When Taumata "Mata" Grey was growing up in Hawaii, there was always a guitar, a microphone, or a piano around the house. The youngest of four kids, there were musicians and entertainers in his Samoan family — including his dad, who would have preferred that his children stay away from the tough life of a traveling musician. 

Mata did not heed those warnings.

When his family moved to Southern California, he gravitated toward other musicians. Connecting through friends within the Orange County Pacific Islander community in college, Mata eventually teamed up with Samoan-born Hawaiian singer Sasualei "Jr. King" Maliga, Fiji-born bassist Ivan "Uncle Lui" Kirimaua, and L.A.-born Tongan drummer Jerome "Big Rome" Taito to form Common Kings. Together, they began creating reggae music with elements of pop, rock, hip-hop, and island music.

The group released two EPs in 2013, toured as a support act for Justin Timberlake’s 20/20 Experience World Tour in 2014, then released another EP in 2015. Songs from those EPs were Top 10 hits on Billboard’s reggae charts. Their 2017 debut full-length album, Lost in Paradise, earned a GRAMMY nomination for Best Reggae Album.

On Aug. 25, Common Kings will release their sophomore album, Celebration, which features GRAMMY winner Kabaka Pyramid, J Boog and other friends. "This is our proudest piece we’ve ever done," Grey declares.

GRAMMY.com recently spoke with members of the Common Kings over Zoom about their new album, upcoming fall tour, and history as friends and bandmates.

"Celebration," the first single from your forthcoming album, is an anthem for friendship, nostalgia, and seizing the moment. How did those feelings and themes shape the new album?

Mata Grey: We’re all about celebrating life and happiness, and all we've been through as a band. It’s been 10 years-plus that we’ve been together. This album is about coming full circle, celebrating what we’ve done as a band. "Celebration" is a great graduation song, or for any celebration people are having in life. This is our celebration tour.

Ivan Kirimaua: We’ve forged our own little path as four Polynesian boys, and now we tour with groups like Slightly Stoopid and Meghan Trainor, and we’re friends with Stephen Marley. 

But we don’t take any of this lightly. We can branch out and do different things musically, but when people hear us, they know it's Common Kings. We’re celebrating all that we’ve done these last 10 years together.

What specific goals did you have for this second album?

Kirimaua: We went to Miami and had a writing camp. We ended up with this body of work that we didn’t actually plan, but it all fit in naturally.

Grey: Our good friend [GRAMMY-nominated producer and songwriter] Poo Bear had just moved to Miami, and Miami was popping. We just got an AirBnb, made writing stations, and banged away for about 18 months. We wrote 120 songs, then picked about 22 or 24. This is our proudest piece we’ve ever done.

You also recorded in Southern California, Hawaii and Nashville. Why so much moving around?

Grey: It was an experience like no other. We reached out to a lot of writers, artists and producers. We would spend a week or so at a studio or house, set up three or four recording stations, then mix and match melodies. We used cult classic films as inspiration and it kind of morphed — not just island reggae but also into rock. 

We made our mark of what our sound is with the first album, so we said let's put our foot forward and push the envelope sonically a little bit. There was lots of experimenting. 

You mentioned cult classic films helped inspire you. How so, and which ones?

Grey: It really helped to go into these writing camps with some kind of game plan. We brought in elements of The Last Dragon, Tommy Boy, Reservoir Dogs, Kill Bill — any Tarantino film. We’d find some kind of hook, or a line, or riff, and run with it. 

Kirimaua: If you hang out with us, we are constantly cracking jokes and dropping lines from movies.

Poo Bear is one of Justin Bieber’s main collaborators. He’s also collaborated with Usher, Mariah Carey and many others. What is it like to work with him, and how did he help you get the album to where you wanted it to be?

Grey: There's only a few people we’ve been so amazed at. We just trip out on his talent. He is so quick to come up with catchy word play or a melody, and piece it together. He can make a hit record in 30 minutes. You’re just looking at him, trying to understand. He makes it look so easy.

