30

Nov

Worth revisiting: Destiny (2002), the timeless ballad by Misha Omar

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Fans of the Malaysian Kelantanese singer Misha Omar would be aware of/have gone for her live concert, DiA misha omar, held 29 November 2025, during which she performed Destiny (2002) in a creative, spontaneous duet with her little one. Due to the ubiquitous nature of smartphones and devices, that moment was captured by media outlets and entertainment platforms for the news and content. Needless to say, that highlight left netizens in awe, capturing their hearts. Longer footage would reveal a squatting Misha, inviting her offspring to join her on stage for the love song, with Misha kicking off the English song, then her son joining in, before taking turns to sing parts. At the end of the song, her son would point his finger to the audience, to signify “You’re My Destiny”, walk off while waving to the attendees, but not before being prompted by the Misha Omar herself to acknowledge the presence of a paying audience, to which he quipped – Thank you for buying the tickets, guys! Then, they would share a fist bump, and express “I Love You” in their own ways, before finally parting ways on stage and leaving Misha to carry on with her show.

Jim Brickman, the US-based composer-pianist, was among those who had composed/arranged the ballad for Misha to sing, as part of Misha’s 2002 album, also her first.

Part of the appeal of the song comes from the starting instrumental, which employs a rather common, familiar high-note melody, used in many songs. The song also offers listeners a Disney-like sensation, which surely many of her fans would reference to, especially because of the influence by the company’s works and original soundtrack.

However, it’s also important to note – Misha usually sings in the Malay language, which has differences in word stress, to accommodate the bulk of her fans in Malaysia and the region.

The lyrics are suited to the Intermediate-level learner of English, for non-native speakers. Yet, its themes are generally understood and universal. Misha’s pronunciation is clear enough for both non-native speakers to learn from and native speakers to grasp the overall concept and meaning of the song, especially because it’s so common.

When the ballad was first released in the early-2000s, Misha was still a student at 20, so attempts to make the song popular did not quite materialize as she had to juggle her music career and her studies. The Kelantan-Kuala Lumpur distance also contributed to why the song could have been more popular/marketable.

But of course, with social media and its power today, Misha Omar has carved her name for herself, now that her voice has also grown and music choices more polished, and perhaps even attract new listeners, who might just become fans. Don’t you think Destiny is also a reflection of Misha Omar’s career as one of the most influential female singers?



Note: Kelantan and Kuala Lumpur are two entirely different states, with the former on the East Coast of Malaysia and the latter on the West Coast. The latter also serves as Malaysia’s capital city, where it is said to have more opportunities than in the inner parts of the country. Kelantan has a slower pace of life, and while diversity is everywhere, the mix is more evident in Kuala Lumpur. Kelantanese is used to denote the people native to Kelantan and also the Malay accent used in the state. 

Malay, which has various accents, depending on where it is spoken, is the national language of Malaysia and it is compulsory for all kindergarten children up to secondary level. Once a person reaches the tertiary level, Malay is compulsory if: - there is no official indication that you have met the minimum pass at the Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) level. Note that the SPM can be taken at any stage of life, assuming that you’ve constraints that make completing secondary school a challenge. Some candidates do sit for a few or a combination of papers, just for the fun of it – to test their capacity even after they have gone beyond the accepted schooling age of 16+ or 17. International students studying at an international school will have a compulsory Malay paper, though it is designed more for foreigners/expats. Similarly, foreign students who decide to register for tertiary level diploma and degree courses in Malaysia will be required to take paper(s) in the Malay language.  

Note: Dia has multiple meanings:

  1. He or she
  2. Her or him

 

For the concert, the capitalisation and lower case letters are stylised as such.

About Author

Yong Jo Leen

Jo Leen now spends her days crafting compelling content for Inkscribehub. She was previously attached to a business intelligence firm.

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