The month of May marks the Asian American Pacific Islander Heritage Month or AAPIHM. This event features the voices of our Asian American and Pacific Islander artists. During a time wherein unity and kindness are vital, it has become increasingly important to build a community of inclusion and celebrate what makes the Asian American and Pacific Islander communities special.
Today, to amplify the voices of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders, Spotify is launching Our Roots. Our Sound. It is a campaign that spotlights and celebrates Asian American and Pacific Islander artists, creators, and fans by reflecting on the deeply rooted culture and groundbreaking music within the community.
Our Roots. Our Sound. will kick off with the launch of the Amplify: Asian American & Pacific Islander Heritage Month hub. Spotify worked with mxmtoon, Yuna, Riz Ahmed, Rich Brian, Anik Khan, Eric Nam, Raveena, Yaeji, Steve Aoki, Rina Sawayama, NIKI, Madame Gandhi, Conan Gray, Stephanie Poetri, Jai Wolf, and many other artists, content creators, and influencers to bring their authentic voices to life in the hub. Their participation ranges from hosting their own content to curating exclusive content on the platform.
The Amplify: Asian American & Pacific Islander Heritage Month hub includes:
- Playlists featuring Asian American artists
- Flagship playlists from Asia
- Podcasts from Asians and Asian Americans
- And features prominent artists through Spotify’s This is playlists
Check out the Amplify: Asian American & Pacific Islander Heritage Month hub here. It will be updated with new, exclusive content throughout May.
Here are some quotes from the participating artists:
mxmtoon
“I’m so honored to be a part of Spotify’s campaign and help share my story as an Asian American with people across the world! It means a lot to me to think about how I could tell my five-year-old self she would eventually be able to see her story reflected in the media.
Being a part of Asian American Heritage Month makes me realize, hopefully, how many other people can see a small bit of themselves through my story. It’s a gift to do that for others and for my past self! Representation is so important, and I feel so thankful to have my voice be a part of this campaign."
Anik Khan
“This is important for me because it’s time we normalize Asian American creators and the art that comes from our communities. I’m taking part in this for that kid out there that looks like me to show them that it’s possible.
Some artists to watch are my guy from Queens, Robin Dey. Across the pond, I love what Joy Crookes and Nish are doing in the U.K., Of course, my homegirl Raja Kumari. I’m also rocking with Humeysha, Fateh Doe, Raveena, Krewella, Sid Sriram, and Vincent Fable."
Steve Aoki
"With all the racism and all the violence towards Asians, not just in America but around the world. It's getting discussed here and there and I really appreciate the strong voices that are raising awareness. Of course, there's subliminal racism that we deal with, but it's this confrontational racism that you don't see all the time. And yes, it does still happen. The fear of doing normal activities is something we have to face because of this tension and ignorance that's breeding. With AAPIH Month being celebrated, we can talk about the positives not just for our specific communities but communities in general for all people."
Spotify tips: "Some of the biggest songs on Spotify are not even in the dominant language of English. Whether it's Spanish or Korean topping the charts, the non-dominant language is having a very large voice, I'm all for that. I love this thriving energy that happens not because of radio, but because of streaming services that allow a non-dominating culture to have a profound impact on culture at large. Thanks to Spotify for allowing a platform for Korean artists to have hundreds of millions of listeners."
Jai Wolf
"It's a good way to reflect on our culture and our history. It's also a good time to check the current landscape of Asian-Americans and Pacific Islanders in the music industry."
Spotify tips: "Every year when Spotify does their thing for AAPIHM, there's always playlists to check out and I feel like I always find new artists. The pathway to discovery is really great. I make electronic music and, especially in my world, there's not too many who are of Asian descent. I have my friends that I already know about but playlists are great to discover new people not just in my genre but in other genres as well."
Eric Nam:
"With coronavirus and the rise of hate speech and crime and race-motivated unfortunate decisions and actions, I think it's more important than ever to be more vocal and more visible. It's very very timely in that sense.
I'm very fortunate in that I've been isolated away and haven't felt anything directly, but there have been points where I've been walking outside or going to get groceries and, I like to think they're trying to social distance, but some people will completely look the other way or look at me in a weird way. It comes from a place of fear and ignorance. It's very scary for a lot of people, including myself."
Spotify tips: "Spotify has been an early proponent and ally in terms of putting on for creators who are Asian and Asian-American and even half. It's really fun to browse through the app and stumble upon people who look like me. On the podcast side, I'm on three podcasts that are all on Spotify, including Commit or Quit that we just launched since everyone's binging TV shows, we decide if you should commit or quit a show after the first two episodes."
