Review: Dhvani Bhanushali & Jubin Nautiyal - Nayan
Dhvani Bhanushali can quite easily be called the Indian breakout star of 2019. She released mega-hits in 'Vaaste' and 'Leja Re', which also got acclaimed. But more importantly (at least to me), she showed that the Hindi song industry still had some gas in its tank. 'Nayan' is her new collaboration single with equally popular singer Jubin Nautiyal. Despite this song being called a collaboration, I would say that it is a Dhvani single with Jubin featuring, for while both sing, I think that it was made more for Dhvani's voice. That is not to discredit Jubin's performance, but even all promotional images show Dhvani in prominence, and it is distributed from Dhvani's channel.
The song mostly lets Dhvani Bhanushali's voice do the talking. The chorus is appropriately the centerpiece of the song. Dhvani and Jubin's vocals thrive in the classical Indian instrumentation blended with modern elements. Through it all, the male backing vocals provide glue and a sense of consistency through the whole track and stand out during the chorus.
Near the end of the track, a flute and several violins come in to support the vocalists, and the two singers get to sing together for the final chorus. This melodic and celebratory feel is strong, yet not over-bearing, perfect for this season (though the western Holidays are way less prominent in India). I think I felt a small chord change in this section, but I am not sure.
The track ends with a coda, a classic trick that needs to be used way more in modern music, bringing the song full circle. Afterward, Dhvani briefly sings a line bringing the song to a close.
Between this and 'Tanhaai', I am feeling that T-Series and Hindi music is reviving. Please do not prove me wrong! But as this is a remake (and of a Gujarati track, for those who do not know), and still quite inferior to the original, fears still exist about the omnipresence of the remake trend.
I'm not that familiar or very expert in the genre, but this is a good song I say. I can hear the fundamental Indian classical choral instrumentation which makes it amazing, I have to say. The final part is very good I must say. The arrangement is modern but some parts are so classic. 7.75!
ReplyDeleteAgree with your points, it got pushed up due to the post-chorus and performance skills. Also, if you follow Indian music, you would know that gems are currently rare, but are really good when they appear. Unfortunately, this is a remake, and the original has been remade before too, so I docked points for that.
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