Make Believe Melodies For January 26, 2026

A Sweet Escape

AOTQ And Natsume Kunfu — “Cotton Candy”

Not to zoom out too much and try to take the temperature of Japanese music just a month into 2026…but boy a lot of songs have really embraced escapism in the face of challenging times and an awareness of the ephemeral nature of it all. Even Mrs. GREEN APPLE’s latest hit touches on this, aware of inevitable endings but choosing to go ahead. It’s a notable development from the gloomier observations defining the first half of the 2020’s J-pop, where gnashing teeth at society was the norm and “escapism” was jumping off a building. The “why” of it all is harder to pinpoint — perhaps misery can only sustain so long — but it feels notable across all areas of Japanese music.

One of the better examples of this comes from the electronic side of the nation, with producer AOTQ and vocalist Natsume Kunfu creating a sweet escape on latest song “Cotton Candy.” In the past, AOTQ’s music has tended to luxuriate in the moment and move at a day-off pace, with something like “Slump” (closer to the downer-isms mentioned above) strolling along. Here though, the beat dashes ahead almost immediately, never slowing down for more than a second. It’s a fitting adjustment for a song where Kunfu dreams of making a run for it with a special someone, who she wants to shine brightly with despite knowing they’ll eventually have to eat the “bitter chocolate” of life. There is a pain at the center of “Cotton Candy” — of not being able to be with someone — but the possibility of getting away from reality with “the only one” keeps it all going. A lot of people seem to be feeling the same. Listen above, or get it here.

iga — “Ness and Paula”

It’s funny the first video game reference here is to Kirby, not Earthbound.

Rapper iga uses a cult Japanese RPG both as sonic source and emotional compass on “Ness and Paula,” a song initially strolling in as about love but really about transience. The beat sets the ennui pretty clearly, using samples from Earthbound alongside distorted guitar to craft a piece of melancholy over which iga can rap about the eventual end of all things (specified as from Kobe to Mita, emphasize with “no future”). It isn’t sad though, but rather appreciative of how nothing can last and instead the journeys we end up should be savored. Listen above.

4s4ki, ROAR And NUU$HI — “Dose Shinu Nara”

Continuing the “everything must end” trend, this underground all-star-collab between 4s4ki, STARKIDS member ROAR and producer NUU$HI pushes this to an almost apocalyptic place. The beat builds from a skitter to chirpier thump to approaching constricting techno later on. Despite boasting a dystopian edge via its near-gabberkick, “Dose Shinu Nara” offers an elegant call for being in the face of certain death. If you are going croak…as we all will…better to make the most of the time you have than being miserable during it. Perhaps we all can’t aim to be “techno grandmas” as 4s4ki declares here, but we can find our own way forward. Listen above.

Technopop Yuuki Synthesizer Chan — “me ・ai ・ ra ・sun ・ chu”

The very existence of Technopop Yuuki Synthesizer Chan as a concept is interesting, tapping into the past¹ while playing with a bunch of very modern digital developments. The central intrigue though, is how the original music (covers…a different story) most certainly does not recall technopop. The project’s first number is closer to a trance, while its latest cut is a pounding Underworld interpretation guided by Shinichi Osawa that is at its best when just letting itself get wrapped up in a loop. Listen above.

mimi kiddy — “I am ME?”

I will always be a sucker for idols engaging with internet-centric sounds. Blame the long shadow cast by Especia, but I hear a quartet like mimi kiddy call upon young producer cva beatz to create a speedy song featuring a steady bounce and, by the end, the members’ voices being sliced up into samples. Factor in their visual look, and you have a really fun outfit to keep an eye on. Listen above.

the bercedes menz — “knuckle duster”

Underground rabble-rousers the bercedes menz bring an edge to every song they make, but even the fuzzy “knuckle duster” highlights a surprisingly polished approach to melody. This one sounds ready for the livehouse but the way the singing zips ahead towards a shout-along hook matches what most J-rock outfits put out nowadays. The club energy and grit might not land the band an anime opening…but hey, that’s the whole charm helping to make their songwriting stand out. Listen above.

yuunari — yosuga

Osaka quartet yuunari knows when to let everything rip across first EP yosuga. The three songs here slot the young outfit alongside bands such as Yukiguni who also excel at slow builders, but whereas that group explores nocturnal ennui yuunari creates music closer to sun-dappled daydreaming ready to be ripped into reality. The opener builds slowly and maintains a sonic delicateness, but that just allows the band to make the eventual guitar crash all the more powerful. The title track moves more quickly right away, but grows noisier without losing the vocal sweetness. Listen above.

