This year marks the 20th anniversary of Hello! Project, one of the most important idol endeavors in the history of J-pop. This collection of girl groups helped usher in a new idol boom in the late 1990s thanks mostly to Morning Musume, an outfit that helped make the whole concept seem viable again after the previous years saw J-pop defined as Eurobeat-adjacent groups and super solo stars such as Namie Amuro. In a history of Japanese pop music, their peak helped further re-define what an idol group could be, and helped pave the way for the AKB48-topia of the 2010s.
Make Believe Mailer Vol. 51: Hello, Project?
Make Believe Mailer Vol. 51: Hello, Project?
Make Believe Mailer Vol. 51: Hello, Project?
This year marks the 20th anniversary of Hello! Project, one of the most important idol endeavors in the history of J-pop. This collection of girl groups helped usher in a new idol boom in the late 1990s thanks mostly to Morning Musume, an outfit that helped make the whole concept seem viable again after the previous years saw J-pop defined as Eurobeat-adjacent groups and super solo stars such as Namie Amuro. In a history of Japanese pop music, their peak helped further re-define what an idol group could be, and helped pave the way for the AKB48-topia of the 2010s.