As an avid music fan who listens to everything from hip hop and trap to pop and K-pop, it is about time we have a conversation about the topic of Asian representation in mainstream American music. Therefore, I took it upon myself to share my thoughts on this subject.
Very few Asians have truly “made it” in American pop culture (as in reaching the same status as someone like Justin Bieber or Beyonce). Why is that? It is not that Asians are by any means incompetent, and I doubt that the music industry has an insufficient number of aspiring Asian pop stars. In fact, I regularly ponder about the many Asian Americans who must have fought tirelessly to get signed to a major label, achieve widespread fame, or win a Grammy, but fall short of their dreams. It makes me pleased to come across the rare Asian face in the American music scene.
I listened to Bruno Mars for years before discovering that he was of Filipino descent. Tyga, whose birth name is Micheal Ray Nguyen-Stevenson, was born to Vietnamese and Jamaican parents. Saweetie’s mother is Filipina-Chinese. I love Bruno Mars, and he is an exceptionally gifted musician. But as much as I love him, I do think that there is another factor at hand; to put it bluntly, Bruno Mars and the others mentioned above do not have distinct physical features that make them appear Asian, nor do their stage names do not reveal their Asian heritage. To clarify, I am not trying to discredit these people or dismiss their Asian roots in any way. But frankly, if we isolate these stars who are among the most famous Asian American musicians, we would see that most of them have relatively American traits, whether it be their names or facial features. All of this is to say that these specific kinds of artists are relatively easier to market to a western/American audience. The model minority myth pigeonholes Asians, making it extremely difficult for Asians to make it big and overcome stereotypes.
The reason Asian Americans are difficult to market in the music industry is because society has painted them as nerdy, submissive, anti-social. Asian Americans belong in the classroom or the office, hunched over a book or in front of a computer, but absolutely not on stage. An Asian American in the entertainment industry feels out of place. “Asian American” and “pop star” do not go together. Even if a label or agent wanted to sign an Asian American, they would be reluctant because of how Asians are perceived in Western culture. This goes to show how systemic racism bleeds through every little thing in our country, affecting societal norms and hindering Asian Americans in all trades.
It is correct that Korean pop acts have been on the rise in recent years, especially as the global sensation BTS has slowly turned into a household name. But in this case, we are making a distinction between artists who are based in Asia versus America. I feel that K-pop artists are perceived differently than Asian American artists. It is fantastic that artists from Asia are getting recognition in the states. That being said, K-pop artists are typically regarded as “exotic” and “foreign.” Talented and charming, but at the end of the day, these artists do not originate from America, and their lyrics are sung primarily in Korean. These artists who come from other countries to promote in America are marketed differently.
I think it is terrific that we’re seeing more and more Asians in mainstream American music these days, and that their music is charting more frequently. Music collectives such as 88rising are making huge strides in putting Asian American artists out into the public eye. I am optimistic that having more Asian American pop artists would inspire the youth and prove that it is possible to succeed as a musician. As more and more Asian faces are appearing in the media, I would hope that the public is accepting and appreciating them more.