The Top 10 Asian Acts of SXSW 2024

Atwood Magazine breaks down the Top 10 must-see Asian and Asian-American artists from SXSW 2024 – featuring 1300, Audrey Nuna, Joseon, thuy, Wez Atlas, Kaz Moon, PIAO, Arches, Gummy B, and Elle Shimada!

Stream: “don’t miss me too much” – thuy

This year’s SXSW Music Festival took place in early March and had a jam-packed lineup. Amongst the acts down in Austin, Texas was a strong roster of Asian and Asian-American artists and groups. Atwood Magazine‘s Freya Rinaldi had the honor of attending several Asian artist-focused showcases including Jaded Presents, Taiwan Beats, and Inspired by Tokyo.

Based on those shows, we have compiled a list of the best Asian artists to hit SXSW this year. These artists and groups shined through their artistry, stage presence, and overall performance. Here are Atwood Magazine’s top 10 Asian Acts at SXSW Music Festival 2024.

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Our Top 10 Asian Acts of SXSW 2024!

Elle Shimada

Coming all the way from Melbourne, Australia, Elle Shimada is a multi instrumentalist Japanese-Australian who’s performance was unlike anyone else. Through her jarring vocals, self-produced tracks, and playing a violin live, Shamida shut down the inside stage of the Jaded showcase. Her unique sound left the packed room mesmerized and warm presence lingered throughout the performance. The DIY artist did everything her self from setting up to performing to loud out, with a contagious smile on her face and her love of music just shining off of her.

Gummy B

Taiwanese rapper, singer, and composer Gummy B is known for his versatile rap skills. The artist took over the stage at the Taiwan Beats showcase to an awestruck audience. His mesmerizing sing-song rap and stage presence had the crowd hyped up. The energy between him and the audience bounced off of each other making his performance one of the most memorable of the showcase.

Arches

Hong Kong based band, Arches, took the outside stage at the Jaded Presents Showcase and showed off their unique sound. The alt-rock group pulled in an afternoon crowd of onlookers as they played their tracks back to back. Singing about angst in Cantonese, this band was a the distinctive sound from the other acts surrounding them. Arches are definitely a must-see and one to watch for any alt-rock lovers.

Kaz Moon

Chinese-American singer Kaz Moon had the Jaded stage swaying with his easy listening sounds and incredible songwriting. Three hours away from his hometown of Dallas, the artist showed Austin his buttery vocals and fun performance. His indie rock sound and bedroom pop style tracks was a highlight of the showcase.

PIAO

Think the fun dances and bubblegum sounds of K-Pop mixed with the lyrics and angst of the likes of Avril Lavigne, you might get PIAO somewhere down the line. This Chinese-Canadian pop princess shut down the inside stage of the Jaded Presents Showcase. Her bubbly personality and impeccable storytelling had the crowd dancing and ready to witness a star in the making. PIAO had incredible stage presence and connected with the crowd in a way no other act at SXSW could achieve.

Prefacing each song with its backstory and having mini choreographed dances to some of her song’s choruses, you could not take your eyes or ears off the singer. She is definitely one of the best pop acts of SXSW 2024.

Wez Atlas

Japanese rapper Wez Atlas had the crowd transfixed at the Inspired by Tokyo showcase. The up and coming artist has a J.Cole esque flow and shy personality that stood out to the audience. His storytelling and bilingual lyrics had the crowd moving along to the beat. Easily one of the best solo Asian rap acts of SXSW 2024

Thuy

Vietnamese-American singer Thuy closed out the first night of the Jaded Presents showcase to a packed crowd. Singing the words back to her, the energy in the event was undeniable. With her 2000s inspired tracks and fun choreographed dances, Thuy was a must-watch for SXSW 2024.

Joseon

This unexpected trio was a last minute addition to the Jaded Presents Showcase lineup. Opening up the event on day one, no one knew what to expect. But when the alt-rock group took the stage, the entire crowd was on their feet and ready to tune in. With sounds of the likes of Nirvana and Smashing Pumpkins, the DIY group showed off their musicality, original songs and genuine love for music as they graced the outside stage of Jaded. Consisting of three Korean-American best friends, Joseon was a pleasant surprise to the SXSW lineup and a one to watch for 2024.

Audrey Nuna

The fan favorite singer-rapper, Audrey Nuna, was one of the last acts of the final night of Jaded Presents. The crowd sang her songs bar for bar and danced around in glee to her upbeat songs. Her avant-garde style, focus visuals and impeccable rap flow had the audience hanging on to every aspect of the performance. She was one of the best acts of the festival and one of the most fun crowds to be in.

1300

This Korean-Australian rap collective completely shut down the Jaded Presents stage as their performance took place on night two. Every single audience member were on their feet, hands in the air and shouting along to the 5-piece group. Their performance was genuinely one of the most hyped performances of SXSW 2024. The collective knows how to captivate the audience and excelled in crowd work. Their fun songs, glitchy sounds and bilingual bars were one of the best parts of this year’s music festival.

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Overall, SXSW 2024 had an amazing roster of Asian and Asian-American performers.

As the love for Asian media and art rises, there has been an increase in showcasing acts from Asia at music festivals all over the world, and this year’s SXSW proved a great lineup full of talent and diversity.

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