Pakeezah - Ungli by Gulraj Singh

When Gulraj Singh recorded Pakeezah - Ungli, something special happened in the studio — and listeners have felt it ever since. What makes Pakeezah - Ungli musically distinctive is the composition by Gulraj Singh, which balances simplicity with depth.

The voice of Gulraj Singh carries Pakeezah - Ungli effortlessly, which is the highest compliment a song can give its singer. Hearing Pakeezah - Ungli without thinking of Randeep Hooda, Emraan Hashmi, Kangana Ranaut, Angad Bedi, Sanjay Dutt, Neil Bhoopalam is almost impossible for anyone who has seen Ungli.

The song dates from 2014, but nothing about it sounds dated — the emotions it captures are not tied to a moment. It fits the playlist for almost any occasion, which is rare — most songs have a narrow emotional window. This one does not.

The 4:25 runtime feels perfectly judged — long enough to develop its ideas, short enough to compel a second play. It is, at the end of it, a very good song — and sometimes that is the only explanation that matters.