"Race" isn't the clear answer. Like I said, do asian acts even promote in the US? The only one that I know is trying to "break" into the US market is CL. Idk about any other artist that's doing this. Maybe because I don't follow any Asian artists, but how are we supposed to know about them if they don't try to make themselves known outside of Asia???
Race is definitely a clear answer because it's the first and biggest road block. How do you get promo spots and a budget when people aren't interested in you? You can try as hard as you want, but there has to be an audience that connects to you and that inability is the problem with Asians. Most people just ignore Asian acts whether it's The Wonder Girls promoting their single or Priyanka Chopra promoting her TV show.
"Race" isn't the clear answer. Like I said, do asian acts even promote in the US? The only one that I know is trying to "break" into the US market is CL. Idk about any other artist that's doing this. Maybe because I don't follow any Asian artists, but how are we supposed to know about them if they don't try to make themselves known outside of Asia???
Exactly, don't say no Asian acts are trying to break through the US when you have limited knowledge on that subject in the first place.
And you aren't getting the point
MANY have tried to make themselves known, it just doesn't work out because of… yup, racism! People like you will never "know" about them, unless you do your own research, because of the systematically ingrained racism towards Asians in Western pop culture and society
"Race" isn't the clear answer. Like I said, do asian acts even promote in the US? The only one that I know is trying to "break" into the US market is CL. Idk about any other artist that's doing this. Maybe because I don't follow any Asian artists, but how are we supposed to know about them if they don't try to make themselves known outside of Asia???
Music companies won't funnel the money into promoting or making the CD for an up-and-coming Asian-American singer because the public is racist and so the company thinks it won't make as much money off of the unknown Asian-American singer, as compared to the same-ability unknown white or black singer.
"The west doesn't like K-Pop or J-Pop!!!1" Ok... but are there not any Asian people living in the US...? The question is not "why isn't K-Pop smashing in the US" nor is it about the crossover appeal of already established Asian artists. I'm sure there are plenty of Asian Americans (or Asian people from other countries) that make commercially viable music similar to what is on the charts right now. But why aren't they being pushed and marketed the same way as others? There isn't a lack of talent or effort being put in on their behalf, that's for sure. iirc there are 5 (or less) songs that have topped the Hot 100 that are by Asian artists, pretty ridiculous.
It's clear race is the answer. The General Public still stereotypes Asians a LOT.
For a lot of people, it's hard to see Asians as "cool" or "sexy," both of which are necessities for pop stars. Sad, really.
You don't think black people are stereotyped?
Succeeding in pop music has nothing to do with being cool or sexy. Sia, Adele, Mehgan Trainor, and Ed Sheeran all succeeded without trying to be either.
It's just the simple fact that Asian artists aren't making music that's accessible to the GP. While Gangnam Style wasn't English, it was still catchy and was backed up by a viral video. Most Asian stars aren't making music in English and coming here to promote and that's why they're not succeeding.
Utada should make a third attempt at the US Market.
Has she been confirmed to be singing KH3's theme song yet? If she is then she should use it as the first single off a third English album.
IDK what's up with Hikki but when she tries to write in English it sounds so much more amateur than when she writes in Japanese - despite being born in and growing up in the US :-/
Succeeding in pop music has nothing to do with being cool or sexy. Sia, Adele, Mehgan Trainor, and Ed Sheeran all succeeded without trying to be either.
It's just the simple fact that Asian artists aren't making music that's accessible to the GP. While Gangnam Style wasn't English, it was still catchy and was backed up by a viral video. Most Asian stars aren't making music in English and coming here to promote and that's why they're not succeeding.
You listed all white artists! Wow what a coincidence that they're the big exceptions!!!!
Also many Kpop stars have tried doing English songs marketed towards Western markets and not a single time have any of them taken off. It's just simple pop music.
Exactly. South Korea and Japan aren't the only countries in Asia and I'm sure the OP is talking about Asian Americans, British Asians, etc. too.
Jay Sean had multiple Top 10 hits in the UK thanks only to British Asian support, but he could never make it mainstream because Asians don't appeal to the British public. If these songs were released by Ne-Yo or Justin Timberlake back in 2008, they would performed a lot better than Top 15:
Succeeding in pop music has nothing to do with being cool or sexy. Sia, Adele, Mehgan Trainor, and Ed Sheeran all succeeded without trying to be either.
It's just the simple fact that Asian artists aren't making music that's accessible to the GP. While Gangnam Style wasn't English, it was still catchy and was backed up by a viral video. Most Asian stars aren't making music in English and coming here to promote and that's why they're not succeeding.
I don't agree that being cool or sexy doesn't help pop singers succeed - the pop singers you listed seem to be more like exceptions than examples of pop stars with typical images.
Succeeding in pop music has nothing to do with being cool or sexy. Sia, Adele, Mehgan Trainor, and Ed Sheeran all succeeded without trying to be either.
It's just the simple fact that Asian artists aren't making music that's accessible to the GP. While Gangnam Style wasn't English, it was still catchy and was backed up by a viral video. Most Asian stars aren't making music in English and coming here to promote and that's why they're not succeeding.