Latest news with #Jpop
Japan Times
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- Japan Times
Six months into 2025, J-pop is having a full-on identity crisis (and a great time)
The Japanese music industry has spent the first half of 2025 in full-blown celebration mode. There were government-funded concerts in Los Angeles and the splashy Music Awards Japan in Kyoto — both of which offered no shortage of self-congratulatory back-pats for J-pop's steady climb on the global stage. But beneath the revelry, something more interesting is happening: the sound of transition. With the first half of the 2020s now behind us, the big question isn't who's winning, but what comes next. Will the future belong to fantastical rock bands or hip-hop-inspired pop groups? Will the industry lean into AI — or gorge on ... ice cream? As summer sets in, the paths ahead for J-pop are diverging. What role does music even play in a decade as fluid as this one? Awards and accolades are abundant, both at home and abroad. But the real trend of the year so far might be trying to predict the next major shift in the zeitgeist. Top of the J-pops Pop-rock trio Mrs. Green Apple is pretty much inescapable at this point. Even before the year began, Motoki Ohmori, Hiroto Wakai and Ryoka Fujisawa were already the reigning champions of J-pop. After a two-year hiatus starting in 2020 as the group developed its 'phase 2,' Mrs. Green Apple returned with a vengeance, climbing straight back to the top of the domestic pecking order thanks to gospel-tinged ballads 'Soranji' and the musical theater bounce of 'Dance Hall.' Last year's surging rock cut 'Lilac' became the group's largest hit yet. Mrs. Green Apple is celebrating its 10th anniversary, and its grip on Japan has only tightened. Newer releases 'Kusushiki' and 'Darling' have racked up millions of views on YouTube while becoming staples in supermarkets and chain stores nationwide. At time of writing, 15 of the tracks on Spotify Japan's 'Top 50' playlist are by Mrs. Green Apple — five are in the top 10. Sonically and visually, the group's ascent signals a shift in what mainstream J-pop sounds and looks like. The early 2020s were dominated by acts like Yoasobi and Ado — Vocaloid-indebted creators who offered a more realistic (meaning an often more dour) snapshot of modern life, marked by darker lyrics and harsher vocal deliveries. Mrs. Green Apple isn't above getting a little emo, either — for example, 'Bitter Vacances' tackles the grind of modern life — but the group's lens is more optimistic, sometimes to the point of sounding like a motivational coach with a guitar. It's a snapshot of a mainstream in flux. Alongside Mrs. Green Apple, a fresh wave of groups are blending melodic sugar with hip-hop edge. XG, a girl group that sings in English, recently played Tokyo Dome, while fledgling girl group Hana has scored one of the year's biggest breakout hits with the swagger-scented 'Rose.' On the male side, trio Number_i has been building steam behind the slick 'God_i.' While artists such as Ado and Fujii Kaze — representatives of the early 2020s J-pop global breakthrough — go on large world tours, the domestic scene is recalibrating. In today's fractured music landscape, the biggest shifts may not come from who's in the spotlight — but from who's on the edges outside it. Generative hits Japan saw its first AI-generated hit in early 2025 — and naturally, it was a complete joke. Technically, 'Yaju & U' dropped in late 2024, but it only blew up at the start of this year. It was uploaded to the internet by someone calling themselves Mochimochi, but the credited composer is Udio — an AI music program. And yes, you can tell: The strings are clunky, the vocals are uncanny and the whole thing sounds like a computer's idea of either a J-pop track or the long-lost follow-up to Dexys Midnight Runners' 'Come on Eileen.' But hold the sonic critiques, because more importantly, this song works as a chaotic ode to one of Japan's oldest and weirdest memes. The lyrics pay homage to the 2001 adult video 'A Midsummer Night's Lewd Dream' — a relic of early internet culture best known for its terrible acting and glorious absurdity. The AV became meme royalty in Japan. 