[Exclusive Interview] Alison Boya Sun on Amplifying AAPI Voice with OPEN Verse

OPEN
SuperApp is at the
forefront of fostering a more inclusive and dynamic space for all. One of its
standout initiatives, OPEN Verse, provides a platform for AAPI artists
to showcase their talents while benefiting from unparalleled mentorship and
resources. The competition celebrates the diversity and strength of AAPI
voices, offering both emerging and established artists the chance to shine on a
national stage.

The
visionary behind OPEN Verse is Alison Boya Sun, a trailblazer who also
led the AAPI crew Eastern Standard Times during Red Bull’s Culture Clash NYC
last June. Her dedication to amplifying AAPI representation in the music
industry has been instrumental in bringing this initiative to life. By creating
opportunities for artists to connect with industry leaders and collaborate with
one another, OPEN Verse is not just a competition—it’s a movement for
empowerment and change.

Ahead of the
thrilling OPEN Verse finale held at the ResidentDTLA on December 15, where Aidan Kim was crowned
the winner, KpopWise had the opportunity to sit down with Alison Boya Sun. In
this exclusive interview, Alison shares the story behind OPEN Verse’s
conception, its mission to elevate AAPI artists, and her hopes for the future
of the music industry.

Can you
share the story behind the creation of OPEN Verse? What inspired you to lead
this initiative?

I’ve come
across so many talented AAPI artists creating incredible music, yet there seem
to be very few platforms dedicated to promoting them. Often, people may
recognize their songs but struggle to connect the music to the artists behind
it. This disconnect inspired me to create a platform where AAPI artists can
showcase not just their music but also their identities, ensuring their faces
and stories are known. By bridging this gap, I hope to celebrate their
contributions and help them gain the recognition they truly deserve.

How has
your own background influenced your passion for elevating AAPI voices in music?

I started
working last year with Red Bull Music on the Red Bull Culture Clash. I was in charge
of like the Asian American, AAPI stage. The whole Rebel Culture Clash comes
from the Jamaican Sound Clash culture. It’s mostly getting towards the Black
Community and Puerto Rican community this is their first time actually let
Asian artists who have like a stage. That’s when I started taking a look at a
bigger picture of like, different music festivals. A lot of times it’s like
super major Asian or K-pop group, like BLACKPINK or BTS – they get to have a
headliner  and be added to like major
music festival. But when it comes to smaller Asian artists or Asian American
artists, they lack this type of opportunity unless it’s like a music festival
hosted by 88Rising, that is all Asian.

So, when Red
Bull started doing that, that’s when I realized oh wow, like Asian artists
really need more than just a connection. They also need the opportunity for
them to actually perform to showcase their talent. And there’s so many artists.
Not only are they making music, but they’re also trying to combine their own
culture into their music career. I started working with a lot of musicians from
different cultural backgrounds. And I just feel like, oh, they make really dope
stuff, but it’s never mainstream.

In your
opinion, what role does music play in amplifying cultural identity and breaking
stereotypes?

So, I think
if you think about some, I guess, like bigger Asian artists, most of them are
like K-pop artists, like a lot of people from other cultural background, they
might know, Rich Brian. But also, just to know that K-pop culture actually comes
from black culture. So, I think a lot of like Asian Indie artists, they also
trying to figure out what is the Asian culture we want to bring out, because
when it comes to K-Pop, it’s very like commercialized.

It’s like,
oh, like a K-pop producer knows this beat will hit. It will go viral. So, they
produce sound like that to make their music go globally. But they’re like so
many AAPI are that are trying to actually merge a lot of culture and
instruments into their music, to kind of introduce their own culture. Like this
one artist I worked with, his name is Bohan Phoenix. He grew up in Boston, but he’s Chinese American. In like the most
recent album he’s working on, he talked a lot about his own identity, and he
introduced a lot of new sound to his new album, like he added a lot of like
traditional Chinese elements to it. Also, a lot of competitors in the Open Verse,
 for example Lucy Ring, her music also merged
a lot of like elements from her own culture background.  I think those are all really, really cool and
it’s something I haven’t seen before. It is a bit foreign when you first listen
to it, because it’s something new. But if everyone can be open minded. When it
comes to music, you will find something more, I guess, like exciting and new to
your ear and you can also like learning more about someone’s culture.

What are
the biggest challenges AAPI artists face in the music industry today? How does
OPEN Verse address these challenges?

And it also
comes down to, I guess, a lot of AAPI artists who are very well known in their
own country. It’s very hard for them to go global, like it’s easy for K-pop to
go global because when the K pop producer producing for them, they will think
about what is familiar to the Western listeners ears, but when it comes to, you
know, people who are not that involving K-pop when they’re making music they,
you know, they’re making music with their familiar beats from their own
culture. That might be very foreign to people who does not live in that
country. For so for artists like that, it’s really hard for them to really get
their music overseas.  Since they are not
really mainstream.

And another
thing is like a lot of like bigger labels when they do like, you know, sign
like an Asian artist, they don’t really develop them. It’s kind of like, oh,
yeah, we have this artist from. They’re really big, live on our label, but have
they done anything to market or promote them? I don’t think so. Cause we did
encounter this throughout this OPEN Verse, we also had conversation with
different labels. I remember I had a meeting with Warner Music International
where they have international artists signed overseas like this.

