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The Internet Subculture That Created Japan’s Biggest Singers
read more >>>: The Internet Subculture That Created Japan’s Biggest SingersBefore Japanese artists dominated YouTube, thousands of anonymous creators gathered on Niconico. Singers, illustrators, musicians, and Vocaloid producers built an entire creative ecosystem through karaoke covers, livestreams, and late-night collaborations.
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“Music Is The Only Thing I Have”: The Depression That Nearly Ended Sakanaction
read more >>>: “Music Is The Only Thing I Have”: The Depression That Nearly Ended SakanactionFollow Sakanaction vocalist Ichiro Yamaguchi’s battle with depression, from his rise to the struggles that nearly ended one of Japan’s most influential bands.
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5 Japanese Bassists You Should Know
read more >>>: 5 Japanese Bassists You Should KnowJapan has produced some incredible bass players, from insane jazz technicians to wild punk rockers. As a mid bassist myself, these are the players I keep coming back to while practicing and trying to get better. Here are my picks for five of the best bassists shaping the music scene today. 1. Masanori Seki My…
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The Meaning Behind Shinunoga E-wa and How Fujii Kaze Wrote His Breakout Song
read more >>>: The Meaning Behind Shinunoga E-wa and How Fujii Kaze Wrote His Breakout SongWhat made Shinunoga E-wa hit so hard, even across languages, is Fujii Kaze’s creativity – mixing a US style trap beat with playfully deep bilingual lyrics. But what does Shinunoga E-wa even mean? Today, we’re breaking down Kaze’s writing process behind the song, from the meaning of the lyrics to the inspirations that took a…
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24 Hours In Korea: Hearing the Music I Once Hid in Public (and Happy New Year)
read more >>>: 24 Hours In Korea: Hearing the Music I Once Hid in Public (and Happy New Year)Happy New Year to the official readers of official GF. ☆ The first week of 2026 has been good to me, and I hope it’s been good to you too! I wanted to start the year with a post I kept in the vault for a while, a story from my strange summer of 2025.…
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Top 10 Artists I Am Rooting For in 2026 (a lot of them have blue hair…?)
read more >>>: Top 10 Artists I Am Rooting For in 2026 (a lot of them have blue hair…?)Discover the top Japanese artists to watch in 2026, from breakout girl groups like HANA to rising hyperpop creators and underground rock bands shaking up the scene. Here are the must-know newcomers, viral acts, and fast-growing musicians shaping the future of Japanese music.
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Spotify Wrapped Has a Genre Problem: Not All Japanese Music Is City Pop
read more >>>: Spotify Wrapped Has a Genre Problem: Not All Japanese Music Is City PopSpotify Wrapped labeled my music as “City Pop”… even though it isn’t. This post breaks down what City Pop actually is, why the West revived it, and how Spotify keeps misclassifying modern Japanese soul and funk.
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Blood Shed: The “Ryuketsu” Avant Garde Performance Style in Japan
read more >>>: Blood Shed: The “Ryuketsu” Avant Garde Performance Style in Japan*This posts contains depictions of self harm and photos of blood. Some artists put their health and safety on the line to put on the most intense shows possible. Famously, a few musicians in the West go above and beyond, like the time Dave Grohl of Foo Fighters broke his leg on stage and continued…
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SHISHAMO Is Ending: The High School Girl Band’s Final Show in 2026
read more >>>: SHISHAMO Is Ending: The High School Girl Band’s Final Show in 2026From high school clubs to festival stages, SHISHAMO defined youth rock in Japan. Their journey ends with a final show in 2026.
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Lost Producers Project: Vocaloid Producers You May Have Missed – Nashimoto-P
read more >>>: Lost Producers Project: Vocaloid Producers You May Have Missed – Nashimoto-PLost Producers is a monthly series exploring underground Vocaloid creators who never hit the mainstream. The first entry spotlights Nashimoto-P, known for grungy Miku tuning, dark lyrical themes, and cult utaite covers. Despite staying underground, his unique style left a lasting mark on Vocaloid’s history and global fan community.