Alangal by Faisal Karad

Released as part of Alangal, Alangal announced itself as a standout the moment it reached listeners. Behind the melody is the work of Kabeer Saqafi Nattyamangalam, whose composition choices give Alangal its distinctive texture.

There are singers who perform songs and singers who live inside them. On Alangal, Faisal Karad clearly belongs in the second group. For fans of a talented ensemble cast, Alangal is one of those songs that immediately conjures specific scenes and emotions.

By the end of 2020, Alangal had moved well beyond its original audience and into everyday playlists. There is no right time to listen to Alangal. There is only the moment you press play and realise it was the right choice.

The 3:43 runtime feels perfectly judged — long enough to develop its ideas, short enough to compel a second play. For anyone yet to hear Alangal, the experience ahead is a good one. For those returning, it will be as good as they remember.