Rising Indonesian Singer Stephanie Poetri Releases Strong Debut EP “AM:PM”
20-year-old singer from Indonesia Stephanie Poetri is one of the more recent signings to the 88rising record label, alongside other extremely talented Asian artists like Joji, Rich Brian and Jackson Wang. Within the last two years, Poetri has released several non-album singles, including her 2019 hit “I Love You 3000”; on March 12, she made her EP debut with AM:PM.
The opening track, “Daydreaming,” introduces the EP with a lo-fi beat that contrasts with Poetri’s clear, harmonized vocals. Light-hearted and upbeat, the song is filled with positive vibes as she sings a series of “doo-doo’s” alongside the chorus’s instrumentals, which easily made me picture sunsets and fields of sunflowers.
“IRL” follows up with a more dance-like feeling. After a minimalist instrumentation in the verse, consisting of a guitar and a drum beat, the song kicks up the energy with a groovy synth bassline in the pre-chorus, before transitioning into a fingerpicked jazz bass in the bridge. As hinted by the track’s title, Poetri references video games during the second verse singing “Staying up 'till four, trying to get a high score on my favorite game.” The pre-choruses mention various locations where Poetri imagines herself with her lover:
“Fly to Bali, stay on the low // Cherry blossoms in Tokyo // Anywhere that you are is where I wanna be // Straight to Toronto, playin' in the snow // Go to New York, takin' photos // 'Cause anywhere that you are is where I wanna be”
The third track on the EP, “3PM,” starts with Poetri’s harmonized vocals singing, “one, two, three PM,” before transitioning into an instrumental that sounds like a beat you’d find on a YouTube stream titled “chill lo-fi beats to relax/study to.” The song’s laid-back electric guitars and beat-alternating snapping sounds really help you get into that head-bobbing groove.
“How We Used To” is the first song Poetri wrote after she moved to the United States to focus on her music career. While the track’s lyrics seemingly talk about Poetri’s undying love for another, the song also captures her hesitation and fears about leaving her loved ones behind to start a new chapter.
“How could I ever fall in love again? // How could I ever find another friend? // Like you, like you // If things were different I’d be innocent // Cause I would see this to the bitter end // With you, with you”
The penultimate track on the EP, “Selfish,” showcases how Poetri’s regrets her feelings toward a lover, including selfishness, desperation and being overdramatic. The song is primarily a synth-pop track that shines through the chorus’s hard-hitting bass and perfectly-timed pauses.
The EP’s closing track, “Paranoia,” is an incredibly unique song compared to the rest of AM:PM. While the EP is mainly based on Poetri’s synth-pop-based sound, “Paranoia” has a noticeable rock influence. The track’s first verse consists of a very atmospheric instrumental, before transitioning into fast-paced, chugging rock guitars and a ticking clock sound as Poetri sings:
“Cause my mind is going tik tok, tik tok // Spending hours in my head // Been a minute since I left my bed // Mind is going tik tok, tik tok // I might need a second chance // So that you could understand”
AM:PM is a very light-hearted and positive EP overall, as well as a very strong debut for a rising artist like Stephanie Poetri. If you’re a fan of modern pop artists like Jeremy Zucker, FINNEAS and Alec Benjamin -all of whom are major musical inspirations for Poetri - or if you’re a supporter of Asian artists, AM:PM is a listen you don’t want to miss out on.