u/Current-Degree7335

I'm Japanese. Honestly, "J-pop" feels like such a broad term—I'm never quite sure where it begins and ends. I don't really listen to it much anymore either. This is actually my first time in this community, and it's kind of surreal seeing so many overseas fans who know so many Japanese artists. That got me curious—I wanted to hear what people here think about a couple of artists.

Suzume no Tears. And Nakanishi Lemon. Neither of them is particularly well-known yet.

Japan has a tradition called min'yo—work songs, folk music, really old stuff that even most Japanese people don't listen to anymore. If I had to compare it to something, it's kind of like Japanese soul music. This group takes that and blends it with Western influences. I only discovered them recently myself. I'm curious how it lands for people outside Japan.

As a guy, I sometimes catch myself imagining: what if I were reborn as a woman and could actually join a K-pop girl group?

The reason is simple—I’m genuinely in awe of the bond these groups have. Different personalities, probably some clashes early on, definitely not all sunshine and rainbows. But watching them go through the hard stuff together, slowly building that sense of solidarity—I find that genuinely moving.

I’m not saying boy groups don’t have it. I just don’t listen to them, so I can’t really speak to that.

That kind of connection is rare in ordinary life, right? The first time I saw members complimenting each other—calling each other pretty, beautiful, talented—I honestly couldn’t believe it. Like, is that real? Do people actually do that?

But when you see a group that genuinely lifts each other up, it just feels really, really good.

So—which group would you join? Assume you can sing and dance at a basic level. But your personality stays exactly as it is now.

I go back and forth every time, but my answer is (G)I-DLE. Because it seems like a place where you could actually say what’s on your mind and have a real argument without it being a big deal. 😄