No corner of Japanese music has proven to be more influential both domestically and internationally in the past few years than city pop.
The glitzed-out sounds of the 1980s, when the country was experiencing an economic bubble, never really went away even after the bubble burst, but the popularity of that style — utilizing the then-newest instruments and recording methods to create songs bringing in funk, disco, jazz and fusion among others — has endured even at a time when the present reality can feel bleak.
City pop’s staying power has been impressive. During the past few years in Japan, what started as a branding exercise in 2015 has grown into a celebration of the bubble-era genre, with magazines ranking the and contemporary bands such as . Abroad, boutique labels are reissuing rare records or , though millions have largely experienced city pop through songs such as “Plastic Love” or the seemingly endless on YouTube.
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