He’s been composing music for 30 years and still never fails to surprise us. That is the genius of A.R. Rahman, who turns 56 today. Though he had a limited presence in Bollywood in 2022 — Mili being his only original Hindi soundtrack of the year — Rahman reserved his best for Tamil music. We pick five Tamil film songs composed by the ‘Mozart of Madras’ in 2022 that are still ruling our playlists.

Mallipoo (Vendhu Thanindhathu Kaadu)

Mallipoo from Gautham Vasudev Menon’s Vendhu Thanindhathu Kaadu, which has been topping the charts, is an item number with a difference. At first listen, it might appear as yet another folk-based melody. But like most AR Rahman compositions, the song grows on you when you hear it on loop. Madhushree, who last collaborated with Rahman in Ranjhanaa (2013), was a surprise choice for this folksy number as she had only sung soft melodies for him until then. The playfulness in her voice comes through best in the line ‘Machan eppo vara pora’, giving the song its breezy feel. Not a surprise then that it’s Vendhu Thanindhathu Kaadu’s leading man Silambarasan’s favourite song from the album too.

Kaayam (Iravin Nizhal)

Kaayam is a haunting composition but not your usual run-off-the-mill earworm. This Rahman song takes a lot of repeat plays to get accustomed to. Parthiban’s Iravin Nizhal opens with a montage of light and shadow as the song plays in the background, capturing the tension on screen. Even as a standalone song, Kaayam has a bone-chilling effect for the way Rahman builds the tension with a mix of strings and keys. Khatija Rahman, Deepthi Suresh, Soundarya, Veena Murali and Sowmya are brilliant on the vocals, especially in the acapella-esque rendition. Kaayam seamlessly blends into Kannethirae, another standout song from the album.

Devaralan Aattam (Ponniyin Selvan — Part 1)

Devaralan Aattam is an unpredictable, wild and quirky song — just like the man behind it — for a period piece. It is a number that you may brush off at first but listening over time reveals its brilliance. Rahman had reportedly gone to Bali to sketch the soundscape of Devaralan Aattam, capturing the rhythms and sounds of a ritual called the ‘monkey chant’ at temples in Bali. What he came up with, for Mani Ratnam’s Ponniyin Selvan — Part 1, is a vocal-heavy composition full of complex layers and sung acapella style. There is also solid percussion by Krishna Kishore and Guberan, and rhythm by Nakul Abhyankar and Kumaran Sivamani, all of which have been mixed by Nitish R. Kumar.

Thumbi Thullal (Cobra)

Thumbi Thullal is a romantic melody from R. Ajay Gnanamuthu’s romance drama Cobra that hits you with nostalgia. A happy throwback to Dil Se’s Jiya Jale, the composition is marked by pleasing vocals, percussion and strings. Sung by Shreya Ghoshal and Nakul Abhyankar, the interludes make this song even more magical. In his trademark style, when you are expecting the composition to follow the beaten track, Rahman makes a detour. Thumbi Thullal is also a celebration of instruments, with Kareem Kamalakar (flute), Asad Khan (sarod), Sundar-Kaviraj-Karthik-Sriram-Rajesh (Thavil), and Sivakumar-Yuvaraj (Nadaswaram).

Marakkuma Nenjam (Vendhu Thanindhathu Kaadu)

A song that will transport you back to the 1990s, Marakkuma Nenjam from Gautham Vasudev Menon’s Vendhu Thanindhathu Kaadu is a signature Rahman composition that teases you with a pulsating rhythm, reaching a crescendo with Rahman’s haunting vocals, followed by a scintillating chorus. The song rides on Thamarai’s powerful lyrics and the words ‘Adhu pola podhai unda engum’ bring a goosebump moment. Keba Jeremiah is phenomenal on guitars and bass, while Vedha’s Ghatasinghari beats form the soul of Marakkuma Nenjam.