Arijit Singh's birthday: Songs that shattered his 'romantic singer' label

From Tum Hi Ho to Muskurane and Channa Mereya to Judaiyaan, Arijit Singh's voice is the ointment we need while nursing a broken heart. Over the years, he has concretized himself as composers' go-to choice for wistful melodies, and while his supremacy in this genre remains unparalleled, he has also shattered this typecast through party numbers. On his 36th birthday, we look at some.

One of the first songs that proved Singh has the versatility to not just make people weep but also shake a leg on the dance floor was Dilliwali Girlfriend. Composed by his frequent collaborator Pritam, Singh brought to the song a certain vivacious charm and energy, and combined with Sunidhi Chauhan's vocals, it turned out to be a quintessential party track!

Everything seems perfect about Main Tera Boyfriend—Singh's ebullient vocals, the peppy lyrics that don't demand much time to remember, and of course, Sushant Singh Rajput's perfect dance moves that perfectly rounded off the awesomeness of the song. Written by Kumaar and Jitendra Raghuvanshi, it featured in the film Raabta (2017) and was an instant hit for several months post its release.

The 2015 film Roy was a box-office dud and a critical failure, too, so everyone associated with it will possibly like not to remember it ever again, but it did give us another groovy track: Sooraj Dooba Hai, composed by Amaal Malik and written by Kumaar. The song particularly comes alive when the tempo rises and the dance number reaches the hook line.

A recent song that eliminated any doubts about Singh's versatility and his incredible vocal range, Dance Ka Bhoot, from Brahmastra, acts as an introduction for Shiva, the film's hero. Singh has sung numerous songs for Ranbir Kapoor, so his voice goes exceptionally well with RK's expressions, making Dance Ka Bhoot a track that gradually grows on you. It was penned by Amitabh Bhattacharya.