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Yuvan Shankar Raja | |
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.jpg) Yuvan in 2022 | |
| Background information | |
| Also known as |
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| Born | Yuvan Shankar Raja (1979-08-31)31 August 1979 (age 46) Madras,Tamil Nadu, India |
| Origin | Pannaipuram,Tamil Nadu |
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| Works | Full list |
| Years active | 1996–present |
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Spouses | |
Yuvan Shankar Raja (born 31 August 1979), is an Indian composer and playback singer.[1][2] He mainly scores music for Tamil films along with few Telugu, Kannada, and Hindi films.[3] Considered a versatile composer, he is particularly known for his use ofWestern music elements and often credited with having introducedhip hop to the Tamil film and music industry and started the "era ofremixes" inTamil Nadu[4][5][6] which included mixedEDM andjazz. He is frequently referred to as the "BGM King" of Tamil film music.[7][8] Yuvan has won twoFilmfare Awards South, fiveMirchi Music Awards South, threeVijay Awards and twoTamil Nadu State Film Awards.
Within a span of 25 years, Yuvan has worked on over 190 films. Being the youngest son of composerIlaiyaraaja, he began his musical career in 1996, at the age of 16, when he composed the film score forAravindhan. He got his breakthrough with theThulluvadho Ilamai (2002) soundtrack, and established himself as one of Tamil cinema's most sought-after composers by the mid-2000s.[9][10][11] He won theFilmfare Award for Best Music Director – Tamil in 2004 for his score in the drama7G Rainbow Colony. In 2006, he became the only Indian composer to win theCyprus International Film Festival Award for the soundtrack ofRaam.[12] He also won theFilmfare Special Award – South in 2009 for his Telugu musicalOy!.
In 2015, Yuvan created his own music label,U1 Records and in 2017, he started his own film production studio, YSR Films.
Yuvan Shankar Raja was born on 31 August 1979.[13] He is the third and youngest child of musician and film composerIlaiyaraaja. He is the younger brother of music directorKarthik Raja and playback singer-music directorBhavatharini. Yuvan once confessed that his brother Karthik Raja was more talented than him, but he did not get a successful break into the music business since he did not get a "good team to work with".[14] His father as well as his siblings have sung many songs under his direction. Film director and film composerGangai Amaran and R. D. Bhaskar are his uncles and their sonsVenkat Prabhu,Premgi Amaren and Parthi Bhaskar, who are working in theTamil film industry as well, are his cousins.
Yuvan did his schooling atSt. Bede's Anglo Indian Higher Secondary School in Chennai,[15][16] and discontinued his education after his tenth class. He started learning music from Jacob Master,[17] attending piano classes at "Musee Musical" in Chennai, which is affiliated toTrinity College in London, UK.[18]
Yuvan Shankar Raja stated that he always wanted to become a pilot and travel "all around the world", but as he grew up "with music around him", he eventually became a musician.[17] He admires the work of his father and other composers such asS. D. Burman,R. D. Burman,M. S. Viswanathan andNaushad Ali and the voices of singersLata Mangeshkar,Asha Bhosle,P. B. Sreenivas,S. P. Balasubrahmanyam, andP. Susheela.[17]
In 1996, following his mother's suggestion to take up music as a profession, Yuvan Shankar Raja started composing tunes for an album.[19]T. Siva, the producer of the Tamil language filmAravindhan, after hearing some of the tunes, asked him to compose atrailer music score. As Siva was impressed by the music, he gave Yuvan Shankar the assignment to compose the entire film score, including a soundtrack for that film.[19] After consulting and getting consent from his parents, he accepted the offer; his music career started. His entry into the Tamil film and music industry had happened at age 16, thus he became one of the youngest composers ever in the industry, which he says, was "purely accidental".[20]
However, both the soundtrack album as well as the film itself failed to attract audiences and do well, and Yuvan Shankar Raja's following projectsVelai (1998) andKalyana Galatta (1998) were not successful either; his compositions for these films did not receive good reviews or responses,[21][22] with one reviewer labelling the music and background score in the latter as "cacophony" and "poor".[23] The failures of his first projects meant that he was not offered any film projects and assignments subsequently.[24] During this time of struggle, he was approached and assigned by directorVasanth to compose the music for his filmPoovellam Kettuppar (1999). The soundtrack received a very positive response, being described as "fresh" and "different", with a critic fromThe New Indian Express citing that his "absolutely enchanting musical score [...] bears testimony to his "Raja" surname."[25] The album became very popular, particularly songs such as "Irava Pagala" and "Chudithar Aninthu", gaining him first time notice, especially among young people and children.[21][26] The album would make possible his first breakthrough in the industry and proved to be a major turning point in his career.[27] After working for twoSundar C films,Unakkaga Ellam Unakkaga (1999) andRishi (2000), he got to work forA. R. Murugadoss's directorial debut in 2001, the action flickDheena, starringAjith Kumar, which went on to become a blockbuster and Yuvan Shankar Raja's first major successful film.[28] Yuvan Shankar's songs were equally successful,[29][30] which are considered to have played a major role in the film's great success,[31] while hisbackground score in the film was also well appreciated. This was followed byBala'sNandhaa (2001), for which he received rave reviews.[21]
