{"id":2132001,"date":"2026-09-07T11:04:00","date_gmt":"2026-09-07T08:04:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=2132001"},"modified":"2026-09-07T11:04:00","modified_gmt":"2026-09-07T08:04:00","slug":"asian-artists-are-now-influencing-the-west-lexie-liu-meets-yves","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=2132001","title":{"rendered":"\u2018Asian artists are now influencing the west\u2019: Lexie Liu meets Yves"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>[analyse_image type=&#8221;featured&#8221; src=&#8221;https:\/\/images-prod.dazeddigital.com\/1200\/0-0-1620-1080\/azure\/dazed-prod\/1450\/2\/1452324.png&#8221;]<\/p>\n<article class=\"main-article longread\">\n<div class=\"article-main-content article-wrapper has-media-but-its-an-image\" data-status=\"loaded\" data-primary-article=\"true\" data-url=\"\/music\/article\/70900\/1\/lexie-liu-meets-yves-china-k-pop-korea-interview-2026-bts-grammys\" data-article-id=\"70900\">\n<header class=\"article-header has-landscape-image no-media\">\n<div class=\"wrapper dg-max-width\">\n<div class=\"inner\">\n<figure class=\"main-img has-figcaption\" data-img-aspect-ratio-type=\"landscape\" data-img-aspect-ratio=\"1.78\" data-template=\"Longread Article\"><span class=\"has-css-custom-props image-container\" data-aspect-ratio-type=\"landscape\"><span class=\"preserve-aspect-ratio\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"PopGirl_MV_1080P_MP4-0045\" class=\"img\" height=\"1080\" src=\"https:\/\/images-prod.dazeddigital.com\/1400\/azure\/dazed-prod\/1450\/2\/1452324.png\" width=\"1920\"><\/span><\/span><figcaption class=\"img-caption\"><span class=\"inner\"><span class=\"credit\">\u201cPop Girl\u201d still<\/span><\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<aside class=\"meta\">\n<div class=\"inner\"><time datetime=\"2026-09-07T11:04:00+00:00\" class=\"timestamp\" title=\"07 September 2026\"><span class=\"month\">DateInMeta<\/span>\u00a0<br \/>\n<span class=\"day\" data-day=\"7\">7,<\/span>\u00a0<br \/>\n<span class=\"year\">2026<\/span><\/time><\/div>\n<\/aside>\n<div class=\"titles\">\n<div class=\"tags\">\n<div class=\"sections\"><a class=\"category vertical vertical - music\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/music\">Music<\/a><br \/>\n\/<br \/>\n<a class=\"series\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/head-to-head\">Head to Head<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<h1 class=\"title\"><span>\u2018Asian artists are now influencing the west\u2019: Lexie Liu <span class=\"nowrap\">meets Yves<\/span><\/span><\/h1>\n<div class=\"standfirst\">\n<h2>The two trailblazing pop artists speak on the differences between Korean and Chinese pop culture, innovating on their respective lineages, and why BTS\u2019 recent decision to swerve the Grammys is a <span class=\"nowrap\">power move<\/span><\/h2>\n<\/div>\n<p><time datetime=\"2026-09-07T11:04:00+00:00\" class=\"timestamp\" title=\"07 September 2026\"><span class=\"month\">September<\/span>\u00a0<br \/>\n<span class=\"day\" data-day=\"7\">7,<\/span>\u00a0<br \/>\n<span class=\"year\">2026<\/span><\/time><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"tags\">\n<div class=\"sections\"><a class=\"category vertical - music\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/music\">Music<\/a><a class=\"series\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/head-to-head\">Head to Head<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><time datetime=\"2026-09-07T11:04:00+00:00\" class=\"timestamp\" title=\"07 September 2026\"><span class=\"month\">September<\/span>\u00a0<br \/>\n<span class=\"day\" data-day=\"7\">7,<\/span>\u00a0<br \/>\n<span class=\"year\">2026<\/span><\/time><\/p>\n<div class=\"providers\">\n<div class=\"contributors\"><span class=\"contributor\" data-contributor-role=\"Text\"><span class=\"contributor-role\">Text<\/span><a class=\"contributor-name\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/user\/solomonpacemccarrick\"><br \/>\nSolomon PM<br \/>\n<\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/header>\n<div class=\"article-body-container\">\n<div class=\"article-body wrapper\">\n<div class=\"embed-content\" data-embed-type=\"raw-html\">\n<p><span>\u201cI feel like I\u2019m building the road as I walk on it,\u201d says new-generation Chinese pop star <a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/lexieliu_\/?hl=en\">Lexie Liu<\/a>. She\u2019s speaking via video call to K-pop idol-turned-solo artist <a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/yvesntual\/?hl=en\">Yves<\/a>, who nods in agreement, knowing that feeling all too well.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>You see, both artists are trailblazers. Liu, born in Changsha, China in 1998, first rose to prominence as a finalist on zeitgeist-defining competition show <em>The Rap of China<\/em> in 2018, emerging as part of a radical new wave of pop culture sweeping the country. Yves\u2019 own innovation arrived a little later. Born in Busan, she entered South Korea\u2019s idol system and was introduced as a member of girl group LOONA in 2017, before striking out solo in 2024. Her subsequent career speaks to a broader shift taking place in K-pop, as some stars begin to move away from the genre\u2019s typically polished idol aesthetics in favour of something messier and more personal.