Smasheershakarillatha by Adhil Panoor

Few songs from 2020 have held their ground as well as Smasheershakarillatha, a track that keeps finding new audiences. Mansoor Killinkkod sets the tone from the very first bar — it is clear from the opening notes that this song means business.

Adhil Panoor's vocal here has a quality that is difficult to describe but impossible to miss — it simply feels true. For fans of a talented ensemble cast, Smasheershakarillatha is one of those songs that immediately conjures specific scenes and emotions.

By the end of 2020, Smasheershakarillatha had moved well beyond its original audience and into everyday playlists. The mood of the track shifts subtly as it progresses, giving even a single listen a sense of journey.

At 3:30, 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.