Aina Abdul

Nurul Aina Abdul Ghani (born October 25, 1993), better known as Aina Abdul, is a Malaysian singer, songwriter, and actress.

She gained initial recognition as a finalist on the television singing competition Mentor Legend in 2014, and later rose to fame through her performances in Anugerah Juara Lagu (AJL), one of Malaysia's most established music competitions.

Known for her strong vocals, emotional delivery, and unique fashion sense, Abdul has released multiple hit singles, including "Semalam", "Sepi", and "Terus Hidup".

She will represent Malaysia in the inaugural edition of Eurovision Song Contest Asia in 2026.

Early life

Aina was born on 25 October 1993 in Johor Bahru and raised in Seremban. She is the youngest of five siblings to Abdul Ghani Abdullah and Zaini Abdullah. She received her early education at Sekolah Kebangsaan Sri Mawar, Senawang, then continued her secondary education at Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan Puteri. After obtaining her Malaysian Certificate of Education (SPM), Aina continued her studies at UCSI University, Kuala Lumpur, before graduating in 2020 and obtaining a Bachelor of Contemporary Music degree in 2021.

Career 2010–2014: Underground singer

Aina Abdul began her music career as a gig singer in various dining places and lounges, including No Black Tie. She was then selected as one of the finalists in the Irama 1Malaysia Competition organized by Radio Televisyen Malaysia (RTM) in 2010. The following year, she won second place in Bintang Idola Berita Harian 2011, followed by winning first place in the Golden Voices of PJ competition in 2012.

2014–2018: Early career and Mentor Legend

In 2014, Abdul participated in Mentor Legend and was crowned runner-up. After finishing Mentor Legend, she was selected to represent Malaysia at the World Championship of Performing Arts (WCOPA) 2014 which took place in Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, U.S. and became the winner of Vocalist of the World.

She then signed a contract with Indigital Music and released her first single, "Ini Yang Kau Mahu" in September 2015. In 2017, Aina released her first English song, "Reminiscing", followed by her second English song, "Shadows" in 2018.

She began her acting career by playing Irma in the drama Seindah Takdir Cinta in 2016.

2019–2021: Breakthrough and Anugerah Juara Lagu

In 2019, Aina Abdul released her debut single "Sumpah" and it was her official debut as a solo recording artist which showcased her dual role as both a vocalist and songwriter. The single received critical acclaim, establishing Abdul as a rising star in Malaysia's contemporary music scene.

Upon its release, "Sumpah" garnered widespread recognition for its heartfelt lyrics and powerful performance. The song also marked her entry into the mainstream Malaysian music industry through the Anugerah Juara Lagu platform, helping her gain recognition among a broader audience.

In 2020, Aina competed on The Masked Singer Malaysia as Bunga Raya, the national flower of Malaysia, and won. She then participated in Vokal Mania and Separuh Akhir Muzik Muzik 35. On 26 December 2020, she was crowned the champion of Vokal Mania along with Aisha Retno as the Rookie Champion.

In December 2020, her song titled "Semalam" qualified for the 35th Anugerah Juara Lagu (AJL35) which took place at the MBSA Auditorium Shah Alam on March 14, 2021, without an audience due to the COVID-19 pandemic. "Semalam" marked a historic moment for Aina and her fans, Ainations, after being crowned Runner-Up at AJL35.

On February 8, 2021, Aina released her single titled "Sepi". "Sepi" then won the Best Vocal award in Anugerah Juara Lagu 36.

In September 2021, Aina released a single using her own name as the title of the song; Aina Abdul. This song combines three of her popular songs, namely "Sumpah", "Semalam" and "Sepi". According to Aina, the combination of this song is symbolic of her heart and what she has felt all this time. This was followed by the release of her English single titled "Fool" in December 2021. The song also charted in Japan.

On 16 and 17 December 2021, Aina held her first solo concert, A Night with Aina Abdul which took place at Bsync Live Kuala Lumpur. The second edition of this concert was later held on 25 and 26 June 2022 at Panggung Sari, Istana Budaya.

2022–2023: Critical Acclaim and IMAJI

In June 2022 Aina came out with a single titled "Terus Hidup". "Terus Hidup" qualified for the 37th Anugerah Juara Lagu (AJL 37) which took place at Axiata Arena Bukit Jalil (Axiata Arena Stadium) on 12 February 2023, and was crowned the AJL 37 Champion. Aina Abdul also took home the trophy for the AJL37 Best Vocal award.

In August 2023, Aina Abdul released the first single “Jangan Mati Rasa Itu” from her album and the song was later qualified for the 38th Anugerah Juara Lagu. Aina Abdul won the Best Vocal award and third place through this single.

October 2023 saw Aina launched her debut album titled Imaji, featuring 14 songs, composed by herself and other composers. The album received critical acclaims from listeners.

Her first large-scale concert, A Night with Aina Abdul 3.0 at Axiata Arena, Bukit Jalil was held on 18 November 2023 with the theme of Aina Abdul, attended by close to 10,000 fans. It was touted as one of her most bold moves to hold a concert at such venue and was well praised by concert-goers.

2024: Bintang Paling Popular and continued recognition

The first week of 2024, Aina performed for her first solo concert in Singapore, A Night With Aina Abdul Live In Singapore

Aina Abdul took the stage alongside the Malaysian Philharmonic Orchestra for two nights of musical magic on 10 and 11 May 2024 at the Dewan Filharmonik Petronas (DFP) in Kuala Lumpur City Centre (KLCC). This collaboration marks yet another milestone in Aina's career, which has seen her present sold-out concerts such as Aina Abdul 2.0 at Istana Budaya (2022), A Night With Aina Abdul 3.0 at Axiata Arena Bukit Jalil (2023), and A Night With Aina Abdul ‘Live’ In Singapore (2024)

In October 2024, Malaysian singer-songwriter Aina Abdul was awarded with the Bintang Paling Popular (Most Popular Star) award at the Anugerah Bintang Popular Berita Harian ke-36 (ABPBH 36). The award ceremony took place at the Auditorium Majlis Bandaraya Shah Alam (MBSA). Aina secured this accolade with a total of 8,882,662 votes from fans. In addition to the Bintang Paling Popular award, Aina clinched the Penyanyi Wanita Popular (Most Popular Female Singer) title at the same event.

