Malaysians have been going crazy over Coldplay’s (sold out) upcoming Kuala Lumpur (KL) concert. This is probably because the British band is of course extremely popular and has a huge fanbase but also because it’s rare for international artists to tour here.
Just a few days ago, Live Nation (organizers of Coldplay’s KL concert) announced on their Facebook and Twitter that local rising rapper, Bunga will be opening the show. What was set to be an exciting announcement turned sour as netizens flooded the comment section calling for more concert days to be added instead of reacting to Bunga’s performance. Several other comments also said that they don’t know who Bunga is and don’t really care about her opening performance for the concert.
Speaking exclusively to WORLD OF BUZZ, Bunga said she knew that “some people will be against it. I know there will be some people who’ll say that I do not deserve it. I know, because I’m still new. It’s not their fault to not know me.”
“But I take this opportunity, to let them know who I am and what I can do. This is my chance to let more people listen to my music because I believe in my music & my team.”
We believe in you too Bunga! That’s why we’re taking this chance to showcase some of the facts you Malaysians should know about this rising star!
1.Known for her signature Baju Kurung look
Noor Ayu Fatini, better known as her stage name, Bunga, is a brilliant Malaysian rapper from Perak who is pretty famous in the local Malay music scene. The 23-year-old originally rose to fame after she was featured in a well-known Malaysian rap battle show on YouTube.
International media publications, including The New York Times, have referred to Bunga as the first Malaysian hijabi rapper. Local fans are familiar with her due to her signature style, wearing the traditional Malay baju kurung while delivering powerful rap performances. This Malaysian artist has had a number of released songs since signing with Warner Music Malaysia in 2019.
Despite criticisms for “bringing down the image of women” according to some Malays due to her baju kurung performance outfits, she hasn’t stopped from expanding her rap career.
@warnermusicmy Part ?buai buai? dah tersangkut dalam kepala ni and we’re not complaining ?❤️ @bungaisme.1 #BuaiBunga #Bunga #MusicOnTrend
2. First gained recognition after being a finalist on local rap star, Joe Flizzow’s YouTube rap competition show, ‘16 Baris’
Bunga took part in the 16 Baris rap battle in 2019, which was organised by Joe Flizzow, one of the most known and successful local rappers. She was the only female participant in the event and came confidently to the event in her baju kurung that caught the attention of many Malaysians.
Her strong rap delivery surprised many as the baju kurung is largely associated with daintiness. This was the performance that got people to talk about Bunga.
3. Has a song called Intan Payung with the nation’s Queen of Ethnic Pop, Noraniza Idris
“Intan Payung” is a song collaboration between Bunga and the country’s Queen of Ethnic Pop, Noraniza Idris.
Bunga says this song is about her and how she navigates the challenging local music industry scene as a young artist. As such she says Noraniza’s chorus was like a mother advising her child who just wants to learn.
Noraniza’s part in the song acts like a wise voice of support to those navigating through harsh environments. For a young artist like Bunga, she has faced much criticism but this song was a strong pushback against the hate.
4.Collaborated with American R&B singer Pink Sweats on the song “I Feel Good”
Despite her relatively new start in the professional music scene, Bunga managed to bag a song with popular R&B American artist Pink Sweat$ (real name: David Bowden) called “I Feel Good”. The duo actually made a surprise live performance for this song performed this song at the Malaysian Good Vibes Weekender music festival in September 2022.
The performance generated a lot of talk online as fans of both artists were blown away by the unexpected set and buttery live vocals.
Sweet in a baju kurung, her signature trademark since it went viral in 2019, Bunga was confident as always to deliver the song.
5. Can rap in Mandarin
This Malaysian rapper truly is open to explore new horizons, as seen with her Mandarin rap collaboration with Malay Mandopop singer, Layla Sania on the song “Bambino”. Bunga actually speaks basic Mandarin! Hence she decided to pursue this song collaboration.
When asked by WORLD OF BUZZ what she wishes our readers to know about her, she wanted to showcase this cool “Bambino” song. She feels that not many people know that she featured on a Mandarin song with Layla Sania and can rap in Mandarin besides in Malay and English. This local gem of an artist is a trilingual queen!
“It was not easy to deliver the song because my Mandarin was kind of rusty but I managed to practice it for a short period with Layla and her team. If you haven’t listen to it, you should listen now because it is a really nice song”, she told us.
6. She is a determined go-getter
This young star was able to buy a house and a car at just 22 years old thanks to her hard working nature. She juggles her career with professional studies at the same time and successfully obtained a diploma in business from Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM). She is currently pursuing a bachelor’s degree.
Bunga’s upcoming performance at Coldplay is proof of her success as a rapper here. We asked Bunga what her favourite Coldplay song is and she said that it’s “A Sky Full of Stars” because she sees herself as a star.
“The song lyrics, ‘I don’t care, go on and tear me apart’ makes me believe that I can be who I want to be, no matter what people say, no matter how hard the journey is, how people will judge you on whatever you do, I still want to be myself”, she said.
We can’t wait for her opening performance that’s set to last for 20 minutes. She says she’ll most probably perform her songs, “Intan Payung” and “Buai.”
All the best Bunga!
What do you think of the backlash of comments she got? Let us know in the comments.
Also Read: For the First Time Ever, Coldplay Will Perform for 4 Days in Singapore & We’re So Jealous!
