Idol Watch #3: May & June 2020
Covering 10 great singles from May and June featuring NELN, Tokyo Girls' Style, Seireki13ya and more, plus a thought about how everyone in media kind of became an idol during quarantine
Hello! Welcome to Idol Watch, a bi-monthly companion of This Side of Japan that’s all about Japanese idols! You can check out previous editions from the year here: January & February / March & April
While artists and TV celebrities had to figure out new ways to stay productive in the post-coronavirus media landscape, idols seemed to have a head start in adapting to the new normal. The pandemic didn’t spare them in the slightest with shuttering of venues leading to cancellation of not only shows but also meet and greets—the other huge source of their income. When it came to fan engagement, however, they already had more than a few online practices in place to at least stay connected with their audience via online platforms such as YouTube, Instagram and Showroom.
Limitations inevitably started to appear a few weeks after many moved to social media platforms as a place to self-broadcast. Not everyone was naturally savvy at video-editing. And there was only so much content beginners can make before they seemed to exhaust the already-well-trodden ideas like cooking videos, Zoom call conversations or make-up tutorials. What they pursued once they came across these obstacles was when things became more exciting. They had to figure out how to compensate for their limitations while struggling to think outside the box, and their personalities started to come through their content as they went along.
The act of putting themselves out there by any means necessary mirrored a typical idol activity, but also this process of witnessing personalities trying to overcome their limitations in front of our eyes seemed a lot similar to the appeal of following an idol. The quality of production started to matter less for me as life with COVID-19 continued; I knew what we were all up against, so I rooted on, feeling content just to see them try. If anything, the current conditions helped foster a more intimate connection as they often let us into their homes, showing us their kitchens or living rooms where they did their broadcasts.
“During quarantine, I think there has been a lot of broadcasts where you can recognize that these idols who you thought were holy or pure excellence also have a home and a room of their own,” Seiko Oomori wrote on Real Sound about the culture post- coronavirus. “This gives me a lot of hope. They eat when they’re hungry, their room has this wallpaper, they do or don’t have a sofa, their room is dirty or clean, and they keep clean only what appears on the screen. Maybe understanding those feelings can connect to a perspective where we can think we are grand and holy because we are both human.”
Quarantine wasn’t just a phase, and people in media and music didn’t try out being an idol to some degree for fun. Though the state of emergency has been lifted, many are still figuring out how to survive in this new normal. If nothing else, I hope this period in which connection felt like the most prime currency helped better understand that this is a collective struggle.
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Since we are now halfway through the year, I put together a quick list of 50 favorite idol songs of 2020 so far. You can check out a playlist of it on YouTube and Spotify. Last month, I also worked on a great column with my friend Myrna called Conversation, where we talked all about the idol group Migma Shelter. You can read it here if you like.
Here are 10 idol singles I enjoyed from May and June! Happy listening!
“Kollapse” by Busujima Orochi [Demon Tapes]
The frenzied, zigzagging synth-pop of Busujima Orochi comes from Demon Tapes, the same company home to Dai Dai Dai. Compared to her label mates’ more chaotic and aggressive brand of dance, the solo idol’s music reside somewhere sweeter in feel while keeping a similarly frantic nature. A brighter surface doesn’t mean a happier song, however. “In an empty room, I want to disappear,” goes a stark line in the chorus, framing the fast tempo as more a side effect from rising anxiety than excitement.
Busujima Music Collection Vol. 2 is out now. Listen to the album on Spotify.
See also: “Go-syu-!” by CY8ER; “Oh! Happy Die” by Dai Dai Dai
“WonderVogel” by NELN [Blowout Inc.]
Just launched this April, NELN already sound prepared to take the big stage in the anthemic debut single “WonderVogel.” The starry synth-rock aims for the arenas with its pumping new-wave keyboards and a roaring guitar riff—a production set-up that eyes late ‘00s alt-rock bands who dipped into electronica for inspiration. “Even if our vibrations get interrupted,” they sing in the chorus, “I’m going to keep flying forever.” If the four-piece’s slogan—”close your eyes, dreams are free”—brought to mind a bedroom-pop group, “WonderVogel” has another thing coming.
WonderVogel is out now. Listen to it on Spotify.
