“Different from idol music” Shorts-Reels rides J-Pop ‘wind’

Japanese singers such as Aimyeon-Fujii Kaze
Rapidly rising popularity among the 2030 generation
SNS Edited Video Hits Hundreds of Thousands of Views
Large-scale performances in Korea, such as Yoa Sobi

This is a YouTube short video of a performance by Japanese singer-songwriter Aimyeon and Fujii Kaze edited by a Korean netizen. Capture from YouTube video

“You look like a swaying marigold in your straw hat.”

At sunset, a Japanese woman sings on an outdoor stage. Her long, disheveled hair and the red shirt that seems to be thrown on her casually evoke a sense of inexplicable wistfulness. The softly resonating acoustic guitar and brisk drum sounds heighten the mood. Her husky and ethereal tone captivates the listener.

This is a video of a Japanese singer-songwriter, Aimyeon, performing in Japan, edited and uploaded by a Korean netizen. This and other videos of Aimyeon’s performances have been spread across short-form platforms such as YouTube Shorts and Instagram Reels, garnering hundreds of thousands of views. There are also many comments such as, “This is music you can’t hear in Korea,” and “Please come to Korea.” Aimyeon also responded in Korean on her social network service (SNS), saying, “Thank you,” and “I love you.”

J-pop (Japanese pop music) is permeating the hearts of Korea’s MZ generation. J-pop was previously loved by some music enthusiasts, especially Japanese city pop from the 1970s and 1980s, but recently, it has become popular among people in their 20s and 30s, with a variety of genres and singers.

The Japanese duo Yoasobi held their first concert in Korea last December at the Hwajung Gymnasium at Korea University in Seongbuk-gu, Seoul. At the time, Yoasobi said, “Korean fans sang along to the entire concert. It was a sight you wouldn’t see in Japan.” Courtesy of Rivet

The epicenter of popularity is SNS. As exposure to J-pop increased through SNS, the consumer base naturally expanded. For example, a video uploaded in May of last year by a Korean netizen that edited a song by the Japanese duo Yoasobi has 27 million views to date. Yoasobi held their first concert in Korea in December of last year at an 8,000-seat concert hall, and this December they will hold a concert in Korea at the Inspire Arena in Jung-gu, Incheon, which has a capacity of 15,000. The scale has doubled in just one year. Hong Seung-han, the representative of The Seed, which handled Yoasobi’s Korean concert, said, “In the past, J-pop was enjoyed by enthusiasts who liked Japanese ‘subculture’ or animation, but now it’s different,” and “It’s characteristic that many of Yoasobi’s fans are in their 20s and 30s who are familiar with SNS.” The music industry cites freshness as the reason for J-pop’s popularity. People who are tired of K-pop, which is dominated by idol music, and releases songs with similar patterns, are looking for a variety of tastes and listening to J-pop. In particular, Japanese singers who have recently gained popularity are singer-songwriters who are highly regarded for their musicality, such as Aimyeon, Fujii Kaze, Yuuri, and Yonezu Genshi. They mainly enjoy band music, such as guitar and drums, and most of them perform live without lip-syncing.

There is also an interpretation that the threshold for J-pop has been lowered thanks to the Tokyo Dome concert of the group New Jeans this June. Member Hani’s “Blue Coral Reef” (1980) by Japanese city-pop singer Seiko Matsuda and member Minzy’s “Dancer” (2023) by Japanese singer-songwriter Boundy have swept the top rankings of domestic music charts, drawing more attention to J-pop. Another reason is the recent increase in favor of Japanese culture, especially among people in their 20s and 30s.

Japanese singers are also actively visiting Korea. Many J-pop singers, including girl group AKB48, hip-hop duo Creepy Nuts, and singer-songwriter Tomioka Ai, will participate in the ‘Wonderrivet 2024’ concert held at KINTEX in Goyang, Gyeonggi Province this November. Fujii Kaze will hold a concert at the 20,000-seat Gocheok Sky Dome in December. Music critic Hwang Seon-eop said, “New Japanese singers who debuted not long ago are also looking into the potential of the Korean market by visiting small concert halls in Korea,” and “As K-pop gains popularity in Japan and J-pop gains popularity in Korea, there is a growing tendency for them to influence each other musically and culturally.”

Reporter Lee Ho-jae [email protected]

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2024-09-25 04:55:20