'Yaju & U' — named after a now-iconic character — continues the legacy with a track that feels like it was coded specifically to go viral. Bonus: There's a goofy TikTok-ready dance to match. 'Yaju & U' dominated Spotify Japan's 'Viral 50' for weeks, marking the biggest moment for generative AI in the country's music sphere to date. While it's tempting to go full-Luddite and condemn this brave new world, the song really reflects our relationship with memes. AI-powered music has flooded the Japanese web as of late, from imitation city pop playlists to goofy geopolitical satire. These songs aren't trying to say anything profound — they exist to rack up likes, shares and shrieks of 'wtf did I just listen to?' Still, that doesn't mean they can't top charts. 'Yaju & U' shows that viral hits don't need a human touch to resonate — just a well-placed punchline and a good beat. It's not the death of music, just the rise of a new kind of background noise. Hot idol summer? The biggest Japanese song to catch fire globally in 2025 is not about rock positivity or bawdy memes. It's about ice cream. Idol trio AiScReam's 'Ai Scream!' unites three performers from the long-running 'Love Live!' media juggernaut for a sugar-rush tribute to frozen desserts — and, naturally, to love. A clip of the group performing a section after the first chorus where each member shouts out an ice cream flavor they like ('but not as much as you!') — hit TikTok like a brain freeze. As these things go, the clip broke out of idol-centric spaces before spilling into the wider corners of the internet, where it was gleefully adopted by users worldwide, especially K-pop performers. Somehow, 'Ai Scream!' ended up as this year's 'Bling-Bang-Bang-Born' — an unlikely J-pop export that turned viral gold. It wasn't built to break the internet, but it did, climbing global streaming charts and becoming a bonafide meme in its own right. That's right, the defining sound of J-pop so far in 2025 is a high-pitched cry of 'choco mint!' This kind of out-of-left-field success isn't a surprise in the 2020s, it simply reflects how most J-pop hits travel now. What is different, though, is the type of group enjoying this success. Yes, we may very well be gearing up for an 'idol summer.' Hyper-cute idol-pop groups — who many resigned to the music history heap of the 2000s and 2010s (remember Morning Musume, Momoiro Clover Z and AKB48?) — are having a moment. While those legacy acts never really went away, they've felt increasingly distant from the road J-pop is on. Not anymore. AiScReam's breakout is just the tip of the strawberry soft-serve cone. Fruits Zipper recently nabbed its first No. 1 on the Oricon Charts with 'Kawaii Te Magic,' while more hyperactive compatriots Cutie Street and Candy Tune are racking up views with a pastel vengeance. A change is in the air — and it's wearing Skittles-colored dresses. But there's something deeper under the kawaii overload. Idol music has long been criticized for its talents' perceived lack of singing and dancing skills, but the draw is the emotional arc. Fans go on a journey with their favorite performers as they stumble, grow and eventually overcome. If 'Yaju & U' imagines a meme-core future churned out at the speed of a Temu delivery, then 'Ai Scream!' suggests a different path — messier, sillier, sweeter and unmistakably human. It's a future you might just want to say 'hai!' to.
Japan Times
28-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Japan Times
Songs, stars and strategy: Japan debuts its newest awards ceremony
