Sound Check is EnVi’s curated artist catalog highlighting must-know talent across the Asian diaspora. From breakout stars to hidden gems, this series is your gateway to discovering artists who will redefine your playlists.
In honor of this Women’s History Month, EnVi wants to highlight seven phenomenal female artists across the Asian diaspora. Hailing from various countries and subgenres, these singers, producers, and songwriters are guaranteed to earn a spot on listeners’ playlists, making waves in pop.
Tiffany Day
Tiffany Day’s recent releases may have a heavy electronic focus, but they didn’t start that way. Day’s first official release was a bedroom-pop single in 2018, titled “Bubble.” However, it was far from her first foray into music. The single came after three years of posting song covers on her YouTube channel with her acoustic guitar. Day’s style has evolved over time to encompass a broad scope of electronic music, from electroclash to hyperpop and dubstep.
She started 2026 with two singles, “TELL ME WHAT I DID” and “START OVER.” The former is marked by melancholy, eclectic production, while the latter evokes a more upbeat digicore vibe. Day’s energy and artistic flair are undeniable, whether she’s playing DJ sets in the gym and at the nail salon — or performing hits for On The Radar Radio. She released her latest singles to tide listeners over until the release of her upcoming album HALO, out on April 3. “I think it’s my best work so far,” she said on Instagram, “I’ve never been more excited to share something.”
Lexie Liu
Lexie Liu first came onto the music scene in 2015 at only 16 years old. Born and raised in the Hunan province of China, she joined the Korean reality competition series K-pop Star 5 and placed fourth with her group. In 2018, after competing on the show Rap of China, Liu launched her solo music career under the U.S.-based record label 88rising. Through the years, Liu has experimented with different genres like rap (“Mulan”), R&B (“Sleep Away”), and house pop (“POP GIRL”).
Her 2022 EP The Happy Star marked a turn in her musical style towards electro-pop. Lead singles “FORTUNA” and “MAGICIAN” were arcana-inspired tracks with synthy, upbeat dance beats. These releases won her awards for Best Electronic Album and Best Electronic Song at the 1st Wave Music Awards in 2023.
Liu solidified her distinct electro-pop persona with last year’s TEENAGE RAMBLE EP. The thrumming beats of “FFFFF” and drum ‘n’ bass influence of “LIKE U” make for easy, head-bopping listening. Her latest track, a collaboration with singer Sophie Powers, is another installment in Liu’s diverse discography. Released on February 26, “klepto” is an ethereal dark pop track, a perfect combo of Liu and Powers’ signature sounds.
SAILORR
“Florida’s finest” singer-songwriter SAILORR had an astounding 2025 and shows no signs of stopping. Kayla Le, known by the stage name SAILORR, began producing music in high school and released two singles before signing to the record label BuVision. Her debut single under the label, “POOKIE’S REQUIEM,” was a smash hit, garnering 35 million plays on Spotify even with a runtime of under two minutes. Le released a new version of the single featuring R&B singer Summer Walker a couple of months later.
In May of 2025, she released her first full-length album, FROM FLORIDA’S FINEST. It took two and a half years of effort, Le revealed in an interview, and featured “hand-picked” tracks from her and her team. The deluxe version of the album was released in December 2025. Though “less rigid” in the tracklist, the deluxe version offers a cohesive end to the era.
With musical inspirations like Erykah Badu and Lauryn Hill, Le’s alt R&B style is characterized by clever, raw lyricism and laidback beats. She frequently sports black grills as a nod to her heritage, emulating traditional Vietnamese teeth-blackening. Through the winter, Le joined rapper and singer-songwriter Doja Cat on her “Tour Ma Vie World Tour” shows in Asia and Oceania.
Sarah Kinsley
Singer-songwriter and producer Sarah Kinsley started learning music through the orchestra. Trained in piano and violin, Kinsley took these skills with her to Columbia University, where she learned to produce alt-pop music. The video-sharing platform TikTok offers new artists a chance to promote their music every day, but Kinsley’s breakout single “The King” has racked up nearly ten million views since 2021, and the rest is history. Experimenting with piano, contact microphones, and musical style, Kinsley built a following and continued releasing singles and EPs fit for movie soundtracks.
