदिश बैंडिट्स 2.0)

KhaamaKhaa (Bandish Bandits 2.0)

Tags: ambient, ballad, fusion, indie pop, lonesome, longing, love, passionate, performance, philosophy, pop, romantic, rousing, sensuous, sentimental

सिद्धार्थ पंडित
Siddharth Pandit

आलोक रंजन श्रीवास्तव
Alok Ranjan Srivastava

निखिता गाँधी
Nikhita Gandhi

2.60

Toggle Jury's comments

Wonderful haunting melody. -Anish

Builds to a nice crescendo. Deadly combo of chords and harmonies. Nikhita Gandhi's vocals are mesmerising. -Poulomi

What I like is that Nikita is singing for the actor here. Sensuous treatment, hard-work visible on the higher notes and swagger of a stage performer. Some solid stuff! -Akanksha

Suprising chord progressions and changes of tone. -Uday

The backing vocals added the spice in this song. Nikhita got to show her range and she did a perfectly fine job. But this whole dragging the word and singing schtik is getting kinda boring. -Apoorv

They can’t seem to decide if it’s ख़ामख़ा or खामखा or ख़ामखा or खामख़ा! -Vishal

Singing is competent; song is Khaamkhaa only. -Subrat

Nikita Gandhi shines, and how! Also a staggeringly grand composition. -Harsh

The chorus always hits so hard. -Anas

Failed attempt to evoke post-union longing (guessing the latter as I haven't watched the series). -Ashwini

ये रात (बंदिश बैंडिट्स 2.0)

ye raat (Bandish Bandits 2.0)

Tags: beats, coming of age, drums, folk, fusion, indie pop, introspective, jazz/pop, longing, moody, philosophical, rock lullaby, romantic, upbeat, uplifting

अना रहमान
Ana Rehman

शुभम शिरूले
Shubham Shirule

असीस कौर, आकाशदीप सेनगुप्ता
Asees Kaur, Akashdeep Sengupta

2.59

Toggle Jury's comments

You hearing the opening section, you hear the middle section. . and there was no way to tell they belong to the same ballad. Quite an accomplishment, this. -Harsh

The metaphors are very potent. And of course the sound is too nunaced. -Anas

Loved the jazzy piano arrangement. It takes you on a roller-coaster ride, which, at times, seems a tad abrupt. -Vishal

Wonderful Disney-sque melody that has several interesting layers to it. -Anish

Experimental in its melding of genres and tones, but in a way that doesn't fit either. -Uday

The tonal shift after the first minute and a half was interestingly done, because Asees sounded a little weak throughout the song. Not sure if it was an active choice to sing the softer parts very throatily to differentiate them from the more upbeat ones, but the lack of projection in them seemed jarring. Akashdeep's section was executed well with a special mention to Rahul Muralidhar's Drums. Otherwise, not memorable overall. -Apoorv

Liked this. -Subrat

I am sure the music and singing will get several comments, but I'd like to call out the lyrics in this song.
'Ye raat mere bagal mein so rahi
Ye chaand chuppa hua yahin kahin
Ye jo saare nazaare ye raaton ke taare ga rahe lori koi
kaash sapne ye sach ho jaate
kaash apne ye ho hi jaate'. -Akanksha

Banging chorus and piano. Really nice duet as well. The build up is nicely composed. Promising outing by ana rehman. -Poulomi

बंद आँखें

ba.nd aa.Nkhe.n

Tags: chill, fusion, ghazal, ghazalesque, longing, lounge, magic realism, melancholic, retro, romance, romantic, semi classical, soothing

मुहाफ़िज़, सार्थक कल्याणी, सिद्धार्थ चोपड़ा
Muhafiz, Sarthak Kalyani, Siddharth Chopra

साहिबा शहरयार, सार्थक कल्याणी
Sahiba Sheheryar, Sarthak Kalyani

मुहाफ़िज़, सार्थक कल्याणी
Muhafiz, Sarthak Kalyani

2.57

Toggle Jury's comments

How very beautiful! The voice is exactly Suresh Wadkar from Gaman! Thanks for recommending this to RMIM nomination list, folks. I am in love! This entire album is worth listening to if you haven't!
Sahiba Sheheryar must be given a pat on her back for the lyrics!
ओस से भीगी हुई सुबह को छू लूँ जब मैं
अपनी पलकों पे मैं अश्क़ों के सितारे देखूँ. -Akanksha

Soulful. -Ashwini

I would have given a little higher rating, but the random infusion of voiceover in the middle of the song ruined it for me. -Manjiri

A seemingly mature rendition of Sahiba Shahryar's ghazal by Muhafiz. Liked that Sarthak Kalyani and Siddharth Chopra kept it simple with the basic composition and even with the orchestration. Not quite sure why they broke the third sher weirdly and went completely rogue with it, it broke the rhythm of the ghazal for me, but overall nice to hear a ghazal in newer voices. -Apoorv

Ghazalnuma tune that makes an instant impression. -Anish

Production-heavy track with little tricks, crackles and treated vocals, but an airy tune. -Uday

Despite the fusion elements, this ghazal relies quite heavily on the melody and the delivery, both of which are great. Sarthak is especially teriffic with his singing - there is a sincerity to his voice that I love. -Vipin

The composition has a sense of sameness that doesn't do the song any justice. I'm not sure the fusion worked either. -Poulomi

What an old world charm. Really liked it. -Anas

Beautiful song that could have done without the electronic background effects. -Armeen

Added half point for a ghazal in these times. -Subrat

Not entirely successful attempt at concocting a modern ghazal with a vintage feel. -Shalini

घर आ माही (बंदिश बैंडिट्स 2.0)

ghar aa maahii (Bandish Bandits 2.0)

Tags: beats, classical, dance, energetic, existential, folk, fusion, fusion classical, party, pop, rock, romance, romantic

अना रहमान
Ana Rehman

शुभम शिरूले
Shubham Shirule

निखिता गाँधी, दिगवी
Nikhita Gandhi, DigV

2.57

Toggle Jury's comments

A nice blend of pop and Indian classical. -Anish

Risky composition to pull off, and that the job is done well is proof itself of the song's efficiency. The vocals elevate the freestyle classical + rock combo. -Poulomi

digV was firing on all cylinders here. He has a solid voice which mostly maintains its wajan across scales, which in a fast-paced, semi-classical song like this works nicely. Nikhita was servicable. There is a very pleasing Flute piece in the interlude by Shubham Shirule which definitely needs a mention. -Apoorv

