Agnes Monica

Agnes Monica (born Agnes Monica Muljoto; July 1, 1986) is an Indonesian recording artist and actress of Chinese ancestry.[1] Born in Jakarta, Indonesia, she started her career in entertainment industry at the age of six as a child singer. She has recorded three albums which established herself as one of the most popular child singers in the 1990s. She also became a presenter of several children's television programs. At her teen age, Agnes expanded her career into the world of acting. Her role in the soap opera Pernikahan Dini rocketed her name in the showbiz industry. Following her rising popularity after starring in few series of soap operas, she became the highest-paid teenage artist. In 2003, she released her first album And the Story Goes that marked her transition from a child singer to a female singer.
Agnes is known as a controversial figure in Indonesia, for her dream to bring her music to international stage is considered as a pompous proclamation. But despite of that, she has done many things to make her dream come true and made herself as an inspiration of young people. On her second studio album Whaddup A.. '?!, she collaborated with an American R&B singer Keith Martin. In 2005, she appeared in two Taiwanese drama series, The Hospital and Romance In the White House. She participated in 2008 and 2009 Asia Song Festival, which took place in Seoul, South Korea; and she received "Best Asian Artist Award" for each her participation there from the chairman of Korea Foundation for International Culture and Exchange. In 2010, she was one of the international hosts on the red carpet of American Music Awards of 2010 in Los Angeles, United States.
Besides her commercial success, Agnes has also achieved numerous awards, including ten Anugerah Musik Indonesia, seven Panasonic Awards, four MTV Indonesia Awards, and seven JpopAsia International Music Awards. She has also earned 2011 Nugraha Bhakti Musik Indonesia (NBMI) from The Minister of Culture and Tourism and the Union of Indonesian Singers, Songwriters and Music Record Producers for her contribution and support for the Indonesian music.
For her clean image and healthy life, which she has always presented, Agnes was appointed as the anti-drug ambassador of Asia as well as the ambassador of MTV EXIT in combating human trafficking.

Agnes Monica - Matahariku (High Quality - Better Audio)


Agnes Monica - "Paralyzed" HD official video


Agnes Monica - Godai Aku Lagi (HQ)


