As yet another happening year comes to an end, it is time to unveil the PinkLungi Indie Billboard 2023. When we launched the Billboard phenomenon in 2020, the vision was to bring independent artists to mainstream attention. And with each passing year, we have witnessed an increasing number of these artists winning the hearts of millions and entering their playlists (which once comprised just filmi numbers). So, it isn’t really about building awareness now as much as it is about celebrating the promising growth story of the indie music scene!
2023 was a good year for indie music – a complete move-on from Covid implied more offline gigs for all artists; moreover, organizers such as Indie Gaga and Southside Story ensured that people across India had ‘concert access’ to the pick of the artists from the scene. Another interesting development has been the return of the much-loved Music Mojo, which, under the Kappa Originals banner, has already done some promising work.
The selection for the Billboard is through a mix of objective (traction on streaming platforms) as well as subjective (reviews from the PL team) factors, so this is by no means an exhaustive list that puts forth the complete body of the work indicative of our indie scene. There are a bunch of interesting tracks that didn’t make it to the final 9, but they deserve a special mention (and all your love):
- Pa Pe Po – Amrutam Gamaya (Music Mojo Season 7)
- Thalakkanam – Baby Jean
- Daisy – Reyan
- Kali – Dabzee, Parimal Shais
- Maanju Poyi – Entercone
- Macaroni – DJ Agnivesh feat. Jassie Gift
You can check out the extended list in our Spotify indie music playlist.
With that out of the way, let’s dive right into the countdown!
#9 – Oo La La – 2KCALI feat. Jassie Gift
After a groovy debut with Kottayam Kunjachan last year, UK-based rapper 2K Cali arrives with a breezy melodic number this time around. The icing on the cake, of course, is the feature by pop culture icon Jassie Gift, whose trademark rendition is sure to bring a smile to your face. Jassie 2.0 seems to be all in for indie collabs (also having done the catchy ‘Macaroni’ with DJ Agnivesh), and we can’t wait for what’s in store!
#8 – Kadha – Aromal Chekaver
Singer-songwriter Aromal Chekaver takes you into a world he calls home – in his own words, “veyilum, mazhayum, paattum, cinemayum…ellam ulla oridam”. His Kadha is a journey through the tapestry of his happiness. Embracing light instrumentation, this heartfelt composition leans heavily into nostalgia and feelz!
#7 – Ayyayyo – Parimal Shais X MC Couper X Hanumankind X ThirumaLi
Parimal Shais cooks up yet another dish from his ‘curry chatty’, taking the spirit of the Nadaswaram and deploying it in a trap setting. The lineup is also top-notch, with southside reps ThirumaLi, MC Couper and Hanumankind collaborating for the first time. The track screams chaos, and the music video by Lendrick Kumar (feat. cameos from Munz TDT, Siju Sunny, et al.) does complete justice!
#6 – Sambar – ThirumaLi x Thudwiser X Fejo X Dabzee
With every featuring artist at the top of their game, Sambar is a highly entertaining collab from the Malayalam hip-hop space. While ThirumaLi, Fejo and Dabzee bring their individual flavours to the table, it is Thudweiser’s delicious broth that seamlessly blends the ingredients together and gets the listener to groove from start to end. A special mention to the team behind the trippy music video, helmed by fotographer__ben!
#5 – Anuraga Nadhiye – Bineetha Ranjith, Arun Das
Anuraga Nadhiye – recorded as part of Music Mojo’s returning season – is that rare soulful melody that we get to witness in Malayalam original music these days. Composed by Vipin Lal in the Maand raag and sung effortlessly by Bineetha and Arun, the song gives its orchestra all the space to flourish; one of the highlights of the song is a 30-second flute interlude by Nikhil Ram. An instant earworm, this!
#4 – Khalbum Katti – Dabzee, RXZOR
It wouldn’t be an understatement to say: “Ee varsham Dabzee kond poyi makkale!” With back-to-back releases as well as promising collaborations (including the likes of KSHMR, and Parimal Shais), Dabzee has proved that his unique brand of Malabari hip-hop is here to stay. Khalbum Katti stands out among the pack for its fiery rap portions, the bass drops and the hook (“Jannathinorathile..”) that passes – well, moonwalks past – the vibe check.
#3 – Sakhi – Keethan feat. Vineeth Sreenivasan and Shravan Sridhar
Arguably the “collab of the year”, Sakhi brings together three powerful creative voices for a melodious moodlifter. Composer Keethan, who has consistently impressed with cathartic tracks such as Nila and Tara, gets frequent collaborator & leading violinist Shravan Shridhar on board, and they compose yet another soul-stirring tune which feels like it would fit perfectly into a feel-good Vineeth Sreenivasan-ish setting. No surprises then, that it is Vineeth himself who croons the track to perfection – a fitting return to the indie space for a man who enthralled us all with Minnalazhake, Coffee@MG Road, et al., back in the day.
#2 – Bhaavam – Job Kurian
Job Kurian’s music never fails to leave a personal touch. An ode to his late gurus, Job crafts Bhaavam as a reminder to stay grounded and real. While the music treads along the contemporary folk route – reminiscent of Job’s own Roots – it is Engandiyoor Chandrasekharan’s meditative lyrics and Job’s spirited rendition that take this track further up a notch.
#1 – Malabari Banger – JOKER, MHR, SA & Dabzee
The collective behind the catchy Manavalan Thug roared back this year with yet another banger; a vadakkan variant that emerged as the anthem of the year. The boys dial up the Malabar flavour significantly in this one; right from Joker’s maapila-paattu style hook to Dabzee’s slang-heavy verses. Also, SA’s exceptional flow and MHR’s impressive beat-dropping skills position them as talents to watch out for in 2024!
Let the rhythm of our chart-busters be your soundtrack to face whatever 2024 has in store – because with the right music, you’ll always be in control of the vibe, innit?