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>These distinct yet complementary approaches to modern pop stardom frame the pair\u2019s latest collaboration, \u201cPop Girl\u201d, released last month. Backed by a lead synth melody that <\/span>wobbles in and out of tune<span>, tech-heavy visuals and English-Korean lyrics that reference beauty filters, TikTok livestreams and doomscrolling, there\u2019s an undeniable futurism to the track. It\u2019s a snapshot of a pop culture currently in flux \u2013 shifting, as the pair themselves point out, away from traditional industry gatekeepers and <\/span>its historic centre of gravity in the West.<\/p>\n<p><span>Below, in an aegyo-filled conversation that saw the two future-facing popstars repeatedly mime heart-beams at each other from across the world, Lexie Liu and Yves speak on innovating on their respective pop lineages, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/bts\">BTS<\/a>\u2019 recent decision to swerve the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/grammys\">Grammys<\/a>, and power shifts in the pop landscape more widely.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><strong>How did you both first come into contact?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>Yves:<\/strong><span> It was Lexi who chose me [for this song] first. She DM\u2019d me and gave me the idea of the collaboration. I loved Lexie\u2019s music even before my solo debut. The first ever song I liked on Spotify was Lexie\u2019s \u201cFortuna\u201d, so I was really happy to work with her. I think that Lexie\u2019s work is really futuristic. We have a lot of similarities because we try to be different from what\u2019s expected.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><strong>Lexie Liu:<\/strong><span> I\u2019ve been a fan of Yves\u2019 solo career ever since [2024 single] \u2018Loop\u2019. Then, at some point, I saw a fan post a screenshot of Yves sharing one of my songs, and I remember being really happy about that. So there was already this back-and-forth of us showing love to each other before we worked together. I think we\u2019re similar in the sense that we both really care about having a strong individual identity within the realm of pop music. We both come from places with very different pop ecosystems, but neither of us seems interested in just following what is already there.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"src-youtube video-container embed-content\" data-embed-type=\"media-youtube\" data-id=\"e_njstiXD40\"><span class=\"preserve-aspect-ratio\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" allowfullscreen frameborder height=\"900\" scrolling=\"no\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/e_njstiXD40\" webkitallowfullscreen width=\"1600\"><\/iframe><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"embed-content\" data-embed-type=\"raw-html\">\n<p><strong>You mentioned coming from different pop ecosystems. Could you speak a bit more about that?\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>Yves:<\/strong><span> I was trained in the K-pop system as an idol \u2013 a part of this \u2018perfect\u2019 system, where performance, visuals, and concept are all connected. But after my solo debut, I tried to be more independent in looking for the visual or musical concept [myself]. I spent a lot of time thinking about who I wanted to be, and that\u2019s when I tried experimenting with hyperpop. I didn\u2019t want to restrict myself to the hyperpop genre; I wanted to keep finding new characters for myself.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><strong>Lexie Liu:<\/strong><span> I think what Yves is doing is really interesting because she comes from this incredibly developed tradition and is now finding ways to bend it into something that feels completely hers. For me, the challenge is kind of the opposite, because in China there isn\u2019t really an equivalent path to becoming a globally recognised pop artist. I\u2019m building the road while walking on it. That uncertainty is definitely frustrating at times, but it\u2019s creatively exciting because there are fewer rules.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><strong>What does the title \u201cPop Girl\u201d mean to you both?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>Lexie Liu:<\/strong><span> I think being a pop girl is more of a mindset than a status. It\u2019s for the people who have their own soundtrack when they walk down the street; they don\u2019t overthink about how they express themselves, and they know how to make an ordinary day feel fabulous and special. Maybe they even cry at night because of insecurity as well. That\u2019s not a prerequisite, but it happens. Everyone\u2019s invited.