How long does one hold old CDs and cassettes, which are not in use? As memories were rekindled in one of Tamil cinema’s best films this year, C Premkumar’s Meiyazhagan, a question arises about a generation’s taste in music even as they navigate recurring identity crises. 2024 was all about ‘fitting in’ amidst rapid advancements in AI and sound design, while simultaneously embracing the charm of simpler, nostalgic tunes. Some of these songs tug at our heartstrings, offering a 'call to home', while others strike a chord despite being dismissed by the ever-critical voices of social media. The year also saw debutants Sai Abhyankkar, Paal Dabba and Asal Kolaar soaring to magnanimous heights, stepping into one success territory after another.
This year belongs to Sai Abhyankkar as Tamil cinema took in his independent singles ‘Katchi Sera’ and ‘Aasa Kooda’ as their own, thus paving him a concrete way into the industry with opportunities in the LCU’s new film Benz and Suriya 45. The rise of singer-songwriter Paal Dabba was also witnessed as he churned out off-beat numbers like ‘Makkamishi’ from Jayam Ravi’s Brother. He also turned heads with his single ‘Kaathu Mela’ that ruled the charts for weeks.
The year had a lacklustre start, even as ‘Railin Oligal’, ‘Ayalaa Ayalaa’ from 2023 kept listeners kept listeners grooving to the beats. The lukewarm response to Aishwarya Rajinikanth’s Lal Salaam meant underwhelming reception to songs like ‘Ae Pulla’ and ‘Jalali’ from AR Rahman. But soon enough, Sean Roldan's soulful tunes in Lover for ‘Thaensudare’ and ‘Usura Uruvi’ reverberated among youth, yearning for love and dealing with a broken heart. He continued to hit sixers until the end of 2024 with ‘Chillanjirukkiye’ and ‘Aasa Orave’ from Lubber Pandhu, mending relationships one song at a time. Harish Kalyan has had yet another fantastic year, tasting the cricket film’s success as well as garnering millions of views with the ‘Beer Song’ from the yet-to-be-released Diesel.
When the audience were vibing to the Tamil version of ‘Kurchi Madathapetti’ (Mahesh Babu’s Guntur Kaaram) as a long dry spell continued for Kollywood for the first half of the year, Hiphop Aadhi created a euphoric number ‘Acho Acho Achacho’ in line with the comedy of errors and thrills that Aranmanai 4 provided to its audience. Taking the momentum forward were Yuvan Shankar Raja’s ‘Vintage Love’ and ‘Jimikky's Ghazal’ from Elan’s Star, which maintained the metre alongside his own 2006 composition ‘Oru Naalil’ from Pudhupettai that was reused in the film.
The best ones are usually reserved towards the end, and ardent followers of Tamil music had to wait out the drought. While Nithilan Saminathan-Vijay Sethupathi’s Maharaja broke box office and opened to packed theatres for weeks, ‘Thaaye Thaaye’ in Sid Sriram’s vocals instantly resonated with parents with its emotional lyrics by Vairamuthu. Kamal Haasan’s long-awaited sequel Indian 2 further broke the spell, commercially speaking—from the soothing melody of ‘Neelorpam’ to the anthemic ‘Come Back Indian’ to the electrifying ‘Kadharalz’, sung and composed by Anirudh to suit Indian thatha’s entry into a new era. Despite the film’s unfavourable reviews, the songs had their own audience.
After Ayalaan, AR Rahman made a fantastic return with Dhanush’s Raayan where every song was made with a recall value. The maestro’s small yet significant portion in ‘Adangatha Asuran’ had the entirety of Tamil Nadu singing, ‘Usure nee dhaane...’ in a melody that would stand the test of time. Further, Santhosh Narayanan and Shweta Mohan’s ‘Water Packet’ became an anthem among the masses, especially plus-sized women, while the soulful ‘Oh Raaya’ stood as a song that one would clutch tightly during times of distress. The composer also surprised us by going all out by singing one of this year’s catchiest songs, ‘Yennai Izhukkuthadi’, from Kadhalikka Neramillai along with Dhee.
The year was also noteworthy as Halitha Shameem’s Minmini hit theatres after a long wait, marking Khatija Rahman’s composing debut. Although ‘Iru Perum Nadhigal’ and ‘Minmini Nee’ were received well, they failed to create much impact with the audience.
