Learn Hardcore Malay: Penyanyi itu muat turun senarai lagu baharu sebelum konsert bermula. - The singer downloads a new list of songs before the concert begins.

It means “to download.” It’s a calque from English: muat (load) + turun (down). In more formal Malay the verb is memuat turun, but in everyday/tech contexts you often see just muat turun.

How do you express past tense in this sentence? There’s no “did” or “-ed.”

Malay doesn’t conjugate verbs for tense. You rely on time words or context. Here sebelum konsert bermula (“before the concert started”) tells you that muat turun happened in the past.

Why is itu placed after penyanyi? Does it mean “that singer” or “the singer”?

Yes. In Malay, demonstratives (ini = this, itu = that/the) follow the noun. So penyanyi itu means “that singer” (or “the singer” if context implies definiteness).

Could we say lagu-lagu baharu instead of senarai lagu baharu?

You could say lagu-lagu baharu (“new songs”) to talk about the songs themselves. But senarai lagu baharu means “a list of new songs,” emphasizing the list, not the songs directly.

What does bermula mean? Why the prefix ber-?

Bermula means “to begin” or “to start.” The prefix ber- often turns a noun or root into an intransitive verb or indicates a process/state. Here mula = start, so bermula = to start.

Is there a difference between baharu and baru?

Both mean “new,” but baharu is slightly more formal or literary and typically pairs with nouns (lagu baharu). Baru can also mean “just now” (e.g., saya baru sampai = I just arrived).

Can the time phrase sebelum konsert bermula be placed elsewhere?

Yes. Malay allows flexible word order for adverbials. You could say:
“Sebelum konsert bermula, penyanyi itu muat turun senarai lagu baharu.”
or place it at the end as in the original sentence.