When it comes to good movie soundtracks, in the early 2010s, I did not agree with people who said today’s songs are bad. But in the last 5 or 6 years, I have changed my mind.
During my college days, I used to listen to every new Hindi music album. I would write mini-reviews and pick the top 2 or 3 songs to play on repeat. I would listen to them for months until I got bored. I also did marathon listening sessions. I believed some songs were “slow poison.” This was very true for A.R. Rahman’s music, which often took weeks to fully grow on me.
Today, I hardly know what new music comes out. I do not even feel the interest to listen. The last four albums that I really liked were Saiyaara, Tere Ishq Mein, Dhurandhar, and Dhurandhar The Revenge.
This makes me wonder why things changed so much. Here are my main reasons.
1. A Big Drop in Quality
The biggest reason is the drop in quality. Most new songs just do not have that amazing feeling anymore. They sound like something I have already heard before. The original magic is simply missing.
2. The Trap of Endless Remixes
When talking about original music, the biggest problem is the endless remixes. Back in the 2010s or earlier, I would see albums with 4 or 5 original songs, and then a few remixes added at the end. I used to wonder why they made albums so long.
But today, the “original” songs themselves are just remakes of old hit songs. The top person doing this is Tanishk Bagchi. I am not completely against remixes. For example, in Dhurandhar, there are many remade songs that actually work well.
But I hate it when a song is poorly remade just to make quick money. A great example is the iconic ‘Dum Maaro Dum’ track. It was ruined in a terrible remake featuring Deepika Padukone just for money. Sometimes a remake is better than the original, like ‘Jaan Se Guzarte Hai’ from Dhurandhar The Revenge, which I like more than the Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan original.
But mostly, the amazing feeling of discovering a brand-new original song cannot be matched by a remake. It is like finding a new, tasty food dish you never knew existed. I miss that feeling.
3. Too Many Composers
I have mixed feelings about movies using multiple music composers. Sometimes working together gives great results. But having only one composer for a whole album is still the best way. Like in the 90s and 2000s, one person had a single vision. This stopped the album from becoming a messy mix of different sounds.
4. Poor Lyrics
The lyrics of today’s songs have gotten much worse. Very few writers, like Irshad Kamil, can write words worth remembering. I miss the old days when writers like Gulzar and Javed Akhtar gave us beautiful meanings.
5. No Creative Freedom
Today, music composers do not get the freedom to try new things. Big music companies force them to use old, safe formulas. They tell them to remix an old classic or add a rap section. This leaves no room for real art.
6. Forced Promotional Songs
A final issue is promotional songs. A lot of money is spent shooting and marketing these songs. They are pushed into the movie as a dream sequence, played during the end credits, or just placed out of nowhere. These songs are usually bad and have no repeat value. They just use big actors to make money for the producers. The song ‘Zaalima’ from Raees comes to my mind as a quick example.
Will The Magic of Good Movie Soundtracks Return?
The way the industry is heading, I do not see anything changing in the next 5 years. It might even get worse, and great albums might fully die out.
But just like life, when something goes away, it eventually comes back. It will just take a new wave or trend to remind producers that people still crave good movie soundtracks.
