How do we define a great song?

Before the boisterous 34th Anugerah Juara Lagu (AJL) that crowned Naim Daniel’s ‘Sumpah’ as its champion, I happened to listen to the hip hop song that won the second place in the grandiose music contest, but I had no idea whose voice behind the vibrant-lyrical song.

Frankly saying, ‘Bangun’, which was written by the singer himself, earned my applause, and I can say that the juries had done no mistake in picking the “budak flat” as one of the winners.

As a writer, words are what I love immersing, and I won’t simply applaud a song without me being pleased by its lyrics.

I have never written lyrics nor composed music, but when it comes to appreciating a song, I won’t doubt my praise for a lyrically-composed one.

A song, to me, is valueless if it doesn’t tell a language that melodiously touches the hearts of listeners and their minds.

Lyrics that make a song felt alive, and without music that illuminates every line of the lyrics, the song is just a breathless art.

A lyrical song has a message to whisper to ears that listen.

And M. Nasir, undoubtedly, isn’t just a Malaysia-born iconic singer whose vocal is unique, but he is truly a, special artist.

Special artists are rarely found, and when a singer or songwriter called “special artist” by me, it truly means that I don’t just see him or her as an entertainer but a God-sent advocate.

Whenever I play M. Nasir’s ‘Bila Rumi Menari’, I feel its heartfelt sermon painted in the lyrics.

Through the song, M. Nasir lyrically reminds me (and listeners) of this lustful world that is faked with regretful hopes and its endless deceptions.

His artful songs are precious that every lyric he vocalises felt so connective to the heart of mine.

Besides the man who was an allegiant comrade to the late Loloq, Joe Flizzow is another special artist to my eyes.

His 2013-released ‘Havoc’ is to me a masterpiece that I will never get bored playing, and if I were the judge honoured to award the “best album of the decade”, I would give that trophy to the ‘Havoc’.

‘Kongsi’ and ‘Aku Tak Kenalmu’ have been in my playlist since the first time I played them. Not to forget, the epic ‘Apa Benar’, an insightful song that doubts the mysterious and tragic ‘coincidences’ that happened around us, is another Joe’s song that I would keep playing on the radio if I were the DJ.

To fully express what I deeply feel about music, I would need to write a hundred-page book with each chapter commenting on a genre and its singers.

With those iconic figures that I take my hat off, I present to you my own definition of great songs.

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* Amerul Azry Abdul Aziz is an independent writer who now views politics as something that can be researched.