From Melody to Modesty: The Semiotic Interplay of Sherine’s Abdel-Wahab's 'Kalam Eineh' and the Consumption of Abaya Trends on TikTok
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.25217/jf.v10i2.6650Keywords:
Abaya, Popular Culture, Religious Identity, Semiotics, Social MediaAbstract
This article discusses the semiotic meaning in the song Kalam Eineh by Sherine Abdel Wahab and its relationship to the phenomenon of using abaya on the TikTok platform as part of popular cultural representation. This research is in the realm of cultural and semiotic studies, with the aim of revealing how popular music and traditional fashion play a role in shaping social and ideological meanings in the digital space. This topic was chosen because the abaya trend on TikTok reflects the negotiation between tradition, modernity, and religious identity, which until now has rarely been studied in depth. The method used is descriptive qualitative with Roland Barthes' semiotic analysis which emphasizes three layers of meaning, namely denotation, connotation, and myth. To strengthen the validity of the analysis, this study also uses theoretical triangulation through Appadurai's view of mediascapes, Giddens on agency and structure, and Hall on representation and negotiation of meaning. The results of the study show that at the level of denotation, songs represent romantic expressions, while abaya serves as clothing; at the level of connotation, both feature symbols of lifestyle, identity, and piety. Meanwhile, at the mythical level, the abaya has undergone a transformation into a popular culture icon that naturalizes the ideology of religiosity, modernity, and aesthetics in digital culture. This research contributes to the study of popular culture and media by emphasizing the relevance of Barthes' semiotic theory in reading contemporary cultural texts in the era of social media.
References
Ahmad, M., & Wilkins, S. (2024). Purposive sampling in qualitative research: a framework for the entire journey. Quality & Quantity: International Journal of Methodology, 59(2), 1461–1479. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11135-024-02022-5
Al Saud, L. S. (2025). Draped in Meaning: The Evolving Symbolism of the Black Abaya in Saudi Arabia. Gulf Education and Social Policy Review (Gespr), 6(1), 39–62. https://doi.org/10.18502/gespr.v6i1.17198
Amalanathan, S., & Reddy-Best, K. L. (2024). Modesty in business, bold in fashion: entrepreneurial experiences of U.S. Muslim women in niche fashion markets. Journal of Innovation and Entrepreneurship, 13(1). https://doi.org/10.1186/s13731-024-00420-5
Barus, E., Aisyah, Siregar, E. F., & Risnawaty. (2025). An Analysis of Roland Barthes’ Semiotic Theory: Focusing on Denotation, Connotation, and Myth. International Journal of Educational Research Excellence (Ijere), 4(2), 355–363. https://doi.org/10.55299/ijere.v4i2.1438
Cao, H. (2025). Exploring the promotion of musical intangible cultural heritage under TikTok short videos. Scientific Reports, 15(1), 1–16. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-09723-3
Dewi, E., Amrullah, M. A., Suhertina, Sariah, & Yasnel. (2022). Hijab Culture Phenomenon Betwaan Religion, Trend, and Identity. Kalam, 16(2), 177–190. https://doi.org/10.24042/klm.v16i2.14238
Fadli, M., & Elviria, S. (2025). Analisis Semiotik Ferdinand de Saussure Terhadap Representasi Budaya Dalam Konten TikTok @pesonaindonesia. Coms: Journal of Communication E-ISSN, 1(1), 1–11. Google
Fareed, M. (2025). Globalization of Modest Fashion: Entrepreneurial Innovations and Insights From Contemporary Muslim Civilization. Journal of Business and Economic Analysis, 7(1), 16–42. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.15525757
