From Lyric to Meaning: Self-Healing in Tulus’ “Diri” Through Barthes’ Semiotics
##plugins.themes.EpsilonTheme.article.main##
Nayla Maulidita*
Rocky Prasetyo Jati
This study analyzed the lyrics of "Diri" by Tulus using Roland Barthes’ semiotic approach to explore how the song constructs and conveys the concept of self-healing. Released in 2022 during a period of emotional transition for Indonesian youth following the COVID-19 pandemic, the song presented themes of self-acceptance, emotional honesty, and psychological resilience. The research applied Barthes’ three-tier model of meaning—denotation, connotation, and myth to uncover how symbolic messages in the lyrics represent both individual emotional experiences and broader cultural narratives. The lyrical content was examined through qualitative content analysis, with each selected verse interpreted for its literal, emotional, and ideological significance. The findings revealed that "Diri" serves as more than personal reflection; it also functions as a cultural artifact that reinforces emerging values of emotional independence and mental well-being in urban Indonesian society. Through verses that encourage forgiveness, self-talk, and emotional boundaries, the song communicates ideals that resonate with contemporary youth. However, it also reflects the tension between personal responsibility and collective support in the process of healing. This study demonstrated the relevance of semiotic analysis in interpreting psychological discourse within popular music. It contributed to expanding the application of Barthes’ theory beyond Western contexts and offered insights into how music can shape and reflect emotional culture. The results may serve as a foundation for future research in cultural studies, media psychology, and the role of art in mental health awareness.
Ahad, A. A., Sanchez-Gonzalez, M., & Junquera, P. (2023). Understanding and Addressing Mental Health Stigma Across Cultures for Improving Psychiatric Care: A Narrative Review. Cureus. https://doi.org/10.7759/cureus.39549
Ansdell, G. (2016). How music helps in music therapy and everyday life. In How Music Helps in Music Therapy and Everyday Life. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781315587172
Barthes, R. (2007). Myth today. In Stardom and celebrity: A reader. https://doi.org/10.4135/9781446269534.n5
Barthes, R., Lavers, A., & Smith, C. (1967). Elements of semiology. Cape London.
Batubara, J., Simangunsong, E., Sigalingging, K., & Panggabean, A. J. (2022). Moral Message Of Nature’s Sustainability: Semiotic Analysis Of Alam Menyapa On Audio-Visual Music Composition. Gondang: Jurnal Seni Dan Budaya, 6(2). https://doi.org/10.24114/gondang.v6i2.41405
Bazzul, J. (2015). Becoming a ‘mythologist’: Barthes’ mythologies and education. In International Handbook of Semiotics. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-017-9404-6_54
Carbone, L., & Mijs, J. (2022). Sounds like meritocracy to my ears: exploring the link between inequality in popular music and personal culture. Information Communication and Society, 25(5). https://doi.org/10.1080/1369118X.2021.2020870
Cespedes-Guevara, J., & Eerola, T. (2018). Music communicates affects, not basic emotions - A constructionist account of attribution of emotional meanings to music. Frontiers in Psychology, 9(FEB). https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2018.00215
Chambers, I. (2007). Roland Barthes: structuralism/semiotics. In CCCS Selected Working Papers (pp. 247–260). Routledge.
Chandler, D. (2022). Semiotics: the basics. Routledge.
Cintia, C. (2022). Potret Representasi Sosial dalam Lirik Lagu “Menjadi Indonesia” pada Album Kamar Gelap 2008 (Analisis Semiotika Terhadap Lirik Lagu “Menjadi Indonesia” Band Efek Rumah Kaca. Repository Universitas Medan Area.
Frith, S. (2017). Taking popular music seriously: Selected essays. In Taking Popular Music Seriously: Selected Essays. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781315087467
Ginting, R. P., Azis, A., & Ginting, M. S. (2024). An Expressive Analysis of Tulus’ Song “Gajah” Lyrics Using a Pragmatic Framework. Electronic Journal of Education, Social Economics and Technology, 5(2), 28–34. https://doi.org/10.33122/ejeset.v5i2.192
Gravells, J. (2017). Semiotics and verbal texts: how the news media construct a crisis. In Postdisciplinary studies in discourse.
