KUALA LUMPUR: Dance pop trio De Fam's catchy Hari Raya song Alamak Raya Lagi! may have been widely criticised when it was first released on March 7.
However, more than a month later, it has now become a pop phenomenon.
The song which Azira Shafinaz Ramlan, Sophia Liana Sobri and Wani Shamsuddin or Cik Manggis initially planned to release last year is now a hit beyond Malaysian shores and has garnered over 12 million YouTube views.
It is also one of the top trending videos on TikTok and has been parodied by many netizens.
It has even attracted the attention of South Korean pop group TRI.BE and Italian football club Juventus.
In fact TRI.BE's members danced to its tune on TikTok while Juventus used it for one of its TikTok videos which highlighted some of its goals in various matches over the last year.
In a news report yesterday Azira said that they initially wanted the song to be released in Hari Raya last year to commemorate Hari Raya 2022 which "caught many by surprise".
"It would have been great to release it in 2023 but our plans had to be postponed due to unforeseen circumstances then," she said.
"Nevertheless we are happy that it has finally been released and become a runaway hit, despite some initial criticisms."
Cik Manggis thanked fans from Malaysia and overseas for supporting the song and its accompanying music video which depicted the trio's "mad rush" to prepare themselves for an unexpected Hari Raya which came earlier than usual.
"The song's message is a light-hearted one where we are depicted as shocked and surprised people who did nor expect Hari Raya to arrive earlier," she said.
"The story behind it is light-hearted and humorous, and points to unexpected situations which all of us have from time to time, and how we work hard to make the best out of it, despite the initial surprise and frantic situation."
Sophia said that the use of "alamak" in the title of the song was not meant to be rude, as it was a commonly used slang to depict one's shock and surprise.
"It is commonly used in conversations and has appeared in many songs over the years," she said.
"As for swear words, we did not have any in the song as claimed by some quarters. We may have expressions of surprise and frenzy but they are not swear words."
Nasyid singer Cheb Ali Masrawi recently criticised the song for "containing inappropriate language" that did not respect the spirit of Hari Raya and suggested that they change the name of the song to Alhamdulillah Raya Lagi.
Award-winning singer and songwriter Aina Abdul said that she loved the song and advised listeners to loosen up and not take it too seriously.
"I love it because it is funny and entertaining. That is what a good Raya song should be."
