Quick Facts
Biography
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).
The fifth of eight siblings, she studied at Shan Tao Kindergarten, SRJK (C) and Kota Kinabalu High School. Esther has enjoyed singing since she was nine years old, and at the age of 10 she was Sabah champion in the RTM singing contest Bintang Kecil.
In 2009 she reached the final of the popular Malaysian TV reality show One in a Million and many expected her to win. However, she gained second place after Shah Indrawan Ismail.
Performance and singing competitions
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 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.
Recordings
- 2005 – Esther Applunius (Kadazandusun album)
- 2009 – Menggapai Mimpi (Single)
- 2010 – Selalu (album)
- 2013 – Sipi-Sipi (Single) Chart Position: #1 (Borneo ERA FM, Sabah VFM)
- 2013 – Aku (Single) Chart Position: #1 (Borneo ERA FM)
- 2014 – 1 Dalam 2 (Unreleased)
- 2015 – If Only You Knew (NEW)
One in a Million (OIAM)
In December 2008, Esther auditioned for the third season of the reality TV singing competition One in a Million on 8TV, and reached the final of the competition. The following shows her progress through the competition:
Performances and results
| 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
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. 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.