Holy! Onmyoji being so high up on the list sure is a flex on its own. 10 year anniversary around the corner for the Global Server and with numbers like these we can make it another 10 years (copium) #onmyoji
Two months later, and Harvey Mason Jr. is STILL trying to do damage control for this category, and somehow, we're still not getting an answer to the most fundamental question: what the hell does Asian Pop even mean?
He talks about clearing up “misconceptions” surrounding the category. what misconceptions, exactly? can he PLEASE be specific? because the criticism has been very clear from the beginning. Asian is a continent, not a music genre. so why is pop music being defined and separated by geography in the first place? why is language being used as a criterion to distinguish an entire category of music?
and instead of addressing these very valid questions, we're being served another statement about representation, community engagement and how this is supposedly the right decision for the music community.
but representation for whom? because a category cannot claim to represent an entire continent when so many of the people it's supposedly representing do not feel represented by it. and when the biggest asian musician in the world has also expressed that this isn't how they want their music to be categorized, perhaps the problem isn't a lack of understanding among critics. perhaps the problem is the category itself.
you cannot manufacture a narrative of representation to justify segregation. you cannot put artists into geographical and linguistic boxes, separate them from the mainstream, and then expect everyone to celebrate it as progress.
i already know they'll continue pushing this narrative, and we'll see how the category unfolds in 2027. but two months later, harvey mason jr. still hasn't answered the question that matters most: why does asian need to be a genre-specific qualifier for pop music?
because asian is not a genre. and calling segregation representation does not make it any less segregation.
#ArtHasNoAliens
and i don’t wanna hear the “they are famous they are used to this” “it’s not a deal” “this is how we show support” “we are welcoming them” “this just shows their impact”
celebrity or not everyone has a right to privacy. the problem is those who don’t see celebrities as humans.
theres so much social resentment that people cant differentiate between wealth gained by guys whos been working themselves to the bone since they were 14, who've accumulated wealth by pouring their whole youth into it vs people who've gained it unethically.