As a child, I listened to mostly Bollywood songs and Barney (yes, the purple dinosaur). My obsession with Aaron Carter, Britney Spears, and boy bands caught on once I started school and was exposed to what other kids my age were listening to. A Hispanic friend in elementary school introduced me to Latin American and Reggaeton music, while I didn't join the Kpop fandom well until college. Nowadays, I'm constantly on the lookout for new music from rising artists, as well as mainstream ones. Along the way of my journey with music, I made some realizations about why it's important to listen to music from around the world.

1. Understanding Other Cultures

Radha Kaise Na Jale from Lagaan

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Exposing yourself to music from other countries can help you understand more about that country and its people. Listening to artists from other countries opens the gateway to watching music videos from them that can showcase traditions and events from that artist's home country. Going to concerts of an artist from another part of the world can be a learning experience since the crowd of concert-goers can have a different vibe and the artist could have a different way of expressing themselves on stage. For example. I recently went to a concert for a popular Korean group, BigBang, and when the concert started, I realized that they did not have an opening act, which is something that I was accustomed to with Western artists. Overall, it's a less expensive way of learning about a place than visiting it and it can make the world seem like a smaller place if you have access to foreign music.

I hope this encourages you to explore the world through music and expand your song collection!