Sometimes, we’ll get something on our tips line that is really hard for us to pass up. That is how we came across the Ajuku Girls. The press statement that they issued was funny enough that we think it speaks for itself and for the girls quite nicely:
Meet the Ajuku Girls, five playful J-Pop princesses poised to reign as the quintessential pop group of the next generation. Intense bubblegum beats, a Japanese flavor that’s hotter than wasabi, and lyrics so sweet they’ll give you a toothache…
With that kind of a grand promise, how could we not follow up? Bubblegum beats? Hotter than wasabi? Lyrics so sweet they’ll give you a toothache? It piqued our curiosity to say the least. Could this be the answer to the infectious, bubblegum-y “Caramelldansen?”
To see whether they have what it takes to become “the quintessential pop group of the next generation,” find out after the jump!
Anime fans old and new should have heard of the manga Initial D which has spawned numerous anime series and video games. For those of you who don’t know, Initial D focuses upon a group of teens who compete in the thrilling sport of street racing in Japan’s mountain passes. The courses are winding and dangerous, making it an arena fitting only for drivers who have truly mastered their vehicle. To navigate the turns, these drivers use a technique called “drifting” to allow the driver to come out of the turn with a high exit speed and roar to victory.
The Ajuku Girls’ latest release, Tokyo Drift focuses upon this adrenaline-pumping sport and try as they might, I just cannot see how their music fits in with the street racing scene. “Tokyo Drift” fuses the Western rhythms found in rap with lyrics that describe Japanese fads. But the way the song is executed makes it difficult to take seriously. The lyrics contain lines like,
Well I’m gonna go,
Rollercoastin’ outta control.
Candy paint; rim spinnin’; drop top; cace winning.
Catch me, catch me if you can,
Imma stunt on you like Jackie Chan!
and while they do have a certain direction, the word choice feels silly at times. Furthermore, the singers themselves are not that great either since their tone makes an attempt to be alluring, which might work well in a different context, say, a seductive love song for instance, but it is not suitable in describing the scope and intensity of mountain racing.
I cannot say for sure whether the rest of their music fits into this general sort of style, but in this instance the style used in “Tokyo Drift” is not what I would use if I were to showcase a new sound to introduce to fans looking for a fusion of J-pop/J-rap. In the event that you are curious about what their music sounds like, a preview of “Tokyo Drift” can be found on their MySpace page.
Agree or disagree about their capacity to bring in a new sound? Let us know in the comments section!
Tags: Ajuku Girls, Bubblegum Pop, J-pop, J-Rap, Music Reviews, Street Racing, Toothaches, Wasabi
I think you really missed it on these girls. the point is they aren’t trying to be like anyone else, their lyrics, sounds and more are totally crazy and fun. i don’t know maybe in a way they are making fun in a funny way of everyone who tries to act cool and street race. atleast you got that they were a bit funny because that is what they are trying to be LOL. also i posted the correct myspace link for them. here it is again. i discovered this group recently through iTunes. they are uber cool. see for yourself. this is my favorite new group! http://www.myspace.com/ajukugirl
@JpopRocks
Sorry, I just couldn’t get into their music. New sounds are fine with me given how much I loved the Katamari Damacy Soundtracks, but Ajuku Girls just don’t gel with me too well :v
Ajuku Girls? More like HArajuku Girls. I can almost hear Gwen Stefani’s squee from here. As for them ‘mocking’ the style, that’s not the vibe I get. That and who’d bother mocking that style anyway? It’s like trying to mock Britney Spears by lip-synching on stage. No one’s going to say ‘oh, that’s so clever!’…they’ll just assume it’s another wannabe.
Having checked out their myspace page, all I can say is associating these spiceless girls with Initial D and its incredibly catchy Eurobeat style (‘Over Crive’, for example) is atrocious. But if we’re going with the unofficial soundtrack to that other ‘fast and furious’ Tokyo Drift, then everything makes complete sense.
Oh, and let me add — ‘hotter than wasabi’ is worse than cliché; I find it precisely the sort of thing a foreigner would say trying too hard to sound all Japanese and cool. For example: Gwen Stefani.
@DS
No argument there. I particularly loved Vicky Vale’s “Dancing” from Initial D and “Beat of the Rising Sun” was also pretty rad. To say that this group lacks the awesome levels of Initial D’s Eurobeat is one hell of an understatement.
Also, the press release had me shaking my head at the J-Pop princesses bit. That they can call themselves that with that kind of music is rather frightening. What a terrible future we’ll live in if that’s the music that’s in store for us down the road.
Whoa, typo. ‘Over Drive’. Ugh.
@Chris: my hat off to you for doing the review. It’s definitely not the sort of thing I’d expect to see on a site that specialises in video game and anime music, but sometimes it really pays off to try something from out of left field. This was just not one of those times.
I saw these girls at a performance at Gonpachi in Beverly Hills, and I must say they were amazing, and they are so beautiful. Keep your eyes on these young ladies. Look Out! the Ajuku Girls have ARRIVED……..
LOL. you guys are too serious to get them. they are 5 teenage girls who like Japanese street fashions, the culture of Harajuku and j-pop music. they are just having fun hanging out and making music. give them a break. their sound is fresh and “hot like wasabi.”
@JpopRocks
If by “fresh” you mean annoying and uninspiring, then yes, their music is “fresh.” The term that I would prefer to use to describe their music is “terrible.” Or if you prefer monosyllabic words, “bad” also works nicely and succinctly.