Vellimalayil Pallikollum by Biju Narayanan

Some songs are made for a single moment. Vellimalayil Pallikollum is made for all of them. The music, composed by K.M Udhayan, carries the song forward with a confidence that matches the performance.

Every line Biju Narayanan sings feels considered, as though the performance was thought through long before recording began. Hearing Vellimalayil Pallikollum without thinking of a talented ensemble cast is almost impossible for anyone who has seen Vellimalayil Pallikollum.

2020 marked the release of Vellimalayil Pallikollum, and Vellimalayil Pallikollum was the track that ensured the album would be remembered. The emotional register of Vellimalayil Pallikollum is wide enough to fit celebration and solitude equally well.

Running to 11:51, the song is exactly as long as it needs to be, which is the hardest length for a songwriter to find. It is, at the end of it, a very good song — and sometimes that is the only explanation that matters.