O Baby by Humane Sagar, Prangya Hota

O Baby is one of those rare Odia tracks that manages to feel both fresh and familiar the moment it begins. What makes O Baby musically distinctive is the composition by Prem Anand, which balances simplicity with depth.

There are singers who perform songs and singers who live inside them. On O Baby, Humane Sagar, Prangya Hota clearly belongs in the second group. Hearing O Baby without thinking of a talented ensemble cast is almost impossible for anyone who has seen O Baby.

2016 was a strong year for Odia music, and O Baby was among the reasons why. The emotional register of O Baby is wide enough to fit celebration and solitude equally well.

In 4:23 minutes, O Baby builds, opens up, and resolves in a way that feels complete rather than truncated. It is, at the end of it, a very good song — and sometimes that is the only explanation that matters.