Asian & AAPI Representation in Music
Happy AAPI Heritage Month.
In lieu of a written piece in April, I took some time focusing more on meeting and connecting with people.
Lately, I’ve been blessed with meeting many professionals across industries, but also specifically in music. I was privileged to speak at an employee-only event at Sony Music Entertainment in NYC in time for Asian American & Pacific Islanders (AAPI)1 Heritage Month on Asian diversity in the music industry, also as to K-pop. Thanks again to employee resource group HUE (“Helping Unite Everyone”) and Joowon Park for having me! Also check out my co-panelist Gloria Hui/KAIYI’s music below:
This piece is a modified version of the talk I gave in addition to other points.
I’ve always found Asian/AAPI representation in the global music industry a fascinating topic. Even before we get into K-pop and such, I thought I’d share a few anecdotes. Here, I discuss both 1) Asian and 2) Asian diaspora artists that have been active in the global, especially American music markets. These are two different buckets that should not be conflated and have different histories. This piece will address both in conjunction for the sake of the panel and this month.
I use “Asian diaspora” loosely here to include AAPIs, Asian Canadians, Asian Australians, and other members of immigrant communities. I also use “Asian heritage” to refer to artists who are mixed-race and/or are of Asian heritage.
The Context
Let’s take a trip down memory lane first.
Do you remember when YouTube launched in 2006? Then around 2009-10, we started to see official music videos for artists, under channels that were named such as “JustinBieberVEVO”. YouTube ultimately highlighted the importance of music video marketing going forward. I no longer had to wait for MTV or VH1 to play my favorite music videos on TV, because I could look them up on demand on YouTube. One of my more memorable highlights and still a historic milestone was of course, Far East Movement’s “Like A G6” (2010), the first song by an Asian American artist to rank #1 on the Billboard Hot 100:
Also around this time, we saw the rise of Asian diaspora creators (or early influencers) - the likes of David Choi, WongFu Productions, Brian Puspos, David So, ClaraC, Jayesslee, NigaHiga, Jason Chen, and more - many of whom are still very active today. Back in high school, my friends and I would laugh over NigaHiga/Kevjumba’s “Shed a Tear” or try to imitate Brian Puspos in the viral “Wet the Bed” dance choreography. In hindsight, this circle of Asian diaspora creators were the precursors to the myriad of content creation occurring on both short-form platforms and YouTube today.
Then in 2012, Gangnam Style happened. This, along with other 2nd generation K-pop artists, gradually gained prominence around the world. I won’t dive into this here but this is covered in my book K-POP: The Odyssey.
Near college graduation in 2016, the talk of town (or at least, in my various friend groups at Berkeley) was 88RISING. The label/collective has since taken a slightly different direction than I’d imagined and now focuses more on talent from the mainland, but it definitely was a pivotal moment amongst the community when they first arose to the scene. Also, 2016 was the same year I started feeling that BTS might have a different trajectory from other successful peers as well.
More recently, I have been delighted to see other notable achievements by Joji, BLACKPINK, Lay Zhang, Stray Kids, YOASOBI, and NewJeans.
The Artists Today
But those were the highlights.
Although we must celebrate the ups, these were only a few key events or phases that came to my mind as I prepared to discuss why we still don’t see an Asian or Asian diaspora superstar (aside from K-pop) be appreciated enough in the American music industry. The existing stars certainly don’t need Western validation as a measure of success, but it’s true that the American industry is the largest and thus brings about exposure, recognition, and $$$.
Here are some points that we discussed.
There are comparatively few Asian heritage artists, and few human resources. Without the personnel behind the scenes, artists cannot be properly supported. There is a notable lack of Asians entering creative industries as a whole. Why is this so? A career in the entertainment industry will inevitably be perceived as less stable compared to traditional stereotypical professions like doctor, lawyer (lol), or engineer. However, even at companies like Sony Music, there is an abundance of corporate roles - business strategy, data analytics, engineering, etc. - similar to those found in other sectors. This suggests that there is even a greater shortage of Asian professionals, especially in music-facing roles such as agents, A&R, and songwriting.
The U.S. may lose talent, both on the artistic and the business fronts, to the mainland. While K-pop idol groups nowadays include internationally-educated members for overseas activities, we're also witnessing U.S. college graduates opting for careers at the likes of HYBE or CJ Ent. instead of American labels. Although there isn't an official statistic on this trend, we can consider the scarcity of visa sponsors.
Even those within the Asian diaspora community often do not agree, relate to, or understand each other. If we don’t recognize and celebrate our differences however, then how do we expect those outside of it to support and promote such Asian heritage artists properly? On a positive note though, it's cool to see more group efforts lately by AAPI industry leaders and executives, like Gold House or The Asian American Foundation.
What do we expect from an Asian heritage artist? A route for artists of Asian heritage entails gaining popularity in Asian markets before launching international activities (ex: Eric Nam, Jay Park, Jackson Wang, AleXa, Henry Lau, etc.). There's also been some headway in indie-adjacent genres like jazz or R&B, especially by female-led acts like Mitski, Japanese Breakfast, Rina Sawayama, Thuy, and Laufey. But when you think of an "Asian American/heritage artist," who's the first person that comes to mind? 52% of Americans can’t name a single famous Asian American.
Perhaps the only people really concerned with or excited about Bruno Mars’s or Olivia Rodrigo’s Asian heritage are in fact, Asians themselves. I don’t think Asian heritage necessarily plays a role in their musical influences or public stature.