Some kind of a mix of genres but good for a few loops. -Subrat

Everything is just perfect! A perfect fusion of tradition and modernity. -Anas

This is a solid song. Digv's high notes are superlative. -Akanksha

Kitchen sink in musical form. Didn't work for me. -Shalini

Boring 'modern' reworking of classical music. -Uday

वल्लो वल्लो (आज़ाद कोलैब)

vallo vallo (Azaad Collab)

Tags: celebratory, contemporary folk, easy listening, female duets, folk, folky, foot tapping, happy, innocence, kashmiri, kashmiri folk inspired, light, love, marriage, merry, romantic, warm, wedding

अमित त्रिवेदी
Amit Trivedi

गीत सागर
Geet Sagar

नीति मोहन, असीस कौर
Neeti Mohan, Asees Kaur

2.56

Toggle Jury's comments

You can see Amit Trivedi being freed from the limitations of Hindi film soundtracks. Really lively arrangements. A promising direction. -Poulomi

Of the two songs in the list with Kashmiri lyrics, I much prefer this peppy, hopeful romantic number. The two main female voices complement each other nicely. -Shalini

Good work ladies! Brought back the feels of 'Mere Mehboob mein kya nahi'. We need more of these female duets! -Akanksha

Quintessential Amit Trivedi composition, and it hit the mark for me. The female duet has become progressively rarer year-by-year, so to see two nice voices in Asees and Neeti come together and embellish a beautiful composition, was definitely a treat. Tapas Roy's Rabab, John Paul's Banjo were the crème de la crème here. There is a sweet innocence here that Amit Trivedi has nurtured beautifully with his dulcet composition. A personal favorite! -Apoorv

Neeti Mohan and Anees Kaur sound so sweet in this lovely duet! -Vaishali

Interesting collab, with Kashmiri innocense thrown in. The hook of vallo vallo is catchy. -Pavan

Amit makes good use of Kashmiri folk instruments to concoct this melody. -Anish

Another soporific folk reworking by Trivedi; child singers at the end the only interesting touch. -Uday

तोसे लागे नैन

tose laage nain

Tags: fusion, ghazal, jam, jazz, longing, melancholy, romantc, semi classical, semi-classical, semi-classical fusion, semiclassical, thumri, yearning

अवरा बनर्जी, हरिहरन
Avra Banerjee, Hariharan

(पारंपरिक)
(Traditional)

हरिहरन
Hariharan

2.53

Toggle Jury's comments

Hariharan was born to sing these. (also, such a great fusion). -Harsh

The Sarod! -Akanksha

A fine composition from Avra Bannerjee (generously helped by his own work on the sarod) and Hariharan in his zone. A nicely executed scale change in the second half as well. -Vipin

The closing bit is very nice. -Anas

Hariharan's soulful rendition is the highlight. -Anish

Hariharan's effortless gliding across notes is such a pleasant aural experience. The composition that uses the Sarod, Piano, Drums, and Clarinet so dulcetly is one that demands repeat listening. Composer Avra Banerjee himself plays the Sarod and adds a certain gravitas to the composition. This is a wonderful amalgamation of instruments and Hariharan's dependable rendition. An absolute favorite! -Apoorv

Improvised feel to this track. Wish it was more melodically interesting. -Uday

The sarod really shines. But this feels like a minor hariharan. Satisfying still. -Poulomi

This was a major disappointment. -Shalini

Few harkats from Hariharan to make this lightweight song appear weightier than what it is. -Subrat

कागज़

kaagaz

Tags: bittersweet, breezy yet sad, contemplative, delicate, ghazal, longing, melancholic, melodious, metaphorical, montonous, philosophical, poetic, remembering, romance/melancholy, romantic, sad, sentimental, soft, somber, soothing, soulful

गर्वित-प्रियांश
Garvit-Priyansh

प्रियांश श्रीवास्तव
Priyansh Srivastava

गर्वित सोनी, प्रियांश श्रीवास्तव
Garvit Soni, Priyansh Srivastava

2.51

Toggle Jury's comments

Heartfelt rendition. The subtle score accentuates the singing very effectively. The lyrics are poignant without being dramatic which jives well with the arrangement. Garvit-Priyansh would be someone to look out for. -Apoorv

Such a simple, soulful melody. And very well sung! -Vipin

Easy on ears but forgettable nevertheless. -Subrat

A delicate confection, gently swooning arrangement. -Uday

The sense of melancholy in the song comes to the fore effectively. -Anish

I think this song was striving for deep but struck me as dull instead. -Shalini

Again, how beautifully the melody gradually changes the mood. such small shifts, yet so powerful. -Harsh

Loved this soulful composition and rendition. -Vishal

A nice addition to the sadness songs that gets churned out by the dozen these days. Tight songwriting and melodious vocals. -Poulomi

Bahut meethi aawaaz aur khoobsoorat shabd; with minimal music.
Makhmali si baatein bhi kabhi to
Likh ke khush hue the hum yahan
Aansuon ki boondein jo padi to
Khurdura ye kagaz hua. -Akanksha

उलझन

ulajhan

Tags: 60s, light, love, mischievous, nostalgic, old-school, pastiche, retro, romance/retro, romantic, romantic duet, whimsical

पार्थ श्रीवास्तव
Parth Srivastava

पार्थ श्रीवास्तव, सिरीशा भगवतुला
Parth Srivastava, Sireesha Bhagavatula

2.45

Toggle Jury's comments

Nice pastiche. -Anas

Adorable in every way. The Mandolin piece in the first interlude is fire. The ode to the 60s is evident and there is emphasis on keeping the arrangement, singing, composition simple which is certainly appreciable. The way both Parth and Sireesha have sung a few words ("timtimaate" at the end of the mukhadaa, "baatein" at the very end) is simply cute. Easily one of the best songs I have heard in this non-filmy space. -Apoorv

Average song that just tries to replica the sound/feel of the '40s uneffectively. -Anish

Soft duet, pleasant. -Ashwini

Worth a few listens. -Subrat

Perfectly alright, falls short of being excellent because I'm not sure the singers are able to really infuse that retro vibe into the song. -Poulomi

Vintage 50s/60s feel due to minimal use of electronics. -Ramesh

Pronounced Shankar-Jaikishan lilt. -Uday

Sireesha Bhagavathula who delivered a couple of lovely retro pieces for Amit Trivedi in Qala, gets to go back to the same era with this Parth Srivastava song. Nice tribute to the classics, both the song and the video. -Vipin

Well done on the composition Parth! Sireesha is 'misri' as ever! -Akanksha

Appreciated the attempt at an old-timey Hindi film song and the short run-time, and they got many of the elements right like the instrumentation, the lyrics, and the melody, but the song was ultimately let down by the montone signing of the male singer. Female singer did a farily decent impression of Geeta Dutt though. -Shalini

