Milliblog Weeklies – India’s only multilingual, weekly, new music playlist.
Week 279: YouTube | Spotify
Qayde Se – Metro…In Dino (Pritam) – Hindi: After the release of the film’s full soundtrack last week, here comes another song! Is it part of a ‘Side B’, given that the earlier album was titled ‘Side A’? Whatever the release schedule is, the song makes for a wodnerful listen, thanks to Arijit Singh’s stupendous singing and Amitabh Bhattacharya tastefully framed lines. Pritam’s tune for the ‘(Meri) Tumhi Se Hai Jawaabdaari…’ is particularly lovely, along with the way Arijit handles it.
Nila Mazhai – Desinguraja 2 (Vidyasagar) – Tamil: Oh, wow!!! A new Vidyasagar song that sounds like something he had composed during his heydays! The song’s Pallavi is a lovely touch by the lyricist Vivek too, consisting only of single words – just 4 words! The way Vidyasagar tunes those 4 + 4 words is where the famed composer’s talent shines. It’s a pity the song is too short, with just one anupallavi.
Konji Pesi, Kadhal Ettipakka – Oho Enthan Baby (Jen Martin) – Tamil: I’m pleasantly surprised by the evolution of Jen Martin as a composer. To be honest, I had a limited view about his music style despite liking a few songs from films like Dada and Bloody Beggar earlier, and the two songs from the upcoming Kavin-starrer Kiss. Konji Pesi, in particular, is a surprise, given how well the tune flows and how well Jen himself sings it! That ‘En Nenjil Unthan ENNam’ line is a brilliant twist and Jen’s singing elevates it wonderfully. In comparison, while Kadhal Ettipakka is a lovely song, it sounds a lot like something that a composer like Leon James would create – and surprise… he is one of the singers here! But something tells me that Jen’s going to be mainstream soon in Tamil cinema and will be quite busy.
Sound of Love, Gala Gala – Meghalu Cheppina Prema Katha (Justin Prabhakaran) – Telugu: Surprising to hear of a new film by Justin in Telugu, without any fanfare! Based on Justin’s lofty standards (in my mind), Gala Gala doesn’t quite cut it, but has enough to hold my attention, including the choice of singers – Karthik and Chinmayi. There’s a nice rhythm puntuating the whole song that works very well, while the ‘jungle’ sounds of the interlude too somehow fit in! Sound of Love, on the other hand, has Justin’s trademark. It sounded like Hamirkalyani-based to me, and the firs interlude showcases the composer’s signature effortlessly. Excellent choice of singers too – SPB Charan and Shashaa Tirupati.
Thoomanju Polente – Bombay Positive (Ranjin Raj) – Malayalam: The song opens with a line that seems to picked from the middle of Rahman’s Alaipayuthey classic, ‘Pachai Nirame’, but Ranjin builds on the lines beautifully, adding punch layer by layer! Fantastic melody that revels in its serene sound, and has excellent vocals by Vijay Yesudas and Rithika Sudheer.
Onam Mood – Sahasam (Bibin Ashok) – Malayalam: With the right push, this song can easily become THE Onam song of 2025! It has a frenetic, danc’y vibe and a really catchy ‘call and repsonse’ format led by Fejo asking ‘Edhu moodu?’ with the responses covering a whole gamut of Onam-related items and happenings. Quite an earworm, this!
Love Bite – Dheeran (Mujeeb Majeed) – Malayalam: Despite the punchy rhythm that pervades all through the song, it’s Mujeeb’s melody that surfaces impressively in this song. Anne Amie holds forth brilliantly all through the pallavi, with Gichu Joy joining in the anupallavi. From what I have heard of Mujeeb’s music so far, this is the most unlikely one, and one that showcases a very different side of the composer.
Unse Jaake Kehdo – Justh (Hindi/Indipop): It’s going to be impossible for Justh to live up to this ‘Chor’ but he does make a valiant effort in this song. His voice’s unique twang makes the song interesting in a very odd quasi-retro way, almost like we’re hearing a new song featuring the legendary Guru Dutt!
Sajan Ghar Aaye, Jiya Naahi Laage – Raagraanis (Prajakta Shukre) – Indipop: While I remember Prajakta Shukre as a former Indian Idol participant and an occasional singer, that she could also compose—that too so imaginatively—is news to me! The entire 5-song album makes for an excellent listen with the music straddling luch, semi-classical melodies but layered on top of ultra-modern and compellignly good sound! The mix reminded me a bit of Ram Sampath’s pioneering music in the film ‘Let’s Talk’. My favorite among the 5 songs are the Varijashree Venugopal-sung Sajan Ghar Aaye that not only has delightful singing but Prajakta mounts such a magnificent brass-coated music to go with it. The way it ends, with a jazzy jugalbandi between the music and Varijashree is a marvel! Jiya Naahi Laage is another spectacular song that sounds like it is set to the soulful Dharmavathi raaga. While the singing by Pratibha Singh Baghel is expectedly very, very good, Prajakta’s moody music is super creative!
Koyila – Vijai Bulganin (Telugu/Indipop): An independent song by Vijai Bulganin and he handles everything himself including the singing, complete with falsetto and all! There’s an almost-Ilayaraja’ish retro flamboyance to the captivating, energetic melody. The rap-like portions work perfectly in the larger scheme of the melody, and Babu’s Trumpets make a terrific difference to the song’s soundscape.
