Kareem Soenharjo, better known by his stage name BAP., returns with his highly anticipated third album “M. Album Tiga”, continuing the wave of critical acclaim following his AMI Award-winning "MOMO’S MYSTERIOUS SKIN" and his now enigmatic album, "monkshood." His previous work “MOMO’S MYSTERIOUS SKIN“, an album released in 2021, served as an antithesis to the surrounding ecosystem of the pandemic. Kareem aimed to create a fun, carefree pop album designed to carve out a space of enjoyment during an otherwise bleak period.
This third album sees Kareem continuing to “hurt” his audiences with his signature introspective narrative of the minutiae of day-to-day life. However, unlike his previous works, Kareem envisions “M. Album Tiga” as a “monomyth,” drawing inspiration from the classic trope of a hero’s journey. There is a voyeuristic quality to the album, as the listener hides behind a tree watching the movement of a fallen hero in the woods. The hero looks hopeful despite his defeat, he studies his scars and perseveres as he walks away from the watchful eye of the viewer. Kareem's vision for his hero is one of salvation, a reflection of his own personal growth. His debut album’s dismal finale left a sour taste in his mouth, but now he acknowledges that while darkness and anxiety persist, if light isn’t found at the tunnel's end, it can be created.
Conceptually, "M. Album Tiga" amalgamates elements from all his previous works, making it his most personal record to date. It's a cathartic purge of emotions, a series of diary entries chronicling everyday anxiety and self-doubt. Vulnerability is evidently Kareem’s most important artistic currency, and he lays bare his struggles and life journey with rare sensitivity and honesty, particularly uncommon among male performers. What sets Kareem's writing apart in this album is its urgency; every emotionfeels vital.
"I want to write about a flower with the same intensity as I describe a storm, and a storm with the delicacy of a flower," he says. There is no hierarchy of vigor in his lyricism and emotions. The album cover is a zoomed-in portrait his sister painted of him in her youth—a poster of the hero in his formative years, neither smiling nor frowning. Kareem crafts sigils in place of traditional covers, each one a manifestation of the album’s energy. "M. Album Tiga" stands as a testament to Kareem’s journey, bothpersonal and artistic, an observational look at the steps taken to reach personal growth and emotionalsatisfaction. Finding something to hold on to in a tumultuous world.
As such, we are thrilled to present the beginning of this adventurous journey with the upcoming album. A song called "Bruxism or, Why I’m Afraid of Earthquakes" tells of night terrors, the effects of stress and anxiety on oneself, and the struggles Kareem faces every night before sleeping. This single is available to stream on every digital music platform via Lamunai Records.