Toh Baat Pakki(Hindi,Pritam)

Even Mika Singh's vocals doesnt help Is Din which is so jaded and annoying while Sonu Nigam's Phir Se starts off really well,but lacks the punch to sustain interest throughout the song.Rahat Fateh Ali Khan's version isnt great either.Dil Le Jaa is dreadful-It has an atrocious tune and Javed Ali and Shilpa Rao are utterly wasted.But Pritam reaches his Life in a Metro high with Karle Mujhse Pyaar,the only solace of the soundtrack-Rana,Soham and the composer himself chip in with some fantastic vocals and the rousing tune is blended with some amazing sounds.The soaring sounds in the end of the song deserves a mention for sure!..Time warped soundtrack,except for Karle Mujhse Pyaar!

Thambikku Intha Ooru(Tamil,Dharan)

Javed Ali's pronunciation in Mudhal Pen Neeye is horrible but the song works,mainly because of the delectable 'Undhan Kangal Unnaipol' chorus.Koothadu Machi is wacky stuff from Dharan-Even though the tune is familiar enough,composer packages some catchy elements to make the track work.Naresh Iyer's pathos song,Yennai Yaar tries too hard to make up its bad tune with the orchestration but ultimately fails.The title song is predictably a hero-worship track and predictably fails,with an age-old tune which is outright banal.Hariharan and Shreya Ghoshal's Yaaradi is a neat melody but has nothing novel about it while Benny's woefully short Ore Minsaram is the best song of this soundtrack-One rap on the knuckle for Dharan for making this track so short!..Thambikku Intha Ooru is average stuff from Dharan.

Teen Patti(Hindi,Salim-Sulaiman)

Sonia Saigal and Anushka Manchandani rock Life is a Game with their sparkling vocals but the song is punctuated by Amitabh's silly lines throughout the song.Sunidhi Chauhan completely steals the show with her tantalising vocals in the languorous Neeyat Kharab Hai while the duo's orchestration in Intezaar Me Chupa Hai deserves a special mention,even as Naresh Kamat's vocals packs a punch.Joe Alvares'Summertime An The Live is short but has something very catchy about it which is enough to sustain interest.But the highlight of the soundtrack is the title track-While Salim Merchant towers over the vocals,it is the addictive tune and the groovy arrangements which hits the bulls eye!..The duo let go of their usual style and come up with an imaginative soundtrack in Teen Patti.

Karthik Calling Karthik(Hindi,Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy,Midival Punditz,Karsh Kale)

With a neat enjoyable tune,Uff Teri Adaa has a good groove with an instantly absorbing chorus but the main highlight of the song is Alyssa Mendonsa's portion! Hey Ya is a clear winner-It has a gorgeous tune and very impressive arrangements and Clinton Cerejo's fantastic rendition makes it nicer! The title track is the highlight of the soundtrack-the ambient and eerie sounds work very well,even as Suraj Jaggan and Shankar Mahadevan do justice with their vocals.Jaane Ye Kya Hua has a typical S-E-L tune and with KK's vocals,it sure has something going for it while Kailash Kher and Sukanya's Kaisi Hai Yeh Udaasi is too tame to make an impact.Midival Punditz and Karsh Kale's Karthik 2.0 is competent,with a catchy assortment of sounds.Karthik Calling Karthik's soundtrack is pretty neat work from the trio!

Striker(Hindi,Assorted Artists)

