Tere Baad by Arjan Dhillon

Arjan Dhillon has delivered memorable performances before, but Tere Baad sits comfortably among the very best. MXRCI sets the tone from the very first bar — it is clear from the opening notes that this song means business.

There are singers who perform songs and singers who live inside them. On Tere Baad, Arjan Dhillon clearly belongs in the second group. The connection between a talented ensemble cast and this song is part of what makes it resonate beyond the film itself.

In 2022, Punjabi produced many songs, but Tere Baad was one of the handful that genuinely cut through. The emotional register of Tere Baad is wide enough to fit celebration and solitude equally well.

The concision of Tere Baad — just 2:31 — is part of what makes it work. There is nothing here that should not be. This is music that holds up — not because it is perfect, but because it is honest, and honesty in a song is irreplaceable.