Well, if you haven't know it, 2018 was the year when I fell head over heels for this young lady. I reviewed her first EP, Zephyr, in this post. And my love for her hasn't changed in 2019. NIKI was quite busy last year; she launched her second EP, wanna take this downtown?, which consists of 4 songs, and a compilation album with all the other 88Rising artists, Head in The Clouds II, where she wrote 3 songs. 

To be honest, I like the first EP better than the second one, merely because the first one is more '90's R&B-ish', and for me, offers a lot more ranges, while WTDT? itself only consists of 4 songs with more pop and electronic sound. It's just my personal preference anyway, but of course the entirety of the EP’s production is equally fun, admirably clean and easy to digest. But excuse me can we talk about the songs in Heads in The Clouds II... "La La Lost You", "Couldn't Shouldn't Wouldn't" and "Strange Land", come on. Those are diamonds. And the lyrics are just plain great. It’s nothing like those repetitive words, and the way she plays with rhymes ain't playin' girll. It’s just so inspiring. Her vocabulary of sophisticated words, especially knowing that NIKI was born and raised in Indonesia, is beyond imagination.  I specifically love the acoustic versions (watch it on Spotify and YouTube, thank me later). These 3 songs even sounds better when she sing it at that live acoustic session! Together with catchy and hottie "Indigo" as the other single in HITC II, those 4 were my favorites from NIKI last year.

I tell you times and I am gonna' tell you again now, I love NIKI so much and she's gonna be a star someday. Mark my words. I can't wait for the debut full album (Moonchild) that will be released this year. Yeayy.

Billie Eilish is a 17 year-old teenager turned pop music prodigy. Recorded with the help of her older brother, Finneas, in their family home in Los Angeles. It’s an album full of avant-pop with hyper-modern songs. It's kinda hard for me to describe this album, because I rarely listen to this kind of music. The moody beats and Billie's haunting voice makes me excited the first time I listen to this album. The production is interesting, there's a clean electronic edge to everything that feels very new to me (again, I didn't heard many of this "kind" of sound before).  Well, the lyricism can be way too over the top sometimes but when you consider her age and where she is coming from, her perspective is understandable and I feel like there is always a place for "gen Z with every emotion that they want to express immediately"- sort of albums. I wish I have heard this album when I was in her age, in the peak of my-very-emotional-state. Lol. Some of my favorites are "Bad Guy", "when the party's over" and "wish you were gay" where Eilish means to profess her love for a boy and it was sadly one-sided. But in the disguise of accepting that he’s just not that into her, Eilish wrote it in a conclusion that’s easier on the ego: “To spare my pride,” she sings, “To give your lack of interest an explanation/I’m not your type/Maybe I’m not your preferred sexual orientation.” Ha!

3. "Free Spirit" (Khalid)

Khalid Robinson is back with his new album titled Free Spirit, after his first release back in 2017, American Teen (I like that one as well). In American Teen, Khalid was a lonely American teen sing softly and sweetly about coming of age (young, dumb, and broke), and that formula made him as a  "fresh wind" of the new R&B movement. He's 21 now, and that Khalid is still there. He stays true to the sound that gained him his ever growing popularity. Khalid has some features on his sophomore album, including SAFE, and John Mayer. However, he holds onto his rich vocals and smooth beats, creating a good mix between calm and fun songs. The album is cohesive, and each song flows into the next. Free Spirit is full of ballads, lyrics that make an impression, and just enough personal touches that we feel like we’re really getting to know Khalid. What I like about Khalid is the fact that Khalid stays true to his root and doesn't use any slang or bad words (not that I don't like it), dunno, it's just differentiate him from other R&B singers in this era. Btw, every time I listen to Khalid's albums, it just took me back to my training days in Jakarta last year (I always used this album as my shower tunes). 

4. "I Used To Know Her" (H.E.R)

H.E.R. (real name Gabriela Wilson) is definitely one of my favorite R&B soul artists right now. She has a beautiful voice, so real, and writes lyrics beautifully. Whenever I feel like chill, and just want to stay in my room doing nothing all day, I always playing her music with the shuffle mode, and literally almost every song is soo good. I highly recommend her music. Her soulful voice and her lyrics which covers various topics from love, brokenhearted, to politic-and even gospel, takes you on an emotional journey. My favorites will be "Hard Place", "Fate" and "I'm Not Ok". She's just 22, but she's accomplished so much in the music industry, with a "mature" feel of the album and Grammy in hand. My only complain is "I Used To Know Her" could've and should've been a bit shorter. 19 tracks is just too much.

