The Best Contemporary Asian American Musicians
Before Mitski, Dumbfoundead, and TOKiMONSTA there were Karen O and Steve Aoki. The higher demand for Asian American representation in all creative fields, seen perhaps most prominently in film, television, and music, has led to an increase in popularity for Asian American musicians and musical artists.
TOKiMONSTA was nominated for the Best Electronic Album in 2019, and Dumbfoundead, along with his other 88rising cohorts, put on the second annual Head in the Clouds Music and Arts Festival at the Los Angeles State Historic Park in August 2019.
Asian American artists are changing the game across every genre, from pop, to hip-hop, indie, and electronic, the best contemporary Asian American musicians have proven they are here to stay.
Mitski Miyawaki is an American singer-songwriter. Mitski self-released her first two albums, Lush (2012) and Retired from Sad, New Career in Business (2013), while studying at Purchase College. After graduating, Mitski released her third studio album, Bury Me at Makeout Creek (2014), followed by Puberty 2 (2016), and Be the Cowboy (2018).
- Kathy Yaeji Lee (born c. 1993), known professionally as Yaeji, is a Korean-American electronic music artist based in Brooklyn, New York. Her style blends elements of house music and hip hop with ...more
- Hayley Kiyoko Alcroft (born April 3, 1991) is an American singer, songwriter, and actress. Beginning dance lessons as a child, Kiyoko's interest in entertaining led to her working as a child model ...more
- Yo-Yo Ma (born October 7, 1955) is a Chinese-American cellist. Born in Paris, he spent his schooling years in New York City and was a child prodigy, performing from the age of four and a half. He ...more
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Japanese Breakfast
Japanese Breakfast is the solo musical project of musician Michelle Zauner, who is of Korean descent. Under the alias Japanese Breakfast, Zauner has released two studio albums: Psychopomp (2016) and Soft Sounds from Another Planet (2017).
- Michael Kenji Shinoda (, born February 11, 1977) is an American musician, singer, songwriter, rapper, record producer, and graphic designer. He co-founded Linkin Park in 1996 and is the band's rhythm ...more
- Karen Lee Orzolek (born November 22, 1978), is a South Korean-born American singer, songwriter, musician, and record producer. She is the lead vocalist for American rock band Yeah Yeah Yeahs.
- Chaz Bear (born Chazwick Bradley Bundick; November 7, 1986), known professionally as Toro y Moi, is an American singer, songwriter, record producer and graphic designer. His music has taken on many ...more
- Jay Park (Korean name: Park Jae-beom (born April 25, 1987) is a Korean American rapper, singer, songwriter, record producer, dancer, choreographer, entrepreneur, actor, member of the Seattle-based ...more
- Norah Jones (born Geethali Norah Jones Shankar; March 30, 1979) is an American singer, songwriter, and pianist. She has won multiple awards and has sold more than 50 million records worldwide. ...more
- Melina Mae Duterte (born March 25, 1994), better known by her stage name Jay Som, is an American, Los Angeles-based, DIY and bedroom-pop singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist and producer. Her ...more
- Brandon Paak Anderson (born February 8, 1986), better known by his stage name Anderson Paak, is an American musician and record producer from Oxnard, California. He released his debut album, O.B.E. ...more
- Peter Gene Hernandez (born October 8, 1985), known professionally as Bruno Mars, is an American singer, songwriter, record producer, multi-instrumentalist, and dancer. He is known for his stage ...more
- Jennifer Lee, known professionally as TOKiMONSTA, is an American record producer and DJ based in Los Angeles. She has collaborated with artists such as Anderson .Paak, Earthgang, Isaiah Rashad, Selah ...more
- Jonathan Park born February 18, 1986), known professionally as Dumbfoundead, is an Argentine-born Korean-American rapper and actor. He began his career in the 2000s as a battle rapper in Los Angeles ...more
- Steven Hiroyuki Aoki (born November 30, 1977) is an American musician, DJ, record producer and music executive. In 2012, Pollstar designated Aoki as the highest grossing dance artist in North America ...more
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Haley Henderickx
Haley Hannah Heynderickx is an American singer-songwriter of Filipino descent from Portland, Oregon. In 2016, she released her debut EP, Fish Eyes. Her first full-length album, I Need to Start a Garden, was released in March 2018 with Mama Bird Recording Company.
- Jhené Aiko Efuru Chilombo, better known as Jhené Aiko or simply Jhené, is an American singer and songwriter. Born and raised in Los Angeles, she began her career appearing in several music videos and ...more
- Sarah Chang (Korean: 장영주; born Young Joo Chang; December 10, 1980) is an American classical violinist. Recognized as a child prodigy, she first played as a soloist with the New York Philharmonic and ...more
- Steven Zhu is a Chinese-American musician and singer who has been active since the beginning of 2014, and is signed to Mind of a Genius Records. Until mid-2014, Zhu remained anonymous, asking to be ...more
- Steven Thomas Lacy-Moya (born May 23, 1998), better known as Steve Lacy, is an American guitarist, bassist, singer-songwriter, and record producer. He was born in Compton, California and gained ...more
- Charlie Yin, better known by his stage name Giraffage, is an American electronic music record producer. Yin, who is of Taiwanese descent, grew up in San Jose, California, and graduated from the ...more
- Shaffer Chimere Smith (born October 18, 1979), better known by his stage name Ne-Yo, is an American singer, songwriter, record producer, actor and dancer. He gained fame for his songwriting abilities ...more
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Nosaj Thing
Jason Chung, better known as Nosaj Thing, is an American record producer based in Los Angeles, California. He is of Korean descent. He has produced tracks for Busdriver, Kendrick Lama, and Chance the Rapper.
- Micheal Ray Stevenson (born November 19, 1989), known by his stage name Tyga (a backronym for Thank you God always), is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, actor and television personality. After ...more
