As our Gen-Z rockstar Olivia Rodrigo and Super Bowl anthem singer Jhené Aiko have been a recent spotlight to the AAPI community, here are some more AAPI music artists you should check out!
Dominic Fike
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Euphoria fans may have already done their deep-diving on our new heart-throb, Dominic Fike. The 26-year-old alt-rock singer is a Naples, Florida native with Black and Filipino descent. Before his breakout in the popular drama series, the singer/rapper has also collaborated with other artists such as, Justin Bieber, Paul McCartney, and Halsey. But before Fike released his debut album, What Could Possibly Go Wrong, he didn’t expect such a rising success in his career. In an interview with a local paper he explains the origin of the title saying, “That’s the question that’s been on all of our minds the entire time with everyone around me, you know?…Every time something good happens and it just keeps happening, we’re like, ‘Oh my god!’”
Rich Brian
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The name, Rich Brian, may sound familiar with the rapper’s soundtracks for the Marvel flick Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings as well as being a core member of 88Rising. The Indonesian hip-hop singer kicked off his music career by posting YouTube videos, as well as going viral on Vine, and now he has risen up to be a global hip-hop star. Homeschooled in Jakarta, he tells Acclaim that he watched a lot of Rubix-cube videos to learn English and practice his pronunciations. With his YouTube-trained comical and amiable personality, he keeps his fans entertained with both his music and his hilarious tweets. The superstar released his new EP, “Brightside” last month and fans are excited to see him at Coachella this April performing with his fellow 88Rising members, NIKI and Joji.
this was me before i knew how to speak english pic.twitter.com/zAIRbUcyUp
— Rich Brian (@richbrian) August 1, 2021
Mitski
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Nobody, nobody, nobody~ can make a song catchier than Mitski. The indie-rockstar had a two-year hiatus in her music career, but has now had her comeback with her TikTok viral song, “Nobody.” The Asian American singer, born in Japan to a Japanese mother and white American father, released her latest album, “Laurel Hell” this month. It is her first full-length album after a decade and has topped the Billboard’s Top Album Sales chart. Mitski will also be opening for three of Harry Styles’ UK tour concerts in June. The now widely known 31-year-old artist is also just like all of us Gen-Zs, an astrology girl. On The FADER, she admits that she casually asks her crushes’ birth charts and see if they are compatible. Mitski is also a huge Jibuli studio fan, gushing over the art and confesses to an interview with DAZED, “Realistically, I would be No Face.”
UMI
Introspection Reimagined • Out Now
welcome to the other side of the mirror ~ i felt so much joy creating this project , i hope you do too ❤️
please share and support, may this project touch many souls 🙂https://t.co/nKGc0BXwQV pic.twitter.com/2DMp5qpNo3
— UMI (@whoisumi) March 26, 2021
Her name meaning “ocean” in Japanese, UMI’s creativity is flowing like the waves through her R&B and neo-soul music. Being half Black and half Japanese, the 22-year-old musician admits she had an identity crisis growing up, but now has come to terms with both by expressing herself through music. She desires to create a healing space through her musical approach. With her latest EP, “Introspection,” which was released as a short film with Issa Rae’s production company, she portrays navigating through queerness, freindships, breakups, and immigrant family dynamics. In an interview with Pigeons & Planes she mentions, “sometimes when I’m writing music, it feels like I’m remembering a song rather than writing a song and I feel like that’s my ancestors speaking through me from both my Japanese side and my African side.”
Raveena Aurora
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Raised in Queens with North Indian parents, the spiritual R&B singer not only is thoughtful in her music, but also co-directs her music videos. Inspired by Bollywood aesthetics, Raveena wants listeners to feel like they are escaping into her universe with her visuals. The singer-songwriter says her music is based on her personal experience and is an outlet to release her feelings and make her a happier person. In an interview with New York Magazine, she admits that it’s disheartening that there aren’t many Asian Americans that have made it into mainstream music, but believes that she should continue dedicating herself to her “craft and carving out a little space for yourself and community.” After three years, she will be on tour again marking her new album, “Asha’s Awakening,” released last week. Through her new songs, she features South Asian instrumentation and takes listeners to her exploration of her alter ego and Indian-American identity. Fans can also see her performing at Coachella this year.
