Tag - j-pop

 
 

J POP

Japan Times
CULTURE / Music
Mar 6, 2016
Silent Siren delivers a dose of idol-pop pep on 'S'
With a proliferation of idol-pop groups in the music scene these days, getting a start in the industry isn't always easy — even for a band made up of former models.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music
Feb 28, 2016
City pop revival helps Suchmos at just the right time
Walk into a Tower Records store in Shibuya or Shinjuku and you'll eventually come across the apparel section. The current fashion aesthetic here leans retro: Hoodies and T-shirts come emblazoned with text highlighting throwback music signifiers, from equipment ("cassette tape," "analog") to genres ("surf...
LIFE / Language / COMMUNICATION CUES
Feb 15, 2016
SMAP's 2003 single tops chart
An old CD single by SMAP returned to No. 1 in the charts as fans alarmed by news of the group's apparently imminent breakup launched a campaign to show their support for the group.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music
Jan 24, 2016
Cairo breaks with its past for dreamy debut, 'Same as Before'
While talking to the members of indie rock band Cairo, I can't help but feel their sense of excitement. After all, this is their first interview ever.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music
Jan 21, 2016
Grimes is set to challenge your definition of pop
No matter how hard her fans and the music press campaign to make it happen, Grimes will never become the true pop star they want her to be. Although her otherworldly, Ableton-assisted music is crammed full of hooks fit to sit alongside Rihanna and Taylor Swift in the Top 40, the Canadian musician/producer...
Japan Times
LIFE / Language / BILINGUAL
Jan 11, 2016
'Be strong and keep believing,' says the Trivago girl with the gift of the gab
Many foreign celebrities here speak Japanese to a high level, yet when it comes to pronunciation and intonation, few sound as accomplished as Natalie Emmons.
CULTURE / Music
Nov 15, 2015
Arashi tugs at the patriotic heartstrings on 'Japonism'
Arashi "Japonism" (J Storm)
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music
Nov 12, 2015
Cero helps radio station InterFM897 celebrate its new look
The members of Cero have just finished recording their radio show, "Night Drifter," when I meet them at the InterFM897 studios in Tokyo's Shinagawa Ward. When I walk into the studio, one of the group immediately points out my T-shirt, which has an air-brushed depiction of a beach at sunset with the word...
Japan Times
CULTURE / Art
Nov 3, 2015
'Takashi Murakami: The 500 Arhats'
Oct. 31-March 6
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music
Oct 18, 2015
'Jack' event declares: ‘Let there be J-pop!’
Over the past two years, Simon Whybray's monthly club night and online mix series “Jack” (stylized in all caps) has featured high-energy songs from around the globe, including a healthy dose of J-pop. It's surprising, then, when he reveals his gateway into Japanese music was a delicate piano number...
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music
Oct 8, 2015
Guitarist Tomoyasu Hotei calls on his pals for 'Strangers'
Recalling his first encounter with rocker Iggy Pop, a huge grin flashes across the face of Tomoyasu Hotei. It occurred at Berlin airport around 30 years ago when he was recording in Germany with former band Boøwy. Despite being one of the most famous musicians in Japan, the guitarist was too shy to...
LIFE / Language / MORNING ENGLISH
Oct 5, 2015
Let's discuss 'idols' and marriage
Last week the media obsessed over the story about the 17-year-old girl who was sued by a talent agency for violating the terms of her contract, which stipulated that she could not be involved in any romantic relationships.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music
Oct 2, 2015
m-flo's Taku Takahashi talks about Japan's music scene, K-pop and that controversial tweet
Taku Takahashi wants you to know, he's a positive person.
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
Sep 25, 2015
Court ruling sparks online outcry after teen idol told to pay damages for dating
A recent Tokyo court ruling ordering a teen idol to pay damages for violating a "no dating" clause in her contract has spurred an online outcry, reigniting debate over an industry many say is rife with male-chauvinist views.
Japan Times
CULTURE / CULTURE SMASH
Aug 15, 2015
AKB48 turns to an American studio
AKB48’s  commercial success in Japan is often derided as a sign of the culture’s patriarchal infantilization of women, and the girl group’s inability to appeal to Western audiences a sign of Japan’s increasingly isolated ideas about femininity, sexuality and pop music. Put simply: outside of...
Japan Times
CULTURE / CULTURE SMASH
Jul 18, 2015
Project Anime asks the right questions
More than 90,000 attended the 24th annual Anime Expo (AX), North America's largest Japanese pop culture convention, held at the Los Angeles Convention Center from July 2 to 5. The four-day event featured a concert by idol group Momoiro Clover Z, who were joined onstage by two members of veteran American...
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music
Jul 5, 2015
City pop revival is literally a trend in name only
City pop is the latest trend to hit Japan's indie-music scene. Well, not the musical style, just the words.

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