Thursday, May 29, 2008

Here In My Home

That new unity song we're apparently so proud of?

At the risk of sounding bloody unpatriotic - I hate it. I really think it sucks.

When I first heard hitz.fm pimping it to death, I was hoping that it would amount to something worthwhile.

Collaboration of big names. Singers and non-singers. 120 people. Nobody was paid.

A patriotic song that promotes racial unity.

I was curious loh. But I wasn’t expecting the sky. And when the song finally hit the airwaves, in the first 5 seconds I was like “THIS is it? This is the thing that everybody’s so damn proud of which took a month to create?”

When the song finally ended, all I could muster was a “huh?”

The lyrics didn’t make sense. How does it relate to hope and unity? “The song has shadows in its lyrics”. Ooo-kay. Maybe the makna tersirat was buried too deep for me to get it. Maybe I’m just too shallow to appreciate poetry. Maybe the song was not meant for thick people like me to appreciate. Har I don't know lah. But I just wasn't feeling it, dawg.

The melody was uninspiring and bland. The chord progressions just didn’t work for me, it sounded off. Yeah so you have Jaclyn tarik-ing all her notes and sounding like all gospel-like but… so what? It felt, plastic. Like it was just cut and pasted in there to make it sound bigger that it really is. It feels one dimensional and fake. Like they tried a little too hard or too much to make everything gel together but it just didn’t stick.

It didn’t move me loh. I wasn’t inspired. I wasn’t touched. No tears in my eyes. No soaring in my heart.

Most of all. There were no goosebumps. You know a song is great and emotionally gets to you when you get goosebumps. The last song which gave me goosebumps was when David Cook tarik-ed that one note on Chris Cornell's version of Billie Jean.

Do you remember We Are the World? THAT gave me goosebumps. THAT is a perfect example of one heckuva excellent collaboration and seamless integration of the unique styles of some of the biggest names back then. We are the world! We are the children! We are the ones who make a brighter day. So let's start giving!

So simple! So meaningful!

Even the newer cover version of What’s Going On for the Artists Against AIDS was good. It didn’t quite give me goosebumps, but the song reached out to me. It made sense. Mother, mother, there's just too many of you crying.... It's a song I would listen to it over and over again.

Okay before I’m being accused of worshipping our penjajah too much, let’s give a local example. I really, really hate to admit to this but I thought that very old patriotic song, Inilah Basiran Kita, was very moving. Do you remember this? That guy singing with his loud booming voice, backed by the beating of the drums.

Inilah barisan kita,
Yang ikhlas berjuang.
Siap sedia berkorban,
Untuk ibu pertiwi!
Sebelum kita berjaya,
Jangan harap kami pulang!
Inilah sumpah pendekar kita,
Menuju medan bakti!
Andai kata kami gugur semua,
Taburlah bunga di atas pusara.
Kami mohon doa,
Malaysia berjaya!
Semboyan telah berbunyi,
Menuju medan bakti!

Everytime the song is played it compels me to stop whatever I’m doing, stand straight up and salute our warriors who are going to die defending our tanahair. So simple. So real. So effective.

But this new song feels a bit, messy, disorganised and disjointed. Let’s throw in everything we know which symbolizes unity and muhibbah into a song and make it BIG. How to go wrong, right?

Races which symbolizes our nation. Check.
Multiple languages. Check.
Jaclyn Victor. Check.
Rap verse. Check.

Haih. I don’t know lah. I really really wanted to like the song. I tried, but I just couldn’t.

More than anything, it actually sounds a little self-indulgent.

Well, maybe it’s just me lah. Everybody else seems so proud of it.

29 comments:

  1. its the only kick ass song I knew or remembered how to sing after Burung Kakak Tua and Rasa Sayang and Negaraku-ku

    ReplyDelete
  2. sometimes the problem is trying to fulfill all criteria of what is good and positive, because not only will they clash with one another, there's just no rough edges to love and admire.

    e.g. shu qi's features individually are all no-nos (apart from her hot bod), but when they're put together, there is surprisingly an appealing factor to her. and then you've got people with big eyes, sharp defined nose, prominent cheekbones, flawless skin, fat juicy lips, yet somehow end up looking like an accident. :/

    wah shit, waste so much time commenting. BACK TO WORK.

    p.s. cibai, my last comment in your prev post kena cut sampai tinggal 'i'. wtf.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Only idiots like this song. It's pathetic and crap.

