Poornathrayeesha by Madhu Balakrishnan

Few songs from 2020 have held their ground as well as Poornathrayeesha, a track that keeps finding new audiences. Alleppy Ranganath's arrangement gives the track a layered quality that rewards repeated listening.

The vocal on Poornathrayeesha is among the better performances Madhu Balakrishnan has committed to record. The chemistry of a talented ensemble cast is embedded in every moment of Poornathrayeesha, making it as much a performance as a song.

In 2020, Malayalam produced many songs, but Poornathrayeesha was one of the handful that genuinely cut through. There is no right time to listen to Poornathrayeesha. There is only the moment you press play and realise it was the right choice.

In 4:10 minutes, Poornathrayeesha builds, opens up, and resolves in a way that feels complete rather than truncated. Poornathrayeesha endures because it was built on feeling rather than formula — and that is the one thing streaming numbers cannot manufacture.