After Shailendra Bharve's majestic Mera Jahan from Taare Zameen Par,his Cham Cham is again magical-With one alluring rhythm,Sonu Nigam takes this soulful tune to another level with his impeccable vocals.Shailendra's other track,Pia Sanvara also makes a great impact-Sunidhi Chauhan's vocals is a huge bonus while Shailendra's immaculate orchestration is another high for this song! Amit Trivedi gets into his Dev D mood again and delivers big time in Bombay Bombay-While Siddharth's vocals add a unique charm as expected,the song's highlight is a single catchy repetitive hook that comes throughout the song! The Prodigious Yuvan Shankar Raja makes his bollywood debut with Haq Se-The languorous style of the song is accentuated by Siddharth and Yuvan's vocals,even as the beats in the backgrounds are thoroughly captivating! Blaaze's own composition,Aim Lagaa and the Rickshaw mix are very impressive-The pop'ish touch to the Rickshaw mix is commendable while Blaaze,predictably towers over all the rap in both the versions.Lyricist Swanand Kirkire own track,Ajab Teri plays out straight and flat while Vishal Bharadwaj's Yun Hua is another winner-With pure trademark Vishal's style,the pensive tune along with Vishal's vocals blend amazingly well! Striker's soundtrack has tunes from 6 different composers and still works big time-a fantastic hotch-potch!

Kedi(Telugu,Sandeep Chowta)

Kedigadu has Sunidhi Chauhan getting into the thick of things,with the backgrounds having the trademark Sandeep Chowta style and the song definitely works.Arijith Singh sounds almost like Ramana Gogula at places in Neeva Na,a beautifully packaged melody while Enduko Enthaki scores an ace when it comes to the tune and the bizarre rendition by Saleem Shahida especially in the sufi'ish does add charm-And the brooding Enigma'ish backgrounds in this track is fantastic!Relarey,beyond Sonu Kakkar's vocals has the composer infusing some very exotic sounds and finally the tune which takes different turns is the highlight of the song.Sandeep's vocals and the tune,in that order are scintillating in Short and Sweet and exposes the composer's creativity to the fullest!..Rahul Nambiyar's reggae'ish Neelo Emunnadi is funky and catchy and works pretty well while the composer takes over from where Devi Sri Prasad left in Jagadam in the catchy Mu Mu Muddante remix.Neha Kakkar's Janiya Jane after an enthralling start takes the fast route,but with the spunky sound intact and Neha Kakkar's rendition is awesome!..Kedigadu's orchestra version is nothing short of brilliant-Sandeep infuses some completely stunning violin sounds in the middle which adds an astoundingly dazzling effect!Trust Nag to come out with Sandeep's best in a long time-And the composer does,in his own style!

Mundhinam Partheney(Tamil,SS Thaman)

Indre Indre is very Mani Sharma'ish and the pleasant arrangements help the already uplifting tune,helped considerably by Ranjith's excellent vocals.Pesum Poove is tailor-made for Krish and Suchitra-the song which starts off slowly,leads to the hum-worthy chorus which comes out of nowhere!..Manadhin Adiyil has a brilliantly conjured pop'ish tune with Priyadarshini sounding like a complete rockstar while Maya also has a very likeable pop'ish sound with a refreshing tune that works instantly.The highlight of the soundtrack is Kanavena and the title track-While Haricharan rocks the lovely tune in Kanavena,it is actually the bewitching arrangements that makes it a winner.And Thaman goes behind the mike this time and delivers a knock out in the title track-The jazz tinged arrangements blends amazingly well with Thaman's vocals and the title riffs are humworthy-Big time!..Mundhinam Partheney's soundtrack is Thaman's best till date!

Vinnaithaandi Varuvaaya(Tamil,A.R.Rahman)

After so much hype about Vijay Prakash's Hosanna,the song barring the catchy chorus is actually very average.And one can almost feel the fact that Rahman should have added a little more than just the chorus which comes for a minute!..Naresh Iyer's Kannukkul Kannai has a damn addictive tune and Rahman does exceedingly well when it comes to orchestration while Devan Ekhambaran and Chinmayi completely steal the show in Anbil Avan-With an enticing tune,Rahman is at it again and does his magic in the quirky interludes.Benny's subdued rendition in the breezy Omana Penne is fabulous and the mild carnatic base towards the end of the song is a masterstroke!..Shreya Ghoshal's Mannippaaya has a pleasant enough tune but really lacks the extra punch that a Rahman track usually has.Except for the beautiful title riffs,the title track also really has nothing going for it.Alphonse's Aaromale is the highlight of the soundtrack-Rahman smartly packages the right proportion of backgrounds in a moody tune,and not to forget the Malayalam lyrics!..Even though few songs fail to reach expected standards,VTV's soundtrack is sparkling and sets the tone beautifully for the film!

