Kpp Fashion Monster Behind the Scenes
No, I have not have the honour to meet the quirky Harujuku-based singer, but I've had a long relationship with her as a fan. Well, sort of at least. I tin can trace my interest in KPP from literally 'Pon Pon Pon' (2011) until about 'Mondai Girl' (2015). While I've been vaguely enlightened of what KPP has been doing before 'Pon Pon Pon' popped off (Miracle Orange and Loveberry anyone?), and after 'Mondai Girl' fizzled; I really tin't say I'thou a big fan of her anymore. Instead of only ripping intowhyI don't follow her anymore, I figured it might be a fun little trip down retentiveness lane for myself and maybe some others explaining the personal rise and fall of KPP and me.
I was one of those people that hopped on the accented hype train, and almost train wreck that was 'Pon Pon Pon'. It's wild, quirky, tooth-ache inducing and even without playing that video you probably accept a bit of an ear worm don't yous? Fear not, because 15-yr-onetime-me felt the same. I was addicted to the idea of KPP.
She was unapologetically herself from makeup to hair, expressions, and themes. KPP was everything my weebaboo self knew about Harajuku and Harajuku fashion, so of course I thought her an icon. I didn't apparel similar her, or do weird makeup but if KPP could be herself without worrying about haters, I could as well. I shouldn't be ashamed of the things I like or my hobbies, etc.
Where a lot of popular media wrote 'Pon Pon Pon' as a 1 hitting wonder from a wacked out teenage girl, for me it was a kickoff. A place to get-go and really understand what it meant to be my authentic self, even if it was weird to other people's standards.
Of course, I adored 'Moshi Moshi Harajuku', peculiarly 'Reddish Bonbon' and 'Jelly'. I was religiously playing those songs when and where I could. Followed up non only by the 'Nanda Collection' which features 'Ninja Re Bang Bang', and 'Mode Monster' I was hyped. Again, these music video had me shook. They were more wild, more than crazy then before. People complained her vocals were so fake, but for me that was role of the entreatment!
Yous throw in 'Pamyupamyu Revolution' and I was sold, across sold. The all-time of everything from before with some more than bits like 'Processed Candy' and 'Drinker' in at that place and simply ugh. I was ready. So ready in fact, that when 2014 striking and she had a tour stop in Chicago on a Wednesday in March; I was at that place.
I was committed to the Pamyu Pamyu. I waited iii hours early in the snow with other people wearing quirky beautiful, Harajuku and Kyary inspired outfits. I finally understood the idea of otaku's (a term I used dorsum so) uniting together for a weird nerd-fest of a night. There were girls in lolita, street-manner, and even kigurumi'due south. I managed to snake my fashion forward to bounciness around for two hours despite my toes being frozen.
I remember to this 24-hour interval the vivid sets, the dazzling lights, and the feeling the floor might give out at the Business firm of Dejection Chicago due to how many people were jumping to Kyary's cues. It was a wild experience. I can't find a setlist only I know for sure that 'Jelly' and 'Cherry-red Bon Bon' were played much to my delight. And of course, zero was more iconic then the whole floor waving our easily around like the 'Ninja Re Bang Bang' music video. It was and so much fun, and something I swore would never get out my memory.
I even scooped up both a poster and T-shirt from the bout. The affiche was lost sometime in college but I notwithstanding have the shirt, although I oasis't worn it in years.
I drifted in and out of Jpop, thanks to Kpop picking upwardly around that same fourth dimension for tours. I did, thanks to tumblr, keep on top of new releases and shelled out my money when I could afford it to go just 1 more album. The wait seemed long, the tour must accept taken a lot out of Kyary since we didn't get whatever new music until 2015(during the time I was discovering other Jpop artists).
'Yumeno Hajima Band Ring' was unexpected. It was still bright and pop-y as ever, but 'Slow-mo' was easily my favorite track. It was more ballad, still with the copious utilise of auto-tune merely it was refreshing to me after hearing one sugar sweet song afterwards another from her. However, information technology was during this time that I felt… off near listening to KPP.
KPP, past choice or by management had never really gotten a gamble to 'grow up' out of the quirky Harajuku way clothes she wore. Information technology wasn't actually a problem since that's what the fans wanted and she was known for. Still, the street styles were changing. There were fewer, and fewer kids going out and dressing like KPP. In fact, it was noted and continues to tendency that the over the summit street style fashions in Harajuku were slowly but surely dying out. We saw Decora rising and autumn, same with KPP's way. It was a faux image of 'This is Harajuku!', and I knew this from actually visiting.
