Music year-ender: Here is what India crooned to in 2024

Here are some of the notable trends that 2024 witnessed:

Indo-western collabs

The year saw Indian music mount the global stage, not just in terms of Indian musicians performing at international concerts, but also collaborating with acclaimed entertainers from the West to produce fusion pieces.

While Diljit Dosanjh joined hands with American rapper Saweeti to meld Punjabi beats with hip hop in the single Khutti, a refreshing crossover was created after Nick Jonas and Indian singer King collaborated for Maan Meri Jaan (Afterlife). The collab between Punjabi singer and rapper Harsh Likhari and international sensation Connor Price for the song Customs marked another milestone in fusion music.

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Not just singles, the year saw popular heartthrobs from different corners of the world set the stage ablaze with duets. In September, the audience at a concert in London went bonkers when Arijit Singh performed to Ed Sheeran’s Perfect with no other than the global sensation himself.

English-Albanian singer and songwriter Dua Lipa kicked off a similar frenzy at a recent concert in Mumbai, when she played a viral mash-up of her song Levitating and Abhijeet Bhattacharya’s Wo Ladki Jo Sabse Alag Hai from the 1999 Shah Rukh-Khan starrer-Baadshah. Lipa had earlier called the mash-up, created by DJ Ruchir, “amazing” and one she had been “blown away” with.

Regional tracks make it to playlists

As it has been a recent trend, 2024 also saw regional songs defy language barriers to become chartbusters.

Southern songs, for instance, had a ‘Why This Kolaveri Di’ moment as several tracks gained traction of social media through reels and videos, making it to the loop button of playlists.

One of the songs that audience crooned and grooved to the most was Sai Abhyankkar’s debut independent single Katchi Sera. The song, composed for Think Indie, went viral soon after it was released in January, and was among the most-searched songs worldwide in 2024. Within months, Sai delivered his next single Aasa Kooda, which became a social media anthem, having garnered 17 crore views on YouTube alone so far.

Illuminati from Fahadh Faasil-starrer Aavesham, Anirudh’s composition Daavudi from Junior-NTR film Devara Part 1 and Sooseki from the recently-released Pushpa 2 topped the charts as soon as they were released.

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Sanju Rathod’s Marathi song Gulabi Sari, Ravi Dubey-Sargun Mehta-starrer Punjabi single Ve Haaniyan and Haryanvi number Jale 2 became reel staples on social media.

Odia music got a significant fan following after the number Alta Makhi by Bijay Anand Sahu, Pratham and Pankaj Kiran Dash went viral on social media platforms, lending influencers Sambalpuri beats to tap their feet to.

Reign of independent artistes

The Indie pop scene got a significant boost in 2024 with several independent artistes not just coming up with new releases but ruling the list of chartbusters.

Names like Akshath Acharya, Karan Aujla, Mitraz (consisting of Anmol and Pratik), Shubh, Faheem Abdullah and Rauhan Malik and Sai Abhyankkar ruled the roost with their viral compositions.

A fresh breath of air was Akshath’s single Nadaaniyan, which has amassed over 11 crore views on YouTube in just five months of its release, while topping the Spotify Global Charts as the most viral track.

Anuv Jain’s single Husn, released last year, was the second-most streamed song in the country, according to Spotify India.

While Karan Aujila’s 2023 album Making Memories with songwriter Ikky was among the five-most songs on Spotify, Kashmiri musicians Faheem Abdullah and Rauhan Malik’s Ishq was at the 14th spot.

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Shubh’s 2023 song One Love ranked 10^th among the most-streamed songs on Spotify in India in 2024.

Lofi music

The past few years have seen an increased appetite for Lofi music and this year, several streaming platforms upgraded their Lofi playlist to cater to the demand for this laidback genre of music.

Lofi music, or low fidelity music, which translates to music of low quality, has imperfections like low recording quality, background disturbances and ambient sounds, yet is being preferred by a majority of music listeners for its unique sound profile.

