Modern Japanese popular music developed gradually through the decades until the 1990s when J-Pop really started to boom. Now, it\u2019s a genre that is beloved all over the world.<\/p>\n
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<\/h2>\nGuide to J-Pop artists<\/b><\/h2>\n
There are countless artists in the J-Pop scene and who you choose to listen to will obviously depend on your own music tastes. To get you started, we\u2019ve listed some of the biggest names in J-Pop, from the 1990s all the way through to today.<\/p>\n
Hikaru Utada<\/strong><\/h3>\nBorn in the United States, Hikaru Utada is one of the biggest and most long-standing names in modern J-Pop. She and still holds the record for the highest selling album in Japan for her debut album, First Love, released in 1999. Her music draws inspiration from Western pop and R&B.<\/p>\n
Arashi<\/strong><\/h3>\nAnother long-standing force in modern J-Pop, this boy band<\/strong> formed in 1999 and understandably has a long string of hits under their belt. In 2019 their compilation album of their top hits became the best-selling album in the world at the time, beating out Taylor Swift and BTS. Their music is largely pop-based.<\/p>\nEarly in 2019, they announced they would no longer continue as a band after the end of 2020. Luckily for any new fans, you have two decade\u2019s worth of music to catch up on!<\/p>\n
Namie Amuro<\/strong><\/h3>\nIf you had to name a Japanese equivalent to Madonna, it would be Namie Amuro. Her quick rise to fame from the early 1990s led many to dub her the \u201cQueen of Japanese Pop\u201d and the \u201cJapanese Madonna\u201d. She is one of Japan\u2019s best-selling artists, although she retired from the music industry in 2018.<\/p>\n
Ayumi Hamasaki<\/strong><\/h3>\nAfter debuting in 1998, Ayumi Hamasaki\u2019s career gradually grew in strength, attracting a loyal following with her self-written music and trend-setting style. She\u2019s released almost 30 albums to date and is the subject of a biopic TV drama.<\/p>\n
GACKT<\/strong><\/h3>\nGakuto Oshiro, more commonly known as Gackt, is another long-standing Japanese artist from the early 1990s. He\u2019s considered a rock artist<\/strong>, but he\u2019s not afraid to sing different styles. His music has been used as theme songs for video games, anime and TV shows.<\/p>\nAKB48<\/strong><\/h3>\nThis female idol group<\/strong> is one of the highest-earning acts in Japanese music. They have sold millions of records since they first formed in 2005. Their music is heavily pop-based.<\/p>\nThey even have their own theatre, located in Akihabara, Tokyo (the \u201cAKB\u201d part of their name stands for Akihabara). To share their workload, they are split into a number of teams.<\/p>\n
Babymetal<\/strong><\/h3>\nHeavy metal isn’t for everyone. But Babymetal has introduced metal music to people who would never have listened to this music genre. Combining kawaii with metal, Babymetal has achieved success both within Japan and globally with their unique sound and look.<\/p>\n
Kyary Pamyu Pamyu<\/strong><\/h3>\nKyary Pamyu Pamyu is Japan\u2019s modern-day pop princess, embodying everything \u201cHarajuku\u201d and \u201ckawaii\u201d. She has cited Lady Gaga, Gwen Stefani and Katy Perry as her musical influences.<\/p>\n
Official\u9aed\u7537dism (Official HIGE DANdism)<\/strong><\/h3>\nThis pop band dominated Japan\u2019s Billboard charts in 2019 with their single \u201cPretender\u201d, which has more than 300 million streams on Apple Music as of May 2020. They have many other hits and are proving to be one of the hottest acts in J-Pop today.<\/p>\n
Hatsune Miku<\/strong><\/h3>\nOne of Japan\u2019s most beloved pop stars actually started out as vocal synthesising software for musicians. Since being released in 2007 though, this virtual pop star has garnered her own fan base and performs her own concerts.<\/p>\n
