As a DJ who does a lot of multi-cultural destination weddings, the in-demand songs have been Chaleya from Jawan, Monalisa by Lojay, Sarz & Chris Brown and the hits Rasputin, Kala Chashma & Naatu Naatu. I think techno has gone too commercial, though the sound varies from its original roots. As a DJ, I like house music. Personally, I like old-school rock and roll and country music
Jonathan de Rozario (DJ Jona)
For me, this year’s favourite is undoubtedly A R Rahman’s Ponniyin Selvan II album. It was him going back and connecting with classical elements once again. Then, my kids enjoyed Chaleya by Anirudh (Jawan). I also discovered several Hindi independent bands; their songs are very soothing. Since my daughters enjoy K-pop and Taylor Swift, I also listen to them often. So it was a very mixed genre for me. Nowadays, Malayalis like songs with beats that they can dance to. Such songs are ones that eventually become hits. In my case, the song Kalapakkaara, from King of Kotha. But there are also listeners for experimental songs. The title track of Ranam was one such. It enjoys a good number of listners now. Jakes Bijoy (music director)
Just a few days ago, a popular music app released a personalised listening character for each user. With personalities like Vampire and Alchemist, listeners were on a thrall to find out what their music taste says about them. Surprisingly, Bollywood and Tamil numbers ruled many listeners’ top song lists. While Taylor Swift clinched the title of Global Top Artist, Arijit Singh was the top artist in India. Miley Cyrus’ Flowers was the most streamed track globally, while Maan Meri Jaan by King and Saurabh Lokhande topped in India. Though not present in the Top 10 lists, Malabari Banger and Adaranjikal Nerunnu were definite hits in Kerala. Kalapakkaara also clinched a space in Malayali hearts with its loud beats.
I mostly listen to random songs from all genres. This year, there were a lot of Jordan Rakie. Malayali listening habit is very eclectic. There are those who love evergreen old songs, there are people who listen to progressive rock, and then there are those who enjoy songs like Adaranjalikal from Romancham. I ensure that the music I make is something I like instead of going by any trend, which is something that is being done a lot. For if we create something only according to the trend, how will we evolve new genres and explore new kinds of music? That is why I don’t listen to new Malayalam songs. It’s either the old ones or world music that I get for music apps randomly. Sushin Shyam (music director)
This year, I have been listening to many genres, from hip-hop and R&B to techno, alternative, indie/pop and more. I don’t limit myself to just one favourite. First Person Shooter by Drake and J Cole is a song I listened to most, at least according to my music app. Paint The Town Red by Doja Cat and I Know? by Travis Scott are also on the top list. In Malayalam, my favourites are Ayyayyo and Malabari Banger. Hip-hop genre has definitely been growing in popularity among the youth in Kerala. This can be seen in hip-hop and rap music being normalised in movies, TV series, commercial ads and other forms of mass media. For us artists, this means more opportunities. These are all ripples of the hip-hop industry growing in the southern half of the country. Imbachi (rapper)
I usually don’t play Malayalam and Tamil songs. Bollywood songs are a big hit in pubs and clubs. Chaleya from the movie Jawan and Aditya Gadhvi X Achint’s Khalasi works beautifully. Melodic Techno is at its peak in the electronic music scene now. I can’t just name one, but many tracks in that genre are lighting up dance floors across India. There is a techno revolution going on in India, especially in Kochi. The most popular ones right now are melodic and minimal techno. Because of this, event teams in Kochi are not hesitant to bring the best international acts to perform here, too. Calling Deep is bringing the king of mellow dark techno HOZO to Crowne Plaza on December 17, for which I am also on the line-up. Thomas Sebastian (DJ Tominen)
I listen to all kinds of music. If you ask me for my favourites, Kesariya from Brahmastra comes to mind. Madhukara from Mahaveeryar was also a favourite, as were Adaranjalikal from Romancham and Kalapakkaara from King of Kotha. I also love some of my songs. All of my songs leave a mark on me; they become special. Though I love melodious songs, too, but while performing at a concert, the set list mostly has peppy, fast numbers as the audience prefers such music on a live show. Mridula Warrier, (playback singer)
I have been into synthesiser-based music for a while. The entire process of building sounds from the basic wave shapes, and even creating some by subtracting from white noise piqued my interest. Recently, I’ve been exploring new wave artists who rely heavily on synths and their array of oscillators and envelopes to create sounds that spawned some iconic songs we know. Anthony Marinelli (sonic architect who worked closely with Michael Jackson) has a YouTube channel that dwells on this process. That is my favourite thing to do musically now. Lincoln Samuel, (singer/songwriter)
I listen to all kinds of genres. However, I prefer independent music rather than film songs. This year’s favourite is a popular one called Heeriye. My playlist is full of funk, old time hip-hop, and lo-fi. There are also lo-fi productions of many classic tracks, like the one I recently created of Kiliye Kiliye. I love such remixes, both to perform and to listen to. When performing as a DJ, I love to go against the current trend and play many experimental and new genres. Only then can the crowd discover these songs Sekhar Menon, music director/DJ/actor
Inputs from Krishna P S and Ronnie kuriakose