These Indonesian Male Soloists Have What It Takes to Conquer the World Stage

• Indonesian male soloists are gaining serious global momentum across indie pop, soul, jazz-pop, and alternative music.
• Arash Buana continues evolving from teen prodigy into one of Indonesia’s strongest young songwriters and producers.
• Jordan Susanto and Adikara are bringing modern soul and jazz-pop to a wider audience through standout live performances and polished records.
• Skyline represents Indonesia’s growing indie export scene with dreamy bedroom pop and shoegaze-inspired music built for the streaming era.
• Hindia remains one of the country’s most influential voices, using alternative music to explore vulnerability, politics, and modern Indonesian life.

From Jakarta to the world stage

The signs are written in the stars. No Na recently lit the red carpet ablaze at the Gold Gala 2026. Grrrl Gang vibrantly captivated the music lovers at All of the Noise 2026 in the Philippines last month. Kirribilly is set to participate in the International Beatleweek 2026 in Liverpool.

All of these headlines ultimately suggest that it is only a matter of time until the rest of the world discovers their next music obsessions from the Indonesian soil and seas. And of course, Indonesia’s male soloists are a force to be reckoned with as well.

After evaluating their quality of work thus far, as well as their potential to charm beyond the Emerald of the Equator, here are some of the Indonesian male soloists who have what it takes to conquer the world stage sooner than later.

We totally get it if you end up spending the rest of your day stalking their music and their Instagram page after reading this article. These men have the talent that can touch your heart, the charisma that can make you swoon, and the complete package that can blow your mind.

Arash Buana

The former child singer introduced himself as one of Indonesia’s rare teen prodigies when, at 17 years old, his bedroom pop number, if u could see me cryin’ in my room, featuring fellow teen prodigy Raissa Anggiani, became one of the monster hits of the pandemic era.

Now all grown up and about to turn 23 years old in June, Arash seems keen on musically documenting his unstoppable evolution into proper adulthood—a passage of time that anyone, regardless of their nationality, can identify with—as teased by his most recent single, april: a soft-rock meditation on hard goodbyes and unavoidable longings. With honed skills and a creative instinct beyond his years, the world stage is wide open to Arash at this point.

Jordan Susanto

Anyone who attended last year’s Jakarta International Java Jazz Festival would not be surprised by Jordan Susanto‘s inclusion in this list. His commanding performance rivalled even the more seasoned overseas artists at the festival, and silenced the sceptics who believed young Indonesian artists could never deliver proper soul music.

Jordan’s debut LP, Jordan (2024), celebrates the soul heroes who helped raise him to be the man he is today—think Marvin Gaye and Otis Redding—while also indulging in the guilty pleasure of radio-friendly pop hooks, resulting in a modern soul-pop record that is both authentic and catchy.

Bolstered by his overflowing natural charm, which could put even the world’s most famous heartthrobs green with envy, Jordan Susanto is a rare class of artist nowadays who sounds incredible on record—and even better in live shows. The world should never miss this S-rank talent.

Skyline (Gerald Timotheus)

In a landscape where it is now more likely for an indie artist to soar from obscurity to a worldwide discovery, singer-songwriter-music producer Skyline—whose real name is Gerald Timotheus—has already proven himself to possess what it takes to join the ranks of Boy Pablo and Wave to Earth.

Skyline’s English-language debut album, the adorably named butterflies and tulips…all circling around my head (2025), unexpectedly became one of the year’s most celebrated Indonesian indie albums, led by the sleeper hit cool enough for you.

Even though heartbreak is nothing new in music, Skyline’s album’s greatest accomplishment, arguably, is how he deftly makes the bedroom pop and shoegaze subgenres sound fresh again for the internet generation—adding to that, Skyline’s deliberately arresting, yet graceful melodies that would live rent-free in your ear canal.

Adikara

The Indonesian jazz music scene has a new heir apparent in the 25-year-old Adikara.

In April this year, Adikara released an English-language maxi-single, Spotless Dove, consisting of a pair of fresh numbers: Can I Tell The World I Love You? and Goodnight—a new chapter that demonstrates not only his command of Anglophone lyricism but also his panache for the soul ballad and orchestral pop subgenres.

For anyone curious about what Adikara is all about, he is set to perform this May at the Jakarta International Java Jazz Festival (now named MyBCA International Java Jazz Festival 2026). Can we envision a day in the not-so-distant future when Adikara joins forces with Olivia Dean in an international stadium arena? Most definitely.

Hindia (Baskara Putra)

The 32-year-old singer, songwriter, music producer, and modern maverick Hindia—whose real name is Baskara Putra—has staggeringly rewritten the rules for being a male superstar since the meteoric supernova that was his debut LP, Menari Dengan Bayangan (2019), which contributed significantly to anointing alternative music as the hottest music genre in the local music hemisphere.

Hindia also refused to be the victim of his own success, as he followed up such a triumphant debut with the more creatively daring and experimental Lagipula Hidup Akan Berakhir (2023), in which he unwaveringly journeys into the deepest, darkest pits of a human’s soul—a kind of inner excavation that no artist of his age group would ever dare to embark on.

In a world where artists need to speak the truth through the best art possible, a voice like Hindia feels more resonant—and urgently needed—than ever before.

Why Indonesian male soloists are gaining global attention

Indonesia’s music industry is entering a new era of international visibility. Streaming platforms, social media, and festival culture have made it easier than ever for local artists to connect with global audiences without sacrificing their identity.

These artists represent different genres and creative approaches, but they share several important qualities: strong songwriting, clear artistic identity, and music that feels emotionally universal.

As Southeast Asian music continues to expand globally beyond K-pop and J-pop, Indonesian artists are increasingly proving they belong in the conversation, too. And if the momentum surrounding these soloists continues, the global breakthrough may arrive sooner than expected.