IN the lyrics of the patriotic song Malaysia Di Hatiku, there is a verse that goes: "Sentiasa di dalam jiwaku, kan ku pertahan sepenuh jiwaku Malaysia (Always in my mind, I'll fight for you wholeheartedly Malaysia)."
The song is a single released by Kmy Kmo, Luca Sickta, Yonnyboii and Tabby of Dolla fame.
Like other patriotic numbers, Kmy — whose full name is Lukmanul Hakim — hopes the song will invoke a sense of patriotism despite the challenges that people are facing during the Covid-19 pandemic.
This is especially so for Independence Day and Malaysia Day next month.
"All of us are going through a difficult time. It's tough, but life must go on no matter what.
"So, I hope this single from us will do its bit to cheer on everyone to keep going," adds the 32-year-old rapper.
Malaysia Di Hatiku, which features a combination of modern, classic, catchy and hip sounds, is composed by Nick Ariff, Glow Rush, Mike Chan, Pique, Acap Salim, Luca and Kmy himself.
It is produced by Universal Music Malaysia.
Besides proclaiming one's love for the country, the lyrics also touch on the need for a multiracial society to unite.
"It would be great if in the years to come, the single becomes the new anthem for loving our country and unity."
Kmy is also proud of the project, which saw him collaborating with Yonnyboii and Tabby, besides his usual sparring partner Luca.
"It's like a collaboration with siblings, really," adds Kmy, who, together with Luca, had previously worked with industry stalwarts, such as Datuk Seri Siti Nurhaliza, Datuk Jamal Abdillah and Datuk M. Nasir.
Singing together, yet apart
It was a unique situation trying to record the song without everyone together.
"Kmy and I hit the studios around June and July. We had to record in separate sessions due to the strict standard operating procedures under the Movement Control Order (MCO)," shares the 32-year-old Luca, born Shameer Ashraf Shahruddin.
"While we recorded our parts in the studios, Yonnyboii and Tabby did theirs in the comfort of their homes," he adds.
Luca is, however, thankful the collaboration went well because everyone knew what needed to be done.
"Fortunately, we have this strong chemistry and we banked on it to make this project a smooth one," he said.
Malaysia Di Hatiku also marks Luca's first work, which sees him focusing on rap alone.
"In the past, my work involves rapping and music producing at the same," he says.
"When we first heard the song, it already has that certain feel to it, making writing the lyrics a breeze.
"I personally like this song even during its early raw stage, and more so when it's completed."
Meanwhile, Yonnyboii (a.k.a. Muhammad Haqeem Nuriman Nor Azrin) says
Malaysia Di Hatiku has the potential to become the patriotic number of the new era.
"My wish is that in 10 or 20 years from now, kids would be singing it at school," says the 23-year-old singer-songwriter.
He agrees that recording it separately was a little challenging, especially when dealing with the chorus.
"To be able to do that and to make my singing complement Tabby's was quite a struggle, since we were not recording it together.
"I had to sing in a lower key to balance with hers. We had to work around it for a bit to ensure it turns out flawless.
"And to finally listen to the combination of all four vocals at the end of it was simply amazing," shares Yonnyboii, whose previous works include Sakit, Salahku and Cemburu.
A single rose
Exciting and meaningful are two words describing Tabby or Tabitha Ariel Lam's feelings about the project.
The only female member of the lot, the 21-year-old says: "It's been one of my dreams to sing a patriotic song. The song is timely now when many Malaysians are struggling to make ends meet amid the pandemic and MCO.
"Whatever happens, we must always rise together and soldier on in these difficult times.
"We need to believe there's a light at the end of the tunnel. Keep our spirits high and together, as a nation, we will eventually win this battle with the deadly virus."
Tabby is also grateful for the experience working with her "big brothers" in the music scene.
Malaysia Di Hatiku is currently available on all music streaming platforms and the lyric video can be viewed on Universal Music Malaysia YouTube channel.
The official music video, a collaboration between Samsung Malaysia Electronics and Universal Music Malaysia, will premiere on Malaysia Day next month.