I Hate Love Stories: Music Review

Vishal-Shekhar's I Hate Love Stories had been a long expected album, at least for me. And I guess they have done it. Bin tere, I hate Love stories, and Sadka kiya, I'm loving it.

The album starts with Jab Mila tu, which is quite like Dostana's Jaane Kyun. That way, the song cannot be called very fresh but sounds fine, and will be stuck to our tongues the way Jaane kyun did. I think.

The second song of the album is one of the best, or probably the best, Bin Tere (how many songs are called Bin tere, any idea?). Well, the song, sung by Shafqat Amanat Ali Khan and Sunidhi Chauhan is a wonderful piece of music and definitely worth a listen. Go for it.

The third song of the album is a peppy title song, bas pyaar ka naam na lena, I hate love stories, sung by Vishal Dadlani. Very, very tongue sticking,though I don't think it's one for longer times.

Bahara is the next song of the album. The song came as a surprise to me as I had not expected Sona Mahapatra in a Vishal-Shekhar album. I wonder if she has ever worked with the duo. Well, Sona is not the only singer in the song, in fact she is more in the background while the song is actually sung by Shreya Ghoshal. A medium-fast-paced song with a touch of folk. Definitely a good one again.

They had one king of rock with them. But they brought in another one. Yes, Vishal Shekhar call in Suraj Jagan for their next number Sadka Kiya. Frankly, Sadka is probably the song I have loved the most till date and the more I am listening to it, the more I am falling into the song. A song that keeps itself light, has beats something like Falak tak (Tashan), with Suraj going high in places, in a way that you would love. The best part, on top of the wonderful music and singing, there are those great lyrics, sadka kiya yoon ishq ka, ke sar jhuka jahan, deedar hua. M lovin'it.

If this was not enough, here is more in remixes, no, reprises and mixes and remixes. The first to come up is Shekhar with a reprise of Bin Tere. Now there's only a guitar (I hope I didn't miss anything) and Shekhar's voice. A real reprise, with hardly any background music. One of the toughest and the best things Shekhar has done. Kudos boy.

Now, a chill mix, Rahat Fateh Ali Khan singing what Shreya and Sona sang earlier. Definitely good work by Rahat and worth listening to song, but I think I have fallen for the original version already.

At the end there is a remix version of Bin Tere, which doesn't sound bad.

Overall, I Hate Luv Storys seems to be a soundtrack which is better than plain good. A few songs may remind you of things here and there, but overall, almost every song of the album is good, which is a big deal. Well done Vishal-Shekhar.

Original Post at Happysing.

Some More Female Voices, Please!

It's a male dominated world. And since the film Industry is a part of this very world, the industry is, fortunately or unfortunately, male dominated too. And recently, I have noticed a newly developing aspect of the fact. We have less and less female singers behind the microphones now.

Did you notice neither Tum Mile nor London Dreams has a single female singer in their credits. The concern goes worse when one says both the movies are musicals, Tum Mile, with Pritam trying to give his best compositions/collections, and London Dreams, based on singers' lives itself. Still, there is not a single song in either of the movies where you get to hear a female voice.

While in Indian film industry the fairer sex rarely gets a fair share in anything, getting no share at all in a field like singing is new and strange. Previously we have seen many examples of movies with female voices appearing in just one or two songs. Also, there have been movies based on certain subjects where we have less songs or songs based on certain characters, be it Dosti of Laxmikant Pyarelal, or Taare Zameen Par.

Going by music composers, A R Rahman, Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy, Vishal-Shekhar, Salim-Sulaiman and Pritam can be considered as major music composers. While A R Rahman quite regularly gives some songs to Madhushree for a long time now, Shreya Ghoshal is a main league singer who has found place in Rahman's choices.

Vishal and Shekhar also seem to have a few songs for Sunidhi Chauhan and Shreya Ghoshal in their albums. In fact they have admitted that at times, they compose certain songs with these singers in mind. Salim Sulaiman don't use the voices of Sunidhi and Shreya regularly but they seem to experiment with newer or lesser known voices like Shruti Pathak, Neha Bhasin and Hema Sardesai.

Pritam is generally found using a voice or two for his dance numbers while he relies more on band singers like Neeraj Shridhar, Mohit Chauhan and even Atif if available. Last time when he tried to put all these singers in duets, in Kismat Konnection, the results were not very good and probably that's the reason he is coming up with less and less female voices, finally to give an all-male Tum Mile.