Kirimaua: In the music biz, there are levels. Like in football, there are elite champion athletes who can eat a cheeseburger and drink a coke and score a bunch of touchdowns in their sleep, and then there are guys on the bench who have to count calories, just hoping to see some playing time. If you have pride or big headedness, there is a 99.9999 percent failure rate in music.

Grey: We’re the guys who have to count calories. Poo Bear and Meghan Trainor are eating cheeseburgers. 

You’re being humble. You’ve worked hard to get to where you’re at.

Kirimaua: No team is great unless they have great leadership and a great front office. We have been blessed with Tua [Tautua Reed, Island Empire CMO and artist manager]. He’s a different breed. He played football in high school, and their coach before every game would scare the s— out of them that they were going to lose, that they were going to embarrass themselves. They would over-prepare and blow out teams. 

The concept is that you can lose it all at any minute. That’s how we are. Knowing it could all end tomorrow. That’s been the last 10 years.

Grey: We trust each other and trust the process. No egos. We’re a band of brothers first. We’re grateful to do what we love.

Kirimaua: All four of us come from strong families who raised us to always be respectful, the Polynesian way. The highest form of respect in Polynesian culture is respect and service. We are in service to each other and the people around us. We pride ourselves on that.

**Your first album, Lost in Paradise, was nominated for a GRAMMY. What was that like for you?**

Kirimaua: We were in this 100-year-old haunted hotel in Grand Junction [Colorado] when we got the call, at like 3 in the morning. Forever, we will always have that [GRAMMY]. It became something for us to live up to. There’s a certain expectation. People are in for an experience. For us, we knew we had to step it up. 

Grey: We were like, OK we made the team, now let’s not lose our spot.

Let’s talk about the early days of the band. You were friends from college in Orange County. What was happening in your lives at that time?

Grey: I started jamming around 13, playing in church. I was working at a hotel, at a Claim Jumper [Steakhouse & Bar]. The other guys were working as a notary, as a paralegal, doing database stuff. I met everyone in the band through friends at Orange Coast College and UC Irvine. We started entering battle of the bands competitions on the college circuit and won them. We started getting gigs through MySpace and Craigslist.

How did Orange County and Southern California help shape your sound?

Grey: My brother was in bands while in college, and he heard a small band from Long Beach called Sublime. We were both like, we don’t know what this is. It’s not exactly reggae, not quite rock. He let me listen to their album 40 oz To Freedom, at 13 and it blew my mind. 

I grew up on Jim Croce, Michael McDonald, the Doobie Brothers. We were like these bass lines sound like reggae but I think that dude is white. Then we got into Pennywise, Bob Marley, Toots and the Maytals. For us, reggae was a big part of us as people, but we were like, how can we be our own fusion band?

Kirimaua: I grew up listening to Ozomatli and Buena Vista Social Club. Jerome loved 311. Between all of us and our musical influences, we just really needed to be directed. Tua told us there’s your artist hat, and then there’s your "how can I do this for the rest of your life" hat. He said it has to be about what you're able to make people feel when they come see you. 

Grey: We did everything backwards. Usually you create a fanbase, then release albums. For us, we released one single, went on tour for that one single and played a bunch of covers. We played 45-minute sets.

Now you’re touring this Fall with Steel Pulse, a British reggae band who was the first non-Jamaican group to win a GRAMMY for Best Reggae Album. 

Grey: When I heard [1982 Steel Pulse album] True Democracy, I was like who is this? They are my favorite reggae band of all time. [Steel Pulse founder and singer] David Hinds was a big inspiration to help mold us. When we got the call that Steel Pulse agreed to be the support act, I lost it. I was like, are you kidding me?

When you have one of the bands you grew up with open for you on your tour? That’s the epitome of all the hard work, a sign of what you’ve done right. No better feeling.

What’s next after the Fall tour? What are your goals for 2024?

Kirimaua: We’re gonna focus on enjoying where we are. We’ll go back to releasing singles and collab with as many people as we can and just not be stressing. We’ve literally been running for 10 years, focused on shows, nonstop war-room conference calls till 3 a.m., talking about what’s next. This album will dictate what happens in 2024. We’re looking forward to going back in the studio to work, do more collabs, and just celebrate.

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Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders (AAPI) have made strides in the music industry for many years. Every year, more AAPIs enter executive roles in the industry, increasing their visibility and impact.

Artists in the Asian and Pacific Islander diaspora — including Silk Sonic (Bruno Mars and Anderson.Paak), Olivia Rodrigo, and H.E.R. — have graced the stage and won golden gramophones at Music's Biggest Night. During 2024 GRAMMY Week, the Recording Academy collaborated with Gold House and Pacific Bridge Arts Foundation to create the Gold Music Alliance, a program designed to foster meaningful connections and elevate the impact of Pan-Asian members and allies within the Academy and wider music industry. 

Yet, AAPI groups are significantly underrepresented in the music industry. Pacific Islanders are often forgotten when it comes to lists and industry due to their smaller percentage in the population.

Despite the lack of representation, social media and streaming platforms have introduced fans to new and rising artists such as Chinese American pop singer Amber Liu, Japanese American singer/songwriter Mitski, and Hawaiian native Iam Tongi. Others are showcasing their sound on the festival circuit, as San Francisco-based indie rocker Tanukichan and Korean American guitarist NoSo did at last year's Outside Lands festival. With AAPI-led music festivals, such as 88 Rising’s Head in the Clouds and Pacific Feats Festival, artists in this community are given opportunities to exhibit their talent and, often, their heritage. 

For many emerging artists, a like, reshare, or subscribe can help them gain the attention of mainstream studios and bolster tour attendance. So, in honor of Asian American Pacific Islander Heritage Month, check out these 10 up-and-coming AAPI artists performing everything from pop to soulful R&B and EDM. 

Alex Aiono

Maori-Samoan American singer Alex Aiono moved to Los Angeles from Phoenix at 14 to pursue a music career. After going viral for his mashup of Drake's "One Dance" and Nicky Jam’s "Hasta el Amanecer," Aiono now has over 5.73 million YouTube subscribers. He was then cast in several popular films and television series, including Netflix’s Finding Ohana, Disney Channel’s "Doogie Kameāloha, M.D.," and "Pretty Little Liars: Original Sin."

But, for the 28-year-old R&B/pop singer, music has always been his calling. Aiono released several singles and, in 2020, a full-length album, The Gospel at 23. Inspired by his experience in Hollywood and his relationship with his religion (as a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints), The Gospel at 23 plays on the simplicity of a piano, drums, tambourine, and a choir, beautifully fusing modern soul with the old-fashioned gospel. Since then, the artist has released tender medleys – with his most recent heartbreaking single "Best of Me."

"I view this as a very, very lucky life that I get to express myself and that's my job," he told AZ Central. "My quote-unquote job."

Alex Ritchie

L.A.-based singer/songwriter Alex Ritchie has been honest about her journey as a queer mixed-Asian woman in the industry. The Filipino-Japanese-Spanish artist said she was constantly overlooked or told she wouldn’t be commercial enough in the American music industry.

"I’m the only musician in my family, and I came from a family of humble means; so even though I had conviction in what I wanted from a young age, it wasn’t realistic," Ritchie told GRAMMY.com in 2019. said. "Pursuing something like entertainment was so risky. I couldn’t afford to fail. We couldn’t afford to dream like that. BUT I had unrealistic dreams anyway, and after my first gig at the Whisky I knew that was it."

Ritchie has been thriving in the industry, becoming the youngest sitting committee member in the history of the Recording Academy’s Los Angeles Chapter, advocating for LGBTQ+ and Asian American representation in music. After her experience with GRAMMYU in 2019, the alternative rock singer released 404 EP and several sultry singles, including a melodious and fervent love song, "Blueprint," released this January. Ritchie plans on releasing more music and on her terms. 

"Time and people have finally caught up with the vision that I always had for myself, even if they didn’t see it before," Ritchie tells the Recording Academy. "One of the things I’m most proudest of is that I never really changed. I’ve stayed exactly who I am to the core. I think when you do that and when you realize there’s no one else like you, you become the most powerful person in the room."

Audrey English

**You may not have heard of Audrey English, but you have heard her music on "America’s Got Talent," "American Idol," and Netflix’s "Love Is Blind." Her songs are featured on the shows during the most prominent moments of the contestants’ lives on screen: In "AGT" and "American Idol," English’s rendition of "Lean On Me" played during golden buzzer moments and emotional arcs; er song "Mama Said" went viral after being played during Ad and Clay’s wedding scene in season 6 of "Love Is  Blind."

Inspired by Etta James, Nina Simone, and Amy Winehouse, the Samoan American artist swoons audiences with her soulful, powerful tone with songs that focus on relationships, empowerment, and love. English also showcases her culture in her videos; in the music video for her harrowing ballad "Happy," English featured the beauty of Samoa alongside a Samoan romantic love interest. She hopes one day to write a Samoan song. 

In her latest single "Unapologetic," released on April 25, English wrote the song as an anthem for others to live without shame. "In a world where we are so influenced by others, social media, and being our own worst critics - sometimes we need to take a step back to realize it all doesn’t really matter," English wrote on Instagram. "Regardless of your beliefs, background, and passions, this is a call to be authentically you, however, you define that!"

Brooke Alexx

**Brooke Alexx’s bubblegum pop personality is infectious, and her catchy hooks, including her latest pop-rock single, "Hot Like You," are fit for everyone’s summer playlist.

Alexx has never shied away from revealing intimate parts of her life. The Japanese American artist writes her music from her experiences as the oldest child, being best friends with her exes’ moms, and her connection to her Asian roots. 

In her 2022 gentle ballad, "I’m Sorry, Tokyo," Alexx reveals the shame she once felt for not wanting to learn about her Japanese heritage, as well as the guilt she feels for never learning the language and culture. "There’s so much about the culture that I don’t know and missed out on that would be so cool to be a part of my life now," Alexx told Mixed Asian Media. "So, I’m trying to return to those roots a little bit these days."

She is now making up for lost time. Alexx embraces her Japanese heritage and will visit the country in August with a select group of fans. 

Curtis Waters

Curtis Waters doesn’t care for commercial success. Despite going viral on TikTok in 2020 for his raunchy, satirical, catchy song "Stunnin," the Nepalese Canadian-American alt-pop artist was unhappy with his career trajectory.

"I made some songs that I don’t fully love, hoping they would catch the same success as 'Stunnin’," Waters told Atwood Magazine. "But doing that made me depressed, so I had to stop and remind myself why I started making music in the first place."

Water's new album, Bad Son, was released on March 27. His press release says it is "a true immigrant story, a reflection on a young, brown creative being thrown into the mainstream overnight while navigating deep issues of self-doubt and cultural identity along the way."  

Waters didn’t intend to share his immigrant story but struck inspiration as a way to cope emotionally and be honest with himself. Filled with high-energy beats, elements of indie rock, and experimental hip-hop, Waters reveals an ardent part of himself through his breathy vocals and introspective tracks.

Emily Vu 

Vietnamese American pop singer Emily Vu has accomplished much in her 22 years: She amassed over 1.2 million followers on TikTok, her song "Changes" was featured in the 2023 Netflix film A Tourist’s Guide to Love, and is part of the Mastercard Artist Accelerator program. Her catchy pop tunes, including the recently released single "Heartsick," are inspired by personal moments in her life.

Vu has always been open and sure about her identity as a queer Asian woman. She came out in her 2020 music video for "Just Wait," which featured numerous women symbolizing her previous relationships. "The music video reflects how my past relationships are still burdens to me and how I still carry those experiences with me wherever I am," Vu told Stanford Daily, "I see myself being really happy with my life in a few years. I want to be happy with all that I’ve been doing and all the people I’m around."