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><strong>Yves:<\/strong><span> For me, I think a pop girl is not defined by how you look or how successful you are, but rather someone who doesn\u2019t hide their ambition or vulnerability, and someone who can translate that complexity into a language. We say \u2018girl \u2019, but it\u2019s not a matter of age or gender; it\u2019s more of an attitude, and that\u2019s why being a pop girl doesn\u2019t have any auditions or interviews you need to pass.<\/span><\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p><span>\u201cK-pop is the trailblazer of showing the Western world what a confident Asian would look like on stage\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>\u2013 Lexie Liu<\/span><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><strong>Lexie, you mentioned building the path as you were walking on it. What sorts of sounds and spaces are you exploring?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>Lexie Liu:<\/strong><span> It\u2019s everything that isn\u2019t already written in the books. I think [Chinese rappers] <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/music\/article\/69940\/1\/billionhappy-is-the-king-of-the-nu-china-rap-scene-shanghai-spring-2026\">Billionhappy<\/a> or SkaiIsYourGod, are good examples. Everyone\u2019s basically a wild card now \u2013 [Chinese people] are more connected to the world than ever; we\u2019re in an age where the internet has made it so easy to access everyone, but it\u2019s also challenging because so much music drops every day. It takes luck, determination, and authenticity to stay true to yourself, but very soon people are going to discover many new forms of popular music coming out of China.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><strong>Meanwhile, Yves, you mentioned exploring hyperpop, which is something other K-pop artists like Seventeen\u2019s The8 and Vernon are doing, too. Do you think this is becoming a wider trend of K-pop going underground?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>Yves:<\/strong><span> Initially, K-pop was influenced a lot by American and European markets; we borrowed a lot from them. But now, I think K-pop has its own unique character, and we\u2019re trying to expand into a wider spectrum of genres. I don\u2019t think the question is about how far a K-pop artist can go, but rather about how diverse K-pop artists can be, and, because we have such diverse aesthetics, at least one of them is going to be underground.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<figure class=\"inline-img expandable dev-view-hide\" data-img=\"70451b00-0b48-4c94-87cc-b4ba010c30a1\" data-src=\"https:\/\/images-prod.dazeddigital.com\/1920\/azure\/dazed-prod\/1450\/2\/1452323.png\" data-img-aspect-ratio-type=\"landscape\" data-img-aspect-ratio=\"1.78\"><span class=\"has-css-custom-props image-container\" data-aspect-ratio-type=\"landscape\"><span class=\"preserve-aspect-ratio\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Pop Girl\" class=\"img\" height=\"1080\" src=\"https:\/\/images-prod.dazeddigital.com\/1600\/azure\/dazed-prod\/1450\/2\/1452323.png\" width=\"1920\"><\/span><\/span><figcaption class=\"img-caption\"><span class=\"credit\">\u201cPop Girl\u201d still<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<div class=\"embed-content\" data-embed-type=\"raw-html\">\n<p><strong>BTS recently decided to withdraw from the Grammys, which could be seen as a power move, given the increasing influence of East Asian artists more widely. Where do you think the future is headed for pop artists from eastern countries?\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>Yves:<\/strong><span> Like I said earlier, the market was really centred around the US and Europe, and I think there was a bias. People were thinking that Western is global and all the rest are regional, but Asian culture has always been there; it just wasn\u2019t noticed. But now Asian music and culture are influencing the West as well.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>I really respect what BTS have done, because giving a separate award for Asian regions is actually creating a boundary between the world and Asia. It\u2019s creating a boundary between \u2018mainstream\u2019 and \u2018Asian\u2019 artists. It\u2019s taking Asia out of the mainstream.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><strong>Lexie Liu:<\/strong><span> K-pop is definitely the trailblazer of showing the Western world what a confident Asian would look like on stage. For the future, I think it\u2019ll feel less and less like Eastern artists crossing over, more like everyone just existing in the same global conversation. Nowadays, people are open to music from different languages and cultures, so the idea of what feels global is naturally expanding. It gives artists from Asia more space to be themselves instead of trying to fit into one box of what global pop should sound like. The ideal future is one where Asian artists are simply recognised as pop artists without being put in a separate category.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><strong>Do you have any questions for each other?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>Yves:<\/strong><span> Where do you see yourself in ten years?