Why do people think Jpop is ripped off from American Music?

[emi♡]

I saw this editorial at J-fan and I think that the author has a good point. I posted about this in another thread, and I think that anyone who lives in America and listens to Japanese Music has tried to spread it among their friends and they've probably all heard some of the same things. Anyway if any of your friends say, "This sounds just like our music!!!" or "The Japs(sorry) are ripping us off!!!"I've heard this one many times....I think you should read this and shove it in their faces. hehe

theres also one in there about masculinity in j-rock, show it to ur friends when they say GACKT is a girl...

http://www.j-fan.com/edit.cgi?selected=jpop_rip

[AyuGAME]

haha funny..
i think upside down from that opinion
i think right now asian music is better that western music...

[tinyppl]

o.O Hmm maybe the hip hop line sounds more western-like. I never really heard a piece of Japanese music that sounds like copy of the Western music. There isn't an Ayu song that sounds like the western to me, even when hikki released Exodus in the US, I don't hear a song that sounds like copy of western music.

[M_aria]

Yeah, I think it depends on what genre of Japanese music you happen to hear. The only time a Japanese song sounded/reminded me of an American one was Kumi Koda's "Without your Love" which makes me think of Beyonce's "Crazy in Love". Aside from that rare example, most of the music I own/heard sounds nothing like anything i've heard in the U.S. I think it has to do with the fact that even though a large group of artists fall under "J-Pop" they really aren't just "pop", for example, I would NEVER consider Mika Nakashima's music to be just "pop" (I would consider it Jazz/Pop). and even when an american artist has songs that fall under the same type of category, they never sound the same.

[[AHS]MortalSex]

Well, I think some parts is similar to western music but if it´s ripped off no way! Jpop and Western pop is two different kinds of music Thanks to the japanese lyrics

[p3ayu]

I think it's hard to say that Japanese music is ripping off American music because American music is ripping off other countries' music. Every country uses their own music styles and that of other countries. So basically, everybody borrows from everybody else^^

[FoObY]

they're just jealous...

asides from Pop, it seems to me like there's not much variety between each song for particular western artists like Avril Lavigne and Evanescense who are rock-based. The melody may be different but the general style is still largely present. On the other hand, Gackt's songs are mostly rock too, but he has this unique way of making each song sound very distinct, which makes his songs overall way more enjoyable.

I can understand if you say that the chinese rip off American music, I would completely agree. A lot of chinese songs are just covers of american songs, and even japanese and korean songs. Sammi Cheng did covers for Lee Jung Hyun's Wa, Ba Kkwo, and Nuh. Kelly Chen did one for Utada's Automatic. S.H.E did one for Britney's "Everytime", and etc...

[gakkun]

^ You make it sound like Chinese only rip off other people's music. So Japanese artists don't cover American music?? Or Koreans? American artists cover British music from time to time. You really don't listen to enough Chinese music to think they rip off American music. Sure there are INFLUENCES but there're lots of mainstream artists I can think off who sing Asian music, not American.

Omigoodness, I'm going to make a note here before accusations against each country gets thrown around. Please, do not make this into a thread about how Japan is superior to America/Westerners just because. I've seen it happen before randomly and it's very frustrating to see as an Asian-American. But you've all been great.

While opinions vary, it's just as close-minded to say that "Japanese music is better because it's always less sexual, better lyrically..." etc. BOTH American and Japanese music have drawn inspiration from other places but there's more to BOTH countries than just the mainstream popular music. I just want to point out that there is good and bad music coming from both ends of the world.

As to answer the question, "ripping off" is a very strong statement. Influenced, yes, but not blatant copying. Sometimes it's really obvious that certain Jpop songs borrowed the same tune from American songs. Though, none of my American friends have ever said, "OMG, Japanese music is just like ours!" LOL. There's a difference in vocal range and pacing IMO. Anyone notice that like all the male singers in Japan sing the same way? I can't describe it... On an interesting note, my father thinks that modern Japanese musicals are incredibly influenced by Broadway (think Sondheim, etc)

[sxesven]

Originally Posted by devilayu

Omigoodness, I'm going to make a note here before accusations against each country gets thrown around. Please, do not make this into a thread about how Japan is superior to America/Westerners just because. I've seen it happen before randomly and it's very frustrating to see as an Asian-American. But you've all been great.

