Idol Watch #19: July/August 2023

Rounding up the best idol songs from the past two months, featuring BiTE A SHOCK, airattic, Takane No Nadeshiko and more, plus some thoughts on navigating bias as a idol-music writer

Hi! Welcome to Idol Watch, a bi-monthly companion newsletter to This Side of Japan that’s all about Japanese idols! You can also check out past issues from this year: January & February / March & April / May & June

For a newsletter from her great Notes on K-pop Substack, Tamar Herman recently wrote about navigating bias in the sense of the journalistic discipline as well as the act of pushing for a favorite in the context of idol-group fandom. More often than not, journalists covering K-pop are also fans of the music scene and the idols who play a part in it, but they are also asked to report on their subject as objectively as possible. It’s a tough position to keep in order to maintain credibility, and for Herman, trying her best to even out her coverage to diminish journalistic bias got her wondering if it came at the cost of the excitement that comes from forming a new K-pop bias.

As someone who keeps a column on idol music, this got me wondering: do writers who are also idol fans need to mute their own enthusiasm for the subject in order to produce quality journalism? Like any writing, writing about idol music involves a delicate balance between the author and their relation to the subject. A personal attachment can interfere while trying to present an even point of view, opening the possibility for fluff pieces that resemble more PR than reporting. But stressing too much on maintaining authority and complete objectivity can hurt the writing, too, as it can lead to personal interests being put behind to the point of obscuring the very perspective specific to the writer telling the story.

“…It was really apparent to me that by trying to be the fairest I could covering a scene based around biases, I had only in recent years publicly expressed interest in acts and releases that I felt were pretty innocuous because they’re so well loved,” Herman wrote. “In more recent years, I’ve seen people go to the other extreme, saying I’m so removed that I don’t even like what I’m covering, which is as far from the truth as is possible.”

Now, my position here at Idol Watch is admittedly way more lax than Herman’s, who reports about K-pop on a professional level for publications like Billboard. But as a writer in a field that’s relatively under-covered, I still care about journalistic integrity despite this being a personal Substack. My song-selection process is driven by my personal goal to present a diverse representation of sounds and styles but also industry tiers for the sake of covering the idol scene as best as possible. I do think a lot about the possibility of me pushing a bias—an oshi, perhaps, in Japanese fandom parlance—or that I already have shown too much favoritism for a certain company.

But after trying to keep an even playing field, what ultimately matters for me is the answer to this question: am I excited about this? For the selections to speak as a statement of quality, this column calls for strong curation which its strength, to me, is measured by not only the diversity but also the specificity of the curator’s taste. And more importantly: does the song inspire worthwhile writing from me? Because if I can’t write well about a song, I don’t think the reader would be motivated to listen to it either. And I produce my best writing on music when I can draw out something personal from it—after doing the homework of listening back to a catalog to gain the more objective background knowledge, of course.

Being a good fan to me also doesn’t differ much from being a good music critic. It means listening to your favorites’ work with intent, investing quality time to sit with what they put out. I don’t think the degree of familiarity with an artist’s full catalog necessarily determines the level of devotion or coverage, but a valuable evaluation comes from genuine appreciation of the work and the contexts that inform it. A good fan knows when their favorites are hitting their stride, and they can recognize that they are capable of more. Whichever the case, they keep their response to the work honest.

An honesty with one’s own feelings and the ability to articulate it professionally matters a lot in properly navigating bias, and they’re a part of being a well-disciplined music critic as well. We can only do so much to maintain this aura of objectivity, and it can be soul-sucking keeping up with the work. But the work for objectivity becomes meaningless if it wipes away an unique point of view—the one thing that separates us from the algorithms and aggregates. If readers come to people like us for a reason, I’d like to think our own perspective to the matter is ultimately what they are looking for.

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Here are 10 idol singles that caught my attention from July and August!

