Last year (2023) Patrick Saint-Michel (Patrick Saint-Michel) is a columnist for Japan Times He wrote an article analyzing the Japanese music industry on his website. www.japantimes.co.jp Which was said by www.gqthailand.com/culture/music/article/2023-look-like-for-j-pop
Which Patrick summarizes at the end of the article: The future of Japanese music looks bright. When there are many changes happening both in terms of work mechanism and work delivery channels
This year (2024) this writer counted and analyzed the situation in the Japanese music industry again. And it's still as interesting as ever. Especially continuing what those in the Japanese music industry started last year.
He began by saying after introducing himself to music fans around the world this year will see the emergence of new Japanese pop artists like Yoasobi, who rose to fame with his hit song “Idol” alongside other Japanese artists. has made its name through streaming services around the world, each presenting new opportunities. For myself and the Japanese pop music industry when traveling to meet fans around the world, whether at music festivals like Coachella or as an opening act for major artists. Which will increase the new opportunities give yourself together
Yoasobi, the band that rose to stardom with their hit song “Idol”
Since 2010, overseas music fans have been paying more attention to the Japanese music industry. Especially last year of Luminet's final report. It has been revealed that J-Pop music sales have increased significantly than before. But the artists did not take advantage of the new opportunities. I recently discovered carelessly that there are several movements in the international market that are already starting to take shape. The domestic market is also growing. Whether in terms of music or business, there are expected to be changes this year in the J-pop industry at all levels.
The only thing that can be confirmed is that the Japanese music industry is in the spotlight of the global music industry. The truth is that Japanese artists receive a lot of interest from major music festivals or world-famous artists to be a part of their work and performances.
The Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival takes place on two weekends in April. This is an event where music lovers around the world are eagerly waiting for the names of the artists to be announced at the event. That if you can't go and see it with your own eyes you can still watch via live stream. This year there are 3 Japanese artists on stage: Yuasubi, Hatsune Miku and Atarashi Gaku! (Atarashii Gakko!), the largest number since the first Coachella festival in 1999, where there were three Japanese artists: Cornelius, Seibo Matto, and Fantastic Plastic Machine. (Fantastic Plastic Machine) But that's just one concrete example. It shows the Japanese music industry branching out into the global music industry because there are so many. An example can be said that this year has been a busy year for artists from the Land of the Rising Sun to tour.
Singer Ado is touring Asia, Europe and North America in February. It was very successful. Concert tickets have been sold out in many venues, and rock bands King Gnu and Zutomayo will perform abroad for the first time. By performing in East Asia
Many Japanese pop artists have performed as opening acts for major Western acts, such as Otobuki Beaver, an all-female rock band. They opened for the Red Hot Chili Peppers for two shows in June, and bassist Flea is a big fan. A few months later, the three-piece Lamp, one of the Japanese artists whose songs are currently the most streamed, will tour North America with singer-songwriter Mitski on a tour that includes additional dates for the latter.
The Otoboke Beaver Girls are the opening act for Red Hot Chili Peppers.
This year's music shows signs of being new. Because the new year has been less than a month. Japan already has a slew of hit songs, with hip-hop/pop duo Creepy Nuts' “Bling-Bang-Bang-Born” serving as the anime series' opening theme song. Machel: Magic and muscle It rises to number one on the streaming music charts in Japan. It continued to appear on Spotify's hit charts around the world including debuting at number two on the Global Viral 50 chart.
How successful are anime songs called Anison? Just doing it in the country is not easy. With foreign countries too It goes without saying that what distinguishes “Bling-Bang-Bang-Born” is the rhythm that matches the melody, which Creepy Nuts takes from the style of American dance music known as Jersey Club) to use both the sound of the music and the hard hitting. It comes from the combination of the bass drum sound and the use of samples. Then add the sound of the chair rubbing against the floor. This is like a signature of this type of music and it is a tribute to this type of music
In addition to being the first Japanese pop hit of 2024, “Bling-Bang-Bang-Born” also introduced Jersey Club music to a wider audience in Japan. But more importantly, this song makes Anison's music no longer separate from mainstream Japanese pop. It has become a main event. Or at least part of the mainstream.
South Korean artists are also interested in this music market. Through artists like aespa and TXT (TXT – Tomorrow) in their songs if you listen carefully Anison is a musically diverse act. It has a touch of hip-hop, funk and electronic. Among the musical styles with their various approaches, if you pass by “Bling-Bang-Bang-Born”, you can To believe it there has to be something more unexpected. Follow along again this year.
