THE presence of local all-girl group Dolla continues to receive rave reviews among music fans, as it did from the start when it released its first single Dolla Make You Wanna, which was released in March last year.
Comprising Wan Sabrina Wan Rusli (known as Sabronzo), 26; Tabitha Ariel Lam (Tabby), 21; Angelina Chai-Ka Ying (Angel), 20; and Noorsyasya Afiqah Shahrizal (Syasya), 20, their talent and uniqueness have proven that they are more than just pretty faces.
Within a short period of time since their first foray into the local music scene, the quartet has achieved impressive accolades with several of their singles. Dolla's festive single titled
Raya Raya Raya, which was launched prior to the Hari Raya Aidilfitri celebrations in May, was a catchy tune that trended on various digital platforms, including YouTube during the festive season.
Also in the same month, the girls received recognition from Samsung when their faces were immortalised in a mural painting on Jalan Tun H.S. Lee in Kuala Lumpur.
Their music label, Universal Music Malaysia, was delighted to announce that Dolla's second single, Impikan, recently earned a platinum award for bestselling single, which raked in more than RM200,000 in digital revenue. The song also has an English version titled Watch Me Glow.
Dolla also recently became the latest Malaysian act to grace the digital billboard in New York's Times Square for Spotify's EQUAL campaign, representing Malaysia.
Not wanting to lose the momentum, the group recently put out a new single, titled Berani.
The song, composed and written by John Jeeves and Firdaus Rahmat, is a departure from the group's previous works.
"Just by listening to the teaser (we have posted on Instagram), our fans will be able to notice the difference in the instrumental melody.
"In fact, the vibe and genre of the tune are totally distinct compared with our previous efforts. This time we decided to give our fans a little slow number," shares Sabronzo.
"The song has been written the way we wanted it. We had discussions on how and what we wanted in the single, and they nailed it.
"The message in the lyrics is what we hope to send across to music listeners out there," chips in Tabby, who says they did not face any challenges during recording as the composers were there to guide them.
A DARING APPROACH
"Perhaps some of Dolla's fans may be wondering why we choose a different music arrangement for this single.
"We have done so to show a different side of Dolla, which they haven't seen yet.
"Most importantly we want to show that we are versatile performers, who thrive as an M-Pop group," explains Sabronzo.
Refusing to remain in their comfort zone, the girls, who recently appeared on their biographical telefilm (titled Dolla Watch Me Glow, directed by Izuan Mokhtar), explain that this single is about women empowerment and its support system.
"This song is dedicated to women who wish to better their lives, and are not afraid to stand up for themselves and fight against oppression and fear.
"Today, a woman should be able to live without fear and be courageous by showing the world that she is not afraid to be independent," says Angel.
The girls believe that there are still some women who are afraid to make changes in their lives because they feel helpless.
Sabronzo explains: "That is why a support system is important for such individuals. And that is the message we want to send out. Women must have supportive people around them."
Dedicating the tune to all Dolla fans, fondly known as iDolla, Sabronzo says: "Our fans have been with us right from the start.
"Their cheering and support towards us have been our motivation and inspiration to keep going and giving our best in music.
"We hope all iDolla and music fans will appreciate and enjoy this single. Most importantly, we hope they will embrace this different side of Dolla."
MOVING AHEAD
Thrilled over the relaxation of the standard operating procedures due to the pandemic, Dolla cannot wait to get back into the game.
"There are already plans for live performances. And we are excited to meet our fans in person again," shares Syasya.
"Although we are busy planning for new projects and events, our priority is to promote Berani," she says of the song that also has a music video, which features animated characters of the girls.
The music video took two months to be completed, with an entire month dedicated to post-production.
"With all the time and effort put in, we hope that this music video will generate more interest among music fans," adds Sabronzo of the music video, which was directed by Thaqif Saadon.
"We hope that more people will realise the amazing talent Malaysia has in creating world-class animation production."