The metallic pulse of ceng-ceng in ‘work’. The chimes of gamelan in ‘rollerblade’. The staccato of an angkot minibus horn opening ‘honk!’ The island setting in the ‘superstitious’ video. Everything no na does centres Indonesian culture – even their group name plays on the word for “miss”. In the current pop landscape, they represent something authentic and exciting – a girl group platforming their culture and heritage, but fusing it with global perspective and ambition.
The first global girl group formed and produced by 88rising – the trailblazing music and media company that has changed the game for Asian representation in global pop culture – no na is built on strong roots and a wealth of talent. Before being scouted for the project, the four members were all pursuing their own paths. Baila and Esther were both working on their own solo music after participating in Indonesian Idol Junior and Indonesian Idol, respectively. Shaz, a dancer since her childhood, was in dance crews in Sydney, where she was studying, while Christy was a ballet and ballroom dancer and rhythmic gymnastics athlete.
Together, they form a versatile, unique whole – one that can effortlessly turn its hand to physically demanding choreography or spine-tinglingly powerful vocal moments, and everything in between. Those skills were honed during a training period in Jakarta, first with Baila, Shaz and Christy, before Esther joined them as the final member of the group. “She was the missing piece that we’d wanted for so long,” Baila recalls. “We can all sing, but we needed someone who could sing sing. We needed a diva.”
After one year of putting in the work at daily training, the four members relocated to Los Angeles in 2024 to begin recording – a pivotal opportunity for the group. “Once we moved there, a lot of doors started opening – we could meet new producers, new engineers, new songwriters and dive into the music industry,” Esther explains. “Our artistry really grew because we started meeting people who work in different genres and started understanding what happens behind-the-scenes more.”
That evolving artistry also saw them try a multitude of sounds on for size – “I feel like there’s nothing that we haven’t tried,” laughs Christy – in pursuit of their most authentic identity. In the end, finding it meant looking back to where they come from. “In Indonesia, we have 17,000 different islands. We are island girls, so we were like, ‘Island pop!’” Baila says. It’s a concept that remains in their DNA, no matter where their adventures in genre take them.
‘shoot’, their 2025 debut single, maintains a balmy, breezy approach at the heart of its pop-R&B as they prepare to capture someone’s heart. ‘superstitious’ dips into synth-funk and new jack swing, while ‘the one’ takes their sound into dreamy, ’80s R&B territory. In 2026, they upped the ante, showcasing a more high-octane version of tropical pop in the dance-pop, hip-hop-tinged ‘Sizzle’ – the theme song for Mobile Legends: Bang Bang M7 World Championship – and the unstoppable viral sensation ‘work’.
Like finding their identity in island pop, implementing Indonesian elements in their songs is something that is organic for no na. “A lot of [what we include] is something that is very close to us and very natural,” reasons Shaz. “It’s like, ‘What do we usually wear? What do we usually do?’”
While their home is a hugely significant part of who no na are, the palette of influences they pull from stretches far beyond its borders. Janet Jackson, SWV, Victoria Monét and FLO all serve as key inspirations to the group, and each song they release blends global sounds into their DNA. ‘rollerblade’, an upbeat song designed to make you dance, rides a reggaeton beat as the members deliver lines that flip between English and Bahasa Indonesia. “When Andrés [Rebellón, producer] came to us [with the demo], we were like, ‘This is going to be something really different for no na’,” Baila recalls. “We can really mix different genres and different cultures.” Latin American standout artists Esty and Mari La Carajita, hailing from the Dominican Republic and Venezuela respectively, amped up the original’s fierce beats to create an infectious, compulsively danceable multi-lingual bop on two subsequent remixes.
This willingness to experiment and passion to create something uniquely them is part of no na’s empowering charm. They are a group that are prepared to, as they sing in ‘work’, “put in that work”. The messages they pour into their music reflect that motivating part of them. “We want to remind our fans to be yourself and to love yourself no matter what you do, no matter who you are, no matter what situation you’re in,” Esther explains. “The number one priority for everyone should be to be kind and spread love to others and yourself. That’s what no na stand for.”
It’s a stance that, coupled with their flawless run of singles, has helped bring in a rapidly expanding international audience. Following the worldwide viral success of ‘work,’ the group soared to new heights with ‘rollerblade.’ The song surpassed 2.3 million creations on TikTok with over 3 billion views, where it reached #54 globally on the Top 2,000 Tracks Chart. With over 33.5 million streams, “rollerblade” has catapulted to top 5 charts across Southeast Asia on Spotify, Apple Music, iTunes, and more. The release of ‘work’ saw them hit new milestones around the world, charting on iTunes in countries like Mexico, Belgium, Spain and Malaysia, appearing in Spotify’s Top 50 in South Korea and Taiwan, and its video earning a spot on the YouTube trending chart in the UK. Their high-intensity performances, too, are a big draw for new fans – since making their live debut at Head In The Clouds LA in 2025, they’ve consistently impressed on the stage, the results of their work ethic showcased in its most physically demanding form.
no na’s rise is only set to continue with their debut album, which presents four multifaceted young women on the brink of something big. They are proud of their culture but curious and open-minded about others’; playful and free-spirited but full of drive and determination – and excellence running as the constant through it all. The album is announced alongside their newest single honk!’, which transforms an everyday Indonesian angkot ride into an unforgettable pop adventure. Full of humor, personality, and larger-than-life confidence, the song celebrates the excitement of the journey as much as the destination, turning familiar moments into something vibrant, playful, and unmistakably no na.
The full-length record features what is their defining anthem so far, titletrack ‘island girl’. “The lyrics show our personality as island girls,” Shaz shares, “and the vibe is very no na.” “It’s a rollercoaster,” adds Esther with a laugh. Together, the album builds a complete portrait of the island girl: playful but purposeful, sassy but sincere, celebrating girlhood and friendship just as much as romance, and rooted in Indonesian identity while speaking a universal language of confidence, connection, and joy.
Wherever no na’s journey takes them, though, they’ll always keep representing their home as their guiding light. “It’s our dream to make Indonesia a better-known country,” smiles Christy. “It’s our goal to put Indonesia on another level.” Baila nods: “We want to showcase that Indonesia can and does have the people who have the potential [to make an impact globally]. There aren’t many Indonesian artists out there globally, and we really want to make our country proud.”