    Look at the people featured in the video, freaking cronies of corrupt people and politicians.

    This is so obviously a BN linked initiative/agenda.

    Trojan horse unity attempt by the connected/corrupted.

    If this is what Malaysia offers as 'talent' please lah, I rather be watching local made porno made in 3G phones, way more talented and entertaining than these wannabees.

    Even manwhore Yasmin Ahmad has such a lousy and poor taste and she was defending this song vehemently.

    Now we know she's got a poor taste for music as well.

    She should stick to her amateur film making and stop defending Pete Teo just because they're friends.

    Artistes like these who're in denial and cannot accept criticisms should just pack up and go home, their work is crap and that's why people don't wanna pay money to watch them.

    Stop making excuses that we are pro-Orang putih.

    Come on, there're good foreign films from korea, japan and China that deserved to be praised, more than the rubbish that came out of HongKong nowadays. Malaysia ? Forget it!

    Local filmmakers and musicians got a long way to go.

    FA: Wow. that's really harsh..

    ReplyDelete
  4. I was about to say "FA u so rite iz a suckie song OMG"... but I think critic's rant has already lambasted it far more than it deserves.

    The song sucks, and for something that's directed by BOTH Ho Yuhang and Yasmin Ahmad, the video is damn lame as well. But it's a noble effort, and the sentiment is right - even, dare I say, necessary in these times. I mean, take Yasmin's movies. Love 'em or hate 'em, there's no denying WHY she makes them - she makes them to say something that she thinks all Malaysians need to hear. And we DO need to hear it.

    So calling her "manwhore", and accusing her of being a BN stooge, is totally cheap and mean and uncalled for. And one of those artistes is a personal friend of mine. You don't insult her without getting ME all up in yo face, bitch.

    (No, not you, FA. Him. Guy calls himself 'critic'. You ain't no bitch. You fine.)

    P.S. "Inilah Barisan Kita" r0xx. It's actually damn corny ("if we all die, put flowers on our graves" LOL), but that arrangement, that singer's delivery, it all WORKS.

    ReplyDelete
  5. i like it. and the video itself is really good. for me, at least.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Setia was my favourite to Suan. Used to memorized the lyrics word by word.

    ReplyDelete
  7. Exactly. I just went "Huh? WTF"

    So I switched back to listening to Mike Oldfield and Yanni

    ReplyDelete
  8. omg.. i cant belif i aceli can sing the whole song after so many yrs!
    well, guess there's another guy backing u up on this: http://bytemuncher.blogspot.com/2008/05/malaysian-artists-for-unity-go-back-to.html

    ReplyDelete
  9. it's by Pete Teo. Of course it sucks. hehehehe

    ReplyDelete
  10. got to go with 'laylowmoe' on this one. yeah, the song isn't that great. ok only la.
    but does it deserve the banging it got from 'critic'?
    sometimes people seem to be contrary just for the sake of it, and that's sad.

    ReplyDelete
  11. Yeah, the lyrics are crap!

    But song itself sounds great...well, it did give me goosebums. overall nice lah, except for the bloody pondan reshmonu. argh...! irritates the hell out of me!

    but hey, be proud of it. at least they tried. theres always room for improvement...but they tried doing something for "racist malaysia".

    give semangat sikit laaahhh.

    ReplyDelete
  12. My personal opinion?

    Instead of trying to come up with a "cool" song ala "USA for Africa", they should have just re-run the Kisah Cinta Tan Hong Ming advert. 3 times a day, every day, forever and ever.

    ReplyDelete
  13. The song suck, it took too much effort mixing and matching all the different element. A good song starts as that a GOOD song, you don't backward engineer a song. Like this... it feels and sounds more like a commercial, i just forget to listen after 5sec in.

