Though many young kids aspire to be doctor-ballerina-astronauts when they grow up, Malea Emma Tjandrawidjaja knows exactly what she wants to be: a singer. And, she’s already doing it!
Tjandrawidjaja is a 7-year-old girl who packs a big set of pipes. She got her start singing the national anthem at minor league soccer games around Los Angeles and Orange County. At first, it was hard to get bookings at even small events, but after winning an online competition, she was picked to sing at a Los Angeles Galaxy pregame spot in September, according to USA Today. Since then, it’s all been uphill for Tjandrawidjaja. Her ground-shaking performance quickly went viral and garnered international recognition, especially from her parents’ home country of Indonesia. Last Saturday, she sang in front of her biggest crowd ever in Atlanta at an MLS finals game that had over 73,000 people in the stands.
Ever since she first broke the internet with her Los Angeles Galaxy performance, Tjandrawidjaja has been showered with invitations to sing at sports events around the country at everything from NBA games to NHRA drag racing events. She usually accepts the invitation — as long as it doesn’t interfere with her bedtime.
Currently a second grader at a Mandarin immersion school, Tjandrawidjaja stands just 3 feet 9 inches, but is known for signature jazzy growls you’d more expect from a seasoned lounge singer. Her Nov. 5 performance at a Lakers game even got her a nod from LeBron James.
Tjandrawidjaja also acts and made her debut in 2013 on the Adult Swim show “Tim and Eric’s Bedtime Stories” as May Ling in the second season’s finale. As for the future, she knows exactly what she wants: She’s received a “golden ticket” from American Idol judges to participate in the show once she is 15 years old.
“My biggest dream is to sing at the Super Bowl,” Tjandrawidjaja said in an interview with USA Today.
