Elizabeth Applunius Chin, also known as Esther Applunius or Esther OIAM 3 (born 12 April 1987 in Tambunan, Sabah, Malaysia) is a Malaysian singer. Her father, Applunius Chin of Papar, is a veteran musician on Radio Televisyen Malaysia (RTM).[1]

Esther Applunius
Birth nameElizabeth Applunius Chin
Born (1987-04-12) 12 April 1987 (age 37)
Sabah, Malaysia
OccupationSinger / Songwriter
InstrumentVoice
Years active1998s – present

Career

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At the age of 10, Applunius was Sabah champion in the RTM singing contest Bintang Kecil. In 2009, she reached the final of the Malaysian TV reality show One in a Million and many expected her to win.[2][3] However, she gained second place after Shah Indrawan Ismail.[4] In 2016, she won the first prize of RM39,999 in the Star Search 999 Singing Competition, an event organised by the Sabah-Labuan Motion Picture Traders and Entertainment Association (Slamptea).[5]

Apart from her television appearances in One in a Million, Esther has entered and won many singing competitions since she started performing in 1998, including the 2005 Sugandoi Kaamatan singing contest,[6] and the 2008 PERTISA Award for the most popular singer in Sabah in the women's category.

She has also been a member of several bands, including D'Illusions, and has performed in a number of venues in Kota Kinabalu, the state capital of Sabah.[1]

Recordings

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  • 2005 - Esther Applunius Vol. 1 (Kadazan Dusun Album)
  • 2009 - Menggapai Mimpi (Single)
  • 2010 - Selalu (Album)
  • 2013 - Sipi - Sipi (Single)
  • 2014 - Aku (Single)
  • 2016 - 1 Dalam 2 (Single)
  • 2017 - If only you knew
  • 2020 - ALFIAN

One in a Million (OIAM)

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In December 2008, Esther auditioned for the third season of the reality TV singing competition One in a Million on 8TV,[7] and reached the final of the competition. The following shows her progress through the competition:

Performances and results

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Week #/Date Song choice Original artist Result
1st Week – 20 February 2009 Better in Time Leona Lewis Immunity/Top 12
2nd Week – 27 February 2009 Mengenangmu Kerispatih Top 11
3rd Week – 6 March 2009 I Try Macy Gray Top 10
4th Week – 13 March 2009 Dialah Di Hati Datuk Siti Nurhaliza Top 9
5th Week – 20 March 2009 Won't Go Home Without You Maroon 5 Immunity/Top 8
6th Week – 27 March 2009 I Don't Love You My Chemical Romance Top 7
7th Week – 30 April 2009 Sweet About Me Gabriella Cilmi Top 6
8th Week – 10 April 2009 Legenda Datuk Sheila Majid Top 5
9th Week – 17 April 2009 One Night Only
Keeps Gettin' Better
Semua Jadi Satu
Jennifer Hudson
Christina Aguilera
3 Diva
Top 4
Semi-final – 24 April 2009 Better in Time
Won't Go Home Without You
Leona Lewis
Maroon 5
Top 3
Grand Finals – 1 May 2009 Mengapai Mimpi
Please don't stop the Music
Esther Applunius
Rihanna
1st runner up

Anugerah Juara Carta Lagu Artis Sabah

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In March 2011 she was the winner of the "Anugerah Juara Carta Lagu Artis Sabah" competition for her performance of the newly released song Selalu (Always), taken from her second album.[8] The competition, organised by Sabah Radio Television Malaysia, encourages performers not only to sing, but also to write their own songs; the winning song Selalu is Esther's first major success in musical composition.[9]

Anugerah Juara Carta Lagu Artis Sabah

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7 March 2020. She again won the "Anugerah Juara Carta Lagu Artis Sabah" competition season 13 for her own song composition ALFIAN, she got champion, the best vocal, and longest Running Song No.1 in Sabah FM, 42 Weeks.[10]

References

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  1. ^ a b Dennis Chua (1 May 2009). "Rose among the thorns". New Straits Times. Retrieved 6 July 2009.
  2. ^ Shamala Velu (1 May 2009). "Vying for top spot". The Star Online. Retrieved 5 July 2009.
  3. ^ "Pentas OIAM minggu kelima milik Esther". Star Publications (Malaysia) Bhd. 23 March 2009. Retrieved 5 July 2009.
  4. ^ Shuib Taib (10 May 2009). "Shuib on Sunday: Esther". New Straits Times. Retrieved 5 July 2009.
  5. ^ "Esther wins big in singing contest". The Borneo Post (Sabah). 2 December 2016. Retrieved 18 March 2017.
  6. ^ "Sugandoi – a platform to take on world stage". Official Web Site of Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Environment, Sabah. 26 May 2009. Retrieved 5 July 2009.
  7. ^ "One in a Million 3 Official Website". 8TV. 2009. Retrieved 5 July 2009.
  8. ^ "Esther Applunius 'Selalu' jadi juara lagu". New Sabah Times. 21 March 2011. Archived from the original on 23 August 2011. Retrieved 23 March 2011.
  9. ^ Ramjit (14 March 2011). "Eight Finalists in Sabah Song, Best Artiste Competition". Bernama. Retrieved 23 March 2011.
  10. ^ Unto, Ricardo (9 March 2020). "Esther Applunius kembali 'menyengat'". Daily Express. Retrieved 1 July 2024.