They deck themselves with heavy makeup, dress in dramatic clothing, and style their hair with a full bottle of gel. Sometimes it’s hard to tell if the male artists are really men, but these are the musicians that are bringing a new sound to America.

And they are gaining popularity.

Japanese, Korean, and Taiwanese music is finding more fans among Americans. Although most people do not understand what the artists are saying, they listen because of the different sound. “[I] absorb myself in the melody and the beat. Every other tiny aspect of a song that gets overlooked when you understand what they’re saying,” says junior Steven Sites.

The music industry in Asia is very different from the American music industry. Says junior Jeanne Del Balzo, “Now you look for female artists and there’s not one you could really look up to without [her] being a [promiscuous] person…in Asian music female artists don’t feel they need to bare all.”

In a Japanese style called “visual kei,” artists concentrate a lot on their visual appearances. Some “visual kei” male artists wear dresses, heavy makeup, and wild hairstyles. Says junior Charlotte Suh, “It’s amazing because in America [that] makeup and style of clothing is so radical; [in Asia] they’re more open-minded.”

By going on YouTube or other websites, fans can get translations. “Japanese lyrics are usually more depressing than American lyrics but Japanese artists write their own lyrics and... are usually more poetic,” says Sites. “American lyrics tend to be overly straightforward and sexual [while] Japanese lyricists try and have an actual point to their songs.”

American fans still find that Asian music has deeper meanings than American music. Says junior Mireille Pasago, “American music is a lot about sex and money and all that gangster stuff.”

Adds sophomore Gloria Nhan, “The songs that foreign people write [are more] pure than American lyrics.”

Girls fall in love with all the boy bands. “I think Korean guys are really, really pretty,” says Del Balzo.

Many Korean male artists turn to plastic surgery so they’ll look more feminine. “Japanese male artists look better,” adds Suh, “they pull it off and look better than girls.”

If you like pop, try Korean pop artists like DBSK, Big Bang, and BoA or Japanese pop bands, such as Ayumi Hamasaki and UVERworld. If you like rock, try Japanese rock bands L’arc en ciel and Nightmare. If you like hardcore rock, then try Dir en grey, Gackt, and the Gazette. After all, there is something for everyone in the world of Asian music.