Enteyullil by Thajudheen Vadakara

There is an honesty to Enteyullil that separates it from most Malayalam songs released around the same time. What makes Enteyullil musically distinctive is the composition by Thajudheen Vadakara, Nizar Vadakara, which balances simplicity with depth.

Thajudheen Vadakara's vocal here has a quality that is difficult to describe but impossible to miss — it simply feels true. The connection between a talented ensemble cast and this song is part of what makes it resonate beyond the film itself.

2020 was a strong year for Malayalam music, and Enteyullil was among the reasons why. The emotional register of Enteyullil is wide enough to fit celebration and solitude equally well.

The concision of Enteyullil — just 5:38 — is part of what makes it work. There is nothing here that should not be. The staying power of Enteyullil is not a mystery. It is just what happens when every element of a song is exactly right.