In celebration of Rising Women around the world and Asian American and Pacific Islander month, we’re shining a spotlight on Rising Women in J-Pop!
ATARASHII GAKKO!
ATARASHII GAKKO! (name meaning “new school” in Japanese) are a group of four young women who are redefining what it means to be a girl group. AG! brings together elements of modern J-Pop, Showa-era kayokyoku, rap, punk, and dance music. Their global reach is undeniable, with their theatrical music promoting individuality and self-expression transcending language and cultural barriers.
After a highly successful year of firsts, with a debut on U.S. television with “Tokyo Calling” on Jimmy Kimmel Live and a TikTok of the same track joined by Megan Thee Stallion, ATARASHII GAKKO! are set to take the world by storm with an album & world tour!
Lilas Ikuta
Lilas Ikuta is a singer-songwriter and vocalist of the duo YOASOBI — where she is known under her stage name ikura.
She first gained attention for voicing Google Pixel commercials, where she sang covers of “(They Long To Be) Close To You” and “Winter Wonderland.”
Lilas was featured in SONY’s wireless earphones in December 2021, where she collaborated with milet and Aimer on ‘Omokage (produced by Vaundy).’
On top of songwriting, the artist is a voice actor. She will be playing the lead role in the animation film “Dead Dead Demon’s Dededede Destruction,” based on the popular Japanese manga. The film will be released this year.
Leina
Leina is a singer-songwriter, who self-produces not only her music but also her artwork and videos. Her powerful lyricism touches on themes of beauty and fragility with compelling melodies. Born in Tokyo, she began composing songs on the guitar from a very young age. In 2022, she won the TV Asahi Music Champ Award.
Natsuko Nisshoku
Singer-songwriter Natsuko Nisshoku began writing music when she was 9 years old, and composing when she was 12. Born in Marioka, Natsuko gained attention for her piano playing, which she used to emulate other instruments alongside her vulnerable lyricism.
Her latest single “appetite” was released earlier this year.
chelmico
Rachel and Mamiko, also known as the rap duo chelmico, write music for commercials, TV dramas, anime series and more. They have released four albums since 2018 and have over 182 million streams on Spotify.
Their biggest hit, “Easy Breezy,” was released in 2020. It was used as the opening theme for the TV anime “Keep Your Hands Off Eizouken!” The song’s music video has over 12 million views on YouTube and won a bronze at the Clio Music Awards for its visual effects.
Check out our Rising Women playlist here!
