Here are the best songs released in India across languages and genres for the week ending 25th June 2023. If you are a musician submit your new music here.1. Na Koyi Mera Composed by Amit TrivediLyrics by Kausar MunirSingers - Papon & Vaishali MadeProduced by Sunny Subramanian & Amit TrivediLanguage: HindiGenre: RetroThe web series 'Jubilee' created a massive wave of expectations and the series lived up to the hype. I am yet to see the series which boasts of some amazing performances as well. I will be doing a separate Instagram video review of the series, and its BGM score by Alokananda Dasgupta. Now the songs have ne composed by Amit Trivedi and he seems to have found new love and passion for retro Hindi music. After outclassing in 'Qala' on Netflix, this time it is an Amazon Prime series which demands 40's styled music and Amit delivers without fail. I loved a few songs from the album like "Nahin Ji Nahin", "Voh Tere Mere Ishq Ka" and "Sare Ke Sare Akele" other than this chart-topper. Lyrics are penned beautifully with intent and passion by Kausar Munir and the producers are Amit and Sunny Subramanian. We have amazing strings opening the account thanks to the group of violinists Jitendra Thakur, Sandeep Thakur, Pradeep Thakur, Chandan Singh, Mohan Goyal and Sanjay Verma. Lakshmikant Sharma plays the gentle Mandolin and we immediately are taken back to the 1940s thanks to The Woodwinds by ID Rao, Accordion by Satyajit Prabhu and also the delightful Harp. Chandan Singh plays the solo Violin. The song is perfect in its timeline representation and a huge role is played by Deepak Borkar on Percussion and Rhythms. Papon sings like he is holding a magic wand and it shows the man's skill to sound so apt in the retro style. I was pleasantly surprised by Vaishali Made's female lead vocals and she delivers a stunning performance. The song itself reminds us of "Yeh Raat Bheegi Bheegi" by Shankar-Jaikishan. The interludes continue from where they left off in the opening segment. The interplay of all the live instruments is like a tonic for the heart. I love how the arrangements shift when Vaishali " Aaja tujhe dil se laga loon". The sound engineers are Urmila Sutar and Avadhoot Wadkar. The tracks are mixed and mastered by Shadab Rayeen with assistance from Pukhraj & Anup@itsamittrivedi @paponmusic @kausarmunir @vaishalimadeofficial @tseries.official @shadabrayeen @sunny.subramanian @idrao_official  2. Panjimittai Song Composed, Arranged and Produced: Jay UnnithanLyrics: Manu ManjithSingers: Nithinraj, Nithya MammenLanguage: MalayalamGenre: Folk-PopThis is epic by Jay Unnithan. Very rarely do we have two songs from the same EP being featured in consecutive weeks, that too both in the top 2. Time to get up and give an ovation. Like 'Noolamala' this too is composed, arranged and produced by Jay, with lyrics by Manu Manjith. The vocalists are Nithinraj, who I am featuring for the first time and the brilliant-sounding Nithya Mammen. Embrace the stringed instruments like the Mandolin and Guitalele by Sanu PS at the start, and the local percussion gives a thump. Assan Nidheesh SD is the man behind the energy here, as Al Nishad handles all the additional rhythm programming. ID Rao makes it two in two after making an appearance in the number 1 song also. He is omnipresent with his Clarinet in the opening instrumental segment and also plays the Saxophone later.  Nithinraj has this teasing style of delivery and that suits this song folk-pop song. I love it when after the 1.15-minute mark the percussions abruptly stop and it is only the vocals, Guitalele and bass guitars. The whole scenario feels like a wedding procession thanks to the Clarinet and percussion. The tempo builds up in the interlude to arrive at the stanza where the Diva Nithya performs and the melody is like an earworm. My favourite line is "Vallathe thullathe" which feels o refreshing with Nithya's saccharine-laden vocals. Lijesh Kumar handles all the vocal tuning, with recording engineers Deepak SR and Ezekiah Naniwadekar. Abin Paul is the mix/master engineer, and he does a splendid job getting the tracks together in perfect sync. Listen to the brilliant saxophone, Clarinet and Keys coming together. 