As far as Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy are concerned, they tend to take lesser known or no female voices for their albums. While their London Dreams has no female voices, Wake Up Sid's only song with a female voice is the one composed by Amit Trivedi. Their Heyy Babyy had just one song sung by Shreya and Taare Zameen Par had no female singers except in backgrounds.

So, what is the reason we have lesser and lesser female singers now? Are various reality shows any measure? Because almost all of them seem to have a male winner except a few Saurabhis and Sanchitas. well, I do not think that it's men who sing all the good songs. And variety is something we will anyways, always need. I hope we not only have more singers like Mohit Chauhan and Rahat Fateh Ali Khan but also like Sunidhi, Shilpa, Anushka and Sona. Are the composers (all males) listening?

Love Aaj Kal: Music Review (3.5/5)

It's simple. Love Aaj Kal looks like it's going to be a hit. And so does the music of the movie. On the very first listening, you get to know that you're going to love the songs and they're gonna be all over the FM. Well, why waste time then, start with the review. Shall we?

Love Aaj Kal, composed by Pritam, is an album where Pritam has left almost no stone unturned (except Atif) and half the album goes to Neeraj Sridhar. But, the results are not as could as one might have expected. Still, the album is worth listening to.

The album has seven tracks and three of them are remixed, to give a total of ten songs. Out of seven, Neeraj Sridhar gets to sing 3 songs and Rahat Fateh Ali Khan, KK and Mohit Chauhan get one song each. Sunidhi gets one solo number while sings one with Neeraj. And Jazzy B is there in one song with Neeraj.

The first song opens up with Jazzy B singing in a style that is less like himself and more like some 90's singer. Soon, when Neeraj comes in, you feel that Jazzy B takes in some freshness and the song probably wouldn't be as good if it had been Neeraj alone. In fact, I get a feeling like Neeraj is being used too much and if he keeps on singing the same type of songs, people may get bored of him soon.

The second song, Ajj Din Chadheya is some typical Rahat Fateh Ali Khan, with some new touches, that resemble more 'Teri ore' than his old numbers. The song, slow, and with not much experiments, is quite soothing. The lyrics of Irshad Kamil are good. No doubt, the song is one of the best in the album.

Chor Bazari is again sung by Neeraj Sridhar, and Sunidhi Chauhan. The song has the same freshness that you see in the trailer of the movie and expect from the movie. The lyrics of the song are interesting, realistic, lovable, and above all, mast. The music is good and foot-tapping, and the lyrics will probably help the song long last. Go for this one.

KK is one of the singers who must be looked out for in an album. Here too, with just one song, KK again makes his presence felt as he sings 'main wo hoon jo chahun wo paaun'. The song sounds like a stage performance and is one of the best songs of the album, beating most except one by Rahat.

The next number, the only 'female only' song, is sung by Sunidhi Chauhan, and is mixed with folk music, with chorus sounding like from a 'mahila sangeet' of North India. As always, Sunidhi has sung the song well and though I don't know how Imtiyaz and Saif plan to promote the song, I hope it can go well if promoted well.

The next on the soundtrack is what you have been listening during the theatrical trailer of the movie. Twist, the song that starts with the ever-so-popular 'Nagin' tune, almost runs on the same tune half the way and the tune keeps coming back. The song is sung mainly by Neeraj Sridhar and he's the only person with the credits but it seems Saif also has done his share of singing and the female voie is uncredited too. The song is not big for separate listening but it'll be great for backgrounds. And surely for baraats.

The last song, Ye Dooriyaan sung by Mohit Chauhan, is a good number too, but at some points it seems like Pritam is trying to make another Tum se hi rather than a new song, especially in the start. The song is slow and Mohit Chauhan, like always, sings it well. And the song should gain popularity, though not as much as Tum se hi.

Overall, the album is good and some of the songs can be expected to top the charts soon. Go for it.

Musical Notes: Billu Barber

Composer: Pritam.

Lyricist: Gulzar, Sayeed Quadri, Ashiesh Pandit, Neeraj Shridhar.

Singers: Abhijeet, Ajay Jhingran, Akruti Kakkar, Dominique, Kalpana, KK, Monali, Neeraj Shridhar, Rahat Fateh Ali Khan, Rana Mazumder, Soham Chakrabarthy, Sukhwinder Singh, Sunidhi Chauhan, Suraj, Tulsi Kumar.