Namo Venkatesa(Telugu,Devi Sri Prasad)

Roping Mano to croon the title song is pleasantly surprising,but the song is still seeped in Devi's style and works only to an extent.Karthik completely gets into the scheme of things in Non Stop,which has one heck of a catchy tune but is undone by some standardized and predictable arrangements.Sagar and Roshni's Nee Kallalo also works really well-It has all the catchy elements that one looks forward to from a Devi track and also,the tune is delightful!..Ding Dong and Tuttodoi are massively cliched and make no impact whatsoever while Venu's Soundarya is a stock tune from Devi,but still works pretty well,barring the predictable and cheesy chorus.Namo Vankatesa has Devi doing his usual thing,yet again!

Goa(Tamil,Yuvan Shankar Raja)

The title song and the club mix version are completely scintillating-Has all the hep elements that one looks forward from Yuvan and also has some completely rocking sounds interspersed between all the singing!..Andrea's vocals is breathtaking in the delightful and serene Idhu Varai even as Ajeesh steps up in the middle and sings his way to glory!..Ilaiyaraja,SPB and Chitra rule the mighty enjoyable and massy Vaaliba Va Va and the catchy and addictive hum in the middle makes it even more nicer!..The five cousins have a ball in singing the unbelievably Raja'ish folk track in Yezhezhu Thalaimuraikkum and needless to say,this track works-big time!..Ilaiyaraja's off key vocals is a misfit in the haunting pathos song,Oru Nalla Ooru while Adida Nayandiye is punchy and is one heck of a lively folk track!..The highlight of the soundtrack is Kaathal Endral and Idai Vazhi-Yuvan's short Kathal Endral reaches 7G high with a sparkling tune which is rendered in his own style by Yuvan while Benny and Mamtha Mohandas'Idai Vazhi is easily the best of the soundtrack-Yuvan simply weaves magic in both the tune and the arrangements,ala Rahman here!..A completely dazzling and an eclectic soundtrack and Yuvan starts the year with a bang!

My Name is Khan(Hindi,Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy)

Shankar Mahadevan and Adnan Sami tower over the soulful Noor-E-Khuda which has a genuine exquisite tune which is drenched in SEL's style.Sajda and Tere Naina are also typical of SEL,but both the songs work pretty well-While Rahat Fateh Ali Khan does what is expected of him in Sajda,it is actually the hum-worthy tune that works while the rhythmic Tere Naina,with a beautifully constructed tune is a shade better than Sajda!..Rashid Khan's Allah Ki Rahem doesn't make much impact while Suraj Jagan and Shankar Mahadevan join once again after Rock on in Rang De-With a very addictive chorus and spirited singing,this song is clearly the highlight of the soundtrack.This time,Karan Johar thankfully leaves S-E-L take charge over the soundtrack and they deliver again!

Asal(Tamil,Bharadwaj)

The title track,beyond all appeasing-Ajith elements is a winner mainly because of the refulgent orchestration which thankfully doesn't go overboard while Kuthiraikku Theriyum has one really addictive free flowing tune with some fantastic vocals by Surmukhi!..Tottodaing is a lame title but the song has a neat rhythm with some interesting hooks while the slow and plain Em Thanthai is also pretty competent with Bharadwaj towering over the vocals.Yey Dushyantha's orchestration is blatantly lifted from Yeh Ishq Hai(Jab We Met) but has a lively tune that works well.The last track,Yengay Yengay however plays out flat and fails to make an impact.Charan gets a pretty good soundtrack from Bharadwaj in Asal!

