Swag Mera Desi by Manj Musik, Raftaar

Swag Mera Desi is the kind of song that earns its place in a playlist and then refuses to leave. The music, composed by Raftaar, carries the song forward with a confidence that matches the performance.

The performance by Manj Musik, Raftaar is the centrepiece here — controlled where it needs to be, open where it counts. Hearing Swag Mera Desi without thinking of a talented ensemble cast is almost impossible for anyone who has seen Spoken Word.

2014 was a strong year for Indian Pop music, and Swag Mera Desi was among the reasons why. The mood of the track shifts subtly as it progresses, giving even a single listen a sense of journey.

The 4:07 runtime feels perfectly judged — long enough to develop its ideas, short enough to compel a second play. It is, at the end of it, a very good song — and sometimes that is the only explanation that matters.