Rossa (singer)

Sri Rossa Roslaina Handiyani, known simply as Rossa in Indonesia and Dato' Sri Rossa in Malaysia, is an Indonesian singer, businesswoman, actress, producer, and presenter. She was born in Sumedang, West Java, Indonesia on 9 October 1978. SM Entertainment, Anugerah Planet Muzik, Asia Pop 40 & Indonesia Media mention that Rossa is the "Queen of Pop Indonesia." She is one of the most popular artists in Indonesian and Malay-speaking countries, and the most expensive Indonesian singer in Malaysia and Singapore. She is one of the best-selling Indonesian artists of all time based on album sales, with over twelve million copies sold in the region until 2023.
Rossa has produced numerous hit songs and gained Multi-Platinum Award & Million Award for her albums. Since 1999, her albums have been released in Southeast Asia and also Japan. Her second compilation album, The Best of Rossa (2011) is listed third on the list of best-selling albums of all time in Indonesia with album sales of more than 5 million copies. Her solo album Love, Life & Music also broke the Indonesian Record World Museum (MURI) and Indonesia Recording Industry Association (ASIRI) for selling over 100,000 copies of CD in a day. Her songs have been used for over 160 soundtrack titles, both for films and soap operas, until 2022. Rossa has won many awards, with a total of more than 120 awards until 2022; she is one of the most awarded Indonesian artists in history.
At the beginning of 2017, Rossa launched her latest album "A New Chapter" which incorporates collaborations with international musicians such as Mitch Allan, Tushar Apte, Fiona Bevan, and others. It was awarded 4× Platinum Awards on 5 October 2017. She also received the "Planet Muzik Special Award (Category : Legend Award)" from Anugerah Planet Muzik in Singapore on 28 October 2018, making her the first Indonesian singer to receive a special award for this category.
In February 2019, Rossa became the first Indonesian artist and first Southeast Asian solo artist to join SM Entertainment, an International label and management group from South Korea that handles famous artists such as Kangta, BoA, TVXQ!, Super Junior, Girls' Generation, Shinee, f(x), EXO, Red Velvet, NCT, aespa and many others.
Rossa debuted as a singer when she was ten years old with her first album, Gadis Ingusan, in 1988. In 1990, she released her second album titled Untuk Sahabatku under the supervision of Dian Records/Pro-Sound. Following this album, Rossa took time to complete her studies before continuing her journey with music. However, her career as a child singer was not yet successful.
Rossa's career breakthrough came when she released her third studio album Nada-Nada Cinta in 1996 produced by Younky Soewarno. This album sold more than 750,000 copies, and the single "Nada-Nada Cinta" ranked second on MTV Ampuh Indonesia for 18 weeks under Indonesia's all-time MTV Chart List section. This song was also ranked 1st in the category of "Song of the Year MTV Ampuh Indonesia". In addition to being a singer, she was also an actress, starring in the soap opera entitled Dua Sisi Mata Uang.
In 1999, Rossa released her fourth album Tegar. It received Four Platinum Awards, and she won Favourite Female Artist at MTV Indonesia Award in 2000, The Potential Star Award by Bintang Magazine and The Magical Star by Cek & Ricek. The main single Tegar was also used as original soundtrack for Indonesian soap opera Suami, Istri & Dia starring Ronnie Sianturi. In 2000, the album Tegar was also released in Malaysia under BMG Music. At the end of July 2000, Rossa released her new album entitled Hati Yang Terpilih exclusively for the soap opera of the same name. Outside Indonesia, Rossa actively performed in events such as the Asian Music Festival and My Love in Hanoi, Vietnam on 26 October 2000. She also received the honour of "Best Progressive – Pop Solo Female Artist" at the Anugerah Musik Indonesia (AMI Awards) award in 2001 for her album's achievement of being sold more than 450,000 copies. Her second single Biarkan Cinta itu Ada from the album Tegar was also used as the soundtrack of the soap opera Tersayang in Brunei in 2001.
Although busy singing and studying, Rossa finally managed to finish her studies at the Faculty of Social and Political Science, University of Indonesia (UI) in February 2002. In May 2002, Rossa released a single entitled KINI. This single is part of Rossa's new album entitled "Kini," created by nine reliable Indonesian musicians such as Yovie Widianto, Iszur Muchtar, Melly Goeslaw, and others released on 30 April 2002. She received the honour of "Best Female Solo Artist" at the Indonesian Music Awards (6th AMI Awards, 2002) for her album's achievement of selling more than 500,000 copies. She also starred in the soap opera entitled Perisai Kasih with her song Kepastian as its original soundtrack. The album Kini was relaunched by Rossa with the addition of a new song titled Malam Pertama composed by Melly Goeslaw exclusively for the soap opera of the same name. This album went double platinum in 2004. Her single "Malam Pertama" was also ranked 3rd on MTV Ampuh Indonesia for eight weeks under Indonesia's all-time MTV Chart List section.
