Singles Roundup #14: Diversify Your Playlist With These Latest Tracks

Delhi-based singer-songwriter Dhruv Kapoor released his latest single What is Love after the release of his EP Heartbreak Paradise a few months ago. What is Love stems from a place of personal enquiry and desire to understand what love truly means. This track is an understanding of what love truly means and could mean to Kapoor and at the same time eases the burden of having to comprehend and label this feeling.

Vardaan Chawla, a vocalist, music producer and composer released his melancholic single Kyun Nahi. This acoustic song features dulcet guitar picking and strumming and a mellow violin solo which is the highlight of the song. This track is about the question ‘Kyun Nahi?’ which we all ask ourselves at some point in our life. It is the question that lingers in our heart and mind late at night, about that lost love, about things that went wrong, and everything we’d do to make it right.

Yohan Marshall who goes by the alias YodaDrunk is an electronic artist who released his latest single I Break. The groovy basslines, dreamy synths and hypnotic melodies makes this track an edgy R&B hip-hop ballad. I Break speaks about how your struggles help you find your strength. The song is a personal journey on how as a creative person, we find ourselves breaking down, challenging our abilities, and being pushed to the edge before we find the inspiration and our breakthrough.

Mumbai-based music producer and singer-songwriter Nishant Nagar who goes by the moniker Khwaab in collaboration with singer-songwriter Raghav Meattle released his latest single Parchayi. With dreamy soundscapes and poignant lyrics, the song also happens to be the debut Hindi track for Meattle. This track talks about finding hope and overcoming self-doubt, something which all of us are dealing with.

Bhopal-based singer-songwriter Tannison Matthews released his latest single Honor which has been produced by Wilson Lakra. Matthews is also known in the local circuit as the drummer and songwriter for his band Bandishein but through his independent project, he aims to reflect a message of hope and optimism. The song’s catchphrase “Give up to nothing, love up to something big!’’ is the perfect dose of adrenaline rush you need to keep hustling, which is the inherent message of the song. This track aims to give you the push you need on a bad day to keep moving forward, especially in times like these.

Mumbai-based singer-songwriter Srijit Bhowmick who goes by the alias Sri released Sau Baar, his second Hindi single during the lockdown. This energetic track has fun vibes which come off as heartfelt lyrics with a slightly distorted guitar throughout the length of the song.

Delhi-based musician, producer, and bassist Barun Sinha released a new single Khwaab featuring Delhi-based singer-songwriter Piya Podder on the vocals. The rhythmic drums and the upbeat tempo of the song gives off a positive vibe as this song is about the desire to do more, be limitless and be extraordinary.

Prateek Chachra who goes by the moniker Darzini is a Delhi-based electronic artist. His single Ruminations is a part of his latest album Regrets and Grievances. His track is not only soothing and soulful but also very energetic which can make a person groove or be a perfect party song to play.

Santhanam Srinivasan Iyer who goes by the moniker EPR Iyer (Emcee/Poet/Rapper) released his latest single EIA 2020. Iyer’s writing is about strong socio-political and socio-economic background and causes and show his courage by standing against everything that’s unjust. This song is an effort to raise more awareness about the reckless and dangerous EIA draft 2020 through hip-hop/reggae and protest poetry. This bi-lingual track is the perfect wake up call for the ones who are still unaware of this dangerous draft and the effect it can have on our environment.

Delhi-based rap artist and poet Navin Koomar has been constantly trying to push the conscious and lyrical side of hip-hop through his art. His latest single Kab Tak Sahenge is a part of his debut EP Mudda Kya Hai which is a reaction on the state of affairs in Indian media. The cumulative anger and frustration, the caste discrimination, the Hathras rape case, and everything else happening in India right now made Naveen pend down this song. He urges people to speak now and even in this track his line “Aadat daalo ladne ki,’’ is echoed and etched in the minds of the listeners.

Srinagar-based hip-hop artist Ahmer collaborated with a fellow Kashmiri artist Tuhfail and released their latest bi-lingual track Tanaza which has been produced by Zero Chill. Ahmer has emerged as one of the leading Kashmiri artists and has been a voice to many Kashmiris in their battle against State-sponsored oppression and corruption. This track is also based on the oppression faced by the Kashmiris and the about the corruption of the local police and the Indian army who harass the local population and about the brutal communication blackout since the abrogation of Article 370.

Heat Sink is an Ahmedabad-based band who has their music ranging from genres such as progressive rock, jazz and RnB. Their latest single Judgement is essentially a pop song but it also has certain jazz and progressive rock elements, inspired by artists such as Snarky Puppy and John Mayer.  Judgement is about the way we look at ourselves and how sometimes we crave the ability to see ourselves, our problems in a different light. This laid-back jazzy track and a short violin solo in the end gives it a groovy vibe.

Mumbai-based progressive/instrumental rock A Mutual Question released their latest single Hide which is going to part of their upcoming album Connect. The band intends to be more than an aural experience, but instead a captivating audio/visual experience too which can be seen in their music video. With pop synth, powerful drums, this song creates a distinctive and engaging soundscape for its audience. The song explores a dialogue between a human and God, where the human wonders why God doesn’t show himself when need and if the entity even exists.

Purple Patch is a Pune-based pop-rock/rock band who has released their latest single Hope In My Nightmares. The band is known for the heavy guitar driver pop punch sound which can be noticed in the guitar solo in this song. However, overall, this song gives off a laid back 90s rock vibe, sticking to their genre!

Hindi-rock band Antariksh released their latest single Jee Le Zara. The band’s style has been between progressive rock and Indian contemporary sounds in Hindi and this pop-rock track has inspiring lyrics and almost an anthemic chorus with an energetic solo. This song was conceived as a youth anthem to encourage young folks to break free from the shackles of illogical customs and societal baggage. It aims to inspire people to live a life on their terms without worrying too much about the destination.