As competition among streaming platforms continues to intensify, the race is no longer simply about attracting audiences with star-studded casts or entertaining stories. Increasingly, platforms are looking for content with a strong identity—stories that feel relevant, distinctive, and rooted in the culture of their audience.
Viu is taking that approach with Garam Muda, its latest original series that premiered exclusively on August 7, 2026. Produced by Verona Pictures and Viu, the series combines youth drama, music, friendship, romance, and contemporary Indonesian culture in a story designed to appeal to a new generation of viewers.
At the heart of Garam Muda is “hipdut,” a creative fusion of hip-hop and dangdut. Rather than treating the genre simply as a musical element, the series uses hipdut to reflect the energy, creativity, and evolving identity of Indonesian youth.
The concept also highlights how traditional cultural influences can be reimagined through modern forms of entertainment. By bringing dangdut together with the sound and attitude of hip-hop, Garam Muda presents a fresh take on Indonesian pop culture while keeping its story grounded in the everyday experiences of young people.
A Fresh Challenge for Aisyah Aqilah
One of the highlights of Garam Muda is Aisyah Aqilah, who takes on a different kind of role from her previous projects. She plays Annette, a new student at High Star who finds herself dealing with bullying while navigating the complicated social dynamics of her new school.
Annette is outspoken, humorous, and far from impressed by popularity. Her personality puts her at odds with Kaizen, played by Junior Roberts, the school’s most popular student who is determined to maintain his public image while hiding a troubled past.
“Episode one is still the pilot, so it’s an introduction to the characters. Annette is the type of person who talks a lot and doesn’t like all the hype or popularity,” Aisyah said during the series’ launch event in Central Jakarta on Friday, August 7.
“She is very different from Kaizen, who loves being seen and being popular.”
The contrast between the two characters becomes one of the central dynamics of the series. Their relationship develops into what Aisyah describes as a “love-hate relationship,” creating another layer to the coming-of-age story.
But Garam Muda also gave Aisyah the opportunity to explore a new talent: singing.
Although she is no stranger to lighthearted roles, the actress admitted that performing hipdut was a completely new experience for her.
“Usually my series are light, but this is the first time I’ve been part of something this colorful,” Aisyah said. “Honestly, I started listening to hipdut because it feels so different and really fun. Then I was challenged to sing hipdut. After I tried it, I thought, ‘Okay, this actually works.’ But I’m still a beginner.”
Her musical performance is one of the elements audiences can look forward to throughout the series. Aisyah also teased that viewers will see her sing and dance as part of her character’s journey.
“There is singing. I will sing by myself, but you’ll have to wait until it airs to hear it,” she said. “There will be dancing too.”
For Aisyah, Annette is also a character with strong personal values. She dislikes bullying and has little interest in chasing popularity—qualities that further separate her from Kaizen.
“Annette is talkative, funny, and she really doesn’t like popularity. She also doesn’t like bullying,” Aisyah explained. “That’s why Annette and Kaizen have a love-hate relationship.”
Junior Roberts Praises Aisyah Musical Debut
Aisyah’s venture into hipdut also received an enthusiastic response from her co-star, Junior Roberts.
The actor praised Aisyah’s performance after hearing the song she recorded for the series.
“The song is seriously so catchy!” Junior said. “The first time I heard it, I was like, ‘Is this Aisyah? Wow, this is new hipdut. This is crazy, the best!’”
His reaction reflects one of the series’ key selling points: music is not simply background entertainment in Garam Muda. It is closely connected to the characters, their ambitions, relationships, and social environment.
A Story About Popularity, Identity, and Growing Up
Beyond its musical concept, Garam Muda explores familiar issues faced by teenagers, including social pressure, popularity, bullying, friendship, and the struggle to discover one’s identity.
Annette enters High Star as an outsider and soon becomes entangled in the school’s complicated social hierarchy. Meanwhile, Kaizen appears to have everything a popular student could want, but behind his confident image lies a painful past that he is trying to keep hidden.
The contrast creates an emotional foundation for the series, allowing Garam Muda to move beyond a typical high-school drama.
At the same time, the series introduces a cast of young Indonesian actors, including Catherine Alicia, Florian Rutters, Adam Farrel, Yusuf Alfiansha, Zoe Levana, and Ryan Winter alongside Aisyah Aqilah and Junior Roberts.
Their involvement reflects Viu’s continued effort to develop local productions and showcase emerging talent from Indonesia’s entertainment industry.
Bringing Brands Into the Story Naturally
The launch of Garam Muda was marked by a gala premiere and official launch event in Jakarta, where Viu also introduced its collaboration with Pronas.
The partnership represents an increasingly popular approach to brand integration in entertainment: rather than placing products in a story as obvious advertisements, brands can become part of the characters’ everyday lives.
In Garam Muda, Pronas is integrated into the world of the characters and their active, practical, and dynamic lifestyles. The collaboration demonstrates how commercial partnerships can be incorporated into a narrative while remaining relevant to the story and its characters.
Viu Growing Focus on Indonesian Stories
With Garam Muda, Viu is reinforcing its commitment to local content that combines entertainment with elements of contemporary Indonesian culture.
The series reflects a broader shift in the streaming industry, where local stories are increasingly becoming an important part of a platform’s identity. Rather than simply adapting global entertainment trends, productions such as Garam Mudashow how local music, youth culture, and social issues can be transformed into stories with wider appeal.
By placing hipdut at the center of a coming-of-age story, Viu is also highlighting the creative potential of Indonesia’s entertainment industry. The result is a series that brings together music, culture, romance, friendship, and emotional conflict in a distinctly youthful package.
Garam Muda premiered exclusively on Viu on Friday, August 7, 2026, offering audiences a fresh take on the high-school drama while introducing a new musical identity through hipdut.
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