\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><strong>Lexie Liu:<\/strong><span> Honestly, I don\u2019t know. I\u2019m just enjoying being a wild card \u2013 building the path, walking on the path and not knowing where it is leading me. But I won\u2019t quit making music until I physically can\u2019t. So, ideally, I would still be on stage and singing stuff that really comes from my heart. And my question for you, Yves: what\u2019s something about yourself that you only discovered after starting your solo career?<\/span><\/p>\n<p><strong>Yves:<\/strong><span> I used to consider myself as someone who\u2019s really soft-hearted but after my solo debut, there were a lot of situations where I had to handle issues, troubles, and frustration with things \u2013 new challenges I hadn\u2019t faced in the past. I\u2019ve discovered myself as someone who doesn\u2019t break but bends instead. I discovered resilience in myself after I became solo.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><em><span>Lexie Liu\u2019s latest EP, <\/span><\/em><span>Pop Girl Club<\/span><em><span>, is out now.\u00a0<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<footer class=\"article-footer\">\n<div class=\"article-series header tags\"><span class=\"heading\">More on these topics:<\/span><a class=\"series\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/music\">Music<\/a><a class=\"series\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/head-to-head\">Head to Head<\/a><a class=\"series\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/tag\/k-pop\">K-pop<\/a><a class=\"series\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/tag\/china\">China<\/a><a class=\"series\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/tag\/korea\">Korea<\/a><a class=\"series\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/tag\/bts\">BTS<\/a><a class=\"series\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/tag\/yves\">Yves<\/a><a class=\"series\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/tag\/south-korea\">South-Korea<\/a><\/div>\n<\/footer>\n<div class=\"grid split-list__header\">\n<div class=\"section-header\">\n<div class=\"section-header__link\">\n<h2 class=\"section-header__title\">Trending<\/h2>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<section class=\"split-list-scene\" data-split-scene>\n<section class=\"split-list\" id=\"trending\" data-split>\n<div class=\"split-list__layout\" aria-label=\"Trending\">\n<div class=\"split-list__feature\"><a class=\"split-hero\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/beauty\/article\/70788\/1\/fantasy-notes-perfume-weirdest-obsession-fragrance-nostos-vacation\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"split-hero__media\"><span class=\"image-container\" data-aspect-ratio-type=\"landscape\"><span class=\"preserve-aspect-ratio\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"fantasy notes fragrances\" src=\"https:\/\/images-prod.dazeddigital.com\/640\/326-277-1588-1059\/azure\/dazed-prod\/1450\/2\/1452370.jpg\"><\/span><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"split-hero__panel\">\n<div class=\"split-hero__wrapper\">\n<h3 class=\"split-hero__title\">What are \u2018fantasy notes\u2019? 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Photography<\/span><\/p>\n<h3 class=\"split-rail-card__title card-latest__title\">New art, music and \u2018photographic encounters\u2019 from Dazed Club members<\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<p><\/a><a class=\"split-rail-card card-latest\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/life-culture\/article\/70902\/1\/welsh-trans-healthcare-pause\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"split-rail-card__img-wrapper card-latest__img-wrapper\"><span class=\"image-container\" data-aspect-ratio-type=\"landscape\"><span class=\"preserve-aspect-ratio\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"1409604\" src=\"https:\/\/images-prod.dazeddigital.com\/640\/0-296-1742-1161\/azure\/dazed-prod\/1450\/2\/1452364.jpg\"><\/span><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"split-rail-card__content card-latest__content\"><span class=\"split-rail-card__ribbon card-latest__ribbon\">Life &amp; Culture<\/span><\/p>\n<h3 class=\"split-rail-card__title card-latest__title\">The deadly implications of Wales\u2019 trans healthcare \u2018pause\u2019<\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<p><\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/section>\n<\/section>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"image-navigation\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/news\/\" class=\"image-navigation__img one\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"image-navigation__wrapper\">\n<h3 class=\"image-navigation__title\">News<\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<p><\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/fashion\/\" class=\"image-navigation__img two\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"image-navigation__wrapper\">\n<h3 class=\"image-navigation__title\">Fashion<\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<p><\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/music\/\" class=\"image-navigation__img three\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"image-navigation__wrapper\">\n<h3 