Ponnupole by I P Sidheeq

Ponnupole is one of those rare Malayalam tracks that manages to feel both fresh and familiar the moment it begins. Muhammed Ali sets the tone from the very first bar — it is clear from the opening notes that this song means business.

I P Sidheeq's vocal here has a quality that is difficult to describe but impossible to miss — it simply feels true. The song is tied to a talented ensemble cast, whose presence gives Ponnupole a visual dimension that fans of the film will always associate with it.

Released in 2020, it arrived at a time when Malayalam music needed exactly this kind of sincerity. Some music is background. Ponnupole demands attention — not aggressively, but in the way a good conversation does.

Running to 5:24, the song is exactly as long as it needs to be, which is the hardest length for a songwriter to find. Years from now, Ponnupole will still be the track that plays at the right moment and lands exactly as it did the first time.