Anggun-in' around

Meet Anggun, Indonesia's biggest pop star (or so I'm told). She's not had much of a profile in the U.S. since the late 1990s, when her English-language album Snow on the Sahara made a dent in the American consciousness.

Nevertheless, she's still out there singing--in Indonesian, English, and French, no less. In fact, her English-language success has come about through her French connection, first having recorded in French and continuing to do French first, English second albums, thanks to a record label headquartered in France.

"In Your Mind" (see above) is from her 2005 Luminescence. (She's released two others since then--2008's Elevation and 2011's Echoes.) I like the sound of this one (sort of Indian, sort of Asian, sort of Middle Eastern, but still pop), as well as the message, which I think could be interpreted in a couple of ways. On the one level there is the simple idea of the lyrics: "You may be my lover, but I am my own person, and this should be no threat to you. So do please get over yourself."

On another . . . is there a subtler message to certain fundamentalist elements in the Islamic world as well? It's the same message in a sense: I am part of you, you are part of me; yet I can still be myself, a woman, which is no threat to you or to our way of life.

I don't want to make too much out of it or cast aspersions on cultures I know precious little about. Indonesia, I believe, is the most populated Muslim country in the world, and one that appears to have a less regimented approach to its culture, religion, and gender roles (when, say, compared to Saudi Arabia). Maybe there is a subtext here addressing more aggressive religious elements . . .

. . . Or maybe not. Maybe I'm just reading into the song too much of my own Islamophobia and Muslim misunderstanding. Instead, Anggun may be talking to the patriarchy in her and other cultures, including very much our own.

Because, truly, whenever I hear this song, I perceive it as a sort of anthem to those who are at risk in abusive, controlling relationships or who are in the path of dating violence. It might be a good song for every girl and every woman to commit to heart and witness to whenever some guy needs to be reminded where he stands and what dominion he has (or doesn't) in their lives.

Or maybe it's just a catchy pop tune. Up to you to decide.