Now Spinning: AAPI Music Is Making Its Mark This Spring

AAPI artists are finally getting their flowers and entering the mainstream in the US, leaving no space untouched—from the film industry, to awards shows, to sports, to music festivals. Just think of BTS breaking the internet when they announced the end of their multi-year hiatus and their upcoming album and world tour. Or the K-pop genre winning its first-ever, long-overdue Grammy award for KPop Demon Hunters’ hit track “Golden.” 

AAPI music is just as diverse as its listeners, and Asian American listeners have their varied reasons for listening. Almost seven in 10 of them (66%) say that music connects them to their culture while 66% say that they feel proud when artists elevate their culture on mainstream media. 1 This audience values authentic representation and an honest effort to depict the full spectrum of diverse communities in ads. And here’s a tip: Despite K-pop’s reign in the US, it’s not the only genre to leverage when targeting AAPI audiences. There’s also Bollywood hits, Hawaiian reggaae, and fusion music. 

Whether you’re celebrating AAPI History Month in May or exploring how to better target this influential audience year-round, we’ve got you covered. Here’s a peek at some of the most popular Pandora stations with AAPI listeners. 

It’s a K-Pop takeover 

K-pop has long since proven that it’s more than a music genre but an international, intergenerational force. This station is one of the many on Pandora dedicated to the genre, reaching 3.1M listeners and featuring some of the biggest names like KATSEYE, TWICE, and HUNTR/X from KPop Demon Hunters. Speaking of HUNTR/X, we saw +1M average weekly spins for the film in the month of August last year. 2 As we approach the one-year anniversary of the movie, the craze isn’t slowing down. At the 2026 Golden Globes, the movie was honored with two trophies for Best Animated Feature and Best Original Song for “Golden.” 

And here’s yet another reason to target K-pop listeners—they aren’t just major fans, they’re consistent—75% of K-pop listeners tune in to Pandora weekly. 3

Celebrate the girls with K-Pop Girl Groups 

This one’s for the girls. This genre is seeing many firsts, and women are paving the way. Rosé, a member of BLACKPINK, just made history this year as the first K-pop artist to win a Brit Award—earning the accolade for her hit with Bruno Mars “APT.” She’s proof that female K-pop stars are thriving as a group and also individually. Lisa of BLACKPINK also made history in 2025 as the first K-pop act to perform at Coachella three times. After her performance in the desert, we saw a +41% increase in station adds on Pandora. 2

When K-pop listeners are in the mood to listen to all-female groups, they come to this station, reaching 173K listeners. 2 Whether your campaign is targeting Women’s History Month, AAPI History Month, or any month in between, you can find some of today’s biggest female acts here like BLACKPINK, BABYMONSTER, Hearts2Hearts, IVE, and aespa.

Sing your heart out with K-Pop Boy Bands 

When listeners think of K-pop, BTS likely immediately comes to mind. The boy band helped pave the way for the music genre and bring it to a global stage. Today, many more K-pop boy bands have made their debut like ENHYPHEN, ATEEZ, EXO, and you can find them all on this station. 

While the station currently sets the beats for 121K listeners, we only expect this number to grow, especially with BTS’ comeback. After a four-year hiatus, BTS is making a full return with a new album and world tour in 2026. The announcement triggered the BTS Army in January, driving a 500K spike in Pandora spins for the group. 2

Mentally transport to an island with Hawaiian Reggae 

You might not be in the Pacific Islands, but this station takes you there sonically with hits from Fia, Bob Marley, Three Plus, Sons of Yeshua, and more. With a reach of 1.1M listeners, it’s one of the most-listened to stations in the Pandora Reggae & Caribbean category. 2  

Sweat it out with Bollywood Workout 

Put a Desi spin on your workouts with high-energy songs on this station, reaching 1M listeners and featuring artists like Sukhwhinder Singh, Panjabi MC, and more. 2 Streaming music and exercise go hand in hand, and our Pandora listeners prove it with 55% of them tuning in to music while exercising. 4 No matter your background (or if you can understand the lyrics), this station gives some extra motivation to add in one more rep or finish your set. 

This is just one of the many Bollywood stations on Pandora. Depending on your campaign, you can also advertise on Bollywood Love Songs, Contemporary Bollywood, or Classic Bollywood. 

Dance to hits from blockbuster films with Today’s Bollywood 

While there’s still a long way to go, Bollywood is slowly entering the mainstream in the US. Punjabi artist Diljit Dosanjh even made his debut appearance at the 2025 Met Gala. This station showcases some of the biggest hits from blockbuster films and appeals to the strong Indian diaspora in the US, reaching 276K listeners. 2 It’s here where you can find hit artists like Arijit Singh, Raghav, Mika Singh, Shaan, and more. 

Keep a pulse on what’s trending with Silk Wave 

For a taste of what’s trending, 66K listeners flock to this station. 2 AAPI artists and their fans aren’t limited to or defined by a single genre, and Silk Wave captures this perfectly. Featuring diverse genres like rap, neo-soul, lo-fi hip hop, and dream pop, and multi-faceted artists like Japanese Breakfast, Joji, and rei brown, this station helps illustrate why Asian Americans aren’t a homogenous group. 

Vibe to Electric Asia 

AAPI music frequently mixes with other genres, and this station shows the result, blending R&B, hip hop, and electric music. With a reach of 31K listeners, it features top artists like Rina Sawayama, ZHU, HEIZE, and j-hope. 2

Celebrate the fusion of AAPI music 

From the BTS Army, to BLINKs, to ATINY, we’re the destination for AAPI music superfans, with a reach of 1M listeners on Pandora. 5 We expect AAPI artists to continue breaking records, making headlines, and growing their fandoms—and we have a VIP seat to all the action. Remember, when you invest in AAPI listeners, you’re building connections with a diverse, undefinable group (and their $1.9T in buying power). 6 

When you’re ready to sponsor (and hit play) on one of the above Pandora stations, let’s chat. 

More ways to reach multicultural listeners with streaming audio