Episode 42: A Conversation on the State of JPop

For this episode I speak with music critic Patrick St. Michel about the state of Jpop, the rise of City Pop, and why everything is AKB48 now. Check out his substack to read his writing!

Some of the posts I reference are this one on BTS and Butter, this post on Ado’s Breakthrough, and this one on “discovering” Jpop.

Songs played are:

1. “Pon Pon Pon” by Kyary Pamyu Pamyu (Happy 10th Anniversary Kyary!)

2. “Chocolate Disco” by Perfume

3. “Koi” by Hoshino Gen

4. “Uza” by AKB48

5. “Genie (Japanese version)” by Girls Generation

6. “鏡よ鏡 -Are you happy” by wash?

7. “Ussewa” by Ado

8. “Yoru Ni Kakeru” by YOASOBI (Live on First Take)

9. “Fukkatsu Love” by Arashi (written by Yamashita Tatsuro and Takeuchi Mariya)

10. “Summer Connection” by Ohnuki Taeko

11. “VVS” (feat. JUSTHIS) (Prod. GroovyRoom) from Show Me The Money Season 9

12. “Breathe” (Feat. MINO) (Prod. by GRAY) from Show Me The Money Season 10

13. “Flying Get” by AKB48

14. “Heavy Rotation” by AKB48

15. “Memeshikute” by Golden Bomber

16. “Pretender” by Official Hige Dandism (Karaoke version)

17. “New Music Machine” by Cornelius

18. “Choptick” by NiziU

19. “Namida no Request” by Checkers

20. “Big Bang Sweet” by Snow Man

21. “Personal Game” by A.B.C-Z (music by Makaino Kouji)

22. “Right Next to You” by Sexy Zone

23. “Pocket kara kyun desu” by Hirame

24. “Ussewa” by Ado