Representasi Cinta, Budaya, Dan Kehilangan Dalam Lagu ‘Berai’ Sheila On 7: Analisis Semiotika Roland Barthes

Abstract

This study examines the construction of meaning in the lyrics of “Berai” by Sheila On 7 using Roland Barthes’s semiotic framework. The song was selected because it encapsulates complex emotional experiences related to separation, loss, and psychological rupture—elements that strongly resonate within Indonesian popular culture. The purpose of this research is to identify and analyze the three layers of meaning—denotative, connotative, and mythical—embedded in the lyrical structure, symbolic expressions, and poetic narrative. A qualitative research design employing textual analysis was used to interpret linguistic and symbolic signs, with particular attention to how meanings are produced, negotiated, and culturally reproduced.The findings reveal that at the denotative level, the lyrics explicitly portray the dissolution of a romantic relationship. At the connotative level, the language evokes imagery of darkness, emptiness, and emotional fragmentation, conveyed through melancholic diction and metaphorical constructs. At the mythical level, the song reinforces a cultural narrative of romanticized loss, in which heartbreak is not merely perceived as sorrow, but as an emotionally valuable and socially meaningful phase that contributes to personal and emotional maturation. These results demonstrate that popular music functions not only as an aesthetic medium but also as a cultural instrument that shapes emotional discourse and articulates shared societal values.The study concludes that “Berai” operates as a representational text that reproduces collective understandings of love, grief, and vulnerability. Consequently, the song illustrates how popular music participates in constructing emotional narratives while simultaneously reinforcing prevailing cultural myths within Indonesian society.