I'm excited to present your Debop playlist! It was crafted based on your thoughtfully answered questionnaire, and I hope it acts as an entry point for some more meaningful music discovery.
In curating this playlist, I wanted to dial into your excitement about discovering more female AAPI artists who have been creating and taking up space in pop and rock. I’ve included some artists who are more established, along with newer songwriters who have been finding their own ways into the music scene. By digging into these artists’ backgrounds and influences, I hope to highlight and embrace the diverse artistry and excellence that these women bring to the table.
My hope is that this playlist will act as a stepping stone and spark a curiosity in you to take an even deeper dive into these artists’ rich discographies and works. Under each song, you’ll also find links to the artists’ websites where you can purchase music/merch directly!
To encourage an optimal listening experience, I’d recommend:
Setting aside 40-50 minutes of “undistracted” time
Listening on headphones
Reading the liner notes as you go through the playlist
Enjoy!
Your Personal Music Guru,
Corina
Here is the full playlist, but you'll find each track individually broken down with liner notes below.
1. Your Best American Girl - Mitski
Mitski’s devoted fanbase has been steadily growing over the past decade as the indie singer-songwriter commands bigger stages and audiences with her singular sound. “Your Best American Girl” is off of her 2016 album Puberty 2, and explores the tug-of-war of belonging and heartache; in interviews, she’s explained that “this song is quite autobiographical because I didn't grow up in the U.S. I am half Japanese, and it came from wanting to just fit into this very American person's life and simply not being able to. Just fundamentally being from a different place and feeling like I would just get in the way of their progression if their life, because I could just never get to wherever they're naturally going.” A steady strum builds to a climactic wall of sound, outlining the journey of emotional turmoil and “other”-ness towards self-acceptance, paired with powerful lyrics like "Your mother wouldn’t approve of how my mother raised me / but I do, I finally do.”
2. This Hell - Rina Sawayama
Japanese-British pop artist Rina Sawayama discovered her passion for music and modeling while studying politics, psychology and sociology at Cambridge. In the years since, her songwriting process has created a space to explore aspects of her identity, such as her 2018 track “Cherry” which dives into her sexuality, and letting go of expectations around who she should be and how she should behave. “This Hell” is the lead single from her forthcoming album, Hold The Girl, and teases what listeners can expect next from Sawayama. Ever the genre-chameleon, this particular track is pure glam-country-pop: kicking off with a cheeky hat tip to Shania Twain's memorable "Let's go, girls," it line-dances along to Rina's bold vocals (and includes a KAYE-worthy guitar solo shred). Unapologetic and charged with electricity, this track embodies an energy that highlights celebrating exactly who you are, while grabbing your chosen family and pulling them into the dance too.
3. Wanna Know - RIKA
Born to a Serbian mother and an Indian father, RIKA was raised in London with influences of pop, rock, and Indian Classical. She began songwriting in 2016 at the age of sixteen, and that same year wrote "For Peace," reflecting on the ongoing violence in Syria and raising awareness for the children experiencing the devastation there. With the track quickly garnering hundreds of thousands of views on YouTube, she was able to raise funds for UNICEF, as well as garner support from the British-Asian and Indian community. Since then, RIKA has been able to weave her upbringing and diverse influences into her music career; this more recent 2019 track “Wanna Know” boasts a bouncy and effervescent pop sound with big melodic hooks that are reminiscent of one of your favorite artists, Dua Lipa.
more RIKA
4. now i know - Sarah Kang
NYC-based singer-songwriter Sarah Kang reflects in an interview with Allkpop, "Growing up as a Korean-American child of immigrants, I experienced a sense of not belonging wherever I went, and consequently a longing for finding a place to call home." She describes her 2021 EP, maybe i'm better now, as revolving around "growth and becoming more whole”, with this final track centered around lessons in love. Despite a dreamy arrangement that would befit a Disney film, the lyrics turn the fairytale tropes of instant love on its head as she croons, “There's no such thing as a soulmate / 'Cause love is what you make of it”. The rosy, floating instrumentation juxtaposed with the pensive, grounded perspective in her lyrics is what draws you in for repeated listens; Kang’s ability to paint many emotional shades into one song (not unlike one of your OG faves Sarah McLachlan) makes this song a perfect addition to your rotation of tracks to put on when you’re looking for some “peace and calm.”