Kenshi Yonezu<\/strong><\/h3>\nContinuing with the vocal synthesis theme, singer-songwriter Kenshi Yonezu started his career in 2009 with vocaloid music under the stage name Hachi before debuting under his own name with his own voice in 2012. His hit song \u201cLemon\u201d is the theme song for Japanese TV drama\u00a0 \u201cUnnatural\u201d and it is the most-viewed Japanese music video on YouTube with more than 610 million views.<\/p>\n
Another long-standing force in modern J-Pop, this boy band<\/strong> formed in 1999 and understandably has a long string of hits under their belt. In 2019 their compilation album of their top hits became the best-selling album in the world at the time, beating out Taylor Swift and BTS. Their music is largely pop-based.<\/p>\n Early in 2019, they announced they would no longer continue as a band after the end of 2020. Luckily for any new fans, you have two decade\u2019s worth of music to catch up on!<\/p>\n If you had to name a Japanese equivalent to Madonna, it would be Namie Amuro. Her quick rise to fame from the early 1990s led many to dub her the \u201cQueen of Japanese Pop\u201d and the \u201cJapanese Madonna\u201d. She is one of Japan\u2019s best-selling artists, although she retired from the music industry in 2018.<\/p>\n After debuting in 1998, Ayumi Hamasaki\u2019s career gradually grew in strength, attracting a loyal following with her self-written music and trend-setting style. She\u2019s released almost 30 albums to date and is the subject of a biopic TV drama.<\/p>\n Gakuto Oshiro, more commonly known as Gackt, is another long-standing Japanese artist from the early 1990s. He\u2019s considered a rock artist<\/strong>, but he\u2019s not afraid to sing different styles. His music has been used as theme songs for video games, anime and TV shows.<\/p>\n This female idol group<\/strong> is one of the highest-earning acts in Japanese music. They have sold millions of records since they first formed in 2005. Their music is heavily pop-based.<\/p>\n They even have their own theatre, located in Akihabara, Tokyo (the \u201cAKB\u201d part of their name stands for Akihabara). To share their workload, they are split into a number of teams.<\/p>\n Heavy metal isn’t for everyone. But Babymetal has introduced metal music to people who would never have listened to this music genre. Combining kawaii with metal, Babymetal has achieved success both within Japan and globally with their unique sound and look.<\/p>\n Kyary Pamyu Pamyu is Japan\u2019s modern-day pop princess, embodying everything \u201cHarajuku\u201d and \u201ckawaii\u201d. She has cited Lady Gaga, Gwen Stefani and Katy Perry as her musical influences.<\/p>\n This pop band dominated Japan\u2019s Billboard charts in 2019 with their single \u201cPretender\u201d, which has more than 300 million streams on Apple Music as of May 2020. They have many other hits and are proving to be one of the hottest acts in J-Pop today.<\/p>\n One of Japan\u2019s most beloved pop stars actually started out as vocal synthesising software for musicians. Since being released in 2007 though, this virtual pop star has garnered her own fan base and performs her own concerts.<\/p>\n Continuing with the vocal synthesis theme, singer-songwriter Kenshi Yonezu started his career in 2009 with vocaloid music under the stage name Hachi before debuting under his own name with his own voice in 2012. His hit song \u201cLemon\u201d is the theme song for Japanese TV drama\u00a0 \u201cUnnatural\u201d and it is the most-viewed Japanese music video on YouTube with more than 610 million views.<\/p>\nNamie Amuro<\/strong><\/h3>\n
Ayumi Hamasaki<\/strong><\/h3>\n
GACKT<\/strong><\/h3>\n
AKB48<\/strong><\/h3>\n
Babymetal<\/strong><\/h3>\n
Kyary Pamyu Pamyu<\/strong><\/h3>\n
Official\u9aed\u7537dism (Official HIGE DANdism)<\/strong><\/h3>\n
Hatsune Miku<\/strong><\/h3>\n
Kenshi Yonezu<\/strong><\/h3>\n