Irama lagu itu mempunyai tempo cepat.

In Malay, demonstratives like ini (this) and itu (that) usually come after the noun.

So:

• lagu itu = that song
• buku ini = this book

This is different from English, where this/that comes before the noun.

In your sentence, lagu itu means that song.

Yes. Irama lagu itu means the rhythm of that song.

Malay often links nouns together directly without using of or an apostrophe:

• irama lagu = the rhythm of the song
• literally: rhythm song

So the structure is:

• irama = rhythm
• lagu itu = that song

Together: irama lagu itu = the rhythm of that song

This noun-linking pattern is very common in Malay.

Mempunyai means to have or to possess.

So:

• mempunyai tempo cepat = has a fast tempo

It is a fairly formal or standard word. In everyday speech, Malay speakers often use ada instead, depending on context.

For example:

• Lagu itu mempunyai tempo cepat = formal / careful style
• Lagu itu ada tempo cepat = less formal, but this specific phrasing is not the most natural musical expression

In this sentence, mempunyai is being used to say that the rhythm/song has a certain tempo.

Because in Malay, adjectives usually come after the noun they describe.

So:

• tempo cepat = fast tempo
• literally: tempo fast

This is the normal Malay word order.

Other examples:

• rumah besar = big house
• kereta merah = red car
• muzik perlahan = slow music

So tempo cepat follows standard Malay adjective placement.

Both are possible, but they are not used in exactly the same way.

• tempo cepat = simple, direct description
• tempo yang cepat = a tempo that is fast, slightly more explicit or descriptive

In many cases, Malay does not need yang before an adjective. So tempo cepat is grammatically fine.

However, yang can be added when the speaker wants a slightly fuller or more descriptive phrase.

Compare:

• lagu dengan tempo cepat = a song with a fast tempo
• lagu dengan tempo yang cepat = a song with a tempo that is fast

The version without yang is often more compact.

It is understandable, but it sounds a bit awkward because irama and tempo are closely related musical terms, so putting them together this way can feel slightly redundant.

More natural alternatives would be:

• Lagu itu bertempo cepat. = That song has a fast tempo.
• Irama lagu itu cepat. = The rhythm of that song is fast.
• Lagu itu mempunyai tempo yang cepat. = That song has a fast tempo.

So the given sentence is understandable, but a native speaker might prefer one of the alternatives above.

Malay does not usually use articles like the or a/an the way English does.

So Malay nouns often appear without any article:

• lagu can mean song, a song, or the song
• tempo cepat can mean fast tempo or a fast tempo

The exact meaning depends on context.

In your sentence, itu helps make lagu definite, so lagu itu clearly means that song.

But for irama and tempo, Malay often leaves article-like meaning to context.

Sometimes yes, but not always in the same style or naturalness.

• mempunyai = has / possesses
• ada = there is / have / exists, depending on context

For possession, ada is very common in everyday Malay:

• Saya ada buku. = I have a book.

But in more formal writing, mempunyai can sound better.

In this musical sentence, a native speaker would probably prefer a different structure altogether, such as:

• Lagu itu bertempo cepat.

So while ada is common in conversation, mempunyai is more suitable than ada in this exact written sentence.

Here, cepat is an adjective meaning fast.

In other contexts, cepat can also function in ways that translate like quickly in English, depending on the sentence.

Examples:

• kereta cepat = fast car
• Dia berlari cepat. = He/She runs fast / quickly.

So cepat is a very flexible and common word. In tempo cepat, it clearly means fast.

Malay often does not need a linking verb like is/are in the way English does.

For example:

• Lagu itu perlahan. = That song is slow.
• Rumah itu besar. = That house is big.

So if you wanted to say The rhythm of that song is fast, you could simply say:

• Irama lagu itu cepat.

No adalah is necessary.

Adalah is used in some formal or specific sentence types, but learners often overuse it. In ordinary descriptive sentences, it is usually omitted.

Not exactly.

• irama usually refers to rhythm
• tempo refers to speed of the beat/music

They are related, but they are not the same thing.

That is one reason the sentence can sound a little unusual: it says the rhythm has a tempo, which is understandable, but native speakers may prefer to describe the song or the rhythm more directly.

For example:

• Irama lagu itu cepat. = The rhythm of that song is fast.
• Lagu itu bertempo cepat. = That song has a fast tempo.

These sound more natural because they avoid overlapping terms.