Are You Ready for the Coming Asian Music Invasion?

Asian pop music is crossing international boundries within Asia but has yet to make a ripple on the US music scene. That's about to change. Internet radio station, PopGoesAsia.com offers a preview of sounds to come.

Marin County, CA (PRWEB) November 20, 2004 -- Forget your preconceptions of Asian pop music. Todays artists are blending western styles with Asian sensibilities and spawning whole new genres. A few have forged inroads into the US market but some of the biggest stars in Asia are poised for a full-on attack to win American Ears . Will this be an Asian Invasion rivaling the British Invasion of the '60s? It will be more like a foothold than an invasion." according to Rhys Ludlow, founder of Pop Goes Asia, a pan-Asian internet radio station. But it is only a matter of time before an Asian pop star strikes gold here in the US."

Thanks to the internet, the world is shrinking and musical borders are disappearing," says Ludlow. In Asia, musical exchange among countries is common. For example, Korean teen phenom Boa Kwon often holds the top position on the Japanese pop (Jpop) chart. Japanese superstar Ayumi Hamasaki is commonly heard in Hong Kong, and Taiwanese radio will feature songs in Japanese, Korean, Mandarin, Cantonese and English."

While radio stations across Asia play English-language artists alongside Asian hits, there is almost no reciprocation here. It isnt for a lack of good music. When you consider that Southeast and Eastern Asia, have nearly a third of the worlds population, and the Japanese music market alone is 1/3 the size of the US market, it should come as no surprise that there are plenty of artists that know how to craft a good pop tune.

That said, Asian pop can take some getting used to. Female Jpop singers often strike American ears as overly shrill and frenetic, while Chinese ballads seem like a throwback to an earlier, more innocent era -- but with modern stylings. I happen to think love songs are better when you dont understand the words," jokes Ludlow, who is himself an American Caucasian. Songs that I didnt like when I first discovered Asian pop are now among my favorites -- Ive undergone a shift in my taste. It reminds me of the punk songs that once sounded harsh and now seem tame."

But will it ever play in Peoria? It is happening more and more." Many American kids already know some Asian Pop hits through video games and anime. They may not be able to name the artists, but they certainly know the songs (at least the English translations). This year, Japans top R&B singer, Hikaru Utada released her US debut album on Island/Def Jam records, and her song Devil Inside" reached #2 on the Billboard dance chart. The Cartoon Network has created a new prime-time series based on Japans best selling pop duo, Puffy Amiyumi. Meanwhile, Chinese artists have been selling out arenas in Las Vegas and San Francisco. Albeit to predominantly Chinese-American crowds.

But the internet is where the curious listener goes to proactively explore Asian music. Asian music has become a genre on the internet, along with its sub genres, Jpop, Cpop, Kpop and Tpop -- Japanese, Chinese, Korean and Thai pop, respectively. In reality, these arent genres, but rather geographic and linguistic divisions. All countries produce their own take on pop, rock, R&B, hip-hop and dance music. There are even Chinese songs that fit the American country-music format. On Pop Goes Asia, we play all genres of music and try to alternate languages on every song. Theres something for everyone to love (and hate)".

Started in August of this year, Pop Goes Asia www.popgoesasia.com has grown steadily in popularity with and book marked by over 900 listeners. As each song plays, the romanized artist name, song title and album appears in the player window. E-mails of appreciation stream in almost daily from people who never knew this material existed. And thats the whole point -- to give Asian music a foothold in the Western world, particularly in the US.

About Pop Goes Asia:
Pop Goes Asia is a free internet radio station playing popular music from China, Japan, Korea, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Thailand and other Southeast Asian countries. Programming is 24 hours a day and requires a broadband internet connection. The website is http://www.popgoesasia.com

Contact Information:
Rhys Ludlow
Pop Goes Asia
415-302-6210
415-491-4666
http://www.popgoesasia.com

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