Make Believe Mailer Vol. 45: Hatsukoi
Some of the most interesting albums from the summer slate of J-pop releases in 2018 featured artists trying to mature. While I think this season of music in Japan will probably be remembered for many young artists starting to plant their flag in the landscape...and, of course, for the goofy glee of "U.S.A."...it's also one where several artists pivoted to something new for them. Suiyoubi No Campanella's Galapagos finds KOM_I abandoning the youthful sing-rap of the project's past in favor of actual singing, a classic signal of growing-up (even if it still sounds unpredictable in her hands). Oomori Seiko's latest full-length doesn't sound like a departure, but as she told me in an interview that will maybe one day run, it was her most inward-looking release to date.
And there was one of 2018's only marquee releases, Hikaru Utada's seventh full-length album. It's the sound of a someone wrestling with the reality adulthood brings...and one of J-pop's most famous artists sliding into a new role for her fans.
If that sounds vaguely familiar, that's because the same themes run across Utada's big re-emergence onto the J-pop scene. Fantome, released in 2016, marked her first album of new material since 2008...but maybe more importantly, a nudge back towards the limelight after stepping out of the public eye in 2010. The years between were newsworthy, with Utada giving birth to her first child and her mother dying. People can sometimes try to read too much about an artist's personal life from songs, but Fantome is an album where the pain of loss and the joy (and terror) of motherhood defines everything here (a thematic equivalent that enjoyed celebration in 2018? Madonna's Ray Of Light). It's raw and all over the place, because that's just what adulthood is — one of the more noteworthy songs just asks for a couple hours away from all this feeling.
Hatsukoi is the journal entries scribbled down during this turmoil edited and bound together into something reflective. Everything becomes easier to navigate with time, and whereas Fantome wrestles in the immediate, her latest uses the benefit of a few more years to make everything connect a little better. Loss remains the main topic on Utada's mind, and even though many of the lyrics flirt with romantic dissolution, death still looms over the bulk of these songs. But it's also sturdier than Fantome, an album featuring an uneven structure working as both its most interesting element (the emotional whiplash of that one might coupled with, ya know, who made it probably make it the most interesting J-pop release of this decade) and the biggest strike against it as an actual listening experience. Hatsukoi works in reverse — already, I feel like even the Utada fans have kinda sorta moved on from this one because it lacks that extra intrigue. Yet for me it's the better album to just listen to.
Part of that feeling comes from Hatsukoi following the same general structure of Fantome but spending more time on the details than the catharsis. The opening number is the most radio-friendly moment here (just like "Michi," also serving as a Suntory tie-up), and from there Utada jumps between pained ballads and slightly more up-tempo creations. She even brings in outside voices, although this time it's just one, British artist Jevon, to guest on the fever dream "Too Proud." Yet this album sounds a bit more diverse than Fantome. Plenty of strings, sure, but you also get the brass slink of "Anata" and a lot quicker tempos throughout. And maybe the song that sells the whole album for me is the one where Utada just has fun. "Pakuchii No Uta" is a goofy ode to cilantro, totally out of place but such a silly dash of joy that it feels like a breather (I also like to imagine she saw how Pikotaro stole the spotlight away from her with a song about fruit, so she glanced at her herb garden for inspiration in response).
It's how Utada steps into a new role for listeners, however, that has stuck with me the most from this album. As plenty have mentioned, Hatsukoi translates to "first love," which just happened to be the title of her debut album. Plenty have said this makes for a bit of a full-circle moment, and I agree with that — First Love is an album with a really weird relationship with time, ultimately focused on the future, while the 2018 "first love" is all about looking back. Hatsukoi is nostalgic in the true meaning of that word, melancholy for a time that might not even have really existed, but offering comfort through these reflections.
To me, it's J-pop instilled with the spirit of enka. That's maybe a little too cute, given that Utada's mother Keiko Fuji was a celebrated enka artist herself. But Hatsukoi spends the bulk of its playtime glancing back at loves (and lives) lost, hurt but drawing something comforting out of the experience (heck, even "Pakuchii No Uta" comes off like the slightly more lighthearted songs about produce enka singers would dabble in). Fittingly, it has been a summer of nostalgia in Japan, especially with music. Namie Amuro is stepping away, while Ayumi Hamasaki's latest release is her continuing to push through her own adulthood turbulence. Those new to their 30s want to remember their youth. A lot of people are fixated on yesteryear.
Utada has opted to give listeners who grew up with her -- who are now grappling with the same endings and beginnings that become distressingly common as you age -- music of comfort, built from nostalgia but far from depressing. There's a line on Fantome's "Michi" that goes "even sad songs will someday become nostalgic ones." Hatsukoi uses that as a blueprint to help set the path for Utada's next phase.
