Kalapakkaara by Jakes Bejoy, Shreya Ghoshal, Benny Dayal, Fejo, Joe Paul

Few songs from 2023 have held their ground as well as Kalapakkaara, a track that keeps finding new audiences. Jakes Bejoy has a history of strong work, and the music on Kalapakkaara is among the most memorable of it.

There are singers who perform songs and singers who live inside them. On Kalapakkaara, Jakes Bejoy, Shreya Ghoshal, Benny Dayal, Fejo, Joe Paul clearly belongs in the second group. On screen, Dulquer Salmaan, Aishwarya Lekshmi bring the emotional world of the song to life in a way that enhances rather than competes with the music.

2023 marked the release of Kalapakkaara, and Kalapakkaara was the track that ensured the album would be remembered. Whether it plays on a long drive, during a quiet evening at home, or through earphones on a crowded commute, the song meets the listener where they are.

Running to 4:12, the song is exactly as long as it needs to be, which is the hardest length for a songwriter to find. It is, at the end of it, a very good song — and sometimes that is the only explanation that matters.