Putting the L in LGBT Music: Denise Ho

Last time I mentioned that the biggest lesbian representation in Asia seems to come from the Chinese related nations.However, the artist I featured then was not a known lesbian. This week is different. Denise Ho, one of the biggest musical celebrities in Cantopop (Hong Kong) is not only the first out lesbian celebrity in Hong Kong but also one of the most famous in Asia.

Denise Ho has been in the business for almost 20 years now. She got her start by winning the New Talent Singing Awards which led her to being mentored by her idol Anita Mui. She's often described as the second coming of Mui. Denise's music  focuses on dark themes, from mental illness to the negative facets of being gay. (One of her earliest songs, "Rosemary," caused quite the stir in Hong Kong by being about a lesbian relationship.) Her music videos are often artistic and surreal.

In 2012 she officially came out as a lesbian at Hong Kong Pride. Until then she was often rumored to be dating fellow Cantopop superstar Joey Yung, although officially they've only been known as friends. (Yung is currently dating a man and has never insinuated any other orientation.)

Below is her popular ballad entitled "Infatuated," highlighting her rich voice.

And here is her more uplifting song, "Initiate," the theme song to a film. (She's also an acclaimed actress, by the way.)

Putting the L in LGBT Music: Rainie Yang

When it comes to lesbian music in Asia, China and its territories such as Taiwan and Hong Kong seem to be the greatest places to find it. At the very least, C-pop artists are more open about lesbian themes than their K-pop and J-pop counterparts. Why this is, I can only speculate, and would be taking us completely off track! (ba dum tsch.)

One of C-pop's greatest darlings out of Taiwan is the dual singer and actress Rainie Yang. While she is not "out" as anyone but herself, Rainie has starred in a fair share of lesbian themed movies (such as the critically acclaimed "Spider Lillies" - which I will review soon) and written music for correlating projects. Her latest album, "Wishing For Happiness," features a music video and mini-drama of the same name. In the drama (which is about a half hour long) Rainie is proposed to by her current boyfriend, but it's quickly revealed that she used to have a girlfriend - well, more than one! It's a short drama so the plot is rather glossed over, but the acting is great and the candidness with which the lesbian relationships are treated with is refreshing in a world hung up on gay angst and traumatic endings. For a quick, hopeful pick-me-up, I recommend Rainie Yang's "Wishing For Happiness" mini-drama. The song is fantastic as well.

Below is the music video, which highlights the drama.

And below is Part 1 of the full drama, with English subtitles. Parts 2 and 3 can be found on Dailymotion.