Serani Poji, a music band founded in 1999 that gained popularity again through TikTok.
Even social media and anime are an important medium that helps introduce Japanese music to the world. But there is an opportunity for the people behind creating this surprise, i.e. the artist, to meet fans or do something beyond that. It will also be instrumental in boosting the country's musical success.
While Japanese artists were traveling abroad, Western artists who achieved success in the Land of the Rising Sun were looking for a way to return to my old territory in different ways.
Bruno Mars is one of the few American pop artists who still maintains their status. “Superstar” in Japan after K-pop swept away Western music and instead non-Japanese music became more successful here. He opened several concerts in Tokyo. The Dome in January was sold out. You don't have to do anything too special for your fans, but you won't perform as simple as recording all your hit songs. Mars chose to play classic Japanese pop songs. To create satisfaction (and surprise surprises) for Tokyo Dome viewers and Japanese netizens. Especially choosing AKB48's 2011 hit song “Heavy Rotation” to play. who knows? Will nostalgia from the 2000s be this strong? Mars also goes further in his off-stage playing. His interest in Japanese culture (known as Weeb) is on full display, thanks to his thank you video, as he travels around the Japanese capital like the character Naruto (Naruto) from the anime.
Bruno Mars with a sold-out show at the Tokyo Dome
The Mars Method is an extreme act that few pop stars would want to do. But it shows that what must Western artists do to regain their place in the Japanese music market? Maybe work seems more likely. It probably belongs to Olivia Rodrigo, a rising young American artist. She came to Japan last fall (2023) to introduce herself to Japanese listeners and of course… to see the city, and appeared on morning TV to sing. She held a fan meeting in Tokyo. Rodrigo's team takes things a step further. By presenting Japanese drama series The Black Family: Shindo's Revenge “Vampire”, her No. 1 song on the Billboards Hot 100, was used as the lead single.
Although it is an old method that foreign artists often use to market in Japan but so far this is still a good method. One of the reasons why Western artists have struggled more in the Japanese music market since 2010 is because they don't understand how Japanese media works. Even listeners can access music online or stumbled across it on Tiktok but being a guest on Pakinka (Variety) or singing on a morning news show can spread the work to a wider group of listeners. Even the good old days The days of producing artists like SMAP with SMAPxSMAP are over, but television still plays a major role in their breakthrough into Japan.
Foreign artists are returning to markets in Japan this year and there is expected to be more effort to make an impact with television appearances. Including using local popular culture like Mars does.
In addition to Western artists trying to come back and regain their place in the Japanese music scene, Japanese music from the past is back in the music market again which helps to create a good diversity both in terms of music and listeners. By people who are probably more passionate about this. Perhaps music lovers who grew up in the 1990s when various labels showed Shibuya-kei music (Shibuya-kei – music born in the Shibuya area) showed that the genres of jazz, pop and electropop that flourished during its existence are experiencing a new revival.
Olivia Rodrigo, who conquered Japan using traditional but effective methods.
Behind the Algorithms of Streaming Services Make Music City Pop music became a global hit in the late 2010s, leading people to ask: when will it become BAPE's clothes? Sampling old songs sounds like another discovery for young people of this age, but in the end they don't. that. Except for Shibuya Kei's music.
When the trio Serani Poji were discovered in 1999, TikTok users picked up on the band's songs “pipo pipo” and 2002's “where is smiley,” bringing attention to the two songs on a different level than before, with “where is smiley” even reaching To the top of Billboard's Top TikTok chart in the United States. Some people may see this as just a trend that may be happening. But the reason to look beyond that is because of the work from the band's agency, they uploaded a special version of the song on YouTube. Making the band's album available to listen to on streaming services around the world they also adapted the song to suit the tastes of Generation Z (Gen Z) by doing a fast-paced version of the song “pipo pipo”.
It is possible to fall in love with old Japanese pop songs that sound bright and feel nostalgic about them. But the reason the city's pop music, which was a mix of 70s funk, disco and 80s music, had a resurgence in the late 2010s is because labels and artists responded to it. Before, to make the song more accessible and timely, Serani Buji's team did the same thing with the Shibuya Kei artists who gained attention afterward. To the fans who are eager to know, learn about artists and music easily
The current global fascination with Japanese music has no limit to the scope or direction of the music. A listener might line up to buy a ticket to see Ado perform. But I opened it to watch anime. Frerin: After the end of the journey Listening to Shibuya's music can make Kei feel at ease. This makes Japanese music ready to be heard around the world in 2024.
pointing to: Source 1
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