Since we're all-kind of hyped up about Utada's new global music deal with EMI and that second-rate 'best-of' from Universal, what asian artists (inclusive of but also besides Hikki) would you most want to see in concert and tour the U.S.? Make an English album that gets mainstream critical and commercial success?

This was just on my mind since I'm going to see Jin Akanishi and his Yellow Gold Tour 3010 @ the Houston House of Blues 2nite (more pics and news about that l8ter!)...I read some press interviews where Johnny's is planning to release his solo debut single simultaneously in Japan and America, as well as his first full-length album (I personally like his singing and music much better APART from Kat-tun ), as well as X Japan making plans for a U.S. headlining tour really soon! I of course want Utada to be the first or at least, the most recognized for doing it when she gets around to recording non-Japanese works again, but here are some Asian artists I'd love to breakthrough and shake-up the International scene, especially here in America!:

~Utada Hikaru (a given!)
~Jin Akanishi (he's got style and a lot of ambition; plus youth on his side to give him time to grow and experiment!)
~Rain (was supposedly recording an English album as far back as 2004, but haven't heard a blip about it or him in forever, except for winning that Badass Star honor @ the MTV Movie Awards and making it onto TIME'S 100 Most Influential People List 2006?...)
~Se7en (Ditto in regards to an English album, but I know he had least the record deal and the digital single 'Girls' with Li'l Kim that, unfortunately but rightly so, bombed)
~Boa (not necessarily a fan of any of her work thus far, but I did like some of the tracks from her self-titled album last year, but only because they were dance and electronica; she needs more of her own niche and promoting b4 she tries it another time; she's a great dancer and really pretty though!)
~Hyde (I love L'arc~en~ciel and all his solo stuff, especially considering I'm not much of a J-rock fanatic; all he needs is better English skills and I think he can fly high!)
~GACKT (I'm getting unusually addicted to his most recent singles and vids for some reason I can't articulate!)
~Namie Amuro (but not before Utada!)
~Ayumi Hamasaki (ditto!)
~Koda Kumi (she might make a better model or reality show staple than pop star in the U.S. !)
~(Alexander) Wang Lee Hom (because he's just awesome with the instruments, dancing,looks, and voice; plus he was born and raised in U.S., has pitch perfect English, and a very multicultural/racial/ethnic/genre embodiment to his music like Utada; all that he lacks is the right record deal and promoters, too! Plus, he's one of my idols and is a great model in being so well mannered and educated while following his dreams and passions despite initial opposition from his family; I think he made like a perfect on the SAT, was his HS valedictorian, AND was accepted into Harvard and Yale but tuned it down to pursue what he's been doing so well all along now)
~Arashi (because Jun Matsumoto and Kazunari Ninomiya have fantastic acting skills and are likeliest to catch on with the U.S. female demographic with slight harder case of yellow fever, and they are now Johnny's definitive act ever besides SMAP in terms of overall success and ubiquity--'nuff said!; if they played their cards and promo style like they do in Japan, I really think they could actually be the next Boyz 2 Men or Backstreet Boys, especially since they're experiencing such phenomenal sales and dominance within Japanese territory alone for about the past half-decade and could ignite to other continents! They should consider bet--,err,DIFFERENT songwriters and producers though than their J-pop stuff !)
~MISIA (like Hikki, she has a gorgeous voice and a charisma to her that's not overbearing, she just probably would need to work on her English skills and not go as heavy on her Mariah Carey schmaltzy ballads for any English stuff she does)!

Elise Estrada was pretty big in Canada
Wonder Girls got pretty far...
Oh yah and Far East Movement

It will be cool if L'Arc~en~Ciel could make it really big in the western market. Haven't been following much of their stuff lately, even less when it comes to Hyde's side project like VAMPs. Don't really dig the style. I think he'll do way better if he sticks back to japanese language. His english gives me earsore especially when he's performing live. That said, I do like him a lot. He's a very creative guy.

