The rise and rise of Angel, Sabronzo and Tabby of DOLLA.

Just four days before their photoshoot, Angel, Sabronzo and Tabby took the stage at Zepp Kuala Lumpur for their first-ever solo concert as DOLLA. It was two electrifying hours of kicks, turns, powerhouse vocals and a whirlwind of emotions that left every iDOLLA in the audience singing like there was no tomorrow, dancing like never before and pouring their hearts out to DOLLA&rsquo;s latest single, Here4U.&nbsp; &ldquo;I wrote the song from emotions I don&rsquo;t always get to express to the iDOLLAs and the rest of the girls,&rdquo; says Tabby, one of the minds behind the track. She recalls sitting in her room after catching the melody, putting her feelings into words about their journey and everyone who has supported them through thick and thin to get them to where they are today. Clocking in at 3 minutes and 39 seconds, Here4U is a beautiful blend of melancholic melodies, upbeat rhythms and heartfelt lyrics. With lines like, &ldquo;You are the one we need, the one we'll believe, the trust and love we have is always, and someday, we can make it all the way, we're here to stay,&rdquo; the song is a special one.

In Malaysia, it&rsquo;s rare to find a girl group that can captivate the entire nation with charisma, uniqueness, nerve and talent &mdash; but DOLLA is in a league of its own. Their songs aren&rsquo;t just packed with catchy chords, melodies and lyrics; they evoke powerful emotions, often sparking conversations around self and women&rsquo;s empowerment. Sabronzo sees music as a tool to connect with listeners on a deeper level, and for her, Angel and Tabby, DOLLA is a platform to inspire and influence. &ldquo;Women&rsquo;s empowerment is close to our hearts because we&rsquo;ve all faced the challenges of being women in this industry. We want to create a space where women feel seen, heard and valued &mdash; where young girls can find strength in our lyrics,&rdquo; Sabronzo explains. But to inspire others, you have to believe in yourself first &mdash; a lesson Angel learned the hard way before DOLLA&rsquo;s debut. Her journey with self-confidence wasn&rsquo;t always smooth, but performing alongside Sabronzo and Tabby has made it easier. &ldquo;I&rsquo;ve learned to be more confident in what I do, especially on stage. It&rsquo;s something that&rsquo;s grown over time, and I know there&rsquo;s still room to grow,&rdquo; Angel admits. Tabby chimes in, &ldquo;I think everyone goes through a phase of doubting themselves. But being with my girls, being on stage and seeing the incredible support we&rsquo;ve received for our dream has boosted that confidence.&rdquo;&nbsp;

Seeing the tight-knit sisterhood that Angel, Sabronzo and Tabby have built over their career, it&rsquo;s hard not to wonder what their first meeting was like. Their initial get-together as a group took place at a &ldquo;Mamak&rdquo; restaurant in Kuala Lumpur. According to Angel, they barely knew each other beforehand, aside from what they&rsquo;d seen on social media. But it was Sabronzo&rsquo;s entrance that left the biggest impression on Angel and Tabby. &ldquo;She (Sabronzo) showed up in a hoodie, sweatpants and sandals, with her hair in a bun, and not a trace of makeup, while the rest of us were all glammed up, trying to impress each other [laughs],&rdquo; Tabby recalls. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s hilarious when you think about it, especially because of Sab&rsquo;s carefree attitude [laughs],&rdquo; Angel adds. Sabronzo reflects, &ldquo;It is funny looking back at that moment. We were all so different when we first met compared to now, right?&rdquo;

In May, DOLLA announced the departure of their fourth member, Syasya &mdash; known for her sharp dance moves, angelic voice and playful personality. Though having left the group, Syasya&rsquo;s impact on Angel, Sabronzo and Tabby remains strong, leaving them with unforgettable memories and valuable life lessons. Angel, who says Syasya imparted the most life lessons during their time together, reflects on her duality. &ldquo;She had two personalities &mdash; on stage and off &mdash; but balanced them well. I still don&rsquo;t know how she juggled her studies and being an entertainer, but she did it seamlessly,&rdquo; Angel explains.&nbsp;

Despite the shocking news, the girls kept their focus on the big day. For Sabronzo and Tabby, the toughest part was nailing the details that would make the night unforgettable. &ldquo;We rehearsed almost every day to ensure we were delivering the best show possible. Seeing it all come together on stage made the hard work worth it,&rdquo; Sabronzo shares. Angel adds, &ldquo;I struggled with the choreography and the new musical arrangements. Singing live while executing high-intensity choreography was a whole new challenge. I don&rsquo;t know how we survived it, but we did [laughs].&rdquo;

Bad set the perfect tone as the opening track, BO$$ UP brought an electrifying rhythm, Impikan had the crowd jumping and screaming and CLASSIC was nothing short of pure perfection. The night was the live debut of some of DOLLA&rsquo;s underdog tracks &mdash; Masa, Drip and Best Side &mdash; from their first album, New Classic. &ldquo;There&rsquo;s something very special about these three songs when performed live. And with the smooth choreography masterminded by Ezra, everything just hit differently,&rdquo; Tabby reflects. DOLLA exudes swag that&rsquo;s rare among rising local artists today. Paired with their humble attitude and professionalism in both business and showmanship, it&rsquo;s clear that only DOLLA can do DOLLA

Once you're done with the interview, watch DOLLA answer 10 questions about themselves.

DOLLA plays "Who Knows Each Other Best?" with L'Officiel Hommes Malaysia

COVER CREDITS:
Creative Direction &amp; Words Syazil Abd Rahim Photography Edmund Lee Grooming James Yap &amp; Kah Yean Makeup Elaine Chan &amp; Saem Makeup Studio Videography Jackie Mah All clothing &amp; accessories COACH AUTUMN/WINTER 2024 COLLECTION

Digital Cover: DOLLA on iDOLLA, debut concert and women's empowerment

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