40 Years Later, Japanese City Pop is Still Crashing the Charts (with Cat Zhang)
If you listen to a lot of music on YouTube, you may have been recommended a video. The thumbnail image is a striking black-and-white photo of a Japanese singer named Mariya Takeuchi. The song, \u201cPlastic Love,\u201d is a lush disco track with deep groove, impeccable string and horn arrangements, and a slow-burn vocal performance from Takeuchi. When the song was released in 1984, it sold 10,000 copies. Today, it\u2019s racked up over 65 million views since its posting in 2017.\xa0\xa0\nHow did the relatively obscure genre of Japanese City Pop, an amalgam of American soul and funk and Japanese songcraft from the 1970s and 80s, become the sound of the moment? For Pitchfork\u2019s Cat Zhang, City Pop\u2019s heart-on-its-sleeve emotions and slick production resonates with the nostalgic leanings of much contemporary pop. Sampled by artists like Tyler the Creator and inspiring original material from bands around the globe, City Pop has much to tell us about cultural exchange, technology, and the enduring universal power of slap bass.\xa0\nSongs Discussed:\nMiki Matsubara - Stay With Me\nMariya Takeuchi - Plastic Love\nMakoto Matsushita - Business Man Pt 1\nTatsuro Yamashita - Marry-go-round\nAnri - Good Bye Boogie Dance\nBoredoms - Which Dooyoo Like\nToshiko Yonekawa - S\u014dran Bushi\nTakeo Yamashita - Touch of Japanese Tone\nMai Yamane - Tasogare\nYoung Nudy ft Playboi Carti\u2019s - Pissy Pamper\nTatsuro Yamashita - Fragile\nTyler The Creator - GONE, GONE / THANK YOU 9\nSunset Rollercoaster - Burgundy Red\n\nCheck out Cat\u2019s article The Endless Life Cycle of Japanese City Pop on Pitchfork\nLearn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices