Ada - Garam Masala by Sonu Nigam

Sonu Nigam has delivered memorable performances before, but Ada - Garam Masala sits comfortably among the very best. The arrangement here is the work of Pritam, and it shows genuine craft in how it builds and releases.

Every line Sonu Nigam sings feels considered, as though the performance was thought through long before recording began. Hearing Ada - Garam Masala without thinking of Akshay Kumar, John Abraham, Rimi Sen, Neha Dhupia, Neetu Chandra, Nargis, Deasy, Manoj Joshi, Asrani, Rajpal Yadav is almost impossible for anyone who has seen Garam Masala.

2005 marked the release of Garam Masala, and Ada - Garam Masala was the track that ensured the album would be remembered. The mood of the track shifts subtly as it progresses, giving even a single listen a sense of journey.

The concision of Ada - Garam Masala — just 4:47 — is part of what makes it work. There is nothing here that should not be. Songs like Ada - Garam Masala are the reason people fall in love with Hindi music and never quite fall out of it.