Which of the country’s music creators will wow audiences this year?

As Indonesian music grows more creative each week, it is also becoming increasingly competitive. Scoring a chart-topper or teaming up with a hot shot producer is no longer enough to stand out. These days, it is about creating a complete piece of music that compels in every aspect.

With authenticity, these five musicians have distinct bodies of work that put them on top as music talents to reckon with in 2023.

Bernadya

Definitely, maybe: Bernadya, debuting her solo career in 2022, breaks through with her distinct pop styling and her introductory single “Apa Mungkin“. (Courtesy of JUNI Records) (Courtesy of JUNI Records/.)

While many pop newcomers try to copy either the soft and stately template of Tiara Andini or the poetic model of Nadin Amizah, 18-year-old Bernadya decided to come up with her own identity from scratch.

Her past tenure as one half of the pop duo Celine & Nadya, a project that gave birth to the Colbie Caillat-esque "Lugu" (Naive) and "Kau Lagi" (You Again), might have taught Bernadya that what kills a pop act's momentum is not a lack of viral hits but, instead, the musicians’ reluctance to develop an incomparable character.

Her solo debut number, "Apa Mungkin" (Could It Be), was in a class of its own: a pop number that proudly illustrated emotional maturity beyond her years. Her deliberately low register makes the song's combative lyrics a delicate toss-up between self-accusation and passive-aggressiveness. And when she subtly switches her register during the final chorus, it is a gorgeous masterclass on what an Indonesian pop artist can do when she lets go of being the “next version” of someone else.

Dilasarah

Jazzy future: Singer, songwriter, producer and instrumentalist Dilasarah introduces a forward-thinking take on jazz-pop music as evident in her recent singles “Accidentally in Love” and “Moonlight”. (Instagram/Dilasarah @dilasarah_) (Instagram/Dilasarah @dilasarah_)

Amid a scarcity of fresh talent in the Indonesian jazz-pop scene, 23-year-old Dilasarah seems more than capable of filling the shoes that were once occupied by the likes of Eva Celia and Ardhito Pramono.

Being a well-rounded singer, songwriter, producer and multi-instrumentalist, her individuality has consistently shimmered since her 2020 breakout solo number: the wistful, yet freakishly sensual "Violet". Nonetheless, it was 2022's "Moonlight" and "Accidentally in Love" that made jazz aficionados excited to see how her career would progress.

Her vocals might channel the haziness of Ultraviolence-era Lana Del Rey, but it is her subtle earthiness and her devil-may-care quality that makes her seem like the angstier soul sister of Adhitia Sofyan. Dilasarah also served as a producer on R&B singer Rahmania Astrini's best tracks to date: "Butterfly" and "Pizza Pepperoni".

Livingroom

Double trouble: Hip-hop duo Livingroom. wins their first AMI Award for Best Hip-hop/Rap Duo/Group/Collaborative Performance this year for debut single “Precious“. (Instagram/Wonderland Records) (Instagram/Wonderland Records)

Hip-hop devotees might love or hate Livingroom for its chill rap stylings and absence of explicit lyrics, but one thing is for sure: the duo's body of work, so far, has contained undeniable earworms.

Made up of real-life brothers Braunsugar and 1NG, Livingroom's debut number "Precious" provided all-out merry vibes, a characteristic that is generally found in any sleeper hit. The follow-up song "Stars", however, hinted that the duo might have the chops to share the freestyle rap stage with the likes of Basboi and Kay Oscar. Braunsugar's ciphers are effortless and snappy, supported by 1NG's beat-making prowess, which showcases the producer's understanding of why teen girls nowadays worship Asian rappers.

With the recent Anugerah Musik Indonesia (AMI) Award for Best Hip-hop/Rap Duo/Group/Collaborative Performance in its pocket, Livingroom has a good chance of bringing Indonesian rap music back to the mainstream this year.

Rub of Rub

Hope for rocksteady: Rub of Rub stuns the Indonesian music industry when the band nabs its first-ever Anugrah Musik Indonesia (AMI) Awards nomination this year for Best Reggae/Ska/Rocksteady Production. (Instagram/Rub of Rub @rubofrub) (Instagram/Rub of Rub @rubofrub)

Finally, a rocksteady band that knows what it is doing. Even a listener who is not well-versed in the rocksteady genre would listen to the infectious "Lepas" (Loose) for the first time and likely agree that they could not stop cha-cha sliding by themselves in their closed bedroom.

Be that as it may, what has made Rub of Rub stand out so far is its reluctance to be a one-note act. The band's 2021 EP, Fluktuasi (Fluctuation) was a seminal showcase of what an experimental music group could do when Caribbean flavor spins together with modern psychedelia in the same Margarita glass, with the closer "Bersarang" (Nestling) turning the listening experience from shimmying to straight-up transfixing.

When the Bandung-based band nabbed its first-ever AMI Awards nomination for Best Reggae/Ska/Rocksteady Production back in September, it was as if Rub of Rub had finally carved its name on the national music map.

Sunwich

The indie pop and rock outfit's bouncy energy might be an unsuitable match to the mawkish ballad-filled pandemic. But as the music industry continues picking itself up and the music audiences start growing tired of their bedroom melancholia, Sunwich might finally seize 2023 as its time to shine.

Sunwich, which stands for "Sunday With Chocolate", has proven itself to have a keen eye for what wobbly adulting is supposed to look like, as evident in the band's under-the-radar 2020 EP Storage. Frontwoman Aliefia Augustine, in particular, stands out with her deadpan yet unguarded vocal delivery – imagine Grrrl Gang's Angeeta Sentana and Wolf Alice's Ellie Rowsell being trapped in the same body.

Also, anyone who has listened to the tragically upbeat "I'm Not Good At This" and the savage "The Bended Man" will easily expect that major labels have already stalked the band's Instagram by now.