In December 2004, Rossa released a new album entitled Kembali. A year later, Rossa was chosen as an MTV Malaysia Exclusive Artist (January 2005) and MTV Ampuh Artist of The Month (February 2005). The album Kembali was released in Malaysia on 12 May 2005 under the guidance of Suria Records with her mini concert being held at Planet Hollywood, Malaysia on 23 May 2005 for promotion. She was also awarded "The Best Female Singer" by the Anugerah Musik Indonesia (AMI Awards, 9th, 2005).
In the same year (2005), Rossa contributed in the making of the compilation album entitled From Us to U to salute the legendary singer and artist, Titiek Puspa. On the album, Rossa was trusted to sing a legendary song Cinta that belongs to Titiek Puspa. Rossa also sang Marilah Kemari with various artists who were also involved in the making of this album.
Rossa was also nominated for an award by MTV Asia Awards on 28 February 2006 in Bangkok as one of the representatives of Indonesia. On 26 December 2006, she launched her latest album entitled Yang Terpilih with three hits songs; Terlalu Cinta, Atas Nama Cinta, and Tak Termiliki. Atas Nama Cinta was chosen as the soundtrack of the soap opera Cinta Fitri by MD Entertainment. In Malaysia, the album Yang Terpilih was released on 16 May 2007. She also won an award from Anugerah Industri Muzik (AIM 15th, 2008) as "Best Malay Song Performed by a Foreign Artist".
In December 2007, Rossa again showed her talents as an Indonesian Music Diva with the release of a new single entitled Ayat-Ayat Cinta which was exclusively made for the film of the same name, which aired on 28 February 2008. This single has won many awards such as "The Best Female Singer" category by the Anugerah Musik Indonesia (AMI Awards 11th, 2008), The Most Popular Singer (SCTV Awards, 2008), The Best Favorite Singer (SWA Magazine), and Best Malay Song Performed by a Foreign Artist – Anugerah Industri Muzik (AIM 16th, 2009). Rossa also performed Takdir Cinta and Tercipta Untukku ft. Ungu in Malaysia. The single Ayat-Ayat Cinta broke the record by being the most downloaded song with around 700,000 downloads. Rossa also had the chance to perform at the Asian Night Olympic Games in Beijing, China (2008) as the representative of Indonesia.
Rossa's single concert on 26 November 2008, with the assistance of Jay Subiyakto and Erwin Gutawa, was finally realised with the title Persembahan Cinta at the Jakarta Convention Centre (JCC) accompanied by Ungu and Melly Goeslaw as her special guests. The tickets sold out three weeks before the concert with attendees numbering around 6,000. Success in Jakarta, Rossa also held concert "Persembahan Cinta" in Surabaya & Bandung in 2009.
Rossa released a self-titled album "Rossa" on 14 January 2009. The single of this album was entitled Terlanjur Cinta, a duet with Pasha (Ungu's lead singer), Hati Yang Kau Sakiti, Tega and many more. To promote this album, Rossa also held a concert tour "Cerita Cinta" in 7 major cities in Indonesia plus 1 concert in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. The same year, Rossa was awarded "The Best Inspiring Woman (Kartini Awards, 2009)" and "The Best Video Clip Inbox Awards 2009". Rossa was also awarded in Malaysia as "The Best Malay Song Performed by a Foreign Artist – Anugerah Industri Muzik (AIM 16th, 2009)".
On 23 May 2010, Rossa held a mega concert entitled Melodi Cinta in Stadium Putra Bukit Jalil (Axiata Arena), Malaysia with more than 12,000 attendees. This concert also introduced special guests; Ungu, ST12, Aizat, Permata Seni Choir, Permata Seni Muzik Tunas, Yovie Widianto heading the Orchestra, and Jay Subiyakto as the Art Director. The concert was supported by Datin Paduka Seri Rosmah Mansor (the Malaysian Prime Minister's Wife), politician Agum Gumelar and his wife Linda Gumelar. So far, Rossa is the only Indonesian artist capable of holding such a large solo concert in Malaysia and sold out. Even reportedly, Rossa was paid 10 billion for this concert.
Following the success of the mega concert, Rossa released a new album entitled Harmoni Jalinan Nada & Cerita with three popular songs; Memeluk Bulan, Jagad Khayalku, and Ku Menunggu. She was awarded by Halo Selebriti as the Most Favorite Female Artist, The Best Female Singer Album-SCTV Music Awards 2010 (for the Rossa album), The Best Malay Song Performed by a Foreign Artist-Anugerah Industri Muzik (AIM 18th, 2011) for single Ku Menunggu, and The Best Female Singer-Anugerah Planet Muzik (APM 10th, 2011) for the album Harmoni Jalinan Nada & Cerita.