class=\"image-navigation__title\">Music<\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<p><\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/film-tv\/\" class=\"image-navigation__img four\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"image-navigation__wrapper\">\n<h3 class=\"image-navigation__title\">Film &amp; TV<\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<p><\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/music\/article\/70900\/1\/lexie-liu-meets-yves-china-k-pop-korea-interview-2026-bts-grammys#features\" class=\"image-navigation__img five\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"image-navigation__wrapper\">\n<h3 class=\"image-navigation__title\">Features<\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<p><\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/beauty\/\" class=\"image-navigation__img six\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"image-navigation__wrapper\">\n<h3 class=\"image-navigation__title\">Beauty<\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<p><\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/life-culture\/\" class=\"image-navigation__img seven\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"image-navigation__wrapper\">\n<h3 class=\"image-navigation__title\">Life &amp; Culture<\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<p><\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/art-photography\/\" class=\"image-navigation__img eight\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"image-navigation__wrapper\">\n<h3 class=\"image-navigation__title\">Art &amp; Photography<\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<p><\/a><\/div>\n<\/article>\n<div class=\"article-body wrapper\">\n<div class=\"embed-content\" data-embed-type=\"raw-html\">\n<p><span>\u201cI feel like I\u2019m building the road as I walk on it,\u201d says new-generation Chinese pop star <a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/lexieliu_\/?hl=en\">Lexie Liu<\/a>. She\u2019s speaking via video call to K-pop idol-turned-solo artist <a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/yvesntual\/?hl=en\">Yves<\/a>, who nods in agreement, knowing that feeling all too well.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>You see, both artists are trailblazers. Liu, born in Changsha, China in 1998, first rose to prominence as a finalist on zeitgeist-defining competition show <em>The Rap of China<\/em> in 2018, emerging as part of a radical new wave of pop culture sweeping the country. Yves\u2019 own innovation arrived a little later. Born in Busan, she entered South Korea\u2019s idol system and was introduced as a member of girl group LOONA in 2017, before striking out solo in 2024. Her subsequent career speaks to a broader shift taking place in K-pop, as some stars begin to move away from the genre\u2019s typically polished idol aesthetics in favour of something messier and more personal.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>These distinct yet complementary approaches to modern pop stardom frame the pair\u2019s latest collaboration, \u201cPop Girl\u201d, released last month. Backed by a lead synth melody that <\/span>wobbles in and out of tune<span>, tech-heavy visuals and English-Korean lyrics that reference beauty filters, TikTok livestreams and doomscrolling, there\u2019s an undeniable futurism to the track. It\u2019s a snapshot of a pop culture currently in flux \u2013 shifting, as the pair themselves point out, away from traditional industry gatekeepers and <\/span>its historic centre of gravity in the West.<\/p>\n<p><span>Below, in an aegyo-filled conversation that saw the two future-facing popstars repeatedly mime heart-beams at each other from across the world, Lexie Liu and Yves speak on innovating on their respective pop lineages, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/bts\">BTS<\/a>\u2019 recent decision to swerve the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/grammys\">Grammys<\/a>, and power shifts in the pop landscape more widely.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><strong>How did you both first come into contact?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>Yves:<\/strong><span> It was Lexi who chose me [for this song] first. She DM\u2019d me and gave me the idea of the collaboration. I loved Lexie\u2019s music even before my solo debut. The first ever song I liked on Spotify was Lexie\u2019s \u201cFortuna\u201d, so I was really happy to work with her. I think that Lexie\u2019s work is really futuristic. We have a lot of similarities because we try to be different from what\u2019s expected.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><strong>Lexie Liu:<\/strong><span> I\u2019ve been a fan of Yves\u2019 solo career ever since [2024 single] \u2018Loop\u2019. Then, at some point, I saw a fan post a screenshot of Yves sharing one of my songs, and I remember being really happy about that. So there was already this back-and-forth of us showing love to each other before we worked together. I think we\u2019re similar in the sense that we both really care about having a strong individual identity within the realm of pop music. We both come from places with very different pop ecosystems, but neither of us seems interested in just following what is already there.