By the end of 2024, Aina Abdul embarked on a significant phase of her musical journey, marked by the culmination of her Imaji Tour and a strategic shift towards collaborative projects.

2025–present: Artistic Growth and cross-country collaborations

The year 2025 commenced with the final leg of Aina's concert series, the Imaji Tour . The concluding performance took place on January 11, 2025, at Dewan Mu'adzam Shah, Universiti Utara Malaysia (UUM), Sintok, Kedah. This tour, which began in late 2024, was organized to promote her debut album, Imaji, released in October 2023. The tour covered multiple locations, including Sarawak and Kuala Lumpur, allowing Aina to connect with fans across Malaysia.

Following the tour's conclusion, Aina announced her intention to pause solo concerts for the remainder of 2025. This decision was driven by her desire to explore new ventures in the music industry, particularly focusing on collaborations with both local and international artists.

On April 17, 2025, Aina Abdul has been selected to perform at a state dinner hosted by the Prime Minister of Malaysia, YAB Datuk Seri Anwar Bin Ibrahim, in honor of President Xi Jinping's official visit. She performed alongside National Songstress Dato' Sri Siti Nurhaliza. As Malaysia assumed its chairmanship for ASEAN in 2025, an official theme song has been composed by Datuk Mokhzani Ismail for the 46th ASEAN Summit (May 26, 2025) and Aina Abdul has once again been selected to be the official singer for the theme song called "Our Land, Our Home".

Starting June 22, 2025, Aina Abdul has been selected as one of five juries for the singing reality show "Raise The Star Malaysia (RTSMY) - Season 1". The 8-episode show aimed to find the best up-and-coming singer who has the potential to become a star. At the end of the show, each jury who is also composer will compose a song for the top 5 contestants. On August 10, 2025, Didie Shazry was announced as the Winner for RSTMY with the debut single "Peganglah Hati" composed by Aina Abdul.

On September 13, 2025, Aina Abdul's debut album IMAJI received massive recognition at the highly prestigious annual Malaysian music ceremony Anugerah Industri Muzik 24. With 9 nominations across 8 categories, Aina Abdul became one of the most nominated singers in AIM24. She begged 4 trophies that night with Best Female Vocal, Best Pop Song, Best Album Recording and the most renowned Best Song. With 4 trophies, she became one of the most awarded singers in AIM24 tying with Faizal Tahir.

On September 26, 2025, Aina Abdul launched her new single titled "Sesaat". The song marked the new beginning of her musical journey with cross-country collaborations as she partnered with Sony Music Indonesia and Sony Music Malaysia. The song was written by Fabio Asher, Yafi Aria and Trakast.

On 15 August 2026, at the 40th Anugerah Juara Lagu, Abdul received the Best Performance award for her performance of "Kamu" and was named the Shopee Choice Artist Icon, the latter of which resulted in her selection as Malaysia's representative for the Eurovision Song Contest Asia 2026. Her entry for the contest has yet to be announced.

Discography

Studio albums

Imaji (2023)

Singles (OST Kekasih Hati Mr Bodyguard)Aina Abdul, Khai BaharAina Abdul, Wan Zakaria2021"Trulooks" (Jingle for Cosmetic Product)Aina AbdulAina Abdul"Sepi" (OST Sepi Tanpa Cinta)Aina AbdulAina Abdul, Wan Zakaria"Syukur Lebaran" (Raya song)Aina AbdulAina Abdul"Warna Warni" (feat. Daniesh Suffian Official Theme Song For Tonton TV3)Aina AbdulAina Abdul"Nada Kalbu" (OST Masih Ada Rindu)Aisha Retno, Aina AbdulFarouk Roman, Aina Abdul"Tunggu Kamu" (feat. Lah Ahmad)Aina AbdulAina Abdul"Aina Abdul"Aina AbdulAina Abdul"Fool"Aina AbdulAina Abdul2022"CahayaMu"Aina AbdulAina Abdul"Gema Raya" (Raya song)Aina AbdulAina Abdul"Terus Hidup"Aina AbdulAina Abdul"Kasih Merintih" (OST Trinil)Aina AbdulAina Abdul2023"I Lost Me"Aina AbdulAina Abdul"Shoot"Aina AbdulAina Abdul"Blue"Aina AbdulAina Abdul"Berkunjung Di Hari Raya"Aina AbdulAina Abdul"Puas Sudah"'Aina AbdulAina Abdul"Tekad Perpaduan Penuhi Harapan" (feat. Khai Bahar)Affan MazlanDatuk Mokhzani Ismail"Jangan Mati Rasa Itu"Aina AbdulAina Abdul2024"Hati Ini Telah Dilukai 2.0" (feat. Ajai)Ajai, Nasser Abu KassimAjai"Raya Lagi Happening" (feat Syafiq Kyle)Aina AbdulAina Abdul"Kembara Nabawi"FJ MuzikAnep Otwo, Alam Otwo & FJ Muzik"Cinta Tak Pernah Tepat Waktu (feat. Fabio Asher)"Melly GoeslawMelly Goeslaw"Kamu"Aina AbdulAina Abdul"It Lies Within" Wan Zakaria (A)2025Peganglah HatiDidie ShazryAina Abdul (CA)

Concert and showcase

Awards and recognition