Haqiem Rusli

Haqiem Rusli had to be precocious. The former child star started competing in kids reality shows at age 10, but it was solo ballad “Segalanya” that enraptured the audience with his matured tone. Impressive still is Rusli’s own songwriting—he’s co-signed by industry gatekeepers and legitimised by Music Authors Copyright Protection (MACP) as a composer. Even with these laurels, he recognises his songs tend to be thematically linked to romance, a cliché he’s ready to abandon. Like with 2020’s “Adlina Marie”, Haqiem uses pop ballad tropes to tell socially conscious stories.