Kanika Kapoor – Lovely
This is by far my favourite Kanika Kapoor song as it’s hypnotic in a robotic Donna Summer kind of way. It drips with the implied sexual passion of so many Bollywood dance numbers and the repetition throughout the tune has a hazy, musically opiate feel to it. Required listening for fans of 21st-century Bollywood.
Rajeev B and Raxstar feat Mickey Singh – Signs
Raxstar, the poster boy of British Asian rap, delivers a tight track of love and loss in his trademark mix of English and Punjabi over minimalist beats from Rajeev B. The track also features rising global south Asian star in the making Mickey Singh, who as usual slays the song and makes it look effortless. Check this out for a true urban expression from a different demographic.
Jaz Dhami feat Ikka and Sneakbo – Pasina
Jaz Dhami, in my opinion, is the king of the next generation of bhangra artists. He’s comfortable in any given musical situation and always delivers a banger. His traditional bhangra tracks reek of authenticity as well as big bass lines while he’s also adept in the fusion/urban arena as evidenced by this track Pasina. It’s pure UK down to its DNA, but could also be dropped in New York, Toronto or Mumbai and still destroy speakers.
Divine – Jungli Sher
Forget the constructed, romanticised tales of Slumdog Millionaire, or Coldplay dancing in Mumbai, Divine is the real deal – a A force of nature representing the real streets and slums of India’s most arcane city. His flow is 100% legit and his intense Hindi street slang is delivered like an angry diatribe from the pit of his stomach. His musical collaborators like Nucleya, who’s been getting enough love from people like Diplo, have helped him stay linked to India’s cutting-edge electronic scene too.
Badshah feat Shraddha Pandit – Aaj Raat Ka Scene
Badshah is King Midas at the moment. Any track he makes or guests on is a success. He does it as Bollywood’s own in-house rapper, so hits like that tend to reach over a billion people! His lazily delivered flow, dressed with the same middle-class Chandigarh-to-Delhi accent that so many Indians aspire to, has found his worth spiral out of control in just a few years. It might be pop music, but it’s the soundtrack for a huge audience and it definitely rocks.
