Sigaram Song of the Year 2025

Ms A look at the music of 2025

The list of Tamil songs that have trended on multimedia platforms and enjoyed extended play on radio and TV channels is a curious one that shows a mixture of modern styles and traditional rhythmic structures and conventions.

The encouraging trend is the increasing number of new music composers and new lyricists. New singers have also entered the scene but the number could have been much larger – There is now an increasing trend of music composers singing many of their own songs. Anirudh Ravichander continues to dominate the vocals o his songs while Yuvanshankar Raja, G.V. Prakash Kumar and Sai Abhyankar have also followed a similar pattern. A.R. Rahman, who had a reputation of seeking out new talent, decided to sing all the songs in his latest album, Moonwalk.

Of the veterans, Illaiyaraja continues to run strong, dominating headlines with his hugely successful Symphony Number 1, followed by an increased number of live shows. He had 6 Tamil film albums in 2025, and has 15 projects in various stages of completion for 2026, including the English film A Beautiful Breakup.

It was a subdued year for A.R. Rahman, with the release of only three Tamil soundtracks, but he had an extensive international tour called the Wonderment Tour. He is currently collaborating with Hans Zimmer for the magnum opus, Ramayana.

Song of the Year 2025

The Sigaram Song of the Year 2025 looked at the reception and performance of Tamil songs across the globe, and this was not limited to what was trending on major social media platforms. The performance of songs on streaming platforms, radio requests and frequency in personal playlists saw its entry onto the Sigaram weekly countdown, after which all these factors were combined with personal choices of Sigaram readers and the Sigaram Team to determine how a song oerformed in the charts.

In 2025, the Independent music scene strengthened with a greater emphasis on quality. In terms of quantity, Independent Tamil tracks appeared to have reached a plateau.

South African radio stations have yet to grasp the important role they could play in the popularity and development of Tamil songs, choosing to simply ape trends instead of establishing a unique sound for the station.

Because Sigaram is based in South Africa, what is of particular concern is the subdued number of new local Tamil songs featuring original music and lyrics. The vast potential of talent in South African Tamil music still remains untapped despite the efforts of pioneer composers like The Late Mr S.V. Govender, Mrs Pushpam Murugan and Kumarie Ambigay who wrote original lyrics and the likes of Mr Segai Kiston, The Late Mr Chin Naidoo, Mr Ravi Govender, The Late Ms Mala Lutchmanan, Mr Samalen Sarugaser and Mr Edward Reddy who have led the way in composing original lyrics and tunes. The standard of lyrics and compositions needs attention, as the talent certainly exists. Local Tamil original compositions could, at one stage, compete favourably with global Tamil music, and it is hoped that the Sigaram Top 20 countdown would one day feature a locally produced Tamil song that could replicate the success of earlier composers.

Watch all 25 songs here