Well.where does one start? I daresay I haven’t discovered half the songs that KK has sung yet, and of course new ones pop up almost every week - and most of them are so good that anyone who’s asked to select just five of them is sure to wonder who on earth imposed that limit. Even ten is too few, I find. Really, yaar. The appeal(at least to those of us who have sense) of KK’s voice lies in his effortless power and simplicity. He’s not one to fall into the trap of overdressing one’s voice and hence lose the meaning of the song. He doesn’t even try to sing well - there’s no self-consciousness in what he does. And he’s so involved in the song, whichever one it is, that he seems to be inviting one to lose oneself in the music. Power incarnate.
I think I’d better warn you. I’m going to be very unconventional. My top ten songs are the ones I think are the best, and not what the world thinks. So be prepared!
Ek Pal Mein from Hattrick. No-one else could have understood and brought into play the subtle depths of the song.perfect in every way, whether it’s the lyrics, the music or his resonant voice. Inspirational. Individualistic. Indescribable. Ek Pal Mein is intense, joyful, soulful, desperate.
Zara Sa – Power Ballad(Jannat) – Ab meri…manzil ki aur mere darmiyaan…bas zara sa bacha hai faasla… You can actually feel his voice vibrating through you, almost reducing you to tears…
Door Se Paas(Musaafir) - Lovelorn insanity with a hint of the obsessive.
Dil Se Mat Khel(Pal, the album) - orange; ever heard anything so mature in your life? It’s a younger KK, but still recognizable - no one else can EVER sing like that.
Aashaaein(Iqbal) - too cute for words. It’s truly a beautiful and inspiring song, and another one which brings out the natural power in his voice. I’m a little doubtful about the colour, though. No one else could ever sing this song, ever!
Same Same But Different(Bombay to Bangkok) – This song is insane. Insane!do sau bees volt ki smile
Main Sada Hoon(Asambhav) – I think this is a fitting introduction to all that pure power: Hai mujhko jhukaana yahaan…asambhav!
Aaina(Humsafar, the album) - Aaina is actually called Deevaana Hai Mera Dil, but I can’t bring myself to call it that. It’s too intensely full of KK’s innate fire for such a dreary title. So Aaina it is.
Haan, Tu Hai(Jannat) - This song is powerful.obsessive.passionate.creepy.perfect!
O Makhna Ve(Dil Maange More) - On the same lines as O Maahiya, but has a distinct identity.
A few more(A few? Who am I kidding?) songs of his that I like(read: adore), in no particular order, are:
Anjaana(Dhokha) - Romantic, intense, alluring. Need I say more?
Sajda(Bhool Bhulaiyya) - Maaf kare, insaaf kare, rab ho na khafa.Sajda is insane and I love it. And I love him.
Jiska Mujhe Intazaar(Javaani Deevaani) - yellow, rare topaz. One of the most intense songs ever. It makes one think of thunderstorms and lightning - you know the type.
O Maahiya(Dus Kahaaniyaan) - O Maahiya is sweet really and awfully snazzy. His voice is just slightly digitally stroked, and he is amazing.
Ek Pal Ke Liye(Ankahee) - Pritam chooses his singers well. This song needed sensitive handling, and whether one wants that, intensity or boyish enthusiasm, KK’s the way to go. Why the other versions, though?
Dheere Dheere(Shikhar) - yellow and light green. It packs quite a punch for such a short song.
Fanaah - Radio Edit(Humko Deevaana Kar Gaye) - it’s so fast! Perhaps that’s why it’s got so much appeal. Light green.
Tanha Tere Bagair(Aahista Aahista) - The rhythm is perfect and so is he.
Lagdaa Na Lagdaa(Bhram) - This song is, well, crazy, but it is rather good.
Teri Tamanna(The Train) - When my best friend tried to describe this song to me, she said it was ’something emotional’. I suppose that is the closest one can come to it, with the electric guitars in the background, the perfect rhythm. The remixes(there are two) and Zubeen are completely useless, though. Mithoon knows how to handle KK.
Kya Mujhe Pyaar Hai - Eternal Mix(Woh Lamhe) - this is so totally a candlelight song! KK goes really low in this one, hence the allure and intensity in his voice. Sounds a bit like Tu Hi Meri Shab Hai, so be warned!
Tera Chehra - Cerulean Mix(Raqeeb) - Well, it’s some kind of teal/cerulean colour, while the beat is catchy and the vocals are alluring.
Tu Hi Meri Shab Hai - Euro Mix(Gangster) - black and a dash of silver. Techno - it sounds a bit like a Crazy Frog tune - but so cool.
Zehreeli Raatein(Chocolate) – it is so metallic, and so haunting.
MP3 - Radio Edit(Mera Pehla Pehla Pyaar) - Even though it has only one stanza, this purple fantasy is wonderful in spite of the rap.
Dus Bahaane(Dus) - absolutely ultracool. A yellow song if ever there was one. Pity they had to get Shaan involved. He was so unnecessary.
Aafreen(Bhaagam Bhaag) - oh my gosh I have never been able to resist electric guitars. And when it’s KK with them, and he sounds like he’s singing right into one’s ear, it’s no use even trying to.
Teri Yaadon Mein - Ethereal Mix(The Killer) - this is an absolutely fantastic remix, and KK sounds heartbroken but hopeful. Shreya Ghoshal does her best to complement him, but fails miserably. she’s too saccharine sweet.
Aap Ki Dua(Pal, the album) - it’s orange again and pure madness, but it still rocks. Even though KK seems to get a little out of breath in the middle, it’s well worth listening to - especially when he hits the characteristic high note.
Jo Gaya Vo Gaya(Jhankaar Beats) - another of the pure yellow songs of the world, and only KK for a change! I wonder, though, why people notice Kal Ho Naa Ho but not this song - the meaning is the same.
Shikdum - the bedroom mix(Dhoom) - this is only in the audio cassette, so don’t watch the movie and then say "I only heard the original"! Green.
Nazar (Nazar) - I don’t think that people who say "KK’s voice could not redeem the song" are quite right in the head because the song never needed redeeming anyway. Because of this, KK’s voice only enhances its haunting beauty. Black, with a dash of silver.
Chhana Chhan Chhana - yellow song from Hera Pheri. This is the kind of thing that makes one thrill to the power of KK’s voice.
Maine Suna Hai (Taxi No. 9211) - better suited to Shahrukh and Juhi in the rain than to John Abraham and a badly choreographed Sameera Reddy in a discotheque, but there it is.
Golmaal(Golmaal) - no, it’s not another version of the one by Anushka Manchandani. Rather, it’s Vishal-Shekhar’s follow-up of Dus Bahaane. Not as ultracool as that, but cool.
Ishaara(Pal, the album) - KK sounds like a lovestruck college boy in this one. Well worth listening to. And the guitars are unbelievable.
Tere Sang Ek Simple Si Coffee(Zameen) - It’s a rich, creamy brown - just like coffee.
I do update this review from time to time, so keep checking.
