Aisha Retno Sees Indonesia's Music Market as a Challenge and an Opportunity

Aisha Retno (Ivan Two Putra/VOI)

JAKARTA - Young composer from Malaysia, Aisha Retno, started to sharpen his fangs in the Indonesian music industry through his latest collaboration with Ade Govinda.

Through the single "Semoga Saja" which was released last September, Aisha not only released a work, but also carried a mission to expand the reach of her career in the Indonesian music market which is known to be very competitive.

Aisha said this collaboration was a realization of her dream in 2025. Having Indonesian blood from her mother, the 25-year-old singer-songwriter felt that she had a strong emotional bond to work in Indonesia.

For him, the Indonesian market is a big challenge and opportunity that he wants to live with the principle of "go with the flow".

"If God allows me to raise my name in Indonesia, why not? I'm still new here and really want to keep learning," Aisha said when met in Cilandak, South Jakarta recently.

"This collaboration with Kak Ade is an amazing opening for me to introduce myself to listeners in Indonesia," he added.

The song "Semoga Saja" itself carries a ballad genre with a fresh folk arrangement touch. The lyrics, which tell the story of the process of letting go of an ex-boyfriend or 'failing to move on' in a positive way, are believed to be very relevant to the ears of the listeners.

He assessed that the characteristics of listeners in Indonesia and Malaysia have similarities, especially in their love for melancholy songs that touch the heart.

Looking ahead to the years to come, Aisha said she was very open to new challenges in the Indonesian entertainment industry, whether it was releasing a full-length Indonesian album or collaborating with other musicians.

His main focus at the moment is introducing his musical colors so that they can be accepted more widely, while completing a new album project.

Aisha Retno's proactive step of being willing to fly directly to Indonesia to promote "Semoga Saja" shows her seriousness. With a family background from two countries, Aisha hopes that her music can become a bridge of friendship that will further strengthen the relationship between the music industry.