Asian Artists Rising

Yesterday was the official release date for Joji's studio album, Nectar. This completes the drop of 88rising's Holy Trinity, following Rich Brian's August EP 1999 and NIKI's Moonchild from earlier this month. For many Asians across the globe, 88rising is the Crazy Rich Asians of the music industry. I still remember how stoked I was when I watched the promo video “Head In The Clouds: a midsummer night’s dream” for the label’s first compilation album. There was something undeniably fresh and unique about the music and the visuals. In the online Asian community, attending the Head In The Clouds Music And Arts Festival has become #goals, and many of us streamed Asia Rising Forever for comfort amidst the pandemic. Coming from a culture that is traditionally rooted in academics, there is something particularly inspiring about seeing an all-Asian concert lineup in North America. For the first time, Asian artists have an opportunity to be taken seriously and given a spotlight in the mainstream media.

Before the lockdown, I was sitting in the break room at my new day job one afternoon, when one of my Caucasian male coworkers casually asked me what I've been listening to. I hesitated. I opened my response with indie rock. It was a safe bet after an exchange we previously had about My Chemical Romance’s reunion tour plans. Then I bit the bullet and added, "And random Asian artists."

Immediately, he scrunched his nose. "What, like, K-Pop?"

He wasn't completely wrong. I had a soft spot for some K-Pop groups (I enjoy the occasional BLACKPINK, Red Velvet, and BTS songs - and 88rising periodically does K-Pop collaborations), but in regards to my enthusiasm towards 88rising, I felt completely misunderstood. I tried to explain that they were more along the lines of international indie hip hop and R&B. I even added that most of them perform in English in a sad attempt to further distinguish them from his initial assumption. But his interest in my words had already faded, and he just kind of nodded at me and went back to swiping on his phone.

I felt agitated after this interaction for a number of reasons. It was a common occurrence for me, despite living in a culturally diverse city like Toronto. Whenever I bring up the topic of Asian artists, white people tend to automatically think of things like K-Pop and anime - and usually not in a positive light. These things are often seen as dorky and niche areas of interest to those outside of the fanbase. If I try showing an 88rising video to these skeptics, their responses are almost always along the lines of, “Whoa, I didn’t know they had this type of music in Asia!” or involve them complimenting the artist’s vocals, followed shortly by, “They don’t even sound Asian!”

While I know they mean well, these comments never sit well with me. Why is there this preconceived notion that Asian music can’t possibly be “good” by Western standards? When will Asian artists finally be respected and not instantly associated with being quirky or foreign?

I follow both 88rising and Joji on Instagram. In the days leading up to the release of Nectar, both accounts were posting a wave of promotional images for the new album. I noticed that two of my white friends had liked a couple of Joji’s posts. Admittedly, they were part of his original fanbase as Filthy Frank, but I appreciated that they continued to support him in the new phase of his career. I was also having a conversation with another white guy I know who is trying to make it in the Toronto indie music scene. He was in the middle of a photoshoot with an Asian colleague to promote their music, and he mentioned that they had been talking about Rich Brian and his rap skills. I proceeded to praise his coworker for having good taste and a solid rap track of his own.

There is a heartwarming memory I have from my previous workplace. I had been speaking with a young Filipina girl in her graduating year of high school. She was going through a tough time in her personal life. When I started a discussion with her about different ways to cope with her depression, she mentioned that she had a new favourite artist that was helping her deal with everything. I asked her to elaborate, and was delighted to find out this teenager in my office was listening to NIKI and that her music was having such a positive impact on her life.

There has been an emphasis on the importance of diversity and representation in the media these days; and 88rising and the artists they represent are at the front of the line for aspiring Asian talent around the world. I’m both hopeful and excited to see more Asian creators in the media breaking barriers and shattering stereotypes.