On 11 October 2011, Rossa held her own concert outside of Indonesia, in Esplanade, Singapore. The concert was entitled Harmoni Cinta. She launched a new single at the concert, Aku Bersahaja which was sung together with Taufik Batisah. This concert was attended by 1,800 fans. At the end of 2011, Rossa released an album entitled The Best of Rossa in Indonesia, with three popular songs; Jangan Ada Dusta Diantara Kita ft. Broery Marantika, Tak Sanggup Lagi, and One Night Lover ft. Joe Flizzow. Two more songs were added to the album for the international market, Ku Pinang Kau Dengan Bismillah, and Aku Bersahaja. In Indonesia, the album sold more than 5 million copies and included in the 10th list of best selling albums of all time in Indonesia in 3rd position. Along with this album, Rossa won awards for the region and national acknowledgement. In addition, the duet with Joe Flizzow One Night Lover delivered Rossa as a singer in New York Fashion Week (2012), and her name was listed in Global Grind, a well-known entertainment website in the US.
Apart from her activity as a singer, Rossa also expanded her activities into the family karaoke business, and established Diva Family Karaoke. Currently, it is one of the biggest family karaoke establishments in Indonesia. She was also appointed by Fremantle Media as one of the judges for X-Factor Indonesia (Season 1) and with her coaching, her contestant won.
Rossa was endowed with a title of nobility from Keraton Surakarta as "Kanjeng Mas Ayu Tumenggung Sri Rossa Swarakaloka", as well as the title of nobility from the Pahang Kingdom, Malaysia, as "Dato'". Rossa is the only singer from Indonesia to be given this prestigious title. At the end of 2013, Rossa released the single Salahkah along with Malaysian singer, Hafiz Suip, which was exclusively made for the Malaysian soap opera Bukan Kerana Aku Cinta. This song received five nominations in World Music Award under the following categories: World's Best Female Artist, World's Best World's Live Act, World's Best Song, World's Best Entertainer of the Year, and World's Best Video. This song was also included in her latest album entitled Love, Life & Music.
At the launching of that album in May 2014. Rossa broke the Indonesian Record World Museum (MURI) and the Indonesia Recording Industry Associationas (ASIRI) with the Special Edition of her album Love, Life & Music selling more than 100,000 copies in a day, and the Standart Edition of this album Love, Life & Music get the Triple Platinum Award. Rossa plotted Hijrah Cinta for the Indonesian market and it was used as the soundtrack of the Indonesian film of the same name. For the international market, Rossa plotted Salahkah ft. Hafiz as the hit single. Rossa then received a knighthood from the Surakarta palace to become "Kanjeng Mas Ayu Sri Rossa Swarakaloka". Afterwards, Fremantle Media appointed Rossa as one of judges of the X-Factor Indonesia Season 2 and again she won with her contestant. This album was awarded the Multi-Platinum Awards on 30 January 2015 and Million Awards in June 2015.
The Ministry of Tourism and Creative Economy of Republik Indonesia appointed Rossa to sing jingles Pesona Indonesia and Wonderful Indonesia, composed and written by Dwiki Dharmawan, as Indonesia's tourism branding to go international. This campaign was promoted in the international media such as; Astro TV, National Geographic Australia, FX-Australia, Channel News Asia, FOX Channels, CCTV China, CNBC International, Channel 5, Channel 8, Channel U, MBN, MBC, TV3, TBS, TV Asahi Channel 1, Channel 7, Channel 9, Aljazeera, Diva (Asia TV channel), Discovery Channel, Travel Living Channel/AFC, CNN International, BBC World, Sport Channels, Time Square New York and many more.
Rossa held a concert in 2015 at Istana Budaya (Malaysia) entitled Malam Keajaiban Cinta Dato Rossa that gained an audience of 2,500 per night. Rossa created magic, the first Indonesian artist to hold two days of concerts at the Istana Budaya (Malaysia), which also broke the record as the most expensive tickets sold for a concert (the price itself being RM 1,500). In addition, Rossa also held a concert in Persada Johor International Convention Centre entitled Pesona Cinta Dato Rossa with 1,800 attendees.
In early January 2016, Rossa held a concert again at Istana Budaya (Malaysia) entitled Raja & Rakyat Berpisah Tiada along with seven Malaysian singers to commemorate Sultan Pahang's birthday. It broke the record of the most expensive ticket prices at RM 5,000. Rossa recorded a new single Jangan Hilangkan Dia from Ryan D'Masiv, arranged by an International musician, Tushar Apte. The song was first released in four countries and was ranked number one on "iTunes Soundtrack" for six months. Rossa also performed at the event "21 Asian Television Awards" on 2 December 2016 as a representative from Indonesia. Afterwards, Rossa went to Los Angeles in July to record her latest album, with Mitch Allan as her vocal producer.
