Profile of Rossa, Indonesia's Best-Selling Pop Diva of All Time

Kapanlagi.com - Who doesn't know Rossa? Known as the Best-Selling Indonesian Pop Diva of All Time, she is an iconic figure in the Indonesian music industry. Over three decades of work, she has achieved numerous accomplishments, including dozens of albums, dozens of hit songs, 122 awards, hundreds of concerts, 170 soundtracks, and more than 12 million copies of her albums sold.

Sri Rossa Roslaina Handiyani, better known by her stage name Rossa or Dato’ Sri Rossa in Malaysia, is a singer, businesswoman, actress, record producer, executive film producer, music video director, judge for various talent shows, and presenter. Her albums have received various prestigious awards, including Multi-Platinum Awards and Million Awards for their sales.

Rossa's consistency in the music world is a testament to her resilience and relevance amidst changing times. She has not only managed to endure but also continues to evolve and reach new generations, including Gen Z. Notably, at the beginning of 2025, Rossa made history as the first Indonesian singer from the cassette era to reach 1 billion streams on Spotify, joining the ranks of the 10 most popular Gen Z female singers on the platform. An achievement that has yet to be matched by her contemporaries.

Not many know that Rossa began her career at the age of 5 by participating in various singing competitions. Her outstanding talent led her to be signed by Pro-Sound Record and release two children's albums: Gadis Ingusan (1988) and Untuk Sahabatku (1989), each at the ages of 10 and 11. Although they did not explode in the market, these albums were an important first step in Rossa's long musical career. Check out her complete profile below, come on KLovers!

1. Achieving in Academia and Graduate of FISIP UI

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Rossa not only shines on the entertainment stage but also excels academically. From elementary school to high school, she consistently ranked in the top one to three in her class. She successfully entered the Faculty of Social and Political Sciences at the University of Indonesia (FISIP UI) through the PMDK pathway, which is a selection route without written tests given only to students with outstanding academic and/or non-academic achievements.

Rossa has released many commercially successful albums and singles, topping the charts and selling millions of copies. Her albums are not only sold in Indonesia but also in Southeast Asia and Japan. Her second compilation album, The Best of Rossa (2011), made it to the list of the 10 best-selling albums of all time in Indonesia, ranking third with total sales exceeding 5 million CDs.

2. Influence in the Entertainment Industry

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Not stopping there, the studio album Love, Life and Music released in 2014 set a record as the fastest-selling album in the history of Indonesian music. Just one day after its launch, the album managed to sell over 100,000 copies of CDs, an extraordinary achievement that was then officially recognized by the Indonesian World Record Museum (MURI) and the Indonesian Recording Industry Association (ASIRI).

These records affirm Rossa's position as one of the artists with the greatest commercial achievements in the history of music in the homeland. In addition to being a singer, Rossa is also active as a judge in various talent search events such as Indonesian Idol, X Factor Indonesia, Indonesia's Got Talent, Rising Star Indonesia, 3 Juara (Malaysia), The Hardest Singing Show (Malaysia) as well as being a music producer and executive film producer, demonstrating her extensive influence in the entertainment industry.

3. Awards and Recognition

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Rossa has received various awards and recognition for her work, including from renowned media and music organizations internationally such as SM Entertainment, Asia Pop 40, Anugerah Planet Muzik, Elle Magazine, Tatler Asia, Bandwagon Asia, Apple Music, Spotify, Langit Musik, and others, solidifying her position as the "Queen of Indonesian Pop".

Rossa's solo concerts in Indonesia, Malaysia, and Singapore broke records as the most expensive solo concert by an Indonesian singer in history, demonstrating her incredible popularity and appeal. As a singer with a plethora of hit songs, Rossa has become a source of inspiration for many singers across generations, especially among the youth. The enduring popularity of Rossa's songs has led to her works being continually revived by singers from various genres and eras. Some of them have even released cover versions of Rossa's iconic songs in their own style.

4. Inspiration Across Generations

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Among them is Marsha (Indonesian Idol) who covered the song Tegar in 2007, followed by D'Langit Band with Pudar (2011), and Jikustik who released a new version of Aku Bukan Untukmu in the same year. Cindy Bernadette also revived the song Perawan Cinta in 2013, while Marcell Siahaan sang Kini in the same year. Titi DJ presented a new version of Terlalu Cinta in 2015, and The Sibling rearranged Tegar in 2016.

Rossa's works have also found a place in the hearts of young singers across genres, such as Yesa Lona who covered the song Nada-Nada Cinta in a dangdut version (2021), and Tissa Biani who brought back Atas Nama Cinta in the same year. Gonebloom offered a new interpretation of the songs Ayat-Ayat Cinta and Terlalu Cinta in 2022, while Yovie Widianto and Lyodra presented a version of Terlalu Cinta in 2024. Most recently, young singer Deborah Hanna covered Takkan Berpaling Dari-Mu in 2024.

5. Digital Streaming Achievements

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The series of reinterpretations of Rossa's songs proves that her works not only endure in memory but also remain relevant and loved by a new generation. This makes Rossa worthy of being called a cross-generational music icon who continues to inspire.

Born in the cassette era and still able to penetrate the music market of the younger generation, including Gen Z, is clear evidence of Rossa's strong existence in the ever-evolving music industry. Not only successful physically, Rossa has also achieved remarkable accomplishments in the digital realm. In 2020, Rossa was crowned as the Most Played Indonesian Female Singer on Spotify Indonesia, alongside global names like Taylor Swift, Ariana Grande, Billie Eilish, and NIKI Zefanya.

6. Under International Label Contract

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Not only on Spotify, Rossa has also achieved similar titles on various other digital music platforms. She is recorded as the Indonesian female singer with the highest streaming numbers on Apple Music, JOOX, and Langit Musik for three consecutive years, namely in 2020, 2021, and 2022. This achievement shows that Rossa not only endures but also remains relevant amidst the dominance of new generation musicians in the digital era.

In February 2019, Rossa became the first Indonesian artist and the first Southeast Asian solo artist to join SM Entertainment, an international label and management from South Korea that handles famous artists such as BoA, Super Junior, Aespa, Red Velvet, and Girls' Generation.

7. Rossa Has Many Businesses

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Not only excelling in the academic world and the entertainment stage, Rossa is also known as a smart figure in managing her various business lines. She has successfully ventured into various business sectors, ranging from production houses, cosmetics, karaoke, culinary, to real estate. According to a report from SWA magazine, Rossa is known as a diva who enjoys multiplying her assets through investments in the real estate sector.

Rossa is said to have achieved profits ranging from 50% to 100% from buying and selling houses, villas, and apartments. Her expertise in managing businesses while balancing a career in the entertainment industry makes Rossa an inspiring figure, not just as an artist, but also as a visionary and resilient female entrepreneur.

(kpl/aal/dyn)