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Sense & Sound: Five Ways into Taiwanese Pop MusicWhat matters most is drawing nourishment from your physical surroundings and everyday life; that%u2019s how you know who you%u2019re singing to and what kind of song to sing. That%u2019s where the power comes from.%u2014Kuan-Heng ChenAfrican music. But once globalization kicked in, those distinctions started to blur, and today, they%u2019re nearly impossible to make.%u201d Streaming has erased many of music%u2019s boundaries. If we hope to carve out a distinct space in this vast landscape, perhaps the path forward lies in rediscovering what constitutes a truly local sound, something well worth cultivating in our time.Chen describes the tension between cultivating a local voice and connecting with the international stage as two constantly shifting forces: %u201cIt feels like the right time to revisit the question of what kind of music only we can make. If we don%u2019t have that conversation, we%u2019ll stay trapped in endless debates about how to adapt to different platforms. But platforms are ultimately neutral; the real issue is whether the creator truly has something to say.%u201dLee adds, %u201cMusic has never needed much explanation. Just let time bear witness.%u201d No matter how formats or environments change, good music endures. The future remains something worth looking forward to.