Here are the best songs released in India across languages and genres for the week ending 18th June 2023. If you are a musician submit your new music here.1. Kya Karie Korimol Written, Composed, Lead Vocals by AlifFeatured Vocals: Noor MohammedCreative Producer: Ankur TewariVocal Bridge (Aashima Mahajan) Composed by Alif and Aman MoroneyWavun couplets compiled by Rumuz Bekhudi & AlifProduced by Aman Moroney, Alif and Ashish ManchandaLanguage: KashmiriGenre: Musical Theatre-FolkThis song is a barrage of emotions that needs to be experienced, a review like this will never be able to do the project even half of the justice it deserves, and yet I try. It is the best song under 'Coke Studio Bharat' released thus far and kudos to all the musicians involved. Alif has written, composed and performed the lead vocals and the song's brilliant segment is also a bridge section and this was composed by Alif and Aman Moroney. I am thinking about where to begin, but here we go. This song is a story and this is exactly what a Coke Studio product should sound like. The father of the bride goes through hordes of pain and problems when his daughter's extravagant wedding is being arranged. The original main segment of the song sung by Alif shows us this perspective. Alif sings these lines in Kashmiri with great enthusiasm and he also plays the acoustic guitars while doing so. The strings section is on fire right from the beginning and they set the tone for this elaborate composition. Gaurang Deshpande of 'The Media Tribe' does the strings transcription and we have the eminent Jitender Thakur playing one of the Violins and the Viola. The 2nd Violin is played by Prabhat K with Johan on the Cello.  Slowly we get the impact of the live instruments as Tanmay Pawar plays the solid acoustic guitars and the electric guitars, with Amit Gadgil on the bass guitars. A highlight of the song is the fantastic chorus, which is called 'Wanwun' in Kashmiri which means chorus and raising a toast to these amazing performers Zartasha Zainab, Shivani Matyal, Samhita Shiledar, Samiyah Nabi and Rumuz-e-Bekhudi. I want to take some time and enjoy the fantastic synths and Piano by Aman. You can suddenly hear the hair-raising switch in energy with the electric guitars and the drums are smashing hard with Karan Chitra Deshmukh also playing the Darbuka now, hearing the title line being sung in unison. Welcome to the second part of the song, the enchanting bridge section sung by Aashima Mahajan, and composed by Aman and Alif. The Cello dominates along with the Violins, and Viola, as the daughter tells her side of the story, getting ready for the marriage. The closing segment is hugely impactful with the collective vocals, drums, electric guitar and strings and almost feels like a Hans Zimmer score out of 'Inception'. Things take a turn again as we get to the father's story. Kudos to Aman Moroney, Ashish Manchanda and Alif who have produced this outstanding chart-topper.@cokestudiobharat @aashima.mahajan @everythingisalif @mohammad.muneem @basswati @aman_moroney @ankurtewari @misfitsinc @kjpahji @karanchitradeshmukh @tanmay_aavishkaar @thedoccwhosings @saamiyahnabi @zartashaazainab @samhitashiledar @ashishmanchanda007 @themediatribe_bceducation 2. Noolamala Song Composed, Arranged and Produced: Jay UnnithanLyrics: Manu ManjithSingers: Vanee Rajendra, Shivakamy Shyamaprasad, Kaanjana SriramLanguage: MalayalamGenre: Electronic Folk PopIt is his debut album in the movie space and Jay Unnithan is making his mark. I am confident that not only this song but the whole EP will end up being one of India's best this year by the end of 2023. The guitars hit you hard in almost U2 style from 'Mission Impossible'. Chaitanya Bhaidkar plays the scintillating electric guitar and he also immediately brings in the Saz and Banjo. The work of genius is to get the Korava vocals in the mix, in a way that I would have never dreamt of. The Korava vocalists are Lekshmi, Rama Lekshmi, Karthik. The lyrics are excellent with a lot of fun and frolic written by Manu Manjith. Thank God the people of Kerala did not create a ruckus because of words like "Answer, Where are you going" coming in a Malayalam song. I am sure Amitabh Bhattacharya wished he lived in Kerala.  The lead vocalists are Vanee Rajendra, Shivakamy Shyamaprasad, Kaanjana Sriram and there is not a moment you wouldn't enjoy in their performance. Jay has composed, arranged and programmed, so he is the champion, producing this baby of his. My favourite part is when the leads sing " Minnaminni Ninne Ninne Ninnodonnu chothikkam".  Rony George plays the additional guitar, and Sonu Sangameswaran is the bassist. The humming by the leads in the interlude is so charming keeping the folk flavour alive. Deepak SR is the recording engineer, and Abin Paul brilliantly mixes the tracks and masters the song. @__hijk @manumanjith_s @vanee_rajendra @shivakamy_shyamaprasad @kaanjana_sreeram @chaituontheroll @basssonu @mixwithabin @deepaksr.mix @thrishankufilm @thinkmusicofficial 3. VirtualityLyrics: Bob StarkComposition: Eliezer BotzerMusic production, arrangements, Sound engineering, programming, Keyboards: Ori AvniVocals: Eli Botzer, Lucky AliGenre: Indie PopThe two musicians from different parts of the world combine again and the expectations immediately soar upon hearing about the project. Eli Botzer from Israel and Lucky Ali from India create magic here and it is the coming together of some solid vocals, live instruments, and phenomenal production.  