12 Indi-Pop Songs That Make Me Want to Dance

Another (good) habit and I picked up during Covid times is Bollywood dancing. When the YMCA closed their doors for a lengthy stretch, I searched the internet for a suitable cardio replacement for my lap-swimming routine. I managed for a while with tabata workouts, then added hip hop dance workouts, until eventually I stumbled upon Bollywood dancing. As someone who enjoys the physical activity of exercise but hates counting reps (I swim for length of time, not number of laps, see), dance workouts were a great way to trick myself into cardio activity. As an added bonus, I opened the door to a whole wide and well-established world of music that was completely new to me! I’m still diving into this scene, so I am still learning my way around the genres and subgenres. I currently have little context for these songs, most of which are tied to films I have not (yet!) seen. I don’t understand most of the lyrics, and I am still learning about the artists, their collaborations, and their histories. But I can confidently say here are 12 Desi hip hop, bhangra, and dancehall songs that I now listen to even after outside the workout and will dance to, however poorly, if you want to pop one on the jukebox! | Courtney Dowdall

(in roughly chronological order)

1. Soni De Nakhre (Partner soundtrack, 2007 Super Cassettes Industries)

Wajid, Labh Janjua, Sneha Pant