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 gave viewers.
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 for the end, and ardent followers of Tamil music had to wait out the drought. While Nithilan Saminathan-Vijay Sethupathi’s Maharaja ran to packed theatres for weeks, Thaaye Thaaye in Sid Sriram’s vocals instantly resonated with parents with its emotional lyrics written by Vairamuthu.
Kamal Haasan’s 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.
AR Rahman’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 in times of distress. The composer also surprised us by going all out by singing one of this year’s catchiest tracks, Yennai Izhukkuthadi from Kadhalikka Neramillai, 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 become hits. Conversely, GV Prakash 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, and became ballads for hearts in waiting. It is this love that also made Dheema Dheema from Vignesh Shivan’s film Love Insurance Kompany (LIK), sung by Anirudh, an open letter that people could write to their partners.
