A Jakarta-born-and-bred music enthusiast compiles representative songs and sounds of her hometown. In the process, she is surprised to find that the signature sound of her city seems very «masculine».

This is a playlist of songs that I found to be representative of the tough, rough, and loud city of Jakarta, as perceived through the textual plane. These are songs depicting the struggles of a repetitive life, commuting, and running errands. In doing so, they show a certain pattern of a rough energy, or signs of persistence in the act of working, running, and resting.

Interestingly, songs from this list with lyrics explicitly mentioning Jakarta are written by male-led bands championing the Art Institute of Jakarta (IKJ). Since the 80s, 90s, and 2000s, IKJ has become the breeding ground for notable bands in Jakarta.

The first song, «Jakarta Motor City» by Sir Dandy, is about the sound of motorbikes, which are ubiquitous in the city – all day, 24/7. Meanwhile, the next three songs were written in the early 2000s, representing a time when public transport was not as developed in the city as it is now.

Texpack (including Edo Wallad, their collaborator for the song) and Swellow are bands from Bogor, a satellite city located 50 km to the south of Jakarta. Bogor residents make up a huge portion of the Jarakarta workforce. Aside from Bogorians, people also commute from the cities around the megapolitan area of JABODETABEK (Jakarta Bogor Depok Tangerang Bekasi).

Jirapah and Rekah come up with a different tune, singing about the tales of working people rushing to catch the last train.

Lastly, the final two songs are classic odes to Jakarta written in the nostalgic era of the 2000s.

List of songs:

1. Sir Dandy - Jakarta Motor City

2. Naif - Hai Monas

3. The Upstairs - Matraman

4. The Sastro - Lari 100

5. Texpack - Gadog ft. Edo Wallad

6. Swellow - Sukar

7. Jirapah - Bekerja

8. Rekah - KERETA TERAKHIR DARI PALMERAH

9. Morfem - Tidur Dimanapun Bermimpi Kapanpun

10. C’mon Lennon - Aku Cinta J.A.K.A.R.T.A