The melody is soothing and inspiring and it is the work of Botzer but the soul of the song is also in the amazing programming and arrangements. Ori Avni does that like a sorcerer at the peak of his powers. The guitars, keyboards, rhythms, bass guitars and vocal harmonies enthral us, singing "Nothing is as it seems". Wait for the best part, it is the humming that is like a breath of fresh air. The composition of this humming is well-written, and sung by Ayana Botzer and Tasmiyah Ali (the daughters). We have Itamar Doari on the wonderfully crafted percussion, Michael Frost on bass guitars, Idan Shneor on acoustic guitars and Amit Yitzhak on the electric guitar. The video was shot in the Dead Sea, and I'm sure music like this will bring life even to that water body. I can only recommend you listen to the last 2 minutes of the song in absolute peace and solitude to enjoy the greatest gift in life i.e. Music. The symphonic orchestra is elaborate with 4 Violins, 2 Violas, 2 Cellos, 1 Contrabass, 1 Flute, 1 Clarinet, 2 Trombones and 1 French Horn. The masterminds behind the orchestration are Ori Avni and Aviv Koren. The sound engineers are Bharat Kumar and Idan Katz and the tracks are mastered by Jonathan Jacobi, and the lovely words of inspiration are penned by Bob Stark. @officialluckyali @avniori @sharonmalin @botzer_official @thebigbeatindia4. Joru Joraagi  Singers: Suneel Rao, Varijashree VenugopalLyricist: Sharath BhagwanMusic by: DossmodeLanguage: KannadaGenre: Electronic/Synth-popI am incredibly impressed with the soundscape and score by Dossmode a.k.a. Dheerendra Doss, for this Kannada album "Thurthu Nirgamana", and although the movie was released back in 2022, some songs were streamed online recently which got me interested. In fact, this song was rele

Here are the best songs released in India across languages and genres for the week ending 11th June 2023. If you are a musician submit your new music here.1. ButterflyPerformed by Prithvi PrakashWritten by Prithvi PrakashProduced by Ashwin Sriram & Prithvi PrakashLanguage: EnglishGenre: Indie PopSometimes you come across a song that makes your heart grow fonder. For me such songs make all my efforts of listening to hundreds of songs every week feel like a cinch. This phenomenal single by Prithvi Prakash is one that made me feel alive and thrilled to come out and write a review. It ,without any doubt, rises to the top of this week's ranking and credit goes to Prithvi who has composed, written and performed and Ashwin Sriram who co-produces the song with Prithvi.I haven't featured Prithvi before and that is why I am super excited about the discovery of talent while Ashwin has been featured a couple of times for some fantastic singles of his own. She hits a home run ( baseball reference as the two are based in the US) with her vocals which also have this Carnatic Classical style of ghamakas on the ending note of every line.The way she sings and ends the line "Yet you lay, curled in a corner" is amazing, and do pay attention to the word " corner". I love this delivery and I adore it throughout the song. We hear the keys in the background and just the vocals and keys keep things simple. Interestingly, the production adds a layer of vocals in the background and with a lag.  I enjoyed the mild alaap just after the lines "Butterfly, we built a pupa just for us", making it so unique and heartwarming. Slowly we get the impact of the chords on the keyboards and that guitar strumming steadily in the background. The combined effect of the guitars in the lead and the mild alaap in the background works beautifully and it is here that I sense some Raag Hamsadhwani. As we progress, we get the rhythms and that solo Violin by Myra Rena Choo which strikes like an arrow, pointed and deep into my heart. Let all the song's beauty and its elements sink in so that you can just fly away like a butterfly. Anusha handles the cover artwork, with Rachel Pac as the photographer. @pritsprakash @ashwynmusic @anushadesign @at_the_beat @pixbypac 2. Cant Help ItWritten, Composed by Sanchi MannotraPerformed by SanchiProduced by Osho JainLanguage: EnglishGenre: Indie PopThis is the 3rd time I am featuring a song that Sanchi is involved in after two amazing singles "L.O.M.L." and "To Be in Love". I am firmly confident that Sanchi is one of the best indie talents we have in this country. Since I came to find out that she is also a tattooist, she could tattoo this claim of mine on my arm, that's how confident I am. Osho Jain another consistently good indie singer-songwriter who I have featured many times does all the fantastic production for the song, and makes it breathe, survive and grow on the listener. Sanchi writes, composes and performs with incredible gusto and I get drawn by the sheer magnetism of her voice. The song is beautifully written, as I can sit here and feel her agony when she sings "Why am I held against my will to sleep next to him, I can change reality But it's never not a dream".These guitars are a solid companion, and the notes are captivating when she utters the words " I can't help it, if my heart spins. When you're next to me", especially the second time she repeats the words "when you're next to me". The introduction of the humming is fabulous " tham tha tha tham" as it brings in style and funkiness, especially thanks to the vocal multiple layers and the drums.Sanchi is phenomenal in delivering the vocals, keeping in mind the right emotive construct and the way she explores the higher pitch. The vocal harmonies are brilliantly arranged in the outro and probably are one of the highlights of the song. Kudos to Osho for the production, and Utkarsh Amarpuri for the solid mixing and mastering of the tracks. Aayushi Bansal handles the cover art. @sanchhhii @oshojain_ @buttonchutney @aayushi_bansal_