5. "Lover" (Taylor Swift)

Oh yass. Can we talk about TS, PLEASE. Well, if you haven't know it, I am a fan of Taylor Swift since her "Tim McGraw" era. I've been following Taylor for so long to know almost everything in her music career, and as a sentimental- "country Taylor"-fan, I was kinda disappointed when she announced that she "wants to release pop albums from now on" in 2014. With "1989" and "Reputation", I left the fandom for a while. But with this brand new album, "Lover", I am officially back. 

After the bitter "Reputation", Taylor does a massive change, largely focus once more on romantic affairs. The main difference with the previous albums, is that the songs on Lover largely come from a place of contentment and happiness in the middle of a strong relationship, rather than a sad-heartbreaking moods. It's a reminder to how far Swift has come as a lyricist, and how she has matured and grown from a girl whom references all the ex-boyfriends in blatant lyrics, to someone genuinely older and wiser and a lot more in love. See it in "Lover" and "The Archer", ballads with some retro sound to it. But TS is TS no matter how old she gets, I believe that. She's still singing to someone who’s wronged her in the past, and it is shown in "I Forgot That You Existed". "London Boy" is a "cute" awkward celebration of boyfriend Joe Alwyn, with all the Brits reference; girl is not afraid to show this "childish expression" of love. Yet that's what you do when you fall in love, right? In the other mood swing, “Soon You’ll Get Better”, is a very heartfelt ballad about Swift’s mother’s ongoing cancer battle, with background harmonies by the Dixie Chicks (her mom's favorite musician). The only song that is terrible for me is lead single "Me!" (feat Panic! at The Disco frontman, Brandon Urie). Ugh, I don't get why that song needs to be exist, seriously. The lyrics means nothing but cheap. The rest of the songs are okay and lovely. Voice sounds more matured and stable. Everything is packed into a solid album.

I personally thought this is probably one of her best; if not the best, work in industry. This album now stands beside my other favorite albums of Taylor, "Red"(2012) and "Speak Now" (2010).

6. "Leon" (Leon)

Leon is a Swedish singer-songwriter that I found in 2019- thanks to random recommendations on Spotify. While listening to the debut album, you will notice that she has deep, doleful vocals, which reminds me of Adele. Most of the album contains absolute solid electro pop tunes, catchy compositions and universal lyrics about love and heartbreak. There are some quieter moments on the album which are just as aurally engaging, and they are my favorites. "Hope Is A Heartache" (really love this one), "Come Home To Me", "What You Said", are super worthy to listen. I hope Leon can develop her beautiful, unique voice and song-writing skill into higher milestone for the next album, because I will be waiting for it.

INDONESIAN PLAYLIST

Supaya adil, untuk meresensi album-album Indonesia favorit saya tahun ini, saya akan menggunakan bahasa Indonesia supaya makin berasa cinta tanah airnya. Tsah. Kenapa NIKI tidak dimasukkan di daftar ini, karena menurut saya album NIKI sudah bercita rasa internasional, audiensnya internasional, dan toh dikerjakannya juga dalam naungan label luar negeri. Maka dari itu mari lanjut!

1. "Walk The Talk" (Pamungkas)

Mayoritas lagu di album karya Pamungkas ditulis menggunakan lirik berbahasa Inggris. Konon katanya Pamungkas memang banyak mengambil inspirasi dari band-band luar negeri, seperti The Beatles, Radiohead, Arctic Monkeys, dan The Smiths. Kalo menurut saya sendiri, ya memang, album ini kedengaran sedikit bernuansa Brit-pop seperti band-band yang sudah disebutkan barusan.  Semua lagunya diproduksi sendiri dan dirilis menggunakan label sendiri yang bernama Pam Records. Vokal Pamungkas cukup terdengar rock and roll dan unik, saya sudah mendengarnya langsung waktu nonton gignya di Makassar (yang tempatnya ngga banget). Venue-nya yang ga asik aja itu ga menutupi vokal Pamungkas yang gak berbeda sama skali dari rekaman. Dan oh iyaa, vokalnya sedikit mengingatkan saya dengan Jamie Cullum! Album "Walk the Talk" ini tidak mellow-mellow amat, tapi udah lumayan banget buat teman bersedih ria bagi para lelaki (dan juga wanita) tanpa berkesan menye-menye sama sekali. Kalau disandingkan dengan musik Indonesia yang hits saat ini atau mainstream, album ini jelas berbeda. Favorit saya tentunya "I Love You but I'm Letting Go", "One Only", "Bambina", "Sorry", dan "Kenangan Manis". Pamungkas juga udah punya album kedua yang berjudul "Flying Solo" tapi saya pribadi lebih menyukai album "Walk the Talk".

"8 Tahun" (2017)

"Forget Your Plans"  (2010)

"Silver Painted Radiance"  (2016)