As we continue to spotlight the various activities and music-related adventures in Bali, here is a list of five popular Bali-based artists whose music you should definitely listen to. In our list, we have covered various genres of music and listed out acts extending from a teenage sensation to a band that has ingrained their style of music with themes of activism, peace, and culture.
Assia Keva
Bali’s teenage phenomenon Assia Keva has made quite the name for herself since clutching the top spot in a national singing contest. Bringing an eclectic mix of pop, soul, and RnB into her music, the singer is also slated to wheel in her debut EP soon. Keva’s most recent release, ‘There’s Nothing Else‘ (July 2023), serves up melodious dallops of soul and jazz layered over harmonizing vocals, keyboard, and guitar elements. ‘Only You,’ ‘Cool Me Down’ and ‘Goodbye’ are some of Keva’s other music releases that you should give a listen to.
Discover Assia Keva: Spotify
Lolot
If doses of alternative rock and pop rock music are something you listen to, then Denpasar-based four-piece outfit Lolot is a band you should check out. Formed in the early 2000s, Lolot has released six albums in their tenure so far and has picked up a number of accolades along the way. The rocker’s most popular songs include ‘Kehalengin Kasta,’ ‘Ngugut Jeriji,’ ‘Ngemetuang Rasa Tresna‘ and ‘Metilar Ten Megatra.’ After making an appearance at the Mas Village Festival 2023, the band is currently on a multi-city tour of Indonesia, with shows at Festival Kemerdekaan, Kerambitan Terkini, and Panjer Festival yet to come.
Listen to Lolot on: Spotify
Milledenials
Causing a stir in the music scene, Bali-based Milledenials are a five-piece collective that traverses the emo, shoegaze, hard rock, and punk rock genres. Led by vocalist Nadya Narita, the band comprises guitarists Bagus Aditya, Made Krisna Sanjaya, Billy Suckmono, and drummer Darin Vidaswara. Milledenials have had back-to-back EP releases in 2002 and 2023, with their latest composition ‘The Peak of Youth Life‘ cast out in July this year. To truly immerse yourself in the sound of this group, listen to their singles ‘Precious Me,’ ‘Permanent Fling,’ ‘Feel Any Pain,’ and ‘Deny Denial.’
Stream Milledenials on: Spotify
Navicula
Arguably one of the biggest bands to emerge from Indonesia is the psychedelic-grunge, progressive rock, and hard rock crew Navicula. A force for twenty-five years, the band’s lyrics are heavily influenced by Bali culture and are loaded with themes of peace, love, and freedom. Musicians Robi, Dadang, Krishna, and Palel form the quartet and have been cornerstones in a slew of change-making projects, including the Arts Against the Pandemic initiative. You can listen to ‘Archipelago Rebels,’ the group’s eleventh studio album, to get a taste of their most recent music release.
Find Navicula on: Spotify
White Rose
White Rose is a prominent name in the Indonesian music and music festival scene when it comes to pop and rock spiked with punk themes. The band fired out albums ‘Buka Mata Mereka‘ (2015) and ‘Sentimental‘ (2018), both of which were warmly received. Their most recent release was ‘Toxic,’ a fast-paced punk ballad released in 2022. White Rose is led by musician Surya Dipta on vocals and Ian Putra on guitars.
Listen to White Rose on: Spotify
