Milliblog Weeklies – JUN03.2018

Milliblog Weeklies – India’s only multilingual, weekly new music playlist. Week 26:
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14 songs, this week. Who Are You from Who Movie and the Malayalam song from Orange Valley are YouTube exclusives (so not part of Apple Music and Saavn playlists). The YouTube playlist is missing Yaaradhu from Kalari and Nee Yaaro Nanage from Amma I Love You. The Saavn playlist is also missing Lenny Kravitz’s new single Low.

A note on the songs in the playlist.


Girls Like You (Maroon 5, ft. Cardi B): Back when Maroon’s album Red Pill Blues released, not many reviews even bothered to mention this song. It’s a middling song at best, with a nice strummy guitar. But this song gets a new version that adds Cardi B’s rap to the mix, and also a hugely watchable surprise in the music video – it’s packed to the hilt with successful women from assorted professions in the USA. Kinda like Drake’e Nice For What. It’s a nice guessing game to keep watching and wonder who’s next every time the camera pans. My fave was Gal Gadot. Yours?

Low (Lenny Kravitz): The new single from Lenny’s upcoming album Raise Vibration starts off on a sedate note, but progresses very nicely with guitar and the slap-bass. And if you thought Lenny is channeling his inner Michael Jackson, nope. That’s Jackson himself! It’s a duet!

Bandeya (Kshitij Tarey): Kshitij is still known for his song from Anwar, Javeda Zindagi. This song, composed and sung by him, even sounds like a Mithoon song, particularly the hauntingly repetitive antara! Gurpreet Saini’s lyrics nicely riff off Baba Farid’s iconic Vekh Fareeda Mitti khulli.

Sarasaku Ra (Rajugadu, Gopi Sundar): Beyond the corny rap, it’s Mohana Bhogaraju who literally carries the song on her seductive vocals. When Saketh Komanduri enters with his ‘Premotsavam’ line, you know you are hearing a Gopi Sundar song! Nicely done!

Kougillalo (Ala, Telugu): Srinivasa Sarma, of Andhra Super Star and Super Singer fame, makes a confident film composing debut with this single from the upcoming film, Ala. A very Vidyasagar’ish melody, atmospheric and soft, amply accentuated by Chinmayi’s serene vocals.

Yaaradhu (Kalari, Tamil): Another Vidyasagar’ish melody, this week! VV Prassanna, who had earlier impressed with Kedaya, follows up nicely with this song, with soaring flute phrases in the interludes, and roping in Hariharan and MM Monissha to sing the melody. Works flawlessly.

Aparaada Panka (Maradona, Malayalam): After Kaadhale, the 2nd single from the film. Sushin Shyam’s rhythmic hip-hop featuring Fejo’s compelling rap builds itself very nicely, leading to that anthemic hook.

Who Are You? (Who Movie): UAE-based EDM musician Mangal Suvarnan gets Dhanusha Gokul to sing this ambient EDM track with a mysterious sounding hook. The sound is very close to Mangal’s repertoire and layers in the flute mid-way too, extending his sound from Winds of Destiny.

Alayumi Paravakal (Orange Valley, Malayalam): Rhithwik S Chand who was last heard in composer Sreeraj Sahajan’s Kolumittayi makes his composing debut, and sings this one too! The soft and pensive song builds very gradually, with Rhithwik’s voice leading the melody beautifully.

Snehapoompadathe (Ningal Camara Nireekshanathilaanu, Malayalam): Composed by Arun Raj (not to be confused with Arun Raj from Tamil film Thadam), this is a positively old-worldly and calming Malayalam melody, sung by Vijay Yesudas and Akhila Anand, and I mean it in a good way.

Thillana Harmonised (Ramya Thiyagarajan): Ramya picks up Dr.Balamuralikrishna’s famous Brindavani-raaga thillana in and presents it in a wonderfully ambient harmony in 3 voices (sung by herself). The singing is pitch-perfect and the production of this recreation is brilliant.

Queen Banja (Preet Harpal, ft. Harry Anand, Punjabi): Harry Anand seems to be in a longer haul than his brother Anand Raaj Anand. The song, composed by Harry is typical of his many remixes in Bollywood – simple, catchy and very easy-on-the-ear.

Nee Yaaro Nanage (Amma I Love You, Kannada): Great to hear Gurukiran again, with this lovely melody wrapped in an energetic package! Would love to know the raaga used – to my untrained ear, seems like Madhyamavathi. Excellent singing by Mahalakshmi Iyer and Santhosh Venky.

I Like It (Cardi B, ft. J.Balvin, Bad Bunny): The 2nd Cardi B song this week! A very catchy and heady remake of Pete Rodriguez’s 1967 “I Like It Like That” (composed by Tony Pabon and Manny Rodriguez) that samples Tito Nieves’ “Yeah, I Like It” and the original’s “I Like It Like That” chorus.

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