10:59 a.m. - Thursday, Apr. 09, 2009
Asian Music Artists in American Music Industry
ok, this is growing concern for me, but who notices the lack of popular Asian music artists in the American music industry? I do. Mike is the only one whos Japanese American (linkin park), and he is not from Asia. Every other ethnic group has been able to break through American charts except the Asians. I feel the reason is, and lets face it, people support "their own" when it comes to music. Think about it. Asian Americans and Native Americans are the serious minorities in the US. So there are not enough of their "own kind" to support them. So they are forced to wait on other ethnic groups. Not to say that other groups DON'T support each other in America, but it has been my experience that black people will more than likely buy a CD with a black face on it. White people generate toward who they can relate to (not as badly as black people and the Latin/Hispanic), and yes the Hispanic/Latins listen to their own kind (on occasion other singers). Most would say I listen to whatever sounds good, but if you think about it, what sounds good to you? Are you not influenced by your ethnic group? African Americans like strong voices and drift toward R&B, pop, and rap, and hip hop, Caucasians tend to like pop/rock/occasionally hip hop and rap, country even(they are most diverse in music), Latins are the same. Very diverse in STYLE, but it's sometimes Latin Pop, hip hop, R&B, etc. So what do the Asians have???...hmm... or maybe it's not ethnicity, it's the culture of America not to support an artist from a different country. When i first told people about these artists, they asked "Do they speak English?" Duh, its an American album!
Well there have been two artists who have come from overseas now: Utada and Boa (we can include Se7en is it suits your fancy). Let's begin with Utada. Utada is the most FAMOUS Japanese artist (almost as famous as Britney, except her fame exceeds the States, but they are nothing alike). Utada is bilingual and most people know her from the Kingdom Hearts series (Simple and Clean, Sanctuary). Her album is out DIGITALLy and will be out solid MAY 12, 2009. Now I've heard so much about her from fans. I'm a fan. But there are some idiot fans in America who don't like her newest CD, "This is the One" because it's not what she was "overseas." All i have to say is this: of course not. They obviously don't recognize the different types of music notes we have. There music notes go up and down (high note to low). Ours goes down to up (low note to high). Listen to the difference. it's because of our language. Our words can't possibly fit with a song in Japan. it would sound rushed (like Girls on Top by Boa). have you ever heard someone try to sing Passion in it's translated version? Trust me I have, and it sounded horrifying. Some people say it sounds "too" mainstream America. No way. In fact, that is music you can't even find in the States anymore! Who sings anymore? Writes their own music? Has real R&B without digital effect? No one. Maybe thats the problem. America wants to hear some more garbage (like the GaGa person who changed her whole image from that of Russia). And one guy had the nerve to say she doesn't sound American enough! What is it? Is she too American or not? It is an American album. And maybe the Come Back to Me isn't you. But there's more to that album. See, fans wanted to see Sanctuary, but that one song doesn't make up a whole album. So give this one a shot. To me, she even changed overseas in 2002-2008 (look at Blue compared to Addicted to You). She was ORIGINALLY an R&B/popurban singer. ok, she talks about sex. She's 26 and has been married! "Exodus", her first album, is what sounded different. Another artist is Boa. Boa is famous in Korea and Japan. She is young (22), a great performer (she dances like Chris Brown or Usher), and can sing. Plus, she has a great personality and is sweet and cute as a button. But the problem began in the states. Again, America said she didn't sound like overseas. Most people know her from Inuyasha (Every Heart). One person said "whoever did her in America, she needs to get rid of and go back to the one in Korea." Well, did you know that the same people who produced her in America, did in Korea also? SM Entertainment? Maybe you prefer Avex Trak in Japan. She is under TWO DIFFERENT corporations overseas and they make totally different songs (You don't see Girls on Top in Japan, neither do you see Universe in Korea). Because people didn't know, and just assumed her Korean label went to Japan, they asked the WRONG label to come to the US! Ouch! Well to me she sounds the same as overseas in Korea. She even brought over one song (Girls on Top again). She has a fabulous album self-entitled "BoA." Her lyrics are "suggestive." Yea? Well, she's not. She actually wears baggy clothes when performing. Her music is too "digitized" and doesn't show off her voice (so is everything) and really she has songs that show off her voice. She doesn't have a ballad. Well, her album is a club album and isn't boring. What is most understandable coming from one fan was that he didn't like her new stuff period compared to her old stuff, even in Korea and Japan. Understandable. No.1 was his favorite song (my least favorite). But the girl had to grow up and couldn't sing the same songs she was singing at 14-15. So that can't be helped. Lastly, we have Se7en. Poor guy. He doesn't have the same familiarity that Boa and Utada have from Video Games and Animes (which Americans tend to associate all Asian singers with). But that can be a good thing or bad thing, because people aren't comparing him to what he "used to be" and so he has more of a fresh start, and he sounds the most different from overseas! His single "Girls" is out. But I've noticed that most of the people who complained could not speak the Korean or Japanese language. So now that they hear the "true" sound and English lyrics, they don't like it. How retarded is that? So everyone go to the site and give me opinions.
http://www.utada.com
http://www.boaamerica.com
http://www.se7enworldwide.com
