Viral! ITB Mining Students Sing 'Erika' Song, Lyrics Deemed Lewd

Social media has once again been abuzz with the circulation of a video featuring a group of students singing a song titled “Erika”. The song was performed by the Orkes Semi Dangdut (OSD), which operates under the auspices of the Himpunan Mahasiswa Tambang (HMT) at Institut Teknologi Bandung (ITB).

This content has triggered controversy due to its lyrics, which are considered to contain vulgar elements and to demean women.

The incident has emerged amid ongoing public scrutiny of various sensitive issues within university environments, particularly behaviours deemed unreflective of academic values.

The video of the performance went viral after being uploaded by the X account @iPoopBased on Monday, 13 April 2026.

In the widely circulated recording, several students can be seen singing together while dancing to the rhythm of the music. The song tells the story of a student who becomes infatuated with a young widow named Erika in Surabaya.

“An unforgettable experience, when I was a student. Got hooked in Surabaya, a young widow named Erika,” read the lyrics, quoted on Wednesday, 15 April 2026.

As the song progresses, several lyrics are viewed as veering towards the objectification of women. This has subsequently provoked strong reactions from netizens. Many parties have expressed regret over the action, especially since it was carried out by students who should uphold ethics and decency.

In response to the developing polemic, HMT ITB promptly issued a clarification and apology to the public via its official social media account.

“We extend our sincerest apologies for the circulation of the song that has caused public unease,” stated the announcement.

In the same statement, HMT ITB also affirmed its understanding of the sensitivity of this issue.

“We fully understand and are aware of the sensitivity of this issue and convey our concern and empathy to the public, particularly women,” it said.

HMT ITB explained that Orkes Semi Dangdut (OSD) is one of the longstanding student activity units dating back to the 1970s. Meanwhile, the song “Erika” is known to be an old composition created around the 1980s.

Nevertheless, the student association acknowledged that the performance of the song was an oversight, as it failed to consider the evolution of social norms and prevailing moral values today. They also stressed that the content does not reflect the values that should be upheld by student organisations or the academic environment.