The music which has elements of electronic music, jazz and gentle beats induces a sense of calm in listeners, giving them a break from the humdrum of a busy, bustling life.

What trended in Bollywood?

The sensational number Aaj Ki Raat featuring a ravishing Tamannaah Bhatia in Stree 2 and Vicky-Kaushal-starrer Tauba Tauba, which made even non-dancers try its hook step, were among the top trending Bollywood songs of the year.

According to Spotify, while the soundtracks of 2023 hits Animal, and Kabir Singh and that of 2013 film Aashiqui 2 were the top three albums India listened to in 2024, Vishal Mishra and Raj Shekhar’s Pehle Bhi Main from Ranbir Kapoor-starrer Animal was the most-streamed song in India this year with over 228 million streams.

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Arijit Singh’s O Sajni Re, a romantic melody from Laapata Ladies, Aayi Nahi, a foot-tapping number from Stree 2, Raanjhan from Do Patti starring Kajol and Kriti Sanon and Satranga from Animal were some of the most-played Bollywood tracks in 2024.

Arijit Singh reigns supreme

According to Spotify’s Wrapped 2024 campaign, Arijit Singh retained his title as the most-streamed artiste for the fourth consecutive year.

The singer, much-loved by fans for his modest demeanour and soulful renditions, continued to rule their hearts with hits like O Sajni Re, Ve Kamleya, Tum Kya Mile, Apna Bana Le Piya, and Oonchi Oonchi Deewarein

Rishab Rikhiram Sharma: A rising star

Not just for his angelic demeanour, henna-stained hands and ears sparkling with diamonds, Sitar artiste Riskham Rikhiram Sharma has also taken the internet by the storm for his healing rendition of ragas.

The latest sensation on the internet, Sharma in trending reels is seen strumming his sitar to his famous song Chanakya during a concert as part of his Sitar for Metal Health Tour, or playing the Harry Potter and Game of Thrones themes as a spellbound audience watches in awe.

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A student of the late sitar maestro Pandit Ravi Shankar, the 26-year-old, who believes in the therapeutic role of music in mental health, offers free music therapy to audiences online while collaborating with mental health professionals to create a holistic experience for listeners.

Year of Diljit Dosanjh

The year has been particularly eventful for Dosanjh, who has attained a gigantic fandom due to his ongoing tour, Dil-Luminati, one of the largest-ever by an Indian artiste and the most successful tour by any South Asian celebrity in history.

Concerts of the actor-musician, who has taken Punjabi music to a larger audience worldwide, have seen packed auditoriums across India, the US, the UK, Canada and Europe with his New Delhi concert itself drawing over 30,000 fans.

Dosanjh’s film Amar Singh Chamkila, released earlier in the year and based on the life of the controversial Punjabi singer by the same name, earned him critical appreciation from reviewers and the love of Punjabi fans worldwide.

The singer, was recently adjudged the top Asian celebrity in the world for 2024 by UK-based Eastern Eye newspaper, surpassing last year’s winner Shah Rukh Khan.

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Besides making a famous appearance at The Tonight Show hosted by Jimmy Fallon, and delivering hit singles, and film tracks this year, he has collaborated with international musicians like Sheeran, Australian singer Sia, Saweetie, and Colombian artist Camilo.

Dosanjh is the first Indian to perform at the BC Place stadium and Rogers Arena, in Vancouver, Scotiabank Arena, Toronto and Rod Laver Arena in Melbourne. He also has the unique distinction of being the highest-selling Indian singer at the Brisbane Entertainment Centre.

Sunidhi Chauhan-Shreya Ghosal collab

It was a season of collaborations and Sunidhi Chauhan and Shreya Ghosal, two of the most iconic playback singers of Bollywood, decided to play along.

Chauhan, who has reinvented herself as a pop star, reunited with Ghoshal for the independent song track Chhaila. The video has both the singers crooning to the groovy composition of Salim-Suleiman interspersed with raps, sargams and fast beats. It gathered over 3 lakh views in a single day, while making both the musicians trend on social media.