In 2002, he had three album releases, the first beingThulluvadho Ilamai, collaborating withSelvaraghavan for the first time. The film was directed byKasthuri Raja, but his son Selvaraghavan wrote the script and worked with Yuvan Shankar Raja for the film's soundtrack album. The soundtrack album ofThulluvadho Ilamai particularly appealed to the younger generation. The film itself, marking the debut of Selvaraghavan's brotherDhanush, released one year later and became asleeper hit at the Chennai box office.[32][33] He then gained notice by churning out "youthful music" in the college-life basedApril Maadhathil (2002), theromantic comedy filmsKadhal Samrajyam (2002) (The film was never released theatrically, the soundtrack was released in 2002) andMounam Pesiyadhe (2002),Ameer's directorial debut film, and thetriangular love storyPunnagai Poove (2002), in which he also made his on-screen debut, appearing in some scenes and one song sequence.[34] At the same time, he made hisTelugu debut withSeshu andMalli Malli Chudali and also composed for the Tamil filmsJunior Senior andPop Carn, starring Malayalam actorsMammootty andMohanlal, respectively, though all of which performed poorly at the box office.
In 2003, Selvaraghavan's first independent directorial, the drama-thriller filmKaadhal Kondein released, which is considered a milestone for Yuvan Shankar Raja.[35] His work in the film, particularly his background score, was unanimously praised, leading to the release of a separate CD consisting of several film score pieces, à la "Hollywood-style", which was reportedly the first film score CD release in India. Furthermore, the film went on to become a blockbuster, cementing the film's lead artist Dhanush and Yuvan Shankar in the Tamil film and music industry.[36] The same year, he worked inVishnuvardhan's debut filmKurumbu, which featured the firstremix song in a Tamil film. By that time, in a career spanning less than a decade, Yuvan Shankar Raja had established himself as one of the leading and most-sought after music directors in the Tamil film industry, despite having worked predominantly with newcomers and in low-budget productions.[35][36]
Yuvan Shankar's 2004 releases,7G Rainbow Colony, another Selvaraghavan film, andSilambarasan'sManmadhan, were both critically and commercially successful films, featuring acclaimed as well as popular music by Yuvan Shankar Raja, which also contributed to the films' successes.[35][37][38] His work in the former, in particular, got critically acclaimed and eventually led him to win theBest Music Direction Award at the 2004 Filmfare Awards South;[39] receiving the award at the age of 25, he was the youngest winning music composer of the award at that time. For the next several years, he would have nine to ten releases every year on average, making him one of the most prolific film composers of India.[40][41]
His first of nine album releases of 2005 wasRaam. His score for the Ameer-directed thriller, labelled as "soul-stirring", fetched him further accolades[42][43] and eventually yielded a win at the 2006Cyprus International Film Festival for Best Musical score in a Feature Film,[44][45] the first such award for an Indian composer. His successful streak continued with his following releases of that year, the low-budget filmsArinthum Ariyamalum,Kanda Naal Mudhal andSandakozhi becoming successful ventures at the box office; Yuvan Shankar's songs, "Theepidikka",[46] "Panithuli" and "Dhavani Potta" from the respective soundtracks enjoyed popularity and were said to have played an important role in the films's successes.[47] After the release of the soundtrack for theS. J. Suryah-starring romantic comedyKalvanin Kadhali, that also enjoyed popularity after the film's release,[45][48] his final album of 2005,Pudhupettai, released, which saw him once again collaborating with director Selvaraghavan. The ten-trackexperimental album, receiving high critical acclaim, was considered Yuvan Shankar Raja's finest work till then and a "musical masterpiece".[49][50] The soundtrack and score of the film featured a traditionalorchestral score played by the "Chapraya Symphony" ofBangkok,[51] for the first time in a Tamil film. Critics felt that this project, in particular, proved his abilities and talent to produce innovative and experimental scores as well.[52] The film itself, releasing only in May 2006, did average business, despite opening to outstanding reviews.