Here are the best songs released in India across languages and genres for the week ending 4th June 2023. If you are a musician submit your new music here.1. Phir Aur Kya Chahiye Singer - Arijit Singh, Sachin- JigarMusic - Sachin- JigarLyrics - Amitabh BhattacharyaProgrammed & Arranged By - Sachin- JigarMusic Production Head - Romil VedSachin and Jigar the composer duo, are like Michael Bevan, the cricketer. He used to come in and bat for around 10 overs and without a single boundary, suddenly you will see him in his 40s. I have been quite impressed with how their original scores are very good despite not getting too much attention and fan following (in my opinion) me. Bhediya was a very good album, with 2 fine songs and a good original background score as well. Arijit Singh has been in prime form and I feel like he has rediscovered himself as a vocalist because the usual style of singing which was getting somewhat stale has been left behind. Arijit brings out the protagonist's vulnerability and emotions rather than showcasing his vocal skills, and that is why O'Bedardeya and Bairiya which were released in 2023 got featured by me. Kalyan Baruah is amazing on the guitars and Sachin-Jigar's Keyboard programming is fantastic, and you can realise this if you focus on the background rather than Arijit's vocals singing the title line. The Alt-pop influence is something that sticks to the mind and pulls the song to this week's number 1 spot. Pratiksha Kale, Maanuni Desai and Sahil Vishvakarma sing the chorus "Tu heere" in the interlude. The programming and arrangements are by Sachin-Jigar and Romil Ved is the Music Production Head. Amitabh Bhattacharya pens the lovely lyrics. Tejas Vinchurkar instils love with his flute solo and Sachin-Jigar composes a very likeable and rich stanza, with Arijit excelling with every note like only he can. I love the line "ugta nahi hain suraj mera". Tatiana Kritskaya plays the Cello and when we get to the outro Arijit improvises splendidly as usual. The song is mixed and mastered by Eric Pillai with Michael Edwin Pillai assisting with the mixing. Swar Mehta is the recording engineer. The song has that tone and resemblance to "Main Tenu Samjhawan Ki".@sachinjigar @arijitsingh @amitabhbhattacharyaofficial @saregama_official @soulfulsachin @jigarsariaya @tejas.flute @tanikacello @romilved @pratikshakale @scarlettvictim @sahilvmusic @ericpillai @swar_440 @michaeledwinpillai 2. Time For 2 Performed by Yamini Lavanian, Zohran MirandaWritten by Yamini Lavanian, Zohran Jude MirandaProduced by Zohran and Jovian SoansLanguage: EnglishGenre: Synth PopZohran Miranda is a guitarist and producer from Mumbai and he has worked with many top-notch singer-songwriters. This is my debut EP and I must say that I was mighty impressed with it, and I recommend you all listen to the EP. Though this is the song I have picked for featuring now, I did fancy a couple of more songs in the EP. I did feature Zohran back in 2021 for a single called "Heavy on Time".The sound design and production are phenomenal and you know this is world-class the moment you hear it. Zohran collaborates with another fantastic artist Yamini Lavanian and they write, compose and perform together on this song. I featured Yamini in a song with Vinay Kaushal more than a year ago and she possesses a gifted voice and she too puts it to full use here. Jovian Soans and Zohran produced the songs and kudos to both of them. Aditya Ashok is fabulous and he generates such good interest through the drums, and we have the eminent Rushad Mistry as the bassist. Yamini begins her vocals and you lose track of all your other senses. She exhibits great control in her delivery and embellishes every note with a cool attitude and style. The line "Sky's opening, fire is burning high" is so beautifully composed with such an unpredictable shift in notes towards the note and the falsetto is just spot-on. Zohrans vocal lines are more funky and fun and the two combine, and it does feel like "perfect storm brewing, just me and you". The album artwork is done by Sadek Merchant, and the photo art design is by Anahaa Chattaraj with Herbert Fernandes as the Photographer. The outro on guitars, drums and the humming is a magical fitting end. @sadekmerchant @yamini_lavanian_music @joviancity @ox7gen @anahaachattaraj @rushad1981 @originaldogofficial @zohranmiranda

Here are the best songs released in India across languages and genres for the week ending 28th May 2023. If you are a musician submit your new music here.1. Guppedu Gundellona Singer : Spoorthi JithenderLyrics: Bhaskarabhatla Ravi KumarMusic Director: Vijay BulganinLanguage: TeluguGenre: Filmi Melody/PopVijay Bulganin is just unstoppable. The quality of his melodies is rich, with some breathtaking arrangements and production as well. So why won't he keep creating some of the best songs in the country time and time again? Joseph Vijay is terrific at making the aura of romance shine with his acoustic guitars and soon enough, Spoorthi Jithender starts singing. There is a shred of innocence in her vocals, and we slowly hear the Accordion and Joseph's bass guitars. The most heartwarming line of the song is the title and Spoorthi makes you tremble with love when you hear it. The guitar-led and dominated interlude ends and the song's stanza is only further proof of how a simple song can brighten our day as long as the melody is extraordinary like this.Balu does all the keyboard programming to bring in new and fresh sounds like that whistle-like sound in the stanza, and the woodwind and strings as well, and we have Sabin Josh as mixing and mastering engineering. Anand Guarana is the music supervisor and Yadav is the music-in-charge. @vijai_bulganin @spoorthi_jithenderofficial @supervijayoffl @poetbb 2. Ghoomey Music composed Arranged, and Produced by: Mark K RobinLyricist: Manoj JulooriSinger: Jubin NautiyalIntro Alaap: Prakash ChodimallaLanguage: Qawwali-pop fusionI did do a 1 Minute Music Review of this EP called "8 AM Metro" on my Instagram reels and recommended that music lovers stream this which is potentially one of the best Hindi EPs of 2023. Mark K Robin who is well-known in the Tollywood music space has composed, arranged and produced this belter of a song. The style is classic Qawwali and it