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If you haven't heard of MILLI, it's time to update your playlist
The 23-year-old Thai rap sensation, whose real name is Danupha Khanatheerakul, has been taking the world by storm with her unapologetic bars, viral hits, and infectious energy.
Having already traded verses with global heavyweights like Jackson Wang, Stray Kids' Changbin, and BIBI, she is undoubtedly one of the most exciting acts to watch today.
Ahead of her highly anticipated debut performance in Malaysia, we sat down with the rap queen to chat about her skyrocketing career, her secret local ties, and some surprising fun facts that will make you love her even more.
Based on our exclusive sit-down interview, here are seven things we learnt about the star:
1. She actually lived in Penang for a month (and locals spoke to her in Malay!)
Before she was a global superstar, a high school-aged MILLI spent some time in the Pearl of the Orient.
"I used to live in Pulau Pinang for one month," she revealed. "I took an English course there… I just lived there for like one month alone."
The best part? She blended right in. "Every time that I went to the convenience store or something, nobody spoke to me in Chinese or even English. They spoke [Bahasa] Melayu to me," she laughed, noting that she definitely looks the part.
2. The iconic Coachella mango sticky rice moment was incredibly last-minute
We all remember the legendary moment MILLI devoured a bowl of mango sticky rice on the Coachella stage in 2022. But apparently, it wasn't a long-planned stunt.
"I don't have any idea about eating that on stage at Coachella before. But like two, three days before D-Day, I was like, 'Can I actually eat it on the stage?'" she shared.
"And nobody stopped me. 88rising, YUPP!, my label, nobody stopped me. They tried [their best] to find mango sticky rice for me."
Fun fact: She actually wanted to share the love! "I wanted to throw it to the crowd. But my manager stopped me first," she joked.
3. A Malaysian producer helped her during her "I made it" moment
When asked about the moment she finally felt like she "made it", MILLI pointed to her time on the hit South Korean hip-hop survival show, Show Me The Money.
During a crazy schedule where she was writing in Japan and flying to South Korea, she had to get her track mixed and mastered in record time. "In the meantime, I sent my song to Malaysia to mix and master and sent it back to South Korea," she explained.
The person behind the mixing? A producer named Mulan Theory, who is based right here in Malaysia!
4. Her ultimate dream collaboration is BTS (but don't ask who her bias is)
When it comes to dream collaborations, MILLI didn't hesitate: "BTS."
But when pressed about who her favourite member of the global supergroup is, the rapper hilariously refused to name names to avoid getting into trouble with the ARMY.
"Girl, stab me. I'm not gonna answer this," she quipped. We respect a queen who guards her secrets!
5. Her rap style is inspired by Nicki Minaj, but her life goal is to be Rihanna
While MILLI has carved out a lane entirely her own, she isn't shy about paying homage to the artistes who shaped her sound.
When asked about her biggest musical inspirations, she immediately credited the Queen of Rap. "For the hip-hop part, of course Nicki Minaj. I started rap because of Nicki Minaj," she shared.
However, when it comes to her ultimate career blueprint, she has her sights set on another global icon.
"But for inspiring my whole life, I wanna be like Rihanna," she added with a smile.
6. She almost traded the mic for a psychology degree
It's hard to imagine MILLI doing anything other than commanding a stage, but her "Plan A" was actually to become a psychologist.
"I think I'm probably gonna be like a psychologist… That is my plan A. What I'm doing in right now is my plan B," she admitted.
Her life changed on the exact day she was attending a university open house to look into the psychology faculty. "That The Rapper competition just called me and said you got accepted… I was like, 'Whoa. Do I want to be a rapper? Should I? Did I? Really though? Alright let's go.'"
7. She recommends ordering Southern Thai food on your next trip to Thailand
Since Malaysians absolutely love travelling to Thailand, we had to ask for her top food recommendation. While staples like Pad Kra Pao and Tom Yum Goong are great, MILLI suggests going down south.
"Everybody's gonna eat normal food like Pad Thai, Pad See Ew… But I recommend Southern food. It's the best," she said.
Her personal favourite? Gaeng Pu Bai Cha-plu (Crab curry with Cha-plu leaves). "It has coconut milk and is spicy and lots of MSG you know," she added.
Say no more, we're sold!
Image for illustration purposes only.
Image via Jaras Hua HinMILLI is set to bring her unmatched energy to Malaysia for the first time as part of her upcoming Asia tour, performing at JioSpace on 4 September
"I really miss Malaysian food!… this is the first time ever that I'm gonna perform in Malaysia. So I'm really, really excited," she said to her Malaysian fans.
"We have a connection bonding since I was pretty young… I just wanna go back there again as an artiste now."
