Anggun: Being Asian can be an advantage

Anggun

Throughout her career, Indonesian singer-songwriter Anggun has had people telling her once in a while to update her look or style—dye her hair, perhaps—so she would look more “modern” or “Americanized.”

But, why change the things that make her unique? “Why be a copy of somebody else when you could be the best version of yourself?” she asked.

This piece of advice is something that Anggun believes is important to impart to young Asian artists, especially those with aspirations of making it on the global stage.

“Some singers think that they wouldn’t be interesting enough if they remain who they are. If they only knew [that some people want] to have our hair or skin color! Just be yourself, then believe in what you do. Work hard, and polish your work,” Anggun, who achieved international success in the late 1990s with her chart-topping song, “Snow on the Sahara,” told the Inquirer in an interview for her new album, “8”.

For Anggun, who’s also one of the judges in the reality-based talent search “Asia’s Got Talent,” being Asian can be an advantage in itself. “Once you go to the West, you’re automatically different,” Anggun said, adding that while she has recorded songs in Indonesian, English and French, she makes it a point to represent Asia “as positively as possible.”

“I have been living in the West for quite some time now,” said Anggun, who’s a naturalized French citizen. “But when I write songs, it’s from an Indonesian or Javanese point of view.”

The 43-year-old artist’s personal life and career after “Snow on the Sahara” weren’t without ups and downs, but were crazy and fulfilling, nonetheless. She never stopped making music and is showing no signs of stopping.

“I consider myself lucky to still do music, doing what I love; to still have fans waiting for my albums. I still do concerts. The music industry has changed a lot and I don’t take anything for granted,” she said.

Anggun, who released her first album in Indonesia when she was only 12, has dabbled in different genres, including rock, jazz, pop, world and new age. In her latest offering, “8,” her sixth English studio album and 11th overall, she revisits her past influences while exploring styles that are popular now, like electro-pop.

The album’s debut single is “What We Remember,” a club-inspired midtempo ditty about the impermanence of life; that at the end of the day, what we are left with are memories. Curiously, the theme of the song somehow reflects her current definition of success.

“Of course, it’s always nice to get recognition from your peers, and to have as many listeners as possible. But now, it’s more important to leave an impression on someone with what I have to say. I want to continue writing songs that can move people, something that will last,” related Anggun, who’s open to working with younger artists.

Aside from making music, Anggun has also been involved in humanitarian work as a UN global ambassador. Then, there’s her stint in “Asia’s Got Talent,” which never fails to produce talents “that excite her.”

What has she learned from her experience being a judge?

“You have to be encouraging, even when you’re sending someone away. You have to be kind, because what you say matters to the contestants,” she related. “As a judge, I put myself in the contestants’ shoes. I was once an inexperienced singer, too.”