“Kessen Spirit” by Takane No Nadeshiko [TAKENEKOchan]

Given the producers behind the group, HoneyWorks of “Kawaikute Gomen” fame, Takane No Nadeshiko can seem a bit predictable with their go-to sound: cutesy, often almost cloyingly so. The earnest pop-punk of “Kessen Spirit,” then, stands out as a refreshing choice. As alluded by the title, the idols mean business singing about chasing the competition while wielding the unwavering guitars as a power source for their swaggering confidence. “Keep on laughing, tell me to ‘give up’ / that word means nothing to me,” they shout in the refrain. Takane No Nadeshiko marches on to prove the haters wrong, naturally riding the punk sound as if to show the detractors they could switch it up too.

Listen to it on Spotify.

See also: “Haikei Rival” by Karen Na Ivory; “Konna Sekai Ni Narouto” by NARLOW

“Hoshikuzu No Yume” by Sukiiro Drop [self-released]

Sukiiro Drop’s deeply earnest expressions turn impressionistic in “Hoshikuzu No Yume.” The clean, ivory piano chords that usually populate their songs skip around with abrupt steps in a manner reminiscent of the dazzling, kitchen-sink pop of WA-SUTA’s “Sora To Sakana” or fishbowl’s “Shinkai.” The lyrics, too, are pieced together as fragments, with strings of evocative details dancing around the subject at hand. While the abstractions in the verses eventually cohere in the chorus, the scene sounds wonderfully surreal as its cosmic lyrical references: “if only I can climb on to the shooting stars and fly to you / I wouldn’t leave you by your lonesome,” the idols sigh, hoping their message comes through crystal clear.

Listen to it on Spotify.

See also: “Shunka Shunto” by Gunjo No Sekai

“Dive to Haze” by Caress Van End [LOHIVE inc.]

The usual sparkle from Caress Van End shows significant fade in “Dive to Haze” with the bright, bubbly power-pop found in last year’s In Bloom darkens into stern metallic punk. The idols, too, are aware of how they lost some of its shine as they sulk about their ennui, though they also use the pummeling music as fuel to get their foot out of the mud: “Laugh and break through / Let’s reunite with my brave self,” they ultimately decide in the chorus. “Dive to Haze” turns a detour into a spark, freshening up the idols’ sound as well as their self-esteem.

Dive to Haze is out now. Listen to it on Spotify.

See also: “downno” by cinder-ella; “Crevasse” by INUWASI

“Saisai” by et-And- [Avex Trax]

“Saisai” finds the festive air of summer loosening up et-And- from their stoic R&B to indulge in a more playful synth-pop. While the idols sing with a hushed cool, they also wear their adolescent heart on their sleeve as they worry about the time passing by like their last summer break is reaching its final days. If the rapping hides the teenage twee from the lyrics behind its hip-hop posturing, the song displays it for all to see during the bridge, its rapidly delivered monologue putting forth an oddball sense of humor previously unseen from this group. With only so many more days left on the calendar until the arrival of autumn, it’s a bit understandable to hear et-And- get slightly desperate to make use of this cuffing season.

Listen to it on Spotify.

See also: “Summer Glitter” by Shiritsu Ebisu Chuugaku

“Tsuyokawa” by Nonfic! [CROSS SIDE]

If you broke enough of a sweat trying to catch up with Nonfic!’s collection of party-starter pop from the group’s self-titled album, well, they crank up the game difficulty several levels in “Tsuyokawa.” Gone are the toybox synths that once expressed the latter half of that titular strong-cute portmanteau. They instead double down on their EDM workouts, dropping one hardcore para para beat, and be aware: the song enters evil mode come the second verse, all built for the wotas to two step and mosh to. Naturally, the live performance figures more and more into the song’s design with the verses made up entirely by live-show commands and commentary about showing one’s burning passion. All that’s missing is the wota chants to complete “Tsuyokawa” at its most ideal form.

