Malaghamarothu Vazhum by Jinto John

Jinto John has delivered memorable performances before, but Malaghamarothu Vazhum sits comfortably among the very best. Lizy K Fernandez, Jinto John's arrangement gives the track a layered quality that rewards repeated listening.

There are singers who perform songs and singers who live inside them. On Malaghamarothu Vazhum, Jinto John clearly belongs in the second group. The story told by a talented ensemble cast in Malaghamarothu Vazhum finds its musical expression here — Malaghamarothu Vazhum is where the film's heart beats loudest.

By the end of 2020, Malaghamarothu Vazhum had moved well beyond its original audience and into everyday playlists. The mood of the track shifts subtly as it progresses, giving even a single listen a sense of journey.

Running to 5:40, the song is exactly as long as it needs to be, which is the hardest length for a songwriter to find. Years from now, Malaghamarothu Vazhum will still be the track that plays at the right moment and lands exactly as it did the first time.