Profile of Rossa, the Successful Diva of Indonesian Pop Who Has Produced Many Musical Works

Not many people know that Rossa started 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 when she was 10 and 11 years old, respectively. Although these albums did not explode in the market, they were an important first step in Rossa's long musical career journey. 

Rossa not only shines on 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 granted only to students with outstanding academic and/or non-academic achievements.

Rossa has released many albums and singles that have been commercially successful, 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 3rd with total sales exceeding 5 million CD copies.

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 sold more than 100,000 CD copies, an extraordinary achievement that was 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 producer of films, demonstrating her wide influence in the entertainment industry.

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 concert in Indonesia, Malaysia, and Singapore broke records as the most expensive solo concert by an Indonesian singer in history, showcasing her extraordinary popularity and appeal. As a singer with a plethora of hit songs, Rossa has become a source of inspiration for many singers across generations, particularly among the youth. The timeless popularity of Rossa's songs has led to her works being continuously revived by singers from various genres and eras. Some even released covers of Rossa's iconic songs in their own versions.

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 covered 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 performed Atas Nama Cinta again in the same year. Gonebloom presented 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.

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 deserving of being called a cross-generational music icon who continues to inspire.

Born in the cassette era and still able to penetrate the youth music market, including Gen Z, is a testament to Rossa's strong presence in the ever-evolving music industry. Not only successful physically, Rossa has also achieved remarkable success in the digital realm. In 2020, Rossa was crowned as the Most Streamed Female Singer in Indonesian on Spotify Indonesia, alongside global names such as Taylor Swift, Ariana Grande, Billie Eilish, and NIKI Zefanya.

Not only on Spotify, Rossa also received similar accolades on various other digital music platforms. She has been recorded as the highest streaming female singer in Indonesian on Apple Music, JOOX, and Langit Musik for three consecutive years, namely in 2020, 2021, and 2022. This achievement shows that Rossa is not only surviving but also remains relevant amid 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, the South Korean international label and management that handles famous artists such as BoA, Super Junior, Aespa, Red Velvet, and Girls' Generation.

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

Rossa is said to have achieved profits between 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 inspirational figure, not only as an artist but also as a visionary and resilient female entrepreneur.