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"src-youtube video-container embed-content\" data-embed-type=\"media-youtube\" data-id=\"e_njstiXD40\"><span class=\"preserve-aspect-ratio\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" allowfullscreen frameborder height=\"900\" scrolling=\"no\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/e_njstiXD40\" webkitallowfullscreen width=\"1600\"><\/iframe><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"embed-content\" data-embed-type=\"raw-html\">\n<p><strong>You mentioned coming from different pop ecosystems. Could you speak a bit more about that?\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>Yves:<\/strong><span> I was trained in the K-pop system as an idol \u2013 a part of this \u2018perfect\u2019 system, where performance, visuals, and concept are all connected. But after my solo debut, I tried to be more independent in looking for the visual or musical concept [myself]. I spent a lot of time thinking about who I wanted to be, and that\u2019s when I tried experimenting with hyperpop. I didn\u2019t want to restrict myself to the hyperpop genre; I wanted to keep finding new characters for myself.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><strong>Lexie Liu:<\/strong><span> I think what Yves is doing is really interesting because she comes from this incredibly developed tradition and is now finding ways to bend it into something that feels completely hers. For me, the challenge is kind of the opposite, because in China there isn\u2019t really an equivalent path to becoming a globally recognised pop artist. I\u2019m building the road while walking on it. That uncertainty is definitely frustrating at times, but it\u2019s creatively exciting because there are fewer rules.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><strong>What does the title \u201cPop Girl\u201d mean to you both?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>Lexie Liu:<\/strong><span> I think being a pop girl is more of a mindset than a status. It\u2019s for the people who have their own soundtrack when they walk down the street; they don\u2019t overthink about how they express themselves, and they know how to make an ordinary day feel fabulous and special. Maybe they even cry at night because of insecurity as well. That\u2019s not a prerequisite, but it happens. Everyone\u2019s invited.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><strong>Yves:<\/strong><span> For me, I think a pop girl is not defined by how you look or how successful you are, but rather someone who doesn\u2019t hide their ambition or vulnerability, and someone who can translate that complexity into a language. We say \u2018girl \u2019, but it\u2019s not a matter of age or gender; it\u2019s more of an attitude, and that\u2019s why being a pop girl doesn\u2019t have any auditions or interviews you need to pass.<\/span><\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p><span>\u201cK-pop is the trailblazer of showing the Western world what a confident Asian would look like on stage\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>\u2013 Lexie Liu<\/span><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><strong>Lexie, you mentioned building the path as you were walking on it. What sorts of sounds and spaces are you exploring?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>Lexie Liu:<\/strong><span> It\u2019s everything that isn\u2019t already written in the books. I think [Chinese rappers] <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/music\/article\/69940\/1\/billionhappy-is-the-king-of-the-nu-china-rap-scene-shanghai-spring-2026\">Billionhappy<\/a> or SkaiIsYourGod, are good examples. Everyone\u2019s basically a wild card now \u2013 [Chinese people] are more connected to the world than ever; we\u2019re in an age where the internet has made it so easy to access everyone, but it\u2019s also challenging because so much music drops every day. It takes luck, determination, and authenticity to stay true to yourself, but very soon people are going to discover many new forms of popular music coming out of China.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><strong>Meanwhile, Yves, you mentioned exploring hyperpop, which is something other K-pop artists like Seventeen\u2019s The8 and Vernon are doing, too. Do you think this is becoming a wider trend of K-pop going underground?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>Yves:<\/strong><span> Initially, K-pop was influenced a lot by American and European markets; we borrowed a lot from them. But now, I think K-pop has its own unique character, and we\u2019re trying to expand into a wider spectrum of genres. I don\u2019t think the question is about how far a K-pop artist can go, but rather about how diverse K-pop artists can be, and, because we have such diverse aesthetics, at least one of them is going to be underground.