On 5 April 2017, Rossa produced a new album entitled A New Chapter which incorporated new genres such as EDM, Electronic Pop and Urban with support from international musicians from Hollywood who had previously worked with international singers Demi Lovato, Justin Bieber, One Direction, Rihanna and many more. This album has four English songs and the remaining five are in Indonesian.
Rossa herself is the First Asian Artist Who Collaborated with a World Class Musician, namely Mitch Allan, Tushar Apte, Fiona Bevan, Stuart Chricton, Gatlin Green, Hugo Lira, Thomas Gustafsson, Negin Djafari, Steve Shebby, Joleen Belle, Michelle Buzz, and Nikki Leonti when producing this album. Her new English single entitled Body Speak enabled Rossa to be the "First Indonesia Artist" who made an appearance on MTV Asia Spotlight Artist for one whole month. According to Peter Coquillard, the executive producer for the four English songs on the new album, namely A New Chapter, these songs were initially planned for Celine Dion's new album in the future but Rossa was proud to be given the honor to sing these songs.
To commemorate the 21 years of her career in the music industry, Rossa held a concert entitled The Journey of 21 Dazzling Years at the Jakarta Convention Center (JCC) with the help of Jay Subiyakto as Art Director and Tohpati as the head of the Orchestra. It was attended by a crowd of 6,000. Her latest album, A New Chapter went 4× Platinum on 4 October 2017. She is believed to be singing a title for the soundtrack of the film Ayat-Ayat Cinta 2 entitled Bulan Dikekang Malam that was released on 20 October 2017. Rossa also held another sold-out concert at Esplanade, Singapore in 2017, also based on "The Journey of 21 Dazzling Years". In early 2018, Rossa released some new singles including Pernah Memiliki (ft. D’Masiv), Bukan Maksudku (taken from the album A New Chapter) and The Good Is Back (ft. Anggun). Rossa received prestigious "Intellectual Property Award 2018" by the Indonesia Directorate General of Intellectual Property Rights for her contribution for Indonesian music. She's also awarded by SCTV Music Awards 2018 as "The Best Female Singer" for her song Bulan Dikekang Malam.
In July 2018, Rossa was announced to be one of the performers in the Opening Ceremony of the 2018 Asian Games along with Anggun, Joey Alexander, Tulus, Raisa and others. Rossa was also appointed to be the judge of the Indonesian Idol Junior Season 3 with Maia Estianty, Rayi (RAN) and Rizky Febian. In addition, Rossa was also announced to be the filler of the song "HARA – Equilibrium Earth" created by Melly Goeslaw and produced by Rinaldy Yunardi. The single will be launched in August 2018 in collaboration with WWF Indonesia for the "Save Our Earth" campaign. Rossa received the highest award from Anugerah Planet Music Award 2018, "Planet Music Special Award / Legend Award" on 28 September 2018 in Singapore, for being considered an Indonesian artist who successfully in the region's music market, where the albums are always selling well until the concert tickets are always sold out not only in Indonesia.
On 1 October 2018, the Rising Star Indonesia also officially announced that Rossa would again be the judge of Rising Star Indonesia Season 3 with Ariel, Judika and Yovie Widianto. she was also accorded one of the Pahang's highest state decorations, Darjah Sri Sultan Ahmad Shah Pahang (SSAP), by the then-Regent of Pahang, Tengku Abdullah Sultan Ahmad Shah with title of nobility "Dato' Sri", making her the only Indonesian artist with such title from Malaysia. She has also won an award from the Big Apple Music Awards 2018 in the United States as The Best Indonesian Artist 2018. Rossa was then appointed by the Ministry of Environment and Forestry of Indonesia to become their brand ambassador.
On 21 February 2019, Rossa made a scene in the country and Korea's entertainment scene by holding a press conference in Indonesia that she would collaborate with Super Juniors full members. Accompanied by Mr. Chairul Tanjung (Transmedia), Leeteuk (Super Junior), Lee Soo-man (Founder and Producer of SM Entertainment), Kim Young-min [ko] (CEO / Chief SM Entertainment), and other SM Entertainment officials, they explained that collaboration between Rossa and Super Junior will be released in early 2020. Rossa officially became the first Indonesian and Southeast Asias solo artist to join under the auspices of the label and management of SM Entertainment. She also appeared as a special guest star in the Super Junior concert Super Show 7 World Tour held at ICE BSD City, Tangerang on 15 June 2019. At the concert, Rossa performed her song Tegar in duet with Yesung and Ryeowook, both Super Junior members. She also performed her song Pudar in front of over 20,000 people.
