LOS ANGELES, CA-  The entertainment industry loves a neat label. One to slap onto an artist for an easy marketing campaign. Pop star. Hip-hop artist. Rocker. But what happens when an artist refuses the packaging?

“CHANMINA! CHANMINA!”

Before she even stepped onto the stage for her first-ever international show in Los Angeles, the crowd was chanting her name.

In mid-May, tens of thousands of people made their way to Pasadena for Zipangu, an electric celebration of Japanese contemporary music and culture, and CHANMINA made sure they got more than they came for.

Born in South Korea and raised between Korea and Japan, CHANMINA has spent the last decade building a career that refuses easy categorization. A multilingual artist who effortlessly moves between pop, hip-hop, rock, and R&B, she has become one of the most influential voices in contemporary Japanese music while cultivating a fiercely devoted global fanbase.

CHANMINA at Zipangu Japanese Music Event Brookside at the Rose Bowl 5/16/26. Photo by Viola Kam (V’z Twinkle). Courtesy of the artist. Used with permission.
CHANMINA at Zipangu Japanese Music Event Brookside at the Rose Bowl 5/16/26. Photo by Viola Kam (V’z Twinkle). Courtesy of the artist. Used with permission.

“People are constantly trying to categorize me. I don’t care. I’m just CHANMINA.”

She is a bit pop, a bit hip-hop, a bit rock. But more than anything, she is just CHANMINA.

“I doubted L.A. people would know me,” she admits to me later, her eyes still wide with residual adrenaline. “I just told myself to focus on my show, sing, and dance. But before I even showed up on stage, they were calling out, and I was like, ‘Wow. What the hell? What’s going on?'”

The energy of the American crowd took her by surprise. Having spent time living in Japan myself, I’m familiar with the deeply respectful, sometimes more mellow energy of Tokyo crowds. Still wild at heart, but a little more reserved in public. Brookside was a different beast entirely. They were feral for her.

“It’s very different,” she smiles. “But it surprised me in the best way. They knew me. Playing the Rose Bowl… it was a dream come true.”

CHANMINA at Zipangu Japanese Music Event Brookside at the Rose Bowl 5/16/26. Photo by Viola Kam (V’z Twinkle). Courtesy of the artist. Used with permission.
CHANMINA at Zipangu Japanese Music Event Brookside at the Rose Bowl 5/16/26. Photo by Viola Kam (V’z Twinkle). Courtesy of the artist. Used with permission.

On stage, CHANMINA is a hurricane. She is deeply involved in her own choreography, leading her dancers with a natural, effortless precision. Yet beneath the provocative, genre-bending persona lies a profound vulnerability.

Having recently stepped into a new era of independence to dictate her own creative terms, she launched NO LABEL ARTISTS to serve as a hub for independent, self-produced musicians. Though the journey to total creative control came with its own hurdles, any past frustrations were completely outshone by her excitement for the freedom she felt in L.A.

At one point on stage, she addressed this obsession with classification head-on. People are constantly trying to categorize her background and her sound: Korean, Japanese, pop, rock, hip-hop. She told the audience she doesn’t care. She is a spicy blend of it all. But more than anything, she is just CHANMINA.

Hearing her say that out loud felt surprisingly therapeutic. As someone who grew up bouncing between two countries and struggling with a cultural limbo, I found it a comforting reminder: it doesn’t matter where you were born, how you were raised, or what you do. You don’t have to label yourself as anything. It is perfectly fine to simply be your own person.

CHANMINA at Zipangu Japanese Music Event Brookside at the Rose Bowl 5/16/26. Photo by Viola Kam (V’z Twinkle). Courtesy of the artist. Used with permission.
CHANMINA at Zipangu Japanese Music Event Brookside at the Rose Bowl 5/16/26. Photo by Viola Kam (V’z Twinkle). Courtesy of the artist. Used with permission.

Then, armed with an electric guitar, she played “I’m Not Okay,” a track she openly declares as the favorite she’s ever written and one that means a great deal to her.

The song tackles the heavy, quiet reality of mental health struggles and the isolating feeling of loneliness without actually being alone. Watching her perform it, the armor dropped completely, reminding everyone in the crowd that it’s okay not to be okay and that we all deserve to give ourselves a little grace when fighting our internal demons.

