The music of Rock On 2 is much awaited for various reasons.
The music of Rock On 2 is much awaited for various reasons. Firstly, it’s a sequel to 2008 musical hit Rock On, the songs of that film are loved by many and still can be found in the playlists of many. Secondly, it has Farhan Akhtar in the lead, he has been a successful director, producer, actor and even a singer. And, having attended his Farhan Live concert, trust me when I say it, he is a live wire on stage. And last but not the least the music director trio of Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy. They have just delivered this year’s best music in Mirzya, so expectations are sky high. The film has in total eight songs and all of them are original, crooned by either Farhan Akhtar or Shraddha Kapoor, apart from the two songs. And, as is the case in all Excel Entertainment productions, the lyrics are by Javed Akhtar.
Let’s find out if the album meets our expectations or not:
Jaago
As mentioned by me in the song review of this track: “The lyrics of the song are motivating and is directed towards the youth. Vocals by Farhan Akhtar and support by Siddharth Mahadevan are commendable. The song has the potential to be next Sadda Haq and multiple hearing of the song might make it happen.” And turns out the song indeed grows on you, after adding it to my playlist and hearing it multiple times, the song has really grown on me. You should give this song a try.
Udja Re
The song sung by Shraddha Kapoor is on the lines of Jaago, same like Jaago it is directed towards youth and questions the way of living of today’s youth. It’s all about flying free and flying high. Shraddha Kapoor really surprised me with her singing talent here. After hearing her version of Rock On title track in the trailer, she sounded like Phoebe from Friends to me (smelly cat anyone?). But here she is really good and sounds like a professional. The lyrics once again are spot on and so is the music.
You Know What I Mean
One minute into this song and you couldn’t help but draw the parallels to Meri Laundary Ka Ek Bill from Rock On. Though this song doesn’t even gets close to that gem of a song, it tells a story like that one. I heard this song twice but couldn’t get the hang of it. May be after multiple hearings…may be. However, I did like the use of drum beats throughout the song. And Farhan Akhtar is as usual top notch.
Manzar Naya
A complete contrast from the three tracks before it, this one is a soothing track which will motivate you to go out on a solo trip or with someone just to explore the world. This song for some reason reminds me of Khaabon Ke Parindey from Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara and that’s a good thing. How I wish this song has a video which does full justice to it, like it did to that song. The vocals by Farhan Akhtar are fine and lyrics by Javed Akhtar are top notch. If only they could’ve do away with the voice modulation in the song, that wasn’t needed and sounded forced.
Tere Mere Dil
This song has a nice tune to it. I’ve said it earlier and I’ll state it again, Shraddha Kapoor has been sing like a pro for Rock On soundtrack and she doesn’t disappoint here as well. However, the song still leaves you unsatisfied as a listener, maybe because the lyrics doesn’t add up. The song is just bland. It just didn’t click with me. Also read: Farhan Akhtar and Shraddha Kapoor AVOID getting clicked together? view HQ pics!
Woh Jahaan
Another slow track, the song starts off with Shraddha Kapoor’s vocals and she makes it her own, until Farhan Akhtar starts off with his vocals. The lyrics of this song are spot on and talks about looking for a silver lining, a better world. However the music could’ve been better, but I liked the hook tune of the song. I think this song would be towards the climax of the movie… just a hunch.
Hoi Kiw/Chalo Chalo
When the jukebox of the album was out, a friend who has worked closely with the film highly recommended this song to me. So obviously I was already hyped about this song. This song is performed by Khasi band from Shillong. And this foot tapping track lives upto those expectations. The language used in song is Khasi and has a blend of Hindi as well. The vocals are by Kit Shangpliang & Pynsuklin Syiemiong from Khasi Band and has the feel and flavor of Shillong, Meghalaya. The song has an able support in the form of Usha Uthup, she blends really well with her Hindi vocals. I wonder why we don’t see her singing tracks more often. You don’t really understand what the track really means if you are unaware of the language, but I guess the Hindi lyrics by Javed Akhtar are merely the translation of the Khasi lyrics by Kit Shangpliang…wild guess. Overall this song is very high on energy and is so far the best.
Ishq Mastana
The album changes gear yet again and delves into sufi genre with this melodious track. The song however has that feel of Déjà vu. Just ten seconds into the song and you know you have heard this song somewhere earlier or a similar song for that matter. The vocals are by Shankar Mahadevan & Digvijay Singh Pariyar and they perform it ably. The song sounds like the one which could’ve made it way in the movies of early 2000. But that doesn’t mean it’s a bad song, it’s just that there is nothing new about it.
Verdict
Overall, this album is a winner all the way for Farhan Akhtar, Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy and gang. The soundtrack has perfect blend of rock, slow and sufi tracks and strikes a chord. Having said that, it doesn’t surpass its predecessor. May be with the video songs it may live up to that. But one should surely give it a try, it’s different, it’s worthy. Recommended!
Picks
Hoi Kiw/Chalo Chalo, Jaago, Udja Re, Manzar Naya and Woh jahaan (just the hook line)
Rating: 3.5 out of 53.5 Star Rating
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