JKT48v - Punkish, A True Punk Song
This is the first generation of JKT48 Virtual division. A controversial move from JKT48 team to refresh its value in the entertainment industry. Their hardcore fans always dissing the VTuber industry as a whole. They kept defending their oshi and the realness part of them. But now this happens....
Oh, boy, there is nothing real in the entertainment industry. It's all just roleplaying even if the person is real. Anyway, we don't go there for now.
The Controversy
I can see some 48 fans flaming their disappointment in the chat. They still can't accept this reality. They are still waiting for the original songs for JKT48. Something that they were promised years ago.
Unfortunately for them, the music entertainment industry is already changing. CD is no longer available option. We see many CD distributors like Disc Tarra have falling down. Even food franchises like KFC are no longer actively selling the CDs. It's all online now.
Online streaming like Spotify is not viable for short term. It generates revenue at a low pace than the intending Return of Investment. Yes. The music industry is dying, at least the traditional one.
They need a new market or the 48 group would die.
That's why the move from JKT48 is actually a good one. The Idol group can go to other entertainment industry like the e-Sport industry. It's not a secret that currently companies seek online presences for advertising their products.
The JKT48 initiative making a collaboration with AKA Virtual to create its own VTuber division is a good move. They also seem copy the good formula from Hololive Indonesia. The first unit contains only 3 members.
And now, let's get back to the song.
The Song
As a controversial unit, what is the best song for that? Yes, the anti-establishment type of music: Punk. They need to state their intention to the world that they would break the stereotype: An Idol group should be an Idol group.
No! They are the new division that would like to uncover the new world. Breaking the status quo. Born from a traditional Idol group. They are the new "it"! They are breaking the laws.
However, technically, the song's title "Punkish" is a reminiscent of Punk. It won't be a full Punk. So, understandable this is a Pop song with Punk progression.
HOWEVER
I found out that there are parts of the lyric that I found them interesting.
The First Verse is TRUE PUNK
The first I would like to address is they have a sh*tty lyrics. Some parts are incoherent, and I wish them to rewrite those parts to make sense in Bahasa Indonesia. I mean, why you talk about a cat? What's the idea behind it?
From my search I found out that the song was released as a Japanese song by NMB48. This is a sister group/franchise from the global 48 family. It was released as a single in 2015.
Later, JKT48 took the song and translate it as their own. The singers are from J unit. Btw, these 48 franchises have teams known as unit. This version of the song that is currently sung by JKT48v members.
Second thing about the lyrics is that I am commending them the JKT48 group to have subversive lyric incorporated into their song. I'm saluting JKT48 for the first verse!
Their first verse is this:
Belajar terus juga (Enggak guna! Enggak guna!)
Mau serius rajin kerja (Enggak guna! Enggak guna!)
Nggak akan bisa membantu negara (Enggak guna! Enggak guna!)
Biarin petinggi aja yang berjuang
My rough English translation for that is:
Keep studying is... (Useless! Useless!)
Keep working hard (Useless! Useless!)
It won't help the country (Useless! Useless!)
Let the officials do the fighting.
OMG! Such a rebellious lyric. It warrants a wipe out if this song was sung at New Order era! But they did it! They sung this lyric bravely.
I commend them to have the lyric of New Order's Iwan Fals. I mean, this song is like his song! I would imagine this as sacred as "Bento"! The song is now turning into a song about youth rebellion against current situation in Indonesia where there is less and less opportunity for them to rise and contribute. This may be because current political system is being held by some old cronies in few separated parties.
I agree with Vice, JKT48 is more punk than punk band!
Just to make it clear that this is a JKT48 song, let's compare it to the original lyric by NMB48. Kazelyrics pointed out that the translation of the lyrics:
どうせ勉強したって(変わらへん 変わらへん)
仕事真面目にしたって(変わらへん 変わらへん)
日本が変わるわけじゃねえ(変わらへん 変わらへん)
偉い人に頑張って貰おうぜ
is about:
Meski pun aku terus belajar (tak ada yang berubah, tak ada yang berubah)Or, my English translation of that Indonesian passage:
Meski pun aku bekerja sungguh-sungguh (tak ada yang berubah, tak ada yang berubah)
Jepang tetap tidak akan berubah (tak ada yang berubah, tak ada yang berubah)
Serahkan saja usaha keras itu kepada orang yang hebat
Even if I keep studying (nothing change, nothing change)DeepL translates the Kanji passage as:
Even if I keep working hard (nothing change, nothing change)
Japan will never change (nothing change, nothing change)
Just give those hard work to great people
No matter how hard I study (will never change, will never change)While Google Translate said this:
Even if you take your job seriously...
Japan won't change.
Let's ask the great ones to do their best.
No matter how much I study (it won't change, it won't change)
Even if I take my work seriously (it won't change, it won't change)
Japan won't change (it won't change, it won't change)
Let's ask great people to do their best.
The last sentence is pretty tame. It's just saying to leave the rat race to smart and "capable" people, which is not us. We are on our own pace. We won't be winning if we go with the usual route.
Yes, the JKT48 song actually said the same thing. However, JKT48 elevates the lyric to another level by condemning the status quo happening in the country. This is, my friend, a true Punk song.
The Cat Verse
Si kucing yang di sana cuma tidur sambil mengulat
Di hari yang membosankan pun
Yang penting sekarang harus berulah
Ya ayo mulai!
