Comparable to David Bowie for her constant persona reboots, Tokyo’s Kyary Pamyu Pamyu is arguably the most consequential figure in J-pop, the top ambassador for Harajuku cool at its height (“Fashion Monster”, indeed). Madonna comes to mind too, given that KPP isn’t an exceptionally good singer or dancer, but forever finds herself the finest collaborators, notably producer Tasutaka Nakata of Capsule, whose fortified summation of the playful ’90s Shibuya-kei sound is in peak form here.