Under a wash of blue stage lights inside Kyoto's Rohm Theatre, Haruomi Hosono stood alone. A founding member of influential techno-pop group Yellow Magic Orchestra, he addressed an attentive audience on the closing night of the inaugural Music Awards Japan — not just as a musician in his own right, but on behalf of his late YMO bandmates, Ryuichi Sakamoto and Yukihiro Takahashi, and artists across the country. 'There are two people who couldn't make it here today. It's because of their talent that I'm able to stand here,' said Hosono, adding that he 'felt very honored' the pioneering YMO has been chosen as a kind of 'symbol' to represent that best Japanese music has to offer. Reflecting on the influence of his artistic peers, he expanded on the thing that drives artists to create. 'It's the passion we have for music, our love for it. We tried to come up with something unique to Japan.' J-pop Yoasobi delighted audiences with a performance of 'Idol.' | © CEIPA / MUSIC AWARDS JAPAN 2025 It was a moment steeped in reverence amid a week of celebration as Japan's 'answer to the Grammys' took place in the old capital on May 21 and 22. The Music Awards Japan (MAJ), which also included a YMO tribute concert a day before the ceremonies began, sought to strike a balance between past and present, domestic stardom and international reach. 'This awards ceremony is a source of encouragement for (musicians),' Hosono continued. 'There are many musicians who haven't made it here yet, but I hope they'll continue to mature beyond the boundaries of the entertainment industry. That's what I'm most looking forward to. I truly believe that support from the industry is essential.' Spearheaded by the Japan Culture and Entertainment Industry Promotion Association, a coalition of five major music associations, MAJ brought together around 5,000 musicians, producers and industry experts to recognize achievements in 62 categories. The two ceremonies where the awards were presented — red glass statuettes dubbed 'Rubies' — were broadcast live on NHK and streamed online where they were accompanied by curated playlists, signaling the organizers' intent to not just reward Japanese music but to export it. The launch of MAJ coincides with growing overseas interest in Japanese music thanks to viral hits driven by social media, anime tie-ins, and domestic labels and agencies embracing the internet as a way to reach international listeners. J-pop acts are literally making moves abroad, too. Last year saw a record number of groups — including Yoasobi, Awich, Atarashii Gakko! and Number_i — take the stage at Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival in California in April, while singer Ado and idol outfits XG and Travis Japan embarked on world tours. This year also sees singer-songwriters Kenshi Yonezu and Kaze Fujii setting out overseas, as well as groups Wednesday Campanella and Hitsujibungaku. MAJ's aim is to cultivate more of these kinds of stars who have the potential to shine outside of Japan. While focused on current global ambitions, MAJ took the unusual move of awarding past hits, too, as if to say "Japanese music isn't just good now, it has always been good" ... or maybe it was a ploy to try to get some extra star power in attendance. Older songs such as Hikaru Utada's 'Automatic' (1999) and Kurousa-P's "Senbonzakura" (2011) won awards in the best Japanese R&B/contemporary song and best Vocaloid culture song categories, and even Teriyaki Boyz' 2006 track 'Tokyo Drift (Fast & Furious)" got a shout-out in the top Japanese song in Europe section. Rapper Chanmina delivered a rowdy set at the grand awards ceremony at the Music Awards Japan. | © CEIPA / MUSIC AWARDS JAPAN 2025 Meanwhile, the MAJ Timeless Echo award was presented to 75-year-old rocker Eikichi Yazawa, who burst onto the Rohm Theatre stage in a shiny, dark red suit, flipping over his mic stand with flair and swiveling his hips as he sang 'It's Up to You!,' 'Tomaranai Ha~Ha' and 'Yes My Love.' With a nearly 50-year-long career behind him, Yazawa's presence encapsulated the enduring power of Japanese rock. Musical heritage aside, the bulk of the awards went to newer acts like Hitsujibungaku, King Gnu and tuki., and hip-hop duo Creepy Nuts took home a total of nine statuettes — the most of any act — including song of the year for their viral hit 'Bling-Bang-Bang-Born.' Members DJ Matsunaga and R-Shitei earned one of the biggest laughs of the awards when, at the earlier ceremony where they won their first seven awards, a trolley of Rubies was rolled out onto the stage and the pair struggled to hold all the hefty trophies in their arms. MAJ's goal of demonstrating Japan's soft-power supremacy also came in the form of awards presenters — 'The Solitary Gourmet' actor Yutaka Matsushige, figure skater Mao