invokes memories of some of AR Rahman's super hits. This is probably the best of Jubin Nautiyal that I have heard and he decorates the song with some lovable ghamakas. The harmonium riff and the Tabla combine with such grace taking us into oblivion and paradise. Anil Robin, Mohan and Nova play the Tabla and Dholak. Prakash Chodimalla sings the initial Aalap and after the first minor segment, we get a mildly western colouring on the song thanks to the Keys and Keith Peters' bass guitars. My favourite line is "Naye Naye pal bharne lage, abhi abhi dil hasne lage", and there is enough support for Jubin with additional vocals sung by Gary Misquitta, Rishikesh Kamerkar, Rahul Pandey, Sunayana Sarkar, Shazneen Arethna and Suzanne Dmello. Manonmani plays the Sarangi with some terrific timing and despite a short stanza, the interplay of all the live instruments and vocal harmonies soothe the heart. There are two more excellent numbers in this EP which will be featured subsequently on my website. Manoj Juloori pens the beautiful words. Shadab Rayeen is the mix/master engineer with assistants Pukhraj, Anup & Eshan.@iammarkkrobin @jubin_nautiyal @shadabrayeen @gboy.nwc @suzanne_dmello @shazneenarethna @manonmanisarangi @manojkumar.juloori @keithpeters_bassman 3. Mumma Singer, Composer & Lyricist: Samarth Swarup Backing Vocals: Hansika PareekMusic Production: Samarth Swarup Language: Hindi

Here are the best songs released in India across languages and genres for the week ending 21st May 2023. If you are a musician submit your new music here.1. AnywayPerformed, Written by Aarifah RebelloProduced by Aarifah Rebello, Zain CalcuttawallaLanguage: EnglishGenre: Alternative Folk/BalladAarifah Rebello has been featured a few times both for her solo projects like "Now she nows" and one with her band Long Distances for "Love Song for an Apocalypse". Here she goes solo again and very rarely do we hear a singer who stuns the listener with every note uttered. Thank you Aarifah for such a fine performance, the strength of the song also lies in the writing and composition which also are entirely done by her with Zain Calcuttawala and Aarifah doing the production.The Piano and vocals alone keep you hooked, and I can feel the heaviness of the heart when she sings "My heart was heavy, loaded drenched", at the same time, the mild acoustic guitars help bring about a little lightness in the mood also with the lyrics now saying "floating with love inside of me".The Piano by Arnob Bal, is no longer mild, as it gains traction and I can only stand up in ovation to Zain and Aarifah for the fantastic arrangements and production. Listen to the strings in the background, by Zain feeding hope now as Aarifah sings "Do I dare I begin to dream". Here are the vocal harmonies and drums by Karun Kannampilly for essential cogs of the wheel. The drums and the tempo pick up and raise the energy towards the end. Adil Kurwa is the bassist and the acoustic guitars are played by Jishnu Guha. The song is mixed by Zain, and mastered by Shawn Hatfield at AudibleOddities Studio. The recording engineers are Nitin M Krishna and Ajay Majethia @aarifahrebello @bullibainbridge @karunk @a_diilla @arnobbal @short___round @grasparkaudio @palindromamusic @guitars_n_chopsticks @audibleoddities 2. Tera HonaSinger: Faheem Abdullah & Arslan NizamiLyricist: Faheem AbdullahComposer: Faheem AbdullahMusic Produced/Arranged/Programmed: Qassam HussainLanguage: HindiGenre: Indie PopThe deep voice immediately grabbed my attention and sounded like Aditya Rao, another fantastic indie singer-songwriter. Faheem Abdullah is the vocalist and he has also written the lyrics and composed the melody. The Keys are wonderfully soft and tender and they let Faheem do all the talking (singing in this case). There are a couple of layers of vocals and what is beautiful is the mild but very assured vibrato that Faheem sprinkles at every turn. It never feels overdone, but rather melts your heart at every such juncture. I do sense some influences of Raag Bilawal especially when Rohan Prasanna makes the killer move on his Sarod. We have some very skilful arrangements here as the Sarod is accompanied by Keys and harmonies with additional vocals by Arslan Nizami.  The song witnesses a welcome and wonderful shift in tone and tempo as Faheem sings "Teri hi wo ik dua hai" and you can feel the rhythms, drums and keyboards joining in. Qassam Hussain deserves praise for the worthy arrangements, programming and overall production. Faheem's singing is a huge merit for this song all Qassam's production ensures this feature is highlighted with other elements acting as supporting cast. Arslan must be applauded for his energetic vocals, which keep following the lead in the background, especially as he does some exciting aalap. Abhishek Ghatak is the mix/master engineer. Check out how cool Rohan sounds on the Sarod as he improvises and generates some savvy notes of his own towards the end. @theimaginarypoet @arslannizaami @qassam_hussain @rohanprasanna @theghatak @tmmusic 3. Musafir Dil

