City Pop is a genre of Japanese music that emerged in the late 1970s and peaked in popularity during the 1980s. It is characterized by its sophisticated fusion of Western musical influences, including soft rock, jazz fusion, funk, and R&B, combined with a smooth, urban aesthetic. The term “City Pop” is a broad category of music that evokes the cosmopolitan and stylish lifestyle of urban Japan during the economic boom era.
City Pop gained international popularity in the 2010s due to YouTube’s recommendation algorithm, which brought songs like Plastic Love to global audiences. The genre was also embraced by vaporwave and future funk communities, who sampled and remixed its nostalgic sound. The resurgence of vinyl collecting and streaming services helped new listeners discover and appreciate the genre. Additionally, 1980s nostalgia in fashion, media, and music contributed to City Pop’s lasting appeal worldwide.
Plastic Love – Mariya Takeuchi
The international city pop boom began with Plastic Love!
Mariya Takeuchi was born in Shimane Prefecture and studied abroad in the United States during her high school years. She was active as an idol when she first debuted, and later turned into a singer.
Internationally, her fans call her the “Queen of City Pop”.
Her husband, Tatsuro Yamashita, is also very famous.
Sabishii Nettaigyo(淋しい熱帯魚) – Wink
Sabishii Nettaigyo means “Lonely Tropical Fish”
Wink is an idol group of two members, Sachiko Suzuki and Shoko Aida, who debuted in 1988.
They became famous as “the idols who don’t smile. It was unthinkable in Japan at that time for idols not to smile. The fact that the girls did not laugh was simply due to nervousness and was not intentional.
Kanashii Iro Yane(悲しい色やね) – Masaki Ueda
Ōsaka no umi wa kanashīiroyane. Min’na wa sayonara o koko ni sute ni kurukara.
“The sea in Osaka is a sad color. Everyone comes here to throw away their goodbyes(sayonara)”
Kanashii Iro Yane means “Sad color, isn’t it?”
The song is sung in a melancholy voice in Osaka dialect.
In the Showa period (1926-1989), when it was common practice to sing in standard Japanese, singing in the Osaka dialect was revolutionary.
The composer did not expect the Osaka dialect to be used in the lyrics.
Fly-Day China Town – Yasuha
The song was released in 1981.
Fly-Day is not a typo, but a play on words.
Yasuha is a maverick, often making entertainment news with her scandals, but the recent city pop boom has brought her songs back into the spotlight.
Mayonaka no Door(真夜中のドア)/Stay With Me – Miki Matsubara
It is one of the most famous songs of the city pop boom.
The vinyl version was reissued and sold in 2021.
Miki Matsubara was born in Kishiwada, Osaka, and died of cancer in 2004 at the age of 44.
Midnight Pretenders – Tomoko Aran
Tomoko Aran was born in Aomori Prefecture.
Midnight Pretenders is included in the album “Fuyū Kūkan(浮遊空間), Floating Space”.
Canada’s The Weekend used it as a sampling in their single “Out Of Time”.
Kazari ja nai noyo, Namida wa – Akina Nakamori
Kazari ja nai noyo, Namida wa means “Tears are not decoration”
Akina Nakamori made her debut in 1982, and along with Momoe Yamaguchi and Seiko Matsuda, has left her mark on the history of female idols in the Showa era.
She is still very popular today and has many young fans who have seen her Youtube videos.
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