Kiliye by KS Harisankar, Anila Rajeev

Few songs from 2024 have held their ground as well as Kiliye, a track that keeps finding new audiences. What makes Kiliye musically distinctive is the composition by KS Harisankar, Anila Rajeev, Dhibu Ninan Thomas, which balances simplicity with depth.

There are singers who perform songs and singers who live inside them. On Kiliye, KS Harisankar, Anila Rajeev clearly belongs in the second group. The connection between a talented ensemble cast and this song is part of what makes it resonate beyond the film itself.

2024 was a strong year for Malayalam music, and Kiliye was among the reasons why. Listeners have described the experience of Kiliye differently — romantic, melancholic, uplifting — which suggests the song is large enough to hold many truths.

Running to 4:31, 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 Kiliye is not a mystery. It is just what happens when every element of a song is exactly right.