My Picks Of The Year 2009(English,Hindi,Tamil,Telugu)

Overall,2009 has been a good year of music in my opinion.While Hindi and Telugu was fantastic,Tamil was very average.When it comes to English,Iam just listing out my favourite numbers which I seem to have enjoyed through this year.So here we go!..

English
As I said,this list is just a bunch of my favourite songs(But in the order of preference though!)which I've heard this year,and some of them might not have even released this year!..First 2 songs,Fireflies and Paparazzi were two knockouts and were consistent in my playlist for a while now.In terms of the albums,21st Century Breakdown and Cradlesong were fantastic!..


1.Fireflies(Ocean Eyes,Owlcity)
2.Paparazzi(The Fame,Lady Gaga)
3.Beautiful(Relapse,Eminem)
4.21 Guns(21st Century Breakdown,Green Day)
5.Natural(Cradlesong,Rob Thomas)
6.So Fine(Imperial Blaze,Sean Paul)
7.Love etc(Yes,Pet Shop Boys)
8.Three(The Singles Collection,Britney Spears)
9.New Divide(Transformers-The revenge of the Fallen,Linkin Park)
10.Sexy Bitch(One Love,David Guetta)

Hindi
2009 was one heck of a year for Hindi.The year started off with a bang when Amit Trivedi's Dev D and Rahman's Delhi 6 came out.Both occupy the top 2 slots in the soundtracks of the year,followed by Tum Mile,Kaminey and newcomer Piyush Mishra's Gulaal.The composer(s) of the year goes to Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy and Salim-Sulaiman.They were unstoppable and churned out some kick ass songs right through the year.

1.Dil Gira Dafatan(Delhi 6,A.R.Rahman)
2.Barso Yaaron(London Dreams,Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy)
3.Dil Ibaadat(Tum Mile,Pritam)
4.Kya Kare Zindagi(Kaminey,Vishal Bharadwaj)
5.Life is Crazy(Wake Up Sid,Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy)
6.Paayaliya(Dev D,Amit Trivedi)
7.Aasma Odh Kar(13B,Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy)
8.Kurbaan Hua(Kurbaan,Salim-Sulaiman)
9.Ye Doorian(Love Aaj Kal,Pritam)
10.Milke Yun Laga(Jail,Sharib-Toshi)

The next 5 tracks that deserve mention are:
11.Sapnon Se Bhare Naina(Luck By Chance,Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy)
12.Jao Na(Whats Your Rashee,Sohail Sen)
13.Gadbadi Hai(Rocket Singh,Salim-Sulaiman)
14.Saanson Ka Rukna(Straight,Sagar Desai)
15.Yaara Maula(Gulaal,Piyush Mishra)

Top 5 soundtracks
1.Dev D(Amit Trivedi)
2.Delhi 6(A.R.Rahman)
3.Tum Mile(Pritam)
4.Kaminey(Vishal Bharadwaj)
5.Gulaal(Piyush Mishra)

Composer(s) of the year:Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy and Salim-Sulaiman

Though Indipop wasn't that great this year,we had some fantastic albums like Sivamani's Mahaleela,Kailasa's yet another winner,Chandaan Mein and Mohit Chauhan's Fitoor.

Top 5 Indipop albums
1.Mahaleela(Sivamani)
2.Chandaan Mein(Kailasa)
3.Fitoor(Mohit Chauhan)
4.Tu Hi Mere Rab Ki Tarha Hai(Mithoon)
5.Saptak(Mekaal Hassan)

Tamil
Tamil was,as i said very average this year.But a lone composer,Yuvan ruled the roost right through the year with amazing soundtracks.But G.V Prakash used his opportunity to full extent and hit the bulls eye with Selva's Ayirathil Oruvan soundtrack and it occupies the top slot in the soundtracks of the year,followed by Sabesh-Murali's refreshing Pokkisham,Yuvan's Yogi,Sarvam and Kunguma Poovum Konjum Puravum.And needless to say,the composer of the year tag goes to Yuvan this year!..

