Guest Post: Amplifying Asian Voices

By Janet Kim

When people think of “Asian music,” most people turn to K-pop, the globally popular genre virtually everywhere. I once overheard a group of girls in Berlin saying “I love you” in Korean and, when asked how they knew it, they credited their love of K-pop. And it’s more than just music, the popularity of Korean TV and film is also helping to popularize the culture and language. But this worldwide sensation masks a lack of Asian American artists whose music reflects a far greater diversity of countries, cultures and styles.

Many artists feel the need to come to the U.S. to make it big. But I know of Asian American artists who left the U.S. to go to Korea to succeed in this business. Let me say that again: They leave the entertainment capital of the world and go to another country because they feel they must to have any possibility of a music career. In fact, several of K-pop’s biggest stars hail from other countries, including the U.S. So much promising talent here is lacking support and huge opportunities are being overlooked by the U.S. music industry. 

As an Asian American kid, even one who grew up in L.A., the music industry was not a world known to me. No one I knew worked in the business and I didn’t see any evidence of that world being for someone like me. The only Asian artists I was exposed to were not from the U.S.; they were from Korea, and they had little to no exposure in the U.S. beyond the Korean American community. I stumbled into the business not planning or knowing there could be a career in music. While pursuing a degree in clinical psychology, some friends happened to start a band and asked me to manage them. I didn’t know what the job entailed, but they were friends and I wanted to support them. We figured it out together. 

The band formed and, after a couple of iterations, they eventually signed to a label and took on formal representation. I was building my resume for grad school when the band started gearing up for its first national tour and asked me to tour manage. With no experience or know-how of tour managing, I accepted. Grad school would always be there, I thought. Turns out I never looked back. 

I was on and off the road for six years tour managing different bands. I loved it. Taking care of the bands, on a business and personal level. Witnessing the people I cared for doing what they loved every night in front of new fans from different places and seeing the effect the music had on fans and the experience the live concert gave them. It was invigorating. 

But on the road, there weren’t a lot of people who looked like me. Asian American or female for that matter. That didn’t change much when I got off the road and eventually entered the agency world. There were more women in the office than on the road, but few Asian Americans. 

At UTA (where Asian American acts I represent include AleXa, eaJ and Mad Tsai), I am grateful to see so many powerhouse women I look up to but, throughout the industry, there remain very few Asian Americans. Seeing just one person who looks like you and is thriving in this business can be extremely powerful. It reinforces that this is a world that I can be in and succeed in. It’s why I’m committed to being a mentor myself through UTA’s SYNC mentoring program, which connects colleagues of color at different points in their career growth.

Beyond industry examples, my most important role models are my parents. They had the courage to leave everything they knew behind to come to this country. They tried to learn a new language, adjusted to a foreign culture and worked hard to provide for and teach their five daughters. Along the way, they struggled against racism and destructive stereotypes. They also did their best to pass along some of Korea to their children. My exposure to and love of Korean culture, including K-pop and K-dramas, comes from them. At the same time, I have lived in the U.S. since my earliest memory, and I have always identified as an Asian American. While I am proud of the success of K-pop, it is important for me to also amplify Asian American voices and help those artists see that this business, the music world, can be for them as well. Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month may be in the rearview mirror for 2023, but it is a priority for me to celebrate and assist the achievements and contributions of AAPI artists every day. 

Music has shown itself to have no boundaries in what can be achieved and the power it can wield to affect change, widen perspectives, and bring people together. Seeing an extremely diverse crowd sing in Korean at K-pop concerts, which used to be largely if not solely attended by Korean and Korean Americans, is an example of that power. The fans’ love extends beyond the music and into the culture of the artist’s country. I would love to see that type of fandom and devotion to support Asian American artists as well. I think about how important it is for my nephews and nieces to experience seeing someone that looks like them perform on big stages in front of a huge crowd of adoring fans. That experience can inspire the next big artist, because they see evidence that this industry could be a place where Asian Americans belong. 

We need to start working on solutions for artists to even get on a stage and into the spotlight. Label executives, managers, agents, promoters – everyone in this business can support these artists, here. For a music career to thrive, it needs a village behind it. If we can help build it, there are many more voices yet to be heard that can become as influential and global as K-pop is today.

Janet Kim is a Music Agent at UTA, a mentor in its SYNC program, and a strong proponent of racial equity in the workforce and globally.