Words by Samantha Pak
In an effort to bring you more joy, we wanted to share a few of our favorite music videos—both the coolest new releases and older clips from AAPI artists we think just don’t get enough mainstream play. This week’s theme: Bad-ass bitches. Have a video you think we should know about? Hit us up at pitches@joysauce.com.
‘STFU!’ by Rina Sawayama (2019): Angry Asian girl anthem
The Japan-born, London-based singer Rina Sawayama decided to go into music while she was in college, initially performing as part of a hip-hop group called Lazy Lion before going solo in 2013. The singer-songwriter, who also models, released her debut album, Sawayama, in 2020. Sawayama’s musical stylings can only be described as eclectic—a little something for everyone. Where else would you find an album that can go from pop to ballad to head-banging rock and still have it all still make sense?
I listened to “STFU!” first and while the song—which is on Sawayama—bangs on its own, the video is what takes it over the top. The opening, with a white guy who doesn’t know how to shut up or take social cues as he mansplains (and whitesplains) Asian culture to an increasingly bored and annoyed Sawayama, is cringey and hilarious. Sawayama’s ensuing explosion instantly turns the song into THE angry Asian girl anthem we need. How many times have you encountered someone who’s ignored your humanity and exoticized you? And how many times have you fantasized about yelling at them to just shut up? My girl Rina’s got you.
‘Công’ by Suboi (2018): Not your cookie cutter Asian girl
At a first glance, Suboi doesn’t look like someone you’d associate with rap music. But when she opens her mouth, you know she didn’t come to play. She came to slay. As the first successful Vietnamese female rapper and Vietnam’s queen of hip-hop, Suboi defies any and all stereotypes you may have about Asian women as well as about rap music. Born Hàng Lâm Trang Anh, the Saigon-based performer listened to American rap music as a teen to improve her English. Her musical inspirations include Eminem, Aaliyah, Linkin Park and Snoop Dogg and her sound reminds me of the Latina rapper Gavlyn (look her up!). Suboi’s songs are mainly in Vietnamese but she mixes in English too, and she has performed stateside at South by Southwest and the Asian American media showcase CAAMFest.
In “Công,” which is on her 2021 album No Nê, Suboi isn’t the only one defying stereotypes. The video is set in a car factory, with female workers dressed in yellow jumpsuits, pounding away before they start popping and locking to Suboi’s rhymes. And with English lyrics like, “I’m a young Vietnamese lady, who's this?/25 fo’ life not a cookie cutter bitch,” you know these ladies mean business.
‘Lowkey’ by Niki (2019): An angel who knows what’s up
Niki taught herself how to play the guitar as a 9-year-old in Indonesia. By the time she was 13, she was writing her own original music. As a teenager, she had a YouTube channel that garnered more than 40,000 subscribers. If that wasn’t impressive enough, when she was 15, Niki opened for Taylor Swift during the pop star’s Red Tour show in Jakarta after winning a competition. Niki has also opened for the Indonesian rapper Rich Brian, as well as Halsey.
“Lowkey,” a single off of her 2019 EP wanna take this downtown?, is about meeting someone and being interested in them, but not quite enough to take things high key. Despite the almost innocent-sounding melody and Niki’s delicate voice and lyrics like “So pick your poison, love, let's go somewhere a little more exclusive,” it’s clear she’s calling the shots. Niki has said she tries to empower Asians and Asian Americans through her music.
‘See Me Thru’ by Madame Gandhi (2020): Embodiment of female empowerment
Musician, artist, activist, and all-around badass, Madame Gandhi wears a lot of hats. Born Kiran Gandhi, she grew up spending time in New York City as well as Mumbai. She has toured as a drummer for M.I.A., Thievery Corporation and Kehlani. With a mission to celebrate gender liberation, Gandhi’s own music focuses on female empowerment.
“See Me Thru” from Gandhi’s 2019 EP Visions, is the embodiment of women standing in their power. The video is beautiful in its simplicity, featuring only Gandhi and two women set against plain backdrops, but that’s also why it packs such a punch that will stay with you long after you’ve finished watching.
Published on October 24, 2022
Words by Samantha Pak
Samantha Pak (she/her) is an award-winning Cambodian American journalist from the Seattle area and assistant editor for JoySauce. She spends more time than she’ll admit shopping for books than actually reading them, and has made it her mission to show others how amazing Southeast Asian people are. Follow her on Twitter at @iam_sammi and on Instagram at @sammi.pak.