Here are the best songs released in India across languages and genres for the week ending 14th May 2023. If you are a musician submit your new music here.1. What Lies Beneath Lyrics, Vocals: Tanya ShankerComposed by: Tanya Shanker & Richard AndrewProduced, Arranged & Mixed by: Richard AndrewLanguage: EnglishGenre: Indie PopHaving featured Tanya Shanker a month ago for a terrific performance in a single called "Soft Boi", I must now confess that Tanya is a certified genius with incredible potential to rise to unfathomable heights if she stays the course and works hard. This is one of the best English singles by an Indian Artist I have heard in 2023 yet and vocally it is one of the clear-cut bests and it is so difficult as a feat to achieve as a 17-year-old. The Piano led opening is all designed by Richard Andrew and his production is a huge contributor to the success of the EP "What Lies Beneath". After a few seconds, the session is dominated by Tanya, well Can ya resist her brilliance? I am more interested in knowing what lies inside this girl's head, and her amazing grey cells. The guitars, bass, strings section and drums add such fantastic layers which are so necessary to embellish the track, and you will realise that during the bridge section. The solo on the electric guitar is brief but belligerent. But take away nothing from Tanya, as a writer, composer and vocalist. She is a gift to us and you better remember her name! The stalwart Pravin Mani has mastered the song with Richard mixing it.  @itstanyashanker @pravinmanimusic @richard.andrew.dudley @heenakriplani 2. Urime Kaalama Singer: Anurag Kulkarni Lyrics: Ananta Sriram Music: Suresh BobbiliLanguage: TeluguGenre: Blues/JazzIt has been a while since I heard a score by Suresh Bobbili, and I remember back in 2019 and 2020 I did feature his music quite a lot. I am extremely delighted to feature his work once again and especially for a song of this quality. Anurag Kulkarni is easily the best Tollywood singer and one of the 5 best vocalists in South India for me. Suresh takes us down the Jazz and Blues memory lane with some perfect choices of live instrumental apparatus and arrangements. Joy Solomon plays the keyboards and with Suresh's production, programming and arrangements things get wild and fun. The Keys and Guitars by Fredy add the required flavours but it is Anurag who is setting the song on fire. This is easily one of the best vocal performances of the year thus far and Anurag breaks away from any shackles. His falsetto, high-pitch delivery, improvisations, and even when shouts out every note look stylish and pitch-perfect. The electric guitar solo is nothing just of inspiring and with the heavy Pianos, Anurag just keeps getting better. The backing vocalists are Joy and Surya who give quite a lot of support, and this is an opportunity to play in full blast and observe the phenomenal skills of Anurag. The song is mixed and mastered by Joy with Kumar Kadari as the musicians' coordinator. @anuragkulkarni7 @suresh_bobbili @joysolomon.k  3. En Roja Neeye  Music Composed, Arranged & Programmed by Hesham Abdul WahabLyrics by Arun AlatSung by Hesham Abdul Wahab

Here are the best songs released in India across languages and genres for the week ending 7th May 2023. If you are a musician submit your new music here.1. Mathado GombeSinger: Siddhartha BelmannuLyrics: Pramod MaravantheArranged; Composed by Judah SandhyLanguage: KannadaGenre: Ballad/Filmi MelodyIt was pre covid days 'Shivaji Surathkal' was released and it was one of my earlier encounters with the musical abilities of Judah Sandhy, right from then, I have always been keeping my eyes and ears ready for his next foray into brilliance. I have featured him a few times in this period, but once again Judah rises above everyone else this week with a phenomenally beautiful melody aided by some astounding vocals and accompaniments by live instrumentalists. Siddhartha Belmannu sings like a man on a mission and every time he utters a syllable or a note, the heart melts. Butto's amazing flute solo, aided by the heartwarming strings by the Bangalore Strings Ensemble just glorifies the song within seconds. It all reminds me of a tone that Anirudh adopts in his melodies like from movies "3", "VIP" and "Thiruchitrambalam". Siddhartha moves from one octave to another singing the title line and his vocals and all of Judah's arrangements work perfectly in unison. Eric Gerald plays the guitars, and when he sings " aararo aararo aarirao", I feel like the Gods like Ilaiyaraja have been invoked. The interlude is a symphony of the flute solo and the strings and when the stanza arrives, there is so much bewilderment left. I wish the music and the singing never stopped. The lyrics are by Pramod Maravanthe and the song is mixed and mastered by Judah. @judahsandhy @siddhartha_belmannu @pramodmaravanthe_lyricist @meghanagaonkar @bangalorestringensemble 2. Waiting For a RainbowVocals and Production: Sanskar VaidyaLanguage: EnglishGenre: Indie PopFor a while as the song begins and treads along we think, rightly so that song's hero is Hrishi Grirdhar with his standout electric guitar strumming. Jeet Pathak joins the part as the bassist and just then Sanskar Vaidya introduces himself as the vocalist, there is a noticeable shift and from then on it feels like a duel, a battle of wits between Sanskar and Hrishi.Don't forget to count the contributions of Sanket Pahurkar on drums and Rameses Fernandez on the Piano. I realised that the collective effort of this team of vocalists and instrumentalists far exceeds anyone's solo and there are traces of resemblance to the phenomenal global hit "Unwell" by Matchbox Twenty. The song gives hope and makes become perennial optimists like the lyrics "I'm a colour-blind man waiting for a rainbow". We have a brief interlude with the conjoined forces of Piano and guitars and bass and at every given instance Sanskar dominates with his string vocals and great tone. Aman Julme and Harsh Karmakar are reg recording engineers with Cico Raju doing the mix and master for the song. The second interlude with the electric guitar solo in the 'November Rain' mode and the drums and bass guitars aid perfectly. The mild end to the song on the Piano kind of brings us back to the ground after a long ride into musical tranquillity. @musicinsilences @hrishigiridhar @ramzferns @_aman_julme_ @sanket_pajurkar @bass_ki_aawaz_kesi_hoti_hai @harshkarmakar @hiculture_studios 3. JungleComposers: Amit Kilam, Asheem Chakravorty, George Brooks, Himanshu Joshi, Nikhil Rao, Rahul RamLyrics: Arjun RainaProduced by: Big Bad Wolf Studios & Indian OceanProducers: Dhruv Jagasia, Amit Kilam, Rahul Ram & Dev BhatiaLanguage: Hindi

