Newer J-pop that kicks your butt?

[Taishaku]

I love Wednesday Campanella! And also the fact that the girls are in good terms and KOM_I passed the torch (or the mic lol) to Utaha.
Lately I've been listening to A LOT of city pop, and I've been able to discover some great songs like these ones by Momoko Kikuchi and her short-lived band RA MU:

[sxesven]

Originally Posted by Taishaku

I love Wednesday Campanella! And also the fact that the girls are in good terms and KOM_I passed the torch (or the mic lol) to Utaha.

Definitely, good vibes, just like the music! Himiko is suuuuuuuuuch a bop!

I haven't really explored city pop yet though I am sure there's some gems in there. I think some Yukihiro Takahashi material is also city pop or city pop-adjacent. He has some good stuff.

And yeah, I understand that not all (or no at all!) modern J-pop may appeal to everyone, as it can be a very different beast from the type of J-pop Ayu does or that most of us got into J-pop over. Most of the stuff I put in the opening post is much more hyperactive, with denpa or denpa-related material here and there, which I personally just can't help but have a huge soft spot for. Of course, there's hugely different material too. Some other stuff post-golden age of various sorts I've really enjoyed:


2009 already, damn! I remember JASMINE coming out, such insane aesthetics, and GOLD is a really excellent album (it has a magnificent ballad too, Dreamin', for those who love a good ballad).










(if you like this song you'll like the whole album, but it does get a bit same-ish - this is the highlight for me)


(J-pop goes K-pop)

And if you want to try slightly outside of the mainstream:


(this song always reminds me a bit of fra-foa)


(saw her live in Rotterdam just before the pandemic, was SO good!)


(suuuuuuuuuuuuuuuch a brilliant band, seeing them live in a few months!)