AFTER more than a decade away from the mainstream music scene, Sakura Band is making a carefully planned comeback with renewed energy and a clear vision.
The band, best known for hits such as ‘Polaroid’ and ‘Lepas Kamu’, is returning with a focused mission to rebuild its momentum and re-establish its name in the local music scene.
One of the group’s biggest strengths is its unchanged lineup. Sakura Band continues to feature original members Melly Matius (Mell) on vocals, Ali Ezzati Musavi Abd Malek (Ali) on lead guitar, Muhammad Haniff Johari (Anip, second guitar) and Mohd Haikal Mohd Zainin (Akai, bass).
According to Mell, the title of their latest album, ‘RE:START’, reflects a fresh beginning.
The seventrack album is Sakura Band’s first new release in nearly 12 years, making it one of the most meaningful projects of their career.
“This is something we’ve been looking forward to for a very long time, so we’ve given it our 100 percent commitment.
We’re willing to invest to promote the songs in this album,” she told Bernama recently.
Although the full ‘RE:START’ album is now available on all major digital streaming platforms, Sakura Band has opted for a different release strategy by introducing the songs gradually rather than all at once.
The campaign began with the lead single ‘Masih’, which is now available on YouTube and serves as the gateway to the rest of the album.
Mell said the strategy is designed to give each song enough time to connect with listeners instead of competing for attention within a short release window.
So far, the response has been highly encouraging, with both streaming numbers and online viewership showing positive growth.
While ‘Masih’ retains the signature pop-rock sound that first made Sakura Band popular, the new album takes on a more mature and “aggressive” approach.
Ali explained that the shift is not a change in genre but a musical evolution that occurs along with the increasing age and life experiences of the band members.
Anip, meanwhile, said Mell’s appearance on the hit reality singing competition ‘Gegar Vaganza’ was part of the plan to reintroduce Sakura Band to the public.
Mell added that for now her priority is Sakura Band although she remains open to releasing solo material in the future.
With the release of ‘RE:START ‘, Sakura Band hopes to reconnect with longtime fans while introducing its music to a new generation of listeners who may have missed the band’s original rise to fame. – BERNAMA
