A nocturnal pop record is relatively rare in the Indonesian music scene, but that is what pop artist and singer-songwriter Hanin Dhiya has manifested in her latest full-length studio album Reinkarnasi (Reincarnation), released on March 3. Not only is the album most discernible when being listened to after the twilight hours, but the nine tracks that make up the record were born from critical contemplations she had with herself at her, figuratively and literally, darkest hour.

No wonder Hanin summarized Reinkarnasi as "a conversation I had with myself".

As she elaborated to The Jakarta Post on Mar. 12, "The truth is, all the stories on this album are what I experienced when I was feeling down in my bedroom, all by myself. At the time, the only person I had was myself. The only person who could say, 'come on, tomorrow we will be better than who we are today!'"

'Start again from zero'

The past seven years in the music industry have taught the Bogor native a lot about herself, especially who she is as a musician. Of all the important lessons she has learned, however, Hanin considered the most important (and the most hard-earned) was how to find a balance between idealism and pragmatism.

"I have to remain idealistic, but I have to be realistic as well," she explained. "Back in the day, because I followed my label's [lead] so much, I ended up sacrificing my idealism. Truth be told, I have not been totally into performing a few of my old songs. However, because I didn't have the courage and the capability of being, like, 'What I want is this! What I want is that!', I panned this out by forgoing my idealistic side. I just went with the flow."

Admittedly, Hanin has enjoyed considerable success over the years – a feat that she remained grateful for. At 22 years old, she had churned out, including her latest, three full-length studio albums and one extended play (EP) in collaboration with frontman of Indonesian pop-rock band Dewa 19, Ahmad Dhani. To boot, her reinterpretation of the band's 2002 hit "Pupus" (Faded) earned her an Anugerah Musik Indonesia (AMI) Award for best music rearrangement production back in 2018. Her second studio album, the 2021 Jangan Sampai Pasrah (Never Surrender) received platinum certification less than a month after its release.

Nevertheless, Hanin divulged that there was more to all the glitter. Her malaise toward some of her back catalog had slowly turned her disillusioned to the point that "I preferred performing other musicians' songs than my own songs. It was so extreme!" she exclaimed. "That's why, from now on, I want to love my own songs, regardless of where I perform them and how many people resonate with them."

No career comes without regrets, including Hanin's. She felt remorseful for her "inability to be me" in the past, which led to her audiences not properly understanding her character and musicianship. She, however, decided to turn her regrets into enlightenment. All things considered, her past, no matter how flawed it was, had led her to the present.

"I'm not a big fan [of my back catalog]. But, if it weren't for that, I wouldn't have been who I am today. I have arrived at the phase where I accept that," she continued.

A conversation between Hanin and her label, Warner Music Indonesia, about her next direction took place in the year 2022, resulting in a recording of nine new tracks that would compile a studio album she would title Reinkarnasi. To her surprise, her label seconded her vision to "start again from zero" and not recycle her previous pop sound.

Hanin arrived at a pivotal conclusion about what makes her authentic. She had been known for her pop-infused melancholia, but this time around, she wished to stay away from anything derivative. 

"I will continue making sad songs, but I don't want the weepy kind of sad anymore," she underscored. "If you listen to my previous songs, the sadness was like begging for your beloved. As a listener, I would have ended up feeling despondent."

'Change for the better'

Entirely cowritten by Hanin and produced by producer team Music by S/EEK, Reinkarnasi is a pop album in which, for the first time, the former incorporates elements of adult contemporary, chill wave, soft rock, lo-fi, neo-soul and R&B. Hanin was particularly influenced by the works of (to name a few) Abe Parker, Gracie Abrams, H.E.R., Shy Martin and Tyler, The Creator. The title of the album reflects her sense of purpose throughout the recording process.

"From the very beginning, I was keen on having this album as the commencement of the new me to everyone. But I came up with the title Reinkarnasi in the middle of the journey," she teased.

Unlike her previous records, Hanin preferred to work alongside the same team of producers in order to produce a cohesive body of work. She further applauded Music by S/EEK, the producers behind notable hits by pop acts Mahalini and Raisa, for respecting her vision from day one and "completely paying attention to what I want while [being] never hesitant of giving me some inputs," she added.

The album's fourth track, "Lalu; Usai" (Then; Done) was highlighted by Hanin as the song that most encapsulates her authenticity and new sound. Characterized by somber piano, disarrayed vocal effects and muted, lo-fi-inspired beats, the ballad expresses her acceptance of being alone and broken-hearted. Meanwhile, she chose the percussion-heavy, soft rock "Marah" (Anger) as the most emotionally truthful track, the song addresses her frustration of being left alone when she finds herself at "rock bottom".

Cowriting the entire album proved a tough, yet rewarding challenge for Hanin.

"I couldn't write the songs based on my mood. We had three days of songwriting in a single studio, therefore the ambiance and the people stayed the same. We had to get our work done then and there, so I was pushed to write the songs. Marrying the melody with the lyrics was quite difficult. Most of the lyrics came from my diary," she chuckled.

Moreover, she was through with making the sort of power ballads that once put her on the map. Her changing vocal textures allowed her an opportunity to explore different methods of vocal delivery, quipping "I don't want to perform songs that, even as the listener, I would find exhausting as well."

When all is said and done, is it possible for us to be so-called born again?

"I believe so. Because that's what I feel right now," answered Hanin. "Being born again has an expansive context. I wasn't just born again musically, but also in terms of my personality. So many things have changed from the old Hanin. We start again from zero, we fix what we need to fix from the past, and we change for the better."

Hanin Dhiya's Reinkarnasi is available to stream now.

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