Radja Clarifies Monkey Sticker on Vadel Badjideh's Face: Wants to Create 'The Lazy Song' Vibe by Bruno Mars

Kapanlagi.com - The band Radja has finally spoken out regarding the controversy surrounding their latest music video for the song Apa Sih, which features the face of Vadel Badjideh replaced with an image of a monkey. In the music video, Vadel along with his brother, Bintang Badjideh, is involved as a dancer.

Ian Kasela, the vocalist of Radja, emphasized that the action was not intended to be disrespectful. According to him, the addition of the gimmick came about spontaneously during the production process of the music video.

"As for the image, I heard there was a conversation between the city management and his management, his brother. I was watching him take, he was posing, the dance was really cool, I was amazed," Ian Kasela revealed at a press conference in the Warung Jati area, South Jakarta, on Monday (23/12/2024).

Ian even admitted he was inspired by Vadel's movements, which reminded him of Bruno Mars, especially the vibe from the music video for The Lazy Song. This was the main reason for using the gimmick.

"Mas Moldy said, ‘This Vadel dances really well. Physically, he looks a bit like Mars Bruno, not Bruno Mars.’ So we thought about creating a vibe like The Lazy Song," Ian continued.

1. Accept Vadel's Disappointment

However, that decision apparently sparked protests from Vadel. Nevertheless, Ian stated that his side is trying to accept that dissatisfaction with a cool head.

"If that is part of his dissatisfaction, then it's natural. Maybe it wasn't communicated well by his brother or his brother forgot. But it's okay, we respond to it casually," added Ian.

2. The Intention is Actually to Give Respect

Meanwhile, Moldy, the guitarist of Radja, also provided an explanation regarding their decision. He emphasized that the initial intention was to pay tribute to Vadel's unique and talented dancing style.

"Actually, our intention is, as Mas Ian said, to remind people of Bruno Mars's style in The Lazy Song. There is no bad intention at all," said Moldy.

3. Will Not Be Deleted

Although understanding Vadel's disappointment, Moldy admitted that they have no plans to take down the music video from YouTube. The video was released a few days ago and has garnered a lot of attention from viewers.

"Yes, if anyone feels dissatisfied or offended, we apologize. But, this video has already aired and the response has been quite good. We will not take it down," Moldy asserted.

4. Unintentional

Radja hopes that this controversy does not worsen their relationship with Vadel and his management. "We just want to create works that entertain. If something went wrong, it was unintentional," Moldy concluded.

This controversy has undoubtedly made the music video Apa Sih the center of attention. Nevertheless, Radja remains optimistic that their work will be appreciated by the audience as a form of creative entertainment.

(kpl/aal/ums)