Homegrown

• A new generation of homegrown Southeast Asian artists, including Thai acts like YOUNGOHM, MILLI, and Joey Phuwasit, are emerging with unique styles that diverge from the traditional K-pop formula. • These artists are leveraging the blueprint established by South Korea's cultural juggernaut, which proved there is a massive global appetite for Asian music. • While regional fame existed in the 1980s and 90s, the unprecedented crossover success of K-pop acts like BTS and Blackpink—highlighted by events like Coachella 2023—has paved the way for others.

• Homegrown artists from Southeast Asian countries, including Thailand and the Philippines, are gaining traction as alternatives to the dominant K-pop formula. • While K-pop achieved unprecedented global mainstream success following Psy’s 2012 hit "Gangnam Style" and recent milestones by BTS and Blackpink, regional acts like YOUNGOHM and MILLI are now carving their own niches. • This shift matters because K-pop's global expansion proved there is a massive international audience for Asian music, paving the way for other regional artists to seek crossover appeal.

• A new generation of homegrown Southeast Asian artists, including Thai acts YOUNGOHM, MILLI, and Joey Phuwasit, are emerging as global competitors to the K-pop industry. • While these artists differ stylistically from the traditional K-pop formula, they are leveraging the blueprint of South Korea's cultural success to reach international audiences. • The rise of these artists follows the massive crossover appeal established by K-pop milestones, such as Psy’s 2012 hit "Gangnam Style" and BTS’s global collaborations.

• On May 22, China's National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) issued a policy signal urging the country to achieve AI self-sufficiency. • The directive explicitly calls for the integration of domestically developed computing chips with homegrown large language models (LLMs). • This push follows the Trump-Xi meeting and comes amid ongoing delays in China approving the import of Nvidia H20 GPUs.