Four years later, Vu still releases music and captivating fans on TikTok with her earthy vocals and angelic covers. Vu tells her followers on TikTok, "I just want to let you all know that I’m back. I’m going to be annoying you all every single day until I get bored."

Etu

Fijian American artist Etu is ready for the new era of the island industry, which is expanding far beyond island reggae and into different genres. "We got artists who do pop, R&B, and country. We’re going to embrace the things we bring into this," the island pop singer told Island Mongul.

Inspired by artists like Ed Sheeran, John Mayer, and Fiji, etu's hypnotic and haunting vocals fuse beautifully with traditional island music. The dreamy track "Au Domoni Iko" ("I love you" in Fijian), from his 2022 EP Spring Break, lays smooth harmonies over Fijian beats. The EP itself is filled with memorable melodies, upbeat pop styles, and uplifting lyrics. 

Etu has released singles for the past two years, including island renditions of Cyndi Lauper’s "True Colors" and Rihanna’s "Lift Me Up" in February. He’s set to release his debut album, SZN I,this summer. 

Etu believes Pacific Islanders are on the cusp of greatness in the music industry. "This is our moment right now," he continued to Island Mogul. "We’re moving into this era, in this season, where we get to make history… Come join this part of history or they're gonna tell it for us."

Myra Molloy

Thai American singer and actress Myra Molloy was merely 13 years old when she won "Thailand's Got Talent." She continued working in Thailand on Broadway productions and landed in the Top 6 of ABC’s Rising Star. As she pursued a music degree from Berklee College of Music, she found her love for music production and songwriting.

In 2021, Molloy dropped the sweet acoustic "stay." During the pandemic, she decided to apply the skills she acquired from college to her EP, unrequited. Released in November 2023, the album blends Molloy's soulful vocals with organic and electronic dance beats. It also marks her producing debut. 

"The hardest part for me was overcoming this impostor syndrome that I couldn’t be a producer (who was taken seriously, haha)," Molloy told Melodic Magazine. "Or that I wasn’t good enough to put out music I self-produced. I always give myself a hard time. But I feel like once I got into this "flow state," things just kind of came to me very quickly and naturally, and I would come out of a producing trance. Top ten best feelings."

As an AAPI advocate, Molloy has long called for more inclusion in television, film, and music. "I just want to see more. We are coming along slowly, but I want that to be faster. It should be more. I just want to see people taking more initiative." 

Shreea Kaul 

R&B singer Shreea Kaul embraces her Indian heritage by fusing her silky falsetto and soulful pitch with South Asian and Bollywood sounds. Her "Tere Bina" and its accompanying music video are heavily influenced by her cultural upbringing.

Kaul wanted to be a crossover artist for Western and Indian audiences but found the lack of foundation for South Asian music challenging. 

"There's so much power in community, especially in the South Asian community. We stick together. We support one another. The talent is undeniable. It's only a matter of time before people are going to catch on," she said on the "DOST" podcast. "What a lot of platforms are doing right now by bringing South Asian talent to the map is exactly what we need. So I've been trying to get myself into these spaces or just be around the community more because that's what it's going to take."

On her 2021 single "Ladke" (Hindi for "boys"), Kaul contacted fellow South Asian singer REHMA to collaborate on the song. The harmonious R&B track smoothly fuses Western elements with South Asian languages. Kaul received an overwhelmingly positive response for the song, which motivated her to keep going.

"There’s a spot in the market for artists like myself—for South Asian artists, in general," says Kaul. "Whatever degree of South Asian you want to be and incorporate into your music, there’s space for it."

ZHU

Chinese American experimental EDM music producer ZHU recorded his fourth studio album inside the historic Grace Cathedral. Released in March and fittingly titled Grace, it blends trap, gospel, dance, rock, and pop with synths, organs, and strings to create a sinister, sensual tone that perfectly complements his signature sultry vocals.

