The expectations from the music of a Karan Johar film are always immense. Earlier films like Kaal and Kal Ho Na Ho which were not directed by Karan but produced by his banner Dharma Productions also boasted of some great songs which are still popular today. The look of Dostana is overall very fresh and maybe that is why this time Dharma Productions opted for Vishal Shekhar rather than Shankar Ehsaan Loy who scored Kal Ho Naa Ho and Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna. Vishal Shekhar bring infuse a simple freshness in the music of Dostana by giving equal importance to the melody and lyrics and although most of the numbers do not have great melodies, the style of the compositions combined with the fresh lyrics is what makes the songs work.
Jaane Kyun hooks you from the moment it starts with a very catchy tune and fusion lyrics. This song sets the mood of Dostana; peppy, contemporary, fun and stylish, a song clearing catering to Generation X. Never before have English and Hindi lyrics been combined together so naturally and in fact this album has what can truly be termed as "Hinglish" songs thanks to lyricist Anvita Dutt Guptan. Vishal Dadlani's unconventional voice is perfect for this song.
True to Karan Johar style, Dostana too has a disc number akin to "Where's The Party Tonight" and "It's The Time To Disco" and like Jaane Kyun, this song too is a perfect Hinglish number and a sure fire hit. Although the melody is nothing exceptionally novel and will remind you of both the earlier Karan Johar song's mentioned above, the lyrics and singing are the two elements which take this song to a different level. Sunidhi Chauhan and Shankar Mahadavan bring lyrics like "Thumka lagaike we'll rock your world. My desi girl, my desi girl. Who's the hottest girl in the world. My desi girl, my desi girl" to life and give the song a peppy, and relatable feel; it's the type of song that everyone will be singing. This is one song you will find yourself hitting the repeat button for.
After two very contemporary numbers the third is a Punjabi song which starts slightly like the number Bhootri Ke from Singh Is Kinng and the lyrics instantly remind you of the song "Amma dekh, tera munda bigda jaaye". This will surely be a fun song on screen with the way it will be picturized but as a song, it is nothing great to listen to. Sung by Saleem, it is no different than any of the Punjabi numbers we are used to hearing in films except for the lyrics "Maa da laadla bigad gaya."
Sunidhi Chauhan brings us back to the true flavour of Dostana with Shut Up and Bounce. The amazing thing about Sunidhi is that she manages to give this song a different feel from Desi Girl even though both are dance numbers, simply by changing her style of singing and texture of voice.
With lyrics like "Mere maula maula" you don't expect the guitar strumming start that Khabar Nahin gives you. It is a sweet romantic number sung this time by Shreya Ghoshal along with Vishal Dadlani and Amanat Ali which grows on you with repeated listens. The lyrics are true to the song simple and sweet "Mere maula maula, mere maula. Mann matwala kyun hua, hua re mann maula maula mere maula. Kis taraf hai aasman, kis taraf zameen, khabar nahin, khabar nahin."
Kuch Kum is a soft, melodious number sung by Shaan which unfortunately has a melody which is very familiar and nothing new to offer and in fact reminds you of the feel that the songs in Shaan's pop albums have had. It is a nice song, but just like Maa Da Laadla, it doesn't offer anything new and hence is just about an average track.
If Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna was all about melody then Dostana is more about fusion and songs aimed at the younger audiences. The three songs which seem to fit the mood of the film perfectly are Jaane Kyun, Desi Girl and Shut Up and Bounce as they all offer a very contemporary feel as well as an overall fresh appeal while Khabar Nahin is a sweet romantic number which works because of its simplicity. The songs will find a great appeal among the youth audiences, to whom the film also seems to be targeted and in that sense the songs are well suited to the film.