By Aisha Hassan on May 27th, 2021
We made you a Spotify playlist of groovy songs from some of our favorite Asian American, Pacific Islander (AAPI), and other Asian artists. While AAPI Heritage Month inspired us to do so, the truth is that we celebrate our Asian roots all year long. We’ve tried to aim for good vibrations while showcasing a range of both award-winning and emerging indie artists.
In this playlist you’ll find plenty of crowd favorites, like BTS, Yuna, and Rina Sawayama. But lesser-known names — Priya Ragu and Spill Tab, for instance — keep the energy high. DJs like ZHU and TOKIMONSTA felt essential (there’s another dance playlist coming soon!) as did some throwback classics, such as from Far East Movement. And then there were the artists that some people may not know were of mixed Asian heritage, from Saweetie to H.E.R, from Olivia Rodrigo to Anderson .Paak. The playlist is designed to be listened to in order, but you can always switch it up!
Whether you’re dancing alone at home or dancing because of relaxed lockdown rules, we hope you enjoy the music and discover someone new.
ABOUT AUTHOR
Aisha Hassan is a writer, journalist, and co-founder of Dia. Previously, Aisha worked for Quartz in New York and Harper’s Bazaar in Malaysia. Her fiction has been published in international literary magazines. She has a bachelor’s degree in English Language & Literature from the University of Oxford, and a master’s degree from Columbia’s Graduate School of Journalism.