छैला (भूमि 2024)

chhailaa (Bhoomi 2024)

Tags: catchy, collaboration, dance, dancefloor, femal duet, female duet, fusion, groovy, jugalbandi, peppy, rap, romance, romance/techno, sensual

सलीम-सुलेमान
Salim-Sulaiman

श्रद्धा पंडित
Shraddha Pandit

सुनिधि चौहान, श्रेया घोषाल
Sunidhi Chauhan, Shreya Ghoshal

2.43

Toggle Jury's comments

Sunidhi and Shreya seem to be throughly enjoying themselves in this fun, musical "duel" and their glee is infectious. Fun song. -Shalini

All stars for Shreya+Sunidhi and that rap …uffff! A banger! -Akanksha

Hadn't heard Shreya and Sunidhi together for a while. -Subrat

This one grew on me. Was not a fan of it prima facie, especially because Salim-Sulaiman gave us "imaan kaa asar" with Shreya and Sunidhi and this was no where in its vicinity qualitatively, but these ladies roped me in with their effusive energy. And then there were small nuggets throughout which made it more fun - Shreya's rap, Sunidhi's livewire attitude - there was a distinctly suave vibe to it. -Apoorv

Iconic crossover. I like that Salim-Sulaiman's composition accomodates the differing vocal styles of Shreya ghoshal and Sunidhi chauhan. Really dig the sargam. -Poulomi

We need more of this duo! -Harsh

Shreya = 3, Sunidhi = 4. -Armeen

Considering it's Shreya and Sunidhi collaborating, this is a huge disappointing. Eminently forgettable. -Uday

Two of the industry's best talents seeming to have a ball of a time singing to Salim-Sulaiman's groovy backdrop (love that bass! ) - what's not to like! -Vipin

Largely disappointing for the potential of collaboration in this space. Sounds like an 80s indie song. Listenable for the two lead singers but without much chemistry or competition. Pavan

Good tune. Very good jugalbandi between Shreya and Sunidhi. Mediocre lyrics. -Anish

Both the OGs singing together! -Anas

पाँव की जुत्ती ना

paa.Nv kii juttii naa

Tags: anthem, empowering, folk, folky, hurt, neo folk, pain, philosophy/message, poignant, rebel, rebellion, rebellious, redemption, spirited, uplifting, warm

जानी
Jaani

जानी, (पारंपरिक)
Jaani, (Traditional)

ज्योति नूराँ
Jyoti Nooran

2.41

Toggle Jury's comments

The best part about this song is the rawness of Haryanavi lyrics. The music is a hotchpotch of various songs with 'Dagabaaz re' most recognisable in the antara. -Akanksha

Evocative writing by Jaani (ठोकरे खा खा पता चला, फ़िदा जिसपे होते थे, एक सांप हमारा यार था, हम साँप के साथ सोते थे). There is pain in the words here as is a searing realization of truth, and it is all conveyed with a layer of untapped anger and anguish. Jyoti Nooran does what she does best - imbue the song with a raw, unfiltered gaze that cuts through the listener. There is a stream of hurt here, but hopefully also a ray of hope. -Apoorv

Not sure if the lyrics are inspired by the singer’s own life (ugly divorce), but they are pretty vengeful and nicely written! -Vishal

Always hits home. No matter how much listen. -Anas

Forceful Jyoti Nooran vocal but forgettable tune. -Uday

Catchy song with a message. -Anish

Love the lyrics! -Ashwini

Tolerable. -Subrat

Jyoti Nooran's vocal control is out of this world. -Poulomi

लौट आओ ना

lauT aao naa

Tags: birah, contemplative, longing, longng, melancholic, mellow, romance, romantic, sentimental, soothing, sweet, urge

हंसिका पारीक, आदित्य बिष्ट
Hansika Pareek, Aditya Bisht

अनुराग मिश्रा
Anurag Mishra

हंसिका पारीक
Hansika Pareek

2.37

Toggle Jury's comments

Hansika Pareek is someone to look out for. Her voice is tailor-made for playback and she seems to have a good grasp over expression. Plus she is also a composer and a decent one at that. It is a not a vocal timbre that is unheard of, but it captures attention and that is a big plus. Liked this one. -Apoorv

Twinkly song, good vocal, generic. -Uday

Extremely soothing song that scores well in all departments. -Anish

Decent song, but nothing in particular that stands out to me both in terms of the composition or the vocals. -Poulomi

I absolutely love Hansika's voice and adore that she is equally good as a composer.
सहज करो मोरी उलझने हा लौट आओ ना - Good work by Anurag Mishra. -Akanksha

Singer sounds like Shreya Ghoshal. -Ramesh

Am I the only one who was shocked to discover this isn't Shreya? -Harsh

Liked the voice. -Subrat

Hansika does sound a lot like Shreya Ghosal, but this is a wonderful debut. -Vishal

भयंकर पिया

bhaya.nkar piyaa

Tags: boy band, eclectic, folksy, funny, fusion, happy, harmonium, indie, lively, love, party, playful, qawalli, qawwali, romantic, sweet, tabla, undetermined, upbeat

पार्थ श्रीवास्तव
Parth Srivastava

ज़ीशान ख़ान, गर्वित सोनी, प्रियांश श्रीवास्तव, समाद ख़ान, पार्थ श्रीवास्तव
Zeeshan Khan, Garvit Soni, Priyansh Srivastava, Samad Khan, Parth Srivastava

2.31

Toggle Jury's comments

So much fun! Hummable. Good work Zeeshan Khan, Garvit Soni, Priyansh Srivastava, Samad Khan and Parth Srivastava. The tabla work is superb too! -Akanksha

A very enjoyable song. warm and playful at once. -Harsh

An interestingly done contemporary qawalli that makes for a good listen. -Anish

This is how you have fun while creating something musically exciting. The same group of Parth, Priyansh, and Garvit had come up with another interesting Indie-qawwali last year called "kahaaniyaaN", so it seems they are finding a niche, and if it is as fun as this, more power to them. 5 different singers, each adding something of their own, add some quirky lyrics, a nicely weaved composition with a qawwali flavor and we have ourselves a respectable attempt that I have been guilty of relistening to one too many times. -Apoorv

Has the feel of a "mehfil" where a group of friends who fancy themselves as singers break into a free-wheeling song. Likely more fun for the performers than the listener. -Shalini

The interplay of the multiple vocals really highlight the arrangement. The tabla is beautiful. Great attempt. -Poulomi

Somewhat catchy tune (reminiscent of Duplicate's mere Mehboob mere sanam). -Subrat

Amiable, energetic song with a sher interlude and warm harmonies. -Uday

This track reminded me of Ram Sampat’s wacky, over-the-top style in Delhi Belly. -Vishal

