Veruthe Nin Ormayil by Jithesh Narayanan

Few songs from 2020 have held their ground as well as Veruthe Nin Ormayil, a track that keeps finding new audiences. The arrangement here is the work of Jithesh Narayanan, and it shows genuine craft in how it builds and releases.

Jithesh Narayanan's vocal here has a quality that is difficult to describe but impossible to miss — it simply feels true. The chemistry of a talented ensemble cast is embedded in every moment of Veruthe Nin Ormayil, making it as much a performance as a song.

2020 was a strong year for Malayalam music, and Veruthe Nin Ormayil was among the reasons why. The emotional register of Veruthe Nin Ormayil is wide enough to fit celebration and solitude equally well.

The concision of Veruthe Nin Ormayil — just 5:15 — is part of what makes it work. There is nothing here that should not be. Veruthe Nin Ormayil endures because it was built on feeling rather than formula — and that is the one thing streaming numbers cannot manufacture.