Written by Aida Rashid
People love narratives, especially those that they can relate to. It’s not exactly the bizarre experiences of their 20s, nor is it the discoveries they stumbled upon in their adolescent years; it’s in the little things that they never realised have made an impact in their lives, and Lunadira’s brand new single ‘ur cute but boring’ captures that very feeling. Something about the song gives off a strong millennial scent, which I think has something to do with the artwork, and lower case title.
The song feels like a manifestation of Lunadira transitioning to a more mature approach to her music. Looking back at Forever’s Not Our Thing and Stuck With You, ‘ur cute but boring’ is less of a sadgirl anthem in comparison to the former. “I wrote those songs in different phases of my life, mainly during my relationships with significant others and the people I’ve had the pleasure to get to know. ‘Forever’s Not Our Thing’ was I guess my “debut” as a singer/songwriter after stacking up on a bunch journals that were filled with unspoken thoughts. Over time, and over countless studio sessions, meeting people who were doing the same thing as I was, kind of shaped the way I wanted to write. I’m not saying UCBB is the end terminal of how I want to use my narrative in songwriting, but it definitely has the least sadgirl elements in it, in my opinion (haha). I’ve learnt to kind of recognise my own worth and check my place in the world (which is ever-changing) and it influenced the way I wrote as well. UCBB isn’t really a commentary on the people I’ve met along in this journey of self-discovery but more of a “self-drag” before I realised that I needed to step my game up, as a human being and as an artist, if you will,” laments Nadira.
The song features producer Anuar Roslan, who also produced Bear Scouts’ brand new single R T O T. The chemistry between the two is nothing short of seamless, incorporating articulated & memorable basslines with a catchy melody. “I actually came up with the title before anything else, grammatical error and all. I thought I could experiment a little with my narrative and my sound, so the title is pretty self-explanatory and reflects the process of the song’s writing. I went into the studio with Anuar Roslan after meeting him a couple of times and him, Julian Loh (Anuar’s manager) and I just jammed to a bunch of tracks Anuar had. When we came to the track that eventually became UCBB, we changed the structure of it — mainly the bassline and the melodies. But the skeleton was there.” Transitioning from her bedroom-pop bops, ‘ur cute but boring’ is fuller & less DIY in a sense. “I remember being so excited to write because I loved how groovy it was. Even Anuar was surprised that I was interested in that track, but I don’t blame him, I barely had a discography out at the time.”
‘ur cute but boring’ received a wave of celebration on social media after its release especially Twitter, as people quote retweeted the song with their own experiences. A lot of them shared experiences of not being able to intellectually and emotionally connect with their dates or potential partners. “The title kind of came to me after months of holing myself up and reflecting on the experiences I’ve had when I was single, and how that took a toll on my moral compass. So I started having a conversation in my head about how frustrating it was that I couldn’t connect with certain people even when I tried. That’s essentially a human experience I think most of us go through so I guess yes, it is relatable. It’s unfortunate that it is though, but you can’t get along with everyone you meet, right?”
When asked about the guys who thought the song was written for them, Lunadira said “um, I’m sorry the song’s not about them I guess? I haven’t talked to them in ages so to have them claim that is pretty rich….. and….. why would you want to admit that the song is about you…..”
There’s always some sort of pressure behind being Malaysian lyricist that millennials look up to for relatable bops. Especially in this day and age where tinder & hook-up culture is at its peak, we are bound to encounter interesting experiences, and it’s fun when an artist puts those experiences into a song. “Omg no one should ever look up to me. I would rather they learn from me. So no pressure (well, there might be a little pressure but I’m not an idol. I’m a friend.”
And the MV itself is a cinematographical joy to look at. So get on it, and let Lunadira take you on a feels trip down the past of your love lives.
