Quote:
Originally Posted by Molecules
alright casenumber you J-pop/British comedy stalwart
My overall impression of J-pop is no longer entirely negative, just indifferent lol, but more informed thanks to your enlightening compilation. I don't think this was the super-squeaky day-glo dancepop my cousin was talking about.
There are a lot of different sounds at work, and I noticed you threw in some Chinese and Korean tracks as well which was good, it certainly wasn't all awful.
First off my main objection to this music is the shrink-wrapped, factory-line pop feel to it. I've never been huge on manufactured pop as a musical style, I don't actually know how many of these singers produce their own stuff if any?
The songs don't suffer from lack of writing talent (I'm sure the singers had the best writers and session musicians Sony Japan or whatever has to offer) but it is clearly produced for maximum fidelity to jostle for your attention with Asia's radio sensations.
Which is fine... it's just that the amount of musical re-appropriation on offer probably unnerved me I'll admit. For example one minute you'll be listening to a Timbaland-esque R'n'b club anthem (I own and enjoy some of Timbaland's landmark contributions to pop - Aaliyah, Writing's on the Wall etc), the next an Asian Britney Spears with buzzsaw synth faux-guitar line, the next a cheesy pop ballad with thrash metal backing?
It's all a bit overwhelming, and like I said it just feels very synthetic on a number of tracks, as if these women are not singing in their own true voice but that of some chuckling Simon Cowell-type exec (probably smoking a cigar with a Persian cat on his lap) trying to replicate Beyoncé's sales figures with native singers.
Having said all that if I'm in that kind of mood there are a couple of songs here I would happily have on rotation in a Western pop playlist; I've never been fond of the Japanese preference for melodrama though... what's that weird name for Japanese metal where they all wear really extravagant costumes? Special K or something? It's like emo gone kabuki, fun to look at but torturous to listen to.
Bands like Dir En Grey, the Ayumi Hamasaki song reminded me a bit of that but was much more fun to listen to.
I'll probably have more track-specific comments in a while, I've just had this on in the background and not really been paying attention to which song is which until just now!
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It's true that not all of them write their own lyrics.... but surprisingly a lot of them do.... the ones that do write their own stuff are (From the artists in that playlist):
Koda Kumi
Ayumi Hamasaki
Ai Otsuka
Utada Hikaru
OLIVIA
misono
A-mei & BoA occasionally write their own stuff
You'll notice that there are more Japanese singers that write their own stuff. You'd be surprised at the sheer number of artists that do take more control over their work in Japan. The major factory-produced artists are the pop groups such as Hello!Project, a project made for the endorsement of the Hello Kitty products. They still make catchy songs, but they're not one of my favourites.
I think it's a strange rumour that Japanese artists don't write their own stuff, only mde BECAUSE of the Hello!Project fad.
You'll also notice, if you looked at most of these artists other works, that they are so diverse. They can go from pop, to rock, to RnB, to electronica.... and I'm only talking within one artists discography. Koda Kumi and Ayumi Hamasaki are especially known for this.
And yeah the weird Japanese rock groups that dress up are known as Visual-Kei artists..... I've never been a fan, can't say as I ever will be.