Looking back at Taiwan Beats Showcases 2024-2025 (Solo artist edition)

Author: YSOLIFE

 

Taiwan’s musicians have been making waves on the international scene in recent years. Through the Taiwan Beats Showcase initiative, many Taiwanese acts have found valuable opportunities to perform at international showcase festivals, giving a good account of themselves to foreign music industry professionals and audiences alike.

In this article, we look at some of the artists who have participated in the Taiwan Beats Showcase initiative in 2024 and 2025, and explore how they have fared since.

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Andr (Bedroom pop)

*Photo source: 文策院 Taiwan Creative Content Agency

Bedroom pop artist Andr is one of the brightest young talents in Taiwan. This March, she took part in the Taiwan Beats Showcase at SXSW Austin in March 2025, performing at the iconic Seven Grand bar alongside other Taiwanese acts, impressing audiences with her US debut.

Andr’s debut album “shhh, it’s under my bed” was well-received from music critics and fans alike, with songs like “i don’t lose sleep anymore” and “毛線球少女 Yarn” performing especially well, and her collaborative single “Swapping Socks” with Thai singer mindfreakkk catching attention internationally.

Since her US debut, Andr has been nominated for the “Best Newcomer” award for the prestigious Golden Melody Awards, recognising her one of the most exciting new talents in Taiwan. In her home country, she has also continued to thrive, with her first headline show at Legacy Taipei in May, a critical milestone for Taiwanese musicians. She also performed at Megaport Festival (大港開唱) in Kaohsiung, one of the biggest music festivals in Taiwan.

 

陳嫺靜 Hsien Ching (Hip-hop)

*Photo source: 文化部影視及流行音樂產業局 The Bureau of Audiovisual and Music Industry Development

Off the release of her debut album “If we can be happy happy every day, who wants to be sad (如果每天都可以 happy happy 誰想要sad:)))”, rapper 陳嫺靜 Hsien Ching also participated in the Taiwan Beats Showcase at SXSW Austin this March alongside other exciting Taiwanese acts. With her new album, the jovial rapper quickly caught attention with her titular songs, as well as other upbeat tracks like “Wui229” and “New notes”, which showcase her unique flow, distinguishing her from other rappers.

Back in Taiwan, she caught attention from international streaming platform Spotify, being selected as their EQUAL artist in April, a global initiative aimed at spotlighting women musicians. This year, she will also feature across many festivals in Taiwan, including Carnival Fever (赤聲躁動音樂祭) in May, as well as Chillout Fest (秋OUT音樂節) and Vagabond Festival (浪人祭) in October. In August, 陳嫺靜 Hsien Ching will also be performing alongside 雲端司機 Cloudriver in Hong Kong for the first time.

 

舒米恩 Suming Rupi (Indigenous Folk)

*Photo source: 文策院 Taiwan Creative Content Agency

Veteran indigenous folk musician 舒米恩 Suming Rupi was the representative for Taiwan’s unique indigenous community at Big Sound Festival 2024 held in Brisbane, Australia. With its own rich aboriginal culture, Australian audiences were treated to a rare moment of cultural exchange when 舒米恩 Suming brought his music inspired by his indigenous roots and languages in front of them.

This year, 舒米恩 Suming has continued bridging international relations between Taiwan and Australia, directing a theatre performance “Gapu Ŋupan (Chasing The Rainbow)”, a cross-cultural collaboration that weaves together Yolŋu longlines from North East Arnhem Land with storytelling by Paiwan (排灣族) artists from Taiwan. The performance debuted on 27 February at Playhouse Arts Center in Melbourne.

To learn more about 舒米恩 Suming and his indigenous influences, definitely check out his songs in his mother tongue, such as “Aka pisawad” and “Halafinto caay ka sasoaraw kita”.

 

羅妍婷 YenTing Lo (Jazz)

*Photo source: 文策院 Taiwan Creative Content Agency

Jazz singer-songwriter 羅妍婷 YenTing Lo was given the opportunity to showcase her unique vocals and music to the Australian audience as part of the lineup at SXSW Sydney, exhibiting her works such as “A Winter Song”, “The Forest and Today‘s My Day”.

Since her performance in Sydney, the artist has also received global recognition from multiple sources, including receiving a Gold medal from Global Music Awards for her 2019 album "Epiphyllum (葉片之上)", and an interview from underground music e-zine Aldora Britain Records. This year, her song “Dunes (沙丘)”, also received a nomination for the “Best Lyrics” award at the Golden Melody Awards for Traditional Arts and Music.

 

持修 Chih Siou (Pop)

*Photo source: 文化部影視及流行音樂產業局 The Bureau of Audiovisual and Music Industry Development

Singer-songwriter 持修 Chih Siou has been making waves since his debut after he clinched the “Best Newcomer” award at the Golden Melody Awards. In March 2024, he participated in the Taiwan Beats Showcase at SXSW Austin, bringing his bright vocals to the Western world for the first time. In the same festival, he also played at the Jaded’s FRIENDS:FOREVER showcase, where he was part of an exciting Asian-based lineup that included artists like Audrey Nuna, Rei Ami and SE SO NEON.

This year, he dropped his third full-length album “SOU (受)”, an album about love, heartbreak and loss, which has been lauded for its tracks like “TBH (有一說一)” and “One more time (再一次就好)”. He also played at the iconic Taipei Music Center in late April, and embarked on his first-ever journey across Asia in Tokyo and Singapore. In September, he will also be returning to Singapore as part of the One Love Asia Festival.

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With participation from artists of all genres, the Taiwan Beats Showcases have been successful in introducing Taiwanese music all over the world and across continents, putting these talented artists in front of fans and music industry professionals alike. In the next article, we will explore some Taiwanese bands that have been a part of these showcases in 2024 and 2025, and how they have developed since then. Stay tuned!