He next worked on the romantic comediesHappy andAzhagai Irukkirai Bayamai Irukkirathu and the gangster filmPattiyal, which all released in early 2006. HisHappy songs and score received positive reviews, with critics labelling the "youthful music" as "excellent",[53] and the film's "main strength",[54] while his score forPattiyal was highly praised by critics; aSify reviewer wrote: "Yuvan Shankar Raja's music and background score is the life of the film".[55] Furthermore, both films went on to become very successful ventures, both commercially and critically. His subsequent releases that year include Silambarasan's directorial debutVallavan and the action entertainerThimiru. Yuvan Shankar Raja was cited as the "real hero" of the former,[56] which featured some of the year's most listened-to tracks such as "Loosu Penne" and "Yammadi Aathadi",[57] while the latter film ranked amongst the year's highest-grossing films. In November 2006, theParuthiveeran soundtrack album got released, which saw the composer foraying into pure rural folk music,[58] using traditional musical instruments.[59] Though initially releasing to mixed reviews, with critics doubting whether the songs could attract a modern youth audience,[60][61] his first attempt at rural music turned out to be a major success, following the film's outstanding run at the box office.[62][63] The film, Ameer's third feature film as well asKarthi's debut venture, received universal critical acclaim after its release in February 2007 and became a blockbuster, while particularly the song "Oororam Puliyamaram" was a chartbuster number inTamil Nadu.[64][65]
In 2007, he had a record ten album releases in one year. The first was the soundtrack of the romantic drama filmDeepavali, following which the audios of thesports comedy filmChennai 600028, the Telugu family entertainerAadavari Matalaku Ardhalu Verule,Vasanth's thriller filmSatham Podathey and the romantic filmsThottal Poo Malarum andKannamoochi Yenada released, with the former three being well-received besides garnering positive reviews. The filmsChennai 600028, Venkat Prabhu's directorial debut, andAadavari Matalaku Ardhalu Verule,Selvaraghavan's Telugu debut, in particular, were great commercial successes and became some of the year's most successful films in Tamil and Telugu, respectively. In late 2007, the filmKattradhu Thamizh and its soundtrack got released. The soundtrack album, which was released asTamil M. A., as well as the film itself, had been met with positive reviews and critical acclaim. The music was called a "musical sensation" and was noted to be a "proof" of Yuvan Shankar Raja's "composing skills".[66][67][68] However, despite positive reviews by critics, the film failed to evoke the interest of the audience and did not enjoy much popularity. His final release of 2007 wasBilla, a remake of the 1980Rajinikanth-starrerof the same title. This film, remade byVishnuvardhan, starring Ajith Kumar in the title role, also featured two remixes from the original version. The film emerged one of the top-grossers of the year,[69] while also fetching positive reviews for Yuvan Shankar's stylish musical score.[70]
In 2008, five films, featuring Yuvan's music were released, two of them being the Tamil and Kannada remakes ofAadavari Matalaku Ardhalu Verule, titledYaaradi Nee Mohini andAnthu Inthu Preethi Banthu, respectively, which partly featured the original score and songs. The Tamil version, in particular, was able to repeat the success of the original film, emerging as a high commercial success, while yielding Yuvan his second Filmfare nomination. The other releases that year includeSeeman'sVaazhthugal,Venkat Prabhu's comedy-thrillerSaroja,Ajith Kumar's action thrillerAegan andSilambarasan'smasala flickSilambattam, out of which,Saroja andSilambattam proved to be successful at the box office, with Yuvan Shankar's score in the former and his songs in the latter garnering accolades and several awards at the 2009 Isaiyaruvi Tamil Music Awards.[71] In 2009, nine of his soundtrack albums released. Excluding the romantic comedySiva Manasula Sakthi, featuring his most popular song of the year "Oru Kal Oru Kannadi", all other films failed at the box office. Besides "Oru Kal", the songs "Siragual" (Sarvam) and "Aedho Saigiral" (Vaamanan) also became popular.[72][73] He had provided a rural score again inKunguma Poovum Konjum Puravum and asarangi-based score for the urban action drama ofAmeer'sYogi. His score for his Telugu romantic musicalOy! fetched him theSpecial Jury Award at the2010 South Filmfare Awards.