1.Yaarodu Yaro/Yogi Theme without Sarangi(Yogi,Yuvan Shankar Raja)
2.Neethane(Sarvam,Yuvan Shankar Raja)
3.Indha Paadhai(Aayirathil Oruvan,G.V.Prakash)
4.Yerutthazha Yezhu Mani(Peraanmai,Vidyasagar)
5.Nila Nee Vaanam(Pokkisham,Sabesh-Murali)
6.Tharai Erangiya(Eeram,S.S.Thaman)
7.Chinnan Sirisu(Kunguma Poovum Konjum Puravum,Yuvan Shankar Raja)
8.Kathaigal Pesum(Angaadi Theru,G.V.Prakash)
9.Thuli Thuli(Paiya,Yuvan Shankar Raja)
10.Edu Edu(Appavi,Joshua Shridhar)

Top5 soundtracks
1.Aayirathil Oyuvan(G.V.Prakash)
2.Pokkisham(Sabesh-Murali)
3.Yogi(Yuvan Shankar Raja)
4.Sarvam(Yuvan Shankar Raja)
5.Kunguma Poovum Konjum Puravum(Yuvan Shankar Raja)

Composer of the year:Yuvan Shankar Raja

Telugu
Telugu,surprisingly had one amazing year after a prolonged lull for the previous 2 years.Yuvan's Oy and Mickey J Meyer's Leader were 2 breathtaking soundtracks and occupy top 2 slots.The best composer(s) of the year goes to Mickey J Meyer and Mani Sharma.Many of you might be surprised by the addition of Mani Sharma,but he churned out hits consistently and his offbeat evolved sound in Banam was also very impressive!..

1.Seheri(Oy,Yuvan Shankar Raja)
2.Maa Telugu Thalliki instrumental(Leader,Mickey J Meyer)
3.Telusuko(Kavya's Diary,Manu Ramesan)
4.Aanandama(Koncham Ishtam Koncham Kashtam,Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy)
5.Arere Chejarindha(Boni,Ramana Gogula)
6.Meghama(Prayanam,Mahesh Shankar)
7.Yele Yele(Ganesh,Mickey J Meyer)
8.Ek Niranjan(Ek Niranjan,Mani Sharma)
9.Kadile Padam(Banam,Mani Sharma)
10.Ringa Ringa(Arya 2,Devi Sri Prasad)

Next 5 tracks that deserve mention:
11.Nachave Nachesave(Kasko,Premgi Amaran)
12.Maahive(Ride,Hemachandra)
13.Neelo Anuvantha(Kalavaramaye Madilo,Sharreth Vasudevan)
14.Your My Love story(Current,Devi Sri Prasad)
15.Poolu Gusa Gusa(Saleem,Sandeep Chowta)

Top 5 soundtracks
1.Oy(Yuvan Shankar Raja)
2.Leader(Mickey J Meyer)
3.Koncham Ishtam Koncham Kashtam(Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy)
4.Kavya's Diary(Manu Ramesan)
5.Prayanam(Mahesh Shankar)

Composer(s) of the year:Mickey J Meyer and Mani Sharma

Ishqiya(Hindi,Vishal Bharadwaj)

Besides a tinge of RD Burman's style,Rahat Fateh Ali Khan's rendition in Dil To Bachcha Hai is exquisite and so is the tune.Vishal's backgrounds in this track makes it even more likeable.Sukhwinder Singh and Mika have a ball in singing Ibn-E-Batuta,a highly enjoyable song which has a tune akin to Vishal's style and is one truly rocking composition!..Rekha Bharadwaj's Badi Dheere Jali also works well-While Rekha is at her very best with her moody vocals,Vishal conjures a brilliant tune with ample support from the flawless backgrounds.Ab Mujhe Koi's simple free-flowing tune is its main strength and Rekha's vocals once again hits bulls eye.Vishal Bharadwaj starts the year on a high with Ishqiya's soundtrack.