From the Erhu to the Electric Guitar: 3 East Asian Artists Who Keep Culture Alive in Modern Music
In an era of ever-changing music, these artists prove that we don’t have to sacrifice modernity to showcase our cultures.
Written by Celeste Wen
Photo Courtesy of Jellyfish Entertainment
In this day and age, songs experimenting with style are not hard to find. From heavy trap beats to chilled synth, creators are taking influence from the 21st century musical landscape. In Asia, this means studying both the West and regional music scenes.
As time goes on, Asian artists are pushing their boundaries and finding new, innovative styles of production. Yet in the face of that, these same artists are also taking a look into the past and pulling inspiration from their own heritage. Whether it’s through instrumentation, visuals, or techniques, the purposeful implementation of cultural details adds a new level of ingenuity to music. This is no anachronism; rather, it’s a channeling of artistic and personal identity.
The most important takeaway? We take something old and make it fresh. We add new layers to the meaning of our heritage and create something with an entirely different significance. In order to move forward, we don’t necessarily have to abandon the past.
Take a look below at a few songs from the East that contain the perfect fusion of traditional and modern elements, proving they’re not mutually exclusive.
1. “My New Swag (我的新衣)” - VAVA, feat. Ty and Nina Wang
“My New Swag,” originally released in 2017, was featured in VAVA’s debut album titled 21. As a rising hip-hop artist, VAVA is an advocate for spinning the genre into something uniquely Chinese. In an interview from May 2018, she tells Esquire Singapore, “We need to put more Chinese elements into our music.” And she’s been doing just that — this song undertakes the challenge of combining her funky rap, traditional Chinese instruments, and Beijing opera.
From start to finish, the music video shows glimpses of Chinese cultural symbols: opera performers in full costume, palace-esque scenery, and her own mini-procession in a bamboo palanquin — all juxtaposed alongside her “new clothes,” a mix of trendy fashion and glitzy accessories. Although the song has enjoyed considerable support since its release, it recently gained more exposure through its feature on the Crazy Rich Asians official soundtrack.
2. “Shangri-La (도원경/桃源境)” - VIXX
The 6-member Korean-pop boy group VIXX released this song in 2017 as part of their mini-album of the same name. Known for their unique concepts, the group opted for a Korean concept alluding to East Asian folktale. The song makes use of the traditional zither-like instrument gayageum (가야금), the beautiful strings echoing throughout the song’s laidback R&B sound.
Throughout the music video, the members can be seen donning the traditional Korean dress hanbok (한복) and overcoat durumagi (두루마기), but with a unique twist — custom tailoring gives the garb a modern and sleek feel. The combination of traditional clothing, paper fans, stunning colorful visuals, and modern beats and dance builds a beautiful aesthetic blend. Since its release, the song has become a public favorite, even being performed at the International Olympic Committee’s opening ceremony in PyeongChang earlier this year.
3. Megitsune (メギツネ) - BABYMETAL
BABYMETAL, along with their backing band known as KamiBand, is a Japanese heavy metal group. They released Megitsune as a single in 2013. The song centers around kitsune, fox figures from Japanese folklore. Shot at the Asagaya Shinmei Shrine in Tokyo, the music video showcases the group members wearing kitsune masks and kimonos. The song opens with the KamiBand’s signature electric guitar with sprinkles of the Japanese shamisen (三味線). Chanting is interspersed throughout the song, reminiscent of the celebratory chanting often heard at traditional Japanese festivals.
The breakdown, primarily an eclectic mix of distortion and electronic elements, also contains lead singer Su-Metal’s rendition of Sakura Sakura, a Japanese folk song from the Edo period. While an unexpected mix, these young girls managed to maintain an authentic cultural aspect while still delivering the sound that makes them BABYMETAL, proving that metal and tradition can stand side-by-side.