A Malaysian made it to Forbes' prestigious 30 Under 30 list this year, and it's probably not who you imagined.

When you mention talented young Malaysians, two names usually come to mind: actress-turned-entrepreneur Neelofa and fashion queen Vivy Yusof.

However, one Malaysian managed to beat both of them to Forbes' 30 Under 30 Asia 2018 list.

Her name is Shila Amzah.

Singing her way into the list.
According to Forbes, the China-based singer is recognised under the Celebrity category for being the first Malay artiste to successfully break into the Chinese music market and for promoting religious inclusiveness in China.

After moving to China after winning the Asian Wave singing competition back in 2012, Shila's popularity skyrocketed overnight.

Currently, she has more than 2.3 million fans on Weibo and became the first ever Malaysian singer to win a Global Chinese Music Award in 2015 (for Best Female Stage Performer, in case you were wondering).

Not only that, she is also the voice behind the new 'The Powerpuff Girls' theme song:


The 27-year-old announced the good news on her Instagram page on Wednesday:

Made it to the list of FORBES 30 under 30 Asia 2018 ❤ Alhamdulillah. #forbesU30Asia #alongsidewithBTS ? #army

A post shared by 씰라茜拉shila amzah?? (@shahilaamzah) on


Shila called the selection "an honour" and hopes that her achievement would inspire more Malaysians to follow their dreams.

Shila isn't the only Malaysian to make this year's list, though.

Orkid Cosmetics founder Raessa Sya; The Picha Project's Lee Swee Lin, Lim Yuet Kim and Ling Shook Shian, and CEO of halal make-up brand Zahara, Amira Geneid, also made the cut.

Well done, you guys!