City Pop Jason Venevongsoth

Context and Background

Instead of reviewing just one album, I’m going to be reviewing the Japanese music genre “City Pop,” and its derivative forms “Vaporwave” and “Future Funk.”

When did City Pop first emerge?

Originating from 1980s Japan, City Pop is upbeat in nature which incorporates jazz, R&B, funk, and boogie elements. People that are fans of this style of music might enjoy City Pop as well.

My Experience With City Pop

I was introduced to City Pop in 2020 because of Spotify, and I was really into the funky upbeat sound of it. Honestly, I feel like all ages would enjoy this genre, but mostly older generations because it peaked in the 1980s. When I’m feeling down or bored, I’ll start listening to City Pop because it just gives me such a good feeling when I hear it.

The Recent Popularity Rise in City Pop

City Pop’s popularity surged in 2020 because of the songs “Plastic Love” by Takeuchi and “Stay with Me” by Miki Matsubara, which is probably the reason why I found out about the genre in the first place. New City Pop songs aren’t really made anymore, but the subgenres Vaporwave and Future Funk definitely keep it alive.

Subgenres

There’s also unofficial subgenres of City Pop, known as Vaporwave and Future Funk. These songs have the same funky and upbeat elements, but they also have Japanese City Pop elements sampled in, which gives them more life, and just makes songs sound really danceable and fun.

Future Funk Artists

Some of the most popular Future Funk artists include Macross 82-99, who pioneered the genre with his Sailorwave album series in 2013, Saint Pepsi, Tsundere Valley, Ducat, Yung Bae, Night Tempo, and Mikazuki BIGWAVE.

(From left to right; Macross 82-99, Yung Bae, Night Tempo, and Mikazuki BIGWAVE)