Near the end of 2019, Rossa held a concert tour titled Tegar 2.0 in four major cities in Indonesia, namely Jakarta, Bandung, Yogyakarta and Surabaya. It was held to commemorate the 20th anniversary of the release of the album Tegar in 1999. Together with this concert, Rossa released a single titled Tegar 2.0 which was specially arranged by 2018 Asian Games music composer Ronald Steven and Gamaliel (GAC) as the vocal director. This concert also succeeded in gaining an audience of more than 15,000 people.
At the start of the new decade, on March 4, 2020, Rossa released a new single titled Masih, written by Yovie Widianto and Nino Kayam, under her independent label, Inspire Music. The single was first performed during Rossa's solo concert, The Journey of 21 Dazzling Years, at the Jakarta Convention Center (JCC). To promote the single, Rossa produced a mini-series titled Masih Cinta Terbaik (Still the Best Love). For the music video, she collaborated with Ki Do-hoon, an actor from SM Entertainment.
Rossa's second single of the year was Sangcheo Badeun Maemum (Hati Yang Kau Sakiti – Korean Version). The single was officially released on August 14, 2020, accompanied by a press conference held via the VLIVE with media representatives from Southeast Asia and South Korea. For the official music video, Rossa collaborated with Lee Dong-hae (of Super Junior) and Dion Wiyoko. By the end of 2020, Rossa was crowned "Queen of Indonesian Digital Streaming" by major digital music platforms, including Apple Music, Spotify, JOOX, Langit Musik, Resso, and others. Her songs had been streamed nearly 150 million times in a year, making her the most-followed Indonesian artist across all digital platforms.
In 2021, Rossa released a single titled Wanita, composed by Ryan D'Masiv and mastered by Randy Merrill — a renowned engineer at the Grammy Awards who has worked on albums for international artists such as Taylor Swift, Adele, Ariana Grande, and Lady Gaga. Rossa dedicated this single to strong women persevering through the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic. Wanita also marked a milestone, as Rossa became the first Southeast Asian artist to feature on Apple Music's latest Spatial Audio (Dolby Atmos) technology.
In August 2021, Rossa was selected by Spotify as Indonesia's representative for the "SPOTIFY EQUAL" campaign. Later that year, in November 2021, Rossa released the single Terlalu Berharap, composed by Andmesh Kamaleng and arranged by Andi Rianto. The song was featured in the film Love Knots.
In February 2022, Rossa once again made history as the most-listened-to Indonesian female singer on Apple Music, with over 16 million plays in January 2022 alone — in Indonesia, excluding streams from other countries. Later, Rossa released a single titled Sekali Ini Saja, dedicated to her late friend Glenn Fredly.
To celebrate her 25-year career, Rossa held a solo concert titled Rossa 25 Shining Years, which took place in six major cities across Indonesia — Jakarta, Surabaya, Bandung, Medan, Lampung, and Palembang — and in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. For this concert, Rossa collaborated with four music directors and four fashion designers from both Indonesia and abroad. Among them were renowned designers Iris Van Herpen and Rick Owens, known for dressing celebrities at prestigious events such as the Met Gala, Grammy Awards, Oscars, and icons like Lady Gaga, Beyoncé, and Céline Dion.
Rossa reportedly wore a Haute Couture dress designed by Iris Van Herpen, valued at 1.1 billion IDR (approximately $70,000 USD), which was specially imported from Europe for the event. This concert became the most expensive concert by an Indonesian singer following the pandemic, with RSVP ticket sales reaching 10 million IDR per ticket, selling out quickly. In Malaysia, the Rossa 25 Shining Years concert set a record for the highest-priced concert ticket by an Indonesian artist in the country’s history, with RSVP tickets selling for up to RM 5,000 — also selling out. The concert was attended by 3,000 spectators, including Malaysian royalty, business leaders, and fellow artists.
After nearly six years without releasing an album, Rossa unveiled Trilogy Album Part 1, titled Another Journey: The Beginning, inspired by pop icons from various generations. Produced by Rossa herself, the album achieved Double Platinum status — selling 150,000 CDs — in just 22 days after its launch, making it the fastest and highest-selling album of 2023. On iTunes, the album reached the No. 1 position within minutes of its release, becoming the best-selling pop album of all time by an Indonesian female singer. Rossa is the first Indonesian artist to introduce the Trilogy Album concept. In addition to the album, Rossa released two singles — Bawalah Aku Pergi (OST of Mantan Tapi Menikah) and Khanti (OST of Bidadari Bermata Bening) — both exclusively for Viu Indonesia. These series quickly rose to the No. 1 spot on Viu Indonesia’s rating charts. Khanti received recognition at the Asian Academy Creative Awards, winning the National Award for Best Theme Song/Title Theme.
