The 20-year-old artist’s clear-eyed perspective, supreme intelligence, and razor-sharp pop instincts turn her first full-length album into a new benchmark for Indonesian pop music.
Perhaps I should begin by sharing my personal truth first: I used to set the lowest expectations ever in assessing an artist’s first full-length album.
Let me explain why.
There was a very long (and very much embarrassing) moment in time, in the Indonesian music industry, during which it would take a literal miracle for a recording artist to release their first full-length album. Here I am not talking about a mini album or an extended play (EP). As far as I am concerned, record labels encourage the production of mini albums and/or EPs because the cost is relatively cheaper than producing a proper, full-length studio album. There is an understandable risk, financially and creatively, in allowing an artist to record their first full-length album. After all, it is harder to introduce (and market) eight songs as opposed to, for instance, four or five songs. On top of that, oftentimes, an artist only receives that green light once they have proven themselves capable of scoring commercial hits. What many of these new artists are usually late to realise is that the capability of scoring commercial hits significantly depends on luck and timing, not talent.
In the past, I used to tell these new artists, “Don’t think much about the quality. What matters is that you get to finally record your first full-length album”, and I meant it. Sure, there have been a few glowing debut full-length albums in the past; the ones that easily come to my mind are Nadin Amizah’s Selamat Ulang Tahun and Hindia’s Menari Dengan Bayangan. Having said that, I consider their achievements anomalistic as opposed to normative. The artist’s degree of involvement at the time, as well as the creative freedom that was allowed for them, also played a major part. Even logically speaking, in comparison to DIY artists such as Pamungkas and Arash Buana, major label debutantes such as Tiara Andini and Mahalini have a lot more stakeholders to answer to.
But then, change happened — and it has continued to happen at such a rapid pace. Recording a first full-length album is no longer an act of miracle. Age is no longer the precursor that determines an artist’s success (as of this article was written, the top spot of the prestigious Spotify Indonesia Top 50 chart was held by the 47-year-old Dudy Oris). The Indonesian public has become sharper, immediately aware and no longer shy to vocalise their aggravations whenever their beloved artist ‘waits too long’ to finally release their album. I, hence, started wondering about whether I should raise the bar of my expectations as well. Is it finally possible for a new artist to genuinely produce an exemplary work — without my having to deliberately lower my standards?
I was quietly mulling over this dilemma when Bernadya finally dropped her first full-length album, Sialnya, Hidup Harus Tetap Berjalan. I was invited to the album’s intimate hearing session back in June. I decided to hold my judgment and wait for the album’s official digital release instead. “This album demanded repeat listening for me to come up with a fair judgment,” I told myself. It is now the middle of July, and I have finally found a way to articulate what I think of this album.
Bernadya‘s Sialnya, Hidup Harus Tetap Berjalan is a game-changing, victorious body of work that is, indeed, worthy of a standing ovation from both the public and the music industry.
What makes a superlatively excellent album, you may ask? There are several key components, but the most vital one is how the album in question should be able to let the songs within it have their own, respective legs — but, at the same time, can serve as a unifying piece when tied together as a complete musical anthology. Every song in SHHTB was produced in a meticulous and willful passion so much so that every song has more than enough potency to become a streaming success. Bernadya, also serving as the key songwriter of the entire SHHTB, seems done with trial-and-error experimentations (as evident in her promising, but uneven 2023 EP, Terlintas). Instead, for SHHTB, she goes all out and dishes out the strongest and most addictive melodies that her pen has ever produced so far.
With SHHTB, Bernadya has officially ‘graduated’ from being a so-called promising rookie; she is now a professional with something to say and something to prove. Bernadya’s pop instincts, as a result, have become more razor-sharp than ever. She knew exactly what the contemporary pop audience wanted, and, instead of meeting her audience’s expectations, she cleverly decided to exceed them. Although her melodies are immediate and memorable, they are also expensive-sounding as well as demanding undivided attention. I could easily imagine the late Nike Ardilla smiling from the heavens above when the album’s rousing third track, “Lama-Lama”, hit my loudspeakers. Safe to say, SHHTB is not the type of record you should listen to while you are working on your school papers. This album would be too distracting for your senses — in the best way possible.
SHHTB also hints at an interesting dynamic between Bernadya and her producers, Rendy Pandugo and Petra Sihombing — a strategy that may be replicated by her pop peers once this album reaches the highest stratosphere. When most of the pop acts out there rely on their producers to come up with the most Top 40-friendly sound, Bernadya’s approach was the polar opposite. Instead of worrying about what is most comfy to the audience’s ears, Bernadya had Rendy Pandugo and Petra Sihombing focus on which sonic atmosphere emotionally works best with each song in hand. It was as if Bernadya had known that her ultra-addictive melodies were more than enough to appease the pop devotees.
