Ee Vazhiye by Karthik, Nithya Menen

Ee Vazhiye is the kind of song that earns its place in a playlist and then refuses to leave. What makes Ee Vazhiye musically distinctive is the composition by Ishaan Chhabra, which balances simplicity with depth.

Karthik, Nithya Menen understood what this song required and delivered it without excess — the restraint itself becomes the emotion. Hearing Ee Vazhiye without thinking of Jiji Scaria, Sanoop D, Neetha Pillai is almost impossible for anyone who has seen Ee Vazhiye.

2020 was a strong year for Malayalam music, and Ee Vazhiye was among the reasons why. Ee Vazhiye 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 6:28, the song is exactly as long as it needs to be, which is the hardest length for a songwriter to find. Years from now, Ee Vazhiye will still be the track that plays at the right moment and lands exactly as it did the first time.