Sounds of the Asian Diaspora

May marks Asian-American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month in the United States. And while SoundCloud has long been a platform that uplifts diverse artists and connects musicians across the world, we’re taking this time to celebrate the global Asian and Pacific Island community on SoundCloud. Transcending the boundaries of a singular genre, musicians from across the Asian diaspora pull influences from their heritage and personal histories, creating music that brings people together across borders.

Today, there’s a broad spectrum of sounds being woven into the Asian diaspora. From psychedelic rock and alternative pop music in Turkey and the Middle East to percussive dance music in the Indian subcontinent, rap music in Cambodia and indie pop in East Asian countries like China, Japan, South Korea and Indonesia, the borders of creativity are ever-expanding. And as non-Anglophone music becomes increasingly popular across the globe, artists are emboldened to create music in their native languages, too, giving their storytelling greater meaning and personality. All together, artists across the Asian diaspora are showcasing their talents and backgrounds with imagination and flair. 

Dive into this collection of fresh tracks — featuring Elyanna, Glass Beams, Hanumankind, EYEDRESS, Yaeji and more — and discover the sound of the Asian diaspora today.

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LISTEN TO THE SOUNDS OF THE ASIAN DIASPORA PLAYLIST ON SOUNDCLOUD NOW

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Ahadadream, Skrillex, Raf Saperra, “Bass Dhol” 
DJ/producer Ahadadream is part of the London-based South Asian crew Dialled In and runs More Time Records. He uses the Indian Dhol drum, best known in Punjabi Bhangra music, for this percussive club banger.

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Elyanna, “Yabn El Eh” 
Palestinian-Chilean singer-songwriter Elyanna is known for her blend of Arabic and Latin elements in her brooding pop music, focusing on themes of peace and reunion.

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Saint Levant, Marwan Moussa, “KALAMANTINA”
Palestinian artist Saint Levant links up with Egyptian rapper Marwan Moussa for this earworm of a track, taken from the former’s 2025 album, ‘Love Letters.’

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Glass Beams, “Mahal”
Indian-Australian group Glass Beams brings South Asian melodies and rhythms into a psychedelic dancefloor mould. This track features on their 2024 EP, ‘Mahal.’

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VannDa, “360”
Cambodian rapper/producer VannDa is fast becoming a vital name in his home music scene. His latest album, 2025’s ‘TREYVISAI III: RETURN TO SOVANNAPHUM,’ is the final in a trilogy of albums about Khmer identity, music and storytelling through rap.

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Hanumankind, Denzel Curry, “Reckless” 
Indian vocalist and songwriter Hanumankind flexes on this energetic track, with rapper Denzel Curry, from his 2025 album ‘Monsoon Season.’

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Reble, Parimal Shais, “New Riot”
After breaking through with features on the hit 2025 Indian film ‘Dhurandhar,’ cross-genre rapper and songwriter Reble dropped this latest track with Indian producer Parimal Shais.

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Wet Market, “Red Lantern”
Made up of members of Bloc Party, Algiers, GHUM and Hilang Child, London-based Wet Market blend industrial and krautrock sounds into their indie rock palette. This is their 2025 debut track.

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PIAO, “if i am me, then who are you?”
After being discovered by T-Pain and touring with The Chainsmokers, LA-based Chinese artist PIAO is leaning more into a pop sound, as exemplified on her latest track, “if i am me, then who are you?”, from March 2026.

REHMA, “MONSOON”
Pakistani-American vocalist and songwriter REHMA brings Bollywood, jazz and psych rock into her alternative pop sound. This track is from her upcoming sophomore album, ‘ANOMALY.’

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thủy, “D8 - first D8” 
thủy was inspired by singing chart hits on karaoke. Now, the Vietnamese-American vocalist delivers her own take on R&B-pop with her latest EP, 2024’s ‘take me on a D8.’ 

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Yoshi T., WHATMORE, “Mii MUSIC”
Japanese-American rapper Yoshi T. came up in the New York City rap scene. This playful, R&B-infused track features on his 2025 full-length, ‘Remix Lounge: Koriko Vol. 1.’

