I (Music)

The biggest film of the year, ‘I’ has its music release today. With AR Rahman in control of the department, the expectations are sky high for an album filled with chartbusters. Do we get what we deserve? Read on.

1. Mersalaayiten : Singer – Anirudh, Neeti Mohan, Lyrics – Kabilan

The youthful vocals of Anirudh come together with Rahman’s electronic tune, set to ‘local’ lyrics. The Atari-ish jingle and the Arabic string interlude are the best parts of the song, which has a heavy dose of autotune. The song lacks AR Rahman’s magical touch and sounds bland and repetitive post the halfway mark.

2. Ennodu Nee Irundhal : Singer – Sid Sriram, SunithaSarathy, Lyrics – Kabilan ( PICK )

AR Rahman brings in a fusion of light drums along with the accented voice of Sid Sriram for this lilting melody. Though the lyrics are ordinary, the instrumentation haunt you while the vocals do take it to level respectable. The back end of the song features a lovely chorus which ends it on a high.

3. Ladio : Singer – Nikita Gandhi, Lyrics – Madhan Karky

Two of AR Rahman’s contrasting tunes intertwine themselves for Ladio, which is an international dance number made for Amy Jackson’s fashionista intro in the movie. Nikita Gandhi’s modern vocals take this over, aided by MadhanKarky’s trendy lines. The instrumentation is on the lines of a pop number, and doesn’t hold onto you once you are done listening to it.

4. Pookale Sattru Oyivedungal : Singers – Haricharan, Shreya Ghoshal, Lyrics – Madhan Karky ( PICK )

If you came into this album looking for that one flawless track, here it is. The lovely vocals of Haricharan and Shreya Ghoshal along with the mesmerizing tune provide a heavenly feel on the whole. The rendition is near perfect with melodious orchestrations which do not get too loud at any point. A superb melody which deserves a click on the repeat button. Must laud MadhanKarky’s magical lyrics and AR Rahman’s droplet sounds that add an enjoyable essence to the song.

5. Aila Aila : Singers – Aditya Rao, Natalie Di Luccio, Lyrics – Madhan Karky ( PICK )

One of those ARR numbers which sound prosaic at first but grab your liking later. AR Rahman’s innovative tune comes to the front more than anything else, but a special mention has to be given to Natalie Di Luccio, who has struck the jackpot which her rendition which is highly appealing. The song has a lot of towering moments, which will surely set the screen ablaze with the colourful visuals.

6. Ennodu Nee Irundhal (Reprise) : Singers – Chinmayi, Sid Sriram, Lyrics – Kabilan ( PICK )

If you loved the first version, you are bound for more. Chinmayi croons this one with all her heart, along with the instrumentations which possess more strings this time. Sid Sriram comes back for more, but the best part of the song truly is the female vocals from the word go.

7. Mersalaayiten (Remix) : Singers – Anirudh, Neeti Mohan, Lyrics –Kabilan

The album ends on a lifeless rehash of the first song. The music is rushed and the drums are infused even harder, with the true plus points of the song taken away without a trace. A disappointing remix, solely for the dancers at the club.

I is by no means a bad album. But by AR Rahman standards, it is a little underwhelming on the whole after a flurry of impressive albums. Nevertheless, we have a decent fare to which Shankar can open up his visual talent to. Let's wait and see.

Satisfyingly impressive.

3.25 / 5