2021 Highlight Review: Dhee and Arivu change the trends of the South Indian music industry with 'Enjoy Enjaami'

Sometimes songs are simply too big to fail. That was the case for this March's mega-hit Enjoy Enjaami. I would not be surprised if most readers here have never heard of the names involved with this song, but Enjoy Enjaami has garnered nearly 400 million views already and only continues to grow.

Despite what the media and pop culture in the west would make one think, India is a whole lot more than Bollywood. With more than 22 official languages, and 38 more attempting to join this category, the Indian land is massive, much bigger than one industry can cover. One of these languages, Tamil, has its own Kollywood industry, which is where the major players of this song arise. Producer/Composer Santhosh Narayanan is one of Kollywood's biggest names as far as music goes, being behind some of the industry's biggest hits. He often incorporates the help of his step-daughter, Sri Lankan (an island nation part of the Indian subcontinent) singer Dhee, for his songs. While this is technically her solo debut, she has been massively successful in the Tamil industry, with her 2019 mega-hit duet with Dhanush, Rowdy Baby, having gained more than 1.2 billion views on YouTube.

 Arivu is a Tamil rapper from an indie hip-hop group called the casteless collective, writing about his own personal experiences. For Enjoy Enjaami, he chose to write about the Tamil migration to Sri Lanka during the colonial era (he is the featured artist and lyricist). His grandmother was one of the many people who migrated to the island, and the experiences and stories she told him inspired the lyrics of this track (she appears in the final shot of the MV). The Sri Lankan civil war has largely defined the international tale told between the Tamils and the majority Sinhalese in Sri Lanka, so this is a major shadow over the track. Despite its overtly political origins, Enjoy Enjaami barely shows this at face level, instead it spends its time talking about how nature is for all, and the roots of civilization. This vastly spread net is incredibly sharp, with 'Enjoy' being the only English word in this otherwise traditionally sung Tamil song. The folk lyrics of hope, peace, and environmentalism make for one of the most intense songs of the year, and I have been told by Tamil speakers they are much better in their original language.

Dhee is already famed for her alto vocals, and she nails everything her step-father throws at her. Sharp yet finely tuned, she leaves nothing to doubt. At the same time, Arivu proves an exceptionally strong assist, with his heavy voice often proving excellent in the verses, with him letting loose in the rap verses. Sometimes, he abandons any commercial sensibilities, instead choosing to sing in an imitation of his grandparent's voice. However, things only peak when the two come together. Dhee and Arivu are a surprisingly competent duo, with each providing what the other's voice lacks.

The spiraling melody and production are surprisingly uncommercial. The brief percussion is driven entirely by a hopping marimba, assisted by whatever Santhosh Narayanan is willing to use. Sometimes, dramatic traditional drums bang over the landscape, while other times violins sweep you off your feet. The singing style occasionally opts towards rap, and at other times towards traditional Oppari singing. A highlight from the verses would be the thumping bass, standing out in contrast to the tribal and adventurous instrumentation.

As idiosyncratic lies the percussion and vocal performance, nothing remains as strange and surprising as the surprising melody. While many of the hooks are repeated commonly, they never sound the same. The same refrain in the chorus can be fun and simple, and later in the track, can be an emotional ode to the land. It is strange, yet always cathartic. Part of this is due to Dhee and Arivu's vocal performance, and partly due to the individual melody. One could write on everything in this song, and it would take over 4,000 words. All I would suggest is that you use great headphones.

Like many of the greatest songs, Enjoy Enjaami significantly improves over its runtime. After the bridge, Dhee utterly lets loose her vocal prowess, with some of the greatest ad-libs of modern times. Nothing here is exceptionally difficult but is performed instead with compensating heart.

While she has yet to release the promised album, Enjoy Enjaami is so exceptionally strong that nearly everything else she releases will suffer in comparison. Make no mistake, this song is one of the year's best. Some have said this song signals the birth of the Tamil indie/popular music scene. While that remains to be seen, there is no denying Enjoy Enjaami is something special.

Rating: 9.5/10

Image Source: Tamil Song Lyric