Make Believe Melodies For January 22, 2024
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Creepy Nuts — “Bling-Bang-Bang-Born”
It was inevitable that the pace of J-pop would keep pushing upward. Songs breaking into the mainstream have been getting swifter, with YOASOBI’s galloping “Yoru Ni Kakeru” being a clear epoch-shifting moment, though one could also argue DA PUMP’s “cool dasai” Eurobeat surprise helped prime the landscape…all aided by social media platforms emphasizing quickness.
The new year isn’t even a month old, and J-pop already appears to have a breakout hit pushing BPM even faster. Oddball hip-hop duo Creepy Nuts have always played around with modern sounds, albeit in playful ways bordering on comedy (a friend texted me a few years ago following their debut on Kohaku asking “what the fuck is up with Creepy Nuts?”). Newest song “Bling-Bang-Bang-Born,” serving as the theme for an anime called Mashle: Magic and Muscles, goes all in on Jersey Club…complete with the familiar “squeak” sample, which I assume is the first time that sound has ever appeared in an anime opening song.
And it’s not just a little squeaking…it’s a lot, to the point of being central to how the song springs forward. It’s the best song Creepy Nuts have done yet, largely because they offer no breaks and instead barrel forward, a decision that makes the self-flexing and vocal tricks all the more effective when delivered breathlessly. It’s a little ragged around the edges, offering a touch of unease.
J-pop adopted to Jersey Club way earlier than most, albeit in isolated cases (most notably by musical omnivore Kenmochi Hidefumi, who was working squeaks into Suiyoubi No Campanella songs nearly a decade ago). Over the last few years, though, it has become even more pronounced in the country’s musical ecosystem, bubbling up in pop and electronic, while enjoying a particular breakout in 2023 within domestic rap. “Bling-Bang-Bang-Born” represents the moments it truly reaches the mainstream, aided by anime magic and an overall shift towards speedier beats. The song shot up to number one on subscription streaming services Top 50 Japan charts quickly after its release…and is only just the top of the trend. Listen above.
yama — “Nisekao”
Masked singer-songwriter yama works best when turning her rock inclinations into something approximating dance music. “Nisekao,” the latest preview of her newest album, demonstrates this well, transforming acoustic guitar strums into part of a skittering beat teasing multiple on-trend styles. Production duo Matt Cab and MATZ offer some nice twists to the formula — no squeaks in site, but there’s a slight creak lurking beneath the chopped-up yama voices and what sounds like a cell phone vibrating — over which yama delivers one of her best vocal performances to date. Listen above.
Sala — “Gacha Gacha”
A young artist has the benefit of trying out all kinds of sounds out as they work out just who they are. Not long ago, Sala was dipping her toes into something between pop-punk and hyperpop — topped off by a genuinely bonkers popping sound section — but as the new year starts she’s giving Jersey Club a go. “Gacha Gacha” uses woozy vocal warps to build towards sudden acceleration, between familiar squeaks and whips propel the song forward. An example of the style becoming a starting point for younger creators. Listen above.
Neo Tokyo — “our name”
No surprises that a song originating from the world of Denonbu moves fast, but this cut courtesy of trio Neo Tokyo stands as particularly disorienting even from the world of Bandai-Namco-branded electronic. Produced by KOTONOHOUSE, “our name” carries a hyperpop edge (4s4ki is a good comparison), but unfolds faster than most songs tagged as this in Japan (Toriena…also a good comparison) without skimping on the filtered-vocal fireworks. Listen above.
Nyaanime — Saikyo Nyaanime BEST!
Part of the reason I think more mainstream J-pop songs are picking up the pace and playing with modern dance genres a bit more (besides the rise of NewJeans) is that the distance between the underground and overground is much less than ever before. You can see a lot of fresh sonic ideas blossoming among Japanese independent scenes and then being picked up much faster than before, whether it is by artists being quickly signed (STARKIDS on a major) or just the sound itself finding a major-label home. It’s always true, but especially so in modern Japan — see what’s happening one layer down to see what will soon be happening one layer up.
None of that applies to this best-of brain musher courtesy of producer Nyaanime, though maybe I’m hoping someone at Avex hears their slurry of anime samples and Akiko Wada lifts blended together and says “well, Kalen Anzai could try this out…” Here’s going really far down the rabbit hole, to find truly novel approaches to tempo and texture. Get it here, or listen above.
Yumenokessho POPY — “Migiwa No Yado”
Let’s be real though — if there’s a next step to wild tempo and disorienting beats in J-pop, it’s going to come from Hakushi Hasegawa. The left-field producer teamed up with BanG! Dream to show off the capabilities of their AI singing-synthesizer software that allows people to replicate the voice of the character POPY (look, I’m confused by the details too). That’s the least trippy part of this song, as Hasegawa does their thing, creating a rattling dimension-ripping beat that teases collapse multiple times but holds it together. Listen above.
Oricon Trail For The Week Of January 08, 2024 To January 14, 2024
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.
Liella! — “Shekira☆☆☆” (13,846 Copies Sold)
Savor these days, the doldrums of January, because soon enough this section will once again be dominated by STARTO groups and occasional top-level idols. Not today, though! Here we get a Love Live! group topping Oricon with a measly even by contemporary standards number of singles sold. And I love that fact! Love Live! and its far-reaching universe of music remains trailblazing and vital to understanding the mixed-media realities of J-pop in the 2020s, even if the franchise’s music can sound paper-thin compared to similar projects. This is peppy albeit unambitious idol pop, very much for the core base…but honestly, given what’s sure to come around these parts, I’m overjoyed to have a week like this. Listen above.
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New year, same pitch…subscribe to Make Believe Bonus for an extra post every week! Coming later this week…some reflections on virtual singer KAF’s latest solo show! Did I write this exact same paragraph last week, only to not write about KAF’s solo show? Yes, it was a Disney theme experience instead. But now it is happening, so get on it!
News And Views
Neo-kawaii rock quartet CHAI announced that after its final tour in March, the group will break up. Significant news in the world of Japanese rock — especially for a group that made lots of strides abroad — though reflecting on it I’m also impressed how long they went. More to come around these part?
In news that broke a day after last week’s round-up went out…YOASOBI, Hatsune Miku and Atarashii Gakko! will play Coachella, the most Japanese acts to appear on that festival’s bill since the ‘90s I think. Another huge step in the spread of J-pop globally.
Following up from last week…yes, it is that Lamp opening for Mitski on a few of her North American dates.
Shibuya-kei project Serani Poji enjoying chart breakthroughs thanks to TikTok.
The Anime Awards are not playing around.
Kanano Senritsu, member of Femme Fatale and accomplished solo artist, is going on indefinite hiatus from entertainment due to lack of motivation leading to stress.
“Idol” STILL thriving out here, as it returns to number one on the Billboard Hot 100 Japan.
Horse-racing idols, let’s go.
THE FIRST TAKE remains a fascinating YouTube channel, even in a landscape far-removed from the COVID-stricken world of 2020 when it thrived. One of the details I appreciate about it is the way it makes room for non-Japanese acts. Now, add MÅNESKIN to that list — though I am a little surprised that it hasn’t been that big a viral hit yet, seeing as how many breathless words have been shared in Japanese media about these guys. But hey, give it time!
Written by Patrick St. Michel (patrickstmichel@gmail.com)
Twitter — @mbmelodies
