May is Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month in the United States. If you are looking for some Asian artists to follow, look no further. Here is a list of seven artists you probably didn’t know were from Asian descent.
1. Olivia Rodrigo
If you haven’t heard this artist’s song “Driver’s License,” go check it out as soon as you can. Rodrigo is a Filipino American singer and actor, with her debut album coming out soon. She currently stars in the Disney+ original television series High School Musical: The Musical: The Series alongside Joshua Bassett. She is definitely an artist to keep an eye on.
2. Silk Sonic
You may not have heard of this duo, but you certainly know one of the two artists that collaborated to form Silk Sonic. Bruno Mars and Anderson .Paak created this duo and released the single “Leave the Door Open,” which has hit number one on the Billboard Hot 100. Bruno Mars is Pilipino, Spanish, Puerto Rican, and Ashkenazi Jewish while Anderson .Paak is African American and Korean.
3. H.E.R.
Gabriella Wilson, otherwise known as H.E.R., is a Grammy and Oscar winning artist. The acronym she uses stands for Having Everything Revealed. H.E.R is well-known for the song “I Can’t Breathe” which won song of the year at the 2021 Grammy Awards. She is half Filipina from her mother’s side of the family.
4. Vanessa Hudgens
Best known for her role as Gabriella in High School Musical, Vanessa Hudgens is an actress, singer, and theatre star. After the High School Musical movies, she moved onto different acting roles including: Spring Breakers and The Princess Switch on Netflix. She has been very involved in theatre, playing the titular character in Gigi on Broadway as well as starring in Grease: Live and Rent: Live. Hudgens is half Filipina.
5. Darren Criss
Darren Criss is a singer and award-winning actor. His stardom rose after playing the part of Blaine in Glee as well as the murderer Andrew Cunanan in The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story which earned him an Emmy and a Golden Globe. He is the first Asian actor to win an Emmy for acting. Criss is part Chinese and Filipino.
6. Hailee Steinfeld
Oscar nominated actress Hailee Steinfeld is famous for many acting roles, including: True Grit (for which she was nominated for best supporting actress at the Oscars,) Romeo & Juliet, and Pitch Perfect 2. She also has a music career with several singles, such as: “Starving” featuring Zedd. Steinfeld is part Filipina from her mother’s side.
7. Young the Giant
Many of the members of this rock band are either immigrants or children of immigrants. Lead vocalist Sameer Gadhia is Indian and spoke to NPR about his band and the meaning behind their album, “Home of the Strange,” which centers around immigrant identity in the United States. He is a first generation American and explained in the interview how he told his parents he wanted to drop out of Stanford University to pursue a music career. “My parents, more than anyone, wanted me to find success and chase that American – elusive American dream,” he said.