See also: “HAPPY DELIVERY” by I MY ME MINE

“Lemon” by airattic [6jomaproject]

Fleeting, sentimental rock music has been airattic’s bread and butter. But while they previously captured the ephemeral through a rather bittersweet piece of shoegaze, their new, effervescent emo-rock summer anthem “Lemon” surges with electricity. The idols sound ready to get lost in the excitement of the now, though they catch themselves just enough to document the moment spent in the company of another: “No matter what’s in stores tomorrow, I want to remember / this sky and your laughing face,” they shout in the chorus. The engulfing rush of guitars makes it uncertain if the memories will be safely preserved, like waves washing away writing in the sand. The intensity behind the idols’ desire to hold on to everything remains infectious.

Listen to it on Spotify.

See also: “Synthesis” by CYNHN; “Umarerubekidewa Nakatta” by Marino Kai

“Rock and roll and Tiger lily” by Shihatsu-machi Underground [Vandalism]

Dusty rockabilly tunes awaken tales about heartbreak in songs by Shihatsu-machi Underground, and the group crafts a real anthem to their name in “Rock and roll and Tiger lily.” The source of the single’s power as well as concept stems from that declarative hook: Left in a state at “the edge of the cliff and rock ‘n’ roll,” the trio shout “I really don’t care” to ended it all in a blaze of glory. And the chugging, “Lust for Life”-esque riffs encourage a celebratory mood like a toast to bid farewell to their cursed, no-good days.

Listen to it on Spotify.

See also: “Sonzai Yokyu” by MANACLE; “YOU KNOW ME” by PIGGS

“Idol Nankaja Nakattara” by AKB48 [Universal]

The heavily self-referential lyrical concept behind the latest AKB single is practically designed to stir up controversy: the group whose lore is so entrenched in the so-called “love ban” sings about falling in love with a fan. But what more do you expect from the lyricist and producer who was once behind an idol single like “Sailor Fuku Wo Nugasanaide”? As the song fleshes out the scenario with full self-awareness, it has the idols not so much leaning into the narrative than they cannonball into it, drawing out both the scandalous and the bittersweet: “if I had a bit more courage / didn’t care to throw it all away / I could’ve jumped off the stage / and be a normal girl,” they conclude. AKB’s reminder of their distance from normalcy reads as a tease in “Idol Nankaja Nakattara” but it also lends a subtle pang of melancholy to linger.

Listen to it on Spotify.

See also: “Koijosho Chart Love” by KIMITOWA; “Suki Ni Nachatta” by SKE48

“ARRIVAL POINT” by HATE and TEARS [DREAMUSIC]

HATE and TEARS struts along with a bigger arsenal of noise in “ARRIVAL POINT.” The song’s rowdy, sputtering breakcore eclipses their previous single in volume, but it also inspires in the group to show off more boastful claims of self-empowerment: “The sound of hate / bang, bang, gonna destroy it,” goes a post-chorus refrain, rapped in a deep, gutteral growl. Paired on top of a busy beat, the idols’ delivery and bluntness sourced from hip hop seems more in conversation with rap-centric boy groups than post-Blackpink girl groups. If “ARRIVAL POINT” reads like typical girlboss pop on paper, the explosive music ensures it resembles anything but.

See also: “Justice Day” by onefive;

“Tokonatsu Planet” by BiTE A SHOCK [Avex Trax]

EMPiRE’s transition into ExWHYZ as well as ASP’s discography hinted at a shift by WACK from its scrappy punk roots into a more pop-savvy direction. And new group BiTE A SHOCK built in the wake of BiSH’s dissolution embraces it as the company's now-main style through the group's debut single “Tokunatsu Planet.” The grunge-meets-dance-pop production couldn't come at a more appropriate time with pop being hooked on pop punk and Nirvana, whose slashing riffs seem like the inspiration for the song's main loop. As its mixed-gender make-up and its hip-hop influence fit BiTE A SHOCK with other similar acts in the more mainstream sphere, the company’s move to go pop might be the most radical strategy they can attempt right now.

Listen to it on Spotify.

See also: “I HATE U” by ASP; “Patient!!” by BiSH

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