Kinsley performed a “secret show” in New York City in November of 2025 to announce her new EP Fleeting. She played all five tracks from the EP live, channeling the ultimate yearning experience with tracks like “Lonely Touch” and “Truth of Pursuit.” Kinsley says she pulled inspiration from “the most diabolical romantic experience of [her] life” to produce the EP. In 2026, Kinsley will embark on a 30-stop tour across America, the UK, and Ireland.
Wisp
Lovers of shoegaze will recognise the name Wisp, or at the very least her wildly popular track, “Your face.” Shoegaze, a sub-genre of alternative rock, is characterized by distorted, reverbed guitar blended with hushed vocals. Natalie Lu, or Wisp, puts her own spin on the genre with her light, airy voice and wistful lyrics. Her 2024 debut EP Pandora featured breakout track “Your face.” Shortly after its release, Lu took the EP on tour around the U.S., played Lollapalooza, and opened for shoegaze pioneers Slowdive.
Lu kept the momentum going in 2025, playing Coachella before releasing a new album, If Not Winter. Collaborating in the studio with songwriter Gabe Greenland and hyperpop artist aldn, Lu said in an interview that the project came together because “we were willing to experiment and create and listen to each other.” If Not Winter brought out a new sound for Lu — something uniquely Wisp. She played across the U.S. and Europe in the final quarter of the year for the “If Not Winter Tour” before starting 2026 with shows in Asia and Australia.
This year holds just as much promise. With her tour wrapping up in February and upcoming festivals like The Governor’s Ball and Hinterland on the docket, Wisp continues to bring her ethereal sound across the world.
Shevya Awasthi
New York City-based popstar Shevya Awasthi releases addictive tracks in both English and Hindi. Known initially for song covers and adding Hindi verses to popular songs such as KATSEYE’s “Gabriela,” Awasthi’s motto on her TikTok page is “Good music is good music in any language.” Awasthi shows her versatility with every release. Recent singles “Hot Pursuit” and “Piña Colada” are groovy R&B tracks perfect for mellow nights. In last year’s dark-pop track “Parasite,” Awasthi opened up about her struggles with anxiety.
“Run, but you can’t hide,” she sings, “Rehti hain kaali raaton mein (She lives in the night.)” The music video features Awasthi battling with herself in the dark corners of her mind, interspersed with elegant and powerful choreography. Fans got the chance to hear dance tracks like “don’t 4get 2 breathe” live in New York City when she opened for Indian rapper and songwriter Hanumankind at Webster Hall on February 27.
MILLI
Thai rapper MILLI first developed an interest in hip-hop long before she began her career. She signed to Thai label YUPP! Entertainment following her participation in the Thai music competition show The Rapper 2. Breakout 2020 singles “Phak Khon” and “Sud Pang” drew listeners in with MILLI’s signature rap tone. The 2021 collaboration track “Mirror Mirror” with Thai rapper F.HERO and Stray Kids member Changbin boosted her popularity both domestically and internationally, gaining over 75 million plays on Spotify and 131 million views on YouTube. A year later, in 2022, MILLI became the first Thai solo artist to perform at Coachella and 88rising’s Head in the Clouds Festival. Her stage presence, energy, and dedication landed her on that year’s BBC 100 Women list, highlighting women’s achievements worldwide.
Despite her achievements, MILLI continued to fight towards the next thing — her 2025 studio album HEAVYWEIGHT and her first Muay Thai competition. In the Milli To The Ring series on YouTube, MILLI documented the grueling process of training for the fight, which aired live on May 17, 2025. This coincided with the themes and message of her HEAVYWEIGHT album. “For this album, I’m comparing myself to being a boxer,” MILLI said in a Forbes interview. “It’s like the next step in my career, I’m just ready to fight.”
Currently, MILLI is competing in the 12th installment of the Korean rap competition series, Show Me The Money, which is set to conclude on April 2.
Shoegaze, electro-pop, and hip-hop make up just a few of the genres that the artists of this soundcheck excel in. Whether they were scouted from competition shows or painstakingly self-promoted on TikTok, these women have proved they have what it takes to make an impact on the worldwide stage and make waves in the industry.
Itching for more star-power? Check out EnVi’s coverage of the Korean indie singer HANARI here.
