Dil Ke Taar by Rahat Fateh Ali Khan

Dil Ke Taar arrived from the Back 2 Love album and quickly became one of the most replayed tracks of 2018. Credit goes to for a score that understands exactly what the song needs and nothing more.

There are singers who perform songs and singers who live inside them. On Dil Ke Taar, Rahat Fateh Ali Khan clearly belongs in the second group. For fans of a talented ensemble cast, Dil Ke Taar is one of those songs that immediately conjures specific scenes and emotions.

By the end of 2018, Dil Ke Taar had moved well beyond its original audience and into everyday playlists. The song rewards full attention but also works as company in the background — a flexibility that most tracks never achieve.

At 4:55, the track does not overstay its welcome — it says what it needs to say and leaves the listener wanting more. Years from now, Dil Ke Taar will still be the track that plays at the right moment and lands exactly as it did the first time.