सैंयाँ बिना

sai.nyaa.N binaa

Tags: classical, classical dance, folk, fusion, gentle, ghazal, indian semi-classical, mehfil, nostalgic, old-school, pensive, romantic, semi-classical, sitar, thumri, undetermined, yearning

नितिन शंकर
Nitin Shankar

महिमा भारद्वाज
Mahimma Bhardwaj

आशा भोसले
Asha Bhosle

2.29

Toggle Jury's comments

While Asha is a shadow of her past virtuso self, tiny sparks of that old magic still flare up. Song would be better if they dispensed with the tired synth beats and just had the sitar and tabla as accompaniments. -Shalini

Starts off very interestingly, before the faster tempo strangely dampens the impact. -Harsh

Even as a vanity project for her grandaughter, the song singehandedly works because of Asha Bhosle's voice. The sitar is gorgeous too. -Poulomi

Ashatai still has it in her voice. Loved the murkis. -Ashwini

Autotuned but still Asha; glad to see Rafi back in her good graces even if no OP :(. -Armeen

Asha's vocal is deft, song doesn't have much in it. -Uday

Personally, when anyone at 91 comes up with a NEW song, any critical assessment is thrown out of the window, because at that point we are just blessed to be witnessing a person's immense urge to create. On top of that, the song is actually pretty good and AshaTai does sound like she is having fun with it (the whole "kaahe tarsaaye, sapne jagaaye" piece is reminiscent of hundreds of her songs). Pt. Ravi Chary's Sitar works like a whip towards the end and is a wonderful complement to her mature rendition. Kudos to this force of nature, blessed be we! -Apoorv

Not sure what they've done to Asha Ji's voice. -Subrat

At 91! The expressions are just the same! -Akanksha

No words to describe the master singer! ! Great song, fabulous sitar pieces. -Vaishali

Asha Bhosle's rendition is the highlight of the song. -Anish

बावला (माटी S1)

baawalaa (Maati S1)

Tags: catchy, dance, diso, energetic, folk, folksy, folksy dance, funk, fusion, groovy, infectious, modern folk, party, rajasthani, rustic, upbeat

माइकी मैक्लियरी, पार्थ पारेख
Mikey McCleary, Parth Parekh

वृंदम नागपाल, आरुषी कौशल
Vrindam Nagpal, Arushi Kaushal

माइकी मैक्लियरी, सुशांत दिवगीकर, पार्थ पारेख, ख़ान ब्रदर्स
Mikey McCleary, Sushant Divgikar, Parth Parekh, Khan Brothers

2.26

Toggle Jury's comments

Such a great use of distinct sounds, so infectious. -Harsh

A good blend of different genres. Well-produced. The Hindi lyrics are not upto the mark. -Anish

Great choice of song to announce a new series. Infectious fusion of Rajasthani folk and funk from Mikey McCleary featuring some wonderful musicianship all around. -Vipin

Intriguing compostion. -Anas

The folk touches get lost under a boring disco beat. -Uday

The Khan brothers are the highlight for me because otherwise we have heard this same energy, same range, same sentiment, same music in so many songs over the years. -Manjiri

Lively arrangements matched by the exuberance of the vocals of both the Khan brothers and Rani. Winsome attempt. -Poulomi

Nice to see Mikey McCleary finally trying his hands at a folk tune. -Vishal

Total gimmickry. -Armeen

Foot-tapping fun. Rani KoHEnur (Sushant Divgikar) does a good enough job keeping up the tempo and mood. Especially the vocal calisthenics to switch between the two tones on the cross line is pretty impressive. Khan Brothers bring in the Rajasthani flavor just enough to keep the track interesting. Nice use of the Strings section with the Trumpets and the Horns by Mikey McCleary. -Apoorv

Catchy, foot-tapping number. Least irritating of the bee-bop songs in the list. -Shalini

छोड़ूँगा ना

chho.Duu.Ngaa naa

Tags: breezy, companionship, cute, dog, friendship, longing, nostalgic, old timey, orchestra, reassuring, romantic?, sentimental, swoony, uplifting, waltz, warm

अरिजित सिंह
Arijit Singh

कौशल किशोर
Kaushal Kishore

अरिजित सिंह
Arijit Singh

2.22

Toggle Jury's comments

Beautiful. Arijit's use of the Budapest Orchestra was a refreshing change of pace and the way he composed the antaraa's was very easy on the ears. He even sounded rather ebullient, which is a welcome departure from his often lazy singing. -Apoorv

A simple, heartfelt song on friendship. -Anish

Sweet composition even though it feels too safe and just adequate. -Poulomi

Such a rich, lilting melody. Right up Arijit's alley. -Harsh

Can Arjit please experiment with his music when he is making independent music? -Manjiri

Charming tune, sounds like an old Hollywood musical. -Uday

A heartwarming waltzy tune and a nostalgia-inducing video to go with it. Arijit really needs to be composing more, and in movies. -Vipin

Cute song! Appreciate Arijit pushing out songs through Oriyon despite commercial success in film music. -Akanksha

ओ यारा (कोक स्टूडियो पाकिस्तान)

o yaaraa (Coke Studio Pakistan)

Tags: bittersweet, contemplative, flowery, hopeful, indie pop, inspirational, introspective, longing, melancholic, melancholy, mellow, pensive, philosophical, philosophy, romantic, sad, wistful

अब्दुल हन्नन, जफ़र ज़ैदी
Abdul Hannan, Jaffer Zaidi

अब्दुल हन्नन, काविश
Abdul Hannan, Kaavish

2.21

Toggle Jury's comments

Expected more from this one. -Anas

Love the gentle, layered quality of the vocals. The Kaavish bit at the end is extraordinary. Stripped down composition at its best. Very vivid song. -Poulomi

Hummable song. -Anish

Expected better from Coke Studio Pak. -Ashwini

There is a nice pensive tone to the composition which does come through well, especially in the final portion that Kaavish (Jaffer Zaidi) sings. Abdul Hannah's raspy pronunciations did not do much for me, but Jaffer's simple evocative singing took the song to a whole another level and stole a point from me. -Apoorv

Well, even Coke Studio Pakistan is a let down. -Subrat

Nice arrangement. I liked how the song ends not with a things-will-get-better hope, but with you-will-become-better ('phir tu sambhal jayega') message. -Vishal

Poor enunciation and pronunciation bleaches all the emotion from this languid lament. -Shalini

Everything is tasteful, from the arrangement to the vocal, but rather inert. -Uday

जान ले गयी (भूमि 2024)

jaan le gayii (Bhoomi 2024)

