Baratiya Akhiya Marata by Rakesh Raj, Shilpi Raj

Baratiya Akhiya Marata arrived from the Baratiya Akhiya Marata album and quickly became one of the most replayed tracks of 2022. Sonu Sanwariya sets the tone from the very first bar — it is clear from the opening notes that this song means business.

There are singers who perform songs and singers who live inside them. On Baratiya Akhiya Marata, Rakesh Raj, Shilpi Raj clearly belongs in the second group. The song is tied to a talented ensemble cast, whose presence gives Baratiya Akhiya Marata a visual dimension that fans of the film will always associate with it.

By the end of 2022, Baratiya Akhiya Marata had moved well beyond its original audience and into everyday playlists. Whether it plays on a long drive, during a quiet evening at home, or through earphones on a crowded commute, the song meets the listener where they are.

Running to 2:50, 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 Bhojpuri in recent memory — and the numbers agree.