Make Believe Mailer Vol. 29: Life Without Charts
It's truly woozy-making to see the dominant topics in U.S. music writing in 2018 while primarily writing about Japan's industry. It's quite disconcerting to look at nearly any other nation's current situation, but I'll always keep closest tabs on where I'm from. And above all the other topics clogging various newsfeeds -- did anyone really say you can't like Cardi B and Nicki Minaj? Did the world need another 88 Rising fluff piece? What is a Hobo Johnson? -- it's the continued glorification of charts that surprises me the most. That's mainly because, in 2018, I believe music charts in Japan have become completely useless...and everyone knows it.
Charts did mean something for a long time in the Japanese market, though. The Oricon Charts -- founded by Original Confidence, Inc., get it? -- arrived in the late 1960s. They probably reached their halcyon days in the 1990s, when CD sales were surging all across the market. Knowing that Namie Amuro's "Can You Celebrate?" destroyed sales records (still number one!) was important and actually reflected the popular tastes of the day. But then the bubble burst, and spending on music gradually declined. Marxy has you covered on that front.
I feel if you took the time to subscribe to this newsletter, you know where Oricon exists now -- it's dominated by groups that can mobilize dedicated fanbases to buy multiple copies of the same thing, with a smattering of legacy acts using their longstanding reputation to dominate. Exceptions exist -- Sekai No Owari, Hoshino Gen and Wanima achieving chart-topping success int he modern day without any needed qualifiers -- but generally if you have a dedicated group of supporters who will shell out for many copies (which usually come with some physical goodie wherein) the Oricon is waiting for you.
Value the small, messed-up moments like this, when Slipknot could beat Girl's Generation on the daily chart
I've casually talked with several people working in the Japanese music industry so far this year, and a unifying thought they've said is developing in the industry is that Oricon is just worthless now. Fittingly for the Japanese music industry, they are behind the curve -- netizens in Japan, on 2ch and Twitter and countless other forums already decided Oricon reflects nothing way earlier in the decade. A tipping point, though, came when Oricon introduced a digital chart late last year that was still kept far away from the main Oricon chart, which focuses on physical sales. In 2018, this split is just too ridiculous given how people listen to music -- so ridiculous, that even the Japanese music industry knows putting any unneeded worth in them today is a waste.
Japan in 2018 is a country where charts have no real power or significance. Like most music markets, there are a medley of platforms one has to observe to figure anything out -- physical items, digital downloads, YouTube, streaming sites (albeit still far more fledgling in Japan than anywhere else), radio. Unlike other places, nobody puts any value in any of them in Japan. For some reason, I get mails from Post Malone and The Weeknd's PR team, and recently they've trumpeted how both have shattered Spotify streaming records. The idea of a Japanese label sending something similar would be ludicrous, because not nearly enough people use streaming to prove anything. Digital downloads have been shrinking for years, and radio serves a different function here. Even YouTube, the go-to music discovery platform for most, leaves something to be desired -- last year's biggest song thrived thanks to the video site, and I still think most people in Japan don't know about.
Physical sales? Almost completely disregarded by the general public, save for older acts like Utada Hikaru and Namie Amuro. It's just too dominated by artists who game the system -- primarily idols, mostly from Japan, but often matched by K-pop's finest (not to take anything away from them, but BTS' latest Japanese album came out in four editions...one more than the newest AKB48 album, which is insane). And whereas people deal with that elsewhere (again, thinking Korean charts here, and even then there are boundaries), it's just totally frowned upon here. Some people argued that AKB48's newest album moving over a million copies was a sign J-pop idol music was still thriving in 2018. I'd argue...not really, because nobody gives a shit about Oricon except hardcore fans.
Japanese music in 2018 is wide open. Figuring out consensus hits is near impossible -- lots of negatives to that, but it also means more artists from diverse musical backgrounds are making inroads in the mainstream (for me, the golden example being Suiyoubi No Campanella...how is this group appearing on TV shows?!). And, based on what I'm seeing, is one of the most unique aspects of the country and its music in 2018. It's a place free of charts, for better or for worse.
News And Views
Coachella is this weekend! X Japan will be there! They are fucked.
Namie Amuro is keeping busy months ahead of her retirement -- and now she can cross off "making a tie-up with a fast-fashion brand" from her bucket list.
Slow week, because a member of Arashi's sex life is getting lots of attention.
Oricon Trail For The Week Of April 2, 2018 To April 8, 2018
After spending 800 words slagging off Oricon...here is the Oricon report. Fittingly, an NMB48 single sits on top of it, and that reflects nothing in general mainstream music consumption.
Perfume's GAME (33 1/3)
My entry in the 33 1/3 Japan series is out now! Get a copy at Bloomsbury or Amazon. Or, as I found out this week, at Books Kinokuniya physical stores! If you are near one, check it out and see if they have some!
Look At Me!
Talked to Otoboke Beaver ahead of their Coachella performances for The Japan Times. It's also a look at how different countries have different views of certain concepts...such as feminism, which Otoboke Beaver don't connect their music to.
Blog highlights: Cor!s, Snow Smile and There Is A Fox.
Written by Patrick St. Michel (patrickstmichel@gmail.com)
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