The only disappointment on the album is Jai Ho. While it’s high on optimism and the music is upbeat, the sound is unfortunately all too familiar to veteran listeners of Bollywood music. Sukhwinder Singh, as usual, does a good job with the vocals but one can’t take away from the fact that the song just does not live up to the standards set by the other tracks. Also, one strange inclusion on the album is the Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy track Aaj Ki Raat from Don, untouched apart from a few additional beats and lyrics. The song is on for a brief period during the movie and there really wasn’t much reason to include it in the music album. One can only assume it was done keeping in mind western listeners who just can’t get enough of Bollywood music.

Still, apart from a couple of glitches, the music of Slumdog Millionaire is a worthy addition to anyone’s collection—for its varied moods and beats and for the unprecedented levels of experimentation that Rahman has indulged in.

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