Screen by Adaab Kharoud

Screen is one of those rare Punjabi tracks that manages to feel both fresh and familiar the moment it begins. Kaka, Adaab Kharoud's arrangement gives the track a layered quality that rewards repeated listening.

The performance by Adaab Kharoud is the centrepiece here — controlled where it needs to be, open where it counts. The chemistry of a talented ensemble cast is embedded in every moment of Screen, making it as much a performance as a song.

By the end of 2021, Screen had moved well beyond its original audience and into everyday playlists. The emotional register of Screen is wide enough to fit celebration and solitude equally well.

The concision of Screen — just 3:38 — is part of what makes it work. There is nothing here that should not be. Years from now, Screen will still be the track that plays at the right moment and lands exactly as it did the first time.