Why isn't there a Succesful Asian Act yet?

by **GUS** » Sat Jun 16, 2012 6:00 pm

jio wrote:Because for the most part they are not doing anything interesting. Let's face it, the western world rarely embraces acts from non-english speaking countries. How many french or italian acts are really successful in the UK or the US the past decade? Almost none (besides the odd 1,2 hit wonders here and there). And frankly K and J-pop are rubbish

This. Most of the acts I get to see are way too poppy, tacky, naive... it's like they are recycling old western pop ideas and make it cheesier!

by **aaliyahman** » Sat Jun 16, 2012 6:02 pm

Personally, I just find a lot of them dated and insincere.

I don't know what it is, I just find their music overly manufactured and created just to satifsfy (by scientific research) a certain demographic.

It;s almost like these artists, especially the females, see what's working in the west and throw it all together and deliver it in a nice little robotic package.

It'd be really nice and refreshing if these Asian acts had developed their own style specifically like Reggaeton, Ragga, Reggae etc not girls acting like school girls, dolls or 'divas'.

by **Timmy94** » Sat Jun 16, 2012 7:02 pm

Are there Asian country artists?

by **GetBack** » Sat Jun 16, 2012 7:29 pm

argentino78 wrote:
GetBack wrote:I am so insulted that jpguy didn't even mention any talented artists from the Philippines!

Anyway, the world revolves around the west, particularly in the USA, the dominant features there (black, white, etc) are the ones that will always be the more successful ones, not just in music but in modeling, entertainment, business, entrepreneurship, politics, there are rarely any Asians that make it as big as Obama, Oprah, Meryl Streep, Madonna, Michael Jackson, Steve Jobs, Donald Trump, Mark Zuckerberg, Donatella Versace, Gisele Bunschen, Cindy Crawford, etc. They are more culturally embraced and easily supported and accepted than those with Asian features.

The only game changer is sports, where its the skill and not the image (or looks and features) that matters.

Steve Jobs, Donald Trump, Mark Zuckerberg, Obama??? Do you really think they are successful because of their image? In their respective areas, skills are important too, not "being sexy or beautiful"

They are most likely to succeed because of their image too! I mean, it's not about beauty in their case, but for sure, there are also a lot of Asians who are smarter and can compete with them in terms of skills, but if let's say for example, Obama, Oprah and Steve Jobs were in an Asian body, do you think they will be celebrated or elected at all? I highly doubt it, a huge part of their charisma, and ability to connect well to their audience and consumers (but not all of it is credited to that, don't get me wrong) is because of their ancestry. :wink:

by **Serby** » Sat Jun 16, 2012 7:40 pm

You forgot about Yoko Ono :lol:

p.s. craycray is gonna kill me :oops:

by **ANH** » Sat Jun 16, 2012 7:48 pm

Asian acts haven't broken into the American market for the same reason that everyone else hasn't: it's difficult.

It's only a matter of time. There's bound to be Asian American stars in the near future.

by **GetBack** » Sat Jun 16, 2012 7:49 pm

Have you guys heard of Indonesian/French artist Anggun? She is one of the best, most talented and most original Asian artists ever for me, her sound/singing style draws so much inspiration from her Indonesian background as well...I don't know why she never made it big worldwide.

by **Timmy94** » Sat Jun 16, 2012 8:02 pm

GetBack wrote:Have you guys heard of Indonesian/French artist Anggun? She is one of the best, most talented and most original Asian artists ever for me, her sound/singing style draws so much inspiration from her Indonesian background as well...I don't know why she never made it big worldwide.

Isn't she the artist who sang at the ESC?
If yes, then her song was very generic...

by **jpguy** » Sat Jun 16, 2012 8:54 pm

Yes, that one

by **nekoo3372** » Sat Jun 16, 2012 9:09 pm

Is there any european artists topping the asian charts ?

by **Larry** » Sat Jun 16, 2012 9:21 pm

I can see a really cool young cute Asian chick (Oriental) breaking through in the forseeable future. She'd have to be completely Westernised so a multi-generational American and have attitude, a good voice, a distinctive sound and her own style. A young American Bai Ling for instance. But her career will be stillborn unless she is backed by a big label who really believe in her and her ability to sell to all races. That might be the sticking point at the moment. But I think it will happen and she's probably at school in California somewhere as we speak. Why not? A lot of the narrow cultural stereotypes we have for people are slowly loosening. The key as always in pop is that old notion of girls wanting to be you and guys wanting to be with you. If she's good, hot as hell and cool as f*ck it'll happen.

Non-Western Asians struggle to find success in the West for the cultural reasons already detailed but then Western success in Asia is limited to Gaga and Avril in any really substantial sense.

