Best Of Arijit Singh Songs
Arijit Singh’s songs have become a staple in the world of Hindi cinema, but how did Singh’s journey begin? Let’s rewind the time to the 90s and 2000s, when the world of Bollywood music was ruled by the likes of Kumar Sanu, Udit Narayan, Sonu Nigam, Shaan and KK. As the world entered the 2010s, a new star emerged in the Indian music industry—Arijit Singh. Born to a Bengali mother and a Punjabi father, the young boy from Murshidabad started his musical journey under the guidance of various Hindustani and Indian classical maestros, Rajendra Prasad Hazari, Dhirendra Prasad Hazari, and Birendra Prasad Hazari.
From participating in a musical reality TV show to working as an assistant to music composer Pritam, Singh finally got his mega breakthrough with the song “Tum hi ho,” and the rest is history. The singer climbed the ladder of success and is currently one of the most well-known and highest-paid musicians in India. In this blog, we will explore a few of Arijit Singh’s songs that helped him make a mark in the world of music.
Ae Dil Hai Mushkil
Over the years, Arijit Singh has mastered the art of love songs. The title track from the Karan Johar-directed movie Ae Dil Hai Mushkil (2016) is one of the examples of his understanding of the genre. The premise of the song is the passionate portrayal of love.
Ayan, played by Ranbir Kapoor, has eyes that carry sadness, which is even more deeply felt through Singh’s heart-wrenching voice. The 4:28-minute song’s name was a subtle homage to Kapoor’s grandfather, Raj Kapoor’s famous song Aye Dil Hai Mushkil Jeena Yahan from the movie CID (1956).
Kalank
The next Arijit Singh song has many familiar associations. In 2019, the musical trio of Arijit Singh, Pritam Chakroborty and Amitabh Bhattacharya came together, but this time for a Karan Johar-produced movie, Kalank.
The movie explores different forms of love through its characters and is set against the tumultuous period of 1940s India, leading up to the partition of India in 1947. The title track of the movie wraps all the stories together and relays the complex nature of love in 5:11 minutes.
Raabta
The next Arijit Singh song on the list highlights his ties with the genre of love songs that go way back; an example of the same is the song Raabta. Released in 2012 as a part of the soundtrack for the movie Agent Vinod, the song is a composition by Pritam with Amitabh Bhattacharya playing the role of the lyricist. The song has four renditions sung by different singers, including Shreya Ghoshal.
The music video features Arijit Singh’s solo version; however, in the movie, the rendition is of Singh and Aditi Singh Sharma. The tenderness in Singh’s voice soothed the audience and critics alike; it was even voted as one of the top love songs by the platform “Gaana” (via Times of India).
Kesariya
Let’s fast forward 10 years into the future, and the trio Arijit Singh, Pritam and Amitabh Bhattacharya once again strike gold with the song Kesariya. The colour associated with the emotion of Love is red, but the three managed to turn the colour to Kesar for the entire nation.
One of the main songs from the movie Brahmastra embodies the strength, devotion and power of love. The love between Shiva and Isha blossoms on the banks of the Ganges, and Bhattacharya uses vivid imagery of nature through his words to express the purity and vastness of love.
The love ballad was recorded in various languages—Tamil, Telugu, Kannada and Malayalam. Kesariya’s success can be measured by its virality, as it has crossed over 500 million views on YouTube (as of today). It also became the first Indian song to cross over 500 million on Spotify. Thus, the song found a spot on our list of Arijit Singh’s most famous songs.
Phir Bhi Tumko Chahunga
What happens when Arijit Singh comes together with Mithoon again for a song—Magic! The origin story of Phir Bhi Tumko Chahunga is romantic in itself. The words of the song were born in Kashmir back in 2001 when the lyricist Manoj Muntashir took a boat ride on Dal Lake and penned down the words while thinking of his wife.
The song was tucked away in his diary for nearly a decade and a half; however, things changed in 2017 when Mithoon collaborated with Mohit Suri for the movie “Half Girlfriend.” The composer gave life to the words through his music, and Arijit Singh lent his soulful voice to the Nazm-themed song.
Gerua
Before Kesariya, there was another Arijit Singh song that chose to give love another colour—Gerua. The singer’s voice was a perfect fit for Pritam’s vision, and Amitabh Bhattacharya’s lyrics defined love through words. In 2015, anticipation was brimming throughout the entire nation as one of the most beloved on-screen couples returned in Rohit Shetty’s movie Dilwale.
Shah Rukh Khan and Kajol once again lit up the silver screens through their chemistry. Arijit Singh effortlessly delivered the larger-than-life feel through his voice to match the enigma of King Khan. The song’s picturisation was reminiscent of Kajol and SRK’s previous songs, mainly Suraj Hua Madham from K3G.
Did You Know?
Humari Adhuri Kaahani
One will find that the best of Arijit Singh’s songs have some key features— soul-evoking, heart-wrenching songs—and Mohit Suri needed the same for his movie Humari Adhuri Kahani’s title track; thus, he knocked on Singh’s door. 2015 was truly a special year for the singer’s fans, with numerous hits by the singer.
Humari Aadhuri Kahani found a special place in the hearts of millions and a spot in our Arijit Singh’s famous songs list. Composed by Jeet Ganguli and written by Rashmi Virag and Virag Mishra.
Ve Maahi
Akshay Kumar starrer Kesari tells the story of 21 valiant heroes martyred during the infamous ‘Battle of Saragarhi.’ The movie also touches upon their lives as ordinary men. Mahi Ve is a poignant addition to the movie and narrates the story between Havildar Ishar Singh and his wife.
Set in the 1800s, Arijit Singh adds to the nostalgia of the bygone era through his emotive vocals, and Asees Kaur brings perfect harmony to the song through her fresh voice.
Hawayien
The music industry got another soulful Arijit Singh song, when he became the dreamy voice behind SRK’s character in Imtiaz Ali’s ‘Jab Harry Met Sejal. Previously, the singer worked with Ali back in 2015 for his movie “Tamasha” and gave one of the biggest hits of his career, “Agar Tum Sath Ho,” composed by A.R. Rahman.
In 2017, Pritam incorporated the song with many sustaining notes, belting, soaring vocals, and soft instrumentals. Keeping in mind Ali’s signature style when depicting the unbound and expansive aspect of love.
Apna Bana Le Piya
Final thoughts
The list only scratches the surface of Arijit Singh’s songs. The singer has shown versatility in many ways, from exploring different genres to singing in different languages, whether it be Punjabi or Bengali. No doubt the singer has cemented a place not only in the halls of Indian music but also in the world of global music. Did we miss any Arijit Singh songs that you groove to? If yes, then let us know in the comments below.
FAQs
The exact number is unknown; however, it is estimated that Arijit Singh has recorded over 1000 songs in his career so far.
It’s a subjective question, but the song that put him on the map was Tum Hi Ho.
Arijit Singh catapulted to stardom with his 2013 song Tum Hi Ho
Arijit Singh started his career in 2005
Tum Hi Ho from Aashiqui 2
Arijit Singh primarily collaborates with composers (ex: Pritam, Mithoon) and lyricists (ex: Irshad Kamli, Amitabh Bhattacharya and provides vocals for songs.
Yes. Arijit Singh predominantly sings in the Hindi language; however, he has sung in South Indian languages as well, mainly in Tamil and Telugu.
