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JAKARTA – Following their massive success with the hit songs Kita Bikin Romantis and Aduh, the beloved music group Maliq & D’Essentials eagerly prepares to release their tenth studio album. The band will officially launch this new project, titled Kabar Bahagia, on November 11, 2026. Interestingly, the musicians actively avoid cliché love stories this time and instead explore fresh, raw themes. Furthermore, they gladly shared exciting details about the nine unique tracks during a recent exclusive interview.
First, the band created the energetic opening track Arah Labuh at the very last minute before the final mastering process. The band delayed the album release for a few months, so the drummer, Widi, used this extra time to find the missing puzzle piece for the overall album story. Consequently, this song perfectly satisfies their strong desire to perform live and brings back the authentic chemistry of their early band days.
Next, drummer Widi Puradiredja and vocalist Indah Wisnuwardhana wrote Tumbuh to serve as a deep and thoughtful track about human existence. This song beautifully highlights the lifelong learning process that everyone experiences. In addition, the bassist, Jawa, highly praises the lyrics because the band rarely uses the phrase “God plans” so directly in their music. Meanwhile, the group examines the crazy digital era and their own recent viral moments through the upbeat song Life Is Madness.
The vocalist, Angga Puradiredja, clarifies that the title actually carries a positive message because life brings pure excitement. Therefore, people must wake up every morning and live their lives eagerly. Subsequently, the musicians present Kabar Gembira to show how people should accept every life situation with total sincerity. Widi notes that sincere patience easily turns any difficult situation into happy news.
Moreover, the band collaborates with the King of Dangdut, Rhoma Irama, to remake the classic song Penasaran. Angga deeply admires Rhoma Irama’s amazing discipline and his serious music arrangement skills. Also, the Soneta drum player, Fendi, enthusiastically plays the traditional drum for this special track. Additionally, the band features the talented singer Bilal Indrajaya in the song Nyali to celebrate their ten-year friendship. Widi demanded this collaboration to carry real soul instead of just serving basic marketing goals. Interestingly, Angga and Bilal share very similar singing voices, so Angga almost failed to recognize his own voice on the early demo recording.
Then, Maliq & D’Essentials invites the rock band Perunggu to sing the song Pigura together. The group revisited an old demo from 2014 and spontaneously finished eighty percent of the recording in just one single day. Afterwards, the keyboardist, Ilman, describes Buku Gambar as the most relaxing song on the entire album. He praises the beautiful harmony and simple lyrics that help listeners enjoy the music easily. Finally, the band closes the incredible album with the ninth track titled Lucu Juga Ya. Ultimately, this upcoming album brilliantly showcases their long musical journey and promises many raw surprises for their loyal fans.
Photo doc. Pophariini