GV Prakash, who composed music for 11 films this year, including a Hindi project and two Telugu films, delivered back-to-back chartbusters with Pa Ranjith-Vikram’s Thangalaan and Rajkumar Periasamy’s Amaran. While audiences grooved to the electrifying beats of ‘Minikki Minikki’, the soulful melodies from Sivakarthikeyan’s blockbuster struck a deep chord with Tamil fans. Sai Pallavi’s iconic introduction music became a favourite ringtone, while tracks like ‘Hey Minnale’, ‘Uyirey’, and ‘Vennilavu Saaral’ beautifully captured the essence of longing, turning them into ballads for hearts in waiting. He followed it up with a quirky number 'Golden Sparrow' from Nilavukku En Mel Ennadi Kobam. He followed it up with the quirky number 'Golden Sparrow' from Nilavukku En Mel Ennadi Kobam (NEEK). It is this same love that also made Vignesh Shivan’s ‘Dheema Dheema’ from the upcoming film Love Insurance Kompany (LIK), sung by Anirudh, an open letter that people could write to their partners.
This year’s biggest hits came from Vijay’s The Greatest of All Time and Rajinikanth’s Vettaiyan. The groovy dance number ‘Matta’ featuring Vijay and Trisha from GOAT, took listeners back to ‘Appadi Podu’ from Ghilli. Just like how Jailer’s tracks elevated many scenes, ‘Hunter Vantaar’ gave a glimpse of Vettaiyan’s character and his gunslinging skills. ‘Manasilayo’ was also cherished unanimously. But the cherry on the cake arrived before Christmas as Anirudh churned out ‘Chikitu Vibe’ from T Rajendar’s tunes for Coolie, sending everyone to hum ‘Dhina dhina dhun thaa...’
In an ever-changing world, one would argue that the only constant is the existence of an Ilaiyaraaja song for every mood. Earlier this year, there was a renewed interest in listening to ‘Kanmani Anbodu’ from Gunaa, thanks to director Chidambaram’s Manjummel Boys which gave a new meaning to the evergreen classic. Just when Kerala and Tamil Nadu were screaming, ‘Manidhan unarndhu kolla…’ from the depths of Devil’s Kitchen, Mollywood reminded the audience of yet another hit that transitioned listeners to singing the chorus ‘Dudududu’ in no time—Sirpy’s ‘Azhagiya Laila’ from Ullathai Allitha, became trending with it being reused in Vipin Das’s Guruvayoor Ambalanadayil.
In the latter half, Ilaiyaraaja’s song ‘Nee Pottu Vacha’ (Ponmana Selvan) found itself blaring on the loudspeakers once again, a clear hat-tip to the late actor-politician Vijayakanth from the creators of Lubber Pandhu. The 80s song's homage in the cricket drama slithered into streaming apps of Gen-Z listeners as not just as a catchy tune, but also as a stellar example of hero-elevation music.
There were mixed reactions to Hindi versions of ‘Uppu Karuvaadu’, ‘Mayya Mayya’ and ‘Kathalikkum Penin Kaikal’ making waves online, but music is a universal language that is for everyone to consume and soon, they too were taken into fold. As they say, ‘What goes around, comes around,’ over the months, audiences took Tamil versions of ‘Chuttamalle’ (‘Paththavaikkum’) and ‘Daavudi’ from Devara: Part 1 and placed it at the top spots of most-played. There were a few tearjerkers too. ‘Poraen Naa Poraen’ and ‘Yaaro Ivan Yaaro’ (Meiyazhagan) in Kamal Haasan’s voice and Govind Vasantha’s music depicted the pain of losing a home and a crucial memory associated with it. We also had a ‘Kalyana Samayal Saadham’ style ode to food from Thanjavur and the other delta regions through ‘Delta Kalyanam’.
2024 was a year where listeners expanded their hands to hold contemporary beats that grew closer while also tightly embracing familiar tunes that soothe the soul, melodies that hit like a rock and beats that can be made into any hit song. After all, a little wave of nostalgia has never gone out of style. It is this very wave of reminiscence that leads us to newer pastures, especially as we stride into the second quarter of the 21st century.