A new wave of Chinese hip-hop has been dominating the scene, with rapid recognition from fans worldwide. Asen (艾志恒) fiercely transformed Melbourne’s 170 Russell venue into a vibrant hub of energy. His Life After Small Town World Tour, proudly presented by Live Nation Australia, reflects his musical journey and is also the title of his 2024 album.
As fans streamed into the quickly packed-out 170 Russell venue, there was excitement in the air, electric and in anticipation for the main event. The support DJ set the atmosphere ablaze, pumping up the energy for patrons ready for a marathon of mayhem.
When Asen finally stepped onto the Melbourne stage, he opened with the catchy ‘Can’t See You (看不到你)’ which very much set the tone for the evening. With Melbourne fans collectively screaming, cheering, singing, rapping and bouncing up and down to his beats, it was truly a sight to see.
Asen commenced the night’s journey with tracks ‘Rap Money (说唱钱)’ and ‘First Rolex (第一块劳)’, before jumping into the electrifying track ‘PYT (Pretty Young Thing)’, a song that he collaborated with fellow Chinese hip-hop artist, MaSiWei. By this point of the evening, Asen’s devoted fans were already fully immersed in the experience, with the room lively and alive with such an irresistible, infectious energy.
It wasn’t all hyped energy as Asen enable his fans to catch some air, slowing the mood down for his more mellow beats which included ‘Dancin’ On My Own’, ‘Butterflies’, ‘Zilixiang (自立巷)’ and ‘Blue Dreams (蓝色的梦)’. Despite the tempo and mood shift, this didn’t stop fans from still happily bobbing along to his tunes.
Asen’s hit with Thomeboydontkill titled ‘Rustic Kid (士黑娃)’ had his fans involved once again but on a more intimate level. This was when Asen decided to change up the stage by restarting the track to crowd surf which resulted in him singing and rapping amid his fans, above the crowd. With adrenaline and an unmatched passion fuelling the night, Asen kept the pace relentless, dishing out hit after hit, encouraging audience participation while keeping everyone’s spirits high.
As the pace changed again and the night drew closer to an end, Asen performed DIGI GHETTO track ‘Fangchaodi (消遣)’, ‘Ghetto Melody (写不来情歌)’, ‘Anxiety (焦虑)’ and ‘Wei Wei (唯唯)’, which beautifully transitioned into his song ‘Celebrate’. Appropriately titled, the song perfectly encapsulated Asen’s musical journey, from creating music in Chengdu with his crew DIGI GHETTO, to achieving fame on talent competition show Rap of China, we were able to fully appreciate his evolution as an artist.
Powerfully ending the concert on a nostalgic note for his long-time fans that have supported him from the very beginning, Asen affectionately played the song ‘DAY 1’ which was warmly received by his Melbourne audience.
In his debut Melbourne performance and during his first visit to Australia, Asen was able to keep the energy high throughout the night. He owned the stage with his finesse and commanding presence, thoroughly entertaining the vibrant Melbourne audience from start to finish. It didn’t matter whether you were a long-time fan or a new one in the room. By the end of the concert, everyone was eager for new music from Asen and a possible return Australian tour in the not-too-distant future.
Asen performed in Melbourne at 170 Russell on Sunday the 22nd of September as part of his Life After Small Town World Tour, proudly presented by Live Nation Australia. Although the Australian leg has since concluded, Asen is still touring internationally.
For more information, visit:
https://www.livenation.com.au/artist-asen-1504710
https://www.instagram.com/asenlilace
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCflu0Zv1dZxA_a6d6THSPjQ
Photography by Grant Alexander.
