Make Believe Melodies For October 3, 2022
Viral Edition
Natori — “Overdose”
If you needed anymore proof that Japanese music, once so tethered to physical releases and digital allergies, has gone full online, enter the first “proper” song from an internet creator shooting up the charts behind subscription streaming and TikTok.
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Natori is singer-songwriter who hasn’t been active long — their YouTube page, which seems like a good enough spot to start, launched last year and largely consists of “demos” in a now-familiar post-Vocaloid style similar to Yoasobi or Kenshi Yonezu. Though maybe I’m putting too much attention on the wrong platform — Natori has been just as active on TikTok, using it as a space to share snippets of these in-progress songs before eventually performing them live. At the end of last year, I wrote that TikTok would go “left-field discovery platform to the place for new artists to build their reputation.” Natori is that shift in action.
Still, I’m shocked HOW quickly “Overdose” has become an online hit. In just under a month, it’s become the TikTok song of the autumn in Japan, but escaped the short-form realm as well. Besides spawning YouTube content about and featuring the song, “Overdose” currently sits at #2 on Spotify Japan’s Top 50 chart, behind only Ado’s year-defining hit. That’s wild for what amounts to a debut song from a creator that only exists online.
Besides being a reminder “don’t pretend CDs singularly dominate J-pop in 2022!,” “Overdose” hits on some greater sonic trends. It’s a meeting point between the glummer sounds of 2020 and, like, the more upbeat side of clear-influence Eve. The lyrics detail a descent into something depressing, but whereas Yoasobi imagined lovers jumping off a roof Natori simply spirals down with a loved one, finding time to still get undressed in the process. It’s funky but off thanks to skipping vocal samples and a weird electronic shine hovering around the hook. While there’s a huge gap between it and a number bumped up by a ONE PIECE movie, Natori and Ado (among many more) do share a 20-something concern with hiding their identities and just letting the music take the spotlight. Listen above.
THE SUPER FRUIT — “Chiguhagu”
Though hey, if I’m going to shout out TikTok-born forces, can’t skip the early warning hinting at the environment that would produce Natori’s viral hit1. “Chiguhagu” is the one song that has stayed a step ahead of "Overdose” on TikTok charts, and actually crashed into Oricon’s top-ten singles ranking a few weeks back. It might actually be more telling about what makes a TikTok hit not work outside that space. Whereas “Overdose” is more in line with sonic trends, “Chiguhagu” is peppy to an almost annoying degree. Perfect for a certain short-form app, but perhaps not to the taste of the greater public. Listen above.
Repezen Foxx Featuring SPRITE — “XOXO”
To date…I don’t think any native influencer has managed to truly crossover into the realm of popular J-pop. Hikakin and Seikin racked up views with their offerings, but always felt like YouTube curios rather than actual breakthroughs, while the likes of Ryuchell and Neo failed to make a dent. For better or for worse (almost certainly the better), a divide between “musician” and “Instagram person” remains in place.
If any artist would truly break it, it would probably be Repezen Foxx, the absolute worst possible outfit to do it. A spin off of annoying YouTubers Repezen Chiku — best known for trying to turn “power harassment” into a viral stunt, which failed — this project has already managed to offend India so much that Japanese consulates had to issue apologies on the nation’s behalf. Yet as almost all popular “content creators” have proven, you can be as lunkheaded as you want to be and still attract a following. “XOXO” is a viral hit, and reminds of the project’s standing with younger listeners despite a bunch of controversies in the years prior. It’s also a lot more forgettable, though that probably works in its favor…the only interesting wrinkle here is the inclusion of Thai rapper SPRITE, making this one of the most prominent examples of Japanese and Thai music intersecting in a year where that has been a true trend2.
This gaggle of creators represents the importance of niche fandoms in modern Japan — they are nowhere near the mainstream, but pulling in numbers a lot of acts would crave. The world of online creators might not be able to produce a crossover act…but they can sustain themselves just fine. Listen above.
Sayuri — “Hana No To”
Anime — remains a force for popularity! Sayuri’s ending theme to Summer series Lycoris Recoil — my personal favorite of the season3 — remains entrenched in the domestiv viral top ten on Spotify, while also appearing on similar lists across the continent. That mirrors the way a lot of anime tie-ups travel, and reminds of how important being linked to a show a bunch of nerds like me end up watching. Listen above.
Sunhe — “Horoyoi”
What about Japanese songs making little impact at home…going viral abroad? Singer-songwriter Sunhe provides an example with “Horoyoi,” a tune dedicated to the low-alcohol-percentage chu-hais Suntory makes for a demographic not looking to get sloshed off Strong Zeroes (specifically, the central protagonist here wonders why their love interest, who seems to be a wreck, doesn’t opt for the 3% drink). This is a Viral 50 hit in nearby Taiwan, with the YouTube video (above) attracting a lot of comments from the country. That’s not a lock for eventual success at home, but does offer a glance at how J-pop can travel abroad. Listen above.
TVT — “Kiss FT Supernatural VER 1 (Remix)”
Maybe it’s best to not overthink the viral mutations of the modern Internet landscape and just appreciate how all people can be united by a terrible dance remix. This is a rework of 2NE1 member Dara’s 2009 single “Kiss,” transformed into a number built for the cheesiest club you’ve ever walked into. I think this version comes from Vietnam? Whatever the case, this is a hit with the TikTok crowd in Japan. Here’s a snapshot of the modern web at its peak — a mish-mash of existing properties, defying geography, and zooming way past the boundaries of “good taste.” Listen above.