Groarke, J. M., & Hogan, M. J. (2016). Enhancing wellbeing: An emerging model of the adaptive functions of music listening. Psychology of Music, 44(4). https://doi.org/10.1177/0305735615591844
Inskip, C., MacFarlane, A., & Rafferty, P. (2008). Meaning, communication, music: Towards a revised communication model. In Journal of Documentation (Vol. 64, Issue 5). https://doi.org/10.1108/00220410810899718
Jati, R. (2024). Berpikir Kreatif: Sebuah Pengantar. Diomedia.
Juwita, R., Yumna Abiyyu, K., Zahra Cintami, A., Elysa, C., Ade Putra, F., & Rizky Aidil Fitri, M. (2022). Makna Motivasi dalam Lagu Diri dari Tulus (Analisis Semiotika Ferdinan De Saussure). Kaganga Komunika: Journal of Communication Science, 4(1). https://doi.org/10.36761/kagangakomunika.v4i1.1918
Kreps, G. L. (2017). Stigma and the Reluctance to Address Mental Health Issues in Minority Communities. Journal of Family Strengths, 17(1). https://doi.org/10.58464/2168-670x.1340
Leman, M. (2016). The expressive moment: How interaction (with music) shapes human empowerment. MIT press.
Mario, V., & Setuningsih, N. (2022). Inspirasi dan Pesan di Balik Album Terbaru Tulus, Manusia. Parapuan.
Moore, A. F. (2016). Song Means: Analysing and Interpreting Recorded Popular Song. In Song Means: Analysing and Interpreting Recorded Popular Song. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781315609898
Nurfauziyah, D. I., & Alipya, R. (2022). Pesan-Pesan Motivasi dalam Lirik Lagu “Diri” Karya Tulus: Analisis Semiotika. Concept: Journal of Social Humanities and Education, 1(3), 19–25. https://doi.org/10.55606/concept.v1i3.37
Poliakova, H. (2023). Means of Creation of Conceptuality in Modern Song Texts. Humanities Science Current Issues, 2(70), 200–204. https://doi.org/10.24919/2308-4863/70-2-28
Schütz, A. (2015). Making music together: A study in social relationship. In The Routledge Reader on the Sociology of Music. https://doi.org/10.4324/9780203736319-12
Siagian, A. W., Sinaga, K., & Natio S. Pane, D. O. (2023). Analysis of Figurative Language in Song Lyrics of Roar by Katy Perry. REVIEW OF MULTIDISCIPLINARY EDUCATION, CULTURE AND PEDAGOGY, 2(4), 217–227. https://doi.org/10.55047/romeo.v2i4.910
Stige, B., Ansdell, G., & Pavlicevic, M. (2017). Where music helps: Community music therapy in action and reflection. Routledge.
Szekely, M. D. (2006). Gesture, Pulsion, Grain: Barthes’ Musical Semiology. Contemporary Aesthetics, 4.
Tagg, P. (2016). “Not the sort of thing you could photocopy”: A short idea history of notation with suggestions for reform in music education and research. In Popular Music Matters: Essays in Honour of Simon Frith. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781315601434
Tarasti, E. (2011). Musical signification: Essays in the semiotic theory and analysis of music. In Musical Signification: Essays in the Semiotic Theory and Analysis of Music. https://doi.org/10.2307/3108439
Tarasti, E. (2012). Signs of music: A guide to musical semiotics (Vol. 3). Walter de Gruyter.
Vignesh, M., Jothi Priya, A., & Gayatri Devi, R. (2019). Scientific and therapeutic effects of self-healing. Drug Invention Today, 11(10).
Way, L. C. S., & McKerrell, S. (2017). Music as multimodal discourse: Semiotics, power and protest. Bloomsbury Publishing.
Weinstock, J. A. (2021). Pop culture for beginners. Broadview Press.
