Courtesy of JUNI Records

Pop diva Raisa has matured a lot since she became a mother, as shown in her new single, which marks her return to the music scene after a seven-month break during her pregnancy.

The single, which is properly titled “Kembali” (Returning), became available on various streaming platforms on July 9. Raisa had previously hinted to her fans about the new single, which was produced by JUNI Records, in a video titled “I’m Back”, which was uploaded on her official YouTube channel on June 19.

The four-minute and 23-second ballad feels more mature and heart-rending than any of the music she has produced before.

A departure from the cheeky jazzy-style tunes we are used to hearing from Raisa, “Kembali” opens with tender guitar strumming and steadily evolves into a choral style by the second chorus. The lyrics do not tell a story but rather read like a poem and render feelings of longing and nostalgia.

“I want this song to be able to translate into a variety of different meanings to different people,” Raisa said during a recent press conference for the single’s release at Plaza Senayan in Central Jakarta.

Being a “deeply avid lover of music”, Raisa added she found it incredible when people were able to relate to her songs and apply different meanings in accordance to their own personal lives.

Much-anticipated return: Singer Raisa performs her new single “Kembali” (Returning) at the XXI Lounge at Plaza Senayan, Central Jakarta. (JP/Valerie Halim)

Raisa cowrote the track with singer Mikha Angelo, who also said that “Kembali” was written in order to be interpreted differently by each listener.

“Though this song is about the feeling of ‘missing’, it doesn’t have to be about love. It could also be about a friendship, or a moment in time, or a past feeling itself,” Mikha said.

He added that his collaboration with Raisa was a long-time plan that had finally been realized and that he felt extremely honored to have had the opportunity to work with the pop diva, who he had always looked up to in the music industry.

Meanwhile, JUNI Records CEO Adryanto Pratono said the new single was a mix of the old and new Raisa.

“There have been different phases for Raisa,” Adryanto said.

Adryanto pointed out how collectively, the creative team did not want to produce something too lighthearted, but rather, a progression from the Jakarta-born singer.

“It’s tricky for us because we know there are listeners who want to keep hearing the old Raisa [from her older music eras], but as a label, we want to keep improving.”

Hello again: Raisa (second right) speaks at a press conference to promote her new single “Kembali” (Returning) at Plaza Senayan in Central Jakarta on Tuesday, July 9. (JP/Valerie Halim)

Raisa began her music career in 2008 when she collaborated with American composer David Foster during his live concert in Jakarta. Back then, she was the lead vocalist of the band Adante, now called Vierra, and in 2010, she started her solo career.

Her debut self-titled album Raisa (2011) boomed nation-wide, with hit singles “Serba Salah” (Always Wrong), “Apalah (Arti Menunggu)” (What’s The Point of Waiting), “Could It Be” and “Melangkah” (To Take A Step) frequently taking over radio stations and coffee shops across the country.

In September 2017, Raisa married her boyfriend Hamish Daud and in February this year, she gave birth to a baby girl named Zaline Raine Wyllie. Pregnancy and motherhood prompted Raisa to take a break from her music career.

While the release of “Kembali” marks Raisa’s return, it is still unclear whether a new album is on the way or not. It has been three years since Raisa released her third and latest album, Handmade, and despite growing demands from fans to start the production of the next one, she said that she would only work on it when the inspiration came.

Raisa and JUNI Records agree that projects and ideas should come naturally rather than to be forced or planned out. For now, Raisa fans should just embrace her return with the new single, which the singer admitted she was nervous to perform live after being absent from the stage for months.

“I can rehearse as many times as I want but nothing compares to the feeling of actually performing. The energy of moving around the stage — that’s unmatchable.” (hdt)

— The writer is an intern at The Jakarta Post.