In late 2009, thesoundtrack album ofPaiyaa released, which was regarded as a "blockbuster album" and a "magnum opus",[74][75] as it went on to become highly popular, much prior to the film's release, and one of Yuvan Shankar Raja's biggest successes of his career.[76] The song "Thuli Thuli" had become the first Tamil song to be featured in the India Top 20 list for April 2010, indicating that it was the most frequently played Tamil song on all Indian FM radio stations in the history of Tamil film music.[76] The film itself became one of the highest earners of the year, particularly supported by Yuvan's score and songs. Along withPaiyaa, songs from three more films for which he composed music that year –Naan Mahaan Alla,Baana Kaathadi andBoss Engira Bhaskaran – featured among the Top 10 chartbusters of the year.[40] In early 2010, he composed his firstBollywood song; "Haq Se", as part of the ensemble soundtrack of the filmStriker, starring his close friendSiddharth, which received thoroughly positive reviews. In 2011, he teamed up withSilambarasan again for the anthology filmVaanam, with the song "Evan Di Unna Pethan" from the album, that was released as a single, gaining popularity. His next film wasBala'sAvan Ivan; Yuvan's songs generally fetched positive reviews.[77] He next composed a score that drew influence from severalworld music styles for the critically acclaimed independent gangster filmAaranya Kaandam,[78] winning high praise from critics.[79] He went on to work in Venkat Prabhu's action thrillerMankatha, his biggest project till date, andVishnuvardhan's first Telugu venturePanjaa. His last two releases of 2011 were the soundtrack albums to the action-masala filmsRajapattai andVettai, both of which received mixed responses and failed to reach success. His 2012 works includeBilla II, starringAjith Kumar, Ameer's long-delayedAadhi Bhagavan and Vasanth'sMoondru Per Moondru Kadhal.
In 2013, he contributed music to nine films. Tracks fromKedi Billa Killadi Ranga were generally received positively by critics.[80]Moondru Per Moondru Kadal, directed by Vasanth. Despite the film itself receiving "mixed reviews", Yuvan Shankar Raja's soundtrack was widely acclaimed, frequently cited as "arguably his best album in 2013".[81] DirectorVasanth praised it as "post-modern music" and highlighted Yuvan Shankar Raja's dedicated seven months of work on the score.[82]His collaboration with veteran composerM.S. Viswanathan inThillu Mullu was a unique endeavor.[83]Yuvan composed the soundtrack forSuseenthiran's romantic dramaAadhalal Kadhal Seiveer. The album garnered mixed to positive reviews, and the music supported the film's "highly positive reviews" and success.A profound highlight was his work onThanga Meenkal, where the emotional depth of the film was significantly amplified by his score, particularly through the song "Aanandha Yaazhai," which garnered "rave reviews" and was "celebrated across Tamil Nadu".[84][85] The music ofArrambam, which topped various music charts and achieved strong CD sales.[86] This year also saw him reach his 100th movie milestone withBiryani, a collaboration with directorVenkat Prabhu.[87] The soundtrack was met with a "positive response".[88][89]
In 2014, nine movies, featuring Yuvan's music were released, two of them non-Tamil movies; the Telugu filmGovindudu Andarivadele and theHindi filmRaja Natwarlal, which marked Yuvan'sBollywood debut. The other releases that year, which includedThirudan Police,Anjaan andPoojai proved to be commercially successful, whereasVanavarayan Vallavarayan released with positive reviews from critics. InVadacurry, he has done only one song in the album. In 2015Vai Raja Vai,Masss andYatchan, which were released. whereas the visuals ofIdam Porul Eval remain unreleased.
