MaNn MoOjI: Aashiqui 2 (2013)

Music Review:

Aashiqui 2 Music Review (Jeet Ganguli, Mithoon, Ankit Tiwari)

Aashiqui begins with Arijit slowly humming Kyunki tum hi ho, ab tum hi ho, composed by Mithoon. The song, though slow, is effective, mostly as a result of Mithoon's composition and Arijit's passionate singing. Both of these are common, but the combination of the two comes out for the first time and is certainly going to be a hit. You can even expect lot of Mithoon-Arijit in coming up films.

Ankit Tiwari, another composer in the album with just one song, sings the next track. He sings Apne karam ki kar ataayein (almost sounds like adaayein, though you can rely on BollyMeaning to get you the right word ;-) ) fine, but it's the sun raha hai na tu, ro raha hoon main part that works. The song has some light rock in the background, and the I-shout-I'm-sad lyrics work perfectly with it, though consistency is missing. Nice, but could be much better with some work on it.

And, oh, the song may sound like it's addressed to God, but then in the beginning and end, it mentions a yaara, beloved.

Jeet enters with Chaahoon main ya na, a simple song with typical Jeet sounds audible in the background to an extent. Arijit Singh and Palak Muchchal are nice. Okay. Slightly better than that actually.

Tulsi Kumar. No No No. I mean seriously, the only song I ever liked her in was that one Once Upon a Time in Mumbaai, with Rahat. This one, called Hum Mar Jayenge is also close to her career best, but then that's not good enough. If you bear with her not-bad-just-could-be-much-much-much-better singing for more than half the song, you listen to Arijit too. The composition has its pieces picked up from here n there too, most notably from 'teri aankhon ki siyahi, piya deti hai gawahi', that is Raajneeti's Bheegi si Bhaagi si, composed by Jeet's once composing partner, Pritam. Anyway, if you're a quality buff, you can skip this one.

Palak Muchchal in this one comes as a pleasant surprise. Before Arijit's Kyunki tum hi ho begins, Palak's rendition creates a beautiful mood, and she sings the song perfectly. She sings a lot like Shreya here, and I'm hoping I've got the credits right. Do listen to this version of Ab tum hi ho, called Meri Aashiqui as well. Oh, btw, lovely lyrics here. And Mithoon, please don't just become a singles' guy, howsoever great at this you are. Make more, we need your music.

KK gets a strange song from Jeet. Though the composition is different, with short, catchy 'piya aaye na', the song sounds a lot like KK-Jeet's last song in Shirin Farhaad ki Toh Nikal Padi. Some Jeet elements do that to the song, but my guess is that the song will soon be better known than the one in SFKTNP.

Bhula Dena Mujhe comes in sung by Mustafa Zahid here, though composed by Jeet. Jeet's style is audible in his light rock here, but the song turns out nice and Mustafa's voice to say the least, has some weight of its own. Worth a listen if you won't mind some rock.

Aasan Nahi Yahan is a short piece where some simple poetry is just simple sung by Arijit with a lot of O..o.o.o.O.o.o.o. Remember Pritam in Gangster days? It's lot like that, minus that superb music.

And now, when we needed a girl to sing Sunn Raha hai na tu, they finally bring in Shreya Ghoshal. Really, the song that was in rock mood, Shreya is made to sing in all typical Indian girl style with sounds of bangles, ghatam, and lot of what-was-that-'90s-instrument-really. Very well sung, but I still like the guy version a lot more. And guys, it's ataayein. Karam ki adaayein would mean styles of grace. Seriously, lyrics fail!

The end of the album comes with Milne hai mujhse aayi... kis mod pe hai laayi aashiqui. This one, they have got it right. The song sounds like an end song, and the lyrics, khud se hai ya khuda se, is pal meri ladaayi, I just love Irshad Kaamil. OK, Kamil. I'd spell it Qaamil if I could, but the guy is a genius.

OK back to the song. Lot of light rock. Some simple singing. Actually getting better towards the end. And impactful music. Probably Jeet's best for the album.

And Mithoon's theme is good. May work well if the movie is good.

Overall, Aashiqui is nice. Much better than the sequels of the day. But then Jeet is turning out to be repetitive. And Mithoon, though having been repetitive at times, surprises you, and hits in full blow. Ankit Tiwari's song is nice minus adaayein. Picks: Tum hi ho, Sun raha hai tu male, Wo Piya aaye na, and Kis Mod pe Hai Laayi Aashiqui.

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Tum Hi Ho - Arijit Singh