Love Story 2050 is a science fiction romance set in two different times, the present and the year 2050. It is said to be one of the most expensive films made to date because of the incredible amount of FX used in the futuristic part of the film. Starring Priyanka Chopra and newcomer Harman Baweja, the film is set to release on July 4th. With the futuristic aspect, one would expect the music to convey cool, new sounds that might be heard in 2050 as well as cool, new sounds for the present day sections. So does composer Anu Malik and lyricist Javed Aktar pull off something special for this unique film? The answer is no. In attempts to make something different, they went down the wrong path and the composition of the music is just not up to par–in fact, it is not good at all. Some of the songs have way too much going on, with too many types of instruments and have lyrics that repeat over and over. The more OK tracks will probably play better while you are watching the scene they accompany. The album has four dance-ish tracks, one slower song (sort of), and both happy and sad versions of the other two, but although great voices and musicians participated, it is not an album you will be tempted to add to your iPod.
The first song I listened to was Lover Boy Will You, which is sung by Alisha Chinnai, and from the first set of lyrics I thought uh-oh this album is in trouble already. Though Alisha Chinnai’s voice is terrific it does not make up for lyrics like: “Hey You Lover Boy. Will You by My Toy?” which is repeated over and over again. It is a dance track, that from the sound seems to be one of the futuristic parts of the film. It has some very stylized synthesizer beats that do create a different sound. There is also a nice effect when the range of her voice goes from a low register to a higher one during the refrain. However with lyrics like these, and at 6.27 minutes in length, you do get tired of it long before it is over. I do have to say the end of the song is fabulous and really shows off the range of Chinnai’s voice, so maybe hit fast forward.
Aa Gaya Hun Mein is another dance track that has K.K. at the microphone. A very fast paced number, it is one of the songs that has way too much going on. About halfway through listening to it, I wrote in my notes that it is a pretty good song but it really does not stand out, and the only thing I did not like was the background chorus. But then the music took several more wrong turns. For example, suddenly scratching and a new vocal line, that does not match anything, appears. It seems that there are about four different songs in this one track, and none of it seems to go together. If he had left it simply with the wonderful voice of K.K. and the music of the first part it would have been better. Still not great, but better.
According to Harman, the song Meelon Ka Jaisa Tha Fasla is the “soul of the film”. It is heard in both the present and the future scenes of the movie, and has a happy as well as a sad version. Sung wonderfully by K.K and Alka Yagnik, both tracks have the same flowing feel to them with a very pretty melody line. The two versions are almost identical, though the happy one is longer and the sad version a bit slower in tempo. The sad track gives you the feeling of lovers parted and in the happy version I felt like they reunited. I think you will have to see the scenes in which these songs appear to truly appreciate them. Malik used flute, piano and percussion for the background music with a full orchestra and a chorus section that goes a little too high on the musical register for my taste. Again, not a song to put on replay but the movie images and associations might change that.
Mausum Achanak started off to be one of the better tracks, but it too has too much extra stuff to make it enjoyable. It starts out beautifully with flute, harp, piano and the gorgeous voice of Alka Yagnik. When Shaan joins in, it get even better and the two of them sound lovely together. Again, however, Malik adds in a background chorus that distracts rather than enhances the listening experience. Then, the middle of the song comes, and it changes to a track with too many different themes, instruments and sounds. There is another scratching section that is totally wrong for the song: a nice guitar riff would have been perfect in my opinion. The best part of the song is the blend of Shaan and Yagnik’s voices, with the more melodious phrases backing them up. Simpler instrumentation would have made the song wonderful. Seeing the picturization might make it better, but I am not too sure.
The fantastic Kunal Ganjawala performs the fourth dance track on the album, Sach Kehna. The music is full of many synthesizer beats and runs, and throughout the song you also hear riffs of a fabulous acoustic guitar, a rock guitar, a saxophone and even sections backed up by full orchestra. However, with all that, there are way too many different sounds, all with different musical lines and none of it meshing. Separately, each instrument’s part is interesting, but together it makes the song very hard to listen to. Kunal Ganjwala and the backup singers do make it better but not enough to play again.
In an interview Harman said that the sound of Milo Na Milo Main Milane is something new: “It’s a real new sound. Its got more of a techno-meet-robot-meet-melody kinda’ feel and appeal. It’s basically a classical raag that we converted into a robotic techno feel and then incorporated in this song.” Shaan does a fine job with the track and it has some good back up music. The melody sticks with you, and Milo Na Milo da da da will certainly be going through your head after you hear it. The synthesizer effects and beats are really great, so overall it is a good song. There are a few odd sections that were a bit hard to listen to, because some of the new sounds clash, they do not work and take the song down. A short part of the number is used for the teaser of the film, giving us a glimpse of Harman the dancer, and he certainly can move. The song is pretty good, but it is better watching him dance to it than actually listening to it yourself.
There are two versions of Jane Kaisi Hai Teri Meri Love Story, a happy one and a sad one, both performed brilliantly by Shaan. The happy version is marvellous with piano and a very nice guitar. It is definitely one of the better songs and the instrumentation of the song really stands out. I imagine seeing it within the context of the film will make it even greater. But it is the sad version that is the highlight of the entire album. Malik got it so right with this one. There is a mournful violin that sets the mood right away and it is so beautiful. Shaan outdoes himself on this track and you literally can feel the pain in his voice. His tone is perfect and makes you wonder what will be happening in this scene. It is a gorgeous composition and one that IS worth listening to again.
With such a unusual premise, the music of Love Story 2050 should have been something fresh and exciting. However it is an album full of odd sounds and too many musical changes that do not match, making it a soundtrack that falls well below the mark. I was only going to give it 1.5 stars, but the extra half is for the fabulous musicians and singers, who tried their best with what they had to work with, and for the sad version of Jane Kaisi Hai Teri Meri Love Story. Hopefully the songs will work better in the film, but for now I would say stay away and wait until the film releases.