Agnes Monica - Tanpa Kekasihku


AGNES MONICA R A P U H


Agnes Monica & Christian Chavez - En Donde Estas / Kau Dimana / Where Did You Go




Life and career

[edit]1986–2002: Childhood and early career
Agnes Monica was born in Jakarta, Indonesia on July 1, 1986. She is the youngest child of Jenny Siswono and Ricky Suprapto.[4] She has an older brother named Steve Muljoto who is also her manager.[5] She attended Tarakanita elementary school and Pelita Harapan junior high school.[6] Her talent in the performing arts has already seen in her childhood, especially in singing. Besides singing in a church, she was also sent to vocal courses in some places.[7]
At the age of six, Agnes started her career as a child singer and recorded her first very album Si Meong.[4] Her popularity soared when she released her second children's album Yess! (1995), in which she duets with another Indonesian child singer Eza Yayang. The album was named the "Best Children's Album" in 1999.[8] Another children's album which she released was Bala-Bala. All those three albums managed to rank Agnes alongside with other popular child singers of the 1990s.[7] In addition to releasing albums, Agnes also became a host of few children's programs namely Video Anak Anteve (VAN) on Anteve, Tralala-Trilili on RCTI and Diva Romeo on Trans TV. She was awarded "Most Favorite Presenter of Children's Program" at Panasonic Awards for two consecutive years, 1999 and 2000.[9]
Entering her teen age, Agnes expanded her career into the world of acting, beginning with her role on the soap operas Lupus Millennia and Mr Hologram in 1999.[6] The next year, she starred in the soap opera Pernikahan Dini which made her even more famous and wiped away her image as a child artist.[9] For her role in this soap opera, she received "Favorite Actress" award at 2001 and 2002 Panasonic Awards, as well as "Popular Actress" award at 2002 SCTV Awards.[9] She recorded two songs "Pernikahan Dini" and "Seputih Hati" for the soap opera's soundtracks. Both songs were also featured on the compilation album Love Theme (2001).[10]
Throughout 2002, Agnes starred in three soap operas namely Ciuman Pertama, Kejar Daku Kau Ku Tangkap and Amanda.[8] She also collaborated with an Indonesian senior singer Yana Julio in the song "Awan dan Ombak" for his studio album Jumpa Lagi.[11] Along with her high popularity, Agnes became the highest-paid teenage artist in Indonesia at that time.[12]
[edit]2003–2004: First Album And The Story Goes
On October 8, 2003, Agnes released her first adult album And the Story Goes. She worked with several Indonesian famed producers and songwriters, including Ahmad Dhani, Melly Goeslaw, and Titi DJ.[13] The album production took 1.5 years, including the audition process for the dancers.[14] According to her record label Aquarius Musikindo, the album sold 35,000 copies before its official release.[14] It was later certified double platinum for more than 300,000 copies sold.[6][15] The album also earned her three awards out of ten nominations at 2004 Anugerah Musik Indonesia (a Grammy Award equivalent in Indonesia) "Best Female Solo Pop Artist" for the song "Jera", "Best Dance/Tehno Production" for the song "Bilang Saja" and "Best Duo/Group" for her duet with Ahmad Dhani in "Cinta Mati".[16] She also won "Best Female Newcomer" at Anugerah Planet Muzik in Singapore. For her success in such a young age, she was dubbed a "Young Diva" by media.[8] She also started mentioning of an international career.[17]
In the same year, besides being busy of promoting her debut album, Agnes also starred in a soap opera Cewekku Jutek. The following year, she starred in another two soap operas, Bunga Perawan and Cantik.[18] Her appearances there garnered "Favorite Actress" at 2003 Panasonic Awards and "Popular Actress" at 2004 SCTV Awards.
In 2004 after graduating from Pelita Harapan senior high school, Agnes attended University of Pelita Harapan (UPH) majoring in Business Law.[19]
[edit]2005–2007: Second Album Whaddup A.. '?!
Agnes launched her second studio album, Whaddup A.. '?!, on December 10, 2005, featuring five hit singles namely "Bukan Milikmu Lagi", "Tanpa Kekasihku", "Tak Ada Logika", "Cinta Di Ujung Jalan" and "Tak Mungkin". This time, besides working with a number of Indonesian musicians such as Melly Goeslaw, Andi Rianto, Erwin Gutawa, she also collaborated with an American singer-songwriter Keith Martin.[6] For the album, Martin wrote two English songs, including a duet song "I'll Light a Candle".[15] To promote the album, she held a concert tour Clasnezenzation in four big cities in Indonesia: Bandar Lampung, Surabaya, Bandung and Makassar.[20] The album was commercially successful and she won two 2006 Anugerah Musik Indonesia awards for Best Female Pop Artist and Best R&B Production.[21] She also won an award for Most Favorite Female at 2006 MTV Indonesia Awards.[22] Selling more than 450,000 copies, the album itself was one of the top-selling album of 2006 and received certified triple platinum.[23]
In 2005 Agnes appeared in a Taiwanese drama The Hospital together with Jerry Yan, a member of a Taiwanese boyband F4.[24] She also appeared for few episodes in another Taiwanese drama Romance in the White House together with Peter Ho.[25] Meanwhile, in her home country she starred in two soap operas Ku Tlah Jatuh Cinta and Pink on Indosiar.[26][27] By 2006 she starred in another soap opera, Kawin Muda, on RCTI. At the same year, she decided to take a break from her education in University of Pelita Harapan to focus her career in entertainment industry.[28]
In early 2007 Agnes was appointed by the DEA (Drugs Enforcement Administration) and IDEC Far East Region as the anti-drug ambassador of Asia.[29] On May 15, 2007, she became an opening act for a concert of an American R&B group Boyz II Men at Istora Senayan, Jakarta.[9] On June 23, 2007, she held her first concert at Stadium Negara in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.[30] She also performed as a special guest star in the final of Asian Idol on December 16, 2007, singing "Get Up".[31]
[edit]2008–2009: Sacredly Agnezious
In 2008 Agnes began working on her third studio album and released her new song "Matahariku" earlier than planned as the first single. To date, "Matahariku" has become her best-selling hit with sales of three million ringback tone downloads within nine months.[32] Its music video has also become the most-watched female Indonesian music video on YouTube.[33] The song won an award at MTV Indonesia Awards for Most Favorite Female and 2009 Anugerah Musik Indonesia award for Best Female Solo Pop Artist.[34][35] In September 2008, she spawned the second single "Godai Aku Lagi", which she wrote herself, and released a mini album contained those two singles.[36] In the same year she also starred in a soap opera Jelita on RCTI.[37]
On October 4, 2008, Agnes was invited as the Indonesian representative at Asia Song Festival organized by the Korea Foundation for International Culture Exchange in Seoul, South Korea. Together with other 24 artists from 12 Asian countries, the event was viewed by 35,000 audiences at the Seoul World Cup Stadium and broadcasted on TV in 30 countries.[38][39] She performed two of her songs, "Godai Aku Lagi" and "Shake It Off", incorporating elements of Indonesian traditional dance from Bali. Her performance received positive responses from a number of Korean local media as well as winning the "Best Asian Artist Award" from the committee.[40] The following year, she was invited again and performed three songs namely "Shake It Off", "Temperature" and the pop star Michael Jackson's song "Heal the World". This time, 14 famous artists across Asia participated in it and the festival was viewed by 40,000 audiences.[41] Like her previous performance, Agnes received good reviews and earned the "Best Asian Artist Award" for the second time.[42]
On April 1, 2009, Agnes launched her third studio album, Sacredly Agnezious. This time, she involved more in the album production. Working with some renowned musicians like Erwin Gutawa, Dewiq, Pay and DJ Sumantri, she also acted as the producer and the songwriter herself.[43] In addition to the two previous singles, "Matahariku" and "Godai Aku Lagi", she produced two more singles: "Teruskanlah" and "Janji-Janji". At 2010 Anugerah Musik Indonesia, she won three awards for "Best Pop Album", "Best Female Pop Solo Artist" and "Best of the Best Album".[44] On May 23, 2009, she appeared as a guest star at "Festival of Life" in Bali celebrating 50-year anniversary of diplomatic relation between Indonesia and Japan.[45]
After her long break from college, Agnes finally decided to withdraw from Pelita Harapan University [46] However, she continued her study at Political Science major, Oregon State University (OSU) with online education.[47]
[edit]2010–present: Upcoming international project
In 2010, Agnes became one of the judges in the talent show Indonesian Idol.[48] Her presence at the show arose a dispute in the beginning because she was considered too young.[49] In the same year, she was also appointed as the ambassador of the MTV EXIT (End Exploitation and Trafficking) in combating human trafficking.[50]
On November 21, 2010, Agnes was chosen as one of the international red carpet hosts in the annual American Music Awards at Nokia Theatre, Los Angeles, United States.[51] Few months after her appearance at AMA 2010, she announced that she has signed to Sony/ATV Music Publishing and is currently working on her debut English studio album in London, England and Los Angeles, United States.[52] During her stay in the U.S. for her international album recording, an unplanned compilation album was also recorded for upcoming Michael Bolton's album Gems; she sang a duet song "Said I Loved You...But I Lied" together with Michael Bolton.[53] The album would also feature Elton John and Eva Cassidy.[54] The album would be released in Fall of 2011.[55]
On February 2, 2011, Agnes released a greatest hits album Agnes Is My Name which compiled her top hits in Indonesia with two new songs "Karena Ku Sanggup" and "Paralyzed".[56]
[edit]Artistry

