Music journalist Patrick St. Michel returns again to discuss the year in J-Pop! (Check out his previous appearances on Episode 88, Episode 77, and Episode 42!)
You can read more from Patrick on his substack, Make Believe Melodies; check out the post we discuss on the year 2016; a post on M!LK; and a post on the new Asian Pop Grammy.
My post on the Asian Pop Grammy is here.
Patrick’s interview with Mrs. Green Apple is here.
We spend a lot of time on M!LK, who absolutely crushed it this year. I remember M!LK in previous years as a solidly midtier boy group doing a more normie boy group thing but leaning into the viral イイじゃん has sent them into stratosphere.
Some of the other things we discuss are:
“Perfect Human” was the epitome of the 2016 viral hit. The 2026 version is Ichijo Yuu falling in love down by the river.
In Japan, Hoshino Gen’s “Koi” was similar to “Gangnam Style” in the USA in the way that the charts weren’t able to capture its popularity. The songs I lump into the “Koi” genre are ones like this Mrs. Green Apple stalwart or like this 2026 Snow Man song. It’s a sort of a soft pop funk that’s not in conversation with any outside influences whatsoever.
While K-Pop fans are focused on which Big Four have or haven’t submitted, Japan is leading the way in Grammy submissions for the new Asian Pop Grammy, to include Yuki Chiba, who non-Japan watchers may know from this song.
Billboard interview with BINI/SB19; and an English interview with boy group Alpha from Kazakhstan.
Arashi at the 2019 Grammy Awards. (I was remembering Nakajima Kento at the Oscars.)
Lee Soo Man is back, baby! The heart wants what the heart wants—Girls’ Generation coded girl groups.
Japan has cracked the code on the 2020s “global K-Pop” sound, giving us groups like HANA and Be:First.
Number_i, on the other hand, are pulling from domestic acts like Dos Monos.
Song of the year: “Yes, Tokyo.” The heart also yearns for cheesy boy group pop.
Somehow the Aespa fans vs. M!LK fans battle passed me by.
ドパガキ Japanese slang term for dopamine junkie, the equivalent in English might be the iPad kid?
KEY TO LIT are here! Yes, I’m excited as a long time Hi!Hi! Jets enthusiast.
Hybe picks up Iijima Michi, ex-SMAP manager. Good luck with that!
Monaki are also doing the thing.
The songs played are:
「多摩川で、恋...したい♡」by 一条ゆう (Official MV)
“Real Face” by KAT-TUN, now on streaming!
“QYZGANAMYN” by ALPHA (Official MV)
“BUGS LIFE” by Number_i (Official MV)
「爆裂愛してる」 by M!LK (Official MV)
“Hard Work” by なにわ男子 (Official MV)
「Brand New」by Mrs. GREEN APPLE (Official MV)
“蜜の主 - The Owner Of Sweetness” by Hakushi Hasegawa (Go ahead and listen!)