Three months after the release of Another Journey: The Beginning, the album received a 4× Platinum Award for selling over 300,000 CDs, making it the highest and fastest-selling album by an Indonesian singer in the 2020s. Building on the album’s success, Rossa embarked on a concert tour titled Another Journey: The Beginning across three countries — Malaysia, Singapore, and Indonesia. In Singapore, the concert set a record as the most-watched performance by an Indonesian solo singer, drawing 5,000 attendees at The Star Theatre. It also became the most expensive Indonesian concert in Singapore, with ticket prices reaching 288 SGD. Eight months after the album's release, Another Journey: The Beginning achieved Multi-Platinum status for surpassing 500,000 CD sales.
Following the success of her previous album and concert, Rossa released a documentary in 2024 titled All Access to Rossa: 25 Shining Years. The film premiered in Indonesian cinemas on August 1, 2024, and was subsequently released in Malaysia, Brunei Darussalam, and Singapore on October 18, 2024. Produced over three years by Inspire Pictures, in collaboration with Time International Films and Sinemaku Pictures, the documentary became the best-selling documentary by an Indonesian solo singer, drawing over 64,731 viewers. The documentary is set to stream globally on Netflix starting January 1, 2025. For the film’s soundtrack, Rossa collaborated with Ariel (Noah) to record a new rendition of her 1996 hit single Nada-Nada Cinta.
In May and June 2025, Rossa will hold a major concert titled "Here I Am" at Indonesia Arena in Jakarta and Axiata Arena in Bukit Jalil, Malaysia. The concert will continue in Singapore the following month. This concert will mark the biggest concert of Rossa’s career, serving as a milestone event leading up to her 30th anniversary in the music industry in 2026.
Rossa began her singing career as a child lady rocker, performing alongside prominent figures in the rock scene, such as Nicky Astria, Nike Ardilla, Mel Shandy, Ita Purnamasari etc. Her remarkable vocal ability earned her recognition, and the late Benyamin Sueb, a Betawi culturalist, predicted that Rossa would become an Indonesian pearl whose name would bring honor to Indonesia internationally if she moved to Jakarta. Rossa’s vocal inspiration came from Celine Dion, Mariah Carey, Nicky Astria, and Ruth Sahanaya. Since childhood, she has been accustomed to performing in various cities and has earned several national-level music awards. Aside from her musical talent, Rossa excelled academically, frequently placing 1st or 2nd in her class.
Her academic prowess came from her father, Ukas Herawan, a mathematics expert, while her singing talent is attributed to her mother, Eni Kusmiani, a traditional Sundanese singer. Rossa's outstanding academic performance continued through junior high and high school, and she later entered the University of Indonesia through talent scouting or achievement-based admission.
Born in the cassette and CD era, but thriving in the streaming era, Rossa has broken the paradigm that singers from the cassette era cannot coexist with those from the streaming era. She has successfully established herself as the "Queen of Streaming Music Indonesia" in 2020 until 2022. Yovie Widianto, the legendary composer, commented on Rossa's ability to survive across generations, stating:.
Rossa is the "Queen of Pop Indonesia" and "Music Legend" by Spotify, while Apple Music labels her as "Indonesia's Pop Icon." Internationally renowned Indonesian singer Anggun C. Sasmi described Rossa as a performer with an alter-ego, navigating the roles of a singer, a businesswoman, and a mother. Agnez Mo, during her time as a judge on Indonesian Idol, praised Rossa for never making a mistake in her performances, particularly noting her perfect pitch and flawless execution. Rossa is also recognized as the female solo singer who contributes the most significant music royalties to seven Indonesian music composers: Melly Goeslaw, Icha Jikustik, Hendra Nurcahya, Yovie Widianto, Mery LC, Enda Ungu, and Rian D'Masiv.
Art Stage Director Jay Subiyakto, said Rossa was a Diva who didn't need any gimmicks in her appearance at the press conference of The Journey of 21 Dazzling Years.
Singer, Producer & Politician Anang Hermansyah said Rossa was a complete Diva.
Meanwhile, Music Arranger Tohpati, said that Rossa was a true hits maker.
Aside from being a pop singer, Rossa is also able to sing traditional songs, dangdut, hip-hop, EDM & r&b. Rossa has also recorded songs in other language such as Malay, English, and Korean. Actress and entertainer Nagita Slavina called Rossa the "Diva Millenial Indonesia" because even though Rossa's songs were not released in the streaming era, her songs are still well known among kids from Generation Z. Meanwhile, singer Raisa said Rossa was a singer who always existed in every generation.
