Grammy Award-winner and Global Citizen Live performer H.E.R is no deep cut, but for those who don’t know anything about her besides her incredible musical talent, she’s also part Filipino. Growing up, I never saw people who looked like me playing in bands or taking space onstage.” 5. “Representation is super important to me. “I especially want young girls and young Asian girls to feel seen and heard,” said Li to i-D Magazine. If you’re looking for a gentle upbeat jam for your playlist, check out her latest single “Cherry Pit.” On and off stage, Li captures our feelings wistfully. The singer and guitarist is making a name for herself, landing opening gigs with musicians and groups she’s looked up to, like Mitski and Japanese Breakfast. Toronto-based Luna Li offers a smooth combination of dreamy rock and bedroom pop to the mix with songs inspired by nature and self-love. So add a few of his songs to your queue this year - if you’re a pop fan, you’ll love the synthy beat of his song “Rare.” 4. I feel like subconsciously, I’m influenced by how I grew up, even if I’m not trying to actively put it into my music,” he said to Gay Times.Īrora feels that many queer artists of color don't get the recognition they deserve. “I didn’t have a lot of Indian influences, but it’s a huge part of my identity. Arora points to pop icons like Shakira and Britney Spears as childhood inspirations but describes feeling disconnected from them growing up in India. Vardaan Arora, an Indian actor and musician based in New York, is smashing stereotypes and breaking down barriers for Asian LGBTQ+ artists. Nguyen, who grew up in Virginia, writes of the fall of Saigon, which brought her parents to Virginia seeking refuge, in the titular, beat-laden rock song “Temple."Īlthough the band dissolved in October, Nguyen is embarking on solo pursuits, and we can’t wait to see what she does next. With the latest release of the album Temple, it’s clear that Nguyen is ready to let go of those past inhibitions. “I had never addressed it in my work because I had never addressed it in my life,” said Nguyen to the New York Times. Though Nguyen has now found inspiration through her background, the 37-year-old was not always comfortable with expressing her identity. Thao & The Get Down Stay Downįronted by Thao Nguyen, a Vietnamese-American singer and guitarist, Thao & The Get Down Stay Down mix folk and alternative rock for a unique sound of heritage and upbringing. Sawayama is shaking things up on the music scene, from pop-rock ballads like “Dynasty,” which tells the story of her struggle with " intergenerational pain," to the upbeat R&B-pop song “Cherry,” which details her pansexual awakening. The Japanese-British pop star has collaborated with Elton John and Lady Gaga, and recently got the BRIT Awards to change their eligibility rules after she was excluded from nominations in 2020 for not holding British citizenship. If you’re a Rina Sawayama fan, it’s hard to believe there are still people who haven’t heard of her yet. Here are 14 Asian artists you should add to your 2022 playlist. So how many Asian artists made it into your Spotify Wrapped this year? How many were in your top 100 songs of 2021? As we enter the new year, you can incorporate these artists into your listening. More artists than ever are embracing their identities, weaving them into their music, and showing the next generation that success is possible for people that look like them. The perception that people of Asian descent in America, Canada, the UK, and beyond aren’t truly American, Canadian, or British because they don’t fit into the majority has silenced and hidden many for generations.īut things are looking up. The “perpetual foreigner” stereotype has permeated through Western society in many forms, appearing in instances such as Japanese internment during World War II to the latest COVID-19-driven spate of anti-Asian hate crimes. It’s not only that there are more Asian artists making their way onto the scene, it’s also that their ethnicity is not being talked over as much as before. Much like Zauner, growing up, I always sought out faces and experiences that resembled mine in music - and still to this day. Whether it was watching Mulan for the first time or finding out that Kehlani is part Filipino, there’s a sense of pride, a feeling of “we made it.” And no matter how many Asian actors land a role or musicians reach new heights of fame, that feeling never gets old. It’s a moment many Asian Americans like myself experience.
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