Backstage, stripped of the roaring crowds, CHANMINA is effortlessly posh yet disarmingly down-to-earth.

When I ask for her skincare secret, she laughs.

“Paku,” she says, using the Japanese term for sheet masks. “Can’t travel without it.”

“Morning and evening?”

“Morning and evening,” she nods. “Sometimes three times a day.”

It’s a surprisingly simple answer from an incredibly complex woman.

At an age when many artists are still figuring out their own sound, CHANMINA is already shaping the next generation. She is the mastermind and mentor behind the rising group HANA, who opened the festival that day and absolutely crushed it.

When I ask how involved she is in their production, she immediately switches into full boss mode.

“Literally everything,” she says. “Their hair, their makeup, the music videos. The music, the production of course, lyrics, top line. Sometimes bass and guitar. Everything. Sometimes I’m a boss, but they are like my little sisters. We are family.”

As a young mother herself, CHANMINA seamlessly bridges the gap between biological motherhood and industry mentorship. She treats the girls of HANA like real sisters, balancing the roles of friend, mentor, and boss.

CHANMINA at Zipangu Japanese Music Event Brookside at the Rose Bowl 5/16/26. Photo by Viola Kam (V’z Twinkle). Courtesy of the artist. Used with permission.
CHANMINA at Zipangu Japanese Music Event Brookside at the Rose Bowl 5/16/26. Photo by Viola Kam (V’z Twinkle). Courtesy of the artist. Used with permission.

“The internet will attack over one joke. The music industry is so hard, especially for a girl group. I tell them not to care. Don’t kill yourself over it. Just try to love yourself.”

And her primary advice to them on navigating an industry notorious for chewing up young women?

“I just tell them, ‘Just don’t fucking care,'” she says with a warm, protective edge.

It takes a survivor to teach survival.

CHANMINA’s own musical genesis was sparked by K-Pop royalty, setting a high bar for her work ethic and artistry.

“I started creating music because of G-Dragon,” she reflects. “He is my hero, but he also took me to literal Hell, because being a musician is very hard work. It was always my dream, and it’s a dream come true, but it’s still hard. I’m dying to see what G-Dragon is up to these days.”

Her current playlist is a chaotic, glorious mix of legends: BIGBANG, Avril Lavigne, Green Day, Britney Spears, and Michael Jackson. It is a playlist that makes perfect sense once you witness her live, a fusion of punk rebellion, pop royalty, and hip-hop swagger.

CHANMINA at Zipangu Japanese Music Event Brookside at the Rose Bowl 5/16/26. Photo by Viola Kam (V’z Twinkle). Courtesy of the artist. Used with permission.
CHANMINA at Zipangu Japanese Music Event Brookside at the Rose Bowl 5/16/26. Photo by Viola Kam (V’z Twinkle). Courtesy of the artist. Used with permission.

And she’s taking that swagger everywhere, from stadium stages to massive cultural moments like her collaboration for the hit anime Oshi No Ko.

As our time winds down, the post-show adrenaline fades and the cravings kick in.

“Something sweet,” she giggles when I ask what she wants to eat.

“Cookies. My tongue is like a baby, so if it’s sweet, it’s good.”

Before we part ways, we bond briefly over our shared Libra placements.

It’s moments like these that remind you of the humanity behind the superstar. CHANMINA is doing a brilliant job, as an artist refusing to be boxed in, as a boss building an empire, as a mother, and simply as a woman.

She isn’t just surviving the music industry. She is actively remodeling it, ensuring the door stays wide open for the women walking in behind her.

CHANMINA performed at Zipangu, Brookside at the Rose Bowl, Pasadena, California, on May 16, 2026. Zipangu was presented by Goldenvoice and Cloud Nine.

Follow CHANMINA on Facebook, TikTok, X, and Instagram.

Follow Zipangu Japanese Music Event on Facebook, TikTok, X, and Instagram.