Singer & songwriter who graduated with a music degree in Singapore, Isyana Sarasvati, said that Rossa is an inspirational figure because she has a perfect musical side as a singer.
Over her 25-year career, Rossa has established herself as one of Indonesia’s most successful and influential artists. Her achievements include: Albums – More than 93 albums (including solo, compilation, and collaborative works), Awards – Over 120 awards recognizing her contributions to music, Soundtracks – Featured in more than 160 soundtracks, Songs – Over 130 songs and numerous No. 1 hits on radio, Album Sales – Surpassed 12 million physical album sales as of 2023, Streaming Milestones – 67 singles with over 1 million streams on Spotify, the highest for any Indonesian female artist in the streaming era, Streaming Title – Known as the queen of Indonesian music streaming in 2020 & the most followeed Indonesian Female Artist on streaming platforms (across all credit) Rossa is also the most active Indonesian diva, holding annual concerts since 2008 at the Jakarta Convention Center (JCC) and performing across Malaysia, Singapore, and Brunei Darussalam. She has headlined over 50 solo concerts, in addition to participating in numerous collaborative performances and festivals.
Rossa’s 2011 album The Best of Rossa was ranked 3rd on list of best selling albums of all time in Indonesia. Her 2014 album Love, Life & Music achieved extraordinary success, selling 100,000 CDs in a single day. Additionally, her Platinum Collection (2013) became one of the most-streamed Indonesian-language albums by a female singer on Spotify.
Rossa holds the distinction of being the only Indonesian artist to successfully stage a solo concert at Putra Bukit Jalil Stadium (Axiata Arena) in Malaysia, attracting an audience of over 12,000 people in 2010. This remains the largest concert by an Indonesian singer in Malaysia to date. She also set records for ticket prices at Istana Budaya, Malaysia, with prices reaching RM 1500 and RM 5000, the highest ever for an Indonesian artist. Rossa continues to hold the record for over 700,000 single downloads in just eight months. According to data from the Recording Industry Association of Malaysia (RIM), Rossa’s sales have surpassed even Western artists such as Avril Lavigne and Gwen Stefani in the Malaysian market.
Rossa became the first Indonesian singer to popularize the concept of a "remake duet with a deceased artist." In 2011, she released a modern rendition of "Jangan Ada Dusta Diantara Kita" featuring the late Broery Marantika. Her groundbreaking effort was followed by other artists, including: Adlani Rambe – "Tinggalah Ku Sendiri" (feat. the late Nike Ardilla) in 2020, Inka Christie – "Cinta Kita" (feat. the late Nike Ardilla) in 2021, Zeroid Park – "Sandiwara Cinta" (feat. the late Nike Ardilla) in 2021, Melly Goeslaw – "Bertemu Kembali" (feat. the late Nike Ardilla) in 2023. These remakes not only continued Rossa's legacy but also sparked a trend in Indonesian music, allowing deceased icons to continue influencing new generations of listeners.
In 2020, Rossa released a single titled "The Heart You Hurt / Sangcheo Badeun Maeum (Hati Yang Kau Sakiti - Korean Version)." The song, a translation of her Indonesian hit "Hati Yang Kau Sakiti," was reimagined in Korean by Rossa herself. Although the release of "The Heart You Hurt" was accidental, it sparked a trend among Indonesian and Malaysian artists to translate their songs into Korean. Following Rossa's lead, several artists released their own Korean versions in 2021, including: Tiara Andini feat. Arsy Widianto – "Bahaya (Korean Version)", Aina Abdul – "Sepi (Korean Version)", Suara Kayu – "Miniatur (Korean Version)", Bertrand Peto Putra Onsu – "Deritaku (Korean Version)", Armada – "Aku Dimatamu (Korean Version)", Anneth Delliecia – "Mungkin Hari Ini Esok Atau Nanti (Korean Version)", and Ghea Indrawari feat. Boy William – "Bucketlist (Korean Version)". This trend of translating songs into Korean has since become a popular phenomenon in the Indonesian and Malaysian music scenes, with Rossa’s pioneering effort at the forefront.
As a renowned diva and hitmaker, Rossa's timeless songs have been reimagined by singers across generations. Notable remakes include: Marsha (Indonesian Idol) – "Tegar" (2007), D'Langit Band – "Pudar" (2011), Jikustik – "Aku Bukan Untukmu" (2011), Cindy Bernadette – "Perawan Cinta" (2013), Marcell Siahaan – "Kini" (2013), Titi DJ – "Terlalu Cinta" (2015), The Sibling – "Tegar" (2016), Yesa Lona (Dangdut singer) – "Nada-Nada Cinta" (2021), Tissa Biani – "Atas Nama Cinta" (2021), Gonebloom – "Atas Nama Cinta", "Ayat-Ayat Cinta", "Terlalu Cinta" (2023), Yovie Widianto & Lyodra – "Terlalu Cinta" (2024), & Deborah Hanna – "Takkan Berpaling Dari-Mu" (2024). These remakes highlight Rossa's enduring influence on Indonesia’s music scene, inspiring artists from various genres and eras..
