No Skip is Billboard India’s weekly roundup of the best new Indian music. Every Monday, we sift through last week’s crop of releases to put out the ultimate playlist – handpicked by the Billboard India team. Tracks from Indian artists across any genre (including the diaspora), released on any major streaming platform until Friday night are considered for editorial curation.
This week’s No Skip selections feature Hindustani and Rajasthani classical tracks from Mame Khan and Avanti Patel; Harrdy Sandhu and Bob.B Randhawa add some Punjabi pizzazz to the mix. Here’s the list.
- “Stuck on You” by Harrdy Sandhu, Bharath
Harrdy Sandhu comfortably settles into the romantic pop sound that has long suited him best on this warm, uncomplicated track. A simple guitar arrangement and light percussion gives his vocals plenty of room to breathe, making this an easygoing throwback to the romantic songs that first established his signature sound.
- “Kalaivaniye” by Hiphop Tamizha, Sathyaprakash, Kaushik Krish
An uncharacteristically simple track from Tamil hip-hop veterans Hiphop Tamizha, “Kalaivaniye” strips their usually maximalist sound down to a simple guitar-led arrangement. Sathyaprakash’s soulful vocals do much of the heavy lifting, with Kaushik Krish and Hiphop Tamizha adding to the romantic melody. The result is a quieter, more tender facet of Hiphop Tamizha’s production.
- “Hivde Ro Haar” by Mohammad Faiz, Mame Khan, Vaibhav Pani
Mame Khan’s unmistakable, commanding vocals take centre stage on this modern Rajasthani dance track, with Mohammad Faiz on vocals and Vaibhav Pani shouldering the production. Unlike an earlier rendition of Khan’s “Laal Peeli Akhiyaan,” which leaned more into a contemporary pop treatment, “Hivde Ro Haar” builds its modern sound around his voice rather than over it. Techno textures, 808s and lively Rajasthani percussion give the track a playful, dance floor-ready edge while letting Khan’s vocals remain its ultimate hero.
- “Badila” by Avanti Patel, Rutuja Lad, Akshay Jadhav, Sandeep Mishra, Nusrat Apoorv, Joy Sengupta
A beautifully bare-bones Rajasthani composition, “Badila” lets Avanti Patel and Rutuja Lad’s powerful classical voices shine. The arrangement is tastefully sparse, built mostly around tabla and delicate sarangi, allowing the singers to carry the song almost entirely on their own. Patel’s Hindustani classical training and Lad’s Jaipur-Atrauli gharana lineage are evident throughout, making this a gorgeous exercise in vocal restraint.
- “Hooked on You” by Agsy, Bob.B Randhawa
Bob.B Randhawa brings his familiar vocals to a sleek hip-hop cut, but Agsy is firmly in the driver’s seat here. The track opens with grand horns and a smooth, understated beat before handing the mic to Agsy, whose verse stretches almost to the song’s final minute. Randhawa then arrives for the closing stretch, rounding out the track.
