Kabir Singh music review: A typical angst-laden soundtrack diluted by similar sounding songs

Kabir Singh is arguably one of the most anticipated remakes of 2019. Fronted by Shahid Kapoor and Kiara Advani , Kabir Singh is an adaptation of Telugu blockbuster Arjun Reddy and places it within Bollywood’s canvas. The film’s songs have managed to create substantial buzz around the soundtrack, with many praising its soulful yet catchy tracks. One of the most popular tracks on the playlist has to be ‘ Bekhayali ’. A Sachet-Parampara composition, the song beautifully generates a steady graph which ultimately ends with an expected crescendo. Sachet Tandon’s husky voice texture brings out the vulnerability of Irshad Kamil’s lyrics. Rhythm Shaw (acoustic guitar) and Kalyan Baruah (electric guitar) do a brilliant job in weaving the narrative into a zone of angst and pain, as opposed to the otherwise soothing song. The track depicts the extreme frustration of a lovelorn Kabir as he passionately describes a world sans his beloved. “Bekhayali mein bhi tera hi khayal aaye, Kyun bichhadna hai zaroori yeh sawaal aaye” (Even in times when I’m distracted, I am reminded of you, why did it become necessary for us to part ways). [caption id=“attachment_6839571” align=“alignnone” width=“825”] Shahid Kapoor (left) and Kiara Advani in a still from Kabir Singh.[/caption] ‘ Kaise Hua ’ is clearly composer Vishal Mishra’s masterpiece. A strutting rhythm to it, the song has the perfect blend of modern love songs and the antiquity of old English classical rock numbers. Mishra, also the singer, has been extremely judicious with his tones, giving the chorus a perfect emphasis which highlights the wonderment of a developing romance. The song talks about how, when one is in love, one’s partner becomes the most important to one. Mishra portrays extreme maturity in terms of tempo and restraint, emoting the perfect amount of sweetness and innocence that the track demands. ‘ Tujhe Kitna Chahne Lage ’ is the token Arijit Singh number, without which any romantic album seems incomplete. Mithoon’s composition is one-dimensional and hackneyed to be fair. It feels like the song was reprised from a typical Shah Rukh Khan song. Arijit, who otherwise transforms even mediocre tracks to magic with his voice, is unable to inject life into this dreary track. Sachet-Parampara whips up another fresh number with ‘ Mere Sohneya ’. With generous amounts of Punjabi lyrics, the song has a peppy dhol beat to it, which acts as a catalyst to its appeal. The duo lend their voices to the track and it seems like there were no better-suited voice textures for the parts. While Parampara’s heavy voice forms the much required base for the track, Sachet provides the parallel high notes, creating a perfect symphony. [caption id=“attachment_6839581” align=“alignnone” width=“825”] Still from Kabir Singh[/caption] ‘ Tera Ban Jaunga ’ is passable after the newness of ‘Mere Sohneya’. Akhil Sachdeva and Tulsi Kumar create a pleasant melody with their voices. Special mention to Akhil for the emphatic notes in the song, which succeeds in communicating the central message of undying love. He also manages to alter his voice to the drowsy tenor of Mika Singh (of course sans the problematic lyrics and cringe-worthy tunes). ‘Yeh Aaina’ is a reflective song. Shreya Ghoshal croons to Amaal Mallik’s composition. Her soothing, high notes gracefully complements Kamil’s words. Arguably one of the best tracks of the album, ‘Yeh Aaina’ almost jolts listeners back to happier times. Mallik does a commendable job of arranging the multiple orchestral sounds in the number. ‘Pehla Pyaar’ chronicles Kabir’s growing love for Preeti, and is a soft lullaby that captures the innocence of first love. Vishal Mishra’s music does not disappoint at all. Armaan Malik creates an adorable song, reminiscent of high school romances, of stolen kisses and shy smiles. With Kamil’s poignant lyrics, this number also becomes the emotional crux of the entire album. However, by the time you reach the end of the album, the saccharine-sweetness almost becomes diabetes-inducing. Jubin Nautiyal’s lilting rendition, ‘Tujhe Kitna Chaahe Aur’, would probably have registered better in the minds of the listeners had it not been buried under a pile of similar-sounding soft romance-songs.  Even Mithoon, who is usually dependable to churn out stirring lyrics, falters with his been-there-done-that words. The soundtrack of Kabir Singh, with its passion-angst-heartbreak boxes ticked off, could have been another Rockstar or even Ae Dil Hai Mushki. But, with the exception of ‘Pehla Pyaar’, ‘Yeh Aaina’ and ‘Bekhayali’, it is not able to stick the landing. Sigh! Listen to Kabir Singh’s complete soundtrack here: