Music streaming service Spotify has announced the next generation of Japanese artists it expects to make great strides in 2021.
A corner and playlist have been set up within the Spotify app as a category called "RADAR: Early Noise 2021." Ten up-and-coming artists are featured.
Which next-generation artists will Spotify be keeping an eye on this year? To date, a variety of artists, including Aimyon, Official Hige Dandism, King Gnu, Vickeblanka, and Vaundy, have gained many new listeners through this content and moved on to the next stage. This year's artists are sure to become hot topics in the near future! This is a must-listen for music fans and beyond.
The "Radar: Early Noise" section is an evolution of Spotify's "Early Noise" program, which previously featured up-and-coming artists. This year marks the fifth year since the program launched in Japan in 2017, and the new title represents a strengthened collaboration with the company's global program, "RADAR," in an effort to introduce notable next-generation breakout artists not only to Japanese music fans but to music fans around the world.
Let's take a look at the 10 up-and-coming artists recommended by Spotify.
RADAR: Early Noise 2021 Selected Artists (Alphabetical Order)
■Eishu.
Born March 17, 2002, Blood Type: O, First-Year University Student. He started writing lyrics and composing music in high school, but there are people who have given up on the idea because there are no established paths. He wants to give those people a push, and he continues to sing today, aiming to be that catalyst. It's not a matter of right or wrong, or 0 or 1. He is an artist who proves with his own example that this way of thinking and living is also correct, and who awakens the world and people to "Unimagined Ways." That's Eishu.
■Chameleon Lime Whoopie Pie
Chameleon Lime Whoopie Pie is a solo project by Chi-. Chi- is known for her distinctive orange hair. Her fellow members are Whoopies 1 and 2. The three of them handle everything from writing lyrics, composing music, and recording to coming up with ideas for videos, gathering props, filming, and editing, all by themselves, making them a next-generation artist who is constantly producing new creativity.
When they released their first single, "Dear Idiot," digitally at the end of 2019, they quickly attracted attention not only from Japan but from listeners all over the world. Subsequent releases were picked up by every streaming site, becoming viral hits with over one million plays in just six months. They've been inundated with inquiries from labels both in Japan and abroad. The internet is flooded with voices wanting to know more about them and their work. Chameleon Rhyme Whoopie Pie embodies a new genre known as "negative pop," a genre that's nostalgic yet new and unconstrained by established rules.
■(sic)boy
(sic)boy exudes a unique presence with a style that defies existing musical genres, incorporating elements of alternative, emo, and loud rock, as well as the melodic flow of J-rock, into hip-hop. The powerful music he released on SoundCloud in 2019 garnered attention, garnering over 1.6 million total plays in just over a year since he began his career. In February 2020, he released the collaborative EP "(sic)'s sense" with trackmaker/producer KM, and in April, his digital single "Akuma Emoji (Prod. KM)" beautifully embodied the fusion of hip-hop and J-rock, establishing him as a rising star in both genres. In October, he released his long-awaited debut album "CHAOS TAPE," which includes the digital single "Heaven's Drive feat. vividboooy (Prod. KM)," which became a 2020 anthem, garnering over 4.6 million streams on Spotify. Described as a "Tokyo genre," this album, themed around the chaos of Tokyo and expressed through a unique blend of genres, has garnered critical acclaim both inside and outside the industry.
■Doul
17-year-old artist “Doul”. Residing in Fukuoka, Japan. His debut song [16yrs], released in September 2020, was immediately played on Spotify in 90 countries around the world and made it onto approximately 9,000 playlists. A genuine artist, he not only writes lyrics and composes music, but also performs, arranges, makes tracks, and directs styling, artwork, and videos, and is the overall producer of the “Doul brand”.
A borderless, mixed-race talent born precisely in Asia and thriving in this era. A member of the YouTube and subscription generation, she freely and unconsciously traverses music, fashion, and art from the 1960s to 2021, effortlessly transcending eras, genres, borders, and gender. The music, art, and visual work she creates evoke a nostalgic yet new sense of discomfort.
■chilldspot
All members were born in 2002. Chilldspot is a four-member band made up of high school students from Tokyo. Formed in December 2019, the band released their first EP, "the youth night," in November 2020 while still in high school. It contains seven tracks, including "Night Exploration," the band's first composition, which they composed as a freshman in high school.
