This is a humble attempt to list down the coolest songs I have discovered since coming to college.
You can thank me later.
- ISHQ TERA TADPAVE (Taare Gin Gin)https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FEO7pinYkwM
Any Punjabi event requires three things: Chicken, Booze, and Ishq Tera Tadpave. Yes, this is that Oh-hohoho song. A DJ is not said to be legit until he plays this song and stops right ahead of the Oh-hohoho part. “The funny part,” muses my roommate Bhrigu, “Is that this is supposed to be a sad song. It talks about someone who is reduced to tears, missing his beloved.”
Watch this totally unrelated but awesome video showing random people having a dance-off in a dark room where the only prop is…. A fridge. Don’t forget to join in at the chorus!
- LOLLIPOP LAAGELU (Laalipaap Laagelu)
I don’t know how I can write about this song without getting into racial stereotypes. I’ll try to be as politically correct as possible. Let’s just say that this song found very inappropriate metaphors for describing a beautiful woman.
If you love this song, you’ll also like Tanisa Jeans Dheela Koro (Tanisa, I implore you to wear less tight clothes, although the lusty looks thrown by the actors in the video suggests otherwise). Wes Anderson and all those cool firangi directors should learn a thing or two about cinematography from this music video (not recommended for pregnant women and the elderly).
- PUSHPA I HATE TEARS
And pretty much all other Baba Sehgal songs.
Baba Sehgal who? If you don’t know who he is, I am jealous of you: you can listen to his songs for the first time!
He is the first legit rapper from India. While American rappers talk about how their Ferraris run faster than your Ford or how they would like to have sexual intercourses with attractive female dogs (fu*k them bitc*es), our own Baba Sehgal’s raps focus more about the pertinent issues of life- the difficulty of finding a maid these days, the importance of getting a Mutual Fund plan done, the dilemmas of going to the gym, or the pure awesomeness of Aloo-ka-Paratha.
The worst of the list. It’s just here to clickbait the Bong folks.
Sorry, guys.
- IT’S MY LIFE
Want great life advice?
Want to know what to tattoo on your arms the next time you go to the parlour?
Then please don’t watch this video.
Otherwise, go indulge in some pure Vennu-mania. This guy reeks of confidence and chutzpah. You thought Donald Trump was ruthlessly honest? Wait till you check this song out with heartfelt lyrics like “I am a very good, bad boy” and “They think I am somewhat mental // They don’t know I am sentimental”.
[Pro-tip: If you have already seen Twelve Angry Men, then and only then, watch his impression of the iconic film]
- COBRA COBRA
Imagine a dark-skinned guy with a French cut beard. Standing in the middle of a forest. Wearing formals. And a sunglass. And tonnes of swag. Our very own Wilbur Sargunaraj dances too, while singing about cobras in the sky! Watch this video for the song that will stay stuck in your head for ever and ever, amen.
Fun fact: This guy became the first Youtube sensation from India, when he made an instructional video talking about how to use an Indian style toilet.
- NAKKU MUKKA
Since antinationalism is the flavor of the month, the first three phrases of this song translates to “Cow dies, Man eats meat, Man dies”. The rest of the song, means nothing.
Are you feeling nervous heading out for the exam hall? Listen to this song once before you leave, and you’ll have kadmon-pe duniya.
- NA NA NA NA (Main Tera Boyfriend)
Before taking you to my personal favorite (also my exam song), let me congratulate you on surviving thus far. This song is like a breath of fresh air before I take you to the 9th entry in this list.
“Na Na Na Na” is the most original song name after “Mmm mmm mmm” (Yes, that is a legit song. Now, imagine someone calling up a radio station requesting the RJ to play this song!). Coming back to this hit song, Na na na na features a young Punjabi rapper, with baggy pants, an ostentatious gold chain, and, a golden crocodile (WOOT WOOT!), going over to a pretty girl’s place. He hits on her while pretending to be interested in a tuition class. His interest towards the class, however, seems as sincere as van Gaal’s efforts to bring a trophy to United. What sets this video apart is that, the expensive car (without which no Punjabi song is complete), belongs not to the rapper but to the girl’s aged parents. And now…
Taher Shah, arguably the best product of Pakistan since Hina Rabbani Khar, took the world by a storm when he came up with Eye to Eye. With heavily inspiring lines like “Eye to eye, makes happy killer love, lifetime, once in a life. Substantial love is heaven for the size eyes.”, Taher Shah (and his shorter-haired lookalike) will literally dazzle you with the music video of this masterpiece that has won him numerous accolades (probably from the same people who let KRK produce movies). His latest release Angel doesn’t even come halfway close to how cool Eye-to-Eye, the original masterpiece, was.
Which ones need to be added to the list? Comment below; let everyone know! (Facebook comments have been enabled to save you the effort of mentioning your email ID and what not)