Any one remaining will be taken in Pritam's next movie.

Well, jokes apart, for seven songs and their eight remixes, fifteen singers are roped in. (Yes, one remix also has separate credits) And thus, zero scope has been left to remixing DJs. Though it's a different thing that they will still remix the songs, because hits are going to be there. Sure.

The first song, Marjaani, sung by Sukhwinder and Sunidhi, is made to be a hit, or an instant hit according to me. Though I feel KK must have been Pritam's first choice for the song as a remix of the song is sung by him.

The second song, Love mera hit hit, sung by Neeraj Shridhar and Tulsi Kumar, is a good song, though not as great as Neeraj's previous hits with Pritam which used to be the best numbers in the album. Sukhwinder overshadows Neeraj and Tulsi hardly does something exceptional.

Third song, You get me rocking and reeling, is again sung by Neeraj Shridhar. This time Neeraj gets a better deal and he sings the song absolutely wonderfully. Rocking and Reeling is a comparatively slow romantic-dance-song and sounds quite good with rap. Sayeed Quadri's lyrics are good.

Rana Mazumder and KK come together for the next song, Ae Aa O, and I had hoped there will be some blast but the song, though not bad, is nothing that big. Rana Mazumder is the guy who had sung Door Na Ja in Jannat.

Now there is one song in the movie which has not been remixed. This honor is given to Rahat Fateh Ali Khan. Rahat sings Jaoon Kahan which is quite fast a song if compared to the songs he is singing for past some time. The song is no doubt good, as Rahat's all songs are, but the typical Rahat Fateh Ali Khan feeling is somewhat missing.

Another slow song is Khudaya Khair, which is sung by Soham Chakrabarthy and supported by Akruti Kakkar and Monali. The song sounds very fresh, even though one can find a slight touch of Pehli Nazar Mein in the starting of the song. The song is sung by Abhijeet also and the Abhijeet version is equally good, or probably better.

Billu Bhayankar is a non-song among all these songs and I don't think you'll find time to listen to the bhayankar thing a lot. Let's keep this one for the movie.

In short, music of Billu Barber is quite good and has a number of hits in the making. I you buy a CD, you won't be disappointed.

Song by Song: Man Baawra (Aasma)

During the past few days, I saw the trailers of a movie called 'Aasma' with the second 'a' hanging upside down. I found the promo track OKAY, so I decided to listen to the soundtrack, and here comes the surprise! The movie has a great track sung by Rahat Fateh Ali Khan, called 'Man Baawra Tujhe Dhoondhta'.

Even with all new music directors and a lyricist whose name I saw for the first time, the track is worth listening and I loved it right from the first line. Probably that is the magic of Rahat, but the composer, Afsar/Sajid and lyricist, Shaab Allahabadi, both deserve their credit for the surprisingly good song.

The sogn starts with light background Alaaps while Rahat joins in the alaap and the background voices fade, only to come to his typical style of singing. 'Man baawra' is a song with comparatively lighter music and belongs more to the genre of 'Mann ki Lagan' or 'Main Jahan Rahoon' than that of 'Teri Ore'.

The song has a Lounge version also but it has hardly anything to the version except for experimenting, most of which fails and adds nothing to the original song to say the least.

Still, the original song is an original work and worth a praise. Listen to the track, hope you will like it too. Highly recommended one. (-:-)

Singh is Kinng: Music Review

In one word, Singh is Kinng rocks. But there is a lot more that needs to be said about the rocking music, so read on.

Singh is Kinng is surely one of the most awaited movies of the year and the same can be said about the soundtrack of the movie. It's the fourth movie of the year for Pritam after Race, Jannat and Kismat Konnection, all of them chartbusters. And no doubt now Singh is Kinng is going to add to the list of these hits.

Though, there is one song that does not belong to Pritam. And Singh is Kinng starts with that one song only - The Snoop Dogg Version of Singh is Kinng. This one is a Rhythm-Dhol-Bass track composed by Calvin Broadus with Surjeet Singh, Manjeet Ral and Kuljeet Ral. The song is supported by Akshay Kumar himself along with Snoop Dogg and RDB.

The song, already heard by many during the IIFA 2008 presentation, is a good number and is interestingly as Punjabi as English. The song is a good listening, especially in the last minute of the five minute length where there is much more Punjabi. Akshay Kumar's part in the song is interesting too.

