Embracing Cultural Diversity: Recognizing Bollywood's Collaboration with Beyoncé

South Asian music may seem popular with its presence on platforms like TikTok and the vibrant club scene in London, but it still struggles to make a mainstream impact. Despite having a dedicated underground following, Asian artists face challenges in breaking into the charts, even though almost 10% of the British population is Asian. Prominent artists like Panjabi MC and Jay Sean have experienced misunderstandings and ignorant assumptions about their music due to their cultural background. Musicians Naughty Boy and Jay Sean have even faced pressure to dilute their sound to make it more mainstream. However, these artists are determined to stay true to their identities and have set up their own record labels to support emerging South Asian talent. Vishal Patel, co-founder of independent label 91+, believes that the lack of infrastructure and understanding of the South Asian culture within the media and music industry hinders these artists from reaching a wider audience. Jasmine Thakhar, a presenter at BBC's Introducing show on the Asian Network, highlights the ignorance in mainstream promotion and airplay of South Asian artists, despite their talent and social media following. The girl band Girls Like You, who gained fame through social media, hopes to bring a fusion of cultures and languages to their music. While efforts are being made by music festivals to increase diversity in their line-ups, artists like Naughty Boy emphasize the need for a long-term commitment to change the music industry landscape and not view South Asian representation as a mere trend.