Best Indian Indie Albums of 2021: 14 Records to Hear

2021 was the second pandemic year, and Indian independent musicians spent it finishing records they had started at home. Many of the year's best albums were made slowly, in bedrooms and small studios, and released straight to streaming without big tours behind them. The result was a strong, varied year: hard Delhi rap, angry electronic Hindi songs, Jaipur Hindi pop, guitar instrumentals, Bengaluru metal and gentle Kerala folk-pop all landed within a few months of each other. This list picks the full-length albums from 2021 that are worth your time today, with a few EPs at the end.

How we checked. Every album here was checked on Apple Music India (iTunes catalogue, country IN) on 28 October 2026. Release dates and track counts are the ones Apple shows. We only list records that are out and playable. Where an album collects singles released in 2020, we say so.

Quick answer: the best Indian indie albums of 2021

• Tabia – Prabh Deep (4 March 2021)
• The Book of I – Dhruv Visvanath (5 March 2021)
• Still Here – KR$NA (18 March 2021)
• Caution to the Wind – Mali (31 March 2021)
• The Diary – The Lost Symbols (29 May 2021)
• Outlast – Tejas (3 June 2021)
• Superpower 2020 – Lifafa (11 June 2021)
• न – Seedhe Maut (8 September 2021)
• Hindsight Is 2020 – Blackstratblues (12 September 2021)
• Force of Danger – Kryptos (1 October 2021)
• Saar – Osho Jain (20 October 2021)
• When We Feel Young – When Chai Met Toast (29 October 2021)
• Hindi Gaane – Naalayak (29 October 2021)
• States of Chaos – Godless (19 November 2021)

The albums

Tabia – Prabh Deep (4 March 2021, Azadi Records). Apple lists 16 tracks, with 15 playable in India at the time of checking. Tabia is a calm, inward Punjabi rap album: low voices, sparse beats and short titles like "Qafir", "Paapi", "Taqat", "Huqum" and "Safar". It rewards a full, late-night listen more than shuffle. Start with: "Tabia", then "Qafir".

The Book of I – Dhruv Visvanath (5 March 2021, 14 tracks). The Delhi guitarist and songwriter gathered singles from 2020 – "Dear Madeline", "Dark", "Wildfire", "Write", "Carry", "Wish It Were You" and "The Mountain King" – and added "Obituary", "The Enigma" and a set of remixes. It is warm, percussive acoustic songwriting with a big heart; he also features in our Indian fingerstyle guitarists guide. Start with: "Dear Madeline".

Still Here – KR$NA (18 March 2021, 9 tracks). A short, sharp statement record from one of Delhi's most technical rappers. "Roll Up" (January 2021) and "Villain" (February 2021) came first; the album added "What's My Name", "Dream", "Saza-E-Maut" and "Na Hai Time", and closes with "Living Legend", first released in December 2020. Start with: "Saza-E-Maut".

Caution to the Wind – Mali (31 March 2021, 8 tracks). Mali (Maalavika Manoj) made a polished, emotional pop album that sits close to the indie world. Singles "Age of Limbo", "Absolute" and "Mundane" from 2020 sit next to new songs like "Live Again", "Cabaret" and "Horoscope". Start with: "Age of Limbo".

The Diary – The Lost Symbols (29 May 2021, 8 tracks). The Jaipur duo's debut album, and the first of their four albums on Apple Music India. Soft Hindi pop songs like "Khwaab", "Taara", "Chhoti Si", "Khuda" and "Adhura Sa" made them a streaming favourite. Start with: "Taara".

Outlast – Tejas (3 June 2021, 7 tracks). Mumbai singer-songwriter Tejas Menon's bright, guitar-pop record. "Lead" and "The Bombay Doors" came out in 2020; "Figure 8", "Forget Conversation", "Is Anyone Listening?", "Story" and the title track completed it. Read more on our Tejas Menon songs guide. Start with: "The Bombay Doors".

Superpower 2020 – Lifafa (11 June 2021, Radio Saraswati, 7 tracks). Suryakant Sawhney's solo project turned the mood of 2020 into an angry, funny, electronic Hindi album. Titles say a lot: "14/08/1947", "Wahin Ka Wahin", "Laash", "Mann Ki Baat", "Bewafa Hai Ghadi", "Irradon" and "Acche Din". Start with: "Wahin Ka Wahin".

