Hey, I'm Fajar!

When it comes to the music that accompanies my days right now, my top pick is Perunggu. This "office worker rock" band from Jakarta holds a special place in my playlist. Their songs feel like an authentic reflection of young adults navigating life, work, and expectations—tracks like Kalibata - 2012, 33x, Berhasil, Gemilang, Ini Abadi and their album hit incredibly close to home.

Beyond their captivating sound, it's the philosophy behind their name that resonates deeply with me: bronze (perunggu). A bronze medal represents third place—not the first-place winner everyone cheers for. And that's where the connection lies: "Used to not winning, third place—fits someone like me who feels like always finishing last. Hahaha." In a world obsessed with being number one, listening to Perunggu feels like a space to celebrate self-acceptance, stay honest with reality, and keep moving forward with a mature mind.

Some songs never age, and for me, Menunggumu by Peterpan is one of them. This legendary Bandung band once defined an entire era of Indonesian music, and their collaboration with the late great Chrisye on the album Sebuah Nama Sebuah Cerita remains unmatched to this day. Since July, this track—together with the timeless Mimpi yang Sempurna—has quietly found its way back into my daily rotation: soft, patient, and full of longing.

What keeps me coming back is the question at its heart: "Harus berapa lama aku menunggumu?" How long must I wait for you? Ariel's gentle voice woven together with Chrisye's timeless tone turns waiting into something beautiful rather than painful. And when the mood lifts, Mimpi yang Sempurna takes over with its soaring chorus—a reminder that some things, some people, and some dreams are simply worth holding on for.

If there's a soundtrack for midnight overthinking, Colorcode owns it. This Indonesian band writes in English, and their songs cut deep into regret, loss, and feelings that never quite found closure. Two tracks have been on repeat for me lately: Merra from their EP Pain That I Buried Inside, and Sway from Constant Change, featuring the haunting voice of Sekar Agny.

Merra is an apology carved into a song—"I'm sorry for everything I did five years ago" lands like a confession you never got to say out loud. Sway carries the same ache: a longing so persistent that the room itself seems to remember the person who left. Both songs remind me that it's okay to sit with unfinished feelings—sometimes music says the things we can't.

And of course, no playlist of mine is complete without Taylor Swift. Five of her songs have been accompanying me the most these past months: Back to December and Enchanted from the album Speak Now, plus Love Story, You Belong with Me, and The Way I Loved You from Fearless. Different eras, different moods—but all five have been on heavy rotation since July.

Each of them carries a different shade of feeling: Back to December is that rare Taylor song where she apologizes instead of accusing, Enchanted bottles up the sparkle of meeting someone who leaves you wonderstruck, Love Story remains the fairy-tale anthem everyone knows by heart, You Belong with Me is the ultimate hopeless-crush singalong, and The Way I Loved You captures the ache of missing a love that was wilder, not calmer. All five now come with running synced lyrics, so feel free to press play and sing along line by line.

Last but not least, a blast from the past: Secondhand Serenade. The one-man project of John Vesely defined the late-2000s emo-acoustic era—raw vocals, piano, and lyrics that read like letters you never dared to send. Fall for You is the timeless heartbreak anthem of that era—joined on this playlist by Your Call, Broken, Maybe, and Why—and somehow these songs still land exactly the same, no matter how many years have passed.

What I love most about this song is its honesty: no metaphors hiding the pain, just a plain, desperate plea—"because a girl like you is impossible to find". Old-school emo at its finest: dramatic, sincere, and permanently relatable. Some phases of life pass, but apparently this song isn't one of them.