The duo of composers Wazim Ashraf and Muralikrishnan (aka Wazim-Murali) is a quite diverse one, in terms of the sounds they experiment with and the artists they collaborate with. In the latter half of December, the duo released a couple of singles as a part of their upcoming album Alchemy and one of these tracks was the highly-optimistic I Believe.
I Believe features a synth-heavy 80s-style sound that would instantly cheer up listeners. Wazim-Murali’s production is foot-tappingly upbeat, to say the least. If the backing track wasn’t catchy enough, featured singer Zeba Tommy’s vocals are smooth and soothing enough to gel with the song.
Before the second verse, a prolonged interlude includes a few hints of Indian classical vocals and instrumentals that would be of interest to fans of artists like Nucleya or Ritviz. However, unlike many other electro/fusion musicians in the indie scene unintentionally or intentionally end up sounding slightly derivative from the discography of the two artists mentioned above.
However, despite the few similarities that some might feel, Wazim and Murali try to be as original as they can and it shows. Yes, their synths can be comparable to Indian and non-Indian electropop artists but they still give the song their own touch. Whether I Believe sounds vaguely ‘inspired’ or not doesn’t, that argument might not really matter as long as the song is worthy of being remembered on its own.
And I Believe is indeed a fresh track that’s worthy of being played on repeat. A good-enough video directed by Ankit Babylon accompanies the visual, detailing the trials and tribulations of an urban woman as she stays at her home in the middle of the pandemic. Dealing with her work, boredom, existential dread, and a tumultuous relationship, she seeks to free herself from this never-ending cycle of stress.
As the pandemic ends, she leaves her partner and decides to quit her day job with an open-ended third act suggesting a professional transition towards being a racecar driver. The music video follows a quite formulaic approach that has been experimented with in different interpretations, be it Avicii and Nicky Romero’s I Could Be The One or the Ritviz-Seedhe Maut collaboration Roshni. Despite the familiar tropes, the video ends up feeling as inspirational and feel-good as the song itself…
Verdict: An upbeat, fast-paced track brimming with optimism.
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