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View all search resultsIt was the eve of Lyodra's official album launch. Just hours before the 21-year-old pop artist greeted her fans and the media to introduce her second studio album, Melangkah (Stepping Forward), at CGV Grand Indonesia in Jakarta, I was given the chance to listen to it in advance.
My conclusion was as clear as the daybreak sky on the album cover: Lyodra is no longer the teen idol I interviewed a couple of years ago; She has blossomed into a young lady deserving of the elusive “diva” status.
The album's closing track, "Jangan Pernah Kembali" (Never Come Back), makes a strong case to silence any critics or skeptics. Co-written by Lyodra and the renowned composer-producer Andi Rianto, the power ballad showcases her ability to channel complex emotions into a stunning 13-second vocal belt. It’s the type of song meant for one singer only, one whose vocal prowess commands both admiration and envy. Isn't that the very definition of a “diva”?
Yet when I asked if Lyodra saw herself as a diva, she responded with a rapturous laugh. "Absolutely not! Do you think so?"
"That's a lot of pressure, being regarded as such," she adds. "I still have miles to go. It’s only been five years since I started my career. There are so many songs that I still need to make [to be a diva]."
Goddess of pop
Lyodra's "Pesan Terakhir" (The Last Message), a track from her 2021 self-titled debut album, launched her as a hitmaker, racking up 347 million streams on Spotify (and counting).
However, it was her 2022 team-up with Andi Rianto, "Sang Dewi" (The Goddess), that established her as a chart-topper. The orchestral pop tune, a reinterpretation of Titi DJ's 2001 song of the same title, became Lyodra's first song to reach the top spot of the prestigious Spotify Indonesia Top 50 chart.
That was a "memorable and unforgettable" experience for her.
"'Sang Dewi' was the one that I was most nervous to record," she recalls.
"At the time, I thought this record would fall flat. Negative thinking got to me and I started overthinking. The original version [by Titi DJ] was already incredible, so what was it that I could add to it? I was out of ideas. But to my surprise, so many people loved [my version]."
Read also: 'Mom, I'm tired. Can I sleep in your house tonight?'Even now, Lyodra admits she doesn’t fully understand the reason behind that success. At the time of the song's release, the soft pop sub-genre dominated the charts, which made the larger-than-life, made-for-arena "Sang Dewi" shatter expectations, including hers.
"It is difficult [to analyze]," Lyodra says with a laugh.
"What was trendy then was easy-listening music. But 'Sang Dewi' came along and it was such a volcanic, powerful record. The vibe was unlike anything else. And that’s why I was plagued by fear and anxiety when it came out."
It was a gift that kept on giving. In 2023, "Sang Dewi" earned Lyodra and Andi Rianto an AMI Award for Best Re-arrangement Production. She also shared an AMI Award for Best Collaborative Production Work with Yovie Widianto, Tiara Andini and Ziva Magnolya for another pop hit, "Menyesal" (Regret).
Then, in 2024, Lyodra repeated her chart-topping success with the Mario G. Klau-penned ballad “Tak Dianggap” (Unnoticed).
Everything served as fuel for Lyodra to take her next step.
“I see each victory, including the AMI Awards, as motivation for the future,” she says.
“I was like, 'Okay, let's get to work!’”
Up and forward
"Now it feels like the right time to ask myself: What do I want? What kind of music do I like?" - Lyodra
Melangkah represents Lyodra taking a literal, decisive step into a higher level of pop music. While her 2021 debut showcased her versatility as a singer, Melangkah focuses on her personality and signature individuality as an artist.
“For my first album, I worked with so many people. However, for my second album, I am extensively involved. I figured out the theme, I worked on the songs, I came up with the tone and intonations and stuff, and I wrote some lyrics,” she explained.
“That's why the album is called Melangkah. I feel like I have taken a step forward from who I was yesterday.”
This step forward also means crafting a sound that is both authentic and resonant. In the upbeat bop “Malu Malu Tapi Nyaman” (Shy But Comfortable), produced by S/EEK, she flirts with (and warns) her love interest, hinting she could change her mind about him. In “Sana Sini Mau” (Wants It All), co-written with S/EEK and rising songwriter Clara Riva, she derives influences from the early 2000s pop-rock subgenre to express her anger at a sneaky womanizer.
Read also: Highlights of Art Jakarta 2024With the album’s penultimate track, “Sampaikan Rindu” (Send My Longing), written by AMI Award winner Ade Govinda, Lyodra turns solemn, expressing a struggle with a painful longing.
“It was very exhausting. The stress was real,” Lyodra recalls of the album's recording process. “There were times I couldn’t even sleep."
Fortunately, it was all worth it. This album not only allowed Lyodra to stretch her songwriting muscles, it also allowed her to create a record close to her heart.
“This one is pretty personal,” she teases, without revealing her muse.
“This album is 'so Lyodra'. My singing is more mature as well. Everything is a step-up. I’ve had a nice start, and now it feels like the right time to ask myself: What do I want? What kind of music do I like?”
The word melangkah, similar to what the album embodies, harbors a deeper meaning for Lyodra. If she played things safe, she could have stayed in her comfort zone and created mere derivations of “Pesan Terakhir” or “Sang Dewi”. Instead, she chose to move forward.
"You can't just cling to one dream; you've got to dream big," she says.
"Maybe people think that I'm already in a good place, but there’s still so many things I want to achieve, so many ideas I have yet to bring to life. I believe, after this album, more ideas will come to me. And I'm in that phase where I'm want those things, where I'm fired up and hungry to learn more. Even though the process is exhausting, it's also so much fun!"
Spoken like a true future diva.
Felix Martua is a music and film journalist who's interviewed many artists over the years. He’s recognizable by his signature black jacket, Ghibli collar pin and slightly sinister grin.