    I think this is the mandate, make us a song, with like... uh.... mny languages, many style... it must have many style because we want to appeal to EVERYBODY... Language too because the different races are just so stupid they will not listen to the song unless it is in their mother tongue. Have the song ready and we will get the names in line to sing it.

    With songs like we are the world, it is one song, with different rendition... you can hear the different people singing... The same song. Here i hear... like stupid many songs dump in a blender... Oh... sorry i did not even hear the song, my mind was wondering on about some other "important" stuff.

    SO what if you bloody have a friend that sang in the song, A song suck, it suck regardless of who is in it, who made it, who wrote it, who directed the video...

    You want goose bumps, take a look at all those petronas adverts... nice...

    The song died when they start trying too hard.

    ReplyDelete
  14. Watch the video. It's a lot more fun.

    ReplyDelete
  15. Hi FA,

    I think too much Kilkenny has numb your senses.

    No doubt the song was not super duper good, but it was more than passable. Malaysians should appreciate the intention and the effort put into the song, not merely the entertainment value of it. At least a small group of Malaysians decided to do something to inspire unity rather than just be armchair critics.

    FA: My point was that I didn't like the song. I appreciate the effort and what it is suppose to represent, but the song itself was very forgettable and uninspiring. It really doesn't compel me to rush out to buy the single or download it for a fee. I don't think it's fair to expect people to automatically a product JUST because it has noble intentions. Especially if it's Malaysian-made.

    What's up with that mentality? "Oh it's Malaysian Made. Our national pride is at stake here. Even though it's not that great let's put it on the pedestal and worship it for all the effort they put in and what it represents. No, you must overlook the quality of the product, it's what it symbolises that really matters. How dare you criticise it! What you think you so clever can do better is it? You must support it and like it no matter what otherwise you will burn in hell."

    It's like being accused of being unpatriotic just because I hate the Proton (weren't we all so proud of the damn thing back in 1984?) for being an overpriced piece of shit.

    ReplyDelete
  16. LIBERTY! i like your reply

    ReplyDelete
  17. Give me good music or give me death!!!!

    ReplyDelete
  18. I must emphasize that the 4th para 'What’s up with that mentality? Oh it’s Malaysian Made. Our national pride is at stake here...' is not mine. I don't know how it ended up under my Comment.

    FA, it's unfortunate that you find the song so unpalatable. I personally think it is quite ok, not as good as the hype though. Of course you're entitled to have your own opinion.

    FA: That was part of my comment. Everything after "FA:" in boldprint is. have a good weekend!

    ReplyDelete
  19. Looks like I'm the one who needs Kilkenny. The 4th para is part of your reply to my original comment, not input from an anonymous commentator.

    I forgot the weekend is almost here, looks like we both can do with some happy hour Kilkennys. Cheers!

    ReplyDelete
  20. it says "if i die, put flower at my grave" hell fuck, i doubt they even have records on names of chinese heros.

    ReplyDelete
  21. Watever happened to super-hebat songs like "Setia"?
    Or that "We Are Fisherman" song... some may not remember this song, but was superbly catchy when it came out...
    Hahaha... can still remember the Merdeka parade "music video" when "Inilah Barisan Kita" was aired... ;)

    Great stuff!!...
    ;)

    ReplyDelete
  22. wow. how pathetic. let's see u do something positive [or gasp! put your work out there!] about the bad situation in malaysia rather than moan and feel ohhhh so superior because you worship yanks. people like you make me sick. better you migrate and leave us alone.

    chris cornell?

    for fucks sake.

    get a life.

    oh, yeah... dawg (am I cool now I can copy a valley girl and say 'dawg'?) - I am not done...

    the most courageous filmmaker the country has seen in 30 years, who takes hits from racists and bigots because she DARES to say what no one dares to in public, and you call her a manwhore (and 'amateur' - after winning more international awards than you can count)? You seriously need your head examine.

    and oh yes, it's all Pete Teo's fault of course. It is entirely his fault that you are near-illiterate and lacking in imagination. and it is entirely the stupidity of the country that the video and the song is the hottest thing this year. all because you are oh so clever and has seen all the latest hollywood programs and adopted the valley girl vocab.

    oh yeah

    why don't you just fuck off?

