J-Pop: Girl Groups and Artists!

Time to talk about J-Pop!

J-Pop, that stands for Japanese Pop, is a modern Japanese music genre that entered the musical mainstream of Japan in the 1990s. Some Japanese pop artists are extremely popular in Japan, and some have fanbases in other countries - especially in Asia, but also in Western countries (they influence not only music, but other things like food and fashion as well). I will be giving 3 examples of the most famous J-pop girl groups and artists!

Perfume: Perfume consists of three beautiful girls named Ayano Omoto ("Nocchi"), Yuka Kashino ("Kashiyuka") and Ayaka Nishikawi ("A-chan"). Fun fact; because all members had the Japanese character for fragrance in their names (香), they named the group Perfume. They were formed in year 2000, releasing their first local single "Omajinai Perori" in 2002, their nationwide single "Sweet Donuts" in 2003 and their major debut single "Linear Motor Girl" in 2005. It wasn't until 2008 though, with their seventh single, that they started to recieve big attention in Japan. Personally, I like their music and kind of weird choreography.

AKB48: This girl group that was formed in 2005 is huge, and I mean huge. AKB48, named after the Akihabara area in Tokyo, have over 130 members aged between early teens to mid-20s! Their producer, Yasushi Akimoto, apparently wanted to form a group with its own theater and performing daily so fans could always see them live. But not only are they big with members; they are just as big with their numbers. AKB48 are one of Japan's most popular acts have the distinction of being the first female music group to sell over 30 million singles in the country.

Ayumi Hamasaki: Ayumi Hamasaki is a singer, songwriter, model, actress and record producer. She was born in 1978, raised in Fukuoka but moved to Tokyo at 14 years of age to pursue a career in singing and acting. Hamasaki has sold over 50 million records, making her the best-selling Japanese solo artist of all time. She's even been dubbed the "Empress of J-Pop" because of her popularity throughout Asia.

What do you think about J-pop? Do you listen to it or are you new to the music culture in Japan? If so, give the genre a big try. When you go in, you might not come back!

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