Sure KPP was the poster girl for tourist-y Harajuku, but dorsum in 2013 when I went to Japan, she was literally the affiche girl. There weren't tons of girls running around looking like her, in fact you lot only saw them in the shops, and they certainly weren't wearing information technology on the streets. With follow-up trips in 2014 and then 2015-16, this only proved to be increasingly true.
It sounds dumb, but I felt similar Kyary was a liar. Here she and her visitor were producing this 'Harajuku' image that didn't match upwards at all. It was a weird expose for me and my no longer fifteen year-quondam self. I of course knew some of the elements had to exist mass produced but seeing the real time departure was startling and a let down. I even so listened on for a flake, but I couldn't call myself a full-on fan anymore.
I thought 'Mondai Girl' was going to plough things around, but to find out it was a tie-in to something. In fact, the grand majority of Kyary'southward releases were tie in's to ads, media, amusement in full general. It added not a layer of resentment, but a layer of reality. Kyary didn't sell on her own merit, she had to exercise commercials or opening/catastrophe themes to nautical chart. It was very disheartening.
I gave 'Crazy Political party Nighttime' one last shot to be a redemption releases between KPP and I. I wasn't the only one to do and so either. Since this was during my time studying abroad in Tokyo, I met several friends who also knew of/listened to KPP. We ended upwards making a semi-pact together about 'Crazy Political party Dark'. We'd both hire the CD, then give it a heed. Subsequently, we'd share our thoughts and conclusions.
Our conclusions were the same. To two xx-something-year-olds Kyary Pamyu Pamyu didn't kira-kira us the way she had before. 'Crazy Political party Night' didn't completely suck, in fact it's near the equvilant of The Shagg's 'It's Halloween' in Nippon, getting churned out in my local grocery store back in October. Nonetheless, it was nonetheless some other commerical necktie-in and the more my friend and I watched, the harder it was to listen.
This didn't mean we swore off her, or called her imitation. Our younger selves needed KPP as she was back in the day in guild to be who we became. Notwithstanding, we decided to invest our time (and money) into other artists instead.
Then came this editorial from Numero Tokyo in 2016 in April. I was shocked beyond belief. (Dare I say I was shook.)
This was Kyary Pamyu Pamyu? Tooth-ache inducing, love her or detest her, KPP?! She looks and then mature, stunning, sensual even. I was floored. How was this the aforementioned daughter with 'Crazy Party Dark' as her latest release (I think). I spent a lot of time looking and admiring her. If this was to exist her next image, the graduation of fake Harajuku to modern, I was here for information technology.
Information technology wasn't. I was shocked at the comments. Loads and loads of comments, in English, in Japanese calling her everything nether the lord's day. That this, this adult woman who was only effectually my age wearing wearing apparel meant for someone her age, was now 'false' and 'selling out'. I was floored. Obviously these people had no idea that the Era of wild and quirky Harajuku is over. That this was the looks most girls had. Were they stupid?
Then information technology hit me. These people had no thought since all their media was tainted. Tainted with nearly decades old images of 'the good old days' where you lot would encounter Gothic lolita next to decora, next to visual kei boutiques on Takeshita Dori Street. None of these commentators from abroad had whatever idea that Kyary and her team had advisedly concocted this image and connotation between Kyary and Harajuku that led to any inkling that her style was out. Unless you lot've been there, you would never known that Kyary's image of Harajuku was a lie.
As for the Japanese commentators most of them were just commenting that Harajuku's princess was giving upwardly her crown. Pretty much indicating that she was 'too old' for Harajuku, and too-old for her image. Well, they were incorrect, only the comments still stung. People still equate age and younth. That at 23(ish) years old, that Kyary was also quondam to be an idol.
That stung, but I saw some tidbits of truth. I don't think Kyary is too old (nosotros're pretty much the same age) to be doing what she does. In fact, I do secretly back up her carrying on with the quirky cute. I only wish more people realized that Kyary is prepare in fantasy Harajuku these days, there'south no one running around with a style like hers anymore. Not to mention the borrowing of elements has landed Kyary in some hot h2o and it seems that even she isn't immune to a scandal or two.
So were are we KPP and me? Well, I notwithstanding can't say bated from her scandal I've kept upward with her at all. She'due south still releasing music, touring and doing more then I am in life. She'll have her defended fans, and there will exist people like me who give thanks her for the early stuff. That first gustation of in real fandom moments, a great concert, and that get-go footstep to being truthful to myself. I'll e'er take a bit of a soft spot for KPP, even if I accept no idea what thing she's going to do next.
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