Tags: 90s, club, dance, electronic, electronic dance music, fusion, groovy, love/ party, male duets, party, pop, romance, romantic, rousing, semi-classical, upbeat

सलीम-सुलेमान
Salim-Sulaiman

श्रद्धा पंडित
Shraddha Pandit

सोनू निगम, विशाल ददलानी
Sonu Nigam, Vishal Dadlani

2.15

Toggle Jury's comments

Salim Sulaimaan win the non-film game this year with Chhailaa and THIS! What an old world feel but in a contemporary setting. Every time Sonu starts a line my heart melts. -Akanksha

A nostalgia trip and a half. The tune reminds me of 'ishq jaisa kuch' from Fighter for some reason. Catchy but not close to memorable. The vocal interplay between vishal dadlani and sonu nigam is a standout though, especially when they each hit the high notes. -Poulomi

Sonu Nigam and Vishal Dadlani's jugalbandi is the highlight. -Anish

Vishal = 3, Sonu = 4. -Armeen

It’s trying to do too many things. -Vishal

In a year surprisingly filled with some cool male duets, this one had the makings of a blockbuster. What surprised me the most was how Vishal absolutely owned this song. He sounded on-point, be it adding a rock feel or rendering the sargam bit - there seemed to be an earnest attempt there. Sonu sounded like the Sonu off-late, trying to overdo things at times, but it was fun and took me a couple of listens to enjoy the song completely. It is good to see Salim-Sulaiman back in the thick of things. -Apoorv

90s throwback dance track, but not in a good way. -Uday

Nice to hear Sonu jamming with his bros. -Shalini

Bollywood stalwarts assemble for a non-film song? !! and create an absolute banger? What are the odds? -Harsh

Quite chaotic. -Anas

जिन्द जानिया (आज़ाद कोलैब)

jind jaaniyaa (Azaad Collab)

Tags: dreamy, falling in love, folk, indie pop, longing, male duet, melancholic, melodious, passionate, peppy, praising, romance, romantic, serenading, smooth, soft

अमित त्रिवेदी
Amit Trivedi

कुमार
Kumaar

जावेद अली, शाहिद माल्या
Javed Ali, Shahid Mallya

2.14

Toggle Jury's comments

I loved that two (wonderful) male singers were used instead of just one. -Vishal

For the talent at display here, I was expecting much more. This reached a point and then plateau-ed through to the end. Missed a steady graph here, especially with such beautifully powerful voices in Javed and Shahid. -Apoorv

Wow, shahid mallya's vocals are so rich and textured. I wish it was a solo piece instead of a duet. Pleasant composition otherwise. -Poulomi

Pleasant but less than the sum of its collaborators. -Uday

The melody evokes memories of some of the older Amit Trivedi songs in this zone (even more so since it is Shahid Mallya and Javed Ali on vocals, two singers who have featured in some of those older songs as well), but it is still a very pleasant listen, one of the better songs from the composer in a year that has largely been underwhelming by his standards. -Vipin

Very pleasant song. Excellent singing. -Anish

What a beautiful collage of serenity and passion. Beautiful. grows on you with each hearing. -Harsh

Consecutive songs with 'maanjha'. And what's tere lafzon mein ghunghroo? ? Nothing more to add. -Subrat

As beautiful as Shaahid's voice sounds, I felt that the lyrics didn't sit well in the composition and made it hard to understand the song. Nope! -Akanksha

आँख

aa.Nkh

Tags: arabic, dance, edm, groovy, hip hop, intrigue, middle eastern, mysterious, party, percussive, pop, romance/philosophy, seductive, sensual, sexy, sultry, undetermined

प्रतीक्षा श्रीवास्तव, अमन खरे, पौरुष कुमार
Prateeksha Srivastava, Aman Khare, Paurush Kumar

प्रतीक्षा श्रीवास्तव
Prateeksha Srivastava

सुनिधि चौहान, रूशा, ब्लिज़्ज़ा
Sunidhi Chauhan, Rusha, Blizza

2.12

Toggle Jury's comments

Guilty pleasure in song form. :-). -Shalini

It starts off like a Brittany Spears wannabe track, but otherwise it’s moody and original. -Vishal

Vaguely middle eastern, atonal, clattering track doesn't quite work. -Uday

Bread and butter song for Sunidhi. Obviously the added attraction this time was that she was on fire in front of the screen as well. She knows exactly how much spice to add to these songs and does so nicely here too. Her delivery is crisp, the emotions measured, the voice modulations pin-point. Sunidhi channeling Beyonce and honestly, making it more fun! -Apoorv

A catchy, evocative song well-complemented by Middle Eastern beats. -Anish

Love the arabic purcussions! -Harsh

Very beautiful liar feels to the song. The song does creep on you, immensely catchy tune. and Sunidhi's vocals invoke the intoxicating vibe that the composition aims for. -Poulomi

Prateeksha composed for Sunidhi! That must feel like a personal win for her. What I like about this song though has nothing to do with music or the gaayki. It is more about female power and our Desi Beyonce showing her moves on screen. She overshadows Sanya Malhotra in the expressions. -Akanksha

जी लूँ मैं तुझको (ग्यारह ग्यारह)

jee loo.N mai.n tujhako (Gyaarah Gyaarah)

Tags: longing, love, melancholic, melancholy, moody, pensive, romance, romantic, sad, sad romantic, sentimental, soothing

तल्ज़, राही सैयद
Tallz, Rahi Sayed

जिनी दीवान
Ginny Diwan

अरिजित सिंह
Arijit Singh

2.01

Toggle Jury's comments

Allows Arijit Singh to showcase his lower register, which is becoming a rarity these days. -Poulomi

Arijit sounded very linear in this song without much dynamism to his singing. It is nicely written song set to a very earnest tune, but THoDi aur jaan Daal di hoti toh shaayad dil tak lag jaata yeh gaanaa. Alas! -Apoorv

An interesting tune, yet never reaches its full emotional potential. -Harsh

Why do you have to use Arijit for everything? -Anas

In other years, I would crib about the standard Arijit song that all sounded the same. This year, I am glad for small mercies of such songs. -Subrat

An evocative song accentuated by Arijit Singh's incredible singing. -Anish

Moody track, restrained Arijit. -Uday

Arijit elevates the melody with his wonderful rendition. -Vishal

Liked the uncluttered orchestration and simple lyrics. Arijit Singh's charm continues to elude me. -Shalini

इबादतें

ibaadate.n

Tags: attraction, breezy, indie, longing, love, philosophical, pop, punjabi flavored, romance, romantic, schmaltzy, warm, wooing

