BTS, Psy, Awkwafina: 7 Asian musicians who used social media to make it
- Social media has helped a new generation of Asian musicians become household names while maintaining their idiosyncratic styles and sounds
- BTS, for example, burst onto the scene with cover songs and videos on Korean social media platforms
Mainstream media can be a harsh political arena for emerging Asian musicians, who have to contend with racial stereotyping as well as fight for precious screen time and radio play.
Historically, only a handful of artists of Asian descent have made a mark on the global charts. With the help of social media, however, a new generation of musicians have become household names.
Within these more intimate and casual online worlds, self-representing singers and rappers can maintain their idiosyncratic styles and sounds while growing a global fan base and circumventing traditional pathways to commercial success.
Playful – sometimes controversial – exchanges of language, cultures, and musical and visual styles dominate their work, with the artists using their digital visibility to advance discourse on Asian music and representation, from Seoul to Brooklyn.
Here are seven artists of Asian descent who have used social media to make it.
Awkwafina
