THERE’S something extraordinary about singer Ismail Izzani and it’s not only because of his Malay song titled Luar Biasa (which translates to “out of the ordinary”). It has seen massive success, yet he’s only been in the music industry for less than two years.
Perhaps it’s his Justin Bieber-like appearance, coupled with his soulful voice which has earned him a place in the hearts of fans. Not many can achieve superstar status in such a short time so the 18-year-old considers himself lucky. And his popularity is not confined to Malaysia.
Ismail says one of the many fond moments he has experienced after becoming a celebrity occurred when he was walking about in South Korea.
“I was at a themepark called Everland a few months back when I was approached by some Korean fans. I didn’t think they knew who I was, but then they whipped out their phones and played my videos on YouTube asking if I was that guy in the video. It was funny. I was flattered that they knew who I was even though they called me Ismaili,” he says, laughing.
MUMMY POWER
Ismail believes that his mother’s prayers have helped him achieve success at a young age, especially as he is a newcomer in the music industry.
“I am a mama’s boy, there’s no doubt about that,” he admits with a smile. The mama’s boy loves his mother so much, he even wrote a song dedicated to her. Bidadari was released about a month ago. The music video for the track now has some four million views on YouTube.
“Bidadari will always be special,” he says. “She and I have this special bond, maybe because I'm the youngest and the only son. She's my go-to person for everything.” Ismail has another song coming up called Save Me. This song, which marks his first full-fledged English song, features lyrics with a deep message.
“It’s about a human being and his or her relationship with God,” Ismail explains. “I wrote the lyrics myself and it partly reflects my journey as an artiste too, but it’s up to my fans as to how they want to interpret the meaning behind the words. As human beings we are always making mistakes. This song is a reminder for us to change, be better and build a closer relationship with God.
“I’ve learnt a lot this past year and the last through my mistakes and it made me realise that I do want to be a better person.”
The young singer has experienced his fair share of controversies regarding his personal life, but has learnt from it and wants to move on to focus on better things. The most heated incident was when photos of Ismail at a nightclub went viral, but he has since issued a public apology to his family and management team. Getting embroiled in controversy often comes with being a celebrity and Ismail admits that it can get overwhelming at times.
More importantly, seeing how he is mama’s boy, how does he engage with his mother when controversies come up?
“Everytime my name is linked to a controversy, I try to be the first to tell mum and dad before anyone else. I wouldn’t want them to find out about it through another person or source. It's better that they hear it from me first.”
Although they would naturally be upset at first, at the end of the day, they are still his parents and would have his back, he says. Of course he would not dream of doing anything that was so bad that there is no point of return. “Despite the criticisms thrown at me when a controversy arises, what matters is that my parents know the truth.” He adds, “But the one thing I can’t accept is when my name is linked to a controversy, people take it out on my family members. That’s really not cool. I have learnt to be careful in everything that I do.”
But despite the roller coaster ride, Ismail loves his music and would not trade it for the world. He hints that an album may be in the works and that he would want to collaborate with more singers. The journey is only about to get crazier for the young man.