more Sarah Kang
5. He Gets Me So High - beabadoobee
TikTok phenom Beatrice Laus, aka beabadoobee, is a Filipino-British singer-songwriter who has absolutely perfected the late-90s, nostalgia-tinged guitar-alt pop sound and breathed new life into it for gen-z. Laus herself describes her music as "end of '90s movie vibes," which can definitely be heard on this track as she sings about the thrill of a crush with a yearning sweetness that will teleport you right back to those feelings as well. Laus also doesn't shy away from sharing about her experiences as an Asian woman living in the UK; in an interview with NME, she shared experiencing her fair share of internalized racism growing up - but through her music, and understanding the importance of community, she was able to find herself and stop caring about fitting in with all the other girls around her. She shared, "If at least one Asian girl picks up a guitar after seeing me, that means I've done my job." This endearingly sunny sound paired with heart-on-your-sleeve lyrics makes this an ideal track to put a smile on your face in the morning.
more beabadoobee
6. Straight To You - Stephanie Poetri
Stephanie Poetri may have music in her genes as the daughter of Indonesian pop royalty Titi DJ, but she’s been forging her own path in the music world - her 2019 debut single "I Love You 3000," garnered 275 million streams and topped Spotify's Global Viral 50 playlist for over 4 weeks. In this more recent track “Straight To You,” Poetri explores “how love can come from little accidents, like the domino effect, and how small, insignificant things ultimately will help you maybe find love and everything happens for a reason.” As you’ve been looking for some inspiration and uplifting moments lately, look no further than this creative, DIY music video that was directed, animated, and edited by Stephanie all while social distancing at home in Jakarta during the the early days of the pandemic - truly a silver lining during an anxiety-filled time.
more Stephanie Poetri
7. Paprika - Japanese Breakfast
2021 was quite the year for Michelle Zauner. Given your love of books, you’re likely already familiar with her moving memoir, Crying in H-Mart, which was released just weeks before her band Japanese Breakfast’s acclaimed indie-dream-pop album, Jubilee. Between a Grammy nomination and her memoir making itself home on the bestseller list, Zauner has been catapulted into becoming one of the most recognizable contemporary AAPI musicians and writers around. Through all this, she’s someone who intimately understands what it is to seek out joy in difficult times - as she describes Jubilee, “After spending the last five years writing about grief, I wanted our follow up to be about joy.”
In fact, this first track from the album is a meditation on just that - she explains “’Paprika’ is about reminding myself what a joy it is to have the career that I do, and to not feel like I have to experience so much anguish and turmoil in order to create great art." The way the lush arrangement unfolds is not unlike your main-character-song, “Fix You,” in that it feels like the sky parting after a storm; bubbling synths, sweeping strings and horns build under her vocals, a ray of sunlight peeking through and asking "How's it feel to be at the center of magic / To linger in tones and words?” before she answers herself, "Oh, It's a rush."
more Japanese Breakfast
8. Growing Up - The Linda Lindas
When it comes to the newest generation of AAPI rockers, the four members of the The Linda Lindas are proof that THE KIDS ARE ALRIGHT. Based in LA with ages ranging from 11 (yes, 11!) to 17 years old, this group is redefining what it means to be a cool garage band today. They broke out in 2021 with the track "Racist, Sexist Boy” which was inspired by a racist encounter that 11 year old drummer Mila experienced not long before COVID-19 lockdowns; rather than shrink back, Mila and her bandmates channeled their defiance into their fresh riot grrrl sound heard around the world. Their debut album, Growing Up, was recorded and released all while they continued attending school - and despite their youth, this title track offers some sage perspective that may resonate as you’re in a period of reflecting on age and expectations, “Cause in the end we don't know / We don't know where we will go / We don't know, so / There's still a little more to growing up”.
9. Just Friends - Audrey Mika
This track by Audrey Mika is a perfectly crafted pop gem about confusing love and mixed messages (we can all relate, right?). Mika is another example of a young artist successfully developing a fan base through YouTube (covering songs by artists like Ariana Grande, Rihanna, and Billie Eilish), and then turning her virality into a major label record deal and a slew of certified bops like this one. Given you’ve been digging ÊMIA’s energy, you’ll love how "Just Friends" makes you want to start dancing wherever you are with its electro-punch pop, meshed with an infectious R&B groove and candid lyrics.
10. Animal Crossing - Shawn Wasabi, Sophia Black
Wrapping up this playlist with one last infusion of pure pop for you to embrace, and another track to add to your morning playlist as it literally begins with the sound of chirping birds. If you’re at all familiar with the popular Nintendo game ‘Animal Crossing: New Horizons,’ you’ll have an extra layer of appreciation for the idyllic nature of this track; but even without any Animal Crossing experience, it’s hard not to fall in love with this collab. Both based in LA, Shawn Wasabi’s dynamic, shimmering production pairs perfectly with Sophia Black’s sunny, lighthearted vocals and lyricism to create a sonic paradise that feels equally cute, wholesome, and welcoming as its namesake game.