Here are the best songs released in India across languages and genres for the week ending 30th April 2023. If you are a musician submit your new music here.1. Gau Nako KisnaMusic Composed, Arranged, Produced & Conducted by Ajay - AtulLyrics: Guru ThakurSingers: Jayesh Khare, Mayur SukaleAdditional Vocals: Ajay GogavaleLanguage: MarathiGenre: Folk/Retro Ajay-Atul are a Gold Standard in Indian music and despite my being in Mumbai for more than 18 years, it was only 7 years ago that I discovered their talents only when I sat in the theatre ready to watch 'Sairat'. I almost jumped out of my seat when I heard the opening music with strings and the horns section and finally that solo flute. They are one of the best in the country and that gets proven time and again like when I heard this album "Maharashtra Shaheer" and this song is nothing short of mindblowing. We get a retro production in this song thanks to all the instrumental sounds and the kids' chorus is a very strong factor that influenced me in placing this song right at the top of the charts. The list of fantastic singers includes Aaradhaya Singh, Rannvijay Singh, Vedaa Mahajan, Anushree Pasi, Aanya Jain, Yash More, Aniket Das, Tanishka Nandi and Diya Wadkar. Ajay and Atul have composed, arranged, produced and conducted all the strings section and other orchestral instruments.The highlight line has to be the title with all the kids singing it in full zest and the percussions coming thick and fast. The percussionists are Pratap Rath, Krishna Musale, Satyajit Jamsandekar, Prabhakar Mosamkar, Raju Kulkarni and Dipesh Varma. The strings section plays non-stop in the background and that becomes Ajay-Atul's signature move. The interlude has a wonderful folkish female chorus consisting of Pragati Joshi, Aarohi Mhatre, Mrunmayee Dadke, Madhura Paranjape, Seema Lele and Sonali Karnik. Jayesh Khare is a young boy who sings like a professional with years of experience and he has been a wonder with his singing videos going viral on YT. His vocal strength and ability to do these ghamakas put us in awe and shock. Kudos to Ajay and Atul for recognising such amazing talents and giving them opportunities like this. Mayur Sukale and Ajay Gogavale also join in on the vocals, and the second stanza is dominated by the great vocals of Mayur and Ajay-Atul excel by creating a different stanza altogether and this has influences of Raag Pilu. Jayesh continues to do things with his vocals that astound and it is like almost carries this song on his tender shoulders. Varad Kathapurkar plays the flute solo towards the end and this song is mixed brilliantly by Vijay Dalal, assisted by Chinmay Mestry and mastered by Gethin John. Guru Thakur is the lyricist for this song. @ajayatulofficial @jayesh_khare_official @guruthakurofficial @sanashinde @atul.ajayatul @mayursukale @mrunmayeedadke @paranjapemadhura @sonalikarnik @varadflute_official @chinmay.jpg2. Waari WaariComposer & Vocalist: Reeshabh PurohitLyrics: Nisha SatputeMusic Production: Atharv JoshiLanguage: HindiGenre: Semi-classicalI have been so fond of Reeshabh Purohit as a vocalist and even more as a composer, that whenever I see that he has a new song release, expectations reach sky-high. The fact that he never fails to impress every single time shows that he is one of the finest talents in the Indian Indie music space. Reeshabh composes and lends his voice to this semi-classical fusion with Atharv Joshi's production. Nisha Satpute writes beautiful words.The Keys are mild and you are struck by the beauty inherent in Reeshabh's voice. Here too we have influences of Raag Pilu and according to Reeshabh we also have another beautiful Raag Jaijawanti in play in the song. Atharv plays the harmonium in the background and also the guitars. Shadaj Godkhindi wows you with the touching flute solo in the interlude, and he impresses with those perfect interventions in the stanza. Reeshabh weaves magic in the stanza with an elaborate and melodious composition and Atharv is in top form arranging all these instruments and getting the sounds of Keys and guitars to perfectly complement the other elements of the song. The mix engineer is Nandini Samanta and Ronak Runwal does the mastering. Atharv and Shubham Shah are recording engineers. The amazing artwork is by Nikhil Kaul. @reeshabhp @nasatpute @infinite_diver @shadajgodkhindi @ronakrunwal @nandinisamanta_ @shbhmmm @framebyframer3. Karen KyaMusic and Singer: Rochak KohliLyrics / Poetry: Dr Akhtar ShumaarMusic Production, Mix and Master: Aditya DevLanguage: HindiGenre: Ghazal/PathosRochak Kohli has been around for many years now and it is only in the last 1 year or so that I have found some of his work to be excellent. He scored music for a song sung by Sonu Nigam for 'Mission Majnu', but this far exceeds the quality of anything I have ever heard from the composer. This is sung and composed by Rochak, with the fantastic poetry of Dr. Akhtar Shumaar. The story goes that Rochak came across this poem and when he reached out, he had discovered the sad demise of Dr. Akhtar. His family decided to hand over the rights of the poem to Rochak and Dr. Akhtar must be smiling in heaven listening to this wonderful song and its outcome thanks to all the brilliant musicians involved. This has a Ghazal-esque nature in the tone and tempo and when he repeats the lines "ajab dil kee" the solo violin by Manas Kumar struck my heart, no words can describe the sadness in my heart when I heard that and the immediate joy listening to the quality of music all at once. The stanza arrives and we continue to hear Rochak in fine form vocally and score-wise and we still hear the Violin interventions. The strumming on the acoustic guitars along with the Piano brings in some Western colour to the song but it is ultimately the Violin that thrills and creates the spills. This time when I