News And Views
Johnny Kitagawa —president, founder and namesake of Johnny & Associates — named his successor to the position according to Shukan Bunshun, and it's a surprise! Takizawa Hideaki appears to be in the driver's seat for the presidency, despite not being part of Kitagawa's family. Rather, he's one of the agency's talents, having been half of the group Tackey & Tsubasa and an actor. If true, it feels like Johnny's continuing to adapt to a new media world. Maybe not the greatest indicator of change, but they do have a new website ("Bringing smiles and sensations to your world world," why is all their copy vaguely creepy? Sensations?) and new office in Nogizaka. Rather than go with a person working behind the scenes for — but man oh man, could you imagine the drama in that office right now?!?!?! — they are going with someone still deep in the company, but coming from a different perspective. The agency's weird 2018 keeps on taking twists.
The long and winding road of Produce 48 came to an end this past Friday, with the final 12 members being set. People freaked out about this! I didn't have rooting interests, so it's mostly just been entertaining watching international fans cope with this. While some people were angry only three Japanese people made the final line-up, I don't think it's that shocking, and I'd say overall this was still a big win for AKB48's international brand. It's also weird a common gripe I'm seeing is this group isn't actually "global" like...it was only going to have Korean and Japanese performers anyway? A whole two countries isn't all that international (let alone when one half of it hails from a music industry extremely bad at being global). More thoughts...in the future????
Forbes released their existential-crisis-spurring "30 Under 30 Japan" list for 2018, with two musicians representing — CHAI (hey, I was on that) and Orono Noguchi from Superorganism.
Virtual YouTuber update: Kizuna AI collaborated with EDM act W&W. Hello Kitty has pivoted to YouTube with a five-minute upload. May we live in interesting times forever.
Momoko Sakura, the manga artist behind Chibi Maruko-Chan and Coji Coji among others, passed away this week. I'm hoping to write about the biggest song she was connected to, but a few musical highlights from her career include the closing credits to Coji Coji complete with Denki Groove jam, and the entirety of the film Chibi Maruko-chan: My Favorite Song (city pop friendly clip here and fantasy soundtracked by a Hosono cut here).
Kendrick Lamar featured on NHK. Alas for Top Dog Entertainment, the national broadcaster's new shows that has a bunch of muscle hunks showing you how to get in shape quickly went viral and replaced any discussion about that.
Akiko Yano joins the list of older Japanese artists enjoying the boom in older Japanese music. Which reissue label will be brave enough to release the city pop album Mussolini's granddaughter made???
In Japanese, but this graph-heavy analysis of summer music festivals in Japan is pretty interesting, especially when trying to figure out what Summer Sonic can do to reverse their ongoing decline in attendance. Fuji Rock can probably coast on their setting and experience -- beautiful mountains away from the city -- while Summer Sonic -- baseball stadium and convention center -- needs to re-think the lineup. Japanese acts do well, and Summer Sonic has done well with Asian artists...so maybe move away from the aging rockers?
Oricon Trail For The Week Of August 20, 2018 To August 26, 2018
Number one is a Kinki Kids side project allowing him to indulge in a Prince impersonation, it's palatable. Far more interesting comes a few spots down, with this:
It's interesting for me because....I can't really pinpoint how well Blackpink is doing in Japan. That's a pretty solid amount of singles moved in the year 2018, but it falling behind The Idolm@ster (let alone five other things) gives me pause. This is, arguably, the second biggest K-pop group going globally if we are going off of YouTube statistics (what could go wrong??), and they do alright on streaming here...but streaming isn't all that reflective of anything. I don't know!
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 at Kinokuniya bookstores in the US. Future Pop! That came out, and the reaction was...all over the place. I'll stick to my long-running opinion that, in 2018, Yasutaka Nakata is trying to sound like artists who were at least partially inspired by Yasutaka Nakata, resulting in something that feels just off but also on brand for the producer. The biggest departure, though, comes with the vocals, which are far less filtered than on any previous Perfume album. Since JPN they've sprinkled in non-computerized moments, which worked when happening less frequently. But it's far more frequent on Future Pop, which also features more tip-toes into "future bass" and other styles that came after the group's peak (fun irony: after years of hearing international fans complaining about Perfume always sounding the same, this album cycle gets to see them complain about sounding too different!). I'm ultimately drawn to Perfume because of the digitized sheen, but I also think Nakata retains his ear for good pop (other frequent complaint -- the lack of hooks? I mean, I guess, but I'm willing to admit I'm more open to wordless choruses and big stupid drops), so I think enough good ideas come through. And, despite often feeling a little rushed, I think it holds together way better as an album than Level3.
Anyways, that's a very rushed set of thoughts, and that doesn't even get into the context of what this album seems to really be trying to do...but that's for another day.
Look At Me!
Dug into what is hurting streaming services in Japan, inspired by Ayumi Hamasaki actually embracing them.
Wrote about how celebrities use social media to alter narratives and fight back against criticism this week in Pulse. Besides dropping the fire take that Ryucheru's music is not good, the whole Ryucheru tattoo controversy also pulled in Rino Sashihara, who took the nuanced view that he should do what he wants...but understand that, as an online celebrity, criticism is part of life. As usual, AKB48's finest comes through with a wise read.
Blog highlights: Yuri Urano, Parkgolf, Puffyshoes
Written by Patrick St. Michel (patrickstmichel@gmail.com)
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