Japanese pop experimentalists CHAI espouse a philosophy that they call Neo Kawaii. A reference to the Japanese word for cute, Kawaii encourages women to prescribe to traditional beauty standards, which the members of CHAI — vocalist/keyboardist Mana, vocalist/guitarist Kana, bassist/vocalist Yuuki, and drummer/vocalist Yuna — consider less than inspiring. With Neo Kawaii, CHAI have developed their own empowering stance that rails against the oppressive standards imposed on women by tradition, patriarchy, and mainstream media. On their sleek, rousing new self-titled album, the band subvert these traditions and expectations to deliver one of the most exciting, well-produced and bold pop albums of the year.
Conceived during lockdown, 2021's WINK was made remotely via Zoom sessions and featured a wide range of mostly Western influences and styles including garage punk, hip hop, pop and R&B. Conversely, with CHAI, the band looked to their Japanese roots for inspiration: song titles like "MATCHA," "PARA PARA," "NEO KAWAII, K?" and "KARAOKE" immediately conjure images of Japanese culture, including the neon late nights and quiet come downs you'll find throughout the country's various todōfuken. The album explores the sights and sounds of their Japanese upbringing by embracing both the instruments and genres of their homeland, including city pop, which heavily influenced the writing and recording of CHAI.
City pop's open approach to genre mixing — which went on to influence vaporwave and J-pop and has had a resurgence (particularly in the uninitiated West) thanks to TikTok and YouTube — is all over CHAI, folding funk, R&B, disco, jazz, yacht rock, and AOR (among a multitude of others) and moulding them into something leisurely and eclectic. This dedication to experimentation, joy and unbridled fun is one of the album's biggest strengths.
With its liquid synths and reverb-drenched drums, bubbling opener "MATCHA" is tailor made for driving slowly through a glittering cityscape. Halfway through, however, the shimmering pop drops off in favour of a percussive break that employs what sounds like a koto, a plucked, half-tube zither that happens to be Japan's national instrument. According to producer Ryu Takahashi (who also collaborated with the band on WINK), the band wanted to celebrate their Japanese identity while simultaneously filtering it through Western sensibilities, and that's evident right from the jump. After the song returns to its previous cruising speed, we get one more verse and chorus before an abrupt ending — we just reached a red light, so bask in the moment.
Similarly, on "PARA PARA," the band gives the listener instructions on how to perform a popular dance trend that infiltrated Japan in the '80s ("Left right, left right, midnight dance / Up down, up down, Japanese style"). The song's disco vibe is pure eyes-closed, dance-the-night-away magic, and whether or not you perform the dance in question, it's a damn good time. "GAME" features a synth line (and tone) indebted to Prince, and is the album's new-wave throwback, while "We the Female!" with its genre-and-gender-bending lyrics and composition, is the album's most unapologetically humanist outing and a strong contender for Self-Affirming Anthem of the Year™.
On the confrontational "NEO KAWAII, K?" the band antagonizes the aforementioned beauty standards by loving and embracing the realness of their own bodies. The powerful second verse, which they repeat twice, is as follows: "This is just my body, not a trendy body / You're going to be loved, baby! / Just as I am / This is my way / I'm not humble always / There's not a single hair / That's not necessary." It's a simple self-observation with tremendous implications: empowerment starts with loving yourself for who you are — body, brain, and all, The rest will follow, and if they don't, fuck 'em.
On album closer "KARAOKE," shimmering keyboards and a pounding kit mix with a looping ascending-descending vibraphone. The song is all palpable tension; flirtatious, coy, and dramatic but ultimately performative, just like karaoke itself. And much like album opener "MATCHA," "KARAOKE" also ends abruptly, as some nights are wont to do: the song and the party are over, and it's time to go home. You're a bit tired, maybe a bit in love, more than a bit hungry, and "KARAOKE" beautifully captures that fleeting moment of glory when the session's wrapping up and you're singing your favourite song, feeling like a star.
Filled with infectious hooks, shout along everything, and the sheen of city pop, power pop and Eurobeat courtesy of producer Takahashi, CHAI is like matcha bubblegum: sweet and sticky but never saccharine. While the album is a breezy listen (the ten tracks zip by in under 30 minutes, with the longest song clocking in at a whopping 3:27), the short run times and constant stylistic and tempo changes don't always give the songs the opportunity to evolve or even settle. Perhaps this is intentional, but it'll definitely exhaust any listener looking for a straight up chill vibe, man. Fortunately, for those of us who are ready for the New Kawaii revolution, get ready to dance with your fists held high: this is razor sharp pop — fine-tuned, sincere and defiant as all hell.
