Sarah Wei is a journalist and producer based in Melbourne and Hong Kong, with a focus on the travel, lifestyle, and arts and culture sectors. She has produced over 35 talks and workshops with 120 speakers, three large-scale 5-day events, over 20 community events,  one VR/AR exhibition, and more than 150 published features and stories across the region.

People are craving comfort. Amid what can feel like a state of constant crisis – a layering of traumatic societal events – it can sometimes seem like we’ve lost a sense of scale and cohesion. In the face of this, the desire to retreat into nostalgia is more seductive than ever. 

Nostalgia Reimagined 

In today’s hyper-connected globe, the meaning of national identity is no longer rigid, and we’re seeing a dissolution of cultural borders as we travel through our devices. This shift in mentality is happening against a turbulent geopolitical backdrop as countries prioritise regional allies.

Border Reorder

Diverse representation is an expectation, but as individuals no longer allow themselves to be defined in singular terms, there's mounting pressure on brands to understand and sensitively reflect how the intersections between race, gender, class, and ability impact people's everyday lives.

Collective Equity

Nicholas Cheung, also known as Big Spoon, is a music enthusiast who has expressed his love for music through various roles in his career. He started as a music producer, creating jazz hip-hop instrumentals as a solo artist and collaborating with rappers worldwide during the early 2010s. In 2017, Spoon and his partner Elton Yau founded their own company called 

. As a show promoter based in HK and Singapore, Gluestick organised concerts for cutting-edge artists such as AOMG, JID, ASAP Ferg, Denzel Curry, Sunset Rollercoaster, Phum Viphurit, Mac Ayres, Tobi Lou, MadeinTYO, Snail Mail, Moonchild, Kero Kero Bonito, ØZI, and others. His primary focus has been to promote and support hip-hop and R&B music in Hong Kong initially, and later expanding his efforts to the wider Asia region. Throughout his tenure, he has signed, helped break or managed talented artists such as Gareth.T, Moon Tang, Dough-Boy, Gentle Bones, Miyachi, Byejack, and others.

Japan

Music, radio, and podcasts

Media and Entertainment

Community and grassroots

Citizenship

The Japan Times

Interview with Nicholas Cheung conducted by the author

Bloomberg

Statista

Yahoo! Life

Vogue Singapore

Luminate Data

Poggers

EarthWeb

Research Dive

Spotify

Euronews

Billboard

The Korea Times

J-pop singer Crystal Kay’s comeback rides a wave of 2000s nostalgia, ignited by the viral TikTok remix of her 2003 hit ‘Boyfriend (Part II).’ Kay’s enduring charm now bridges generations and showcases J-pop’s international allure as a testament to how timeless hits can find a new fan base.