Simplified Speech #240 – Japanese music

Join Andrew and Indiana for a conversation about their love for J-Pop. In this episode, the hosts discuss how they originally found this genre and why it has become so famous globally. They talk about the “City Pop” trend, the unexpected ways they stumbled upon their favorite bands, and why listening to 90s Japanese music makes them feel nostalgic. Finally, they share a list of albums and songs to help you start listening, too. Press play to practice your English and find some great new music!

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Here are the listening recommendations made by Andrew and Indiana:

1. Spacy – Tatsuro Yamashita: Click here
2. Wet Land – Hiroshi Yoshimura: Click here
3. Sugar Babe – Songs: Click here
4. Happy End – Kazamachi Roman: Click here
5. Haruomi Hosono – Hosono House: Click here
6. PONPONPON – Kyary Pamyu Pamyu: Click here

Fun Fact
Andrew mentions that listening to Japanese electronic music makes him nostalgic for old video games. This is no coincidence! Haruomi Hosono (recommended by both hosts in this episode) was a founder of Yellow Magic Orchestra, a band that pioneered using arcade sounds in pop music. Their 1978 hit “Computer Game” actually sampled sounds from Space Invaders!