While opinions vary, it's just as close-minded to say that "Japanese music is better because it's always less sexual, better lyrically..." etc. BOTH American and Japanese music have drawn inspiration from other places but there's more to BOTH countries than just the mainstream popular music. I just want to point out that there is good and bad music coming from both ends of the world.

Someone said it! Finally! Thank you! I completely agree. Will type more later.

[Corybobory]

^Yes me too. Thanks, you saved me from typing a paragraph and formulating my opinions ^^ Haha thanks

[Brittany]

I agree with devilayu .. however, I love listening to J-Music more than American music .. I dunno, it gives me a sense of closeness to what I am

[Calico]

I think that this topic is interesting because a very similar thing happened to me. A friend at school asked me to burn him a CD of J-pop songs because he wanted to try them out, but after he listened he told me it sounded like "they just took American songs and made Japanese lyrics". In the end he felt bored and I felt "meh" because then I felt like I had wasted a CD.

At any rate, I can definitely feel similarities at times (especially in the urban area...then again, no matter what country for me, it all sounds the same) but all music derives inspiration from others, as has been stated. But I listen to Japanese music because I like it best. There's just something about that's different from American music.

[nmskalmn]

I played Ayu's "ourselves" for some co-workers once and their response was 'it sounds like American music'.

I wonder what the average American thinks Japanese pop music 'should' sound like. I have no clue and I never had the opportunity to discuss it with anyone, as I normally keep my tastes in music to myself.

[emi♡]

Originally Posted by nmskalmn

I played Ayu's "ourselves" for some co-workers once and their response was 'it sounds like American music'.

I wonder what the average American thinks Japanese pop music 'should' sound like. I have no clue and I never had the opportunity to discuss it with anyone, as I normally keep my tastes in music to myself.

Thank you so much! I think you and Calico above you are the onlt ones who actually READ the thread.

I'm reading all the posts in here and it's like everyone is reading the title then posting their opinions.

THIS IS NOT A THREAD ABOUT WHAT MUSIC IS RIPPING OFF WHAT AND IT'S NOT A QUESTION. Yet everyone seems to be answering to "Is J-pop ripped off from American music?" That's not what I meant, the only reason why the thread is entitled that is because the editorial is entitled that.

No wonder that one girl has the signiture that says "READ THREADS ENTIRELY."

[nmskalmn]

I was thinking about the question 'why would Japan be accused of stealing American music, and not Europe or Latin America?', and something else came to my mind.

On a few occasions, while talking to acquaintances, I have heard the Japanese accused of copying or stealing American ideas. However, these instances were regarding business/technology and Japanese animation, not music. I think some Americans of certain background and generation (particularly those who are of an age to have been affected by the WWII propaganda or the 'Japan Inc' myth of the 1980's) have a prejudiced view of Japan as 'imitators'.

This is just an observation of mine that I think may be relevant, but that the author of the editorial didn't really touch on.

[PickleCookies]

Originally Posted by AyuGAME

haha funny..
i think upside down from that opinion
i think right now asian music is better that western music...

You have COMPLETELY missed the point.


Personally, I couldn't give a flip about where the music I listen to came from. Good music is good music REGARDLESS of it's originating country. I don't listen to Ayu because she is from Japan, I listen to Ayu because she makes good music. Location should be irrelevant when it comes to tastes in music.


Skal, you make a good point. How, in their minds, should Japanese music 'sound' like? That makes me think of when we were talking about the covers of ayu-mi-x IV and the faux-Japanese style that Ayu was trying to create that Westerners seem to view Japan as being like.

[Corybobory]

Pickles, your bluntess is wonderful. Bang on.

And really, what should music sound like? It's not like coutries should have their own genres of music and there be no crossovers. I belive there are traditional sounds of world music, and then there is rock, pop etc... it's global , not copied from the country who started it first or has the biggest market. Every peice is individual at it's own level, but from a global perspective music isnt contained by borders. *begin emotional music*

[PickleCookies]

Thanks Cory.

[[biku]]

The beginning of Ayu's - my name's WOMEN sounds a lot like some song from the 80s. Something about a tiger. I think it was eye of the tiger. I may be wrong.