The second song 'Jee Karda' sung by Labh Janjua and supported by Labh Janjua is a comparatively slower song which is mainly based on the beats in the background. The renditions of Suzi Q add to the so called X-factor of the song. Still, the song is a well composed punjabi song that is going to run well with the other songs of the movie.

The remix version of 'Jee Karda' doesn't have much new to it when compared to the original number and seems to be remixed for the sake of it as there is not much difference visible between the two tracks, not counting a few added effects at points.

And then comes the 'Bas ek King' sung by Neeraj Shridhar, Mika, Ashish Pandit and Hardkaur, which you must have seen on TV by now. The song is a made-for-high-volume song and is going to be a hit in its original and many remix versions which are sure to come out very soon. Though the song doesn't have very much left after the promos as you don't see Akshay Kumar while listening to the song on your music, it is clear that the song will be getting another boost after the release of the music as the full video will be lovable.

The song 'Bas Ek King' has been remixed into a Dhol style version too, named Tiger style remix, as obviously because Dhol is the main instrument in Punjabi music. The remix is made well and of course, a good dhol remix of a good punjabi song can work wonders.

Period.

Get ready for a whole new Daler Mehndi who starts shouting 'Aaj khushi ka din hai aaya..' before he starts singing for a Baaraat in his usual high-high-high style. Yes, 'Bhootni ke' is going to hit Indian marriages more than anything with its completely Made-in-India tag.

'Bhootni ke' has lyrics that resemble the soul of Punjab where love is expressed entirely in its own manner. 'Bhootni ke' is probably the best song of the movie and it seems Pritam agrees with me as we see three different versions of the song including one normal remix and another tiger style version in Mika Singh's voice.

The first remix of the song is as good as the original one, as it runs on a higher speed which will make it more compatible for dancing. The Mika version is the same song in a new packing, and it is difficult to say which one will be more popular. Still, one thing that can be said about the songs is that Daler's version has more Punjabi and authentic feel to it whereas Mika gives a more casual feel to the song and if asked, I would prefer the former.

The next number, Teri Ore by Rahat Fateh Ali Khan and Shreya Ghoshal, changes the mood for a song and Punjabi dance numbers leave some space for a romantic song, typical of Rahat for past some time, be it O re Piya of Aaja Nachle, Bol na Halke Halke of Jhoom Barabar Jhoom, or Falak Tak of Tashan. Typically again, Rahat is a singer who has never failed a song and this one is no exception. Shreya starts off the song with Rahat having an entry through his alaps after a minute and half.

A new experiment in the song is where Shreya and Rahat both sing lines together but Rahat's voice seems to be in backdrop with Shreya singing in front. A chorus that goes uncredited has also given its taste to the song, though I could not understand the language which is probably Rajasthani or some similar dialect.

And then there is a Lounge mix to this too!

Believe it or not (you will when you listen to it), Pritam has made almost an entire new song in the name of lounge mix as the flavor of the song seems to have changed. The song uses some traditional instruments too but they have been given limited access here so they don't affect the song in a bad way. And hence, this lounge version of Clinton and Eric Pillai also turns out to be a song worth listening.

But fact told, 'original is original' is what comes to my mind when I go back to the original version. A wonderful song, in an album that lies in a completely different territory than the song belongs to.

Back to Punjab, Singhs and Dance numbers. 'Talli Hua' is Neeraj Shridhar in a slightly newer territory and he has done his job well. 'Talli Hua' is a song that is Hindi-Punjabi whereas Neeraj is primarily known for English-Hindi numbers. The song is well supported by Labh Janjua as one doesn't easily understand where the two singers exchange voices.

The remix version that adds rap and Style Bhai adds to tempo of the song too and the version comes out well. Neeraj may once again have a hit to his name though it is not expected to catch up with the heights of Hare Krishna Hare Raam or even Kismat Konnection as those are the in the comfort zone of the Bombay Vikings leader.

To summarize, Singh is Kinng is yet another feather in Pritam's cap, especially as he gets into full-fledged Punjabi flavor in some places, which I expect would be required by the movie too.

As an album, Singh is Kinng is a Must Buy if you like Punjabi hip hop music. The only negative point of the music is that in some places it gets too Punjabi which may not be understood by entire Hindi audiences, especially those in southern parts of India. Else, the bottomline is that Singh is Kinng rocks.