Techno, Punjabi Blues & Anime Pop: Top music trends that dominated the year 2022

The year 2022 saw some of the most legendary old Bollywood songs fused with new beats to have us swaying and spinning. While Bollywood remains a hot favourite, city-based DJs revealed that the underground music scene is rising with techno kicking hard across many cities.

"The Year 2022 has been a roller coaster ride. With the pandemic taking a step back, people have come out to party like never!" exclaimed DJ Cyrus, a resident DJ at True Truck Tramm at BKC. As the year comes to an end, we look back at the music that we danced away our worries to from another uncertain year.

Music genres that defined the year 2022:

Bollywood Remastered
Whether it was the viral dance of Pakistani girl Ayesha on the remix of "Mera dil ye pukare aaja" (1954) or the sizzling boogie of Ayushman Khurana and Malaika Arora on the rehashed version of "Aap jaisa koi meri zindagi mein aaye" (1979), we were taken on a ride of warm nostalgia interlaced with contemporary beats to groove to. Many catchy numbers of this year were also the catchy ones from the last century, proving to be custodians of vintage memories as well as triggers of new ones. "The best part about these remakes is that the mixers kept the original essence alive and gave it a new dimension with a twist of sick beats" noted DJ Lemon, an award winning music producer from Mumbai.

Snippets from the viral dance video of Ayesha on "Mera dil ye pukare aja". Photo courtesy: Official Instagram account of Ayesha

Remixes of old Bollywood songs is a trend that has been reverberating rapidly in the past few years. It works magic simply because classics are an unbeatable choice for Indians who connect with the language and the sentiment. Secondly, the remixing process amps up the sound quality and turn them into earworms that the dancers crave more decibels of", said DJ Cyrus. 2022 was the year when musicians collapsed the internet and made decade old songs trend again on platforms like YouTube and Spotify with their rehashed versions. Top Bollywood remixes that burned the dance floors in 2022:

1. DJ Suketu's Bin Tere Sanam

2. DJ Aqeel's Tu Tu Hai Wahin

3. DJ Akbar Sami's Saara Zamana

4. Saaki Saaki

5. Dilbar Dilbar

Punjabi Pop
What makes music gain mass appeal is its strength to go viral. Amongst other regional music, Punjabi stood out as a trailblazer in live streaming as well as club dancing nights. The music cuts across language barriers and unites people with its hard hitting composition and peppy beats. No matter what the occasion: Weddings, house parties or just a drive, Punjabi music is a crowd favourite and a highly played genre in India as well abroad. "The euphoria and boost of confidence with bold lyrics, groovy beats is why Punjabi music is popular", said DJ Bobby who can be seen mixing at Epitome, Lower Parel on Thursdays.

Indian singer, rapper and music producer AP Dhillon performing at Scotiabank Arena, Canada

While Punjabi songs have always been around, this year marked its pan-India rise owing to artists that stole the headlines. With the ghastly murder of Siddhu Moosewala, fans couldn't recover from the gory details and paid their tributes throughout the year playing his lyrical geniuses. Meanwhile, AP Dhillon revamped the visual experience of Punjabi music with the 80s retro vibe and vapourwave. On the popular music streaming app, Spotify, his number "Excuses" was marked amongst the top 5 songs of the year 2022. DJ lemon shares his favourite Punjabi items which rocked the clubs:

1. Excuses & Brown Munde by AP Dhillion

2. Patiala Peg by Diljit Dosanjh

3. 295 & Last Ride by Sidhu Moosewala

4. We Rolin & No Love by Shubh

5. Chann Chann by Jordan Sandhu

Melodic Techno and House
"One night in September, I was invited to a dance party at an undisclosed location. Upon entering, all I had to do was fill out a Google form and pay digitally to get in. My friends were directed to a farmhouse marked with neon lighting and a high-tempo, patterned rhythm that filled our ears. I was sold on the experience. We danced for six hours straight!" said Ankit who recently attended a techno music event in Mumbai.

DJ Cyrus shares that techno and house music has taken the underground party scene by a serious storm. People who have raw dance energy and a desire to let loose flock to these events that occur at exotic locations for long hours. With repetitive beats and melodic rhythms, the listeners experience jubilation and excitement, often sweating out their worries away. DJ Cyrus has been personally playing techno and house music for a long time in some of the oldest clubs in Mumbai. Here is his list of top 5 techno melodies:

1. Baglami by DJ Dali

2. Raw by Tony Romero

3. Drugs from Amsterdam by Mau P

4. Ferrari by James Hype

5. Hugel by Marianela

Symphonies from Pakistan
Borders turn fluid when soulful symphonies travel from Pakistan to India. When Ali Sethi read "Aag lavaan teriya majbooriya nu '' written behind a truck in Pakistan's share of Punjab, he couldn't have predicted what the future held for him. His obsession with the phrase drew more than 100 million views on YouTube for his latest number "Pasoori". Shot in the coke studio's 14th season, this song is one of the many traditional ragas mixed with infectious beats to get many Bollywood celebs whirling.

Pakistan based singer, songwriter Hasan Raheem. Photo courtesy: Official Instagram account of Hasan Raheem

Meanwhile, a new wave of Indie pop and hip hop is emerging from the heart of Pakistan. Pakistani singer, songwriter, and rapper Hasan Raheem is a heartthrob in the Indian subcontinent owing to his upbeat, feel-good music that is on the tip of everybody's tongue. Next up is rapper Faris Shafi who has been raging in the music network with his signature Punjabi Blues and rebellious style of songwriting mixed with 80s electric wave. Other Pakistani artists like Natasha Noorani, Shamoon Ismail, and Arooj Aftab crept into listeners' playlists with their flamboyant music style. Top five Pakistani symphonies that played on repeat in 2022:

1. Pasoori by Ali Sethi

2. Paisa by Talal Qureshi & Hasan Raheem

3. Faasla by Shamoon Ismail

4. Introduction by Faris Shafi

5. Mehrab by Arooj Aftab

Anime Pop
For weebs, 2022 was a phenomenal year with not only the release of Spy x family and Chainsaw man but head bobbing openers and closers of manga episodes. In an Instagram and Tik-tok economy, music fanatics picked obsessive beats that solidified the stance of J-pop and J-rock. Here is a list of best anime songs:

1. Shinunoga E-Wa by Fujii Kaze

2. Mixed Nuts by Official HIGE DANdism

3. Ciki Ciki Bam Bam by Jolly

4. Adamas by Lisa

5. Bring Back by Madkid

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