Agnes has been noted as a powerful soprano with a range of 4 octaves, notable for the usage of whistle register in her song "Karena Ku Sanggup".[57] Agnes' music includes pop, R&B, and hip-hop. She mentioned Aretha Franklin, Jill Scott, Angie Stone, Madonna, Michael Jackson, Fantasia and Beyoncé as her musical influences,[58] while often compared to various American singers, notably Britney Spears and Christina Aguilera.[59] Besides famous as a singer, she is also known as a strong dancer and actress. She is the only Indonesian soloist having a personal dance group called Nezindahood, auditioned during the development of her first album in 2003.[60] She has also written some of her songs[61] and produced her own music videos.[62] For her perfectionist trait and a lot of things she can do, She has been hailed as a multitalented artist by the media in Indonesia.[63]
[edit]Honors and awards

See also: List of awards received by Agnes Monica.
Agnes has received numerous awards. Some of those awards are ten Anugerah Musik Indonesia, seven Panasonic Awards, and four MTV Indonesia Awards. She has also received many international awards, including one Anugerah Planet Muzik, and two Best Asian Artist Awards. For her contribution and support to Indonesian music, she was awarded 2011 Nugraha Bhakti Musik Indonesia (NBMI) from The Minister of Culture and Tourism and Association of Indonesian Singers, Songwriters and Music Record Producers.
Agnes was appointed as the anti-drug ambassador of Asia as well as the ambassador of MTV EXIT in combating human trafficking.
[edit]Fundraising

Agnes has conducted fundraising activities for victims of the 2004 Tsunami in Aceh and the 2006 earthquake in Java. In 2009 Agnes visited Situ Gintung, where a dam failure had come about and led to flood; not only did she donated sum of cash there, but she also sang few songs to cheer the victims up.[64] Agnes Monica also helped raise over Rp. 400 million for Persis, Surakarta’s soccer team, through a benefit concert held at the Diamond Convention Center in Surakarta.[65]
[edit]Discography

Main article: Agnes monica discography
[edit]Indonesian-language albums
1992: Si Meong
1995: Yess!
1996: Bala-Bala'
2003: And the Story Goes
2005: Whaddup A.. '?!
2008: NEZ (Mini Album)
2009: Sacredly Agnezious
2011: Agnes Is My Name (Greatest Hits Album)
[edit]English-language albums
2011~2012: TBA
[edit]Television series

Lupus Milenia (1999)
Mr Hologram (1999)
Pernikahan Dini (2001)
Amanda (2002)
Ciuman Pertama (2002)
Cinta Selembut Awan (2002)
Cewekku Jutek (2003)
Cantik (2004)
Bunga Perawan (2004)
Ku 'Tlah Jatuh Cinta (2005)
Pink (2006)
Romance In The White House (2006)
The Hospital (2006)
Kawin Muda (2006)
Jelita (2008)
Kawin Masal (2008)
Pejantan Cantik (2010)
[edit]Presenter

VAN (Video Anak Anteve) – Anteve
Tralala-Trilili – RCTI
Diva Romeo – Trans TV
American Music Awards of 2010 – ABC Channel

Reference from Wikipedia.com