eyond expectations, 2025 became the year of hipdut. It was also a year dominated by young, emerging artists from the Antinrml collective and label making waves with unprecedented success. In a single year, multiple Antinrml talents, including dia, Jemsii, Naykilla, Suisei and Tenxi, not only introduced hipdut to the mainstream but also began rewriting the rules of stardom in Indonesia’s increasingly dynamic music industry.
The prospect of 2025 being remembered this way feels galvanizing for music producer 808Bunny, or just “Bunny” for short, who is also chief director of Antinrml.
“The accomplishment I feel the proudest [about] is when everyone can finally accept hipdut, which is a cross-genre between hip-hop and dangdut,” Bunny said on March 27.
“On top of that, people have understood that dangdut, musically, can still be enjoyed by the Gen Z audience, and there’s no need to be shy about it.”
Salty-sweet
At last year’s Anugerah Musik Indonesia (AMI) Awards in November, Jemsii, Naykilla and Tenxi made history as their chart-topping megahit “Garam & Madu (Sakit Dadaku)” [Salt and honey (my chest hurts)] became the first hipdut song to score a win in the highly coveted “best of the best production” category.
Despite earning industry recognition, Jemsii said it was when other artists started experimenting with hipdut that made him realize the genre’s staying power.
