Yuna and Bunga Citra Lestari (BCL) have finally released their first-ever collaboration. Their highly anticipated single, Watak Utama, brings together the Malaysian singer and Indonesian singer-actress for a 90s/Y2K-inspired pop track.
This collaboration wasn’t something that happened overnight; it had been in the works for years. While Yuna and BCL are both well-known in their own right, they share a unique bond—BCL is the sister-in-law of Yuna’s husband, Adam Sinclair.
"I originally wrote this song for my previous Malay EP, Masih Yuna, but then I decided to send it to BCL to see if she’d like to collaborate with me. I thought it would be a great song for us to sing together, especially since many of our fans have wanted us to do a duet,” Yuna explained.
Yuna and BCL had discussed this collaboration for years. “We’re like sisters, and we’re both singers, but we’ve never worked on a project together before. I’ve always admired Yuna and her music,” added BCL. When she first heard the song, BCL said, "This is interesting, I can sing this." Yuna quickly responded, "Do you want to?"
Excited about the duet, Yuna shared, "I’m so happy BCL said yes! For me, BCL is an international artist with her own strengths. She remains relevant and youthful. I knew this song would suit her and her voice."
Initially, the song was written and performed in Malay. BCL later added her own lyrics in Indonesian, artistically merging both languages into one harmonious track. When asked about the genre, BCL described the song as fun, exciting, catchy, and easy to listen to.
Watak Utama brings back the nostalgic sound of 90s pop music from Malaysia and Indonesia that both Yuna and BCL grew up with. Produced by Yuna’s Los Angeles-based producer, Pierre Jamerson, the song captures the feeling of falling in love with someone who is unaware of your feelings for them.
"Sometimes it’s funny when you fall in love and have feelings for someone—this person becomes the main character in your story, and you feel like a background character. Even though it’s a song about unrequited love, I love uplifting, happy songs that can make people excited and embrace the butterflies in their stomach. It’s cute and deserves to be celebrated, no matter what," Yuna said.
BCL added, "It reminds me of the kind of love you had in your younger years."
The recording process went smoothly despite Yuna being based in Los Angeles and BCL in Jakarta. It was just a matter of deciding who would sing which parts and then recording their respective sections. However, due to their busy schedules, it took nearly a year to complete the project. Their experience further strengthened their bond, both personally and professionally.
"I really look up to BCL—I see her as my sister. She works hard but knows how to have fun. I cherished the experience of working with her, and it’s something I’ll treasure forever!" said Yuna. Likewise, BCL said, "I finally got to know Yuna as a musician, not just as my sister-in-law. It wasn’t like working with just any other singer because our relationship is more personal, making it even more special."
The official music video will be released exclusively on BCL’s YouTube channel on September 17, 2024. Directed by Adam Sinclair (Yuna’s husband and BCL’s brother-in-law), the video brings the Y2K theme of the song to life with fun performances by Yuna and BCL, set against colourful visual effects and animations.