रीटो रीबा
Rito Riba

सिद्धांत कौशल
Siddhant Kaushal

रीटो रीबा
Rito Riba

2.01

Toggle Jury's comments

Above average composition and sung well. -Subrat

Very interesting voice quality. -Harsh

Sappy love song without distinction. -Uday

A pleasant romantic track. Rito Riba's singing is the highlight. -Anish

This song became a hit after this Arunachal boy sang it in Indian Idol I suppose. Very good voice. -Akanksha

Decent attempt but sounds in the similar vein of atleast five other indie pop songs. Very little novelty value. -Poulomi

Skillful singing, full of heart. -Armeen

So many of these song have the same alternating slow and fast music pattern, it's hard to tell them apart. -Shalini

The central hook is pretty easy on the ears, but the before and after are rather banal. Rito Riba has a good voice though and it glides through the notes nicely. -Apoorv

जिया लागे ना

jiyaa laage naa

Tags: longing, love, pop, romance, romantic, romantic ballad, smooth, upbeat, warm

रोचक कोहली
Rochak Kohli

गुरप्रीत सैनी
Gurpreet Saini

शिल्पा राव, मोहित चौहान
Shilpa Rao, Mohit Chauhan

2.00

Toggle Jury's comments

Shipa Rao breaths life into this otherwise average track. -Vishal

Mohit and Shilpa lift this standard Amit Trivedi fare. -Subrat

Very well sung. -Ashwini

Rochak Kohli barely does any justice to either Mohit chuahan or Shilpa rao. Pretty skippable. -Poulomi

Too generic to have any impact. -Uday

Rochak Kohli is one exciting composer in the filmy space, but I found the magic a bit lacking here in a rather run-of-the-mill composition. With good singers like Shilpa and Mohit at your disposal, the expectations are high and sadly this stopped at serviceable at best. -Apoorv

Breezy romantic number. -Anish

तेरे नाल (सफ़र)

tere naal (Safar)

Tags: acoustic, breezy, crossover, dreamy, easy, eclectic, fusion, indie pop, punjabi, romance, romantic, soft, soothing, south indian, with loads of punjabi words

सुहैल कोया
Suhail Koya

असफ़र हुसैन
Asfar Hussain

बयान, साना मोइडुट्टी, वैभव पानी
Bayaan, Sanah Moidutti, Vaibhav Pani

1.99

Toggle Jury's comments

The Malayalam verse was such a wonderful addition. Highlight of the song. I wonder if we have ever had a Punjabi-Malayalam fusion before. Kudos to the makers for thinking of it and threading a dulcet tune around it. Additional point for creativity. -Apoorv

All too familiar. -Subrat

Again, Sanah you have such a unique voice. I loved that they have lyrics in three languages in this song. -Akanksha

Wow, didn't expect to hear malayalam, urdu, and punjabi merge in one song. Nicely done if albeit a little overproduced. -Poulomi

Decent song. Doesn't stay with you after you finish listening to it. -Anish

Language-switching aside, not much going for this. -Uday

गुलाबो

gulaabo

Tags: beat box, club, dance, electronic, faux funk, funk, funky, fusion, groovy, hip hop, jive, peppy, pop, r&b, romance, romantic, undetermined, youthful

संजीत हेगड़े
Sanjith Hegde

शाइनी दास
Shiny Das

संजीत हेगड़े
Sanjith Hegde

1.97

Toggle Jury's comments

Now this is exciting! Loved the hook, its groovy and sucks you right in. Sanjith is not the greatest of singers but he sure has come up with a banger of a track. There is a rhythm and a dynamism to the proceedings here and I am down with it. -Apoorv

Low-effort funk. Terrible pronunciation left me wondering which language was being sung. -Uday

A brave mix of genres and sonic styles in this song. Really dig the bass guitar and the ambition. Hedge's voice has an atittude that feels singular. -Poulomi

Catchy song despite underwhelming lyrics. -Anish

Why is the singer singing with that exaggerated accent? Makes a bad song worse. -Subrat

असर तेरा कैसा

asar teraa kaisaa

Tags: 80s, club, dance, disco, electronic dance music, falling in love, groove, groovy, party, romance/disco, smooth, vibecheck

शेखर रावजियानी
Shekhar Ravjiani

प्रिया सरैया
Priya Saraiya

शेखर रावजियानी, शिल्पा राव
Shekhar Ravjiani, Shilpa Rao

1.95

Toggle Jury's comments

Shilpa Rao is a national treasure. -Anas

Effective composition. And the beats are actually fun. I wish Shekhar's voice had a little bit ore edge to match Shilpa Rao. -Poulomi

This was another leaf of the Shilpa & Vishal-Shekhar book, albeit sans Vishal. Shilpa was particularly challenged to hit the low notes on this one and she was successful for the most part. Shekhar took us back to the 80s Nazia Hassan days and it surely vibed. Fun, disco jive perfect for a rave. -Apoorv

The guitar portion reminded me of Bang Bang. -Vishal

Shilpa Rao is fantabulous, and so well used here. -Harsh

Disco flow, smooth vocals, harmonies, easy listening. -Uday

Song is forgetable, but it's always nice to hear Shilpa Rao. -Shalini

Upbeat dreamy, romantic number with disco beats. Lyrics could have been better. -Anish

Competent singing gives it that half a point. -Subrat

इश्क़ (लॉस्ट; फ़ाउंड)

ishq (Lost; Found)

Tags: fusion, indie pop, kashmiri, longing, love, melancholy, philosophical, rock, romance, romantic, soft, stormy, sufi

फ़हीम अब्दुल्ला, रौहन मलिक
Faheem Abdullah, Rauhan Malik

अमीर अमीर
Amir Ameer

फ़हीम अब्दुल्ला, रौहन मलिक
Faheem Abdullah, Rauhan Malik

1.92

Toggle Jury's comments

Some of the lines are really deep. -Anas

Stormy ballad, not too interesting. -Uday

It creates a certain unique mood with its soundscape. -Harsh

The beginning part of the lyrics reminded me of "baiTH jaa, baiTH gayi; khaDi ho jaa, khaDi ho gayi", but the lyrics were infact all over the place. It had this (फिर बेचैनी का बे काटूँ, तुझे चैन ज़रा सा हो जाए) and also this (अभी ऐंन लिखूँ, तो सोचे मुझे, फिर शीन लिखूँ, तेरी नींद उड़े, जब क़ाफ लिखूँ, तुझे कुछ-कुछ हो, मैं इश्क़ लिखूँ, तुझे हो जाए). Decent melody otherwise. -Apoorv

Worth a few listens. -Subrat

Really strong lyrics. The song could have done with slightly more polished production. -Poulomi

Despite an interesting theme, found the song to be amateurish on all fronts. -Anish

