Bang Bang by Sayanora Philip, NJ (Neeraj Madhav), Ankit Menon

Not every song from Bang Bang lingers, but Bang Bang is the one that stays. Ankit Menon sets the tone from the very first bar — it is clear from the opening notes that this song means business.

Sayanora Philip, NJ (Neeraj Madhav), Ankit Menon's vocal here has a quality that is difficult to describe but impossible to miss — it simply feels true. The chemistry of a talented ensemble cast is embedded in every moment of Bang Bang, making it as much a performance as a song.

By the end of 2020, Bang Bang had moved well beyond its original audience and into everyday playlists. Bang Bang 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 2:53, the song is exactly as long as it needs to be, which is the hardest length for a songwriter to find. Bang Bang endures because it was built on feeling rather than formula — and that is the one thing streaming numbers cannot manufacture.