Fraser, T., Crooke, A. H. D., & Davidson, J. W. (2021). “Music Has No Borders”: An Exploratory Study of Audience Engagement With YouTube Music Broadcasts During Covid-19 Lockdown, 2020. Frontiers in Psychology, 12, 1–17. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2021.643893
Habsari, S. U. H. (2015). Fashion Hijab dalam Kajian Budaya Populer. Jurnal Ppkm II, 126–134. https://doi.org/10.32699/ppkm.v2i2.356
Hijrah, M., Cahyanii, A., & Sakka, A. (2023). Kajian Budaya Populer: Analisis terhadap Pengaruh Media Massa. JSL: Jurnal Socia Logica, 3(1), 2023. Google
Hirsch, H. (2019). Clothing and colours in early Islam: Adornment (Aesthetics), symbolism and differentiation. Anthropology of the Middle East, 15(1), 99–114. https://doi.org/10.3167/ame.2020.150108
Hirsch, H. (2021). Circulation of fashions: Deciphering foreign influences on the creation of Muslim Clothing in early Islam. Hamsa, 7, 0–25. https://doi.org/10.4000/hamsa.1209
Hotait, N., & Sayed, F. E. L. (2025). Beyond the hijab : Performing religious identity on TikTok. https://doi.org/10.1177/00377686251340897
Isnawijayani, I., Widayatsih, T., Widhi, D., Lexianingrum, S. R. P., Taqwa, D. M., & Amelia, F. (2024). Navigating Gender Sexism on Social Media: Challenges and Collective Solidarity Among Hijab-Wearing Women in Muslim Fashion Trends on TikTok. Muharrik: Jurnal Dakwah Dan Sosial, 7(1), 113–127. https://doi.org/10.37680/muharrik.v7i1.5543
Istiyanto, B., Putri, K. Y. S., Muzykant, V. L., Siregar, A. M., & Khadiz, A. V. (2024). R. Barthes’s Semiotic Approach to Media Reports: Indonesian Сase. Rudn Journal of Language Studies, Semiotics and Semantics, 15(2), 430–442. https://doi.org/10.22363/2313-2299-2024-15-2-430-442
Jadou, S. H., & Al Ghabra, I. M. M. M. (2021). Barthes’ Semiotic Theory and Interpretation of Signs. International Journal of Research in Social Sciences and Humanities, 11(3). https://doi.org/10.37648/ijrssh.v11i03.027
Jia, H. (2024). Analysis of TikTok ’ s Popular Videos from a Semiotic Perspective. ARLANTIS PRESS, 126–131. https://doi.org/10.2991/978-2-38476-281-1
Karakavak, Z., & Özbölük, T. (2023). When modesty meets fashion: how social media and influencers change the meaning of hijab. Journal of Islamic Marketing, 14(11), 2907–2927. https://doi.org/10.1108/JIMA-05-2021-0152
Kizgin, H., Jamal, A., Dey, B. L., & Rana, N. P. (2018). The Impact of Social Media on Consumers’ Acculturation and Purchase Intentions. Information Systems Frontiers, 20(3), 503–514. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10796-017-9817-4
Manzoor, S. R., Al-Mahmud, A., Asmawi, A., & Manzoor, S. R. (2024). Advancing Muslim Modest Fashion Clothing: Impact on Consumer Behavior and Challenges for Young Female Muslim Influencers. Journal of Comparative Asian Development, 20(1), 1–26. https://doi.org/10.4018/JCAD.346369
Pratiwi, A. V. M., & Sholihah, R. A. (2020). Evolusi dan Eksistensi Model Abaya pada Masa Modern di Jazirah Arab. Al-Adabiya: Jurnal Kebudayaan Dan Keagamaan, 15(02), 229–241. https://doi.org/10.37680/adabiya.v15i02.620
Putri, K. R., & Setiawan, R. (2023). Arus Budaya Pop Korea dalam Gaya Hidup Mahasiswa Pendidikan Sosiologi Fkip Untirta dalam Perspektif Arjun Appadurai. Edusociata Jurnal Pendidikan Sosiologi, 6, 357–364. https://doi.org/10.33627/es.v6i1.1335
Radermacher, M. (2024). Texts and Images as Data in Qualitative Social Research: Proposing a Common Methodological Approach. International Journal of Qualitative Methods, 23, 1–12. https://doi.org/10.1177/16094069241233170
