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M‑pop group Alpha drops debut album with star‑studded collabs from Daniel Caesar to Daiyan Trisha (VIDEO)

15 June 2026 at 08:05

Malay Mail

KUALA LUMPUR, June 15 — After amassing over 100 million streams on all digital music platforms, local M-pop group Alpha has finally released their long-awaited debut album The First Wave

Born from the stage of Astro’s reality singing competition Big Stage Alpha in 2025, the seven-member boy group Alpha brings together established individual vocalists to form one of the most dynamic and synchronised forces in modern M-pop.

Consisting of members Daniel, Izat, Rizal, Ariel, Araff, Ray-D and Sky, Alpha broke into the scene with several chart-topping hits such as Mona Lisa (Bang Bang) and P Ramlee Saloma and in celebration of their first-year anniversary, the group is showcasing their evolution and growth via The First Wave

Released under the banner of local label Rocketfuel Entertainment, The First Wave consists of 12 tracks blending a multitude of modern pop sounds and genres, and also boasts a slew of star‑studded collaborations.

For example, their track Burn It Down was produced by award‑winning Swedish singer‑producer Daniel Caesar — not to be confused with the Canadian R&B artist with the same name — alongside Candace Sosa, the acclaimed American songwriter and producer behind major anthems for K‑pop heavyweights BTS, Twice and Enhyphen.

The track was also recorded in South Korea, during the group’s intensive training there last year. 

Meanwhile, the album also features collaborations with several local stars, including the track Dia, which features AG Coco — the guitarist of the acclaimed local rock band Hujan — as well as Haru Biru, which sees actress and singer Daiyan Trisha lending her vocals.

Aside from that, The First Wave also features several other hit tracks by the group that have been released previously such as Bujang, Tiada Pengganti and Gelato

“It feels like just yesterday we began this journey together,” Daniel said.  

“Within a year, we have learned so much, faced various challenges, and created countless memories.

The First Wave is a symbol of all the effort and sacrifice we have poured into this journey, and we want to share this special moment with all the fans who have supported us since day one,” he said.

Meanwhile, Izat stated that the album showcases a more mature side of Alpha, as well as a greater diversity in terms of music.

“This album is incredibly special to us because each song carries a distinct identity and emotion — we experimented with various genres and are presenting a side of Alpha that might have never been heard before.

“We truly cannot wait to hear the fans’ reactions when they experience the full album for the first time,” Izat said. 

The group marked their debut album launch yesterday with a fan-meeting event at Pavilion Damansara Heights which saw enthusiastic fans flocking to the Concourse level of the shopping mall. 

They also treated fans to several live renditions of their songs including Gelato, Bujang and Mahkota Cinta. 

Where to start with Alpha?

For those interested in discovering Alpha’s discography, here are some suggestions worth checking out:

For those who want to dive into the full album, The First Wave is available on Spotify.

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    The marketing industry’s obsession with youth is nothing new.  Thinking about what makes the next generation of consumers tick is a perennial activity. Generic one-size-fits-all advice on how to crack the code on Gen Z (age 16-29) and Gen Alpha (age 0-16) circulates constantly. Sometimes these generations are awkwardly bundled together as “Gen Zalpha.” Much of it trades in lazy stereotypes. And it’s all pretty easy to spot. SKIM, an insights agency, released a global study that found the n
     

Brands Chasing Youth

23 March 2026 at 11:30

Gen Alpha cartoon

The marketing industry’s obsession with youth is nothing new.  Thinking about what makes the next generation of consumers tick is a perennial activity.

Generic one-size-fits-all advice on how to crack the code on Gen Z (age 16-29) and Gen Alpha (age 0-16) circulates constantly. Sometimes these generations are awkwardly bundled together as “Gen Zalpha.” Much of it trades in lazy stereotypes. And it’s all pretty easy to spot.

SKIM, an insights agency, released a global study that found the number one reason younger consumers reject brands is for “trying too hard.”

I like this timeless advice from Ad Contrarian Bob Hoffman: 

“There’s as much variation within generations as there is between generations.”

When talking about the impact of different generations, it’s easy to default to sweeping generalizations.  But generations are not monoliths.  And chasing the tropes of a new generation can be a distraction.

Bob Hoffman continues:

“Researchers, media, and marketing experts have been selling us the exact same generational twaddle for over fifty years now…

“It’s astrology. How can you possibly take an enormous component of the population—tens of millions of people—and say they all have this or that characteristic?”

Here are a few related cartoons I’ve drawn over the years:

targeting generation z - June 2017

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Lifecycle of Social Media - September 2022

Lifecycle of Social Media cartoon
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social media stars - December 2014

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marketing to generation Z - March 2015

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marketing to younger generations - August 2015

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The post Brands Chasing Youth first appeared on Marketoonist | Tom Fishburne.

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