tricksingh And Eyepatch’s Chakkar Is a Textured Warning Against Situationships

At some point or another, we have all found ourselves stumbling into and fumbling out of some intrapersonal relationship that seems fleeting on the surface. The transience is often met with confusion, haziness, and, as rightly acknowledged by Punjabi rapper and singer Tirath Sandhu, aka tricksingh—dizziness. His latest single released via Def Jam India titled “Chakkar,” is the young artist’s take on the complications of being in love and the inevitable stress associated with a blossoming romance. The song, produced by frequent collaborator Eyepatch, is a lateral step in tricksingh’s discography as he ventures into new sonic territories and offers his listeners a previously unseen side.

The 24-year-old rapper has, in an arguably brief amount of time in his career, managed to accomplish two very vital criterions for early success. Firstly, he has caught the attention of the industry apparatus by becoming one of the youngest artists to release music via Def Jam India. And secondly, he has managed to identify a musical lane to stride towards in a genre that is populated to the brim. tricksingh may use Punjabi as a language vessel to express his vocal ability, but it would be incorrect to say that he is making “Punjabi music”. While the distinction may seem trivial, his latest string of releases, such as “1234” and “Secrets,” would beg to differ.

This newest entrant into the tricksingh lore is perhaps the best example of the necessity to dip one’s feet into previously uncharted territories. “Chakkar” is a synth-driven, retro-inspired track that gives tricksingh’s rap fans the permission to also applaud tricksingh’s singing. It is a wavy song, that is elevated by the artist’s intentionality behind their vocal choices as well decorated moments of pockets of piano keys. Layered vocal harmonies has not been a route that tricksingh has taken and in this case, it pays off.

There is as much, if not more, praise to be given to the producer of “Chakkar”—Eyepatch—who anchors the entirety of the song on a hypnotizing bassline. Coupled with incredibly unintrusive hi-hats as the primary percussions, Eyepatch and tricksingh succeed in their mission to remind you of the growing pains of a post-honeymoon-phase relationship. Towards the latter half of the song, there is a lull in retention, perhaps due to the repetitive melody. Tricksingh’s richness in vocal texture does help ease some of the monotony towards the outro, however, it is a blemish in an otherwise compelling single.

A memorable bassline, an exciting direction in vocal treatment, and a mesmerizing synth-wave instrumental are enough to make “Chakkar” an almost immediate summer hit. While slightly derivative of similar “throwback” songs comparable to what British dance music project Jungle has been responsible for popularizing, the song succeeds in highlighting all the right components that have allowed the Punjabi artist to make his mark in the scene he operates in. For old fans, there is enough to bite onto. For new fans, there is enough replay value. For genuine fans of situationships, may your therapist offer you a sizable discount for when anything goes south.