Music Review
Singh Is Kinng

b) Vipul Shah and Akshay Kumar. Together they have given Aankhen, Waqt and Namastey London. Singh Is Kinng is undoubtedly their biggest and most prestigious project together.

c) The Anees Bazmee factor. He has a superhit No Entry and a blockbuster Welcome with Akshay. The expected super-success of Singh Is Kinng should bring Bazmee - the entertainer, into a different league altogether.

Id) Akshay Kumar and Katrina Kaif. After an average runner like Humko Deewana Kar Gaye, they haven't set a foot wrong with Namastey London and Welcome. Move over Priyanka Chopra, Katrina Kaif is the new darling of the nation when it comes to being paired with Akshay Kumar!

e) Title of the film - With one masterstroke, Akshay and company have attacked a bulk of the mass audience across the globe. There is no reason why a catchy title like this shouldn't promise a blockbuster start for the film across India, UK and USA.

f) And of course Pritam, the man who is entrusted with the responsibility of creating music for the biggest film of his career so far. After a smash 2007, he has Race and Jannat ruling the charts for months now in the current year. Along with one of his favorite lyricists Mayur Puri, he must have been under huge pressure to deliver a kind of score which would cut across boundaries, work amongst all age groups and turn out to be a true-blue commercial masala entertainer.

Does the team deliver? Does the album meet the sky high expectations? Does it justify all the hype surrounding it? Does it guarantee a success for those who have invested crores in the music and the film? Does it turn out to be a true 'paisa vasool' entertainer?

The answer to that is, as you would have guessed by now, a solid YES!

Thump. Now that's sheer thump what you witness in the title song 'Singh Is Kinng' that marks the opening of the album. The song in picture is not the one which is currently on promos (the Pritam version) but the much hyped Snoop Dogg version. A RDB track composed by Calvin Broadus with Surjeet Singh, Manjeet Ral and Kuljeet Ral, 'Singh Is Kinng' is one such chartbuster number that ensures that you don't have to worry much about what would follow next. And that's quite a saying considering the fact that the 5 tracks to follow are composed by Pritam which itself promises an entertaining ride.

However, sheer beats which accompany 'Singh Is Kinng' (which brilliantly amalgamates Western and Indian style) make this number deserving enough to be heard and seen on the big screen, let aside your own state of art home theater/music system. It's the power in the composition which ensures that the song is a chartbuster in the first listening itself. Now the wait begins for the music video of this track which one expects to be a nothing short of being brilliant considering it also sees Akshay Kumar singing a few Punjabi lines in the middle of the proceedings. Does he do well? Oh, yes of course he does.

From here on Pritam takes over and his tracks from this point ensures that it doesn't turn out to be the situation that one saw last in Humko Deewana Kar Gaye [Remember how Himesh Reshammiya's title song version had camouflaged the remainder of the album which was composed by Anu Malik?). In case of Singh Is Kinng, that won't be the case even by anyone's wildest imagination as Pritam gives a great account of himself and creates a sound that keeps the Punjabi flavor of Singh Is Kinng intact.

This is very much visible in his song 'Jee Karda' which has one of his favorite and most successful singer Labh Jan Jua arriving on the scene. But before his arrival it is Suzie.Q who steals the scene with her English rendition. It is a trademark Pritam sound that opens 'Jee Karda' which soon brings the Punjabi flavor on. While Labh pumps up the jam and in the process gives Akshay Kumar yet another hit song, Suzie.Q continues to make her presence felt and adds on to the cute-sexy-glamorous image of Katrina Kaif.

This is followed by the Hyacinth created 'remix version' which requires just 30 seconds to establish itself into the collection of the season for all up market DJs. If the original came with its own thump, this one only takes the effect forward and makes sure that if a dance floor is unavailable, you won't mind hopping on to your car and hitting the highway for a long ride!

Now this one throws in a surprise. Pritam composed title song 'Bas Ek Kinng' isn't half as enthralling on being heard on TV. But hear it on a high volume on a music system and chances are good that the number would leave you on a high. The comparisons are obvious and the fact also remains that the Snoop Dogg title song is indeed better than this one but by itself, 'Bas Ek Kinng' does turn out to be a number which would make an impression on the big screen.