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CHANMINA at Zipangu Japanese Music Event Brookside at the Rose Bowl 5/16/26. Photo by Viola Kam (V’z Twinkle). Courtesy of the artist. Used with permission.
CHANMINA at Zipangu Japanese Music Event Brookside at the Rose Bowl 5/16/26. Photo by Viola Kam (V’z Twinkle). Courtesy of the artist. Used with permission.
CHANMINA at Zipangu Japanese Music Event Brookside at the Rose Bowl 5/16/26. Photo by Viola Kam (V’z Twinkle). Courtesy of the artist. Used with permission.
CHANMINA at Zipangu Japanese Music Event Brookside at the Rose Bowl 5/16/26. Photo by Viola Kam (V’z Twinkle). Courtesy of the artist. Used with permission.
CHANMINA at Zipangu Japanese Music Event Brookside at the Rose Bowl 5/16/26. Photo by Viola Kam (V’z Twinkle). Courtesy of the artist. Used with permission.
CHANMINA at Zipangu Japanese Music Event Brookside at the Rose Bowl 5/16/26. Photo by Viola Kam (V’z Twinkle). Courtesy of the artist. Used with permission.
CHANMINA at Zipangu Japanese Music Event Brookside at the Rose Bowl 5/16/26. Photo by Viola Kam (V’z Twinkle). Courtesy of the artist. Used with permission.
CHANMINA at Zipangu Japanese Music Event Brookside at the Rose Bowl 5/16/26. Photo by Viola Kam (V’z Twinkle). Courtesy of the artist. Used with permission.
CHANMINA at Zipangu Japanese Music Event Brookside at the Rose Bowl 5/16/26. Photo by Viola Kam (V’z Twinkle). Courtesy of the artist. Used with permission.
CHANMINA at Zipangu Japanese Music Event Brookside at the Rose Bowl 5/16/26. Photo by Viola Kam (V’z Twinkle). Courtesy of the artist. Used with permission.
CHANMINA at Zipangu Japanese Music Event Brookside at the Rose Bowl 5/16/26. Photo by Viola Kam (V’z Twinkle). Courtesy of the artist. Used with permission.
CHANMINA at Zipangu Japanese Music Event Brookside at the Rose Bowl 5/16/26. Photo by Viola Kam (V’z Twinkle). Courtesy of the artist. Used with permission.
CHANMINA at Zipangu Japanese Music Event. Photo by Viola Kam (V’z Twinkle). Courtesy of the artist. Used with permission.
CHANMINA at Zipangu Japanese Music Event. Photo by Viola Kam (V’z Twinkle). Courtesy of the artist. Used with permission.
CHANMINA at Zipangu Japanese Music Event Brookside at the Rose Bowl 5/16/26. Photo by Viola Kam (V’z Twinkle). Courtesy of the artist. Used with permission.
CHANMINA at Zipangu Japanese Music Event Brookside at the Rose Bowl 5/16/26. Photo by Viola Kam (V’z Twinkle). Courtesy of the artist. Used with permission.
CHANMINA at Zipangu Japanese Music Event Brookside at the Rose Bowl 5/16/26. Photo by Viola Kam (V’z Twinkle). Courtesy of the artist. Used with permission.
CHANMINA at Zipangu Japanese Music Event Brookside at the Rose Bowl 5/16/26. Photo by Viola Kam (V’z Twinkle). Courtesy of the artist. Used with permission.
CHANMINA at Zipangu Japanese Music Event Brookside at the Rose Bowl 5/16/26. Photo by Viola Kam (V’z Twinkle). Courtesy of the artist. Used with permission.
CHANMINA at Zipangu Japanese Music Event Brookside at the Rose Bowl 5/16/26. Photo by Viola Kam (V’z Twinkle). Courtesy of the artist. Used with permission.
CHANMINA at Zipangu Japanese Music Event Brookside at the Rose Bowl 5/16/26. Photo by Viola Kam (V’z Twinkle). Courtesy of the artist. Used with permission.
CHANMINA at Zipangu Japanese Music Event Brookside at the Rose Bowl 5/16/26. Photo by Viola Kam (V’z Twinkle). Courtesy of the artist. Used with permission.
CHANMINA at Zipangu Japanese Music Event. Photo by Viola Kam (V’z Twinkle). Courtesy of the artist. Used with permission.
CHANMINA at Zipangu Japanese Music Event. Photo by Viola Kam (V’z Twinkle). Courtesy of the artist. Used with permission.
