As he always has! Listen to all the soundtracks this year alone and just observe how varied his music is, never sounding repetitive. If someone says that Rahman has been repetitive this year, I'm going to scream! He is the most versatile composer probably the world has ever known.
Lately, Rahman has been more in experimental mode, dabbling in various musical genres that for some, may sound foreign and unusual, hence the strong initial reactions to his soundtracks and why his music does indeed take time to sink in. Rahman's music has always taken time to sink in due to the thick layering of his music, complex arrnagements, and use of different musical genres. There is nothing at all predictable about what he will do next! You may not like a particular album due to the sound, style, genre etc. and that's ok. There's always the next one. That's why I can never say that Rahman is "not living up to his standards" because he keeps reinventing himself each album. All successful artists have the burden of matching up to their previous successful works and I for one am so glad that Rahman is progressive enough to not fall into the trap of trying to recreate old albums in various disguises. That would lead to him being bored, uninspired, and others labeling him as repetitive and outdated. It's got to be tough on him to try to create something new and fresh with each release and I so admire Rahman's brilliant creativity and couragessness, knowing that sometimes, his experiments may not be taken as well as he had hoped. Let's be clear. Rahman works hard on every album. Maybe at certain times, there are too many demands that don't allow him spend more time on a soundtrack, but given the time that he has, I am sure he gives it his all. Before some of us moan and groan how Rahman is not living up to this or that, just remember how blessed we are to be able to hear his music today. That's not a guarantee. And lastly, who says that Rahman has to give perfect elegance and mindblowing complexities to each and every song he makes? Have some of you ever thought that when he creates light numbers like Latoo, etc., that it's the director who demands that type of number? Please try to keep a broad perspective. You don't have to like a particular Rahman song, but please keep in mind that maybe it's the type of song needed for a film situation or was demanded of him. Rahman is trying to force us to be open minded about music, to appreciate different genres, and to challenge our musical tastes so that we can enjoy life more, enjoy a broader range of music. Whether an album receives a positive or negative review or whether it sells good or bad, Rahman is human afterall, but I know that he is trying his best despite the pressure from all around him. BTW, I am now LOVING 5/6 songs from Ghajini and maybe Latoo will grwo in time.