Despite their age, their genre-defying songs, from sophisticated songs reminiscent of the post-city pop era to powerful teenage rock, are attracting attention from a wide range of people. Despite being their first release, they charted on the J-WAVE TOKIO HOT100 and the Spotify Viral Top 50. The groove that flows naturally from vocalist Hiyuune, who also writes the lyrics and composes the music, and the songs created by all the members with different musical roots, are somehow addictive, and you'll be swept up in their vortex in an instant. This next generation is free to play with groove and a genre-less sensibility.
■Tokimeki Records
Tokimeki Records is a music project that creates nostalgic music set in the twilight of the city. The project began in the late summer of 2019, covering classic Japanese and Western songs from the 80s and 90s. It features Asian singers such as Mime vocalist "Hikari" and "Hannah Warm", as well as Japanese singer Marian Carmel and Froya. In June 2020, the 7-inch record "OH NO, OH YES!", featuring Mariya Takeuchi's "Plastic Love" and Akina Nakamori's "OH NO, OH YES!", was inundated with inquiries even before it was ordered and sold out on the same day. The 7-inch record charted at number 30 on the Oricon charts. On Spotify, their cover of Kylie Minogue's "Turn It Into Love" was selected for "New Music Friday" in nine Asian countries. With an electro-boogie sound that emphasizes synths and a singer who sings soulful and sensual songs, the music expresses a story that unfolds on an adult, mellow, and sensual night.
■Nishina
In this new era, Nishina is a rising star with a natural singing voice. Her voice is gentle, ephemeral, and addictive. Her melody lines are somehow nostalgic and soothing, like a drowsy sleep. Her sense of words is delicately woven together with innocent playfulness. Her music is calm yet exudes a hidden madness, completely captivating those who listen. Her voice and music have slowly and at their own pace captivated listeners, but now they are quietly and more proactively moving out into the world in search of new encounters.
The most important newcomer of 2021, a talent that embodies both ephemerality and madness, has now emerged.
■PEOPLE 1
PEOPLE 1 is a band formed by Tokyo-based musician Deu (Vo, G, B, Other), along with Takeuchi (Dr) and Ito (Vo, G). The band began activities in December 2019 with the release of their first EP, "Taisho Ongaku." In September 2020, they released their second EP, "GANG AGE." On December 25, 2020, they released the digital single "Room 113."
Deu's genre-crossing, literary-inspired music and music videos/artwork, which express a unique worldview, have garnered attention online, with critics describing them as "addictive," "emotional," and "retro." As of December 2020, the music videos posted on YouTube have been viewed a total of 4 million times and have generated over 8,000 comments.
■macico
A three-member music group active mainly in Tokyo, Japan. Their urban yet elegant sound is characterized by a focus on J-POP, incorporating elements of various genres including club, lounge, and R&B. Between September and November 2020, they released the digital singles "aloe," "coin laundry / alcohol," and "hanataba," which reached a peak of 10th place on Spotify's "Japan Viral Top 50" despite still being an indie band. They have also been selected for various official Spotify playlists with tens of thousands of subscribers, including "Early Noise Japan," "Spotify Japan Trending Chart," "Tokyo Rising," and "Next Up." Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, each member has been recording, mixing, and mastering their music from home, and they are also handling all of their own artwork design and advertising/promotional activities.
■LEX
A hip-hop artist born in 2002 in the Shonan area of Kanagawa Prefecture. He began uploading music to SoundCloud at the age of 14, and burst onto the scene like a comet in April 2019, at the age of 16, with his first album, "LEX DAY GAMES 4."
He quickly gained attention with his appearance at the Red Bull cipher "RASEN" and explosive live performances. He released his second album, "!!!," in December 2019 and embarked on his first tour, but it was canceled due to the impact of COVID-19. Despite the COVID-19 pandemic, they continued to be active in 2020, releasing the "NEXT" EP and holding online live shows, and in August they released their third album "LiFE," featuring 15 guest artists.
The contrast between their naturally mellow voice and their aggressive music, and their raw emotional lyrics have earned them enthusiastic support, especially from the younger generation.
"RADAR: Early Noise 2021" Playlist
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