See also: “Kiminokoto” by Cametre; “Triad” by IVOLVE
“Floating Floating” by Nemuriorca [Maple]
Not long after their self-titled debut album, released last December, Nemuriorca bring another exhilarating rush of electronica-metalcore fusion. “Floating Floating” leans a bit more into the latter, working with a pop-metal base, though the song soon deviates into EDM-pop transitions to get to the big chorus. And the chorus is where the group really throw those two genres in the blender, firing up a blaring synth lead atop a brutal guitar riff to deliver this shiny wall of noise.
See also: “Starry Sky” by Passcode; “Answer” by Sukiiro Drop
“Bara No Kinbaku” by Tokyo Girls’ Style [Avex Trax]
Celebrating a decade together this year, Tokyo Girls’ Style appropriately make their way full circle from a recent detour to catch up with modern dance-pop and now back to the retro-funk of their early days. Glitzy synths set the scene, like a roll-out of the red carpet, and the four-piece strike a pose as the camera flash. The idols are right at home in this glamorous showcase, perfecting the chic style that they were ahead of the curve with.
Tokyo Girls Journey is out now. Listen to it on Spotify.
See also: “Follow You Follow Me” by Sandal Telephone
“Koi, Ichibanme” by Ukka [SDR]
Sakuraebis changed to Ukka before the new year, but the Stardust group have kept everything else intact in their first single, “Koi, Ichibanme,” under their new name. They write accordingly for springtime, tapping into the season’s warmth via the soft funk music as well as the feelings of new love being in the air. “We might be friends, but the season is nice/ I kind of want more,” the group sing in the chorus. It’s a fresh new start for Ukka in many ways, and they’re ready to seize the opportunity.
Koi, Ichibanme is out now. Listen to it on Spotify.
See also: “Virtual Love” by Simpatix
“Donkusa Happy” by Mameshiba No Taigun [Tower]
The origins of Mameshiba No Taigun is ridiculous enough for it to eclipse anything else about the group, but their debut album, Start, stands on its own. Though it frequently references the tried-and-true WACK formula of grungy punk, it also leaves good room for them to naturally branch out into music like this funk number. Reminiscent a bit to the debut of their company mates EMPiRE, they’ve yet to be bound to a single aesthetic as they continue to define their identity.
Start is out now. Listen to the album on Spotify.
See also: “Otonablue” by Atarashii Gakkou No Leaders
“Konomama” by Sui Sui [S.U.I. Sound Works]
“Konomama” marks Sui Sui’s first comeback since the pop-punk idols debuted last year, but the four already seem a bit weathered by doubt and uncertainty. The pummeling guitars thankfully provide some energy for the idols to get out of their funk and spring back into action. “Even if there’s nowhere to go/ Even if this is my grave/ I’ll keep on singing,” they sing before the big chorus, channeling the music’s ride-or-die spirit.
Konomama is out now. Listen to it on Spotify.
See also: “Sleepy Busters” by B.O.L.T; “Unfinished” by Malcolm Mask McLaren
“Saikou Kessaku” by Mellow Mellow [Teichiku Entertaiment]
While Mellow Mellow previously tackled edgier dance-pop numbers like “Dear My Star” that aimed to more intentionally draw out their performer side, the new “Saikou Kessaku” proves they don’t have to sacrifice their signature soft-pop aesthetic to get the same results. The three look to their trusted funk music, courtesy of former Pizzicato Five frontman Yasuharu Konishi, to get their feelings across. “I can’t fool myself/ because I love you so much,” they sing in the chorus, sounding their most natural and free.
Saikou Kessaku is out now. Listen to the single on Spotify.
See also: “Sisters” by Kamiyado
“Baby Baby Cupid” by Seireki13ya [Codomomental]
Hyperactive dance music isn’t anything new when it comes to Seireki13ya, whose recent entries include evil para para and stadium-sized future bass. The speed and tempo both stay on high in “Baby Baby Cupid.” The carbonated pop of its digital-bass sound, however, brings a more refreshing take on the group’s antics. The beat never lets up as it zigzags into all sorts of directions, like it’s trying to temper the song before it gets too sweet.
Listen to the song on Spotify.
See also: “#FFFFFF” by Maware! Groove Kaihatsubu; “Himegirl” by Yayoimomoko
The next issue of This Side of Japan is out July 8. You can read previous issues here. You can access previous months of Idol Watch here: January & February / March & April