I'd like to see B'z make it. Even though they've performed with huge bands like Aerosmith and guitar virtuoso Steve Vai, it'd be nice if they get more recognition. Although they're the first band from asia to make it into Hollywood's Rockwalk, they ain't that popular in the western market. I wonder why. Both Koshi and Tak are incredible when it comes to doing what they're supposed to.

...which makes me think how well would hide do if he was still alive?

Hun far east mive is originally from Califorina they don't count lol and I liked the wonder girls, it'd be interesting to hear Ayumi I liked BOAs album it said the 1st so maybe shell be anotherQuote:

FINALLY! THANKS TO THE ONE WHO CREATED THIS KIND OF THREAD!


Just to name a few. there are artists who crossed over the Western market like:

- Utada Hikaru
- BoA
- Se7en
- Wonder Girls
- Charice (not to mention her...err....)
- Rain (as an actor)
- (i forgot the others... sorry...)

Far*East Movement is actually a group consisting of Asians of American citizenship. I love their song "Like a G6", though. the question is, why FEM rated more than Hikki in terms of sales? Their album, "Free Wired", sold 17,000 copies on its first week of release. Since FM and Hikki are of the same label before (both hailing from the Universal Music Group...disregard the sub-labels!) I hope UMG promoted Hikki more and Island records should promote Hikki the way they promote their biggest selling artists there. My only opinion.


Charice also confessed that she had a hard time promoting the album in the United States despite her debut American album, "Charice", peaked at #8 in the Billboard 200 selling 43,000 copies on its debut week. But seriously her single "Pyramid" did well on Billboard charts.

There might be a handful of Asians to debut very soon in the United States, but hoping to give them immense promotion. The reason why Asians don't sell much in the Western market is because they didn't appear often in shows in the country. IMHO.

Let's be realistic here.
To successively cross-over into the Anglophone market, one must be fluent in English.
There are very, very few popular singers in the Anglophone market that are non-native English speakers. Shakira is a rarity.

Another thing is that we have to consider what "making big" actually means. As fans of Asian music, are views on the popularity of these artists are very skewed. Rain, Seven, Wonder Girls, even Utada, these artists are not known to the average public. They have no idea who these people are. Even someone who saw Ninja Assassin has no idea who Rain is.
I think FEM and Charice are fairly well-known. As much as I dislike their song, "Like a G6" is very popular right now, and they even appeared on a talk show (Letterman?).
Charice is getting recognition for her guest spot on a really popular TV drama, Glee.

I'm not really sure if it's impossible to become successful as an Asian, as if their is some inherent racism. Many Anglophone artists are actually well-aware of the Asian market, such as Lady GaGa, Kanye West, Ne-Yo, and others.

If Utada or somebody else could "feature" on a really popular artists song (Like a Ne-Yo + Utada collab.), then I think that would boost their popularity.

(Personally though, I don't like FEM, Rain, Seven, Wonder Girls, Arashi, KAT-TUN, Ayumi, or Kumi, nor do I want them to debut here, successfully or not.)

If Utada were to do a Glee episode ......

I agree that FEM don't count because they might as well be white americans, because they have american citizenship. And in terms of Charice, she's promotes like she's the girl version of Justin Bieber so it's not like she's bringing anything new, at least with the Wonder Girls they tried to bring something new. I would still put it that no asian singer has made it because they can't really 'make' it if they just plan on making music to fit the market - I think making it means having their music accepted for what it is, sells alot AND becoming a well-known name. In this way Lea Salonga is probably one of the few I know, although you could argue that Muscial stars don't count.

Daft punk, The Beatles, Aural Vampire,

Quote:

when did the beatles become asian....
anyways!
I think Meisa Kuroki would do good here in the us because she has potential to grow i see her as a BoA GREAT LOOKS, KILLER DANCE MOVES, AND A SOMEWHAT GOOD VOICE if she got some help by Dark Child and the record company she would be unstopable