Rewind 2024: How the Malayalam music scene fared

Malayalam cinema in 2024 saw exceptional music with a mix bag of genres

Malayalam cinema touched new highs in 2024 with out-of-the box narratives, incredible direction and outstanding performances. The music scene turned out to be equally vibrant and happening with viral tracks and experimental soundscapes. Here is how the industry fared in 2024.

Sushin Shyam made all the right noices, starting with the survival thriller Manjummel Boys, the highest-grosser in the history of Malayalam cinema. ‘Kuthanthram’, his collaboration with rapper Vedan, created an unmatched vibe, while ‘Nebulakal’, in the voice of Pradeep Kumar, had lyrical finesse and a fresh soundscape.

The massy Aavesham exploded with a bunch of hit songs. ‘Illuminati’, the boisterous fan anthem for Fahadh Faasil’s character, Ranga, delivered by Dabzee, became one of the most viewed songs on YouTube, in spite of not being even picturised in the movie! The ‘Illuminati’ hook was too good to resist.

‘Jaada’, in the addictive voice of Sreenath Bhasi, was another winner. The tracks ‘Mathapithakkale’ (MC Couper, Malayali Monkeys), ‘Adholokam’ (Vipin Raveendran), ‘Thurupu cheettu’ (Munz, Sushin), ‘Galatta’ (Paal Dabba, Sushin), ‘The Last Dance’ (Hanumankind), ‘Odimaga’ (Nazriya Nazim, Sushin) and ‘Armadham’ (Pranavam Sasi) completed the celebratations.

‘Stuthi’ from Bougainvillea, sung by Sushin and Mary Ann Alexander, was another masterstroke from the young composer, especially with Kunchacko Boban and Jyothirmayi killing it with their dance moves in the music video.

Sushin’s mastery over his craft was also heard in the background score of the intense drama, Ullozhukku.

The year saw a Kerala-born rapper, Sooraj Cherukat a.k.a Hanumankind, become a global sensation with his music video ‘Big Dawgs’, a high-energy track with the video featuring death-defying stunts shot in a well of death at Ponnani in Malappuram.