Cardi B has 20 million YouTube subscribers. In China, that channel ranks number two among all international creators, behind only Li Ziqi. Not Taylor Swift. Not Beyoncé. Cardi B.
She’s got a whole fan community there translating her interviews, copying her makeup, and when her album dropped last year she left a personal message for them on NetEase Cloud Music calling them ‘Qin Men’ : family.
The West sees controversy. China sees a woman who eats chicken feet on camera and means it.
What artist surprised you most in a market you didn’t expect?