CHANMINA at Zipangu Japanese Music Event Brookside at the Rose Bowl 5/16/26. Photo by Viola Kam (V’z Twinkle). Courtesy of the artist. Used with permission.
CHANMINA at Zipangu Japanese Music Event Brookside at the Rose Bowl 5/16/26. Photo by Viola Kam (V’z Twinkle). Courtesy of the artist. Used with permission.
CHANMINA at Zipangu Japanese Music Event Brookside at the Rose Bowl 5/16/26. Photo by Viola Kam (V’z Twinkle). Courtesy of the artist. Used with permission.
CHANMINA at Zipangu Japanese Music Event Brookside at the Rose Bowl 5/16/26. Photo by Viola Kam (V’z Twinkle). Courtesy of the artist. Used with permission.
CHANMINA at Zipangu Japanese Music Event Brookside at the Rose Bowl 5/16/26. Photo by Viola Kam (V’z Twinkle). Courtesy of the artist. Used with permission.
CHANMINA at Zipangu Japanese Music Event Brookside at the Rose Bowl 5/16/26. Photo by Viola Kam (V’z Twinkle). Courtesy of the artist. Used with permission.
CHANMINA at Zipangu Japanese Music Event Brookside at the Rose Bowl 5/16/26. Photo by Viola Kam (V’z Twinkle). Courtesy of the artist. Used with permission.
CHANMINA at Zipangu Japanese Music Event Brookside at the Rose Bowl 5/16/26. Photo by Viola Kam (V’z Twinkle). Courtesy of the artist. Used with permission.
CHANMINA at Zipangu Japanese Music Event. Photo by Viola Kam (V’z Twinkle). Courtesy of the artist. Used with permission.
CHANMINA at Zipangu Japanese Music Event. Photo by Viola Kam (V’z Twinkle). Courtesy of the artist. Used with permission.
CHANMINA at Zipangu Japanese Music Event Brookside at the Rose Bowl 5/16/26. Photo by Viola Kam (V’z Twinkle). Courtesy of the artist. Used with permission.
CHANMINA at Zipangu Japanese Music Event Brookside at the Rose Bowl 5/16/26. Photo by Viola Kam (V’z Twinkle). Courtesy of the artist. Used with permission.
CHANMINA at Zipangu Japanese Music Event Brookside at the Rose Bowl 5/16/26. Photo by Viola Kam (V’z Twinkle). Courtesy of the artist. Used with permission.
CHANMINA at Zipangu Japanese Music Event Brookside at the Rose Bowl 5/16/26. Photo by Viola Kam (V’z Twinkle). Courtesy of the artist. Used with permission.
CHANMINA at Zipangu Japanese Music Event Brookside at the Rose Bowl 5/16/26. Photo by Viola Kam (V’z Twinkle). Courtesy of the artist. Used with permission.
CHANMINA at Zipangu Japanese Music Event Brookside at the Rose Bowl 5/16/26. Photo by Viola Kam (V’z Twinkle). Courtesy of the artist. Used with permission.
CHANMINA at Zipangu Japanese Music Event Brookside at the Rose Bowl 5/16/26. Photo by Viola Kam (V’z Twinkle). Courtesy of the artist. Used with permission.
CHANMINA at Zipangu Japanese Music Event Brookside at the Rose Bowl 5/16/26. Photo by Viola Kam (V’z Twinkle). Courtesy of the artist. Used with permission.
CHANMINA at Zipangu Japanese Music Event Brookside at the Rose Bowl 5/16/26. Photo by Viola Kam (V’z Twinkle). Courtesy of the artist. Used with permission.
CHANMINA at Zipangu Japanese Music Event Brookside at the Rose Bowl 5/16/26. Photo by Viola Kam (V’z Twinkle). Courtesy of the artist. Used with permission.
CHANMINA at Zipangu Japanese Music Event Brookside at the Rose Bowl 5/16/26. Photo by Viola Kam (V’z Twinkle). Courtesy of the artist. Used with permission.
CHANMINA at Zipangu Japanese Music Event Brookside at the Rose Bowl 5/16/26. Photo by Viola Kam (V’z Twinkle). Courtesy of the artist. Used with permission.
CHANMINA at Zipangu Japanese Music Event Brookside at the Rose Bowl 5/16/26. Photo by Viola Kam (V’z Twinkle). Courtesy of the artist. Used with permission.
CHANMINA at Zipangu Japanese Music Event Brookside at the Rose Bowl 5/16/26. Photo by Viola Kam (V’z Twinkle). Courtesy of the artist. Used with permission.

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