'Jannat 2' a quintessential album for Emraan (IANS Music Review)

Film: 'Jannat 2'; Music Director: Pritam Chakraborty; Lyricist: Sayeed Quadri; Singers: Shafqat Amanat Ali, Rahat Fateh Ali Khan, KK, Mohit Chauhan, Javed Ali, Nikhil D'Souza and Anupam Amod; Rating:****

Every time the soundtrack of an Emraan Hashmi film comes out, you expect something special. The music of 'Jannat 2' lives up to your expectations and is an absolute delight for music lovers. The finest voices have come together to create something really poignant.

The album's music is soulful and revitalising, bringing together elements of Sufi and Bollywood beats. Pritam as a musician has not too much freshness to offer, but he succeeds to impress by doling out catchy tunes wrapped around the dreamy lyrics of Syed Quadri.

The album kicks off with 'Tu hi mera'. Sung by Shafqat Amanat Ali, it is a Sufi number peppered by beats that you might have heard before. But still, it manages to hold your attention from the beginning because of the sheer brilliance of Shafqat's voice. The chorus too is exquisite. But as a listener one expects more variations in a song that Pritam has avoided. He has played safe and produced a regular Sufi number, which it will still manage to get a good position in the music charts.

Next is 'Tera deedar hua' and it is a showstealer. An awesome track, it is a perfect blend of the fantastic voice of Rahat Fateh Ali Khan interlaced with subtle qawwali tunes. It will surely strike a chord with youth with its fast paced music and romantic flavour. Full credit goes to Pritam for doing justice to the mesmerizing track.

Having said that, the song starts with a tune which reminds you of the Bryan Adams hit 'Summer of 69' (another rip off maybe). But still it's a wonderful track nonetheless.

It also has a 'From the heart' version by Javed Ali, which is catchy, but nowhere close to Rahat's.

Next on the playlist comes 'Tujhe sochta hoon' by KK, which is simply a class apart. A slow and sensual number, it is about love and the pain of separation. The lyrics provide depth to the beautiful song that brings back the magic of Pritam and KK.

Riding high on the success of 'Rockstar', Mohit Chauhan lends his touching voice to 'Rab ka shukrana'. The sensitive touch of his voice flows down your heart and mind.

It also has a reprise version sung by Anupam Amod.

After that is 'Jannatein kahan', which is a like a continuation of 'Zara si' from 'Jannat'. It is full of electronic and dubstep sounds, something one doesn't usually come across in Bollywood music. It also has a power ballad version that is equally compelling.

The final verdict - another goodie from the Mahesh and Mukesh Bhatt camp, which is sure to steal a good number of hearts through its music. Thumbs-up to 'Jannat 2' music.