This Man...Who Will Always Love You (Anuar Zain did it again!)

Lelaki Ini

Kasih, kenanganku
Ingatkah saat saat dulu
Kasih, apakah dirimu
Merasakan semua itu
Ke mana pun langkahku pergi
Ku masih melihat bayanganmu cintaku
Dan kemana pun arah anginku berlari
Hati ini masih kau miliki

Korus:
Lelaki ini yang selalu mencintamu
Selalu, tanpa ragu
Lelaki ini yang selalu memuja
Hanya dirimu
Yang bertakhta dalam sanubariku

Sanubari ku
Aku yang mencintakan mu
Hanya dirimu…

Karena cintaku, tak berbatas waktu
Karena cintaku, tak mengenal jenuh hatimu
Hatimu…

(ulang korus) 2x

Yang bertakhta dalam sanubariku...

... once again Anuar Zain (Malaysian singer for the uniniated) has done it again...for me at least..but..judging from the general response of the Malaysian public to "Lelaki Ini", I would say that he enthralled some more hearts other than mine...

Previously, my fav Anuar Zain (AZ) songs are Keabadian Cinta, Sesucinya Cintamu, & Semuanya Untukmu. It's been a while since I heard a really good song from AZ.

Don't get me wrong. His other songs are good too.
It's just that when I am listening to music, I usually appreciate the songs, rather than the singer.
If I listen to singer A, I might be attracted to some of his songs, while at the same time not really liking his other songs. Case in point, I like Maroon 5's Must Get Out, but find This Love too out of my taste.
I also tend to appreciate songs that I can relate to, songs that in my view have some meanings for me. Case in point, Christina Aguilera's Reflection.
And I don't care about languages either. If it has good music & meaning, by all means, reel me in! Case in point, L-Arc-En-Ciel's (Japanese) 4th Avenue Cafe.

Haha..sorry such lengthy exposition...now back to AZ.. & Lelaki Ini..
This song is really nice, & a bit different from his previous songs. In fact, all the songs in his new album, Anuar Zain, seems to be a departure from his previous albums. This could be due to the fact that this time around, AZ decided to rely on Indonesian songwriters and composers. Only one Malaysian composer is involved, Jenny Chin, while the other composers hail from Indonesia.
I tried to find out which one of them has a hand in making Lelaki Ini, but can't manage to find it.

What I like about this song was the message that is delivered.
To me, it sounded like this guy in question really likes the woman, & regardless of place & time, & whether the woman returns his feelings, his heart will forever be hers, & his heart will never belong to anybody else.
It's like throughout the song, the guy was trying to convince the woman of this matter, & the way AZ sings it, we can truly sense the guy's sincerity. The guy wasn't being pushy either, it seems that he will accept the fact that the woman might not love her, the guy was just voicing out his feelings, so that the woman knew how he felt. A bittersweet feeling permeates throughout the song, perhaps accompanied by melancholic feeling too.
The song ended with the guy's affirmation that she will always be the only one for him. The ending seems to be open-ended as to whether the woman will accept his undying love or not, it seems more likely she will not, yet I can't help but rooting for the guy, hoping that his love will be returned.

The message aside, the music also didn't disappoint. The use of orchestra as the background singers really add as a nice touch, and sets the right mood for the song. The use of orchesta sets a haunting mood, some might call it nostalgic too, which leads one to suspect that actually, the woman is already attracted to someone else, that the guy was just reminiscing wistfully of a love that he might have had, but can't. The way that AZ and the background singers plays off each other are superb, & shows chemistry. I also like the part of the song, where the chorus is sung by a sole female background singer, which plays off well with AZ's take of the chorus beforehand. Makes me want to know who she is!

Alas, my only beef with the song is, surprise 2x, the crescendo. When AZ sings the words, sanubariku, aku yang mencintakan mu...it sounds just a wee bit weird..as if this part of the song is not in sync with the rest of the song..but, it's not too out of place..

After hearing Lelaki Ini, I wondered for the umpteenth time, is AZ singing about himself in his songs? I do hope that he will meet his soulmate soon. At 37, time is not on his side.

Here's to u, AZ. Hope that you meet the love of your life, any time soon....:)