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and outdated.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.