Aisha Retno on songwriting, rookie mistakes, and bridging cultures through music

When it comes to music, a few have been able to traverse genres and make it palatable to the local audience. One of the names that has been on everybody’s lips for the said reason is Aisha Retno. While some may recognise her from 2020’s Vokal Mania—real ones would remember her when she debuted under Sony Music Malaysia a couple of years earlier—the turning point in her career was when she went on Big Stage, another reality television show, in 2022.

Aisha, who grew up listening to R&B and pop music, was exposed to genres alien to her for the entire eight weeks. It introduced her to the joy of genre experimentation. Her song Sutera, which juxtaposes electronic dance music (EDM) with traditional Javanese elements, was a risk that paid off handsomely. It marked the moment when she won the hearts of her fans as well as prestigious competitions such as the 38th Anugerah Juara Lagu earlier this year.

How did you discover your interest in music?

“I got my music education from my mother, Jean Retno Aryani. She is a Javanese keroncong singer who has been in the Indonesian music scene for a long time. She inspires me to pursue my passion and make a career out of music.”

What would you be doing if you were not making music?

“I would probably be an accountant. I love numbers and I actually studied economics in school. Interestingly, I still get to apply it in my daily life as that accountancy background helps me navigate the business side of the industry.”

Who are the artistes that inspire you?

“I would say Mariah Carey and Ariana Grande. Not only are they incredible singers, but they also stay true to themselves by writing songs that come from the heart. Their ability to express vulnerability through their music inspires me to write songs that reflect my own emotional depth.”

Walk us through your songwriting process. Do you start with the melody or lyrics?

“I always start with the melody, and the lyrics would come after. I feel like that’s the easiest route to go in. Most of my songs are inspired by my love life, and since I don’t own a diary, writing songs is a way for me to express my feelings.”

Is there a specific place that you retreat to?

“Not really, but if I had to pick one where I’d be able to get into the right headspace, it would be either my bedroom or my little studio. These are the two places where I’m most comfortable writing songs.”

Can you share one unlikely place where you had written a song?

“I wrote W.H.U.T (Wanna Hold U Tight) when I was going out with this one guy. We were driving in his car and I just felt like writing a song for him, so I did, there and then. But I sat on that song for over a year and by the time it was done, we were no longer together.”

How do you know when a song is finished?

“When I feel ready to mix and master the song, and when I feel like I can sing along to it. That said, I always get the feeling that the song could’ve been even better after releasing it. I think it’s just the singer-songwriter’s ADHD at work.”

Let’s talk about your songs Sutera and Samudera.

“Samudera is a way for me to pay homage to my Kelantanese roots, just like Sutera my Javanese background. Writing these songs allowed me to learn about my heritage as I incorporated traditional elements into them. I feel like it’s important for the younger generation to appreciate their own culture.”

But you’re blending those traditional elements with EDM.

“Keeping it one hundred percent ‘authentic’ would mean repeating what’s already been done. There’s no evolution. There’s no innovation. I’m not going to say that this is the right way to go about it but I do believe that finding the balance between the two is key.”

How do you suppose we find that balance?

“By making sure that both sounds are aligned in the music composition. You cannot favour one genre over the other; that small portion of traditional sound will eventually be obsolete. We want to celebrate our culture, not erase it.”

What has the reception been like, from your perspective?

“It has been good! My fans have been requesting more songs in the same vein. That said, there’s good in bad and there’s bad in good. Not a lot of people can appreciate this kind of approach to music-making. The mass market and the niche market are very different.”

Do you find that demoralising?

“I think it’s more important for me to stay true to myself. This is the music that I want to make—it’s experimental and interesting. Maybe I can help change the music industry. I hope that, over time, people will come to embrace and accept these new genres.”

Being a rising artist can be a tough journey. Would you say your recent concert cancellation is your biggest challenge yet?

“It has been a blessing in disguise. Of course, I am disappointed and frustrated, but it’s just a reset for me. Even though there’s still some backlash from the cancellation, I choose to take it as a motivation. I’m trying to evolve from that.”

So, if you had to do it all over again, what would you do differently?

“That’s a very good question (laughs). I feel like I would have a better understanding of things. I would learn a very important lesson that friendship is friendship and business is business—they are two separate things. That’s all I have to say.”

What’s your New Year’s resolution?

“I think I’m going to go back to the drawing board and try to move on. It would be as if all those things never happened. There may also be a few little showcases in the near future. When the time is right, we’ll make it happen.”

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