Yet another number which has the 'thump' factor keeping the album's mood upbeat, it has singers of varied sensibilities - Mika Singh, Neeraj Sridhar, Ashish Pandit and Hard Kaur (for rap) - coming together! In fact the way Hard Kaur begins her rap for the 'remix version'; you know that it is going to be indeed different from the routine remixes. Termed as a 'Tiger Style Mix', this one turns out to be a better version and one now waits to see if the makers would opt for yet another music video here!

Welcome to the North belt and the areas dominated by Punjabi in overseas! Daler Mehendi's 'Bhootni Ke' is so rooted to the Punjabi folks that one wonders whether Pritam had perhaps resided in Punjab to truly imbibe the culture, mood, folk and flavor of the state in his sound and then create the song! This one is foot tapping from the word 'Go' and is about a bunch of friends teasing the groom on his marriage. Mayur Puri's lyrics are perfect as per the situation and are witty while giving Pritam enough fodder to make sure that the song doesn't come with a single dull moment. Let the song's promotion begins and it should soon find a place amongst marriage processions and other festivities, at least up North!

Later DJ Amyth arrives with his 'remix version' of the song and transports the song from the fields of Punjab to the discotheques in metros! Yes, this one works too! Surprisingly, after all the 'josh' created successfully by Daler Mehendi, the makers also incorporate a 'Tiger Style Mix' version by Mika. However, one wonders if this was indeed required as Daler version was in any case a winner and though in isolation the Mika version would have worked too, here it turns out to be 'just another' version!

It's a complete about turn after four dance numbers with the arrival of romantic 'Teri Ore'. If you have liked 'Bol Na Halke Halke' [Jhoom Barabar Jhoom] and 'Falak' [Tashan], then chances are quite high that you would love 'Teri Ore' which has Rahat Fateh Ali Khan and Shreya Ghoshal proving yet again that they are an unmatchable couple when it comes to delivering a romantic duet. The duo takes the listeners to the interiors of India which is distanced from the hustle-bustle of the city life and makes this well written Mayur Puri track a delightful hearing.

Not to leave the urban audience behind, Clinton and Eric Pillai arrive with their own 'Lounge Mix' version and create a setting which would allow you to settle down on a couch with dim lights, a candle dinner and a bottle of wine! Yet again Shreya Ghoshal and Rahat Fateh Ali Khan demonstrate their standing in the music scene and ensure that when it comes to singing, it is sheer quality that attracts them!

Pritam's lucky mascot Neeraj Sridhar arrives in the very end with whom he has given countless hits till date. This time around it's the time to get into a club with a demand for a drink and getting high while singing 'Talli Hua'. With Labh Janjua for company, Sridhar's 'Talli Hua' (that again has a strong Punjabi flavor) may not turn out to be another 'Teri Aankhen Bhool Bhulaiyaa' but still manage a good standing for itself to make Singh Is Kinng an overall package album that would be lapped up in dozens by the masses.

A club number about friends making merry, it later sees a 'Jay Dhabi Mix' version with Style Bhai arriving after a long time with his rap. The add-on effect only aids in keeping the tempo high for this album that more or less stays consistent in the kind of sound which it brings with it.

Singh Is Kinng boasts of being a chartbuster album - there are no doubts around it. While the 'Bas Ek Kinng' is already popular, the Snoop Dogg version of Singh Is Kinng would register tremendous hype for the film and the album once it is out. 'Bhootni Ke' and 'Jee Karda' are sure shot chartbusters which wouldn't take much time to be grabbed by the masses while 'Teri Ore' and 'Talli Hua' have all in it to be popular once the film releases and is accepted by the audience.

The album is another highlight of Pritam's career and would ensure that his super-success run continues. Singh Is Kinng could have taken a bumper start at the music stands had it seen a uniform release across the globe. Since it has seen a scattered release both within and outside the country, it may not open at the #1 position that it truly deserves. However, in a week's time once the album is available all over, it would be time for the music company to uncork the champagne once it starts ruling the charts all over.