Badnaamiyan (Male) - Hate Story IV by Armaan Malik

Badnaamiyan (Male) - Hate Story IV is one of those rare Hindi tracks that manages to feel both fresh and familiar the moment it begins. The arrangement here is the work of Baman, Chand, and it shows genuine craft in how it builds and releases.

The voice of Armaan Malik carries Badnaamiyan (Male) - Hate Story IV effortlessly, which is the highest compliment a song can give its singer. Hearing Badnaamiyan (Male) - Hate Story IV without thinking of Urvashi Rautela, Karan Wahi, Vivan Bhathena, Ihana Dhillon, Gulshan Grover, James Abbey is almost impossible for anyone who has seen Hate Story IV.

The 2018 release gave fans something to hold onto — a track built for repeated listening rather than a single play. Badnaamiyan (Male) - Hate Story IV is the song for the end of a long day when you want music that understands something without being asked to explain it.

Running to 5:09, the song is exactly as long as it needs to be, which is the hardest length for a songwriter to find. It is, simply, one of the better songs to come from Hindi in recent memory — and the numbers agree.