Oricon Trail For The Week Of September 19, 2022 To September 25, 2022
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.
NMB48 — “Suki Da Mushi” (160,972 Copies Sold)
Man, I wish this week on Oricon was boring because I’d love to dig into an idol song whose title translates to “I Love Bugs” (alas, it is a metaphor for love). Unfortunately for NMB48, this topped the singles chart the same week 2022’s biggest blockbuster album arrived.
Snow Man — Snow Labo S2 (890,537 Copies Sold)
When general reporters and professional Tweeters focused on Japan would lament “why isn’t J-pop creating anything like BTS?” a few years ago, the subtext was “why isn’t Johnny’s bigger international?” because that’s where a K-pop-like breakthrough would come from. Those Freudian dreams could come true though!
Snow Man offers the best chance for a J-pop male-group breakthrough, with year-best debut numbers for their new album underlining that. They reflect the “new era” of Johnny’s following the death of founder Johnny Kitagawa, where the online is at least considered rather than shunned completely. Snow Man are on YouTube, TikTok and…maybe streaming abroad, can’t access them here (hence nearly a million sales for a CD) but it looks like maybe in other regions you can?4 (NOTE: Ronald over at Arama! Japan informs me the answer is no, they are not available overseas. Nobody can access them!) While still fledgling in the always-idolized "Western" market, Snow Man have already made huge inroads in Asia. Whether they really go for the world or do what these acts have long settled for...being uber-stars at home and enjoying a bit of success seep abroad, but never really acting on it...remains to be seen, but here’s the sign they have the momentum to try.
News And Views
Judges might have slammed Johnny’s outfit Travis Japan during their final performance on America’s Got Talent, but that didn’t stop major labels from courtin’ the outfit. The group will make an international debut with Capitol Records later this year. While this could just be a roulette-wheel bet on a group with a little viral buzz behind them, it does comes with a lot of intrigue. Like…will they be the first Johnny’s group to put their music up on subscription streaming owing to this deal? How will their fans in Japan react to this? Could this carry ripples for the agency as a whole moving forward? Great time to revisit my interview with them for Billboard.
Les Rallizes Dénudés discography to be reissued in the near future. I might have a story or two touching on this.
GACKT returning to the entertainment world after nearly a year off due to illness. Will anyone remember those sexual harassment allegations made against him? Who knows!
A super interesting report from Yamagata Prefecture’s Gampeki Music Festival, which attracted a primarily under-25 set. Reason why it worked? Unique setting coupled with dance-centric bill plus an active push to teach younger folks how a music festival operates.
New SPY X FAMILY ending theme is by Yama. Didn’t see that coming, good for them!
In a bit of good timing, Asashi Shimbun ran a piece looking at cultural interest between Japanese and Chinese people towards the other sides’ creations.
Terry Riley just hanging with Joe Hisaishi, gotta love it.
I think we’d all be better off if we kept The Beatles references to a minimum — see also, this baffling profile of baseball personality Ben Verlander, opening with as horrifying a lede as you could expect from any story in 2022 — but I’m here for documentation of Kikagaku Moyo’s final tour!
I’d recommend anyone reading this newsletter regularly (or any subscribers to the “cool, Japan!” theory) to check out American artist Ginger Root’s new EP, a concept album diving deep into city pop and the out-of-time quality (good and bad) that carries. NPR has a good interview with them about it…which also indicates Meiko Nakahara has a TikTok song behind her? Missed that one.
Ed Sheerhan…Pokemon master.
Written by Patrick St. Michel (patrickstmichel@gmail.com)
Twitter — @mbmelodies
Follow the Best of 2022 Spotify Playlist Here!
I actually should be referencing Suiyoubi No Campanella’s “Edison,” but honestly that’s a whole article in its own right.
They are very aware of this, it seems, and doing a lot better than previous continental efforts. They aren’t stopping either…they recently collaborated with Thai artist WONDERFRAME, even though it feels like they were just on vacation and could swing by for one day (“I’m a crazy Japanese ninja”).
I’ve watched more anime in 2022 than in any other year, which probably speaks to some kind of mid-life crisis I’m not willing to address. For the most part though, I find the series I gravitate towards having some kind of mainstream appeal — SPY X FAMILY could easily be a Netflix original live-action series if you plucked a bunch of Danish actors out of the void, while Ya Boy Kongming! hits on a bunch of existing interests I have. I speed-ran through Yuru Camp, because it’s basically Terrace House for people who shop at Montbell. Which is all to say…I wouldn’t have reservations about recommending them to “regular folk” who might otherwise be turned off by anime.
The same can not be said for Lycoris Recoil, a very anime-like anime that nonetheless pulled me in after accidentally watching the debut episode while zoning out at a post-onsen relaxation room in Odaiba this past summer. This is a series about high school girls who are actually highly trained secret agents fighting terrorism. Otaku trap! Yet three elements make me love it. 1.) The smattering of real-world Japanese topics worked in, ranging from references to “omotenashi” to the tourism boom to the status of the country as one of the world’s safest. 2.) How the series manages to actually subvert the latter trope by constantly reminding via its villains…no the country is actually hiding a cabal of nefarious dudes under the surface. 3.) No sci-fi or magic or robo bullshit…the heroes murk bad guys with actual guns, pushing this closer to Commando than Evangelion, for the better.
I’m not installing a VPN for this