Asada, contemporary author Mieko Kawakami and veteran actor Koji Yakusho all handed out Rubies. The show's live performances also ran the gamut of musical genres. At the May 21 ceremony, audience members were treated to sets ranging from koto player Leo's contemporary approach to traditional Japanese music and the atmospheric beatboxing of Show-go to the powerful vocals of Azumi Takahashi belting the 'Dreamgirls' show tune, 'And I Am Telling You I'm Not Going.' Rocker Eikichi Yazawa received the MAJ Timeless Echo award. | © CEIPA / MUSIC AWARDS JAPAN 2025 The following night upped the ante. In addition to live performances from Yoasobi and Creepy Nuts — as well as a pretaped recording from Hikaru Utada — rapper Chanmina, at one point suspended in the air alongside two acrobats, delivered a rowdy set that included an audacious split. Kaze Fujii, sat at a piano with one foot propped on his knee, exuded a cool charisma as he played a stripped-down 'Michiteyuku.' Later, Awich performed with fellow rappers Ai, Nene and MaRi on a rousing version of 'Bad Bitch Bigaku,' followed by a duet with Ai on 'Not So Different Remix.' The highlight performance came from rock band Mrs. Green Apple toward the end of the night, as two full rows of string players were dramatically revealed for a lush, emotional rendition of 'Darling.' The show was not without its quirks, though. At times, the backstage crew's voices and shifting set pieces were audible during speeches and presentations. A mismatched video package played after one award was announced, forcing presenters to improvise. Awich performed with fellow rappers Ai, Nene and MaRi. | © CEIPA / MUSIC AWARDS JAPAN 2025 The aforementioned Mrs. Green Apple bookended the ceremonies by winning both the first and last awards presented over the two days — best Japanese song artist and artist of the year, respectively. 'This year marks our 10th anniversary since our debut, and we've been talking nonstop about what to do in the future, what kind of interesting things we can do and what the future holds,' said Mrs. Green Apple vocalist Motoki Ohmori while accepting the artist of the year award. 'We've been focusing on the long-term vision for over a decade, but this year, we finally took the time to reflect on the past 10 or so years and truly appreciate each other. We've been able to keep going thanks to the support of so many people, but above all, because I truly love creating music with these members. It's been a blessing. Thank you so much.' Mrs. Green Apple bookended the Music Awards Japan ceremonies by winning both the first and last awards presented over the course of two days — best Japanese song artist and artist of the year, respectively. | © CEIPA / MUSIC AWARDS JAPAN 2025 Amid the domestic bliss was also plenty of love for overseas acts with genre-specific prizes going to Coldplay, Kendrick Lamar and Ariana Grande, among others. Country-specific awards rewarded artists from Japan's Asian neighbors, including Seventeen (South Korea), Zhou Shen (China) and Lola Amour (the Philippines). It's too early to tell if a Ruby will one day be as coveted as a Grammy, but as far as debuts go MAJ had something for pretty much everyone. The real test will be if next year's celebration is able to live up to the first. For more information about the Music Awards Japan, visit
South China Morning Post
22-05-2025
- Entertainment
- South China Morning Post
Cannes 2025: Love on Trial movie review – Koji Fukada explores dark side of Japanese pop
4/5 stars Love on Trial is an absorbing look at the Japanese music industry inspired by real events. Unveiled in the Cannes Premiere sidebar of this year's Cannes Film Festival, Koji Fukada 's film has a universal quality. The story may centre around a J-pop girl group, but the exploration of pressures put on young performers feels like it could also apply to Western groups. The story is about Happy Fans, a quintet who are rapidly becoming popular with teens. Play The movie starts with them busy signing autographs, offering handshakes and posing for selfies at a meet-and-greet. The young band members are hard-working, aware the team of adults around them depend on them to make a living.
