No corner of Japanese music has proven to be more influential both domestically and internationally in the past few years than city pop.
The glitzed-out sounds of the 1980s, when the country was experiencing an economic bubble, never really went away even after the bubble burst, but the popularity of that style — utilizing the then-newest instruments and recording methods to create songs bringing in funk, disco, jazz and fusion among others — has endured even at a time when the present reality can feel bleak.
City pop’s staying power has been impressive. During the past few years in Japan, what started as a branding exercise in 2015 has grown into a celebration of the bubble-era genre, with magazines ranking the top city pop songs of the 1980s and contemporary bands such as Gesu no Kiwami Otome. referencing it in songs. Abroad, boutique labels are reissuing rare records or releasing compilations, though millions have largely experienced city pop through songs such as “Plastic Love” or the seemingly endless playlists backed by anime snippets on YouTube.