नैना

nainaa

Tags: classical, dark, fusion, fusion classical, grunge, haunting, indie rock, intense, rage, rhythmic, semi classical, semi-classical, sentimental, trance

दुरबा बनर्जी
Durba Banerjee

दुरबा बनर्जी, कृष दत्ता
Durba Banerjee, Krishh Datta

1.88

Toggle Jury's comments

A truly original piece of work. The way sound shifts from smouldering to intense -- amazing! Such great use of drums. Reminds me of Hai Rama. -Harsh

Nice composition and rendition. -Vaishali

Stormy electronics don't mesh with the classical vocal. -Uday

The tune and rendition wants to soulful but the arrangement wants to be jarring and unsettling. -Vishal

A well-rendered semi-classical composition with a nice rock base to it. -Anish

Forgettable, those ghastly interludes. -Subrat

Nice tune ruined by the electronics. -Ramesh

Durba's one woman show - commendable but quantitatively seems limited. She has a decent voice but the clarity required in each note for singing semi-classical seems amiss. A lot of harkats sounded flat and the rather simplistic. Decent effort but could have been more grounded. -Apoorv

Not as trippy as it thinks it is. Goes to show the problems of overusing autotune. Franky, a pain to have sat through. -Poulomi

Singer demonstrates good control but is overpowered by the dramatic music. -Shalini

Very Vishal Bharadwaj vibes here. -Anas

Good vocals, new singer for me. -Ashwini

जनाबे जानिया

janaabe jaaniyaa

Tags: easy-listening, longing, love, passionate, romance, romantic, youthful

गुलाब सिंह
Gulab Singh

मनोज यादव
Manoj Yadav

जावेद अली, गुलराज सिंह
Javed Ali, Gulraj Singh

1.83

Toggle Jury's comments

Javed Ali's vocals drive this track. -Uday

While Javed manages it well because he is a gifted singer, I'm not sure if the antaraa needed to be set in the higher register. It just made the song sound more loud and screechy especially for a romantic track featuring teenagers. -Apoorv

A beautiful melody with a wonderful old-world charm to it. -Anish

Nice hook, very hummable but that's about it. Javed ali's voice is always nice to listen to. -Poulomi

Javed Ali is good in this average composition. -Subrat

Liked the composition and the music but fairly generic number overall. -Shalini

Please make better compositions for Javed. -Akanksha

केक

Cake

Tags: beats, catchy, dance, dance plus semi classical, disco, electronic, energetic, fun, fusion, homage, humorous, love, mujra, pop, retro, romance

अक्षय, आइपी
Akshay, IP

आइ पी सिंह
I P Singh

नकश अज़ीज़, नूपुर खेडकर
Nakash Aziz, Nupoor Khedkar

1.81

Toggle Jury's comments

Oh wow this is a bop. Takes a big swing on all fronts and somehow makes it work. So playful, so polished. Delivers a good time. -Poulomi

Such an original homage, if that makes sense? -Harsh

Seems to be developed for Abu Jani and Sandeep Khosla's comeback to a fashion show. The theme was 'Disco Mujra' and this song was a part of the music played in the show. I feel that the theme in itself is very creative. Cake does full justice to it. Besides other voices including that of Abu and Sandeep, the choice of Nakash Aziz was quite good. -Akanksha

Another song with a fusion twist towards a semi-classical portion sandwiched in between fast rapid beats with inane lyrics. Thank you, next! -Apoorv

The singing doesn't do justice to the music. -Anas

A fun, upbeat number that makes your feet tap instantly. -Anish

Nothing to recommend here, a clomping number short of ideas. -Uday

Nakash Aziz’s singing here is reminiscent of Mohd Aziz’s style and voice. -Vishal

Not my piece of cake. -Pavan

यिम्मी यिम्मी

yimmii yimmii

Tags: afrobeats, cameroonian, club, crossover, dance, electronic, french, fusion, groovy, incomprehensible, indie pop, love, melting pot, pop, r&b

टेक, रजत नागपाल, न्यादिको
Tayc, Rajat Nagpal, Nyadjiko

राणा सोतल
Rana Sotal

टेक, श्रेया घोषाल, जैकलीन फ़र्नांडिज़
Tayc, Shreya Ghoshal, Jacqueline Fernandez

1.79

Toggle Jury's comments

Song that has lyrics in Hindi, English, and French/Cameroonian - pretty cool. Although Shreya sounds like any of her other regular Hindi songs, the titular central hook of the song is pretty catchy and has a nice ring to it. Indian artists crossing over to collaborate with global artists is fire, but the hope is to create long-lasting songs instead of songs that break the Insta reel world with a few million fews and then are forgotten. Till that happens, I will continue jiving to yimmy yimmy. . -Apoorv

Catchy beats pull the song through. -Anish

Shreya is good but what's this French in between. -Subrat

Did not get into this at all. Feels both painful and a complete waste. -Poulomi

Did not like this song at all. -Akanksha

Occasional dovetailing of fluttering voices the only point of interest. -Uday

Shreya's melodic voice blends interestingly here; a decent experiment. -Harsh

Composer Rajat Nagpal and others tried to recreate some magic — or at least popularity — of Guli Mata, but in spite of the catchy Afro beats, it doesn’t quite work. -Vishal

Awfully annoying. -Shalini

रंग

ra.ng

Tags: bittersweet, easy listening, flowy, indie pop, langourous, lo-fi, love, romance, romantic, smooth, western, young

अनुमिता नदेसन, शम्स, अभ्युदय ठाकुर
Anumita Nadesan, Shams, Abhyuday Thakur

1.77

Toggle Jury's comments

No wonder that Anumita got to sing Tenu Sang Rakhna. Great voice. -Akanksha

Soft edged ballad, nice close harmonies, just enough going in the production to be interesting. -Uday

Ordinary lyrics. The vocals and composition register an impact. -Anish

Anumita's vocals are beautiful. But I wish the song aimed slightly higher. -Poulomi

The sense of déjà vu with these songs is so strong. Same same in a new package. -Apoorv

Female singer seems to be inspired by Billie Eilish. Not a fan. -Shalini

ज़ालिमा

zaalimaa

Tags: arabic, catchy, celebratory, crossover, dance, fusion, indo-arabic, love, melting pot, middle eastern, morocco, purcussive

यासीन अलावी दाग़री, जाव लीमा पिंटो, रजत नागपाल
Yassine Alaoui Mdaghri, Joao Lima Pinto, Rajat Nagpal

