Vocaloid Pop
tagStarted 2007Peak 2011-2020Last big hit still active
Pop sung by synthesized software voices, above all Crypton's Hatsune Miku, written by amateur and pro producers uploading to Nico Nico Douga and YouTube. The sound is bright, fast, and digital: pristine quantized vocals, dense MIDI arrangements, candy synths, and rapid syllabic phrasing that human singers struggle to match, ranging from sweet bubblegum to manic, glitchy rock.
History
Crypton released the Hatsune Miku voicebank in 2007, and producer ryo (supercell) catalyzed the boom with 'Melt' (2007) and 'World Is Mine' (2008). A grassroots producer economy formed online; Kurousa-P's 'Senbonzakura' (2011) became a cultural standard, and figures like Kenshi Yonezu (as Hachi) graduated from Vocaloid into mainstream J-pop stardom.
Defining artists
Essential listening
Sources
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Supercell_(album)
- https://otakumode.com/otapedia/vocaloid/hatsune_miku/world_is_mine
- https://vocaloid.fandom.com/wiki/%E3%83%AF%E3%83%BC%E3%83%AB%E3%83%89%E3%82%A4%E3%82%BA%E3%83%9E%E3%82%A4%E3%83%B3_(World_is_Mine)