Radwan, M., Kamal, M., Khavarinezhad, S., & Calandra, D. (2019). Influencing Factors on Modest Fashion Market: A Case Study. International Journal of Applied Research in Management and Economics, 2(1), 12–22. https://doi.org/10.33422/ijarme.v2i1.208
Rahma, D. (2022). Perkembangan Busana Muslim Wanita di Surakarta tahun 1991-2020 dalam Kajian Budaya Populer melalui Media Massa. Google
Ramadhani, N. H., Mulyani, R. E., Abdullah, M. Y., & Rada, I. A. (2025). Misreading the Sacred? A Netnographic Analysis of Youth Reception of Arabic Songs in Shalawat Majlis. Dinika : Academic Journal of Islamic Studies, 10(1), 59–82. https://doi.org/10.22515/dinika.v10i1.11255
Rijali, A. (2018). Analisis Data Kualitatif. Alhadharah: Jurnal Ilmu Dakwah, 17(33), 81. https://doi.org/10.18592/alhadharah.v17i33.2374
Rosyada, F. A., & Adinugraha, H. H. (2022). The Influence of Hijab Fashion Trends on Consumptive Behavior of Islamic Banking Students at Iain Pekalongan. Jmif: Journal of Management and Islamic Finance, 2(1), 43–53. https://doi.org/10.22515/JMIF.v2i1.5114
Siregar, R. Y. (2021). Local Wisdom and Social Change (Roland Barthes’ Semiotic Analysis in Advertisement “The Light of Aceh”). Al-Adabiya: Jurnal Kebudayaan Dan Keagamaan, 16(1), 15–26. https://doi.org/10.37680/adabiya.v16i1.715
Slater, S., & Catherine, D. (2021). Marketer acculturation to diversity needs: The case of modest fashion across two multicultural contexts. Journal of Business Research, 134, 702–715. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusres.2021.05.059
Sugiyono. (2016). Metode Penelitian Kuantitatif, Kualitatif dan R&D. PT Alfabet. Google
Tasman, P. A., & Mahadian, A. B. (2025). Representasi Islam Dalam Humor Habib Ja’far Al-Hadar (Analisis Semiotika Pada Konten Youtube Jeda Nulis). EProceedings of Management, 12(2), 550–554. Google
Ulfa, R. (2016). Analisis Semiotika Peirce: Pakaian Jenis Gamis sebagai Representasi Budaya Arab. Semiotika Jurnal Komunikasi, 401–438. https://doi.org/http://dx.doi.org/10.30813/s:jk.v10i2.946
Wróblewski, Ł., Bilińska-Reformat, K., & Grzesiak, M. (2018). Sustainable activity of cultural service consumers of social media users-Influence on the brand capital of cultural institutions. Sustainability (Switzerland), 10(11). https://doi.org/10.3390/su10113986
Yudha, A. T. R. C., Huda, N., Maksum, Sherawali, & Wijayanti, I. (2024). The Moderating Effect of Religiosity on Fashion Uniqueness and Consciousness in Halal Fashion Purchase. Indonesian Journal of Halal Research, 6(2), 70–83. https://doi.org/10.15575/ijhar.v6i2.34614
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2025 Inayah Amaliah Mutmainnah, Fitriani Fitriani, Haeruddin Haeruddin
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
Authors who publish with this journal agree to the following terms:
- Authors retain copyright and grant the journal right of first publication with the work simultaneously licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution License that allows others to share the work with an acknowledgement of the work's authorship and initial publication in this journal.
- Authors are able to enter into separate, additional contractual arrangements for the non-exclusive distribution of the journal's published version of the work (e.g., post it to an institutional repository or publish it in a book), with an acknowledgement of its initial publication in this journal.
- Authors are permitted and encouraged to post their work online (e.g., in institutional repositories or on their website) prior to and during the submission process, as it can lead to productive exchanges, as well as earlier and greater citation of published work.
