With Taylor Swift winning the highly acclaimed title of Artist of the Year, BTS receiving the Favorite Social Artist award and Black Panther being awarded for Favorite Soundtrack, the AMA’s was a magnificent success. The awards show was certainly a night meant to honor the work of many talented musicians and the efforts that these artists have made within the past year alone to produce brilliant content for music enthusiasts. Carrie Underwood’s emotional rendition of “Spinning Bottles” and Cardi B’s colorful show of “I Like It” accompanied by Bad Bunny & J Balvin were only two of the numerous memorable performances that delighted fans that night. One thing in particular that made the 2018 AMA’s truly special was the emphasis of diversity expressed on the red carpet. As exciting as it was to see some of the biggest names in the industry, it was also equally wonderful to see other artists be recognized. Several stars shared with us their thoughts on the need for diversity and female empowerment, especially in the music industry. Make sure to also check out our recap of the AMA’s red carpet for more highlights!
Chinese singer and actor, Kris Wu, spoke with us about how diversity is essential for a “healthy market.” He voiced, “Obviously, it’s so important. I feel like everything should be diverse, it should be universal. That’s how it should be. The market can only be healthy when there’s different types of people and music.” Having been active as a solo artist in China for a number of years, Kris Wu recently made his Hollywood debut in the 2017 film, xXx: Return of Xander Cage. From his already decorative career, Kris has gained an impressive fanbase that has reached a global scale. He will soon be releasing his first debut album, which will drop in approximately a month. After a partnership between Universal Music China and American and British production companies, Kris’ music will be released internationally, excluding Japan and Korea, and we’re so excited to hear what Kris has been up to musically.
California native, Tiffany Young made history as the first female K-Pop artist to walk the AMA’s red carpet. For Asian-Americans and the K-Pop industry especially, this was an incredible moment. Tiffany gave uplifting words to college women, encouraging each of us to “Be yourself. Express yourself…You’ll get to where you want to if you set your mind to it. That’s why I’m here where I am today. There is a beauty in every age, and it’s about embracing that beauty.” When asked why it is important for female artists to be recognized in the music industry Tiffany shared, “It’s been a long time coming. I am the first K-Pop female artist today and I just finished a decade celebration. It’s all about the hard work that we’ve done, and that we be recognized. I hope that this is just the first of many.” Tiffany Young has been active as a member of the popular Korean girl group known as Girls’ Generation since 2007. After a successful solo debut in Korea, she left SM Entertainment in 2017 and made her debut in America with her digital single, “Remember Me.” Upon signing with Paradigm Talent Agency, she released her first single album in the United States, “Over My Skin.” You can also catch her as the face of H&M during its 2018 fall campaign, having already seen her in several Instagram ads for the brand.
Bachelor franchise stars, Dean Unglert and Ben Higgins stopped by and expressed their support for Her Campus and for female artists in the industry. Ben even outed Dean as the Her Campus’ number one fan. Thanks Dean! When asked about the age-old debate “Taylor vs. Kanye,” they showed their admiration for Taylor Swift. Ben liked the vibes Taylor Swift was walking into the night with. Dean agreed adding, “She’s speaking up about political issues which is really important.” Gone are the days of Taylor’s being known to date men left and right as inspiration for writing sappy break-up songs. Now she has evolved into a mature woman aware of her influence over young people, and using that influence to speak out and inspire others to vote. You go T-Swizzle!
Trinidad-born pop opera singer and songwriter, Charisse Mills, insisted that “female empowerment is so important because right now, our voices are getting dimmed down. It’s so important to speak up.” She shared that she was looking forward to Taylor Swift’s performance because of the authenticity T-Swizzle projects in her music. Women supporting women, we stan ~
Makeup guru, YouTube sensation and now musician, Patrick Starr chatted with Her Campus and gave some inspirational words. He said, “I love how the AMAs and music celebrate diversity. To have someone as unconventional as me here, a man with makeup and putting on a dress, is just really special.” When asked about female empowerment, he declared, “Female empowerment is important because any of us would not be here if it weren’t for women carrying us for nine months and raising us to be who we are today. Women are strong, they are beautiful; they teach us how to love ourselves and are passionate. And I think women should be more appreciated in every sort of industry, music, fashion, corporate, in America. They have the respect that we have today.” We could not agree more.
If you want to see the interviews and snippets of your favorite stars in action, check out our Youtube video recapping our red carpet coverage. After speaking to this diverse group of celebrities, we could tell that the entertainment industry is truly changing for the better for their support of women and diversity, not only in the music industry, but also in politics and in corporate offices. Even if we didn’t get a chance to interview everyone, just seeing the ethnic and gender diversity walking on the red carpet that night was a testament of the positive direction the music industry is going towards. We have never felt as proud to be feminists as we have now, and we’re so glad that the rest of the world has finally woken up and is catching up.