Why Gen Z Is Increasingly Enjoying Dangdut Music

3 hours ago 4

(Left to right) Google Country Marketing Manager Muriel Makarim, Singer Inul Daratista, and presenter Reza Chandika at the Geal Geol Google event in Jakarta, Thursday, June 18, 2026/ Tempo-Raisa Najma.

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The dangdut music genre is once again surging in popularity among the youth in Indonesia. Recognizing the high interest of the public in this traditional genre, Google has also adopted dangdut as the central theme for its 2026 World Music Day celebration.

"The trend and the statistics are good, and they keep rising. I see that now even Generation Z can accept dangdut. It's not just for the older generation, but now Gen Z can also enjoy and accept it," legendary dangdut singer Inul Daratista said when asked about the trajectory of the dangdut music industry at the Geal Geol Google event in Jakarta on Thursday, June 18, 2026.

In recent years, dangdut music has increasingly become favored by the youth. Numerous dangdut tracks have gone viral and have been widely used in various social media content tailored for young people. From dance videos to everyday entertainment content, these songs continue to appear across social media timelines, introducing more and more audiences to the rhythms of dangdut.

One of the currently popular dangdut-themed music sub-genres among the youth is called Hipdut, a modern term that describes a fusion of hip-hop music with dangdut. Some of the well-known tracks within the Hipdut realm include "Garam & Madu" and Kasih Aba-Aba, created by Naykilla, Tenxi, and Jemsii.

The high public interest in dangdut music is directly reflected in the increased search queries related to the genre on Google throughout the past year. Based on this year's metrics, searches for the Popdut genre have increased by 30 percent, while Disco Dangdut has risen by 20 percent. The public's appetite for live dangdut experiences is also evident from the 90 percent spike in searches for Dangdut Cafes and the 30 percent increase in searches for Dangdut Concerts.

"It turns out that dangdut has never lost its place in the hearts of the Indonesian people," Inul Daratista observed. "From the past until now, dangdut continues to evolve with the times, but still maintains a sense of closeness to daily life."

As a veteran figure in the dangdut music industry, Inul expressed her joy in seeing a new generation actively seeking out, listening to, and even mastering the genre's signature dance moves. According to her, this cultural shift shows that dangdut is entirely capable of adapting to modern trends without losing its identity.

"This is evidence that dangdut is not just entertainment music, but also a part of our living culture across generations," she continued.

To celebrate World Music Day, Google hosted the Geal Geol Google event on Thursday, June 18, 2026, which featured a series of interactive activities, such as Physical Fitness Exercises, or locally known as SKJ, led by radio announcer Reza Chandika and live performances by Inul Daratista. Additionally, Google's main landing page was adorned with a special dangdut-themed Google Doodle created by illustrator Ardhira Putra starting on June 21, 2026.

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