The real progress has always been in EDM, which is much more inclusive than other genres. Steve Aoki is a legend, DJs like Dabin, Knock2, and ZHU have been killing it, and Elephante just launched a new label with DJs of Asian descent. There is frequent collaboration in the EDM space with artists across genres and countries.
Personally, I believe that the next Asian diaspora superstar will likely emerge from the South Asian (Desi) descent, like NAV or AP Dhillon. There appears to be ample opportunity to blend traditional sounds with mainstream appeal, for a Bad Bunny-esque figure. The Korean counterparts had a notable cross-cultural hip-hop moment with “EUNG FREESTYLE” (2016):
When anyone asks me about Korean hip-hop, the above is what I often show.2
The State of K-pop, Continued
I won’t dive too much into K-pop in this article for the sake of my piece in March, but will discuss in the context of AAPI Heritage Month.
K-pop means different things to different people worldwide. For me, it symbolizes pride and serves as a cultural legacy, both within Korea and beyond. Yet, for others, it may represent:
Representation for their country or cultural background
A blend of musical influences, sparking debates over proper credit and origination
A source of curiosity, prompting exploration and support, but also potentially leading to feelings of othering and alienation
Perceived as foreign, cringeworthy, or subject to other dismissive attitudes
There has also been an increase in mudslinging and negativity in the media lately, particularly surrounding HYBE. It's unfortunate that amidst the praise for K-pop as an influential soft power, the industry is often intertwined with media scandals. However, it's essential to recognize that K-pop, like any other showbiz sector, is ultimately driven by the goal of generating maximum returns and profits on investments. Thus, any occurrences along the road to high achievement can be seen as natural byproducts of the industry.
Furthermore, there is a consistent issue with K-pop’s overemphasis on physical sales, coupled with the fact that “K-Pop accounts for only about 3% of the U.S. record industry”, pertaining to Morgan Stanley’s latest report. More analysis on this in WooJin Cha’s TMI.FM newsletter here.
On a positive note, I want to shed light into an experience I had a few months ago at Washington Square Park.
I was casually walking through one Saturday, when I noticed an amplifier blasting a medley of K-pop songs in succession. I discovered that a group of dancers were taking part in “Random Play Dance”, a popular K-pop fan activity in which dancers perform cover dances to a continuous stream of K-pop songs played for several hours. Participants are free to join or leave at any time, as the playlist includes both old and obscure K-pop tracks. The essence of the event lies in creating a flashmob-like public dance party atmosphere.
The group I had seen was Echo Dance Crew, and this is basically the idea:
As you may notice here, there is incredible diversity - dancers of different ages, races, ethnicities, and skill levels all coming together. This activity truly captures the spirit of dancing and K-pop - it’s all about HAVING FUN. One of the most remarkable aspects of K-pop is its participatory culture, which ideally fosters support and encouragement for everyone involved. I remember one particular dancer, a young woman appeared shy and reserved during song breaks, but absolutely destroyed the floor every time she joined in to perform K-pop choreography. I even overheard one middle-aged gentleman reminiscing about how he used to listen to Taeyang’s “Wedding Dress" (2009) as he watched.
I was waiting for them to play BTS’s “Dynamite” (2020) or Jung Kook’s “Seven” (2023) as they were the only songs I’d really danced to lately, but they didn’t. Apparently they take song requests prior to the events too.
K-pop offers something for everyone. While it may not be the preferred Korean medium for everyone (K-Drama and K-Beauty are more popular, according to KOFICE’s 2024 white paper), fans have the freedom to decide how much time, emotion, effort, and money they want to invest in their favorite artists. This includes embracing both the highs and lows of their journey.
The Parting Thoughts
The idea of being Asian American is a tricky one for many people in the community. Many are not considered ‘Asian’ enough by the mainlanders, but also may never truly feel ‘American’ enough to not feel like a minority. When you mix in internationals, expats, and third-culture kids, the room for discussion expands even more.
I think a way for us to see more Asian representation in Western media is not necessarily fully understanding each other in this community, but rather being willing to learn and listen to our diverse experiences. We are very different, and we should celebrate it rather than trying to conform under a monolithic umbrella or disparage our differences.
Happy AAPI Heritage Month.
On another note - the topic that continues to get stuck in my head lately is what’s called music rights acquisitions. After having discussions with professionals in the music investment and private equity spaces lately, I see significant value in paying attention here moving forward. I learned a lot from
by , and I may do a separate write-up on this topic eventually.Specifically, I wonder if there’ll be a way to fully capitalize on international music IP, particularly in the case of K-pop. Facilitating cross-border transactions and navigating hurdles with various stakeholders could prove tricky3, given that K-pop songs are typically written by multiple songwriters from around the world. Therefore, investing in the publishing (songwriter) assets of a K-pop song will require tracking down numerous songwriters and topliners, many of whom are based in the U.S. or Europe.
So perhaps that may be where my legal career is headed. We’ll see.
Summer is coming, so let me know if you’ll be in town!
-Wooseok Ki (Wooski)
At Sony Music, “Asian, Pacific Islander and Desi American (APIDA)”.
There’s been some stagnation in Korean hip-hop lately as the mainstream appeal has dwindled and given way to rock bands. There are many reasons for this, but a few notable years from 2012-2018 were a sight to behold.
Interestingly, Korean music law includes what are known as “neighboring rights” (저작인접권), which do not exist in the U.S. Therefore singers, not just songwriters per se, are entitled to compensation every time a song is played, derived, or utilized to some extent.