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<figure class=\"inline-img expandable dev-view-hide\" data-img=\"70451b00-0b48-4c94-87cc-b4ba010c30a1\" data-src=\"https:\/\/images-prod.dazeddigital.com\/1920\/azure\/dazed-prod\/1450\/2\/1452323.png\" data-img-aspect-ratio-type=\"landscape\" data-img-aspect-ratio=\"1.78\"><span class=\"has-css-custom-props image-container\" data-aspect-ratio-type=\"landscape\"><span class=\"preserve-aspect-ratio\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Pop Girl\" class=\"img\" height=\"1080\" src=\"https:\/\/images-prod.dazeddigital.com\/1600\/azure\/dazed-prod\/1450\/2\/1452323.png\" width=\"1920\"><\/span><\/span><figcaption class=\"img-caption\"><span class=\"credit\">\u201cPop Girl\u201d still<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<div class=\"embed-content\" data-embed-type=\"raw-html\">\n<p><strong>BTS recently decided to withdraw from the Grammys, which could be seen as a power move, given the increasing influence of East Asian artists more widely. Where do you think the future is headed for pop artists from eastern countries?\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>Yves:<\/strong><span> Like I said earlier, the market was really centred around the US and Europe, and I think there was a bias. People were thinking that Western is global and all the rest are regional, but Asian culture has always been there; it just wasn\u2019t noticed. But now Asian music and culture are influencing the West as well.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>I really respect what BTS have done, because giving a separate award for Asian regions is actually creating a boundary between the world and Asia. It\u2019s creating a boundary between \u2018mainstream\u2019 and \u2018Asian\u2019 artists. It\u2019s taking Asia out of the mainstream.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><strong>Lexie Liu:<\/strong><span> K-pop is definitely the trailblazer of showing the Western world what a confident Asian would look like on stage. For the future, I think it\u2019ll feel less and less like Eastern artists crossing over, more like everyone just existing in the same global conversation. Nowadays, people are open to music from different languages and cultures, so the idea of what feels global is naturally expanding. It gives artists from Asia more space to be themselves instead of trying to fit into one box of what global pop should sound like. The ideal future is one where Asian artists are simply recognised as pop artists without being put in a separate category.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><strong>Do you have any questions for each other?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>Yves:<\/strong><span> Where do you see yourself in ten years?\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><strong>Lexie Liu:<\/strong><span> Honestly, I don\u2019t know. I\u2019m just enjoying being a wild card \u2013 building the path, walking on the path and not knowing where it is leading me. But I won\u2019t quit making music until I physically can\u2019t. So, ideally, I would still be on stage and singing stuff that really comes from my heart. And my question for you, Yves: what\u2019s something about yourself that you only discovered after starting your solo career?<\/span><\/p>\n<p><strong>Yves:<\/strong><span> I used to consider myself as someone who\u2019s really soft-hearted but after my solo debut, there were a lot of situations where I had to handle issues, troubles, and frustration with things \u2013 new challenges I hadn\u2019t faced in the past. I\u2019ve discovered myself as someone who doesn\u2019t break but bends instead. I discovered resilience in myself after I became solo.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><em><span>Lexie Liu\u2019s latest EP, <\/span><\/em><span>Pop Girl Club<\/span><em><span>, is out now.\u00a0<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>[analyse_source url=&#8221;https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/music\/article\/70900\/1\/lexie-liu-meets-yves-china-k-pop-korea-interview-2026-bts-grammys&#8221;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>[analyse_image type=&#8221;featured&#8221; src=&#8221;https:\/\/images-prod.dazeddigital.com\/1200\/0-0-1620-1080\/azure\/dazed-prod\/1450\/2\/1452324.png&#8221;] \u201cPop Girl\u201d still DateInMeta\u00a0 7,\u00a0 2026 Music \/ Head to Head \u2018Asian artists are now influencing the west\u2019: Lexie Liu meets Yves The two trailblazing pop artists speak on the differences between Korean and Chinese pop culture, innovating on their respective lineages, and why BTS\u2019 recent decision to swerve the Grammys is [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[226,76],"class_list":["post-2132001","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-politics","tag-crawlmanager","tag-dazeddigital-com"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2132001","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=2132001"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2132001\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=2132001"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=2132001"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=2132001"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}