HYPE speaks to De Fam who is set on bringing girl power back to Malaysia by daring to be different.

By Cindy Yong

Never in their wildest dreams did the iron-willed ladies of Malaysian female pop group De Fam – comprised of Azira Shafinaz, 25, Sophia Liana 26, and Cik Manggis, 27 – imagine they would be the voice to empower and inspire women.

 

De Fam
(From Left to Right) Sofia, Azira, Manages

In May 2015, De Fam released their first single #SUPERGIRLS, which topped Malaysia’s radio charts and has a strong message on girl power. Lyrics such as “independent women who I stand for“ and “don’t need to worry ‘bout the things they say, you’ve got the power to stand up today” became an instant favorite in the Malaysian music scene.

 
https://youtu.be/qWiPwy2ZINI

“Sophia actually received an e-mail awhile back from a single working mother who said that she felt inspired listening to #SUPERGIRLS,” Shafinaz fondly recalled. “It’s important that women encourage and empower one another than compare.”

 

De Fam
(From Left to Right) Sophia, Azira, Manggis 

The trio were born and raised in Kuala Lumpur, and through their shared love for dance, the girls were first introduced to one another in high school. They began meeting up frequently for karaoke sessions and soon noticed their uncanny chemistry between them and talent for singing.

 

“Because together, there’s strength. Individually, there’s always a weakness,” Shafinaz explained, when asked why the girls decided to dive into the music industry as a group as opposed to a solo act. “The 90s saw the last Malaysian female pop band called ‘Elite’. Thus, we wanted to step out and start a girl group revival,” Cik said.

 

De Fam and Brandon Beal
(From Left to Right) Azira, Brandon, Sophia, Manggis

Earlier this year, De Fam collaborated with Brandon Beal, American singer and songwriter behind the viral song Twerk It Like Miley, for their latest single With You.

 

https://youtu.be/huSitsdKNeo

 

Now, De Fam is aiming to release an extended playlist and expand their popularity in the region – starting with Singapore, Indonesia, and the Philippines.

 

“We hope that our songs will not be just songs, but that they will continue to empower many women out there,” Shafinaz said.

 

You can listen to the previews and buy De Fam’s singles on iTunes for just SGD$1.28 per song:

 

With You: https://itunes.apple.com/sg/album/you-feat.-brandon-beal-single/id1066820459

#SUPERGIRLS: https://itunes.apple.com/sg/album/supergirls-single/id994174355

 

Photo courtesy of  That Time Of Night and Klix Photography