heard the stanza I could feel the combined effect of the acoustic guitars, bass guitars, keys, violin and Tabla. When you hear music like this, Karen Kya? Mohit Dogra plays the guitars and Shobhit Banwait is on the Tabla. This song is produced with great flavours by Aditya Dev and he is the man responsible for getting all these arrangements done, he is also the mix/master engineer. @rochakkohli @akhtarshumaar @adityadevmusic @shobhitbanwait @iammohitdogra @manasviolin @sukriti_vk @ingroovesindia4. Khud Se MohabbatLyrics, Composition, Vocals - Navjot AhujaMusic production by: Waqt Ka KhelLanguage: HindiGenre: Indie popLive instrumentalists breathe life into a song and no matter how much important the vocalist and producer are, the instrumentalists can never be discounted. Take this song for example, even before anything is uttered by Navjot Ahuja the singer, we have Rajat Gupta's guitars and Kaustubh Gaurav's bass just acting like opening batsmen who have already seen off all the difficult overs and have set the stage for late order batsmen to come and consolidate. In simple terms, I am saying well begun is half done and Navjot starts with some low-key energy and a sense of gravity and that is intriguing. It makes you pay further attention to the lyrics like listening to a story and the song is written, composed and sung by Navjot Ahuja with solid production by Wakt Ka Khel. The message is pretty important 'to love thy self'. As we move ahead Nihaal Sharma joins in on the fun of playing the drums, and when the line is sung "teri parwa tu khud hi karle, teri baatein tu khud hi sun le", it feels inspiring and musically backing vocals join in on the last words "khud hi karle" and " "Khud hi sun le" to add more impact.Later on, the song gains some traction and tempo and it now feels less morose. The drums get more energetic and the introduction of the strings section just makes this gold glitter better. Kudos to the band Wakt ka Khel for their brilliant production bringing in the electric guitar, solo violin and all other elements. Mukul Jain does the mixing of this song at Ferris Wheel Studios.@navjot_ahuja @kaustubh_gaurav @rajat.on.strings @nihaalsharma_ @waqt.ka.khel @ferriswheelstudios @mixbymukul 

Here are the best songs released in India across languages and genres for the week ending 23rd April 2023. If you are a musician submit your new music here.1. Yedha PongenaaMusic: Mejjo JossephLyrics: Harshavardhan ReddySinger: Yazin NizarLanguage: TeluguGenre: Carnatic Fusion This is undoubtedly one of the best male vocal performances of 2023 so far and I can safely bet that it will end up among the top 5 of the year when it ends. Yazin Nizar is a gifted singer with an amazing vocal range, and he uses every ounce of his skill to great effect in most songs. Here he smashes it like 6 sixes of an over speaking in Cricketing terms. Mejjo Joseph is the composer and I believe Yazin owes it to the composer for giving him this brilliant opportunity and vice versa as Yazin executes it as well as it is humanly possible. The ghamakas are just impossible to keep up with and this is exemplary for many established singers who think that shouting at the top of their voice is cool. Mejjo brings in some great elements in the Carnatic fusion number with the acoustic guitars by Sandeep Mohan and Thavil, and even a small rap segment in the beginning by Sharon Joseph. The rhythm programming along with electric guitars, bass also by Sandeep Mohan and timely vocal harmonies make for some brilliant production. The solo violin by Roopa Revathi enthrals you in the interlude and after that, it is a Yazin show and I never want it to stop. This sounds like a very tough song to execute vocally and kudos to Yazin for that. The landing segment when we get to the end of the stanza is mindblowing with a drop in tempo and re-introduction of the Thavil when he sings " Oohallo Oosullo", and watch out for the mild solo on the violin and the acoustic guitar. Harshavardhan Reddy is the lyricist. The mixing engineer is Shiju Ediyatheril@mejjojosseph @yazin_nizar @gibsandeep @rooparevathi @shiju_ediyatheril 2. FloatingMusic: ParishrutLyrics and Vocal: NitishProduced, Arranged, Mixed & Mastered by ParishrutLanguage: EnglishGenre: Alt-RockParishrut and Nitish combine to give us a lasting sense of joy and gratification instead of a floating memory of a good song. This is what fantastic music should sound like and we have the melody composed by Parishrut and words penned by Nitish Singhal. The initial synths are terrific and it is impossible to focus anywhere else when Parishrut's extravagant production and arrangements show up. Nitish excels in both his roles, possessing and exhibiting a great tonality in his vocals and writing these splendid lines like "Raining fragments of time, Bring moments that I've seen, Joy and regret it makes me..I don't wanna change it"The incoming intervention on the electric guitar by Krishanu Hazarika is ecstasy on strings and it elevates the song even when we already hear amazing lines like "bridges broken and made all along the long lost way, floating through my conscience yin and yang its the same, curved line between there's the game". I want to stop writing and stand give this guy an ovation for some glorious writing. The dreamy vocals and the production make this one unforgettable Alt-Rock single that deserves the rank this week. The keyboard solo is playful and takes me back to the great age of the 1990s pop and if that is not enough to strike you down the drums and electric guitar solo combine to create pure bliss just before the 4-minute mark. Harshil Singh handles all the exotic artwork and the lyrical video is created by Shyam Sundhar. @parishrut_k @nitish_singal_ @krishanu.hazarika @harshilsingh_ @aweshyam 3. Aya LadiyeSingers - Akriti Kakar & RomyComposer - Akriti KakarLyrics - I.P. Singh