Sri Rossa Roslaina Handiyani (born 9 October 1978), known professionally as Rossa or Dato' Sri Rossa, is an Indonesian singer, businesswoman, actress, producer, and presenter, widely known as the "Queen of Indonesian Pop". Recognized for her influence in Indonesia and Malay-speaking regions, she is among Indonesia’s best-selling artists of all time, with more than 12 million records sold.
She is the highest-paid Indonesian performers in Malaysia and Singapore. She is also among the highest-paid performers in Indonesia. Since her debut, Rossa has released several commercially successful albums and earned multiple Multi-Platinum and Million-Sales certifications. Her albums have been distributed across Southeast Asia and in Japan since 1999. Her compilation album The Best of Rossa (2011) is ranked third on the list of best-selling albums of all time in Indonesia, with sales of more than 5 million copies. Her album Love, Life & Music (2014) set a record with the Indonesian World Records Museum (MURI) and the Indonesian Recording Industry Association (ASIRI) for selling more than 100,000 CDs in a single day.
She gained wider recognition following the release of A New Chapter (2017). In 2019, she became the first Indonesian and Southeast Asian artist to sign with SM Entertainment. As of 2022, Rossa has received more than 120 awards, making her one of the most awarded singers in the history of Indonesian music. Her songs are frequently used as theme songs for films and television series, with the total exceeding 170 titles. The first instalment of her trilogy album, Another Journey: The Beginning (2023), achieved multi-platinum status, selling over 500,000 copies.
Life and career 1988–2006: Gadis Ingusan – Yang Terpilih Born Sri Rossa Roslaina Handiyani in Sumedang, West Java, Indonesia, she began her musical journey at a young age. Her mother, Eni Kusmiani, is a practitioner of tembang Cianjuran, a traditional Sundanese language vocal art form, which contributed to Rossa's early exposure to music. Rossa has cited her family and Sundanese cultural background as influences on her personal values and musical foundation. Rossa began her singing career as a child performer, appearing alongside established figures in the Indonesian rock scene, including Nicky Astria, Nike Ardilla, Mel Shandy, and Ita Purnamasari. Her vocal abilities attracted early attention, and Betawi cultural figure Benyamin Sueb predicted that she would achieve national and international recognition if she pursued her career in Jakarta. Rossa began her music career at age ten with the release of her debut album Gadis Ingusan (1988). Her second album, Untuk Sahabatku, followed in 1990 under Dian Records/Pro-Sound.
Her breakthrough came with Nada-Nada Cinta (1996), produced by Younky Soewarno. The album sold over 750,000 copies, and Its title track peaked at number two on the all-time MTV Ampuh Indonesia chart and remained at number one for 18 consecutive weeks. During this period, she also appeared in the television series Dua Sisi Mata Uang.
In November 1999, Rossa released her third album, Tegar which earned multiple platinum certifications. She received several awards, including "Favourite Female Artist" at the 2000 MTV Indonesia Awards. In July 2000, she issued Hati Yang Terpilih as a soundtrack album for a television series of the same name.
Rossa completed her studies at the University of Indonesia in February 2002. She released the album Kini on 30 April 2002, featuring contributions from songwriters including Yovie Widianto, Glenn Fredly, and Melly Goeslaw. The album sold over 500,000 copies. She was named the "Best Female Solo Artist" at the 6th Anugerah Musik Indonesia in 2002 for her single "Kini". The album was later reissued with the additional single "Malam Pertama", which also served as a television soundtrack and achieved commercial success. The reissued version received double platinum certification in 2004. Its title track peaked at number third on the all-time MTV Ampuh Indonesia chart and remained at number one for 8 consecutive weeks.
In December 2004, Rossa released Kembali. She was named MTV Malaysia Exclusive Artist in January 2005 and MTV Ampuh Artist of the Month in February 2005. The album was released in Malaysia on 12 May 2005 through Suria Records, accompanied by a promotional concert at Planet Hollywood Kuala Lumpur. She won "Best Female Singer" at the 9th Anugerah Musik Indonesia for the single "Aku Bukan Untukmu" the same year.
In 2005, she contributed to the tribute album From Us to U, performing the song "Cinta" by Titiek Puspa and participating in the collaborative track "Marilah Kemari". She was later nominated for the MTV Asia Awards 2006 in Bangkok as one of Indonesia’s representatives. Rossa released Yang Terpilih in December 2006, featuring the singles "Terlalu Cinta", "Atas Nama Cinta" and "Tak Termiliki". "Atas Nama Cinta" was used as the theme song for the television series Cinta Fitri. The album was released in Malaysia in May 2007.
2007–2012: Ayat-Ayat Cinta – X-Factor Indonesia In December 2007, Rossa released the single "Ayat-Ayat Cinta" written for the film of the same name, which premiered in February 2008. The single became one of the most downloaded songs in Malaysia by an international artist with over 700,000 downloads. During this period, she also performed the songs "Takdir Cinta" and "Tercipta Untukku" with Ungu in Malaysia. In 2008, she appeared as part of the Asian Night segment of the Beijing Olympic Games as the representative of Indonesia.
On 26 November 2008, Rossa held her first major solo concert, Persembahan Cinta, at the Jakarta Convention Center, directed by Jay Subiyakto with musical arrangements by Erwin Gutawa and featuring guest performers including Ungu and Melly Goeslaw. The concert sold out in advance and was later staged in Surabaya and Bandung in 2009, attracted more than 16,000 attendees.
