Indonesian RnB Artist Afgan Teams Up With Robin Thicke on His DOPE Remix to "Touch Me"
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Jakarta-based rising star, Afgan, has joined forces with Robin Thicke, for the re-release of his original track “Touch Me,” out now. Afgan’s honeyed vocals pair seamlessly with the addition of Thicke’s recognizable talent, for an undeniably catchy fusion of artistry. Produced by Grammy award winning producer Troy Taylor [Trey Songz, Keyshia Cole], “Touch Me” was originally released on Afgan’s highly-anticipated English-language album “Wallflower”; released in February 2021.
Afgan explains "“Touch Me” is a song with a dark and sexy beat that tells the story of one's physical attraction at first glance, and how that touch may trigger a series of feelings. Usually, these kind of messages are hard to communicate in Bahasa Indonesia, so this is my first time translating these feelings into a song as I'm now singing in English. This was a challenge for me but I am relieved and happy with the result."
Raised on soul legends Stevie Wonder, Whitney Houston and Brian McKnight, in his early years, self-taught Afgan grew up a shy individual finding solace in music, slowly gaining confidence in quiet karaoke rooms. For Jakarta-hailed rising star Afgan, music has always been an equal synergy of far-flung global inspirations matched with a devotion to showcasing his heritage via nods to Indonesian pop. With his debut album Confession No.1 dropping January 2008, Afgan currently has five solo albums under his belt, countless number one hits, and has managed to rack up over 44 million Spotify streams with over 1 million listeners across a staggering 79 countries just in 2019. Afgan has stepped into the spotlight as one of Indonesia’s fastest rising stars, and is now making his foray onto a global platform as continues to ride the success of his first international album, “Wallflower”.
In a move that is no doubt expanding his global influence, “Wallflower” also features “M.I.A.”, a buzzy collaboration with Hong Kong-hailed multi-hyphenate Jackson Wang. Born from a chance meeting after Afgan performed at the 2019 V Live Awards in Seoul, the collaboration came naturally and showcases a harmonious fusion of their crooning R&B vocals.
Much of the album is influenced by Afgan’s own tumultuous relationship with his mental health, with lyrical inspiration derived from some of the empowering self-help books that have helped him in darker times. “I‘ve been battling anxiety and panic attacks for years, so I wrote “Hurt Me Like You” about it,” Afgan explains. “Nobody can hurt me more than my own self. I really want to change the stigma around mental health, and in Indonesia, it’s still considered a taboo to talk about it. If we became more happy and at peace with ourselves, I think everything would be better.”
Listen to Afgan’s DOPE remix to “Touch Me” now, stream it on your preferred music service, and connect with Afgan on his social media.