(Sub Pop), (Sony)Conceived during lockdown, 2021's WINK was made remotely via Zoom sessions and featured a wide range of mostly Western influences and styles including garage punk, hip hop, pop and R&B. Conversely, with CHAI, the band looked to their Japanese roots for inspiration: song titles like "MATCHA," "PARA PARA," "NEO KAWAII, K?" and "KARAOKE" immediately conjure images of Japanese culture, including the neon late nights and quiet come downs you'll find throughout the country's various todōfuken. The album explores the sights and sounds of their Japanese upbringing by embracing both the instruments and genres of their homeland, including city pop, which heavily influenced the writing and recording of CHAI.
City pop's open approach to genre mixing — which went on to influence vaporwave and J-pop and has had a resurgence (particularly in the uninitiated West) thanks to TikTok and YouTube — is all over CHAI, folding funk, R&B, disco, jazz, yacht rock, and AOR (among a multitude of others) and moulding them into something leisurely and eclectic. This dedication to experimentation, joy and unbridled fun is one of the album's biggest strengths.
With its liquid synths and reverb-drenched drums, bubbling opener "MATCHA" is tailor made for driving slowly through a glittering cityscape. Halfway through, however, the shimmering pop drops off in favour of a percussive break that employs what sounds like a koto, a plucked, half-tube zither that happens to be Japan's national instrument. According to producer Ryu Takahashi (who also collaborated with the band on WINK), the band wanted to celebrate their Japanese identity while simultaneously filtering it through Western sensibilities, and that's evident right from the jump. After the song returns to its previous cruising speed, we get one more verse and chorus before an abrupt ending — we just reached a red light, so bask in the moment.
Similarly, on "PARA PARA," the band gives the listener instructions on how to perform a popular dance trend that infiltrated Japan in the '80s ("Left right, left right, midnight dance / Up down, up down, Japanese style"). The song's disco vibe is pure eyes-closed, dance-the-night-away magic, and whether or not you perform the dance in question, it's a damn good time. "GAME" features a synth line (and tone) indebted to Prince, and is the album's new-wave throwback, while "We the Female!" with its genre-and-gender-bending lyrics and composition, is the album's most unapologetically humanist outing and a strong contender for Self-Affirming Anthem of the Year™.
On the confrontational "NEO KAWAII, K?" the band antagonizes the aforementioned beauty standards by loving and embracing the realness of their own bodies. The powerful second verse, which they repeat twice, is as follows: "This is just my body, not a trendy body / You're going to be loved, baby! / Just as I am / This is my way / I'm not humble always / There's not a single hair / That's not necessary." It's a simple self-observation with tremendous implications: empowerment starts with loving yourself for who you are — body, brain, and all, The rest will follow, and if they don't, fuck 'em.
On album closer "KARAOKE," shimmering keyboards and a pounding kit mix with a looping ascending-descending vibraphone. The song is all palpable tension; flirtatious, coy, and dramatic but ultimately performative, just like karaoke itself. And much like album opener "MATCHA," "KARAOKE" also ends abruptly, as some nights are wont to do: the song and the party are over, and it's time to go home. You're a bit tired, maybe a bit in love, more than a bit hungry, and "KARAOKE" beautifully captures that fleeting moment of glory when the session's wrapping up and you're singing your favourite song, feeling like a star.
Filled with infectious hooks, shout along everything, and the sheen of city pop, power pop and Eurobeat courtesy of producer Takahashi, CHAI is like matcha bubblegum: sweet and sticky but never saccharine. While the album is a breezy listen (the ten tracks zip by in under 30 minutes, with the longest song clocking in at a whopping 3:27), the short run times and constant stylistic and tempo changes don't always give the songs the opportunity to evolve or even settle. Perhaps this is intentional, but it'll definitely exhaust any listener looking for a straight up chill vibe, man. Fortunately, for those of us who are ready for the New Kawaii revolution, get ready to dance with your fists held high: this is razor sharp pop — fine-tuned, sincere and defiant as all hell.