KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 31 — It has been yet another eventful year for the Malaysian music scene, with a mix of both positives and negatives.
From the barrage of comeback concerts by local 90s artists to ongoing issues with ticketing scalpers, as well as a couple of historic moments, 2025 has certainly been memorable.
Here’s a recap of some of the highlights in the Malaysian music scene this year:
Malaysia in the eyes of the world
There’s no denying that the 47th ASEAN Summit was one of the key highlights of 2025, where Malaysia, as chairman, not only hosted world leaders and delegates but also showcased the country’s cultural and musical diversity.
This was evident through the 10-day Riuh x ASEAN creative festival, which featured fringe events around the city centre, including music conferences and showcases highlighting talent from across Southeast Asia.
Another highlight was the ASEAN Gala Dinner performance on October 27, where world leaders were graced by three local musical icons: Datuk M. Nasir, Dayang Nurfaizah, and Malaysia’s national songstress, Datuk Seri Siti Nurhaliza.
Even Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim couldn’t resist dancing as M. Nasir took centre stage — a moment that went viral in a TikTok clip shared by RTM.
However, the nation was saddened by the passing of Istana Budaya traditional orchestra conductor Mohd Yazid Zakaria, who died just two days after leading his final show at the ASEAN Gala Dinner.
Although a dedicated anti-scalping law may arrive soon, discussions are ongoing between the Ministry of Domestic Trade and Cost of Living (KPDN), the Communications Ministry, and industry players.
However, it seems too late for fans of K-pop king G-Dragon, whose two-day Übermensch comeback concert at Axiata Arena last July, and American emo rock band My Chemical Romance (MCR), set to perform a two-day show at Bukit Jalil National Stadium in November next year, sold out within hours.
Many fans were unable to secure tickets due to high traffic, technical issues, and website crashes, with scalped tickets later appearing online at inflated prices.
For example, some tickets for MCR Live in Malaysia 2026, originally priced at RM499, were resold for over RM900, while Category 2 tickets, priced at RM699, were resold for over RM1,000.
Meanwhile, G-Dragon’s KL show on July 19 and 20 saw some resellers offering last-minute tickets at exorbitant prices.
One fan told Malay Mail that a reseller offered Category 1 tickets for RM2,900, originally priced around RM1,000, while another fan reported offers ranging from RM2,000 to RM4,000.
Despite ongoing discussions, Communications Minister Datuk Fahmi Fadzil said in July there is no definite timeline yet for when the anti-scalping bill will be tabled in Parliament.
KIIRAS debut led by Malaysia’s first female K-pop idol Lingling
Another highlight for the local music industry this year was the debut of K-pop girl group KIIRAS, led by 20-year-old Alicia Wong Lingling. Their hit single Kill Ma Bo$$, released on May 29, has already garnered over 7.6 million views on YouTube.
Lingling, born in Klang, made history as Malaysia’s first female K-pop idol. She trained under YG Entertainment, one of South Korea’s most prestigious agencies, known for producing global acts such as Blackpink and BigBang.
KIIRAS consists of six members: Lingling, Harin, Kurumi, Kylie, Doeyon, and Roah, and they are signed under South Korean entertainment agency Leanbranding.
Their debut single was praised for its fresh Americana and Country R&B concept. Since then, the group has released several singles, including Ziller, Bang Bang!, and their latest Christmas anthem KIIRASMAS.
Mimifly’s Serumpun and Dolla’s Question deemed too sexy for public
Another year, another music video removed for inappropriate outfits — though this time, it wasn’t Datuk Aliff Syukri.
In March, Malaysian singer Mimifly faced criticism for her Raya anthem Serumpun music video, which was deemed too revealing during Ramadan. She later re-uploaded an edited version.
The incident turned out to be a blessing in disguise: she was invited to perform alongside Indian composer Vidyasagar in September and collaborated with mobile strategy game Honor of Kings for her single Nara.
Mimifly also represented Malaysia at the SEA Games Thailand 2025 closing ceremony, performing a medley of Nara.
Meanwhile, girl group Dolla faced criticism for their MV Question last month. Universal Music Malaysia reportedly took down the video days after its premiere due to inappropriate content.
The controversy drew attention from former Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Religious Affairs) Datuk Dr Mohd Na’im Mokhtar, who reviewed possible syariah action against Muslim celebrities dressing provocatively.
Dolla also cancelled their solo concert Good Girls Gone Bad on December 6 at Idea Live Arena, replacing it with an exclusive fan-meeting session at Sunway Pyramid as a gesture of thanks to loyal fans.
Despite the MV being removed from official pages, it continues to circulate across social media.
The local 90s (and 80s) comeback
The love for 80s and 90s local artists remained strong in 2025, with almost non-stop concerts and showcases since April.
Singapore-born Datuk M. Nasir continued his Cipta concert series with two shows: Cipta Raya on April 13 at Zepp KL and Cipta 3 on September 27 at Axiata Arena, the latter with a rock theme.
Popular 90s girl groups also made comebacks: Elite performed Elite Live ’25 at Plenary Hall, KLCC, on September 24, and all-female rock group Candy held a comeback showcase at Aswara in Kuala Lumpur on September 20.
Several 90s Nasyid groups returned as well, including In-Team with their sold-out Kasih Kekasih 25 Tahun concert on September 27 at Idea Live Arena, and UNIC, who performed their comeback concert on December 20 at the same venue.
The main highlight this year was 90s group KRU, who held six major shows for their GenKRU series. Originally planned as a one-day concert on May 3, it was extended to four nights (May 4, 10, and 11) at Axiata Arena due to high demand.
The series continued at The Star Performing Arts Centre in Singapore on June 28, culminating with GenKRU The Finale on November 22 at the National Hockey Stadium in Bukit Jalil.
Finally, 80s singer Datuk Sheila Majid mesmerised over 9,000 fans at Axiata Arena during her 40th-anniversary concert on November 8.
The comeback and anniversary concert trend is expected to continue, especially with Datuk Seri Siti Nurhaliza set to hold her Legacy 30 Siti Nurhaliza solo concert at Bukit Jalil National Stadium on January 10.
