Indonesian pop star Afgansyah Reza, better known by his stage name Afgan, has a way of bringing one to their knees with the sheer power of his vocals. It was certainly evident when the singer made a stop in Kuala Lumpur recently for the much-anticipated Sonder Asia Tour. Serenading the audience with tracks from his English-language mini album including the wistful Shallow Water, Afgan turned the intimate space of The Bee, Publika into a love lair where his passion for music is only surpassed by the praises of his fans. Riding high on the success of the sold-out show, the singer sat down with content creator, creative director, and close comrade Shalma Ainaa for a long-overdue catch-up session. Read Shalma’s interview with Afgan below.

How did the show go last night?
It went really well. It was my first time doing a smaller, intimate show in Malaysia. I think the venue represented the intimacy of the songs; it reflected the direction of Sonder as it feels more personal compared to my other albums, in the sense that I got to explore a new realm of sound and talk about things that I never talked about in my music.

What was your headspace like when you started working on it?
I wanted the album to sound raw when I was making it. I wanted it to sound like something that is recorded in my bedroom, something that feels very personal and direct, and everything just flowed from there. In many ways, I think Sonder allows me to step out of my comfort zone even more.

The lyrics hit hard too.
They reflect what I was feeling on the day I wrote them, whether it was loneliness, insecurities, nostalgia, or simply my yearning to escape. So the songs are like snapshots of my life. I hope that the fans will listen to them and feel like they know me better as a person, not just as a singer.

It must be quite daunting to perform those songs then. Do you still get performance anxiety?
Yes, I do. Some days are easier, some tougher. But I believe that everything will work out fine as long as I am prepared. I got such anxiety before I went on stage to perform with Brian McKnight last month in Jakarta but because I did a lot of practice, singing the song over and over again, I felt like I knew the song well and it was reflected in my performance.

What would you say was your worst performance to date?
I have to say it’s the time when I performed at an award show in South Korea. I feel like the anxiety took over me and I did not deal with that before I went on stage. So I started feeling like there was a lot of phlegm on my vocal cords, which made the sound unclear; it was very dry. I could not reach the notes smoothly because I was so anxious.

What did you learn from that experience?
Well, I feel like I would have a bad experience whenever I feel like I cannot relax. I don’t ever want to be in that position again. Those big moments are the moments that you live for and you would want to enjoy every minute of it because it will not last forever. I have learned to never let the anxiety take over. I will feel it and release it, and I will practise.

You’re having back-to-back showcases in Kuala Lumpur. What about the city that draws you in?
Malaysia has always been a second home to me. I used to live and study here in Kuala Lumpur for almost three years before I became more active as a singer. So I feel the connection with the city as well as the people. I would like to come back as much as I can, every time I have the opportunity. So I think that is why.

Why do you think Malaysians respond warmly to your music?
I really don’t know. But I do realise that I have been so fortunate to have such loyal fans throughout the years in Malaysia. I feel like there is an emotional connection between us. Like, they get what I try to say in my music. Perhaps it is because the music comes from a real and honest place and they know it.

That is interesting.
With every performance, the intention is always to make them feel less alone and hopefully help them heal from the situation that they’re in. That’s what my heroes do (for me) with their music; they help me heal. They help me feel less alone and feel like I’m understood just by listening to their music. I would like to think that I’m able to do the same for my fans as well.

Speaking of musical heroes, you have collaborated with many great artists. Which one still has you scratching your head like “How did that happen?”
I think all of them because I collaborate with the people that I look up to. I never, in a million years, imagined I would get to work with them, whether it is Datuk Sheila Majid or Jackson Wang, because I respect them so much as artists. It still blows my mind just to think that I actually made something that will live forever with these people.

And there’s Lyodra too, with whom you will be sharing the stage for your concert next month at Megastar Arena.
It’s going to be beautiful because this is a proper duet concert. It’s not like I’m going to be singing solo in one portion of the show, she the other, and we’d perform our song, Ada, together. No, it’s not going to be like that. I want every segment of the show to give different vibes, different energy, different stories. There are so many things that we can do and I’m excited to explore them.

With your packed schedule, how do you unwind?
By enjoying the little things in life. You can find me at the gym or home playing video games on my day off. I also love spending time with my nieces and nephews at my parents’ house and just hanging out with my friends. I don’t need to travel or go somewhere far. No, I can just chill at my place and do the normal things that everybody does.

Photography: Amani Azlin
Creative Direction: Shalma Ainaa
Styling: Lorraine Chai
Art Direction: Shane Rohaizad
Coordination: Nikita Nawawi