Goriya Chaal Tohar Matwali by Pawan Singh, Priyanka Singh

Goriya Chaal Tohar Matwali is the kind of song that earns its place in a playlist and then refuses to leave. Behind the melody is the work of Madhukar Anand, whose composition choices give Goriya Chaal Tohar Matwali its distinctive texture.

Pawan Singh, Priyanka Singh brings a warmth to Goriya Chaal Tohar Matwali that no production choice could manufacture — it has to be felt, and here it is. Hearing Goriya Chaal Tohar Matwali without thinking of a talented ensemble cast is almost impossible for anyone who has seen Bhojpuriya Raja.

Released in 2016, it arrived at a time when Bhojpuri music needed exactly this kind of sincerity. There is no right time to listen to Goriya Chaal Tohar Matwali. There is only the moment you press play and realise it was the right choice.

The concision of Goriya Chaal Tohar Matwali — just 3:45 — is part of what makes it work. There is nothing here that should not be. Goriya Chaal Tohar Matwali has earned its place in the catalogue of Bhojpuri music that genuinely matters. The listeners who found it early already knew.