Cover (L-R) Yuki Chiba, Yoasobi, Awich and Fujii Kaze are 5 Japanese artists who showed the world their talent in 2024 (Photo: Tatler Hong Kong)
(L-R) Yuki Chiba, Yoasobi, Awich and Fujii Kaze are 5 Japanese artists who showed the world their talent in 2024 (Photo: Tatler Hong Kong)
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From Yoasobi and Fujii Kaze’s Asia tours to Yuki Chiba’s viral collab with Megan Thee Stallion, how Japanese artists are finding popularity both online and offline
From city-pop’s Mariya Takeuchi to pop artists like Hikaru Utada, Chai, the late composer Ryuichi Sakamoto or classical talents such as Joe Hisaishi, Japan has no dearth of homegrown talents. But 2024 is so far proving to be a year of renaissance for the country’s artists.
The seed for this success was planted a few years ago—during and after the pandemic—when a new wave of up-and-coming musicians broke into the scene and, soon after, took the global music industry by storm.
We’re talking about viral trends, chart-breaking songs, headlining major festivals such as Coachella and Clockenflap, releasing collaborations with the US’s hottest artists like Megan Thee Stallion and cementing their and their country’s music on the global map.
Now two of Japan’s leading acts, Fujii Kaze and Yoasobi, have just announced dates for their tour around Asia, which includes Hong Kong, and we couldn’t be happier. To celebrate, Tatler decodes the growing popularity of Japanese artists worldwide.
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Stars and ‘tomodachi’: Viral trends with Yuki Chiba
Yes, TikTok and Instagram reels have changed how we consume music, but nobody has taken advantage of it in a way that is as viral as Yuki Chiba. Formally known as Kohh and Chiba, the Japanese rapper has been in the music industry for a decade. Some might remember him for his viral collaboration with South Korean rapper Keith Ape in It G Ma (2015)—which took the East-Asian rap scene to a global audience.
In 2024, he rebranded himself as Yuki Chiba—his birth name. And since then, he has become even more viral. In February, he released Team Tomodachi (team friend), a fun and catchy track which got traction for its music video which showed a group of friends dancing and singing the chorus on the streets.
With this song, Yuki Chiba started a trend that came to be remixed in Japan, South Korea and even Hong Kong.
Most recently, Yuki Chiba collaborated with American rapper Megan Thee Stallion on the now-viral Mamushi, which started another trend on TikTok.
Be it the catchy Japanese lyrics “okane kasegu [...] watashi wa star” [I make money, I’m a star] sung by the rappers, the trendy choreography or the impressive music video, there are plenty of reasons why this song has become viral—and we should thank Yuki Chiba for that.
YouTube and global recognition of Japanese artists
There was never any dearth of musical talent in Japan, but not always did they get this kind of global recognition. But YouTube—and the mysterious workings of its algorithm—have given Japanese pop music the thrust it requires in recent years. City-pop has globally been recognised as the preferred music genre from the country and has taken over the world through YouTube in the last decade, due to the growing popularity of the Vaporwave genre (which features a lot of city-pop songs).
One of the best examples of this is the virality of Plastic Love (1984) by Mariya Takeuchi, which found fame anew 40 years after its release.
Contemporary Japanese artists are also pushing the boundaries of fame and popularity. In February 2024, hip-hop star Awich released a special performance of her song Rasen in Okinawa (2023) with Tubaki, Ozworld and Chico Carlito on From the Block by 4Shootersonly, an American platform that covers hip-hop music. The video has gathered 2.5 million views to this day, making it one of the most popular videos on the channel.
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In April, singer Fujii Kaze took over YouTube with a 30-minute-long performance on NPR’s esteemed Tiny Desk Concerts, where he sang most of his classics, such as the viral Shinunoga E-wa (2020) and Matsuri (2022).
The video has got almost 9 million views to this day and was a perfect teaser for what the Japanese singer announced recently: an Asia tour.
Highly expected global and Asian tours in 2024
2024 has proven to be the year of possibilities for Japanese artists—and they’ve been celebrating it with local and global tours.
This year, Awich has made successful collaborations, including with Indonesian rapper Ramengvrl and South Korean singer Lim Kim, and has headlined prestigious festivals such as 88rising’s Head in the Cloud Festival and the Fuji Rock Festival.
She also has a performance in Los Angeles and in New York in collaboration with the Grammy Museum.
Above J-pop duo Yoasobi have announced their Asia tour 2024-2025, which includes a concert in Hong Kong (Photo: official press release)
J-pop duo Yoasobi have announced their Asia tour 2024-2025, which includes a concert in Hong Kong (Photo: official press release)
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While no global dates have been announced by Yuki Chiba yet, the rapper made a surprise appearance at Megan Thee Stallon’s London concert in July.
J-pop duo Yoasobi, who ignited Clockenflap in 2023, have shown that their appeal was global with a highly praised Coachella performance. The band just announced an Asia tour, which will happen between 2024 and 2025 and will include stops in Hong Kong, Seoul, Bangkok, Taipei, Shanghai, Singapore and Jakarta.
Above Fujii Kaze has announced his ‘Best of Fujii Kaze 2020-2024’ tour, which includes a concert in Hong Kong (Photo: official press release)
Fujii Kaze has announced his ‘Best of Fujii Kaze 2020-2024’ tour, which includes a concert in Hong Kong (Photo: official press release)
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For Fujii Kaze, 2024 is set to end on a high note as well. The singer has recently announced an Asia tour in eight Asian cities. He will perform his compilation “Best of Fujii Kaze 2020-2024” in Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, Bangkok, Taipei, Jakarta, Hong Kong, Manila and Seoul.
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Salomé Grouard was Digital Editor and Front & Female Content Lead at Tatler Hong Kong. Primarily focused on managing Tatler Hong Kong’s digital platform and content, she also covers gender equality, the music scene and sports through interviews with industry leaders, experts and trendsetters.
Interview highlights include renowned conservationist Dr Jane Goodall, Korean actor Park Seo Jun, singer Jorja Smith, Chinese TV host Yue-Sai Kan, YouTuber Kimono Mom, Japanese rapper Awich, and Brazilian jiu-jitsu fighter Mikey Musumeci.
She has also produced stories on revolutionising sexual wellness in Asia, activism within the surfing community, Asian trans musicians reclaiming their narratives through music and looked at the toxicity of gym culture through the lens of the plus-size community. She also covers music festivals, such as Hong Kong’s Clockenflap and Bali’s Suara.
