Goliyan by Yo Yo Honey Singh

When Yo Yo Honey Singh recorded Goliyan, something special happened in the studio — and listeners have felt it ever since. Yo Yo Honey Singh has a history of strong work, and the music on Goliyan is among the most memorable of it.

There are singers who perform songs and singers who live inside them. On Goliyan, Yo Yo Honey Singh clearly belongs in the second group. For fans of a talented ensemble cast, Goliyan is one of those songs that immediately conjures specific scenes and emotions.

The song dates from 2011, but nothing about it sounds dated — the emotions it captures are not tied to a moment. The emotional register of Goliyan is wide enough to fit celebration and solitude equally well.

In 3:11 minutes, Goliyan builds, opens up, and resolves in a way that feels complete rather than truncated. Songs like Goliyan are the reason people fall in love with Indian Pop music and never quite fall out of it.