(Photo Credit: Senya Zhang Studio)
Los Angeles, CA: 20 year-old pop music artist and Los Angeles native WILL JAY proudly announces the May 12 release of his brand new single/video, “Leading Man.” With this song, WILL hopes to start a long-overdue conversation about the “whitewashing” of Asian American in U.S. pop culture. Private link to single: "Leading Man"
“Whitewashing” refers to the casting of a white performer in an Asian role. Current examples of this trend include Scarlett Johansson in “Ghost in the Shell,” Matt Damon in “The Great Wall,” Tilda Swinton in “Doctor Strange,” and Finn Jones in “Iron Fist.”
WILL JAY is sure to reach a substantial number of people with this message. As of this month, he has 119,000+ Instagram followers, 92,000+ Twitter fans, 76,000+ YouTube followers and 51,000+ likes on Facebook.
“Frank Sinatra meets Frank Ocean” is probably how to best describe WILL JAY’s sound. Half Chinese and half German, WILL has been working in the entertainment business since he was a pre-teen and has always been at a loss finding Asian leading men/role models to look up to.
“The bottom line is that representation matters,” WILL explains. “I've had people tell me that America isn't ready for an Asian-looking singer since I was 11 years old. I can count on one hand how many Asian Americans I've seen make a name for themselves in the US as viable recording artists. I’ve decided to stop looking at my race as a hindrance, and instead as an opportunity to connect with the 17 million Asian Americans who need someone to champion. I've seen numerous high-profile Asian American actors speak out about whitewashing and, as a musician, I want to be a part of that movement.”
The catchy and upbeat “Leading Man” seems at first to be about a guy telling a girl he’s better than her boyfriend. However, on a deeper level, it’s about how there are virtually no Asian leading men and that he’s ready to sing and dance himself right into the role. “Try me out, I swear I'll deliver/Soon you'll see in me there's a future/So pay attention, I've paid all my dues/I'm what you're looking for, nice to meet you.”
The video shows WILL auditioning for a role, not getting it, then transforming himself into an over-exaggerated version of a typical blonde/blue-eyed all-American guy. He explains, “I think every Asian American entertainer asks themselves, if they were white, would they have more opportunities? This video is me creating a visual for that thought. It's not against white people at all; it’s simply a message to the entertainment industry. By making myself look white in a comical manner, I'm hoping that illustrates how bizarre it is that Hollywood still casts white actors and actresses in parts that belong to Asians in 2017.”
This is such a timely conversation to be had, and it’s even more profound coming from someone so young and who has experienced this issue personally. WILL’s youthful and fresh perspective has the potential to not only bring this issue into the light on a national level, but also to give young up and coming Asian American performers renewed hope that they can really succeed in doing what they love.
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For more information, please contact:
Lesley Zimmerman * Lesley Z Media
310-351-8961 * lesley@lesleyzmediapr.com
