How did City pop reflect the economic status of Japan at the time? With “I can’t stop the loneliness” By Anri 

In recent years the revival of citypop has made its way overseas to the western world and gained popularity at an astonishing rate. You may be familiar with songs such as “Stay With Me” and “Plastic Love”, the Weekend even sampled “Midnight Pretenders” in his song “Out Of Time”. City pop originated in the 1970s however did not gain popularity till the mid 80s’ otherwise known as “the age of the bubble” (1994  ). I will make a short analysis of the song “I Can’t Stop the Loneliness” by Anri, who was one of the more popular female J-idols at the time who reflects this. The sudden influx of western trade is highly reflected in the genre fusion of this song which includes jazz, pop and funk elements to give a new glossy sound. The smooth synths are not only a huge characteristic of citypop but also imply technological advancement during this era, with Japan being at the forefront of technological innovation (Stanford University, 2017). The steep incline of the economic status is also reflected in the fast upbeat tempo and strong syncopated rhythms that gives the song a danceable beat which was heard at nightclubs, that aligned with the growing disco and entertainment culture at the time. Anri’s vocal delivery in the verses are delicately sung to give a sense of yearning, that builds in pitch and dynamics to the chorus which emphasises feelings of hope into a new era of economic prosperity. The catchy chorus line “I can’t stop, the loneliness” in English mirrors the economic shift towards global culture that exudes modernity. The funk influence in “I Can’t Stop” is prevalent in the off beat bouncy bassline provided by a bass guitar that speculates the fast paced consumerist society Japan was becoming. The funk influence also plays a part in the western cultural exchange during the 80s. This genre fusion overlap is also heard in the backing vocals and bright trumpets giving the song a swung jazzy feel. In essence, this song serves as a product and reflection of the economic status of Japan in the 80s, with its unique blend of western music to create a modern production with qualities that reflect the economic growth of the bubble era. 

Anri (1983) ‘悲しみがとまらない/I can’t stop the lonliness’,Timley!!!. Available at: Spotify (Accessed: 1st December 2024).

Noguchi, Y. (1994) ‘The “Bubble” and Economic Policies in the 1980s’, The Journal of Japanese Studies, Vol. 20, No. 2,pp. 291-329 (39 pages). Available at: https://www.jstor.org/stable/133196

SPICE Stanford Organisation on International and Cross-Cultural Education (2017) Japan’s Emergence as an Innovating Economy. Available at: https://spice.fsi.stanford.edu/multimedia/japans-emergence-innovating-economy (Accessed: December 1st, 2024).