His next film wasDharmadurai, which marked the second collaboration with lyricistVairamuthu and directorSeenu Ramasamy afterIdam Porul Eval. andChennai 600028 II,Nenjam Marappathillai,Yaakkai andTaramani were the movies scored by him in 2016.
In 2017, seven films, namelySathriyan,Kadamban,Anbanavan Asaradhavan Adangadhavan,Gowdru Hotel (his straight Kannada debut),[90] the Telugu filmOxygen,Semma Botha Aagathey andBalloon released.
2018 saw the release ofIrumbu Thirai which notably became his 125th project. andRaja Ranguski,Peranbu,Pyaar Prema Kaadhal,Genius,Sandakozhi 2,Maari 2. The song "Rowdy Baby" fromMaari 2 garnered a billion views on YouTube.Rowdy Baby became the first south Indian song to have garnered 1 billion+ views on YouTube.[91]
In 2019,Kanne Kalaimaane,Super Deluxe,NGK,Sindhubaadh,Kazhugu 2,Nerkonda Paarvai andHero released.
In 2021, he had seven releases namelyKoozhangal,Kalathil Santhippom,Chakra,Nenjam Marappathillai,Dikkiloona,Maanaadu andPlan Panni Pannanum.
Yuvan had ten album releases in 2022. He collaborated withPradeep Ranganathan forLove Today, which received a huge response from audience and positive mention from critics.[92]Viruman,Naane Varuvean,1945,Veeramae Vaagai Soodum,Coffee with Kadhal,Agent Kannayiram andLaththi released in 2022.
In 2023,Custody released. He composed music for Amazon web-seriesModern Love Chennai.[93]
In 2024, After two decades, Yuvan andVijay have reunited forThe Greatest of All Time, marking their second collaboration sincePuthiya Geethai.[94][95] The first single, "Whistle Podu," sung by Vijay, broke records with 25.5 million views in 24 hours.[96]Yuvan later revealed that Vijay has sung one more song in the movie.[97] The second single, "Chinna Chinna Kangal," released on Vijay's birthday, features his vocals alongside anAI-recreated version of the late Bhavatharini's voice, making it a heartfelt tribute. Later,Venkat Prabhu revealed, "Vijay sir personally came forward to sing Chinna Chinna Kangal to pay tribute to the memory ofBhavatharani."[98] Subsequent tracks "Spark" and "Matta" have garnered mixed and energetic responses, respectively.[99]
BesidesTamil films, he has also scored music for films in otherSouth Indian languages. Around 35 of the Tamil films, for which he had composed music, were afterwards dubbed intoTelugu,Kannada orMalayalam languages as were the respective soundtracks. Apart from these ones, he also worked "straightly" on Telugu projects such asSeshu,Malli Malli Chudali,Happy,Raam,Raju Bhai andAadavari Matalaku Arthale Verule andOy!, making him well-known and popular inTelugu cinema also.[100] He also worked on the soundtrack forPanjaa.[101] Yuvan'sOxygen, was released in 2017.[102]
Besides scoring, Yuvan Shankar Raja is a noted playback singer as well. As of August 2011, he has sung over 80 songs, mostly his own compositions, and several times he recorded for his father Ilaiyaraaja and his brotherKarthik Raja. He lent his voice first in 1988, when he was eight years old for a song in the filmEn Bommukutty Ammavukku, composed by his father. Since then, he frequently sang for his father in films such asAnjali (1990),Chatriyan (1990),Thalattu Ketkuthamma (1991),Friends (2001),Kaathal Jaathi (2002),Ramana (2003) andNeethane En Ponvasantham (2012).[103] Under his brother's direction, he had sung in the filmsNaam Iruvar Namakku Iruvar (1998),Ullam Kollai Poguthae (2001) andVeyilodu Vilayadu (2012). He had also performed a song for the filmSiddu +2 (2010), composed by his friendDharan,[104] and had lent his voice for thetheme song for theWorld Classical Tamil Conference 2010, set to tune byA. R. Rahman.[105] In 2013, he sang a song for Rahman in the filmMaryan.
