Largest All-Asian Lineup at SXSW, FRIENDS:FOREVER Headlined by thuy & SE SO NEON

Asian-owned American entertainment company Jaded is pleased to announce FRIENDS:FOREVER, the largest Asian-centric music event in official partnership with South by Southwest® Music Festival (SXSW®). Vietnamese-American singer-songwriter thuy and Seoul-based indie rock trio SE SO NEON will be headlining the historic two-day event, alongside singer and rapper AUDREY NUNA and alt-pop artist REI AMI. 

FRIENDS:FOREVER will be held on March 14 and 15 at the iconic Empire Control Room & Garage in Austin, Texas. The highly curated lineup features over 40 of the best emerging and independent artists from across Asia and the diaspora. 

This year, Jaded will be exclusively hosting performances (and for many, their US debut) by several emerging and established artists, including dance-pop singer and producer Shelhiel from Malaysia, indie singer-songwriter Su Lee from South Korea, R&B and hip-hop producer STUTS from Japan, Korean hip-hop group 1300 from Australia, and rave collective Nhạc Gãy from Vietnam. Also making appearances are California-based Punjabi violinist and producer Raaginder, Indonesian indie pop band Reality Club, Singaporean indie rock outfit Subsonic Eye, and more. 

“FRIENDS:FOREVER is a celebration of youth and connection through the shared love of music. We are proud to present a new generation of artists who are changing the global music landscape, and who are breaking cultural barriers with their creativity and talent.” says Jing Wang, Founder and CEO of Jaded. 

thuy

SE SO NEON

Reality Club

AUDREY NUNA

Subsonic Eye

Raaginder

"We're super stoked to be joining Jaded in celebrating music at FRIENDS:FOREVER. We'd love to represent not only Indonesia but the Southeast Asian region at SXSW. Our style of music is quite varied and we dabble in different genres so we're sure we'll take you guys for quite a ride. We're looking forward to having a ball, making new friends, and just celebrating music."– Faiz Novascotia Saripudin, Reality Club

“At FRIENDS:FOREVER, I’ll be introducing to America a brand new Shelhiel that’s never been seen.” – Shelhiel

“Performing at SXSW has been a goal of mine as far as I can remember. It’s special to have this opportunity through a platform that champions Asian artists. We are a people with a rich history and unique perspective. To be able to showcase this is a blessing.” – Raaginder

"It's cool that even though the main source of inspiration for most bands based in Asia is the stuff from the West, we've found a way to vernacularise it and make it our own. So stoked that thanks to the likes of Jaded we've got opportunities to show what we got." – Subsonic Eye

Jaded’s third SXSW event follows the success of last year’s ‘Tiger Den’—the first full-day event in SXSW history to exclusively feature artists from across the Asian region and the diaspora—headlined by alternative K-pop group Balming Tiger, who took home the 2023 Grulke Prize for Developing Non-U.S. Act, and also featured performances by 18 musical acts including LØREN, Tohji, CIFIKA, Shye, and more.

This year’s inaugural FRIENDS:FOREVER continues to build on Jaded’s mission to champion and empower Asian artists on the world stage as catalysts for driving global culture. Jaded recognizes the transformative influence wielded by the younger generation in shaping the cultural narrative, and are committed to providing them with the platform and resources to make a lasting impact.