Ishq Garaari by RDB

RDB has delivered memorable performances before, but Ishq Garaari sits comfortably among the very best. RDB's arrangement gives the track a layered quality that rewards repeated listening.

RDB delivers the lyrics with a nuance that turns an already strong song into something genuinely moving. Sharry Maan, Rannvijay Singh, Vinaypal Buttar, Mukesh Vohra, Gulzar Inder Chahal, Mandy Takhar, Miss Pooja, Gunjan Walia, Prabhleen Sandhu gave the film its soul, and Ishq Garaari is the song that most directly channels that feeling into music.

2013 marked the release of Ishq Garaari, and Ishq Garaari was the track that ensured the album would be remembered. It is the kind of track that works at full volume with friends and equally well in a quiet room alone — the mood adjusts without the song changing.

Running to 3:08, the song is exactly as long as it needs to be, which is the hardest length for a songwriter to find. Ishq Garaari has earned its place in the catalogue of Indian Pop music that genuinely matters. The listeners who found it early already knew.