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Oricon Trail For The Week Of Jan. 12, 2025 To Jan. 18, 2026

Back in the day, the Oricon Music Charts were the go-to path to music stardom in Japan. Acts of all sorts traversed these lands, trying to sell as many CDs as possible in order to land a good ranking on a chart choosing to only count physical sales, even as the Internet came to be and the number of versions offered for sale got ridiculous. Today, with the country finally in on digital, these roads are more barren and only looked at by the most fanatic of supporters needing something to celebrate. Yet every week, a new song sells enough plastic to take the top spot. So let’s take a trip down…the Oricon Trail.

Ryosuke Yamada — “Blue Noise” (98,1809 Copies Sold)

OK let’s note both the runner-up — IS:SUE, who have been pushing themselves aggressively and have a very solid second-place showing here, and aiko, whose latest has a song called “my bae” according to the Apple Music English translation — before getting into number one, Hey! Say! JUMP member Ryosuke Yamada’s EP-masquerading-as-a-single “Blue Noise.”

STARTO artists are capable of good music, but very rarely do they hit on something that makes you go “whoa, what got into these guys?” “Blue Noise” manages the latter with a whiplash pop number refusing to settle into any one style. Yamada dashes between guitar chugs, synth smacks and piano interludes…all before the first chorus. He navigates EDM passages and dabbles in rap (a weak spot here) before being whipped back into a mosh pit. It’s not needless genre pile-up, but rather an effort to create a miniature pop journey.

It’s the use of traditional Japanese instrumentation and samples of nature, though, that elevates this into an early 2026 highlight. It’s not quite the existential transcendence of “circle,” but these classical touches give “Blue Noise” a stand-out texture, and offers surprisingly musical mutations as those instruments bleed into heavier rock, big-tent dance and more. Most importantly, it adds a dramatic flair elevating this into one of the more ambitious J-pop undertakings of recent memory. Listen above.

News And Views

• A court found electronic producer Seiho (full name Seiho Hayakawa) guilty of violating anti-nuisance laws stemming from a 2022 sexual harassment claim. He has been fined ¥200000 as a result. The victim and Hayakawa shared statements about the verdict.
  

• Here’s an idol trying to land a seat in the Diet.
  

• I saw the 4K restoration of Tokyo Melody and reviewed it for scrmbl.
  

• Ahead of their end, Arashi will release a new single.
  

• ryo (supercell) returned to using Hatsune Miku for the first time in…quite some time, for a song tied with Netflix’s Cosmic Princess Kaguya.

• Natalie asked various producers what their favorite tracks of 2025 were.
  

• The streaming charts are wild right now, and I think King Gnu’s “AIZO” is gaining momentum too.
  

• lyrical school calling it a day later this year.
  

• The Japan Times interviewed metal outfit HANABIE.
  

• I guested on the always-chaotic year-in-review podcast over at Nante Japan. I am also always a little looser on that thing, here what rock bands I hate.
  

• I went to AVYSS Circle last Friday — expect thoughts on that in the premium post later this week — and it heavily featured young rappers who look vaguely like they could work at a host club but found hyperpop. Here’s a nice interview with one of them, lazydoll! He popped up at the mini-fest last week sporting a style I’d describe as “goth Shibuya-kei” which really got my attention.
  

Written by Patrick St. Michel (patrickstmichel@gmail.com)
Twitter — @mbmelodies
Check out the Best Of 2026 Spotify Playlist here!

1. Before anything before the year 2000s was cool, you would have labels getting angry at you if you referred to any modern act as “technopop.”