Milliblog Weeklies – India’s only multilingual, weekly, new music playlist.
Week 281: YouTube | Spotify
Before anyone asks… yes, I did listen to War 2’s ‘Aavan Jaavaan’, the entire Coolie album (barring the 2 songs that I have already listed in Weeklies), and Madharaasi’s Salambala. No, they just did not work for me at all.
Also, Milliblog completed 20 years in existence on July 22nd 🙂 Still remember the earlier days of ‘100’, ‘200’ and ‘300’ and all the fighting that used to ensue in the comments section from dedicated fans!!
Pardesiya – Param Sundari (Sachin-Jigar) – Hindi: There’s so much of A R Rahman (Rhythm’s Kaatre En Vasal) and GV Prakash Kumar (Madharasapattinam’s Pookkal Pookkum) in this song! Probably the raaga employed, I presume – Darbari Kaanadaa? Besides the hugely listenable main tune, the composing duo handle the interludes too impressively. The singers—Sonu Nigam and Krishnakali Saha—handle the melody with immense grace.
Keeve Keeve – Rangeen (Shloke Lal) – Hindi/Punjabi: This is a surprise! I recall Shloke Lal as a singer in Call Me Bae’s ‘Warey’ (2024) and as a lyricist in Arijit Singh’s Rihaa (2020). Here, he composes a pretty funky 80s pop style number with Punjabi lyrics (his own) and sings it too, along with Mandy Gill. If only it didn’t have such an explicit nod to The Weeknd (Blinding Lights, in particular).
Tu Meri Dhadak Hai, Duniya Alag, Bawaria, and Preet Re – Dhadak 2 (Javed-Mohsin, Shreyas Puranik, Tanishk Bagchi, Rochak Kohli) – Hindi: Despite being a multi-composer(s) soundtrack, Dhadak 2 is surprisingly cohesive! While Tanishk does his job well based on what is normally expected of him in the easily catchy Bawaria, it is Rochak Kohli who produces the album’s finest with Preet Re. Darshan Raval and Jonita Gandhi handle the lilting melody that I can only describe as cozy – it feels so close and soft, amped up by Gurpreet Saini’s lines. Tu Meri Dhadak Hai is an imaginative mellow version of Javed-Mohsin’s happier Bas Ek Dhadak with Vishal Mishra breathing heartfelt pathos into the melody as much as Shreya Ghoshal and Jubin Nautiyal infusing happiness in the other version. Duniya Alag is Arijit Singh’s show, as usual. With a fairly predictable tune too, the man does his wonders, elevating it beautifully.
Zora Hai Mera Naam – Zora (Viju Shah) – Hindi: Yes, this is a terribly derivate song that seems like Viju was asked by Rajiv Rai to mix both the music from Gupt and Mohra. So, no, I’m not adding this song in Weeklies, but just leaving it here for old times’ sake 🙂
Enna Sugam – Idli Kadai (GV Prakash Kumar) – Tamil: When GVP makes up his mind, he can effortlessly deliver such stupendous melodies! With a whiff of Ilayaraja’s melodies of yore, this one just works perfectly… except for Dhanush’s Tamil diction! Even as Shweta Mohan gets the hard ‘L’ in words like ‘puLLa’ and ‘uLLa’, Dhanush continues with ‘pulla’ and ‘ulla’. I don’t know if he doesn’t know Tamil diction, as a Tamilian – I’m fairly sure he does. But does he care? An Udit Narayan doing this somehow makes sense, but Dhanush doing it, and GVP not caring to make an effort to insist on the actual diction?
Mallika Gandha – Telusu Kada (Thaman S) – Telugu: That Thaman signature – a faux-classical melody base, Sid Sriram, a semi-classical’ish interlude and chorus… everything fits so well! Not only is the main melody so good to hear, but the way Thaman adds a Sid-violin jugalbandi in the interludes is a great touch too.
Shokam Venda, Ninnodu Parayuvaan, and Otta Nokku – Sumathi Valavu (Ranjin Raj) – Malayalam: Ninnodu Parayuvaan, with its generous Rahman influence (in the interludes, in particular), is a lovely listen. Haricharan and Sadhika KR’s singing is a big reason why the melody lands so well. Otta Nokku is a pleasant melody too, but Ranjin camoflages it in a foot-tapping package that is reminscent of Tamil film music of the early 2000s. Kapil Kapilan can hardly go wrong with a tune like this. Shokam Venda too is of the same early-2000s Tamil film music and seems straight out of a Vidyasagar soundtrack from that period. Sung by Ranjin Raj himself, it has a winsome rhythm that keeps the song interesting all through and has a captivating ‘Shokam Venda’ hook layered alongside Mambalam Sivakumar’s Nadaswaram.
Kand Kand – Thalavara (Electronic Kili) – Malayalam: An energetic, electronic melody that Manikandan Ayyappa and Electronic Kili (the composer) sing with superb verve. Electronic Kili’s composition too holds a lot of interest in the way he manages the unusual flow of lyrical segments and musical interludes.
Yaavaaga – Elumale (D Imman) – Kannada: Imman brings his trademark lush melody to Kannada. With Sid Sriram in tow, the melody soars beautifully and is affecting with the ‘Yaavaaga’ hook.
Kahani Meri – P V N S Rohit, ft. Sonu Nigam (Indipop/Hindi): P V N S Rohit who just won the Best Male Playback Singer award for his ‘Premisthunna’ (Baby) composes this song almost like making it a showcase for Sonu’s already-known vocal prowess. The melody seemed to be based on raaga Bageshri, to my untrained ears, but it is both rich and thoroughly alluring, particularly in Sonu’s phenomenal vocals.
