Top 10 Songs 2011

Rankings based on : • Audio sales at music outlets in Chennai. • Radio and Television ratings. • Number of online Downloads. • Ring tones downloads • General Public reactions to the songs. Off the screen, it is the season of carols, but what have we got on it. Well, the flavour of the season seems to be the ‘neither here nor there’ jingle with lyrics that are getting ad colloquial as possible. Not sure how many of this kind Tamil cinema can take before it all snaps. This is also the season of releasing ‘hit’ singles, with or without good reason. One just hopes this does not become a mandatory practice very soon. In the midst of all this, a proper melody has become a rarity. An interesting mix of music in here; carefree jingles, the kuthu and a sprinkling of melody!

Song: Chillax... Music director: Vijay Anthony Singer(s): Karthik, Charulatha Mani

This is a song made exclusively for Vijay. One cannot think of another star pulling this off with such élan. It is rock and roll right from the word go; there is no let up on the rhythms right till the end. Charulatha’s husky voice is a novel addition and works well. You have to watch this song with Vijay’s electrifying moves to fully enjoy it

Song: Yemma Yemma... Music director: Harris Jeyaraj Singer(s): S.P. Balasubramaniam

A mellow composition which rightly captures the anguish of a lovelorn heart! SPB works his decades old magic and we find that it has lost none of its charm. The lyrics might not qualify as high class poetry, but they convey the necessary. One only wishes the song was better placed in the film.

Song: Cinema Cinema ... Music director: Aadhisha Singer(s): Mano

It’s nice to hear Mano on the mike again; kind of transports you back to the 90s in a flash. The song by concept is quite similar to the ‘cinema cinema’ song from Kuselan. But, this one is far catchier, one must say. Most of the credit for that goes to Mano whose voice has not lost any verve. Parts of the song are revved up versions of the evergreen ‘Elantha Pazham’. The effectiveness of these portions shows us that some tunes never get old.

Song: Oru Murai... Music director: G.V.Prakash Kumar Singer(s): G.V.Prakash Kumar, Andrea, Blaaze

A feel good catchy song made especially for the youth; G.V.Prakash’s voice gets just the right feel. It moves along at an easy, almost languid pace, but has a lively zing to it and Blaaze brings out his customary act which is enjoyable.

Song: Aathadi Manasudhan... Music director: Yuvan Shankar Raja Singer(s): Priya

This voice of Priya does sound a bit like Ilayaraja with the base turned down. This is a gentle melody which will make you gently bob your head along. The subtle beats in the background keep the song alive throughout; the violins are also good to hear. But, the rendition and as a result, the song, tail off in the second half. The melancholic voice brings the right feel to the song. Overall, a neat composition.

Song: Pondatti... Music director: Thaman Singer(s): STR

The focus here is obviously on the lyrics and we know how good STR is at churning out the layman type likeable lyrics without bothering about the rules and conventions. He does it again, keeping it very colloquial for most parts. Thaman has done a good job of keeping the tune alive and kicking even when the focus is on the lyrics. And, when the rendition is also by STR, you know that the song will be a bit infectious. But, this is not for music connoisseurs or those who appreciate the finery of lyrics!

Song: Pirai Thedum... Music director: GV Prakash Singer(s): Saindhavi, G.V.Prakash Kumar

A true blue melody in the midst of all the jingles and kuthu! Wow, a breath of fresh air. You have to give enough time for this song to grow on you and you will find it an enriching experience. Everything about this song is soft and gentle, especially Saindhavi’s voice. If you like melodies, you will surely enjoy this.

Song: Papa Papa... Music director: Yuvan Shankar Raja Singer(s): Yuvan Shankar Raja, Renu

Here is another carefree fast number which aims at getting the feet moving. True to the opening lines ‘Papapa’, the song does have a fair share of trumpets. But, aside from some energetic beats and upbeat rendition, there is nothing much to write home about! The song is highly predictable right from the opening and there is only so much of ‘papapa’ you can take in the space of 5 minutes! It does have its rhythms, but it is definitely not Yuvan in form! And, was there anything in this track to merit its release as a single or is that just becoming another fad.

Song: Why this Kolaveri di... Music director: Anirudh Singer(s): Dhanush

‘It wouldn’t be wrong to say that the whole county is singing ‘Kolaveri’ at the moment. One has never heard of so many different versions of one song on the internet by people from different parts of the country. If you still haven’t heard this song, then you are probably still in the pre-internet era. Listen to it to find a new kind of English and a new definition to the word ‘song’.

Song: Laddu Laddu Rendu Laddu... Music director: Yuvan Shankar Raja Singer(s): Vikram, Priyadarshini, Suchitra

This is somewhere just above a jingle! Lots of sounds, beats and quite cocky voices, make the entire affair more about attitude than music. Going with the mood of the season, Vikram sings yet another time. We must admit that his sincere attempts at singing are to be appreciated, but the novelty of hearing Vikram singing have worn off, now he has to capture the audience with the quality of his voice, which we are not too sure about. And, haven’t we heard the ‘Dosthu’ and ‘Vaasthu’ rhyme before in Saroja? This is the much talked about song, we guess, featuring Reemma Sen and Shriya. Will be interesting to watch on screen!