Japan Times
07-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Japan Times
With a new Shibuya studio, Apple Music bets big on Japan
Radio personality Zane Lowe bops his head to a wonky Japanese funk-pop song inside the newly opened Apple Music studio in Tokyo. 'It's like ... 'Pet Sounds' on steroids,' says Mino, a musician, YouTuber and host of Apple Music Japan's 'Tokyo Highway Radio,' describing 'Walking Whiz' by Souki Urakami — one of his picks for a show called 'Record Exchange: Japan.' Lowe, the longtime DJ and Apple Music host, grooves along to the track with fellow platform personalities Ebro Darden and Kentaro Ochiai. 'I'm taking a lot home with me,' Lowe says with a laugh. Just outside the studio, a dozen people — engineers, PR staff and a few invited journalists — watch the session unfold on a four-panel monitor. This special recording, which has brought together some of Apple Music's biggest international talents with their Japanese peers, marks the opening of the brand's new Shibuya studio. The special recording, finding two of the music streaming platform's biggest international personalities cutting it up with their Japanese peers, is partially a celebration of this new Shibuya space officially opening in late April. It's also the latest sign that Japanese music is commanding growing global attention — from both fans and companies. 'Over the past few years, Japanese music has reached new heights on Apple Music worldwide,' says Apple Music co-head Rachel Newman. 'Streams for J-pop outside of Japan have grown at three times the rate of streams overall. Over the past three years, 85 J-pop albums have reached No. 1 on the all-genre album chart in more than 20 countries.' After years of keeping a lower profile internationally, Japanese music has stepped into the spotlight. In an abrupt turn from as little as five years ago, domestic labels and agencies now embrace the internet as a tool for reaching global listeners, while a growing number of J-pop acts are touring abroad. The interest flows both ways. As Japanese music gains momentum, international companies are making moves: Singapore's blackx recently partnered with Asobisystem (home to Kyary Pamyu Pamyu and Atarashii Gakko!), while U.S. promoter Live Nation recently acquired Japanese concert organizer Hayashi International Promotions. Entertainment firm AEG is helping to open a new state-of-the-art arena in Nagoya this summer, with more venues on the way. Apple Music's newly opened Shibuya studio is the latest sign that Japanese music is commanding growing global attention — from both fans and companies. | Apple Music 'For us to double down on the music and artistry in Japan is a no-brainer,' says Newman. 'After a global collaboration between Apple Music's creative and technical teams, we're so excited to open the doors of our Tokyo studio. It represents our ongoing commitment to the brilliant music coming out of Japan.' The new studio is designed to be a creative hub connecting artists with audiences. Beyond serving as a base for Mino and Ochiai's shows, it will host two new artist-led programs: 'Snow World Radio,' hosted by members of pop group Snow Man, and 'Lana's Room,' led by rising rapper Lana. 'Japan has a really unique ecosystem of music — but it's still kind of undiscovered by the world,' Mino says in a post-recording interview with all four show participants. 'We've had the world's second-biggest music market for decades. There's a huge catalog of music that hasn't been found yet.' (Newman notes that streams of Apple-curated playlists — from 1990s love songs to modern city pop — have surged over the past three years.) 'I'm really hoping this studio will be the catapult to showcase that music,' Mino adds. 'There's an enormous amount of creativity in Japanese music,' says Lowe, who adds that he enjoys digging through Tokyo's city pop records. 'It's incredibly inspiring — music unrestrained, creativity unrestrained.' The recording of 'Record Exchange: Japan' on a Tuesday morning in April offers a preview of what the studio can be. For two hours, the four hosts share formative songs — Lowe highlights New Zealand shoegaze band Bailter Space, Mino recalls a Rolling Stones deep cut he played on repeat as a kid in Chiba — and spotlight local favorites. Darden shouts out hip-hop artist DJ Honda, Ochiai champions Kansai rockers Ulfuls and Lowe plays a track by DJ Krush. It's a loose, lively conversation — far more relaxed than a typical Japanese entertainment show — and it features moments of genuine discovery. 'Nujabes was fire!' Lowe says at one point, referencing the beloved beatmaker. Throughout, Lowe and Darden are both reflective and inquisitive. They share their entry points into Japanese music, but seem even more eager to learn where to go next. 'We'll tell you where it started for us,' Lowe says. 'You can now tell us where to go next.'
South China Morning Post
07-05-2025
- Entertainment
- South China Morning Post
Arashi, J-pop mega group, to disband after final tour, prompting outpouring from fans
J-pop mega group Arashi, wildly popular in Japan and elsewhere in Asia, say they will end their activities as a band following a final tour next year. Advertisement After debuting in 1999, the five-member boy band rocketed to stardom with their catchy, chart-topping music to become the face of Japan's now-defunct boy-band empire Johnny and Associates, before going on a hiatus in 2020. Fans have since been anxiously awaiting news of their return to the spotlight, and on May 6, the group said in a bittersweet announcement that they would perform once again next spring – but that it would be their final act. 'In the last year before our hiatus, we couldn't perform in front of you due to the pandemic', Arashi's official X account said. 'The five of us will now reunite.' It said the idols, now in their forties, would start preparing for a concert tour scheduled for around spring next year, 'and that tour will end our activity as Arashi'.