Rossa released her self-titled album ROSSA on 14 January 2009, featuring the singles "Terlanjur Cinta", "Hati Yang Kau Sakiti" and "Tega". To promote the album, she embarked on the Cerita Cinta concert tour across several Indonesian cities, with an additional performance in Kuala Lumpur. The concert attracted more than 31,000 attendees
On 23 May 2010, she staged the Melodi Cinta concert at Stadium Putra Bukit Jalil in Malaysia, attended by more than 12,000 people, with appearances by Ungu, ST12, Aizat, and orchestral direction by Yovie Widianto. The event included participation from the Permata Seni ensembles and was produced by Jay Subiyakto. Media outlets reported that she received a significant performance fee 10 billion rupiah for the concert.
Following the concert, Rossa released the album Harmoni Jalinan Nada & Cerita, which included the singles "Memeluk Bulan", "Jagad Khayalku", and "Ku Menunggu."
Rossa is credited with helping to popularize the use of virtual duets with deceased artists in Indonesian popular music. In 2011, she released a re-recorded version of "Jangan Ada Dusta Diantara Kita" featuring the late Broery Marantika. On 11 October 2011, she performed Harmoni Cinta concert at Esplanade, Singapore, where she introduced the duet single "Aku Bersahaja" with Taufik Batisah. The concert attracted more than 1,800 attendees. Later that year, she released The Best of Rossa, which included new tracks for the Indonesian and international editions. The album reportedly sold more than 5 million copies in Indonesia and ranked third among the country’s best-selling albums of all time. Her collaboration with Joe Flizzow on "One Night Lover" led to an appearance at New York Fashion Week in 2012, and she was featured by the U.S. entertainment website Global Grind. The album was accompanied by several regional and national awards.
In addition to her recording career, Rossa entered the entertainment business sector by establishing Diva Family Karaoke, which grew into one of Indonesia’s larger family karaoke chains. She also served as a judge on the first season of X-Factor Indonesia, where her contestant won the competition.
2013–2016: Salahkah – ILY from 38.000 Ft. Rossa received an honorary title from the Surakarta Palace, "Kanjeng Mas Ayu Tumenggung Sri Rossa Swarakaloka" and was also granted the Malaysian honorific "Dato'" by the Pahang Kingdom. In late 2013, she released the single “Salahkah,” a duet with Malaysian singer Hafiz Suip for the drama Bukan Kerana Aku Cinta. The song earned five nominations at the World Music Awards and was later included on her album Love, Life & Music.
Upon its release in May 2014, the special edition of Love, Life & Music reportedly sold more than 100,000 copies in a day, earning recognition from the Indonesian World Records Museum (MURI) and the Indonesian Recording Industry Association (ASIRI). The standard edition received a triple-platinum certification. The song “Hijrah Cinta” was promoted as the lead single for the Indonesian market and served as the soundtrack for the film of the same name, while “Salahkah” was promoted internationally. Rossa was later awarded an additional honorary title by the Surakarta Palace “Kanjeng Mas Ayu Sri Rossa Swarakaloka,” and returned as a judge on the second season of X-Factor Indonesia, where her contestant again won. The album subsequently received multi-platinum and million-selling certifications in 2015.
Rossa was appointed by Indonesia’s Ministry of Tourism and Creative Economy to perform the jingles “Pesona Indonesia” and “Wonderful Indonesia,” composed by Dwiki Dharmawan, as part of the nation's tourism branding campaign. The promotional materials were broadcast across several regional and international media outlets such as; Astro TV, National Geographic Australia, FX-Australia, Channel News Asia, FOX Channels, CCTV China, CNBC International, Channel 5, Channel 8, Channel U, MBN, MBC, TV3, TBS, TV Asahi Channel 1, Channel 7, Channel 9, Aljazeera, Diva (Asia TV channel), Discovery Channel, Travel Living Channel/AFC, CNN International, BBC World, Sport Channels, Time Square New York and many more.
In 2015, she held a two-night concert at Istana Budaya in Kuala Lumpur titled Malam Keajaiban Cinta Dato’ Rossa, attended by approximately 2,500 people per night. She became the first Indonesian artist to hold two consecutive concert dates at the venue. The concerts reportedly set a record for the highest ticket price at Istana Budaya, with tickets priced at RM1,500. She also performed at the Persada Johor International Convention Centre in Pesona Cinta Dato’ Rossa, attended by 1,800 people.
In early 2016, she participated in the concert Raja & Rakyat Berpisah Tiada at Istana Budaya alongside several Malaysian artists to commemorate the birthday of the Sultan of Pahang. The concert reportedly set a record for the highest ticket price, with tickets priced at RM5,000. That year, she released the single "Jangan Hilangkan Dia" written by Ryan D’Masiv and produced by Tushar Apte. The song was first released in four countries and was ranked number one on "iTunes Soundtrack" for six months. She also performed at the 21st Asian Television Awards in December 2016. In mid-2016, Rossa began recording sessions in Los Angeles for her next studio album with Mitch Allan as vocal producer.
2017–2019: A New Chapter – SM Entertainment On 5 April 2017, Rossa released A New Chapter, an album that introduced electronic and urban pop influences and involved collaborations with several international producers, including Mitch Allan, Tushar Apte, Fiona Bevan, Stuart Crichton, and others. The album contains four English-language tracks and five Indonesian songs. Its lead English single, “Body Speak,” was featured as the MTV Asia Spotlight Artist selection for a month.