JKT48 is an Indonesian idol group whose name is derived from its base city … Read Full Bio ↴JKT48 is an Indonesian idol group whose name is derived from its base city of Jakarta, Indonesia and the Japanese idol group AKB48. Formed in 2011, it is the first AKB48 sister group outside of Japan and adopts the concept of "idols you can meet". Fans can attend daily performances at the group's theater, which was built as a close replica to the AKB48 Theater in Akihabara.

Producer Yasushi Akimoto decided to bring the AKB48 concept to Indonesia because the group had begun to develop a fan base in the country. Indonesia's growing economy was seen as a potential market by many Japanese companies, and Akimoto established a partnership with these businesses and the country's largest media conglomerate Global Mediacom (MNC Media), the southeast Asia's largest and most integrated media group to replicate the AKB48 business model.

While JKT48 does not restrict membership by nationality, applicants must be residents of Indonesia. The group has 44 members and released its first studio album "Heavy Rotation on 16 February 2013 via Hits Records, a division of MNC subsidiary PT Star Media Nusantara. It performs songs by AKB48 and other sister groups that are translated into Indonesian.

History

2011–2012: Formation

The formation of JKT48 was announced on 11 September 2011 at an AKB48 event held at Makuhari Messe in Chiba, Japan. Applicant interviews took place in late September, and the first auditions were held 8–9 October. AKB48 member Minami Takahashi also visited Jakarta during the auditions to promote JKT48 among fans of AKB48. Applicants did not have to be Indonesian citizens, but they must reside in the country. Approximately 1,200 girls auditioned for the group, and 51 were selected to proceed to the second round. Finalists were judged based on their dance performance of "ヘビーローテーション" (Heavy Rotation), from AKB48's single of the same name, and their performance of a song of their choice. JKT48's 28 first generation members, ages 12–21, were selected on 2 November. JKT48 made its first public appearance on 17 December on the live music program 100% Ampuh on Global TV and performed "Heavy Rotation", with lyrics translated into Indonesian.

As part of the concept of "idols you can meet every day", AKB48 performs daily at its theater in Akihabara. The JKT48 management team aimed to accomplish this same principle and began scouting locations in Jakarta for the group's own theater in early 2012. An unoccupied site in the fX Sudirman shopping mall was selected as the theater's eventual location, and planning for its renovation began in April. In the meantime, the first theater performances were held 17–20 May at a temporary stage in the Nyi Ageng Serang Building in Kuningan, Jakarta. The official theater opened on 8 September for daily performances with a set list of 16 songs that have been translated into Indonesian. The theater has a seating capacity of 180 and standing room for 30, and its design is a close replica of the AKB48 Theater.

JKT48 has also performed in Japan alongside other AKB48 sister groups. In its first performance in Japan, the group was a surprise guest at 2011 AKB48 Kōhaku Taikō Uta Gassen and performed the Indonesian version of "会いたかった" (Aitakatta). It also performed alongside AKB48 and other sister groups at the 62nd NHK Kōhaku Uta Gassen with a total 210 members onstage. It also participated in the 2012 AKB48 concerts at Saitama Super Arena and Tokyo Dome.

Management began accepting applications for second generation members on 13 August 2012. Of the 4,500 applicants, approximately 200 were selected for interviews the following month. The pool was then narrowed down from 67 to 31 in a selection round held by RCTI television. All 31 finalists were eventually chosen as second generation members at a final audition on 3 November in Japan. Additionally, AKB48 members Aki Takajo and Haruka Nakagawa, whose transfers to JKT48 were announced at the Tokyo Dome concert, officially began their activities with the group on 1 November and made their theater debut on 26 December. Nakagawa became interested in Jakarta during a visit with other members of AKB48 earlier in February.

2013–present: Major debut

JKT48 was scheduled to release its debut album in January 2013, but production was hampered because of flooding in Jakarta. To celebrate the release, the group's management team had distributed 100,000 free CD singles. Each single featured an Indonesian version of one of four songs: "Heavy Rotation", "Kimi no Koto ga Suki Dakara", "Baby! Baby! Baby!", and "Ponytail to Shushu". Members, some of whom were directly affected by the flooding, later held a charity event in order to raise funds for the city's relief efforts. The debut album, titled Heavy Rotation, had a limited release at the JKT48 Theater on 16 February and went on sale in music stores nationwide on 2 March. All previously released singles were included in the album.

On 4 February 2014, JKT48 announced the names of 63 finalists that are vying to become JKT48 trainees in the third generation. On 15 February, the group announced and performed its fifth single "Flying Get".

jkt48.com

Run Run Run
JKT48 Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Dia pasti menunggu
Menghadap di depan stasiun
Di tempat yang seperti biasa
Dan sambil melihat jam
Dia pasti sedang mencari
Jawaban di tengah keramaian

Pastinya cinta

Ia berikan
Katanya
"Beri tahu perasaanmu..."

Larilah! Diriku dengan sekuat tenaga
Saatnya turun dari bus di kemacetan
Larilah! Diriku demi cinta ini
Menyeb'rangi jalan
Hembusan nafas yang masa muda

Cinta itu kapanpun
Selalu tidak terduga
Keberlanjutan yang tak wajar
Daripada dirimu yang sepertinya kan menunggu
Lebih baik ku menunggumu

Perasaanku
T'lah ku tentukan
Ku ingin mengatakan
"Aku bersedia..."

Bagaikan sang angin
Ku ingin terbang pergi dari tempat ini
Mewujudkan lamunanmu
Bagaikan sang angin
Satu arah lurus
Sampai aku tak kuat
Rasa cinta membuat bergetar

Larilah! Diriku dengan sekuat tenaga
Saatnya turun dari bus di kemacetan
Larilah! Diriku demi cinta ini

Menyeb'rangi jalan
Hembusan nafas yang masa muda

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to JKT48's song RUN RUN RUN, tell a story of a person waiting at the front of the station, looking at the time and searching for answers amidst the crowd, while someone else is running towards their love. The person waiting is sure that their partner is waiting for them, while the other person is determined to reach their love by running and crossing the busy road. The song's lyrics beautifully convey the feelings of love, determination, and the uncertainty that comes with them. The chorus, which repeats twice in the song, echoes the idea of running towards love with all one's might, regardless of the hurdles that come in the way.

The verse that follows after the first chorus talks about the unpredictable nature of love, as the person who was waiting feels that the continuity of love is abnormal. However, the waiting person chooses to wait for their partner, whose presence they feel is worth the wait. The last verse speaks about the determination of the person in love, who feels they want to pursue their dreams and make them come true. Like the wind, they want to fly away, but the Pull of love is so strong that they choose not to.

Overall, the song is a beautiful representation of the power of love and determination that is required to pursue it.

Line by Line Meaning

Dia pasti menunggu
He is surely waiting

Menghadap di depan stasiun
Facing the station

Di tempat yang seperti biasa
In his usual spot

Dan sambil melihat jam
While looking at the clock

Dia pasti sedang mencari
He must be searching

Jawaban di tengah keramaian
For answers amidst the crowd

Pastinya cinta
Surely love

Ia berikan
He gives

Katanya
He says

"Beri tahu perasaanmu..."
"Tell me how you feel..."