Rossa is the only diva to have received the highest honors from both the Surakarta Hadiningrat Palace and the Pahang Kingdom of Malaysia. She also made history as the first Indonesian singer to receive the "Anugerah Planet Muzik Special Awards" in the Legend Award category, a prestigious recognition in the history of Indonesian music. In addition, Rossa is the first Indonesian and Southeast Asian solo singer to be signed by SM Entertainment, further solidifying her status as the one of asia's music icon.
Rossa began her career as a child singer, releasing her debut album Gadis Ingusan in 1988, followed by Untuk Sahabatku in 1990. However, the sales of both albums did not achieve significant success. Her breakthrough came with her third album and first as an adult artist, Nada-Nada Cinta, released in 1996. The album sold 750,000 copies, marking the start of her rise to fame. In 1999, Rossa released her fourth album, Italic textTegar, which achieved 4× Platinum status within just three months. This was followed by Hati Yang Terpilih in 2000. Rossa continued her success with the release of Kini in 2002 and Kembali in 2004. In 2006, she released Yang Terpilih, adding to her catalog of hits that resonated not only in Indonesia but also in neighboring countries. In 2007, Rossa became the lead vocalist for the soundtrack of Ayat-Ayat Cinta, further cementing her influence in the industry. Her tenth album, Rossa (Self-Titled), was released in 2009. Throughout her career, Rossa has produced numerous hit singles from her extensive discography, which includes solo albums, collaborative projects, and compilation albums. Her albums have consistently achieved significant commercial success, earning Platinum, Multi-Platinum, and Million Sales certifications across various releases.
Rossa, a celebrated Indonesian singer, is known for holding solo concerts not only in her home country but also in neighboring countries such as Malaysia, Singapore, and Brunei Darussalam. In 2010, she made history in Malaysia as the first Indonesian artist to successfully hold a solo concert at Bukit Jalil Stadium, with an audience of over 12,000 spectators. The event was attended by high-ranking state officials, including Datin Sri Rosmah Mansor (Malaysia), Mrs. Linda Gumelar (Indonesian Minister for Women Empowerment), and Mr. Agum Gumelar (Indonesia).
Her "Malam Keajaiban Cinta Dato Rossa" concert at the Istana Budaya in Malaysia in 2015 further solidified her prestige as a DIVA, not just in Indonesia but in Malaysia as well. The concert set a record for being the most expensive concert ticket for an Indonesian artist in Malaysia, with ticket prices reaching RM 518 for the public and RM 1500 for the royals. Remarkably, the concert tickets sold out in less than two hours, and it was attended by numerous Malaysian Royal Highnesses.
Rossa continued to break records with her "Raja & Rakyat Berpisah Tiada" concert on 17 February 2016 at Istana Budaya, which commemorated the 85th birthday of Sultan Pahang. This concert set a new record for the most expensive tickets in Malaysian music history, priced at RM 5000, and, as usual, the tickets sold out quickly. In 2018, Rossa hosted the "Grand Fantasia With Rossa" mini-concert, with ticket prices ranging from 1.5 to 20 million Rupiah, which also sold out. Rossa’s continued success is evident in her "Rossa Live In Concert – Cinta Dalam Hidupku" performance on 14 February 2019, where tickets ranged from 350 thousand Rupiah to 25 million Rupiah. As with her previous concerts, the tickets sold out five days before the event.
The prominent presenter of Metro TV, Alvin Adam, in his biography "The Story Book Just Alvin Part.2", referred to Rossa as the "Queen of Concerts in Indonesia", highlighting the overwhelming demand for her performances at various events. Judika, a fellow singer and talent show judge, also dubbed Rossa the "Queen of Concerts" in Indonesia. Her "25 Shining Years" concert in Malaysia set a significant milestone, becoming the most expensive solo concert by an Indonesian singer in history, with ticket prices reaching RM 5,000.
Rossa then embarked on the "Another Journey: The Beginning" concert tour, taking her across three countries—Malaysia, Singapore, and Indonesia. In Singapore, the concert broke records once again, becoming the most-watched performance by an Indonesian solo singer, with 5,000 attendees at The Star Theatre. It also became the most expensive Indonesian singer concert in Singapore, with ticket prices reaching 288 SGD.