Simu Liu Criticizes Lack of Asian Representation in Music Industry, Reflects on Past Hollywood Rejections
LOS ANGELES, CA – Barbie and shang-Chi star Simu Liu has spoken out about the disparity in representation between film and music, asserting that opportunities remain limited for Asian Canadian and Asian American artists. in a recent interview, Liu highlighted a “backslide” in musical representation, contrasting the success of K-Pop wiht the struggles faced by Western-raised Asian artists seeking to connect with audiences.
Liu explained that while film has seen progress in recent years, the music industry lags behind. “To be Chinese-Canadian or to be Asian growing up in the West, you’re faced with a whole different set of challenges and oftentimes you’re looking and yearning for representation that you’re not seeing,” he saeid. He further clarified that an Asian Canadian or Asian American singer-songwriter is distinct from a K-Pop star, noting the difficulty in forging a connection to both home countries and finding a dedicated audience, making artists “difficult label targets.”
This critique comes after Liu previously revealed facing rejection for roles in Crazy Rich Asians in 2022, being told he lacked “the ‘It’ factor.” Reflecting on the experience, he stated it forced him to recognize a desperation in his approach and the need for greater self-assuredness. He detailed this experience in his memoir.
Liu also recently discussed the challenges of being outspoken on social media, telling Variety he “should probably be more scared” of potential backlashes, citing a tendency towards negativity online. “I just feel like ther’s something about the internet that makes people just crazy,” he explained. “There’s something about the publicness of it and where people love being the guy to put someone else down [or] put an entire group of people down. I am so not for that energy.”
