For decades, this lush, funky, and sophisticated genre was Japan’s best-kept secret—a footnote in Western music history. But thanks to YouTube algorithms, viral vaporwave samples, and a global hunger for analog warmth, City Pop has exploded into a full-blown international phenomenon.
During this time, Japan was the richest country on earth. Everyone felt like a millionaire. Luxury goods, European cars, Hawaiian vacations, and high-end audio equipment were suddenly attainable for the middle class. 80s japanese city pop
There’s a certain feeling you get when you hear it: the soft thud of a LinnDrum machine, a slap bassline that walks just right, a major 7th chord on a Fender Rhodes, and a voice singing about a "midnight driver" or a "bay side dance." For decades, this lush, funky, and sophisticated genre
Header Image Idea: A vintage Japanese car (like an 80s Nissan Skyline or Toyota Supra) driving down a rain-slicked Tokyo expressway at sunset, with neon lights reflecting off the pavement. Everyone felt like a millionaire