Pritam & Arijit Singh and Roman Holiday
Today I wanted to take things to the land of Bollywood, taking on a track that I have not been able to stop listening to for the past few days. This track comes from a recently released film called Jab Harry Met Sejal. I haven't seen the film so I literally have no idea what it is about and can't really recommend whether or not to see it. However, the soundtrack is something that is definitely worth taking a listen to.
For starters, the singer of this track is one of the most popular singers in Bollywood at the moment. Arijit Singh has made such an impression on Bollywood and Indian music since his debut in 2013. I have to say, I think his rising popularity has resulted in an interesting shift in Bollywood music. As every other style of music, Bollywood music has gone through another stage in evolution. The Indian origin songs are shifting towards a fusion of Western acoustic and Eastern instrumentation. The music is just as romantic, but the sound is very different. The acoustic and electric guitar has become the power behind the emotion presented in the lyrics and vocals. In the previous eras of Bollywood music, we had a lot more piano work as the Western instrument of choice, accompanied by a lot more traditional Indian instrumentation. Now, however, we have a really sweet and gentle guitar style which accompanies the vocals. I do feel like a lot of slower songs have a more subtle Indian influence than before. Nevertheless, we still get this wonderful blend of two musical styles and cultural instruments, beautifully executed to give us tracks like this one.
Arijit Singh takes the lead on singing for this track, and as per usual, his vocals make us feel so many emotions. He has a very powerful voice, capable of belting out long and loud notes while also being able to bring his voice down to small and soft sound. In this song we do get a bit of a range of vocals, but never does it become an overbearing powerhouse of sound. Arijit Singh does favor a higher key for this song than what we normally hear from him, but it works extremely well with the way the instrumentals are done. Guitars leading off the song, giving way to shimmering keyboard work and the gentle pat of high hats. Tablas coming in as the main percussion of the song. All of this creates a sensational and beautiful background for which Arijit Singh sings. There are a soft glow and roundedness about both the vocals and instrumentation. The song feels warm and cozy. It feels liberating and freeing. It feels like comfort and happiness and soars with words of romance.
The songwriter and composer for this track is known as Pritam, and is one of the most popular songwriters in Bollywood. He is one of the biggest composers in Bollywood and I think this track is a great example as to why that is. For starters, he has woven a beautiful tapestry of sound with this track, bringing in threads from an acoustic guitar, electric guitar, tabla, synths, and more. The song never feels cluttered with the number of instruments and doesn't feel culturally confused. The lyrics are also beautifully written, narrating a story about falling in love and what it means to be in love. And of course, with this track being a Bollywood track, the chances of this being a romantic song were pretty high. But whenever Pritam writes romantic lyrics, there is always so much depth and poignancy and charm which comes with it. The lyrics aren't generic and it seems like each song has a different story to tell. The songs are poetic in nature, and when transposed onto a track like this one, Pritam knows what soundscape is going to work.
When it comes to Bollywood music, you are always in for an interesting treat. The styles of sound which accompanies Indian film is not always consistent, but this particular style has become such a trend. And I really like that! There is more music out there like this, so go forth and explore!
Today's instrumental song is from the movie Roman Holiday. An older film, this is one of the original love stories of American cinema. I realized it has been so long since I have posted a romantic track of this time, and found it to be a lovely way to end the day. Stylistically traditional, this song exudes the grace and delicateness of older pop and orchestral music. The soaring violins performing on a background of expressive bass and cello strings is such an iconic and lovely style of music. I hope you enjoy the music and please feel free to comment!
For starters, the singer of this track is one of the most popular singers in Bollywood at the moment. Arijit Singh has made such an impression on Bollywood and Indian music since his debut in 2013. I have to say, I think his rising popularity has resulted in an interesting shift in Bollywood music. As every other style of music, Bollywood music has gone through another stage in evolution. The Indian origin songs are shifting towards a fusion of Western acoustic and Eastern instrumentation. The music is just as romantic, but the sound is very different. The acoustic and electric guitar has become the power behind the emotion presented in the lyrics and vocals. In the previous eras of Bollywood music, we had a lot more piano work as the Western instrument of choice, accompanied by a lot more traditional Indian instrumentation. Now, however, we have a really sweet and gentle guitar style which accompanies the vocals. I do feel like a lot of slower songs have a more subtle Indian influence than before. Nevertheless, we still get this wonderful blend of two musical styles and cultural instruments, beautifully executed to give us tracks like this one.
Arijit Singh takes the lead on singing for this track, and as per usual, his vocals make us feel so many emotions. He has a very powerful voice, capable of belting out long and loud notes while also being able to bring his voice down to small and soft sound. In this song we do get a bit of a range of vocals, but never does it become an overbearing powerhouse of sound. Arijit Singh does favor a higher key for this song than what we normally hear from him, but it works extremely well with the way the instrumentals are done. Guitars leading off the song, giving way to shimmering keyboard work and the gentle pat of high hats. Tablas coming in as the main percussion of the song. All of this creates a sensational and beautiful background for which Arijit Singh sings. There are a soft glow and roundedness about both the vocals and instrumentation. The song feels warm and cozy. It feels liberating and freeing. It feels like comfort and happiness and soars with words of romance.
The songwriter and composer for this track is known as Pritam, and is one of the most popular songwriters in Bollywood. He is one of the biggest composers in Bollywood and I think this track is a great example as to why that is. For starters, he has woven a beautiful tapestry of sound with this track, bringing in threads from an acoustic guitar, electric guitar, tabla, synths, and more. The song never feels cluttered with the number of instruments and doesn't feel culturally confused. The lyrics are also beautifully written, narrating a story about falling in love and what it means to be in love. And of course, with this track being a Bollywood track, the chances of this being a romantic song were pretty high. But whenever Pritam writes romantic lyrics, there is always so much depth and poignancy and charm which comes with it. The lyrics aren't generic and it seems like each song has a different story to tell. The songs are poetic in nature, and when transposed onto a track like this one, Pritam knows what soundscape is going to work.
When it comes to Bollywood music, you are always in for an interesting treat. The styles of sound which accompanies Indian film is not always consistent, but this particular style has become such a trend. And I really like that! There is more music out there like this, so go forth and explore!
Today's instrumental song is from the movie Roman Holiday. An older film, this is one of the original love stories of American cinema. I realized it has been so long since I have posted a romantic track of this time, and found it to be a lovely way to end the day. Stylistically traditional, this song exudes the grace and delicateness of older pop and orchestral music. The soaring violins performing on a background of expressive bass and cello strings is such an iconic and lovely style of music. I hope you enjoy the music and please feel free to comment!
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