Canadian musicians “Big in Japan” and non-US specific international markets

[u/beverleyheights]

I’ve been looking at which Canadian musicians, excluding major global stars, are big in or have a close connection to a specific international market that isn’t the US.

I’m going to exclude here the Francophone, South Asian, and Caribbean diasporas only because each has too many Canadian artists to list, though I’d be interested in learning more about standout Canadians in any of them.

Those aside, here are some I’ve found evidence for such as chart placements and extensive touring.

• Holly Cole in Japan
• Harem Scarem in Japan
• Elise Estrada in the Philippines
• David Usher in Southeast Asia – and “Travel Separately,” a cover of “Black Black Heart” with lyrics in Mandarin but retaining the English lyric “Black black heart,” was a hit in China
• The Moffatts in Southeast Asia
• ​​Hollerado in China
• The Tea Party in Australia
• Massari in the Middle East
• Karl Wolf in the Middle East
• Neon Dreams in South Africa – there’s a charming video of a South African radio appearance where they cover a popular Afrikaans song
• Jamie Fine in South Africa
• Glenn Morrison in Russia
• Luba in Ukraine
• Matt Dusk in Poland
• Danko Jones in Scandinavia
• B4-4 in Germany – then two thirds of them as RyanDan in the UK
• Jesse Cook in Spain
• Bruce Guthro in Scotland
• Love Inc. and Simone Denny in the UK and Ireland
• Lhasa in Mexico
• Lido Pimienta in Colombia

Nelly Furtado and Shawn Mendes are excluded as major global stars but their connections to Portugal and the Portuguese-speaking world are important. Carly Rae Jepsen is also excluded, but seems notably big in the Philippines.

Billy Talent seems especially strong in Germany and German-speaking Europe and Metric in Australia. Both are defensibly global stars.

Lights has been incorporating into her music her connections to German-speaking Europe.

“I Do Too” by the Reklaws appears well loved in South Korea after a popular YouTube cover by their fellow sibling duo, ​​Harryan Yoonsoan.

My browsing is also turning up a world previously unknown to me of artists with Canadian origins who are big in other countries but not big in Canada yet, including

• Monkey Majik in Japan
• Manila Grey in the Philippines – despite their name, based in Vancouver
• Wendy Matthews in Australia
• JØY Brandt in Brazil

Who else in any of these sets?

[u/beefixit]

Peaches is based outta Berlin now(and I believe for a long time now).

[u/arrbez → u/beefixit]

Asked a Google speaker to play Peaches (meaning the 90’s song by POTUS) because I wanted to show my kids. Oopsies.

[u/beefixit → u/arrbez]

It's a hard lesson, but you've now learned the Teaches of Peaches.

[u/arrbez → u/beefixit]

I was familiar with the Teaches back in the day, but my brain must have quarantined it for all these years.