J-pop artist Ado’s career up to this point has been a Rorschach test for whoever has heard her.
Following her broadside against polite Japanese society with “Usseewa” and its sudden omnipresence last year, you could see her either as a particularly acidic voice representing a new generation of youth, or as a threat to children’s ears thanks to the (gasp!) rude hook of the song (the word, “usseewa,” translates as “shut up” in English). She’s a fresh force in domestic music ... or a potential blip bound to be remembered for one of 2021’s buzzwords.
The 19-year-old’s debut album, “Kyogen,” finds her rejecting any single label in favor of a more intricate approach. Ado still shreds her throat and gnashes her teeth at the modern world, but she’s also exploring love, loneliness and, in the biggest twist of all, optimism. The music mutates just as much, with Ado singing over guitar chugs, horn blasts and string swells. Not everything suits her, but the full-length underlines her confidence in giving it all a go and helping add new shades to contemporary pop music in Japan.