Talking about the best Raya song of the year 2024, it has to be the single "Alamak Raya Lagi!" by the group De Fam that quickly spread across borders.
Not only on radio airwaves but also, the upbeat rhythm of the trio Azira Shafinaz, Sophia Liana, and Cik Manggis's song 'exploded' on social media and has now become famous throughout this festive season.
However, while De Fam was celebrating the success of the song, debates arose among netizens, including questioning the lyrics of the single.
There are claims suggesting that the title of the song "Alamak Raya Lagi!" carries negative connotations and contradicts the true purpose of Muslims celebrating Eid al-Fitr.
Calmly refuting baseless accusations, Sophia, who is also one of the lyricists, explained that the meaning of the title "Alamak Raya Lagi!" does not imply dissatisfaction with the presence of the holy month.
Instead, Sophia stated that it merely depicts the chaos that ensues during the preparations for Eid, as often seen among communities today.
"Representing all the lyricists and composers of the song, we understand the negative connotations intended.
"To be honest, if you look at the music video of the song, it tells a story that has never been seen in the history of making Eid songs, which is the chaos and rush during Eid preparations.
"What we are trying to portray is the actual chaos. There's no need to overthink about this song because it's purely entertainment," she told BH Online.
Sophia added that what is depicted in the lyrics is based on her own experiences.
"City dwellers usually just buy Kuih Raya. So, we feel that what is depicted in the lyrics of this song has no relevance to us.
"But, it's different in the countryside. When returning to the kampung for Eid, I did see my relatives cooking rendang and making their own kuih.
"Sometimes, kuih are made improperly and burnt, so they have to be remade. All of this is the reality of Eid," she said.
"The song 'Alamak Raya Lagi!' was produced during the sudden Eid surprise that occurred in 2022, which made many people rush to prepare at the last minute," she said.
Regarding the lyric line 'tapi wifi macam ba...' which some netizens consider to contain profanity, Sophia leaves it to individual interpretation.
"Many say that the lyric line seems profane. We didn't swear, we didn't say anything.
"Those who think negatively, we can't do anything about it," she explained.
Sophia also expressed gratitude for the reception received for the single "Alamak Raya Lagi!"
"We are touched to see this song go viral on TikTok and become a trend among users in Malaysia, Indonesia, and Thailand.
"We found out that the song 'Alamak Raya Lagi!' entered the top 50 popular songs chart on Spotify in Indonesia. This is quite an achievement for De Fam.
"In addition, we are pleased to see fans' creativity in presenting challenges related to the song 'Alamak Raya Lagi!' on social media," she said.
The trend sparked by the song "Alamak Raya Lagi!" has attracted the attention of many parties, including the women's group from South Korea, TRI.BE and the famous Japanese dance group, Avant Gardey.
Since its release on YouTube on March 8th, the official video of the song "Alamak Raya Lagi!" has garnered over 15 million views.
It is understood that the single "Alamak Raya Lagi!" was supposed to be launched last year, but due to several factors, it could not be avoided, and the single had to be shelved by the recording company.