Grace pays homage to the legacy of the Bay Area and its impact on his life. "The recording of this project, as well as the whole purpose and design and visuals, has a lot of tribute to [San Francisco] thematically. I think a lot of people don’t even know that I grew up there," ZHU told EDM Identity.  

At the end of the recording, ZHU and his team donned black cloaks and held a concert in the cathedral, sharing the new album with thousands of lucky fans who could attend. Like the symbolism of the cathedral, ZHU’s album represented the themes of religion and his connection to home.

"I’ve never really shared a part of the city, but I think it’s time to pay some tribute to some of the great influences that have come through the area," says ZHU. 

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GRAMMY-winner Bruno Mars announced on Instagram today the very special guests he has lined up to replace rapper Cardi B to support him on the last leg of his tour, with a charmingly low-budget video.

While Cardi will be missed, Mars plans to finish up the final months of his tour with a stellar supporting cast. Fellow GRAMMY-winners Boyz II Men and Ciara will join the lineup, along with GRAMMY-nominee Charlie Wilson and up-and-comer Ella Mai for select dates, plus The Green and Common Kings at his three final shows in his hometown of Honolulu.

Mars has already been around the globe once with his 24K Magic World Tour, which began in March 2017, and is set to close out the last round of North American dates starting this September in Denver and ending in November in Honolulu. Cardi was set to spend the rest of the tour with him, but withdrew to spend more time with her new baby; she will now be headlining Mala Luna Festival in October.

To purchase tickets, and for more information on who will be supporting Mars on which dates, go to his website.

Catching Up On Music News Powered By The Recording Academy Just Got Easier. Have A Google Home Device? "Talk To GRAMMYs"

The members of reggae band Common Kings — Grey Taumata, Lui Kirimaua, Sasualei "JR King" Maliga, and Jerome Taito — hail from a variety of birthplaces across the South Pacific, and in their youths were united geographically by growing up in Southern California's Orange county. This year, their debut album, Lost In Paradise, has earned the band its first-ever career GRAMMY nomination for Best Reggae Album, and the quartet couldn't be more excited.

 "We got a call at 5:30 in the morning. I made the biggest noise, I ran up the stairs," explains bassist Kirimaua of the moment they found out about the nomination. "I clearly did not respect the sleep of anybody else in that hotel," he jokes. (The band was out on tour at the time in support of Matisyahu.)

When questioned about the album that earned them their first nomination, the Common Kings sung the praises of superstar producer Poo Bear, who took an interest in their sound and helped guide the record across the finish line.

"There's a lotta love and a lotta heart that went into that project," Kirimaua explains.  "We spent some late, late nights. … [Poo Bear and his team the Audibles] didn't have to do that, but they did."

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On the subject of where they might keep their GRAMMY statuettes should they win, the band members have some different ideas. Kirimaua and lead singer Maliga both seem content to keep their awards on their pillows next to their heads while they sleep — "on a golden pillow," King interjects.

 Lead guitarist Grey, meanwhile, has plans similar to those of Best Remixed Recording GRAMMY nominee Latroit — mounting his GRAMMY Award on a gold chain and wearing it around his neck at all times, "like Flavor Flav!"

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Boasting more than 250 60th GRAMMY Awards nominees, the Recording Academy's Los Angeles Chapter hosted a celebration brunch to remember on Jan. 20.

The event, which was held at Fig & Olive restaurant in West Hollywood, Calif., was attended by many GRAMMY nominees to celebrate their latest GRAMMY accomplishments.

Diane Warren, who is nominated this year as a songwriter for Common and Andra Day's "Stand Up For Something," was in attendance. Also out to celebrate was R&B singer/songwriter Ledisi, who is up for Best R&B Performance ("High"), Best Traditional R&B Performance ("All The Way") and Best R&B Album (Let Love Rule). Lisa Loeb, who is nominated for Best Children's Album for Feel What U Feel, and La La Land composer Justin Hurwitz, who is nominated for three GRAMMYs, also made appearances.

Best Reggae Album nominees Common Kings, production collective the Stereotypes (Bruno Mars) and many others were also on hand to toast fellow nominees.