Dabangg 2 soundtrack lives up to Dabangg spirit

Music Director: Sajid-Wajid

Lyricists: Jalees Sherwani, Irshad Kamil and Sameer

Singers: Rahat Fateh Ali Khan, Shreya Ghoshal, Mamta Sharma, Wajid, Keerthi Sagathia, Sonu Nigam, Tulsi Kumar, Sukhwinder Singh

Rating: * * *

Chulbul Pandey is back with a bang. The soundtrack of "Dabangg 2" is a musical delight with five original songs and three remixed tracks, composed by the powerhouse duo Sajid-Wajid. The songs are penned by three different lyricists.

The album kicks off with "Dagabaaz re", a romantic number true to the spirit of "Tere mast mast do nain" from the original 2008 film. Rahat Fateh Ali Khan adds the Sufi touch, while Shreya Ghoshal mesmerises with her melodious voice like always. The song is simple and its lilting composition instantly hits you. One hopes it would be a visual treat as well.

Next up is "Pandeyjee seeti", which looks like a follow-up to chartbuster "Munni badnaam hui". It features Malaika Arora Khan, and her magic is expected to work again! Queen of item songs, singer Mamta Sharma croons to glory in this number and she is supported well by Wajid and Shreya Ghoshal.

The song also takes a cue from yesteryears' hit "Chalat musafir moh liyo re". Definitely not of the finest tracks in the album but is nice nonetheless. It also has a remix version, which is racy but doesn't work too well with the listener.

Getting into the desi mode, "Fevicol se" is a typical crude item number that will surely get loads of whistles, especially as it has been picturised on Kareena Kapoor. The lyrics are raunchy and a bit hilarious, but will surely work with most sections of the audience.

Mamta renders the Bhojpuri feel and is joined by Wajid and Keerthi Sagathia. It also has a remix version which has some good techno beats and it is as entertaining as the original.

"Saanson ne" changes the mood of the album and gets the listener into the romantic mode again. There is nothing special about the track as it sounds like any other romantic number. One gets hugely disappointed, especially since it has Sonu Nigam behind the mic. The composition is ordinary and even with the support of Tulsi Kumar; this duet fails to move you at all.

"Dabangg reloaded" rounds up the album. Sajid-Wajid have tried to recreate the magic of "Hud hud dabangg" and they manage to succeed to a limit. Sukhwinder Singh, with his high octane energy, manages to create a stir. A heavy use of percussions is also commendable. The use of the saxophone in the end is also quite nice and doesn't seem out of place.

There is, however, nothing too great about the remix versions of the song. It is definitely a passe and should be avoided.

Overall, the album scores well with the original tracks as most of them appeal to the listener. It's however a miss as far as remixes are concerned. If one ignores that and considers the huge fan base that Salman Khan has, there is no denying that despite its shortcomings, the album will still be a hit.