I have long thought it very interesting that, despite how connected the world is with the ease of travel and the internet, many parts of the world still have a signature sound in their popular music. I thought today we would compare the pop music of the country where I was born, the United Kingdom, and the country where I live, Japan.
Before we get stuck in, these are my personal observations and I encourage you to have a listen to pop music from both countries and make your own observations. There are two main points I would like to make before I begin:
Despite my comparisons, I am not trying to say one country’s music is better than the other, or the musicians in either country are of a higher caliber,
Just because something is simpler, it does not mean that it is worse. People listen to music for different reasons and your preference is subjective.
I will make a few points in this blog post, though I would like to think that I have avoided favoring one or the other. Towards the end of the blog post I have also done a brief case study between the two styles - I hope you enjoy learning about the difference between pop music from Japan and the United Kingdom.
Influences
The United Kingdom is steeped in a deep, illustrious musical history. Very similar to how the English language is constructed from pieces of several other languages, the music has developed as a result of many outside influences, stemming over hundreds of years of collaboration between the US as well as the rest of Europe. Some of the biggest bands in the world, like The Beatles, Pink Floyd, The Rolling Stones, Black Sabbath and Led Zeppelin all hail from the United Kingdom.
For a long period of time, up until 1853, Japan was effectively cut off from the rest of the world. Rather, the country did not have the same connection with the rest of the world up until that date. Many influences that Japanese pop music has are relatively new found, at least in the grand scheme of things.
I believe that it is for the above reasons that Japanese pop music clearly showcases a wider range of genres and wears its influences on its sleeve, whereas that of the United Kingdom has almost devolved into its core elements. Many people that I know would be appalled if a pop radio station played a song with some heavy guitar riffs, claiming it just sounds like noise. In Japan, such a song is less likely to be instantly dismissed for that reason.
Structure and Content
Many songs that I have heard in Japan contain a seemingly endless number of chords which is the complete opposite of my home country. For example, a song in Japan might have 10 or 12 chords in one section, but the most common songs in the UK have at most five or six chords throughout the whole song. The chords used most popularly in the United Kingdom tend to be of a more conventional harmony; pushing the boat out with lots of tritone substitutions and quartal harmony might seem a little odd so a lot of people.
The structure of songs is also more varied and interesting in Japan. Sections might be different lengths, and may not be repeated the same way, if at all. Many Western songs in general have a ‘cookie cutter’ approach to their songs with a standard intro, verse, pre-chorus, chorus idea that repeats until the end. This also allows for the song to be shortened for radio play, which is often restricted to between 3 and 4 minutes for reasons regarding the payment of royalties. That might also be another reason that Japanese pop songs are one or two minutes longer on average.
To some extent, even heavier bands such as Metallica use this formulaic song structure - some of their biggest hits are so successful because they feel more predictable to a listener. This is not necessarily a bad thing, though! It is not uncommon for people to dislike surprises when they are listening to music, that is why Frank Zappa does not have any air time on Radio 1 or Radio 2 (the biggest radio stations in the United Kingdom)!
A Melting Pot
You may have noticed that I keep saying UK pop music, and not necessarily British pop music. That is because I have noticed a significant portion of the popular music in the United Kingdom was not made in the UK, it is just popular there. ‘Despacito’ by Luis Fonsi was one of the biggest songs in the UK a few years ago, despite the lyrics being in Spanish and most of my friends having no idea what the song was about.
By contrast, much of the chart music in Japan was written, recorded and remains most popular in Japan. For example, a recent post by Nikkei Asia said that, even though Taylor Swift is one of the highest selling artists in the world ever, she still could not break through the top of the Japanese charts (much to the chagrin of many of my foreign students here in Tokyo!).
Something Different
As you can see in this video by Brett Domino, writing a hit pop song does not seem that difficult in the United Kingdom, or in the West in general. It takes a few well written parts, some simple, often ambiguous lyrics and perhaps even an oddball instrument to give it the illusion of standing out from the crowd.
The United Kingdom’s musical history also includes being ensconced in the different classical music movement over the few centuries. However, it is not too often you hear classical instruments being played in pop music. In fact, most musicians I know that play a violin, cello and other orchestral instruments make their living from playing in theatre shows, recording for soundtracks or in an orchestra specifically playing classical music. There are many Japanese songs that feature these instruments, and the country also has a stronger cultural connection, with traditional instruments like the shamisen or koto being not too uncommon.
Case Study
This is where I am going to do a quick analysis of two songs, one was the most popular song in the United Kingdom over the course of 2022, and the other was the equivalent but in Japan instead.
Let us jump into the first song!
As It Was - Harry Styles
I am not a huge fan of this song, not because it is Harry Styles specifically, but because I find it a bit bland and lacking anything that really pulls me in. However, at the time it was a popular song to teach to students, and you could simplify it for absolute beginners without losing too much integrity.
Referring back to the point I made regarding UK pop music having only a few chords per section, sometimes throughout the whole song, the point is proven here. In the first eight bars there are only three chords, each one played over two bars. In addition to this, the opening melody, which is also the hook of the whole song, is only 10 notes long and is plucked straight from the major scale. With in excess of 760,000,000 views on YouTube alone, it is a testament to effective songwriting and the power of the major scale.
Zankyousanka (残響散歌) - Aimer
This song was not as popular as the song I mentioned previously, however, nearly 230,000,000 views on YouTube alone is nothing to turn your nose up at! This song was used in the popular anime show ‘Demon Slayer’, so I imagine the target audience is somewhat restricted to fans of that show.
If you are looking at the overall harmony of this song, there are not that many chords in the first section. However, there is an intense, brisk motion between all of the chords and you could in theory name each of them. There are also plenty of diminished chords and inversions thrown in, not to mention all of the other instrumentation including distorted guitar and a much busier vocal melody.
Final Thoughts
To me it seems that music popular in the United Kingdom is a lot more approachable than that of popular music in Japan, in the sense that it appeals to a wider audience. On the other hand, people that are much more interested in music, and the complexities that seem more commonplace in this country, then the pop music of Japan is a winner.
In recent years, popular music created in the Eastern part of the world, such as Japan and Korea, has begun to rise elsewhere. J-Pop and K-Pop respectively are not as unusual to hear around London as they used to be!
One final point to make is based on a point from my dissertation from my days at university. Whilst it is clear that you need to have a high level of technical ability to make it as a musician in the UK, you will not be stretching your legs as much as you would be in Japan. Put simply, the pop music here is much harder!
All of the teachers at the American Guitar Academy are well-versed in both styles of music, and being experienced in both styles can only help further your skillset. Make sure you ask them in your next lesson!
Alex
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