J-pop Shaun Gorden. Who is Major in J-pop Major J-pop solo/group include people such as L’arc~en~ciel, Hikaru Utada, BoA, Nightmare, and most Dancemania.

J-pop

Shaun Gorden

Who is Major in J-pop

• Major J-pop solo/group include people such as L’arc~en~ciel, Hikaru Utada, BoA, Nightmare, and most Dancemania artists contribute to how J-pop is popular

American Influences

• During the rebuilding of Japan after the atomic bomb in WWII, American presence introduced the following music into Japanese culture: R&B, Rock (J-rock),(Enka) Polka,Hip-hop, Rock and Roll, Country, Pop, and Jazz (both Jazz and Pop are labeled as J-pop)

Demographic

• J-pop is aimed at all sorts of demographics of people since it consists elements of R&B, Rock, Enka (Polka), Dancemania, Pop, Hip-hop, Rock and Roll, Country, and Jazz

• Due to recent trends, they started including J-pop in Japanese opening and ending songs as well as video games outside of Dancemania

History

• Many J-pop songs are known to have an upbeat rhythm to their songs

• The only genre within J-pop considered to be original is Dancemania

• J-pop songs are a take on Western influences of music (except Dancemania)

• An interesting side note is Japanese song may throw in English words and even rarer is the entire song sang in English (there are noted exceptions like the two artists who can in this presentation)

Characteristics of J-pop

• J-pop takes form from the Western styles of music due to the style being new and wonderful

• Songs are usually generalized to have pop-techno sounds in the music

Hikaru Utada

• Hikaru is considered one of the most influential female Pop artists for J-pop usually being highly ranked on the Japanese music charts

• She is the youngest singer to be ranked on a survey in Japan, being ranked 24 out of 100, highest ranked for a person of her age

• Hikaru Utada is extremely talented as she can sing both English and Japanese

• This is a sample of one of her hit songs Passion from either Kingdom Hearts 2 soundtrack or Ultra Blue (right of the arrow)

L’Arc~en~Ciel

• This group has been around since the early 1990s

• This J-rock band is constantly on top of the charts

• The group has faced several difficulties over their career but the music always drives people back as music from people like them is a rarity

• This is a hit song from their soundtrack smile as well as special CD from the anime Fullmetal Alchemist (right of the arrow)

BoA

• BoA is a rarity among Japan, being a Korean that sings J-pop

• She is considered one of the most multilingual being able to sing in English, Japanese, Korean, and Mandarin

• Unlike most J-pop singers/bands, BoA has somewhat of an acting career and modeling

• This is from the OST Lain called Lain Duvet (right of the arrow)

J-pop Today

• Today, J-pop is very strong as it has been since jazz was brought over

• J-pop is believed to evolve as needed to adapt to current trends like rock and roll

Quiz Time

• 1. J-pop is believed to have been derived from American influence. Do you agree or disagree? Explain why.

• 2. J-pop is believed to be a Western style type of music. Which area(s) do you believe influenced J-pop. Explain.

• 3. J-pop is derived from several forms of music. Do you believe that these forms made J-pop? Why?

• 4. Which genre is original to J-pop?

• 5. How many types of genres exist in J-pop?

• 6. What genres got a completely different name from their counterpart? (i.e. J-rock would be rock so not a new genre while Jazz being called J-pop is)