Ali Zafar’s Jhoom going viral 11 years after its release to the continuing appeal of Lata Mangeshkar’s 1954 song Mera Dil Ye Pukare, Instagram has played a big role in what songs buzz in your heads in 2023. It really managed to bring back some hidden gems through its most used feature, Reels. A song is only as good as how viral its hashtag is, how reel-worthy it is, and how addictive the hook steps are. And most important of all, who is the influencer who promotes it. Mangeshkar’s song was used by a Pakistani woman but got picked up in India by Madhuri Dixit, Katrina Kaif and Genelia D’Souza, to name a few.
Since Instagram launched reels in 2020, songs and artistes have found the platform a route to viral fame, with some tracks being rediscovered years after their initial release.
As 2023 comes to an end, here are seven viral songs that deserve a second look.
Softly
Earlier this year, actor Vicky Kaushal shared a video of himself grooving to Karan Aujla’s Punjabi song, Softly, during a photoshoot. “The only way I know how to do photoshoots. What a banger by @karanaujla_official veerey!,” wrote Kaushal.
Reposting the clip, Aujla wrote: “Teach me those moves please.” Soon the Instagram algorithm started to do its thing and the song was on every Instagram reel and on every social media user’s mind for the next month or so, making it an instant hit.
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Obsessed
Vicky Kaushal’s spectacular dance moves catapulted another Punjabi song to fame, making people wonder how he managed to make every track his own. From cute pet videos to dance and cooking shorts, Instagram became ‘obsessed’ with Riar Saab and Abhijay Sharma’s banger song soon after.
Khalasi
Aditya Gadhvi’s Coke Studio song became a viral sensation among audiences not just for its music but also for inspiring many cover versions and dance performances. One of these was a performance by Norway-based dance group, Quick Style, which had earlier grooved to the timeless Kala Chashma. Khalasi’s beats and catchy Gujarati lyrics made thousands hop on the trend, including actor Janhvi Kapoor.
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Besharam rang
Shah Rukh Khan and Deepika Padukone’s steamy romance in Pathaan’s ‘Besharam Rang’ was clearly loved by Indian audiences. The peppy number landed in controversy soon after – over Padukone’s saffron bikini. However, Shilpa Rao’s voice and Khan and Padukone’s electric dance moves prevailed, and the Instagram community didn’t cease to show its love.
Kesariya
The song from the Ranbir Kapoor and Alia Bhatt starrer Brahmastra: Part One – Shiva, went viral soon after its release in 2022. The internet fumed over its lyrics, with some calling the words “love storiyaan” as annoying as cardamom in Biryani. But the song’s beautiful beats emerged victorious. Kesariya was on Google’s ‘Hum to Search’ section of ‘Year in Search 2023’, a list that consists of the world’s most searched queries.
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Chaleya
The song, from SRK’s 2023 blockbuster Jawan, made the internet go gaga over the 58-year-old actor’s energy. His romantic dance with co-star Nayanthara was recreated by many. From a patient dancing to the song in a hospital to K-pop singer Kim Woojin dancing on the song during his India tour, Chaleya created its own fan base.
Moye moye
Finally, the song that lives rent-free in our minds. A repetition of the words “moje more”, it comes from the chorus of Serbian singer Teya Dora’s 2023 song Džanum. In Serbian, ‘moje more’ means ‘my nightmares’. And ‘moye moye’ has clearly brought out the dark humour of social media enthusiasts. The videos usually depict a person suffering from ‘a defect’ and another who breaks into dance upon learning about it. As a colleague earlier wrote: “Can’t say if the trend is funny at all, but the randomness sure is.”
(Edited by Zoya Bhatti)