TIRUCHY: A campaign van cruises through a Tiruchy street, speakers pumping out a high-energy track that name-drops the candidate in between punchy beats, local slang and promise-filled lyrics. Heads turn, a few youngsters instinctively groove. It’s not a film hit, but a custom-made campaign song, tuned to match the vibe of the constituency.
With electioneering intensifying, candidates across Tamil Nadu are increasingly turning to such personalised songs, signalling a shift from recycled cinema tracks to sharper, hyperlocal messaging.
Studios in Tiruchy and Pudukkottai say requests for candidate-specific tracks have picked up sharply, with composers shaping lyrics and tunes around local issues, voter sentiment and hook-heavy lines designed for social media reels.
DMK candidates such as T Inigo Irudhayaraj, S Kathiravan and TVK candidate Dr Prabhu are among those deploying music as part of their outreach, while AIADMK’s Dr C Vijayabaskar is learnt to be planning the release of a customised campaign song soon.
“Film songs have been reused so often that they have lost their impact. Today, even cinema music is made for reels. A 15-minute speech can be compressed into a one-minute, trendy campaign song that people actually listen to,” said S Kalai, a Pudukkottai-based sound engineer. He added, “These tracks can then be split into multiple portions to create hundreds of short reels.”
Chennai-based composer I Alvin Tony, who created a track for Irudhayaraj, said the focus is on energy and relatability. “The aim is to make people dance. We blended Indian and native Tiruchy rhythms, added tight percussion and earthy elements for a strong local connect,” he said.
The scale of production is also expanding. A Antony Derek of Derek Studios, Madurai, said his team produced songs for around 30 DMK candidates from southern Tamil Nadu. “Each track highlights achievements and future promises, with our own composers and lyricists working together. Many are shared directly with cadre for use in door-to-door campaigns,” he said.
The songs are also finding resonance among supporters. “I have set my candidate’s song as my ringtone. It’s very catchy, you feel like dancing as soon as it plays,” said a DMK supporter from Manachanallur backing Kathiravan.
For Tiruchy-based composer D S S Kennedy, who performs Nagore Hanifa’s songs on DMK stages, the shift still underscores one constant feature. “Original songs always stand out. Even decades later, songs written specifically for leaders are still sung. That kind of recall cannot be matched by reused film tracks,” he said.