Some Western Asians who have found success not mentioned include M.I.A., Zayn from 1D (ok he's in a group) and K.T. Tunstall who is half Asian.

by **Timmy94** » Sat Jun 16, 2012 11:13 pm

nekoo3372 wrote:Is there any european artists topping the asian charts ?

Leona Lewis' Bleeding Love and Mika's Blame It On The Girls reached No. 1 in Japan...

by **HBIC** » Sun Jun 17, 2012 12:09 am

Wait for 2NE1 gorls, they are coming 8-)

by **rihmonster** » Wed Jun 27, 2012 8:26 pm

I'm just hearing Utada's single Come Back To Me i'm so surprised this didn't slay back in 09. Her voice is amazing and she is beautfiul.......

by **Titan3510** » Wed Jun 27, 2012 8:42 pm

Why?

It's a mix of racism, Eurocentrism, music and a couple of other things...

Western culture is at odds with pretty much every other culture...espeically Eastern culture.

It's almost a separate but equal kind of thing.

They can do their own thing over there but they better stay over there. We do our own thing over here...

by **HBIC** » Thu Jun 28, 2012 12:13 am

Amerie was kind of successful, she's half Korean

Yeah Yeah Yeahs are a successful band, lead singer Karen O is half korean

The Naked and Famous too, lead singer Alisa Xayliath is Japanese, but then again their not huge massive worldwide stars.. meh

I still think 2NE1 can be huge WW.

by **greek_boy** » Fri Jun 29, 2012 3:03 pm

Timmy94 wrote:
GetBack wrote:Have you guys heard of Indonesian/French artist Anggun? She is one of the best, most talented and most original Asian artists ever for me, her sound/singing style draws so much inspiration from her Indonesian background as well...I don't know why she never made it big worldwide.
Isn't she the artist who sang at the ESC?
If yes, then her song was very generic...

It was, but if you check her catalogue, you would realise that she is an amazing artist. I love Anggun and she had some success in the past in many European countries + Asia. Unfortunately, now she's only popular in France (her last album & Eurovision single flopped though) and Indonesia.

by **joiPrince_JO** » Fri Jun 29, 2012 3:11 pm

SNSD could become successful, but they are yet to make a worldwide debut.

by **jpguy** » Fri Sep 07, 2012 7:39 pm

Well, it seems like we have PSY with his Gangnam Style in the top 20 on iTunes USA, top 10 Canada and top 5 in lots os Europpean / Asian markets!!

!!

by **CrazyCrazy** » Fri Sep 07, 2012 7:41 pm

serbia95riri wrote:You forgot about Yoko Ono

p.s. craycray is gonna kill me

You b*tch, Yoko is successful well in my world! 8-)

She is one amazing b*tch that Yoko.

by **MonaBlissa** » Fri Sep 07, 2012 7:42 pm

IN AMERICA:

As an honest American who doesn't sugarcoat, it's about the perception that "middle America" won't embrace a rising Asian star.

Yes, we have people of Asian-Pacific Islander background like Nicole Scherzinger and one of the BEP member, and a few Hollywood actors. But, it's about money and a wall of false perception, which translates into racism at best.

I love Anggun. I'd think an Indian pop star may have a better chance than a Korean or Filipino (Americanized vocal clone).

by **Maninthistown** » Sat Sep 08, 2012 1:04 am

Why specifically Asian?
Besides Shakira i cant think of any other artist from a non-english country who we can call really "successful" globally. thats includes Asia, Latin America, Africa, Middle East, even Oceania and Europe.

by **jpguy** » Sat Sep 08, 2012 1:41 am

Why only Asian? Because we have had Shakira, Los Del Rio, Ricky Martin, Enrique Iglesias, Jennifer Lopez, Paulina Rubio, Thalia, gloria Estefan, Daddy Yankee, Wisin y Yandel, charting in several markets with Spanish songs... tell me their Asian counterparts... ? :wink:

(with Asian songs)

by **NothingFails** » Sat Sep 08, 2012 4:30 am

crazycrazy wrote:
serbia95riri wrote:You forgot about Yoko Ono

p.s. craycray is gonna kill me
You b*tch, Yoko is successful well in my world! She is one amazing b*tch that Yoko.

Yep, in my world Yoko was an uberstar in the 70s with all her #1 singles and diamond albums :lol:

by **Maninthistown** » Sat Sep 08, 2012 5:18 am

jpguy wrote:Why only Asian? Because we have had Shakira, Los Del Rio, Ricky Martin, Enrique Iglesias, Jennifer Lopez, Paulina Rubio, Thalia, gloria Estefan, Daddy Yankee, Wisin y Yandel, charting in several markets with Spanish songs... tell me their Asian counterparts... ? (with Asian songs)

i thought that when you said a "successful act" meant really successful. By the way no one around here knows almost any of those newbies and legend Shakira is really the only global force not coming from an english speaking country.