न – Seedhe Maut (8 September 2021, Azadi Records, 10 tracks). A mixtape-style project where every title starts with "N": "Namastute", "Naamcheen", "No Enema", "Nanchaku" (with MC Stan), "Nafrat", "Nawazuddin", "Na Jaaye", "Nadaan" and "Natkhat". Fast, playful and full of bars. Their full catalogue is in our Seedhe Maut albums guide. Start with: "Nanchaku".

Hindsight Is 2020 – Blackstratblues (12 September 2021, 16 tracks). Warren Mendonsa's guitar project made a long instrumental diary of the lockdown year, from "Hey 2020" and "This Will Be My Year" to "Low Down Lock Down" and "The Persistence of Time". Two closers feature Komorebi. More in our Blackstratblues albums guide. Start with: "Eleven".

Force of Danger – Kryptos (1 October 2021, AFM Records, 8 tracks). Bengaluru's classic heavy metal band at full speed: "Raging Steel", "Hot Wired", "Thunderchild", "Nighthawk" and the title track. Pure 80s-style metal, made with real skill. Start with: "Force of Danger".

Saar – Osho Jain (20 October 2021, 9 tracks). A gentle Hindi singer-songwriter album with several duets with Sanchi, including "Humara Ho Gaya", "Kaun Apna" and "Mazhab Hai". Simple words, soft guitar and a lot of feeling. Start with: "Humara Ho Gaya".

When We Feel Young – When Chai Met Toast (29 October 2021, 7 tracks). The Kochi band's first full-length collects 2020–21 singles "Maybe I Can Fly", "When We Feel Young", "Kahaani", "Ocean Tide" and "Break Free" with new songs "Constellation" and "Remember". Start with: "Kahaani".

Hindi Gaane – Naalayak (29 October 2021, 8 tracks). Folk-rock songs in Hindi, mixing 2020 singles such as "Befikre" and "Nasamajh" with 2021 songs "Zakir", "Jazba", "Sahil", "Maa" and "Mustafa". Start with: "Befikre".

States of Chaos – Godless (19 November 2021, 9 tracks). Technical death metal from Bengaluru, with singles "Netherworld", "Orbits of Decay" and "Fluxion" leading into "Malevolent", "Visions" and "Cormorant". One of the heaviest Indian records of the decade. See also best Indian metal albums. Start with: "Netherworld".

EPs worth hearing from 2021

• Shehron Ke Raaz – Prateek Kuhad (9 July 2021, 4 tracks): "Shehron Ke Raaz", "Khone Do", "Tere Hi Hum" and an acoustic "Kasoor".
• Baaraat – Ritviz & Nucleya (4 October 2021, 4 tracks): "Sathi", "Ari Ari", "Roz" and "Baaraat".
• Moodswings – Jatayu (7 March 2021, 4 tracks): Chennai instrumental guitar rock.
• Naseeb – Dee MC (21 October 2021, 5 tracks): a sharp, personal rap EP.

For more short records, see our best Indian indie EPs of the 2020s.

How 2021 fits the bigger picture

Hip-hop was the loudest part of the year, with Prabh Deep, KR$NA, Seedhe Maut and Emiway Bantai (whose 14-track Malum Hai Na came out on 1 October) all releasing full projects. But guitar music did not disappear. Blackstratblues, Kryptos and Godless made three very different guitar albums, and When Chai Met Toast and Naalayak kept folk-pop alive. For the following year, read our best Indian indie albums of 2022; for the decade before, see best Indian indie albums of the 2010s. Rap fans should also read best Indian hip-hop albums.

FAQ

What was the best Indian indie album of 2021? There is no single answer, but Tabia by Prabh Deep and Superpower 2020 by Lifafa are two of the most talked-about. For guitar fans, Hindsight Is 2020 by Blackstratblues is the pick.

Did The Lost Symbols release an album in 2021? Yes. The Diary came out on 29 May 2021 with 8 tracks. It was their first album.

Is When We Feel Young an album or an EP? Apple Music India lists it as a 7-track album, released on 29 October 2021.