Have you ever had a guilty pleasure? Or well, maybe not a guilty pleasure, but rather an odd liking for a certain group/singer that no one seem to understand at all?

Well it happens too often for me.

Let's start off with where I live. In Singapore, the "usual" music teens like me listen to would usually be English or Chinese. K-pop is really the furthest one usually ventures in terms of music over here. Any further, and people usually look at you like you're listening to Russian music or something.

Well, I listen to J-pop (obviously) so that makes me pretty different from the rest of the pack already.

Most people who listens to J-pop in Singapore are casual listeners, and subscribes to either one of two main genres of J-music - Anime themes or Hamasaki (I kid you not). I don't listen specifically to Anime themes (unless a certain singer/group I favor is providing the theme for an Anime, in which case I cannot and should not be blamed) and I've more than established the fact that I don't particularly love Hamasaki Ayumi. That makes me even weirder.

Since we're on J-POP, let's ignore the J-rock part of J-music for this post. J-pop can be split very roughly into 3 different groups - JE, H!P and others. Popular ones amongst TEENAGE girls are naturally in JE. Popular ones amongst TEENAGE boys are naturally in H!P. I don't really LOOOOOVE either of them, only loving the occasional song and squeeing when Kamei does something endearing. In any case, not a big fan.

While it's not WEIRD per se for a teenager like me to love music in the "others" category, I still believe I am rather strange.

The others category usually consists of heavier music or power ballads, which most teenage fans of this category love. Notable artists that fall in this description are B'z, Nakashima Mika, Mr. Children, Koda Kumi and Namie Amuro. Safe to say, I don't really like any of these artists much, with the exception of Kuu. But even so, I don't like ALL of Kuu's songs, preferring her poppier side or her sadder ballads. All the rest (JUICY, BUT, FREAKY [amniotic fluid anyone?]) just makes my head hurt.

Another type of music usually found in the others category is acoustic pop. Notable artists are such as Angela Aki, YUI, Rie Fu and probably Every Little Thing. This has considerably lesser fans as compared to the previous type, which might explain why I like this genre considerably more. Nonetheless, if you read my blog regularly, you'll know that this is still not my favorite genre.

And then we have the pops. Notable artists in this genre are such as BoA, EXILE, AAA and wFL. Loads more fans, and I admittedly like this genre loads too. However, taking into account that I am a guy who is near-freaking-legal very darn soon, this brand of music seems a wee bit unsuitable for me. I should be listening to grown up music, or so I am inclined to believe.

But as most of you should know, my true love lies only in one particular singer, who goes by the name of Hirai Ken. What is his genre? Jazz, soul and lounge perhaps. His songs sound a bit too odd to be pop, and while he has ballads too, they are notably different from the kinds that YUI or Mr. Children would sing. His voice is really unconventional as well, with a falsetto that is upsetting to many. Yet it is in this upsetting, falsetto, odd-pop-singing man that I have found my favorite music. I think we can safely say I'm quite different from the average teenage guy.

And back to my topic (that was one hell long digression). A guilty pleasure or an odd liking for a certain group that no one quite understands. I have stumbled upon this group in the past year, and their music is drastically different from the other artists in J-pop too. Yet, no matter what they release, I seem to LOVE it. Not a single release that makes me go "urgh" so far, which is really rare.

This group is Yanawaraba.


Made up of two female vocals, one of which plays the guitar while the other plays the Shamisen (I think). Their music is usually written in the Okinawan dialect and is best described as folk pop. The first time Angelia heard it, she went "THIS IS SUCH OLD PEOPLE MUSIC!" I can't help but agree. This doesn't mean they're not good though.


Both of them has crystal clear voices that sound light yet bright, giving them the advantage of being able to pull off really happy song as well as those chock-full with emotion. All their songs are catchy to some extent, with tunes that leave a very deep impression and are very distinct. They may not necessarily make you go CRAZY over them as an idol group would, but their music is undeniably well done. Every now and then, when a tune of theirs appears randomly in my playlist, it would be a nice "down-time" from all the complicated music that is so widely produced today.


Their latest single Sakura has a really happy tune that is well-suited for the season now and is definitely worth a listen. You can hear a preview on their website or download the PV at Jpopsuki while there are still people seeding it (I would, at least).

I may be weird in liking folk pop, or Jazz and Soul, but just for once, I'd like to think that I'm in a good and tasteful majority. Try their music out and let me know whether I'm there.

Labels: Yanawaraba