However, he is better known as a singer of his own compositions. Films, featuring some of his most popular songs as a singer, includeThulluvadho Ilamai,April Maadhathil,Pudhupettai,Pattiyal,Azhagai Irukkirai Bayamai Irukkirathu (in which he had sung all songs),[106]Deepavali,Kattradhu Thamizh,Siva Manasula Sakthi,Sarvam,Paiyaa andNaan Mahaan Alla, the latter earning him a Filmfare nomination for theBest Male Playback Singer Award.[107]
In January 2009, Yuvan had announced his first live performance, which was planned to be held at theRogers Centre inToronto, Canada on 25 April 2009. According to Yuvan, the show would have featured around 30 songs, sung by well-known singers and his fatherIlaiyaraaja, as well as some stage dances in between, by actressesSana Khan andMeenakshi.[108][109][110] However, the concert had been postponed eventually, with Yuvan Shankar stating that he was working on novel ideas to make the show memorable and hence, postponed the concert.[111] In October 2009, he announced that aworld tour, titled "Oru Naalil", is planned with a three-hourstage show to be held in various cities all over the world.[112] The tour began with a show on 1 December 2009 at theSharjah Cricket Association Stadium inDubai, United Arab Emirates,[113][114] featuring performances by singers such as Shankar Mahadevan, Hariharan,Karthik,Harish Raghavendra andSilambarasan and professional dancers fromMumbai,[112] which was expected to be followed by shows in Canada, theUS and South Africa.[112] Also, it was planned to conduct the shows inMuscat, Oman andKuwait,[112][114] but following the Dubai concert, the tour was cancelled.
In October 2010, Yuvan Shankar Raja disclosed that he had signed for his first live concert in Chennai.[115] The event, namedYuvan – Live in Concert, which was sponsored, organized and later telecasted onSTAR Vijay, was held at the YMCA Grounds,Nandanam, Chennai, on 16 January 2011.[116] Additionally, a promotional music video, "I'll Be There for You", composed and sung by Yuvan Shankar himself, directed by Vishnuvardhan and shot byNirav Shah was made,[117] while STAR Vijay aired a 3-week, 14 episode serial on Yuvan Shankar Raja as a run-up to the concert.[118]
On 16 February 2012,Techofes organized a live-in tribute concert for Yuvan Shankar Raja, where he also performed.[119]
He performed at the inaugural Kuala Lumpur International Indian Music Festival 2012 held at theBukit Jalil Stadium, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia on 15 December 2012.[120] A pre-launch event to promote the concert was held inBrickfields, Kuala Lumpur in the first week of September, where Yuvan Shankar Raja sang a couple of songs.[121]
He has explored various genres,[112] and experimented with new sounds. Yuvan Shankar Raja has not learntIndian classical music,[122] although he has used complexswara patterns andcarnatic rāgas in several films, includingNandhaa andThulluvadho Ilamai. Critics have noted that Yuvan Shankar Raja's music has a "youthful character to it",[122] with his compositions in particular appealing to the younger generation.
Yuvan Shankar Raja started the "era ofremixes"; "Aasai Nooru Vagai" fromKurumbu (2004) is considered as the first remix in a Tamil film, following which several composers began remixing Tamil film songs from the 1970s and 80s. He has experimented with the fusion of old songs with his own original compositions, mixing and incorporating parts of them into his songs, e.g., "Theepidikka" fromArinthum Ariyamalum (2005) and "Enga Area" fromPudhupettai (2005). In 2010, he and his friend and fellow actor Silambarasan released the song "Evan Di Unna Pethan" from the filmVaanam (2011) as a single, which generated the trend of releasing single tracks from film soundtracks in Tamil cinema several months prior to the actual release,[123][124] although the first single in Tamil cinema had been released in 2001 already.[125]
Yuvan Shankar Raja has frequently collaborated with several Tamil film directors, includingSelvaraghavan,[126][127]Ameer,[128]Vishnuvardhan,[45]Venkat Prabhu,[129]Thiagarajan Kumararaja,Ram andLingusamy.
