Would it be Qayamat Se Qayamat Tak once again with the arrival of Jaane Tu... Ya Jaane Naa? This is the first feeling one got the moment the first look of this Aamir Khan production was out. Marking the launch pad of his nephew, Imraan Khan, Jaane Tu…Ya Jaane Naa seems to be another innocent love story in the offering sans any unnecessary mush, hence going truly with contemporary times. With pretty girl Genelia D'Souza opposite Imraan in this campus flick and A.R. Rahman as the composer, this Abbas Tyrewala debut directorial venture (he also doubles up as a lyricist here), JTYJN, is a promising flick arriving this summer. Does the music hold up to the promise? The answer is - Yes!
First things first - when the best of the best of 2008 would be written down, the number 'Kabhi Kabhi Aditi Zindagi' would definitely find a mention. Crooned by newcomer Rashid Ali who is being introduced by Rahman on Bollywood musical arena, the song is beautiful from the word GO, the moment guitar strings mark the song's beginning.

Rashid's voice is just perfect for an actor who is being launched in a youthful romantic entertainer and the singer utilizes the big platform to the fullest. While Abbas' lyrics go truly with contemporary times, it is a nice change to hear a Rahman composition in a truly mainstream cinema rather than the historical/period/issue based films for which he has been creating music for quite some time now.

In true Rahman style, he gets together a bunch of singers for the track 'Pappu Can't Dance'. Well, this is the track which is supposedly a spoof on Salman Khan's on and off screen image and has been making news in last few days. The song's beginning has a rhythm which has formed a part of the racy proceedings in the first teaser of Jaane Tu…Ya Jaane Naa that had kick started the film's promotion a few weeks back.

Anupama, Benny Dayal, Blazee, Tanvi, Darshana, Satish Subramanium and Aslam come together to sing about this character called 'Pappu' who has seen all the riches in his life. Since the day he was born, he roams around in the best of the cars, has a body to die for, boasts of an impeccable style, but alas, can't dance to save his life. Hence the title - 'Pappu Can't Dance'. A fast moving fun song, which has a campus setting to it and also appears in a 'remix version', 'Pappu' is a song which should be fun when watched on the big screen.

It's a new sound at the very beginning of 'Jaane Tu Mera Kya Hai (Aditi)' that hooks you on instantaneously. This very rhythm stays throughout this song which is crooned for the female character of the film, Aditi, by yet another relative newcomer Runa. If the song's haunting tune wasn't enough, the way Runa renders the track makes it one as the sad theme of the song conveys what the protagonist is going through. A number about a girl remembering the times gone by with the boy she loved, 'Jaane Tu' is composed in a style, which is similar to that of 'Zara Zara' [Rehnna Hai Terre Dil Mein] and hence can be expected to grow over a period of time.

The song is later heard in a version meant for the film's male protagonist Jai and is titled 'Jaane Tu Meri Kya Hai (Jai)'. This time around the beginning is even more somber and takes it's own time to reach the stage where Sukhwinder Singh comes around to hold the center stage. The pensive mood is conveyed well yet again though this time around the version is even more somber.

Guitar is at play once again in the number 'Nazrein Milaana Nazrein Churaana'. The best song to arrive after 'Kabhi Kabhi Aditi Zindagi', 'Nazrein' deserves to be the next song in line for promotion. Packed with youthful energy, the number has a Rahman stamp all over it and goes in perfectly well with the film's campus mood. In fact just one hearing and you are sure to carry the number along for your next camp fire outing.

Yet again, it's an array of singers - Benny Dayal, Satish Chakravarthy, Naresh Iyer, Darshana, Shwetha, Tanvi, Bhargavi, Anupama - who come together but never once does one feels like trying to find out the singer behind a particular line. A complete team effort which reminds of the number 'Sama Yeh Suhaana' [Goonj] when it comes to it's setting.

The album continues to become better with every passing song, especially so the moment the title song arrives. Surprisingly, instead of 'Jaane Tu…Ya Jaane Naa', it is titled 'Tu Bole Main Boloon', which are the opening words of the song. Sung by Rahman himself, the song is a funny take on how this guy and the girl have two different perspectives to everything, even though at the end what they mean is just the same! A bona fide jazz number with soft drums, saxophone and other associated musical instruments in tow, 'Tu Bolev' has an international feel to it in the way it's entire arrangements are done.

After a brilliant 'Kabhi Kabhi Aditi Zindagiv', Rashid Ali returns with 'Kahin To Hogi Ho' where he has Vasundara Das for company. Yet another beautiful number which carries an Indi-pop feel to it, this love song has such a serene feel to it that one can't help playing the number on a repeat mode. This is a kind of a soft romantic number that you wish to preserve in your iPod and play it your loved one at the first given opportunity. A brilliant number which makes it two out of two for Rashid Ali!

The soundtrack here is unlike a conventional Bollywood score and instead introduces a style, which goes with the contemporary youthful setting. Jaane Tu…Ya Jaane Naa is an album, which deserves to be bought this season. With Jannat being the only album which is registering good sales and no other album from past or present matching it's performance on the stands, Jaane Tu…Ya Jaane Naa by A.R. Rahman comes as welcome relief.