Let's Talk About Music: Diversify

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Music is the universal language, and all cultures have their own meaningful take on this art form.

No matter where the music originates from, anyone in the world can find meaning within its melody. As Korean pop takes the western music industry by storm, we continue to realize the importance and impact of Asian representation in music. The mass media company “88rising” focuses on making Asians a mainstream sound in American pop culture. 88rising has influenced the “rising” of well-known artists such as Joji and Rich Brian. Asian artists continue to make waves in different musical genres from pop to rap; however with such representation, there are pros and cons.

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Pros & Cons of Diversification

PROs:

Breaking the Stereotype

Seeing Asians succeed in the music industry helps break down the stereotypical concept of Asians "belonging" in the medical or STEM field. Many Asian youth are pushed down a certain academic or career paths despite their personal desire for the arts. These artists inspire and break down societal expectations for current and future generations.

CONs:

Fetishization

The term “Koreaboo” refers to someone who is highly obsessed with Korean culture. Most often this term is associated with k-pop fandoms. K-pop groups such as BTS have been a brilliant outlet for representation, yet have caused numerous fans to seek out friends or significant others based on their similar ethnicity to their favorite artists.

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What does it mean to diversify your music?

Expand your musical horizons not only towards popular Asian artists, but independent BIPOC artists who aren’t as recognized in the public eye. Here are a few Asian artists that are playlist worthy:

Hojean:

Justin Hojean Yi is an independent Korean-American musical artist. Hojean’s passion for music started off as a simple talent show act to impress his crush and make new friends. Soon after, he realized that he wanted to pursue music. Hojean’s sound is often described as R&B and/or bedroom pop.

Mxmtoon:

Mxmtoon, also known as Maia, is an Asian-American singer and songwriter. She began as a youtuber who often played the ukulele and published self-written songs. Eventually, she released her first EP, Plum Blossom in 2018 which gained over 100 million streams.

UMI:

Tierra Umi Wilson is a Black-Japanese singer and songwriter. She attended USC until 2019, when she decided to drop out in order to fully pursue her career in music. UMI’s music is genre-bending, giving listeners a new sound in R&B and Neo-Soul.

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Written by DAY SCV Writer Desiree Perez

January 2021

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