Ayaka Wada
Each week brings a wave of new Japanese releases, but some albums stand out for pushing beyond pop formulas and engaging directly with culture and society. This week’s highlights showcase two very different, yet equally ambitious projects: LOLOET’s avant-garde debut Kankyoon [Kankyo-ON], led by former idol Ayaka Wada, and KIRINJI’s refreshed urban pop record TOWN BEAT, guided by longtime songwriter Takaki Horigome.
LOLOET’s Kankyoon: From Idol to Art-Pop Provocateur
LOLOET marks a bold new chapter for Ayaka Wada, once known as the frontwoman of ANGERME. Conceived between her studies in Paris and immersion in Tokyo’s experimental music scene, the project is built around the concept of a “Circle of Echoes,” where sounds resonate, overlap, and interact—drawing even on Zen philosophy. Sonically, Kankyoon blends ambient dub, improvisation, new age, and experimental pop, with stylistic nods to artists like Takako Minekawa and bands such as Buffalo Daughter.
What truly sets the album apart is its lyrical directness. Tracks like “La Fête” pair post-punk textures with what Wada describes as a “declaration of liberation” from gender roles and social expectations, while “Almond” delivers the stark line that “this country is finished,” confronting economic inequality head-on. Often recited in both French and Japanese, her vocals function less as pop hooks and more as spoken manifestos, positioning Wada firmly as a politically engaged artist rather than simply a former idol reinventing her image.
KIRINJI’s TOWN BEAT: Urban Pop with a Critical Pulse
On the other end of the spectrum, TOWN BEAT finds KIRINJI in rejuvenated form after several releases that even fans described as “old-fashioned.” Takaki Horigome, who shifted KIRINJI into a solo-led project in 2021, delivers his strongest collection since 2019’s cherish, supported by the warm vocals of Tomomi Oda of CRCK/LCKS. Together, they paint vivid city scenes that oscillate between everyday comfort and social critique.
The standout track “flush! flush! flush!” blends new wave and funk-a-latina rhythms while poking fun at social stagnation through Japan’s obsession with high-tech toilets. Elsewhere, Horigome reclaims earlier compositions, including “LEMONADE,” originally written over a decade ago for The Idolmaster, and a newly reimagined version of V6’s “Suteki na Yoru,” both now reframed within KIRINJI’s sleek, contemporary sound.
Two Albums, One Forward-Looking Scene
Together, these albums highlight how diverse and adventurous Japan’s current music landscape has become. Whether through LOLOET’s immersive, politically charged art-pop or KIRINJI’s polished yet quietly critical urban grooves, both projects blend genre experimentation with cultural commentary. If you’re looking to explore what’s new and forward-thinking in Japanese music this week, both Kankyoon and TOWN BEAT are well worth streaming on Spotify and Apple Music.
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