31/05/2026

theSunday Special XII ON SUNDAY MAY 31, 2026 NJWA returns to music scene after five-year pause

Quiet but creatively active The 40-year-old music graduate from Berklee College of Music in the United States said although she was less visible in the mainstream music scene, she never stopped creating, continuing to write songs behind the scenes throughout her time away. She is now working with several young producers, shaping what she describes as a fresher and more contemporary sound while also exploring wider musical directions aligned with today’s industry landscape. “Maybe I have been working with some young and talented producers. Maybe for now I can’t reveal too much about the project, but I have written new songs. When the time is right, I can release the new songs,” she said. Writing for other artistes Beyond her own upcoming material, NJWA has also remained active as a songwriter for other artistes. Her most recent work is the song Tak Berlagu performed by Ernie Zakri, which serves as the soundtrack for the horror film Khadam . Her songwriting portfolio also includes works recorded by some of the country’s leading names, among them Anuar Zain, Sheila Majid and Dayang Nurfaizah. A simplified stage identity On the decision to adopt a new stage name, she said the change was made to better fit the global digital music environment, while also helping audiences easily recognise her and avoid identity confusion on streaming platforms, which now dominate music consumption. “I shortened my name so it would be easier to recognise and more suited to today’s world,” she said, adding that the move also allows her to rebuild her artistic identity more comfortably as NJWA.

A fter stepping away from the spotlight for several years, singer and composer NJWA is quietly returning to the music scene, entering what she describes as a more mature and grounded chapter of her artistic journey, with new works in the pipeline. The artiste, formerly known as Najwa Mahiaddin, has spent the past five years largely out of the mainstream circuit, a period she says was shaped by the demands of family life and the adjustments that followed the Covid-19 pandemic. “People may think I disappeared but actually I didn’t. I was just quieter over the past five years after Covid and after having my child. “During that time, I focused a lot on being a mother and trying to find balance between being an artiste and a mum. I really had to learn how to balance both. “Now that my child is five years old, I feel more comfortable and I’m able to manage both. There’s time to be a mother and time to work. “ Alhamdulillah , so far everything has been okay, and now I feel ready to return with my own new works,” she told Bernama recently. and post-pandemic adjustments during hiatus taught her about balancing priorities Singer-songwriter formerly known as Najwa Mahiaddin says motherhood, family life

The 40-year-old is a music graduate from the Berklee College of Music in the United States. – ALL PICS FROM BERNAMA

The decision to adopt a shorter stage name was made to better fit the global digital music environment.

The artiste, formerly known as Najwa Mahiaddin, has spent the past five years largely out of the mainstream circuit.

NJWA has also remained active as a songwriter for other artistes.