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New Straits Times
02-05-2025
- Entertainment
- New Straits Times
#SHOWBIZ: Nadeera and Hael duet leads Top 10 new Raya songs this year
KUALA LUMPUR: Every year, Malaysians' favourite artistes try their best to release catchy Hari Raya songs, and over the last two years, popular girl groups Dolla and De Fam "led the pack", with Raya Raya Raya and Alamak Raya Lagi respectively. Entertainment portal Akses Malaysia recently revealed its Top 10 most trending Raya songs of 2025, and they included duets by Dolla's former singer Syasya Rizal and singer-actress Nur Fazura Sharifuddin, Anugerah Juara Lagu contenders Hael Husaini Razmi and Nadeera Zaini, and pop queen Datuk Seri Siti Nurhaliza. Leading the list of 2025's top 10 Raya songs, as measured by YouTube presence, is Hael's and Nadeera's Meriah Lain Macam, an upbeat song about young Malaysians cherishing their loved ones during Hari Raya and seeking forgiveness for past mistakes. To date it has garnered about 16 million views on YouTube. Former One Nation Emcees lead singer Mimi Norhisham or Mimifly appears to be the most talked-about artiste this Raya season, largely because of her new Raya song Raya Serumpun that comes with a colourful, stylish and (to certain people) daring music video. Raya Serumpun has even been hailed by pop king Anuar Zain as his favourite new Raya song, for its soul, energy and positive vibes, not to mention Mimi's "sexy" dance moves and her brilliant combination of hip-hop, Asli, and pop sounds. The real message behind this song, however, is the need for Malaysians to unite and appreciate each other's cultures in the spirit of Bangsa Malaysia, and it has garnered 14 million YouTube views. Syasya and Fazura's duet, with the cutesy title Raya Pum Pang, comes next with 4 million YouTube views. This cheerful and boisterous duet combines modern and traditional pop, and is complemented with a special, yet simple dance move. Siti, as the country's number one singer, definitely ranks high up every list, and her new Raya single Raya Nak Ke Mana? is fourth-placed. Catchy with meaningful lyrics, this sing-along song is an easy-listening tune to accompany every balik kampung journey, for it is all about keeping Raya traditions alive. Raya Nak Ke Mana? has also garnered 4 million views on YouTube. Another Siti who is a sweetheart to most music lovers, Siti Nordiana, shows her perennial sweet side with the melodious and soothing Hari Lebaran. This song is number five, and talks about scrumptious Raya food, the warmth of being with one's family and seeking forgiveness in the spirit of kindness. The other top five songs are Wany Hasrita's Raya Telah Tiba, Umairah's Tak Balik Raya which is specially for those who have to work during Raya, Dayang Nurfaizah's Jodoh Hari Raya about finding love during Raya, the Aisha Retno and Aziz Harun duet Ketipak Ketipung Raya which is an update of their 2024 version, and Iman Fandi's Hari Raya Raya Raya which is humorous and comes with a special dance.
Yahoo
26-03-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
‘Alamak Raya Lagi' one year on: The story behind De Fam's massive hit that ruled airwaves during 2024's Aidilfitri (VIDEO)
KUALA LUMPUR, March 27 — If you celebrated Aidilfitri in Malaysia last year, chances are you've heard of Alamak Raya Lagi, the infectious hit by local girl group De Fam. Released just before Ramadan, the catchy track was everywhere — on radio, in shopping malls, and Ramadan bazaars — while its music video amassed nearly 50 million views on YouTube. The song even gained international traction, sparking dance challenges on social media. South Korean pop group and Japanese dance troupe AvantGardey joined the trend, further cementing its popularity, despite criticism from some conservative quarters over its title and lyrics. This was despite some negative criticism by the conservative quarters who deemed the title as a slight on the arrival of the holy celebration, while one of its lines also received frowns from the puritans. Malay Mail catches up with members of the trio along with the songwriters behind the song to hear what they feel about it — one year later. Behind the viral success De Fam's rapper, Sophia Liana, one of the song's writers, admitted thee group — which also included Azira Syafinaz and Cik Manggis — were stunned by the overwhelming response. 'Even though the song was misunderstood at first, it is nothing deeper than us just talking about how chaotic preparing for Hari Raya can be, but we still love celebrating it nonetheless,' she told Malay Mail. She added that its success in Indonesia, Japan, Singapore, and Brunei was unexpected. 'This was one of the most iconic challenges we've ever done,' she added. For Azira, the song remains a career highlight, with over 5 million Spotify plays and continuous requests for performances — even outside the festive season. 'This is actually what we want, we do hope our song can be an evergreen song that will be played every year without fail like those old Hari Raya songs. 'Let's hope in 10 years time, people will still sing and dance to Alamak Raya Lagi,' said the singer and actress. Originally planned for 2023, the release was postponed to March 8, 2024, due to strategic planning. View this post on Instagram A post shared by DE FAM (@defamofficial) How 'Alamak Raya Lagi' was born Produced under Faithful Publishing (FP) — the record company of the award-winning artist Faizal Tahir — the song was co-written with in-house talents Ja'a, Awan, Mage, and Glowrush. According to Ja'a, inspiration struck during a stressful day at the office in early 2023. A casual jam session turned into a songwriting session, and within an hour, the first demo was done. 'We really thought it was just another Faithful project where all of the talents at Faithful Publishing would sing it together just for fun,' he said, saying he did not expect it to be pitched to De Fam, who had by then recorded a number of hits. They said the song was partly inspired by Malaysia's Aidilfitri celebration in 2022, which caught many off guard after it was announced to be celebrated one day earlier than when most had expected. For Awan, this was her first-ever songwriting credit, despite having no musical background. She credited the song's success to strong teamwork from production to marketing, with De Fam playing a key role in shaping its reach. Setting a new benchmark Following its success, Ja'a admitted that Alamak Raya Lagi has become the standard for FP's Raya projects. This year, he is involved in multiple festive tracks, including Fazura and Syasya Rizal's Raya Pum Pang, with clients specifically requesting songs that sound 'like Alamak Raya Lagi.' Despite this, replicating its exact impact is nearly impossible. While De Fam won't be releasing a new Raya song this year, they dropped a dangdut-style 'Koplo' remix of Alamak Raya Lagi earlier this month. And who knows? In 10 years, we might still be singing and dancing to it.
Yahoo
31-01-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Azira Shafinaz gets international attention since Asia Pacific Film Fest win
31 Jan - Azira Shafinaz recently admitted that she has received various offers from international production companies following her Best Supporting Actress win at the 61st Asia Pacific Film Festival. The actress and member of De Fam, who spoke to the media recently, stated that she has received some offers after these international delegations saw her performance in "Indera", the movie that enabled her to win the said accolade. "But we're still in talks about it. I don't want to talk too much about this because as I said, everything is still in discussion. But praise be to God, winning the award has opened doors for me for international market," she said. The actress, who recently made her return to the second season of the hit drama "One Cent Thief", said that she still has her limits when it comes to roles. "I will not do scenes that goes against the religion and our culture. That is the kind of thing that we have to consider when we work with overseas productions," she added. At the same time, Azira admitted that she felt sad that people outside Malaysia seemed to recognise her talents more than her own country. "Maybe here in Malaysia, we care more about popularity than talent. I am not talking about me, but generally. We have to give more opportunities to those who have potential," she added. (Photo Source: Azira IG)
