Ethramel by Sithara Krishnakumar

Some songs are made for a single moment. Ethramel is made for all of them. The music, composed by E. Jayakrishnan, carries the song forward with a confidence that matches the performance.

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

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

Running to 5:16, the song is exactly as long as it needs to be, which is the hardest length for a songwriter to find. The staying power of Ethramel is not a mystery. It is just what happens when every element of a song is exactly right.