Noorunoorayiram by Kannur Shereef

There is an honesty to Noorunoorayiram that separates it from most Malayalam songs released around the same time. Behind the melody is the work of Bappu Velliparamba, whose composition choices give Noorunoorayiram its distinctive texture.

The performance by Kannur Shereef is the centrepiece here — controlled where it needs to be, open where it counts. Hearing Noorunoorayiram without thinking of a talented ensemble cast is almost impossible for anyone who has seen Noorunoorayiram.

In 2020, Malayalam produced many songs, but Noorunoorayiram was one of the handful that genuinely cut through. Listeners have described the experience of Noorunoorayiram differently — romantic, melancholic, uplifting — which suggests the song is large enough to hold many truths.

Running to 3:47, the song is exactly as long as it needs to be, which is the hardest length for a songwriter to find. Noorunoorayiram has earned its place in the catalogue of Malayalam music that genuinely matters. The listeners who found it early already knew.