Ultra-addictive melodies are nothing without thoughtful music production, and that is when Rendy Pandugo and Petra Sihombing came into play. Rendy Pandugo provides a stunted, outlaw country-inspired production to “Berlari” which turns the song’s message of desperation more gut-wrenching as well as vivid. When the urgent melody of the album’s epilogue, “Untungnya, Hidup Harus Tetap Berjalan” is paired with The Godfather-esque production (courtesy of the gutsy-as-heck Petra Sihombing), the result is both chilling and audibly delicious.
And then, here comes the lyrics. It is no secret that ‘heartbreak’ is the least original story theme on Planet Earth. However, Bernadya understood the very naughty truth about storytelling: with the right vocabulary and the right articulation, an artist can turn a familiar topic into a groundbreaking thesis statement. The album’s crown jewel, “Kini Mereka Tahu”, is hard-cold proof of what happens when an artist decides to get *slightly* more creative. As opposed to talking about broken hearts, “Kini Mereka Tahu” explores another damage that is often inflicted by a failed relationship: a wounded pride. At 20 years of age, Bernadya is clever (and mature) enough to discover that heartbreak is not just tragic, but also downright humiliating — and that is where she found her songwriting goldmine.
“Kita Kubur Sampai Mati” is also another remarkable exercise on how to explore heartbreak from a marginally shifted lens. By positioning herself as someone feeling indebted to her former flame, Bernadya also, in a very poignant manner, points out how romance is cold-blooded transactional. Bernadya’s lyrics do not stop at being relatable; her lyrics scream the unspoken truth instead. “Kata Mereka Ini Berlebihan”, for instance, is basically an ode to everyone who tries too hard just to earn less. Her message is brutally honest, but thanks to Bernadya’s witty diction, none of it ever feels like a bitter pill to swallow.
When these eight songs are united, each story complements one another and the puzzle is complete. That is not to say that an excellent album must be in the form of a concept album, though. After all, albums of immortally iconic status such as Carole King’s Tapestry and The Beatles’ Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band are not exactly known for their conceptual storytelling. What makes SHHTB such a diamond-rank stroke of genius is Bernadya’s total understanding of what is probably the most basic element of creating a work of art. It is the same basic element that is, quite ironically, often forgotten by even the most seasoned artists out there.
What is that basic element that I am referring to? One word: perspective. And if you are truly an artist, you better have one.
When all the melodies, all the productions, and all the lyrical expositions are married together, such unity elegantly delivers Bernadya’s perspective that is both singular and endearingly human. The 20-year-old artist sees love and heartbreak as a cold, cruel, yet necessary bridge that transports one’s upbringing from romanticised adolescence to much more sobering adulthood. Her perspective of choice is effectively transmitted to a great effect, but, more importantly, such perspective is impressively convincing. Bernadya does not walk away from that bridge with a happy ending, though, as evidenced in the anticlimactic “Untungnya, Hidup Harus Tetap Berjalan”, but that only makes the audience more invested. Again, that is where Bernadya’s innate pop instincts kick in and that is how you put an album on a constant loop — by not totally providing an emotional closure for your audience.
Nonetheless, I couldn’t help but sense a foreboding dread. After listening to this album, my gut immediately told me the two major impacts that Bernadya’s SHHTB will certainly create. One, it would be this young woman finally enjoying the nationwide spotlight that she deserved. Two, there would definitely be a bunch of copycats following suit. The Indonesian pop music scene is heavily competitive, regardless of the friendly showing that we all see by these pop artists on social media, and I can already imagine other young pop artists out there rummaging their closets for dark attires while DM’ing Rendy Pandugo and Petra Sihombing on Instagram. Some people, meanwhile, might easily dismiss SHHTB simply based on the artist’s age and gender, reducing the well-made record as a sad-girl pop fad instead. With that in mind, I personally hope Bernadya makes sure that she will never become the victim of her own success.
When all is said and done, SHHTB is poised to be a career-defining record for Bernadya as well as a new benchmark for the modern Indonesian pop music scene. This album also, funnily and unexpectedly, taught me an important lesson as a journalist: that nothing is impossible — in every sense of the word. With good instincts and a clear perspective, even a 20-year-old young woman from Surabaya can create something that is truly magical. Without any dark shadow of a doubt, SHHTB is a glowing triumph.
Photos courtesy of Juni Records.