राणा सोतल
Rana Sotal

डिस्टिंक्ट, श्रेया घोषाल
DYSTINCT, Shreya Ghoshal

1.71

Toggle Jury's comments

Shreya Ghoshal has had the most fun this year! -Harsh

Composition has a hard-before feel but is catchy. The Arabic beats add to the grooviness. -Anish

Found out that Dystinct is a Belgian of Moroccan origin which explains the rai infused composition. -Subrat

Dystinct's vocal is sinuous but Shreya's is too treated, the Hindi lyrics and the track substandard. -Uday

A slight improvement over Yimmy Yimmy, but overall, the song feels underwhelming. -Vishal

This didn't work for me at all. Feels less like a song and more of a gimmick. Too noisy for my liking. -Poulomi

Shreya was travelling the musical world in 2024 and we are here for it. Would have loved for her to actually sing in the respective languages instead of the standard Hindi lines, because if anyone in today's musical landscape can do it, it is her. But, the experimentation is great and it was fun to hear DYSTINCT sing some Hindi lines. -Apoorv

सवेरा

saveraa

Tags: bonding, breezy, chill, easy listening, fresh, happy, indie, indie pop, lively, longing, love, playful, romance, romantic

इक़्लिप्स नोवा, अनुभा बजाज
Iqlipse Nova, Anubha Bajaj

1.70

Toggle Jury's comments

Refreshing and light. -Subrat

Light, charming duet. -Uday

Typical indipop melody. Nothing sticks. -Anish

Nice instrumentation but the vocals lack depth. -Poulomi

Very interesting voices, a super-pleasant vibe. -Harsh

Nothing extraordinary, but a good one-time listen. The lyrics are simplistic, so is the tune, and the singing - which might work for the kind of song this is, but the song will sadly fly away as soon as the next one starts. -Apoorv

कलियाँ

kaliyaa.N

Tags: baarish, beats, dance, electronic, falling in love, folk, folksy, fusion, fusion folk, fusion. happy. trippy., indie pop, rain song, romantic

लॉस्ट स्टोरीज़
Lost Stories

बावरी बसंती
Bawari Basanti

1.66

Toggle Jury's comments

For some reason, this song sounds like something Ritviz would do. Starts off well but is definitely a little overpacked. -Poulomi

Something fresh. -Anas

Dubstep and folk not really meshing here, but some interesting musical choices. -Uday

The drop in tempo and instruments in the first interlude was exciting and the fusion was catching, but overall it did not work for me. Seemed like one too many things were served on a platter. Also why break KHaamoshi as KHaamo and shi? -Apoorv

Couldn't stand the nasal treatment. -Akanksha

Among other things, the way the word “khamoshi” was broken, was so cringe. -Vishal

Liked the "water" affect, was quite evocative of rain. -Shalini

Vocal bits are nice and interludes are noisy and incongruous for no apparent reason. -Subrat

Thumri and techno elements have been blended well. -Anish

Creative composition. -Vaishali

सोलमेट (एक था राजा)

Soulmate (Ek Tha Raja)

Tags: dance, edm, love, pop, rap, romance, romantic, upbeat, warm

बादशाह
Badshah

अरिजित सिंह, बादशाह
Arijit Singh, Badshah

1.63

Toggle Jury's comments

Catchy melody. The Arijit-Badshah combination works quite well. -Anish

Wouldn't have missed this song if it didn't exist. Didn't persobally think both Singh and Badhshah's styles merged in the song. Sounds slightly disjointed for me. Great fan service though. -Poulomi

Plastic, soulless. -Uday

A good enough bop. -Apoorv

Familiar beginning with Arijit and then Badshah entered. -Subrat

Expected more from this collab. Still, does its job. Some bits are very nicely done. -Anas

जो तुम मेरे हो

jo tum mere ho

Tags: acoustic, indie pop, longing, melancholy, pensive, romance, romantic, sad, singer songwriter, yearning

अनुव जैन
Anuv Jain

1.55

Toggle Jury's comments

Quavery voiced worrying over strummed acoustic guitar turns boring. -Uday

Pretty much in line with the Atif Aslam/Lucky Ali songs from the 00s, with a heavy focus on the Acoustic Guitar and a simple tune to go along with it normally conveying a pensive or a sombre thought - but a few notches lower in overall quality. -Apoorv

Pleasant tune. Lyrics could have been better. -Anish

There are days when Anuv Jain's music can hit the sweet spot. -Harsh

I loved the sombre mood that the song starts with, but it immediately moves on to a breezy, typical guitar backed song, like most other songs by Anuv Jain. It’s still pretty good though. -Vishal

A more weepy successor to Prateek Kuhad. iI don't understand the rage of Anuv Jain neither the appeal. Very basic songwriting and composition. His voice has no attitude either. -Poulomi

I think the time for these amateur songs is over. Singers should atleast work on their 'sur' before pressing the record button. -Akanksha

साँसों के

saa.Nso.n ke

Tags: easy-listening, light, love, pop, retro, romance, romantic, soothing

राजा अली
Raja Ali

अहमद सिद्दीक़ी
Ahmad Siddiqui

कुमार सामु, शैनन के
Kumar Sanu, Shannon K

1.47

Toggle Jury's comments

Where did this song come from, in 2024? -Harsh

Kumar Sanu nostalgia aside, nondescript song. -Uday

Kumar Sanu still singing? ! -Ashwini

Nothing stands out in the song. -Anish

Pleasant, old-fashioned romantic duet. -Shalini

Ah the familiarity of that nasal Sanu voice. Average song anyway. -Subrat

Highly processed, the autotune makes it sound very mechanical. But it is nice to hear Kumar Sanu back singing. a romantic duet and he glides through it with relative ease and Raja Ali has managed to create a tune well within the comfortable range of his matured voice. Shannon did not make a mark for me sadly. -Apoorv

Why do all modern singers sound like Shreya Ghoshal? Role model to emulate? :). -Ramesh

Ugh. Why Kumar Sanu? -Anas

Kumar Sanu's voice hits the same as it ever did. feel like I was transported back to the 90s again. Pleasant melody. -Poulomi

डूब रहे

Doob rahe

Tags: beats, dance, eclectic, electronic, falling in love, fusion, night out, peppy, punjabi, romance, romantic, youthful

अभिजीत श्रीवास्तव
Abhijeet Srivastava

शायरा अपूर्वा
Shayra Apoorva

आँचल त्यागी, वरुण जैन
Aanchal Tyagi, Varun Jain

1.30

Toggle Jury's comments

Very catchy tune. -Anish

Nondescript. -Uday

It has a beat, it has words, and its sung. But kehna kyaa chaahte ho bhai? -Apoorv

Another overproduced and autotuned song. Couldn't care much for it. The lyrics feel very juvenile to me and the beats don't stand out. -Poulomi