Babymetal’s “Elevator Girl” and Echoes of the Elisa Lam Case
Whether intentionally or not, Babymetal’s “Elevator Girl” feels like an unspoken pop culture echo of one of the most chilling and inexplicable deaths of the digital era.
j-pop
Babymetal’s Classic “Gimme Chocolate!!” Mixes Pop, Art, and Id
Babymetal’s “Gimme Chocolate!!” video, like your favorite B-movie, combines one part pop culture, one part art, and one part id as well as catharsis.
DJ Nontoya Presents Tokyo Bliss, Japanese Funk and More
Tokyo’s DJ Nontoya takes you on a guided tour through the fascinating worlds of city pop and Japanese funk on his third mix for WeWantSounds.
Hikaru Utada’s ‘Bad Mode’ Is an Energetic Homage to Millennium Disco-Pop
A great dance-pop record is a marriage of great songs, appealing vocals, and innovative production. Hikaru Utada’s Bad Mode fits that bill. It’s a classy and elegant affair.
7 BTS Japanese Tracks You Should Know Beyond ‘BTS, The Best’
BTS’ original Japanese tracks could fill a compilation, even if the curation of BTS, The Best is a good representation of the Korean group as a crossover act.
With “Santa Baby”, Emergency Tiara Updates a Classic Just in Time for the Holidays (premiere)
J-pop meets vintage girl group in Emergency Tiara's smart, sassy cover of the Eartha Kitt Christmas standard, "Santa Baby".
UQiYO Captivates with Complex Layers of Art Pop on “RA!!i!!NY” (premiere)
Tokyo duo UQiYO present what may be their most multi-sided composition to date in the form of "RA!!i!!NY", a track inspired by metropolitan culture and an ephemeral romance.