The Scent of Camellias

Press Release | May 9, 2025
"Once upon a time, in a faraway kingdom, there lived the Princess of Batavia.." - Kamila Batavia introduces her debut EP

The Melancholia of the Princess of Batavia: Kamila Batavia's debut EP "The Scent of Camellias"

Press page image for “The Scent of Camellias” showing Kamila Batavia in a white dress holding a sword beside text about the EP’s melancholic story.

"Once upon a time, in a faraway kingdom, there lived the melancholic Princess of Batavia" is the catchphrase of Kamila Batavia, a Jakarta-born trilingual singer-songwriter who now lives in Hamburg, Germany.

Kamila published her first self-written mini album, 'The Scent of Camellias', which illustrates a deteriorating love story. The title 'The Scent of Camellias' relates to the camellia flower's ability to live and blossom in the winter, alluding to Kamila's personality and life experiences, in which she remains firm and continues to grow even when things are difficult for her.

With six heartbreaking songs, Kamila urges listeners to immerse themselves in a dark story, delving into pain and longing while discovering a means to end suffering through perseverance. Faizal Saputra produced the mini album in its entirety. Faizal's sense of pop production combined with Kamila's melancholy and tragic lyrical style creates an ideal musical mix.

This mini album is a play that Kamila created. ‘Tutup Mata,’ the opening track, eloquently captures the emotions of Kamila who has to part with her partner and can only hope that fate and time will bring them back together. With an abundant chorus and echoes, the song gives the impression that Kamila is rushing after a lover who is travelling away on a train.

Next up comes the German-language song 'Als Ich Einschlief,' which beautifully depicts Kamila's pent-up desire to be united with her partner and emphasizes that all that can be fought for only exists in dreams. The third song, 'Head Over Heels', depicts the story of Kamila's head-over-heels love phase and insomnia caused by her lover's non-chalance towards her devotion.

'Hilang dan Tak Kembali' is the mini album's climax song. The song as a whole narrates the story of Kamila's dramatic mood swing toward her lover on the other continent, who is unconcerned about her condition. The strong drums and the ethereal backing vocals convey her deep anxiety.

Promotional image of Kamila Batavia in a white dress holding flowers and a sword in front of a castle at night.

Promotional image of Kamila Batavia in a white dress with a sword standing beside a lake for “The Scent of Camellias” era.

Kamila concludes the mini-album with the mournful song 'Berakhir dan Berlalu', which tells the story of Kamila's courage in accepting that the romance she craves must come to an end due to betrayal and feelings that are no longer the same level. The symphonic tones of this song might cause listeners to sink in despair.

As a bonus track, Kamila includes the song 'Augen Zu', which is a German translation of 'Tutup Mata'.

Kamila hopes that with this short album, her listeners will be able to immerse themselves in their melancholy phase and find beauty in it, allowing every tear to fall gracefully and helping them to be more resilient as they rise. Hopefully, this EP will allow everyone who listens to receive the message Kamila wishes to convey.

In the Words of Others

Beyond the castle walls, the story of The Scent of Camellias has been retold by distant voices. Each line written, each note captured, becomes another page in the legend:

Musikblog.de — "Eine kleine, dichte Welt, die nachklingt und neugierig auf die nächsten Kapitel macht." [Read more → MusikBlog - Kamila Batavia - The Scent Of Camellias - Debüt-EP]

Suara Merdeka — "Karya ini menandai langkah awal Kamila di dunia musik internasional dengan gaya penceritaan yang intim dan emosional." [Read more → Kamila Batavia Rilis EP Perdana “The Scent of Camellias”, Sajikan Kisah Asmara Penuh Harapan - Suara Merdeka Jakarta]

Liputan 6 — “Kamila tidak hanya menunjukkan kematangan dalam menulis lagu, namun juga keberanian membuka luka pribadi kepada publik.” [Read more → Kamila Batavia Rilis EP The Scent of Camellias, Bungkus Luka Cinta dalam Melodi Melankolis - ShowBiz Liputan6.com]

Insert! Live (Exclusive Interview) — "Aksi panggung Kamila kental dengan ruang dongeng, tempat musik, serta ruang bagi puisi-puisinya diperdengarkan dengan syahdu bagi penikmat musik." [Read more → Sosok Kamila Batavia, Musisi Indonesia yang Berkarier di Jerman ]

Urban Vibes — “Satu rangkaian lagu yang terasa seperti pertunjukan panggung—penuh narasi dan nuansa.” [Read more → Melankolia Sang Putri Batavia: EP Perdana Kamila Batavia, "The Scent of Camellias" - Urbanvibes.ID]

Kabari News (Exclusive Interview) — " Independensi Kamila dalam menggelar tur tanpa dukungan label menjadi bukti dedikasi dan kemandirian tangguh dalam membangun karir musiknya." [Read more → Wawancara: Kamila Batavia "The Princess of Batavia" Bawa The Scent of Camellias ke Panggung Eropa dan Indonesia - Kabari News]

These chronicles are not Kamila's alone. They are fragments of how the world has chosen to see her. And like petals borne by the wind, they, too, become part of the journey.

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