Afgan

Biography

Afgansyah Reza (born 27 May 1989), better known by his mononym Afgan, is an Indonesian singer and actor, known for his pop and R&B songs.

Early life and education

Afgansyah Reza was born on 27 May 1989 in Jakarta, into a Muslim musical family of Minangkabau origin, although he never had any vocal training. He is the second of four children of Lloyd Yahya and Lola Purnama.
He has a Bachelor's in Economics from Monash University.

Career

Afgan's career started when he and a group of friends decided to record a private album at Wanna B Instant Recording Studio. Impressed by his singing, the producers at the studio offered him a contract.. His first album, Confession No.1×Confession No.121 December 2008 · Studio albumSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 14 tracks1PadaMu Kubersujud3:272Tanpa Batas Waktu4:123Terima Kasih Cinta4:114Klise3:245Entah3:596Yang Kutahu Cinta Itu Indah4:257Hanya Ada Satu3:438Betapa Aku Cinta Padamu3:499Sadis3:2110Shanty Lussy4:0811I.L.U4:1312Hilang Rasa3:0413Biru4:2414My Confession3:38, was a mix of jazz, pop, and R&B influences and included tracks, such as "Terima Kasih Cinta", "Klise", "Sadis", and "Tanpa Batas Waktu". A music video for the song "Terima Kasih Cinta" was produced by Thalita Latief and directed by Jose Purnomo.
In 2009, he made his first foray into acting when he appeared in the film Bukan Cinta Biasa with Olivia Jensen, and he also sang the title track for the film's soundtrack. In 2010, he appeared in the film Cinta 2 Hati and performed on the film's soundtrack.
His second album, The One×The One21 December 2009 · Studio albumSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 5 tracks1Cinta 2 Hati4:282Bukan Cinta Biasa4:143Padamu Ku Bersujud3:244Seperti Bintang3:515Pencari JalanMu3:58, was released in January 2010. In 2011, he performed the theme song at the Southeast Asian Games.
He released the album Live to Love in 2013, followed by Sides×SIDES24 August 2016 · Studio albumSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 13 tracks1Rollercoaster3:412Knock Me Out3:323Count On Me4:284Berani Sadari4:005Thinking About3:426Brand New Day3:517X4:488Berlalu4:149Kunci Hati4:3610Percayalah4:2111Ku Dengannya Kau Dengan Dia4:2712Setia Menunggu4:2913Jalan Terus4:41 in 2016 and Dekade in 2018. In November 2018, Afgan celebrated 10 years in the music industry by kicking off his "Dekade" concert in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, followed by another concert in Jakarta in September 2019. Both concerts were sold out.
In 2020, Afgan, together with Raisa, released the single "Tunjukkan" five years after their first collaboration. Afgan had just released a new single on 6 February 2021, called "I'm Sorry". His first global album Wallflower×Wallflower9 April 2021 · Studio albumSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 10 tracks1M.I.A2:582if i don't have your love2:473don't forget about you3:064touch me2:595hurt me like you2:566say i'm sorry2:557like i do2:298bad3:049easy3:1510alone with you3:45, containing 10 tracks, was released on 9 April 2021.
In 2022, he moved away from pop music to embrace a more R&B style, with tracks such as "So Wrong But So Right" and "Ku Dengannya Kau Dengan Dia".
On 26 May 2024, Afgan performed with Bebi Romeo at the Java Jazz Festival 2024.

Recognition and awards

Afgan won the Best Solo Male Vocalist Award for the song at the 2009 Anugerah Musik Indonesia.
He was named one of "10 Indonesian hip hop and R&B artists to check out right now" by HipHopDX in June 2022.