Via Vallen Phenomenon: The Emergence of the Queen of Indonesian Dangdut Koplo

Abstract

This article examines the emergence of Via Vallen as the ‘queen’ of dangdut koplo, an Indonesian genre of popular music, from the perspectives of spectacle and social media. Characterised by sexualised body movement, dangdut koplo was popularised in Indonesia by Inul Daratista in the 2000s. As the new ‘queen’ of dangdut koplo, however, Via has refused to embody the genre’s sexualised style. In this article the authors present a showcase of the ever-growing power of digital technology and social media in Indonesian popular culture. The intensive use of social media has brought Via’s music to a wide spectrum of fans, including those who previously refused to listen to dangdut koplo. Anita Sartika Dewi gained her PhD in Applied Linguistics from Monash University, where she is a Research and Learning Coordinator at the Sir Louis Matheson Library. Her research is mostly in the area of intercultural communication, sociolinguistics, language, culture and identity. Edi Dwi Riyanto also gained his PhD in Arts from Monash University and is a lecturer in the English Department of the Faculty of Humanities, Universitas Airlangga, Surabaya, Indonesia. His research interests include Indonesian pop culture and the resilience of traditional cultures in Indonesian contemporary settings.