Bingkai Karya – After releasing a series of singles over the past two months, Melanie Subono arrives at one of her most personal works yet “Cantik Itu Aku.” For Melanie, this song is more than just a musical release, it is a movement that reinforces the presence, strength, and authenticity of women through the message #CantikItuAku.
The inspiration behind the song stems from Melanie’s restless observations about how social media continues to impose standards of beauty and perfection on women, despite the fact that each person is created uniquely. There has never been a rule that beauty must mean being thin or anything else. These standards are merely human stereotypes solidified by repetitive online content.
“Even someone like me, who people often label as beautiful, still gets questioned ‘Why don’t you have a partner?’ or ‘Why this and that?’ If you don’t meet someone’s idea of perfection, you’re suddenly considered ‘less.’ But beauty has no barometer. Why are we still living with that stamp? Beauty is me, whether you’re thin, curvy, or even battling cancer,” Melanie emphasizes.
The #CantikItuAku movement encourages people to be more mindful of what they see, say, feel, and think and to stop imposing beauty standards on others. Everyone may have their own definition of beauty, but that does not mean others must follow or even hear it. Melanie herself admitted that even she felt a hint of doubt when saying “Cantik Itu Aku,” and that moment of hesitation is exactly what this movement seeks to eliminate. Everyone deserves to believe “I am beautiful,” in any condition.
The song “Cantik Itu Aku” is crafted with special intention. Melanie does not perform it alone, she invited four close friends to join her: Widi Vierratale, Sara Wijayanto, Pia Fellini, and Fia Fellow. These women are not only her close friends but also individuals she feels embody the message of the song.
“These four women are each comfortable in their own skin. Whatever they choose to do with themselves is their right. Want to do treatments or dress up? That’s their choice but they’re comfortable with who they are. I love Widi’s edgy style wearing a wedding dress with boots on stage singing pop, that’s her kind of beautiful. Sara has the kindest heart; she loves all beings, even spirits. The same goes for Pia and Fia, they are incredible women. Of course, their vocal compatibility was a consideration too,” Melanie explains.
But the song isn’t just a collective performance. Melanie chose them because they also share the same vision and belief in the movement. They are women who take action in their own ways not waiting for permission to make a difference.
“‘Aku’ is the simplest word to represent every individual, and ‘cantik’ represents women. There are many women out there who still hesitate to say ‘I am beautiful,’ so I want this to grow into a massive movement so every woman realizes it, and so men understand it too. Everyone needs to be aware that all women are beautiful without exception,” she adds.
Musically, Melanie worked with Fia Fellow, who also collaborated with her on the previous single, “Hawa Membara.” The mixing and mastering were done by Hamid Alatas at Studio Simima. The track comes in an easy listening package. Catchy, memorable, and, as people say today, “jogetable.”
“Cantik Itu Aku” is now available on your favorite radio stations and all digital streaming platforms.
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