Lay Zhang who was in EXO, after that he signed with Warner International. It shows he wants to develop internationally, but have you heard or seen any of the
activities or concert he has done overseas like he does in Asia? I don’t think so.
Another pretty bigger K-pop artist Henry Lau, he was in Super Junior. He just
recently had a concert in New York, but according to him, that took him over
like a decade to even just have a performance. It’s not even a solo concert. He
came with a festival, so I think it’s like the lack of platform exposure, and I
think the labels are not doing like a really good job to actually develop these
artists and to help them to perform well overseas. Some artists with a
following may come over, but do not sell out venues, so that’s why a lot of
artists can’t come and tour in the states unless they’re like K-pop level.

Are there
mentorship or networking opportunities for participants beyond the competition?

Our judges
include Madison Love, Brian Lee, Verbal, representatives from Avex
Entertainment, and Jeffrey Yoo from Empire Records. All the contestants are
added to the same group chat as the judges, where they can comment and share
their music.

For our top
five contestants, they had the opportunity to work with the judges one-on-one
for their final performances. Brian Lee, who has produced for Justin Bieber and
DJ Snake, even offered to collaborate on an original song with one of the
contestants. Jeffrey Yoo also extended a distribution deal through Empire
Records to the winner.

This setup
provides incredible networking opportunities with industry leaders.
Additionally, since all the artists are in the same group chat for OPEN Verse,
I’ve noticed they are also engaging with each other, having meaningful
conversations, and offering mutual support.

I think this
is something that was missing before, as there wasn’t really a platform for
AAPI artists to connect. This aspect is another significant benefit of this
initiative.

How has
the AAPI music community responded to OPEN Verse so far?

We had over
almost like 200 people submitted for OPEN verse round one and we have 20
advanced from there, then only like the final 5 go into the final round, which
is going to be December 15 in LA.  I
think the Asian community responded really well because the submissions were
really diverse. Most people think about AAPI artists, they think about East
Asian, but in this contest, we had all different faces like we have mixed ages.
Everyone is submitting and we are not only getting submission through US, but
we also had like a lot of like global submissions through like Korea, Japan,
and Philippines.

How do
you see the music industry evolving when it comes to representation and
opportunities for AAPI artists?

That’s a
very relevant question. From my perspective, the music industry is shifting
significantly. Many labels, especially those associated with AAPI artists I
know, seem to be losing their stronghold. Artists who were previously signed to
major labels like Warner Music or UMG are now trying to exit their contracts and
become independent.  Even in the Asian
market, there’s a trend toward indie distribution, like the launch of F.A.M earlier this year.

Artists are
realizing that being tied to a label doesn’t always yield the best results and
can often feel restrictive. For example, even in K-pop, groups like NewJeans
recently left their label due to unfair contracts. This shift toward
independence—where artists manage their music careers as their own
businesses—is becoming a prominent trend.

Independence
allows artists to control their output, retain copyright, and make decisions
about their careers. Many feel that managing their careers themselves is easier
and more fulfilling than handing everything over to a label.

I feel
really positive about the AAPI musician community coming up is also exciting.
We’re seeing more collaborations between Asian and Western artists, like Rosé working
with Bruno Mars or Lisa performing at major events like Victoria’s Secret.
American artists such as Kanye West having a listening party in China, Korea, and
Japan. Cross-cultural collaborations are vital for bringing AAPI musicians into
the global spotlight. Even at concerts by artists like Travis Scott and
Kendrick Lamar, K-pop songs like “Super Shy” are I was like wow interesting.

Indie
artists generally fall into two categories: those who rely purely on their
talent, hoping their content will go viral, and those who approach their
careers like startups. The latter group treats their music as a business,
focusing on branding, merchandise, fan engagement, and strategic planning.

What
advice would you give to aspiring AAPI musicians trying to make their mark in
the industry?

If I were to
give advice, I’d suggest that all artists—regardless of talent—treat their
music careers like they’re running a startup. Talent is crucial, but so is a
business mindset. It’s about being strategic, building a unique brand, and
staying on top of every aspect of the career.

What is a
fulfilling part of working on OPEN Verse?

There are
some artists who don’t have the biggest following on social media, but they are
so talented, the music is so good and their music videos, you can tell there
was so much put into it.  I have to go
through all the submissions to count votes,  and there are times when I think this artist
is so good, so when  I checked their social
following. I’ve seen incredibly talented artists with small
followings—sometimes fewer than 10K or 15K followers—but their fan engagement
is insane, and they end up getting to the next round. It doesn’t matter how many
follows you, it matters who will actually show up when you’re doing something like
this. Their fans put so much effort into supporting their career.

One example
that stood out to me was a Korean artist collective with only around 2,000
Instagram followers. One of the contestants, Minna Seo collaborated with
BTS’s V, which I didn’t even realize until a fan was making posts about her.

What is
the ultimate goal of OPEN Verse, and where do you hope to see it go in the
future?

Ultimately,
the goal isn’t to create a one-time success but to build a continuous series.
For instance, this year we organized an event in LA. We want to open up to
global communities and different indie artists to make a global music contest. It’s
all about fostering long-term growth and recognition for these artists.

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