One (of the many) difficult things about when people learn that I listen to foreign music, is the struggle to hardcore steer away from stereotypes and not letting people's first impressions dominate their thoughts of the whole.
Think about it. As an American, if you were discussing what music you like, generally, we tend to list genres of music. Rock, country, pop, rap,etc. There are some songs and artists that mix up genres and cross lines. But you get the idea.
When I try to sum up that I listen to Asian music, calling it "Jpop" and "Kpop" is grossly over simplifying things. "Jpop" alone covers many different types and styles of music. Ballads, feel good pop, dark pop, borderline metal/scream pop, bubblegum, the marriage of rock & pop, etc. And the layers go even deeper; the degree of kawaii, school outfits, anime influences, the use of blood and dark themes, maid cafe, band/musical instruments, magic powers, cross-dressing concepts, and so much more!
Jpop isn't all one thing. Just because you find one group to be too childish and sugary, doesn't mean every other group has a sound/image like that. Just because one uses blood or naked body suits with occasional screaming, doesn't mean all Japanese music is odd. Asian music is more than Kyary Pamyu Pamyu and Psy. Each group/artist is unique in their own way. They all have their own stories, their struggles, their successes, and they will be forever changed by their experiences and have the memories to look back on.
SCANDAL
This four member female band took the world by storm with their 2009 song "Shoujo S". At the time English translations and romanizations of Japanese and Korean music wasn't as popular as it nowadays. I remember sitting at my computer with Notepad open, listening to the song over and over again trying to work out what the sounds, syllables, and words possibly were so that I could sing along. It didn't matter a hoot that I couldn't understand Japanese, I wanted to connect closer to the music.
Hello! Project
"A Japanese idol musical collective consisting of all female recording artists and groups under Up-Front Group." I spent years listening to, researching, chasing, and loving so many of the members, groups, sub-groups, shuffle units, special projects, and soloists. I know the melodies of 100+ songs. I've cried when members graduated and groups went on hiatus. H!P will always have a special place in my kokoro (heart).
AKB48
This group became famous after their hit song "River" and their 48 family is known as the IT crew of gorgeous girls in skirts singing, dancing, being cute, and overall winning the hearts of male wotas around the world. I fell in love with their early generations of members through the variety show AKBingo. I prefer their early songs ["Iiwake Maybe" (言い訳Maybe)], they have a more genuine feel to them. They kinda lost me after 2010, the new stuff doesn't interest me so I treasure their roots.
Girl's Generation (SNSD)
The first Kpop groups I recall discovering were SNSD and Super Junior, since they were very IN in 2009 with their songs "Gee" and "Sorry Sorry". I have a little MP3 player that my parents got for me with their hard-earned credit card points as a Xmas gift. It's filled it with a mix of Korean and Japanese oldie favorites. Many SNSD songs made it on the list. Their hit song "Into the New World" will always be a top pick for me.
This is just a tiny glimpse of some of the groups I started listening to in the early days. I tried to aim for ones that had a big impact on me and/or were on top during that year. For a very long time Kpop was backburner for me, a side interest to my head-first dive into Japanese idol groups. Which is interesting, because now I listen to Kpop and Thai music more and have fallen off the Jpop wagon.
No matter what though, my 10+ years of exploring, learning, and loving Asian music has shaped who I am today. The music that I carry in my head and heart and the lyrics that have such verbal beauty and meaning. The bright determined funny personalities of individual artists and how they fit together in their groups as something greater than themselves. And the fans all over the world, hundreds and thousands of miles from me, that I share something in common with. A love of music. An appreciation for Asian cultures. An admiration for the creators. The doers. The givers.
ありがとうございます
(Arigatou gozaimasu)
[Thank you very much]
[Thank you very much]
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