Najwa Latif

2.1. Birth and Early Life

Najwa Latif was born on May 23, 1995, in Batu Pahat, Johor, Malaysia. She is the third of four siblings, and her family, including her parents and siblings, is noted for their musical talent. She grew up in Temenggong, Batu Pahat.

2.2. Education

Najwa Latif demonstrated strong academic performance throughout her educational journey. She received her secondary education at Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan (P) Temenggong Ibrahim in Batu Pahat, Johor. At the age of 15, she achieved a commendable 7A 1B in her Penilaian Menengah Rendah (PMR) examinations. In her Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) examinations, she secured 4A from nine subjects while studying in the pure science stream; her results slip was collected by her elder sister, Syafikah.

She pursued higher education at UNITAR International University, graduating in 2017 with a Bachelor of English, majoring in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL). Subsequently, she completed her Master's degree in Teaching English as a Second Language (TESL) at the University of Malaya (UM) in 2019. As of her latest academic pursuit, she is undertaking a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Teaching English as a Second Language (TESL) at Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM).

3.1. Beginnings and YouTube

Najwa Latif began learning to play the guitar in 2009 when she was 14 years old. Following this, she started composing music for songs, with her sister Ika primarily writing the lyrics. Her eldest sister, Syafiqa Latif, also contributed to writing lyrics and composing songs with her. In September 2010, Najwa initiated her online presence by uploading cover songs to YouTube; her first upload was a cover of Justin Bieber's song "Baby".

3.2. Debut and Breakthrough

In March 2011, Najwa Latif signed a contract with NAR Records. Her first official single, "Cinta Muka Buku" (Cinta Muka Buku_{Facebook Love}^Malay), was subsequently released in July 2011. A pre-release video of the song was also uploaded to YouTube, building anticipation. Najwa expressed that this single held deep personal significance, marking her entry into the Malaysian music industry and the realization of her ambition to become a singer. It was also intended as a gesture of gratitude to her fans who had supported her before her professional debut. The official music video for "Cinta Muka Buku" rapidly accumulated over 6 million views in just over six months, making it the most viewed music video in Malaysia at the time. The song also achieved significant chart success, reaching the number one position on major Malaysian radio charts, including Radio Era and Radio Hot, from August to September 2011. Its popularity led to "Cinta Muka Buku" becoming a finalist at the 26th Anugerah Juara Lagu in 2012.

3.3. Musical Releases and Collaborations

Following her breakthrough, Najwa Latif released a mini-album titled Najwa Latif in 2012. She maintained a consistent presence on the Malaysian music radar, with all subsequent singles released since her debut achieving the number one spot on major charts. These chart-topping songs include:

• "Carta Hati" (Carta Hati_{Heart Chart}^Malay) from February to April 2012.
• "Kosong" (Kosong_Empty^Malay) from April to June 2012.
• "Untuk Dia" (Untuk Dia_{For Him/Her}^Malay) from June to August 2012, a collaboration with the group Sleeq. This song garnered over 20 million views, becoming one of the most watched Malay songs at the time.
• "AdaMu" (AdaMu_{Your Presence}^Malay) in November 2012, which was selected as the theme song for the drama Setia Hujung Nyawa.
• "Sahabat" (Sahabat_Friend^Malay) from February to March 2013, which also became a finalist at the 28th Anugerah Juara Lagu in 2014.

In March 2013, Najwa Latif was invited by Chinese idol singer Wang Leehom (王力宏^Chinese) to be a special guest at his concert held in Genting Highlands, Pahang. They performed the song "All the Things You Don't Know" (你不知道的事^Chinese). She continued to release new music, including the single "Jauh" (Jauh_Far^Malay) on March 22, 2018. On July 31, 2019, she released her new single and music video titled "KLIA," an acronym for "Kau Lupa Itu Aku" (Kau Lupa Itu Aku_{You Forgot That Was Me}^Malay). Her single "Tak Kisah Pun" (Tak Kisah Pun_{It Doesn't Matter}^Malay), featuring Akwa Arifin, was released on June 19, 2020, on her official YouTube channel, "Its Najwa595."

3.4. Other Professional Activities

In addition to her music career, Najwa Latif has taken on roles in academia and charitable initiatives. She currently works as an English lecturer at UNITAR International University, her alma mater.

In 2013, she was appointed as an ambassador for Colgate's sixth annual "Mari Beramal Bersama Colgate" (Mari Beramal Bersama Colgate_{Let's Do Charity with Colgate}^Malay) charity Ramadan campaign, held in collaboration with KidZania. This campaign successfully raised 150.00 K MYR to benefit 15 orphanages across Malaysia. On November 20, 2016, Najwa was nominated for the Potential Young Composer Award at the 27th annual dinner and awards show of the Music Authors' Copyright Protection (MACP), which took place at the Royale Chulan, Damansara Hotel.

4.1. Family

Najwa Latif is the third of four siblings. Her family is known for their musical talents, with all members being involved in music.

4.2. Marriage

Najwa Latif married Akwa Arifin on November 11, 2022. The marriage ceremony took place in Batu Pahat, Johor.