Move over, K-pop? The hottest new Asian group could be from Indonesia
By Trista Kurniawan, CNN
Hong Kong (CNN) — A new girl group from Asia has social media turning its head. But this time, they’re not from South Korea – they’re from Indonesia.
The four-member group No Na turned into an overnight sensation earlier this year after the music video for their new song “Work” went viral, racking up more than 9.5 million listens on Spotify in just two months, and a similar number on YouTube.
Its electric choreography even inspired a dance challenge after many marveled at a backbend performed by one of the band’s members.
They’re hardly the first Asian group to gain popularity overseas; mega K-pop groups have often topped global charts in the past decade. But Southeast Asia has yet to penetrate the Western market the same way – especially a group as proud of their heritage as No Na.
“I didn’t know Indonesian pop was doing it like THIS???” said one viral post on X with 44,000 likes.
“Wait, who are these divas?” another posted.
In an interview with CNN, the four girls – Esther, Baila, Christy, and Shaz – said they hoped to introduce a global audience to their archipelago nation, the world’s largest Muslim-majority country. They even pointed to their outfits’ subtle nods to batik, Indonesia’s traditional clothing.
Their music, with lyrics in (occasionally expletive-laden) English, may appeal to Western listeners because it incorporates instruments they had never heard before, said the group.
“We went for something that sounds a little familiar to people, but also mixing Indonesian elements into it,” said Esther, the main vocalist. “I think it’s a strategic way to try to catch on to the mainstream audience, while also maintaining our individualism as Indonesians through our music.”
Southeast Asia’s turn?
Born and raised in Indonesia, the members took a leap of faith and moved to Los Angeles to form No Na, debuting in May 2025 after two to three years of training.
From the start, they highlighted their Indonesian identity – even down to their name. “No Na” means “Miss” in Bahasa, their national language.
The video for “Work” opens with clanging Balinese cymbals called ceng-ceng, and No Na’s songs often incorporate other traditional instruments such as the gamelan, an ensemble set from Java and Bali, and suling, a traditional bamboo flute from West Java.
In their debut music video for the song “Shoot,” they are seen in lush rice terraces and cascading waterfalls in Bali.
“We always try to ask the team to include elements from our Indonesian culture, whether that’s our clothes, music and choreography,” said Shaz, the youngest member of the group, who are all in their 20s.
They added that their “island girl” identity is also a nod to their upbringing in a country of 17,000 islands.
“The concept of an island girl is someone who’s more playful, who’s carefree, who doesn’t really take things too seriously, and goes with the flow. And I would love for people to listen to our music and feel exactly that,” Esther said.
They join a number of Southeast Asian musicians on the rise – including Indonesian artists Niki and Rich Brian, both represented by No Na’s record label 88rising. Eight-member Philippine girl group BINI performed at Coachella earlier this month, four years after Thai rapper Milli performed at the California festival.
These artists’ success signals a growing appetite abroad for Asian entertainment – most evident in the popularity of K-pop, with megastar groups like BTS and Blackpink drawing in Western audiences while blending contemporary beats with traditional Korean culture. In March, BTS performed a live-streamed comeback concert in front of South Korea’s historic Gyeongbokgung Palace.
Among young Americans and Westerners, a fascination with Asia goes beyond music too. From Labubus to the viral Adidas Tang jacket, social media in recent months has become increasingly engrossed by Chinese culture and aesthetics, a phenomenon sometimes known as “Chinamaxxing.”
Sensing a lucrative market, global industries are now pivoting toward the region. Eurovision is debuting in Asia in 2026, with the grand finale to be staged in Bangkok. The participants are from 10 countries, including South Korea, the Philippines, Malaysia and Laos.
No Na is riding this wave, with a recent performance at a music festival in Tokyo – and another music festival scheduled in LA later this year.
But their biggest aspiration leads them back home.
“Dream venue would be a big concert back in Indonesia. We’ve never done that before, but we have to,” Baila said.
The-CNN-Wire
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