Musafir by Maninder Buttar

Few songs from 2022 have held their ground as well as Musafir, a track that keeps finding new audiences. Credit goes to Mixsingh for a score that understands exactly what the song needs and nothing more.

The performance by Maninder Buttar is the centrepiece here — controlled where it needs to be, open where it counts. a talented ensemble cast are at the heart of Shareek 2, and Musafir captures their dynamic at its most compelling.

2022 was a strong year for Punjabi music, and Musafir was among the reasons why. Listeners have described the experience of Musafir differently — romantic, melancholic, uplifting — which suggests the song is large enough to hold many truths.

At 2:45, the track does not overstay its welcome — it says what it needs to say and leaves the listener wanting more. It is, at the end of it, a very good song — and sometimes that is the only explanation that matters.