3 Rising AAPI Artists You Need To Listen To

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Though caucasian faces still dominate the music world, the industry has been gaining more diversity. 2018 is when Asian pop artists, such as BTS or Blackpink, became the global phenomenon that propelled K-POP into the mainstream. In K-POP, these boy and girl groups are owned by powerful music labels, who use effective marketing strategies to expand K-POP’s global influence. In other words, K-POP has the resources to get big. But what about our humble, solo AAPI artists?

According to the Asian Pacific Institute for Gender-Based Violence, AAPI means “All people of Asian, Asian American, or Pacific Islander ancestry who trace their origins to the countries, states, jurisdictions and/or the diasporic communities of these geographic regions.” 

Many AAPI artists fail to break into the mainstream. Even the AAPI musicians that have made a name for themselves, such as Olivia Rodrigo (Filipino-American) or Conan Gray (Japanese-American), are all part of the oversaturated pop genre. AAPI artists who produce other genres of music like indie, R&B, or folk tend to gain less recognition. 

No matter the genre, AAPI artists deserve more visibility in the music industry. Orientalist stereotypes need to crumble; AAPI voices need to be heard.

Sometimes it seems like Asian culture through the media is exploited and that Asian artists are just used because of their ethnicity rather than them as people. By showing that we’re just regular people with more to offer than just our Asian backgrounds, I think that actually gives more representation.

Bowen Thi for Fame Magazine, 2022.

That being said, here are 3 of my favorite AAPI artists that you should support.

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Japanese Breakfast is an experimental pop band headed by Michelle Zauner, a Korean-American musician. Deeply rooted in indie rock, with outside influences from punk and folk, her songs are no less than exhilarating. Japanese Breakfast has released 3 studio albums so far: Psychopomp (2016), Soft Sounds from Another Planet (2017), and Jubilee (2021), which have been nominated for 2 GRAMMY Awards. Each album is incredibly atmospheric, full of vibrant textures and colors. 

Zauner was born in Seoul, South Korea but grew up in Eugene, Oregon. Her greatest inspirations range from Fleetwood Mac, The Cranberries, to Mitski. She is also the best-selling author of Crying in H-Mart: a poignant memoir about Korean-American identity, grief, and family (I highly recommend, by the way). Her latest two albums were influenced by her journey of grief from her mother’s death. 

Music has a way of reaching out and touching people’s souls, connecting them in ways that words alone cannot.

Michelle Zauner

Personal favorites: “Be Sweet”, “Everybody Wants to Love You”.

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UMI is a 26-year old singer-songwriter from Seattle, Washington. Born to a Japanese mother and American father, her artist name “umi” comes from the Japanese word for “sea”. Her songs truly flow like water, best described as soulful, intimate, and enchanting. Through UMI’s neo-soul and R&B influences, she wants to create music that heals people. Her two albums, Forest in the City  (2022) and Introspection Reimagined  (2021), radiate pure and fluid vitality. UMI’s greatest musical influences include SZA, Jhene Aiko, and Erykah Badu.

Music is just as healing for UMI as for her audience. Her musical journey has helped navigate her cultural heritage and identity as a queer woman. UMI also uses her platform to advocate for mindfulness and environmentalism.

Also, I had a bit of an identity crisis at one point. “Am I Asian? Am I Black? What do people see me as?” But now, accepting both parts of myself, and accepting that people might not see me as both parts of myself—just making music that expresses that has been important.

UMI

Personal favorites: “Love Affair”, “Butterfly”.

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Thuy, (pronounced “twee”) is a Vietnamese-American artist from the Bay Area. Her pop R&B stylings, ethereal vocals, and catchy melodies have propelled Thuy into the mainstream. Her hit single, “girls like me don’t cry”, became a TikTok sensation and reached the U.S. Vietnam Billboard Top 10. 

At age 9, Thuy knew she wanted to be a pop star. Her biggest influences were early 2000’s idols such as Britney Spears, Christina Aguilera, and Tamia. Thuy’s love of music further blossomed from karaoking with her aunties and uncles—a common pastime for Vietnamese families. However, to please her immigrant parents, she first pursued a career in medicine. Thuy got her Bachelor’s at UC Santa Barbara, singing only on the side. It wasn’t until she graduated that Thuy moved to Los Angeles to become a musician full time. 

Thuy hopes her journey inspires other Asian-Americans to go after their wildest dreams, even if they feel trapped in a box of “I have to be a doctor” or “I have to be a lawyer”. As a Vietnamese-American myself, hoping to pursue an artistic career, her message really resonated with me.

Honestly, if I died tomorrow and that’s my legacy—I inspired just one little Asian girl or boy to follow their dreams—I’d die happy.

Thuy

Personal favorites: “universe”, “figured u out”

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