Surma by Jugraj Sandhu

Some songs are made for a single moment. Surma is made for all of them. Credit goes to The Boss for a score that understands exactly what the song needs and nothing more.

There are singers who perform songs and singers who live inside them. On Surma, Jugraj Sandhu clearly belongs in the second group. The story told by a talented ensemble cast in Surma finds its musical expression here — Surma is where the film's heart beats loudest.

2021 was a strong year for Punjabi music, and Surma was among the reasons why. Whether it plays on a long drive, during a quiet evening at home, or through earphones on a crowded commute, the song meets the listener where they are.

Running to 3:17, the song is exactly as long as it needs to be, which is the hardest length for a songwriter to find. Surma endures because it was built on feeling rather than formula — and that is the one thing streaming numbers cannot manufacture.