He has also worked with a wide range of lyricists, includingVaali,Palani Bharathi,Na. Muthukumar,Pa. Vijay,Snehan,Yugabharathi, andMadhan Karky. Additional collaborations include those withVivek,Thamarai, andKabilan. His association with Na. Muthukumar,[130] in particular, has resulted in a number of notable songs and is considered one of his most consistent composer–lyricist partnerships.
Yuvan has composed music for several films featuring leading Tamil actors such asSilambarasan,Suriya,Vishal,Karthi, andAjith Kumar.[131]
Aside from scoring film music and soundtracks, he also produces personal music albums from time to time. In 1999, he made the Tamilpop album "The Blast", which contained 12 tracks, featuring vocals byKamal Haasan,P. Unnikrishnan,Nithyashree Mahadevan, and Yuvan.[132] At a time when film music dominated the Indian industry, Yuvan's decision to create a standalone album was bold. Although it didn't gain mainstream success, it remains a crucial milestone in his career, reflecting his early interest in blending Western and Indian sounds.
In recent years, Yuvan has focused on independent singles, collaborating with a wide range of artists across genres. In 2021, he released "Top Tucker", a song composed by Yuvan Shankar Raja, featuring collaborations with several artists, includingBadshah, Uchana Amit, andJonita Gandhi, with lyrics penned by Badshah andVignesh Shivan. The music video featuresRashmika Mandanna alongside Badshah and others. The song received significant attention, garnering millions of views shortly after its release.[133] It was praised for its catchy rhythm and the collaboration between artists from different parts of India. The same year, he ventured into spiritual music with "Tala Al Badru Alayna", featuringA. R. Ameen.
In 2021, Yuvan teamed up withArivu to release a song titled "Don't Touch Me" through hisU1 Records.[134] The song was released as an awareness track on violence against women. It features the vocals of Yuvan and Yunohoo, with Arivu contributing to the lyrics. That year, "Candy" by Yuvan, featuringDhvani Bhanushali, was released.[135][136][137]
In 2022, he released "Iruthalai Kolli", a track from Naatpadu Theral, with lyrics written byVairamuthu. That same year, he released "Unna Paathale", a one-minute track.
In 2024, "Money in the Bank",[138] featuring international artists Bank Rolls Young and S Ghost, showcased his global aspirations. Another track from 2024, "She's a Killer", is unique in that Yuvan directed the music video and penned the lyrics himself.[139]
Apart from releasing lead singles, Yuvan has also been featured in multiple independent tracks. One of the most notable collaborations was withA.R. Rahman on "Semmozhiyaana Thamizh Mozhiyaam", Composed by A.R. Rahman for the 2010 World Classical Tamil Conference, the song featured Yuvan Shankar Raja as one of the lead singers among a diverse group of artists.[140]
He also lent his vocals to "Vandhanam" fromKarthik Raja’s devotional albumAndal, which is where Yuvan sang his very first Carnatic classical song.[141]
In 2019, he collaborated withDharan Kumar on "Rasaathi Nenja". In 2020, Yuvan Shankar Raja contributed to the song "Arivum Anbum" by lending his voice.[142]
He has also composed multiple promotional singles. His 2011 track "I'll Be There for You" was created exclusively for hisYuvan – Live in Concert, with lyrics byNa. Muthukumar, serving as an anthem for his fans. Muthukumar stated that the lyrics were meant to reflect the love and bond between Yuvan and his fans. Though it was not officially released for years, the song was widely requested by fans. In 2025, it was finally released as part of the filmSweetheart!.[143]
In 2021, he composed "Vendru Va Veeraragale", a tribute song for Tamil Nadu athletes competing in theTokyo Olympics.[144] This composition was backed by theSports Development Authority of Tamil Nadu (SDAT) andGovernment of Tamil Nadu.