    ReplyDelete
  23. hahahaha... menarik :P

    Just got around to listening to the song and watching the video a few moments ago. Was not as "moved" as I expected to be after all the talk and hype I heard about the song (a friend said the song can bring tears to one's eyes... I now wonder if its tears of joy or...). So, I immediately googled up "reviews" and "opinions" and yours, FA, is very interesting. I respect you being honest about what you felt about the song. Maybe people only like it because the idea of it is cool (which is, really) despite the outcome.

    Well, its a start. I hope they make better stuff in the near future.

    p.s: The song "introduced" your blog to me. So I guess you may owe it some credit for that :P

    ReplyDelete
  24. no worries, i didn't like the song either. was very disappointed considering all the artistes involved and the fact that pete teo wrote it (i like his other songs). it just seemed like everyone was trying too hard.

    and yes, "inilah barisan kita" is my fave patriotic song too. especially the "andai kata kami gugur semua, taburlah bunga di atas pusara" part. quite moving, in a loud booming voice kinda way.

    ReplyDelete
  25. thanks for your opinion, especially when 'everyone' seems to be loving it...I'm afraid most people who like the song don't really think a little deeper into what unity and racism is as well in regards to malaysia. i wouldn't go so far to say pete and friends is some BN crony.. but really, what does singing about it this way and viraling the video really does to national unity? the people who are singing it and the medium/language it reaches out to most certainly aren't that divided.. but what about malaysians who do not relate to it? unity is about bridging divides. who's he to say they represent malaysian artists? true, it will be almost impossible to completely represent all kinds of malaysian artists, but at least have more diversity than the culturally similar artists that are of the producer's friends and friends. then maybe there will be a more honest effort and msg of unity. and maybe some unifying msg can also be imparted to its following, rather than uniting an already united following. what's the point?

    to do a quick job putting it together and missing that honest spirit of what unity really means to malaysia, is self indulgent. thank you for saying that. this song and video does not represent national unity to me. it is more fluff than substance and what's the point boasting of it being so viralled? Like it's some acheivement? an acheivement to the popularity of the song/video, yes. does it contribute to national unity? hmmm... more like it is capitalising on current post election sentiment for it's own popularity. That i have a problem with. i'd rather have all those involved do something constructive or donating to campaigns on anti-racism, anti-isa, or things that will actually do something towards national unity. rather than making that song/video and having it viralled. yes, we all do what we can.. but when popularity outweighs the actual benefit it intends.. it just seems a little dishonest and self-indulgent.

    ReplyDelete
  26. u guys are sick..like totally....this song seriously shows of the unity in our country..if u ppl it's bullshit..jz go and fly kites since u r too dumb and morronic to understand this wonderful song..im not yasmin ahmad, nor her defendant...im jz defending this song.....it wouldnt even take a century for u fools to create such a marvelous song...come'on..get a life ppl instead of commenting on other stuffs...dont u have better things to do in ur life...to be honest this whole website stinks....(i smell fish rite now)..its time to go into the trash ppl.. ppl like u should be sent to ISA for not appreciating such a harmonious life in malaysia..concisely..U SUCK!! goodbye!!


    BUSTED!!!LOSERS!!!FAT ASSHOLES!!FUCK OUT OF MALAYSIA!!

    FA: psycho alert triggered

    ReplyDelete
  27. Owh! come on! Heartless much? Can any of you people do better than them?! At least they tried! It's not that bad. Most of you can't even sing or write a song. Not to mention dance. So what gives you the right to say anything bad about these ppl who did it for charity. If any of you want to say that you can do better why not prove it?! Instead of talking crap. Fugly F-tards with no future should just keep their mouths shut and no one will call them stupid. Moronic dogs. Imagine that was you and people commented on your work that way. At least give them credit for trying. I'm not the biggest fan of Local songs/artist but at least I don't talk crap.

    - Just a student who think your
    comments are way too harsh.

    ReplyDelete

I disclaim all comments.