My English translation of that Indonesian verse:
The Cat over there that only sleeping
In a boring day
The most important thing now needs to act
Yes, let's start!
What is this? Why suddenly talk about cat? What's the real intention here? Wait, why is my English translation makes more sense than the Indonesian wording? Lol...
NMB48 lyric at that part was saying:
日向の猫が
欠伸(あくび)をしているよ
そんな退屈な今日
とにかく騒ぐしかねえ!
さあ暴れようぜ!
Ah!
Which according to DeepL it translates as:
The cat in the sun
Is yawning in the sun.
It's such a dreary day
We've got to make some noise anyway!
Let's get rowdy!
Ah!
Oh, I see....
According to the cat experts, cat will do the yawn if the temperature is too high. The day of that high temperature is around summer where the sun may feel scorching. According to my Anime knowledge, it would be a bad day to go out.
But, still, just go out and do it!
That's the intention of the original message. I think the original JKT48 deviates the translation there. Their effort to slip boring day in addition to the cat verse is cute. However, I feel this would lose the intention about moving on at a bad day. It will give the verse impression to move on because you are bored.
Art is subjective, but if that's the direction they want to take so be it. However, my personal take on that verse should be:
Walau kucing di luar sana cuma sanggup menguap
Karena hari yang membara
Tetap lakukan sekarang
Ya, ayo mulai!
My limited English translation:
Even if the cat out there can only yawning
Because of the scorching day
We've got to do it now
Yes, let's start!
At least that's what I think the intention of the original song by NMB48. Well, I only think the verse while I'm writing this, so probably there are lots of things that goes into the translation.
Anyway, this is also what makes JKT48 songs not really booming in Indonesia. The lyrics are not that well written. In Light Novel world analogy, their song is a bit like machine translation.
Look at the song "River", what does this mean?
Penghalang adalah River! River! River!
In my own English translation:
Obstacle is River! River! River!Does that make sense to you?
Oh, if I try to think long enough, it does! But I need some effort there to look at the bigger picture. I need time to understand.
The lyric is in two languages, which is not common in Indonesia at the time. It is common now, so probably if they sing it now it would be acceptable.
However, the most obvious of their flaw in the lyric is that their lyric is not organic enough. Let's take a look at the lyric of "Fortune Cookie yang mencinta":
Yang mencinta Fortune Cookie
Masa depan tidak akan seburuk itu
In Bahasa Indonesia, you don't say "yang mencinta", if you want to go to that route, you say "yang mencintai". It should be with prefix "men-" + "cinta" + suffix "i".
Another way around is to remove all of the suffix/prefix and goes with just "cinta". It would go as:
Yang cinta Fortune Cookie
Masa depan tidak akan seburuk itu
My preference is to go to another alternative using "Hei, pencinta" which would turn the lyric to:
Hei, pencinta Fortune Cookie!
Masa depan tidak akan seburuk itu
Oh, God, I think I got so much influence from the Bible style. Lol, at least I'm using "hei" instead of "hai". Anyway, I think you get what I mean. JKT48 songs suffer inorganic lyric for their translation.
This is not acceptable in Indonesia if you want to go mainstream. Indonesia as a part of Malayan heritage have a strong attachment to a song lyric. No matter how bad or generic the music, a song can go booming out because of the lyric, especially the relatable one.
That's why the only breakable JKT48 song is Heavy Rotation and Rhapsody. The first one is a well-translated song from their first appearance. The second one is an original JKT48 song created by a famous Indonesian song writer. The second one has more stay value and still getting airplay thanks to the original songwriter sing it with his band.
I can understand now why some fans (Wota) want JKT48 produce original song. They are more likely to boom than just a translation song. However, think of it this way: they need to consider the lore and circumstances in other branches.
Anyway, some say that Wota culture also makes JKT48 a bad rap. I think the fall of JKT48 is because Japanese songs in general are being beaten black and blue by the South Korean K-Pop. Well, it's their fault for applying that Copyright law.
Ahem... the Japanese copyright law is a topic for another day. Let's talk about the music.
The Music
As expected, BPK Sutirto! Your mixing is on point for the song they want to convey. It would feel weird from current generation viewers. But, not for the Oom-Oom (uncles) generation who have the money to donate! Lol....
You think why music industry spits songs with nostalgic melody? Yes, because it is a given formula that was successful in the past. It is ingrained in our DNA as an acceptable song. No industrialist EDM song will make that Billboard 100 for now.
Anyway,
JKT48v song is very on point using that kind of mixing for the "Punkish" song. It would let me experience again Punk song from the past. I hope they survive and can do more in the future. I know this is not a true Punk, but a Punkish Punk. They are an Idol group, but willing to change.
About JKT48 Struggles
Why?
Because this is a Top 100 Billboard song, not really a J-Pop. No Royal Road progression, but a K-Pop progression, with current EDM chant.
Well, I see the producers are really worldwide! Matt Rad and August Rigo. Both have international creds on their shoulders.
So, for them to get out and produced a not-Japanese song is a struggle that they are willing to take to change (for better). And I really, really salute them for that. Having 10 years of existence is something we need to reckon with.
Now I understand why they also take the Virtual Avatar (VTuber) route! It's the fastest growing market in the world today. People are going for this, even a browser.
As the boundary between reality and illusion is getting blurred, we are currently accepting new concept of reality: Hyperreality.
Oh, no! I'll stop here and if you want to know more about Hyperreality, just read Jean Baudrillard's Simulacra and Simulation.
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