In 2023, "High on Yuvan" was released as a promotional track for his European live tour.[145]
In 2024, Yuvan composed and sang the theme song for the Chennai Formula 4 Racing event. The song was produced for theTamil Nadu government-backed event at theChennai Formula Racing Circuit, with lyrics penned byArunraja Kamaraj.[146]
Yuvan composed his first jingle for the Meenakshi Labs, a division of Meenakshi Mission Hospital and Research Centre in Madurai. Speaking about this, he said, "I have done it for a good cause, for the importance given to health".[147][148][149]
In 2008, he started working on his second album, the rights of which had been acquired bySony BMG.[150][151][152] Reportedly a bilingual album, produced in both Tamil and Hindi, the album was never released.
In 2010, he joined hands with former President of IndiaA. P. J. Abdul Kalam for a grand music video album titled "Song of Youth".[153] The popular song of the same title, on which the album is based, was written by Kalam and set to tunes by Yuvan Shankar Raja, who, along with Kalam and many other celebrities from the field of sports and entertainment, was set to feature in thevideo as well.[154] The album was made as a trilingual, produced in Tamil, Hindi, and English,[155] but remains unreleased.
| Year | Film | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 2018 | Pyaar Prema Kaadhal | |
| 2022 | Maamanithan | |
| 2024 | Pon Ondru Kanden | Co-produced withJio Studios |
| 2025 | Sweetheart! |
| Year | Title | Other credited performer(s) | Director | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2011 | "I'll Be There For You" | None | Vishnuvardhan | [143] |
| 2021 | "Top Tucker" | Badshah, Uchana Amit,Rashmika Mandanna | Amarpreet GS Chhabra | [133] |
| 2022 | "Candy" | Dhvani Bhanushali | Amith Krishnan | [137] |
| "Unna Paathale" | None | None | ||
| 2024 | "Money in the Bank" | Bank Rolls Young, S Ghost | Abhishek Ranganathan | [156] |
| "She's a killer" | Dushara Vijayan | Yuvan Shankar Raja | [157] |
| Year | Song | Film | Appearance Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2003 | "En Kadhal" | Punnagai Poove | In the film |
| 2008 | "Cheeky Cheeky" | Saroja | |
| 2012 | "Gangster" | Billa II | |
| "Aadhi Baghavan Rap" | Ameerin Aadhi Baghavan | Promotional video | |
| 2013 | "Thillu Mullu Title Song" | Thillu Mullu | |
| 2017 | "Kshanavu" | Gowdru Hotel | In the film |
| 2018 | "Dope Track" | Pyaar Prema Kaadhal | Promotional video |
| "Pei Pasi" | Pei Pasi | ||
| 2022 | "Ye Rasa" | Maamanithan | |
| "Rum Bum Bum" | Coffee with Kadhal | In the film and Music video | |
| "Baby Gurl" | Music video | ||
| "Pacha Elai" | Love Today | Lyric video | |
| 2023 | "Sippara Rippara" | Paramporul | In the film and Lyric video |
| "Adiyaathi" | Promotional video | ||
| "Ore Kanaa" | Joe | ||
| 2025 | — | Sweetheart! | In the film |
Yuvan Shankar Raja married his girlfriend Sujaya Chandran on 21 March 2005, at the Mayor Sri Ramanathan Chettiyar Hall inChennai, India.[158][159] Yuvan had met her in 2002 as a fan at a music cultural program in London and both fell in love later.[160] Sujaya was a London-based singer and the daughter of Dr. C. R. Velayutham and Dr. Sarojini Chandran.[161] They had a secret registered marriage in September 2003 in London, before the formal public wedding was held in 2005 with the consent of their parents.[160] In August 2007, they filed for divorce with mutual consent, which was granted in February 2008, after 6 months.[160][162] The reason for the divorce was cited to be "irreconcilable differences".[162]
On 1 September 2011, he married Shilpa at theTirumala Venkateswara Temple,Tirupati in Andhra Pradesh.[163] The marriage was held in a simple ceremony with only family members and close friends being present.[164] Shilpa was revealed to be aB.Pharm graduate from Australia.[165] Thewedding reception was arranged a day later in Chennai.[166] Later they divorced.
In 2014, Yuvan Shankar Raja announced that he had converted toIslam.[167][168] He legally changed his name to Abdul Haliq, but continues to use his original name professionally.[169] On 1 January 2015, he got married for the third time to Zafroon Nizar.[170][171] They had a baby girl on 7 April 2016.
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| National | |
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| Other | |
