Just a little over two weeks after turning 33 on Oct 25, singer Aina Abdul is set to take the international stage and represent Malaysia at the inaugural Eurovision Song Contest Asia in Bangkok, Thailand.
(The Asian version will follow the blueprint of the Eurovision Song Contest, organised annually by the European Broadcasting Union since 1956.)
Since making her debut through reality show Mentor Legend in 2014, the Johor-born singer has steadily carved out a place for herself in the local music scene, earning special recognition for her live performances that showcase vocal prowess, theatrical staging and dramatic costumes.
In other words, her talent fits the song contest that saw the likes of Celine Dion taking part and winning the Eurovision in 1988.
Eurovision Asia will not be Aina’s first international rodeo either, having won the Vocalist of the World category at the World Championship of Performing Arts (WCOPA) in Los Angeles some 12 years ago.
Yet, Aina confessed she is feeling nervous about the competition on Nov 14, where she will perform Bluest Sky, a ballad she wrote with musical arrangements by composer-producer Mac Chew.
Speaking at the song’s launch at Rex KL at Petaling Street last month, Aina said: “I am actually very nervous.
“Sometimes, appearing confident is a coping mechanism that helps me believe I can do this.
“I spoke to my manager right up until I came in here today, repeatedly asking, ‘Is it OK? Is this right?’ I still have moments of self-doubt.
“But I am here now, and I will be going there in about a month. I need to start believing in myself and trusting that I can do this because I was born to do this.”
It took the Sadis singer almost a month to come up with Bluest Sky, a process she described as an emotional journey filled with unexpected challenges.
“It has been a long time since I experienced a struggle like this,” she shared.
“Behind the beauty of the song, there were many twists, turns and challenges I faced.”
One of it was recording the song. Aina said she could usually complete recording a track in about two hours.
However, Bluest Sky took her around 10 hours to record, with sessions spanning studios in Seremban and Kuala Lumpur as she struggled to achieve the sound she wanted.
A big part of it was due to the three-minute Eurovision-style performance, which required her to condense her emotions and musical ideas into a shorter format.
“Everyone knows that for my live performance I like to extend to four to six minutes on a song, so the hardest thing here was to fit everything into three minutes.
“I had to pour all my feelings and emotions – anger, love, sadness – into those three minutes. That was the hardest part for me.”
A love letter
Bluest Sky is a song inspired by a love story of someone she knows, the singer revealed in the two-minute documentary capsules Malaysia Memburu Impian Bersama Aina Abdul, that airs weekly on TV3’s Melodi, capturing her journey to Eurovision.
“The Bluest Sky may be the biggest song I have written because of what the song is about,” she said.
“I wanted to write a song about a grand love.”
The lyrics reflect the ordeal of loving someone deeply despite the hurt and confusion that come with the relationship, making it difficult to let go.
“The way I see this song, and the person I wrote it to, is that I see him as a beautiful sky.
“This song is my love letter to that person, a someone who’s important to my life,” she told the media, choosing to say the person’s identity is “a secret”.
While the song draws from experiences close to her, Aina hopes its emotions will resonate with listeners beyond Malaysia. This was one of the reasons she chose to sing in English rather than Malay.
“I love my language, of course. I have been singing in my own language for many years.
“However, I made this choice because I felt that if I wanted to reach a wider audience, I needed to take a broader approach through what we call a universal language.”
Despite being sung in English, Bluest Sky carries enough Malaysian identity in the song, with traditional local instruments featured right from the start like the sound of bamboo seruling played by renowned musician Mohar Mohram.
“The Malaysian identity doesn’t have to be the language alone. I have included a lot of Malaysian elements,” Aina said.
Sorting the details
Aina is drawing on years of experience on the local stage as she prepares for her Eurovision gig that will see her competing against 10 other Asian singers from countries such as South Korea, Bangladesh, Laos and Philippines.
To ensure she is at her best when she takes the stage in Bangkok, she is bringing key members of her team to support both her performance and its technical aspects.
“I only know how to sing, I don’t know the technical parts like the lighting, so I need to have someone on my side who can speak on the technical matters with the team over there,” Aina explained.
Also, since the completion of the song, she and her team at Aina Abdul Entertainment have been working closely with the Eurovision team, whom she regards as among the best in the world at preparing for the competition, based on what she has seen in previous editions of the competition.
“I am honoured because there are many decision-makers involved this time, and I have the opportunity to learn from them as well.
“I feel that this preparation is also helping to shape me and prepare me to bring Malaysia to Eurovision.”
Aina, however, is keeping details of her performance under wraps, including her outfit and the staging visuals planned for the show.
Nonetheless, she is happy with the budget she has obtained from her partners, including TV3 and Sony Music Entertainment.
While the launch party featured a “blue sky” concept, for the Eurovision performance Aina wants to experiment with the blue sky concept, preferring to take it “out-of-the-box”.
As for her dress on that major stage, it will be designed by her often fashion collaborator, Melinda Looi.
Every detail matters as the winner for Eurovision Asia is picked via votes by professional jury as well as the public.
Furthermore, the winner will receive a trophy and an invitation to perform as a guest at the Eurovision Song Contest 2027 in Burgas, Bulgaria.
Training ground
Aina’s selection as Malaysia’s first-ever official representative at Eurovision Asia came as a surprise announcement during the 40th edition of TV3’s Anugerah Juara Lagu (AJL) on Aug 15.
At the event, she had just won the Persembahan Terbaik AJL 40 (Best Performance) trophy and Anugerah Ikon Artis Pilihan Shopee for her song Kamu.
From that moment, Eurovision Asia has become Aina’s main focus.
“Eurovision was all I could think about because I know the responsibility is great this time,” she said.
This experience, she added, reminds her of the “rush and dopamine” she felt when she first competed at AJL, that has helped shape her as a performer over the years.
“I was constantly asking myself what I should do and how I should approach things,” said Aina, who has built a reputation for her one-of-a-kind live performances at AJL.
She credited her years of competing at AJL with helping her develop the resilience needed to take on the current challenge.
“I have been performing at AJL for years, and that stage has trained me. Believe it or not, AJL has been like a school for me. Participating in it over seven years has made me more resilient.
“I think this opportunity has come at the right time. I feel ready, and I know what I want and the kind of performance I want to pull off.”
With this latest undertaking, Aina said she is looking forward to testing her abilities on an international stage and discovering how far she can go.
“Can Aina Abdul make it beyond Malaysia? That is something I want to find out for myself.”
Eurovision Song Contest Asia 2026 will be broadcast live on TV3 and tonton on Nov 14, at 9.30pm.