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Yaeji, E Wata, “Pondeggi” 
South Korean DJ producer, vocalist Yaeji develops her catchy sound and English-Korean singing on this track with production duo E-Wata, also known as the Bangladeshi-born, NYC-based Enayet and K Wata.

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White Chorus, “Ingatlah Aku Di Sini” 
Indonesian electronic pop duo White Chorus released this track through their 2025 EP, ‘do you guys *still* wanna listen to some electro-pop music?’.

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Fujii Kaze, “Hachikō” 
On his first English language album, 2025’s ‘Prema,’ Japanese vocalist and songwriter Fujii Kaze brings elements of Japanese city pop into his soft, modern R&B sound.

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EYEDRESS, “Occasional Stoner” 
LA-based Filipino vocalist, musician and songwriter EYEDRESS dropped his latest album, ‘Stoner,’ in 2025, exploring trippy pop, hip-hop and indie rock.

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Derya Yıldırım & Grup Şimşek, “Cool Hand”  
Turkey has an established psychedelic rock and folk scene, and Derya Yıldırım & Grup Şimşek are a key act in the space. Their latest album is 2025’s ‘Yarin Youksa.’

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NIKI, “Did You Like Her In The Morning?” 
With her dreamy indie pop sound, Indonesian vocalist and musician NIKI is one of the key acts on established Asian record label, 88rising. This song is from her 2024 album, ‘Buzz.’

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Ryokuoushoku Shakai, “Shirushi” 
After several albums and EPs, Japanese indie pop band Ryokuoushoku Shakai have evolved their catchy, harmonic style. Their latest studio album is 2025’s ‘Channel U.’

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HYUKOH, Sunset Rollercoaster, “ 와리가리”
South Korean indie band HYUKOH released this collaborative track, with Tawaianese group Sunset Rollercoaster, on their 2025 live album, ‘AAA LIVE.’ 

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The Lantis, “Bunga Maaf”
Blending Indonesian lyrics into their take on 60s romantic pop music, indie band The Lantis dropped this track on their 2025 EP, ‘Cara Mencintai,’ which translates as “how to love.”

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Hawa, “Groupie” feat. Lala Soh
The title of Malaysian vocalist and musician hawa’s 2025 album translates loosely as the death of her former self; it’s an evolution of her brooding alternative pop sound, with psych rock flourishes.

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Nemahsis, “Immigrant’s Tale” 
Nemahsis is an award-winning vocalist and songwriter of Palestinian and Canadian heritage. Her 2024 album ‘Verbathim’ tells stories about Palestinian identity and the immigrant experience.

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BODUR, “TAPESTRY [HIJAZ])”
London-based BODUR based her 2025 debut album, ‘MAQAM,’ around the Arabic musical system of the same name, where melodic scales are deeply tied to mood. 

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Arooj Aftab, “Baghon Main (Live Single)”
Pakistani vocalist and musician Arooj Aftab  — who sings in Urdu and English — showcases her gentle, layered sound, blending jazz, ambient and Pakistani musical traditions.

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Nilipek., “Geçmiyor Zaman”
Nilipek. is known for bringing the lyrical flourishes of her native Turkish language into her poetic songwriting. This tender track features on her 2024 album, ‘Uydurduğumuz Oyunlarla.’

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The Rose, “Nebula” 
The Rose are a South Korean four-piece indie pop band, who released their latest album, ‘WRLD,’ in 2025.

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Justin Peng, “For Good (Chinese Version)” 
British-Chinese vocalist and songwriter Justin Peng brings Chinese lyricism and pop into a British indie palette on this track. Check out his 2026 EP, ‘Hopeless Ro-Maniac.’

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yung kai, “blue (sped up)” 
After blowing up on social media with his tender electronic pop tracks, Chinese-Canadian artist yung kai dropped his latest album, January 2026’s ‘stay with the ocean, i’ll find you.’

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Kimié Miner, “Sweet Island Air” feat. Hāwane Rios 
Grammy-nominated Hawaiian vocalist and songwriter Kimié Miner leans into the Hawaiian reggae style on her 2025 EP, ‘Ku‘u Hawai‘i.’

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LISTEN TO THE SOUNDS OF THE ASIAN DIASPORA PLAYLIST ON SOUNDCLOUD NOW