Indonesian star Afgan hopes to work with PH artists

For Afgan, one of Indonesia’s biggest music artists, seeing more and more Southeast Asian artists make it on the international stage is a heartening development that inspires him to step out of his comfort zone.

“I’m really happy, actually. We have so many artists who are getting their breaks in the American, Asian markets … everywhere. That really motivates me. I feel like if they can do it, then I can do it, too. Staying in your comfort zone makes you not want to go anywhere else but I don’t want to be like that. I want to grow and try new things,” Afgan told the Inquirer in a virtual interview.

The past couple of years saw artists like Rich Brian and Niki (Indonesia), Yuna (Malaysia), Milli and Lisa Manoban (Thailand) and our very own SB19 make career inroads overseas. “It helps create a path for other artists to follow. I’m excited,” he pointed out.

The singer-songwriter, whose full name is Afgansyah Reza, expressed admiration for the Filipino boy band SB19 and singer-actor James Reid. “There are many great singers in the Philippines. I recently discovered SB19. I also like James Reid’s music,” Afgan said. “I’m open to collaborating with Filipino artists. I have been following some of them online.”

Supportive friend

He has also formed a friendship with Christian Bautista, who achieved considerable success in Indonesia in the 2000s through his hit song “The Way You Look at Me.”

“We got to perform at the same event once or twice. He comes to Indonesia a lot. We had a chance to meet, and we became friends. I remember when I was promoting my first English album (‘Wallflower,’ 2021), he posted about it on Twitter,” he said of Christian, who still visits Indonesia every so often for work-related engagements.

“I’m grateful to him for being supportive,” the 35-year-old singer-songwriter added.

Debuting in 2008, Afgan was known for pop songs and romantic ballads during his early years on the scene. But with his growing popularity and status in Indonesia came a growing desire to take control of the creative aspects of his music. Now, he continues to explore different genres and seek seemingly unlikely collaborations.

He recently released his second English album, “Sonder” (Empire), which aims to build on the promising international performance of his previous project, “Wallflower.” The new album features collaborations with Korean-American rapper Jessi (on the track “Escape”) and Vietnamese-American R&B artist Thuy (“Criminal”).

“I want to be more honest. I don’t want to fit in a box and stay in that box forever, just because it’s comfortable for everyone. I see myself leaning more toward this direction and evolving,” he said.

Excerpts from the interview:

I have read that you recorded “Sonder” in London?

Prior to this, I wrote my first English album, “Wallflower,” in the United States. I felt like I wanted to try something different. I wanted to work with different producers and in different environments in hopes of coming up with a new sound.

So, this time, we decided to do it in London, and it was amazing. I really wanted to create something with a more pop sound but with touches of electronic and dance. We really accomplished that. The writing and recording process was fast. It took us only two weeks. We wrote 10 songs and ended up picking five.

Just two weeks?

The vocals you hear in this album are actually like demos in a way. We wrote the songs and did the vocals on the same day. In your first takes, there’s that feeling of spontaneity. The singing sounds more sincere that way.

Where did you draw inspiration for the album?

A lot of things have happened in the past three years. I feel like I have reached a certain stage where I feel more confident about giving my ideas and what I want to say. I used to feel insecure and intimidated. But this time around, I want to write a song about this, and this is how it’s going to sound like. I’m more comfortable in my own skin. The inspiration was basically how I was feeling during that time.

When did you realize that you have to have more creative control?

Everything that happened in my career was very organic. I was discovered when I was 17 and made my first record at 18. I didn’t really know at the time what I wanted to say with my music. The only thing I knew was that I loved to sing. Just being able to sing was already a dream come true.

As I grew older, I had all these life experiences and gained new perspectives on what I wanted to be, how I wanted to be seen as a musician. The ideas started to flow. I decided back in 2014 that I wanted to write my own songs. That’s what I have been doing ever since.

Did you feel like it was easier to take risks after establishing yourself?

I don’t really see it from that perspective. It’s just what felt right for me. And right now, I feel like I want to be more honest and authentic. There are so many talented singers in Indonesia. But I can only do me. There’s only one Afgan and that’s my strength. That’s what I want to give more of instead of trying to be everyone else.

What was your fans’ reaction to the changes?

There was a transition, of course. Before this, I was known for singing ballads and pop songs. At this point, I just feel like I have nothing to prove. I want to make music that’s truthful to me. Eventually, that allowed fans to get to know me on a more personal level. They appreciated that.

Tell us about “Escape,” your collaboration with Jessi. What do you think made you guys click?

We’re friends. We performed at an event, talked on social media and have kept in touch. When I first finished “Escape,” I felt like there was something missing, that I needed to collaborate with another artist. And I felt like Jessi’s energy really matches the song, because it’s very summery and feel-good. And she always has that energy.

I told her I had a song and sent it over. She liked it. She was really helpful. She flew all the way to Bali from Korea to shoot the music video. So I’m forever grateful to her.

You described the album as a start of a new chapter. What else do you want to explore or pursue?

Collaborating with Jessi was something no one would have ever thought. It was a surprise … two artists of different genres creating together. So the whole thing was pretty exploratory for me.

The next step is to perform the songs live, do more shows outside Indonesia and introduce this sound to people who have never heard my music before. That will be the challenging part, but I know that it’s going to be worth it.

So is this new album part of your plans of going more global?

I really want to do more English projects and collaborations with overseas artists. From now on, I have to be consistent. I like new challenges. It feels like I’m starting all over again. I like that feeling of hunger for new experiences, so I’m definitely going to do more.