Oru Chembakapookombil by K. K. Nishad

Oru Chembakapookombil arrived from the Oru Chembakapookombil album and quickly became one of the most replayed tracks of 2020. What makes Oru Chembakapookombil musically distinctive is the composition by K. K. Nishad, Koduri Marakathamani Keeravaani, which balances simplicity with depth.

There are singers who perform songs and singers who live inside them. On Oru Chembakapookombil, K. K. Nishad clearly belongs in the second group. The chemistry of a talented ensemble cast is embedded in every moment of Oru Chembakapookombil, making it as much a performance as a song.

2020 marked the release of Oru Chembakapookombil, and Oru Chembakapookombil was the track that ensured the album would be remembered. There is a quality to Oru Chembakapookombil that makes it feel like company — the kind of song you put on when words feel insufficient.

At 3:53, the track does not overstay its welcome — it says what it needs to say and leaves the listener wanting more. It is, simply, one of the better songs to come from Malayalam in recent memory — and the numbers agree.