The Bias List doesn’t have a recurring feature for new album reviews outside of K-pop, but my favorite acts always get extra coverage so I had to devote a special feature to J-pop group Ryugujo’s new EP.
I often refer to Ryugujo as the most exciting act on the planet right now, and that excitement keeps growing each time they release new music. What draws me in so much is how they tackle the unconventional in a conventional way. On their face, they’re a teen dance and vocal group, the likes of which overflow in Japan and other markets. However, their music is almost unclassifiable. You can’t pinpoint a single genre because every song switches gears. Yet, their musical perspective is so strong that you know exactly what a Ryugujo song “is.”
Much of that is due to mentor/producer Avu-chan, whose own music with her band Queen Bee is equally unclassifiable. With Ryugujo, she’s found a muse that has clearly inspired some of her best work yet. It’s neither too artsy or inscrutable to push you away, nor too polished or poppy to become generic. It strikes a perfect – endlessly fascinating – middle ground. So, let’s dive into Deep Wave!
1. Deep Wave
This is the promoted track of the EP and will be getting a music video next week. I’ll expand upon my thoughts with a full review later. In short, Deep Wave is both the most conventional and unconventional Ryugujo have sounded yet. It’s not my favorite song on the album but feels like an important introduction to the concept. The rhythmic dance segments are excellent and surprisingly straightforward, but then the song plunges into a tempo-changing midsection that takes a few listens to truly appreciate. Stronger melodies could have helped this segment really pop, but I love its cinematic quality. You really feel the sense of movement, as if diving underwater and emerging both disoriented and galvanized. This structure grows more satisfying each time I hear it and lends more power to the ultra-catchy, uptempo finale.
2. Bloody Lullaby
Ryugujo go full-on punk! This song was featured heavily in their drama last year so I’d already heard most of it. However, the recorded version thrashes with more intensity and rough-around-the-edges furor than I expected. They sell the hell out of it, totally reinventing themselves with the help of thrilling melodies and unwavering intensity. This might be a weird comparison, but it reminds me of something you’d hear from alt-rock musical Hedwig & The Angry Inch. It already feels like a classic to me.
3. Seafood
This is a unit track from members S, Haruku and Ray. If you loved their debut Mr.FORTUNE from last year, this will be the song for you! It’s got that same playful hip-hop meets demon-children-from-creepy-boarding-school vibe, and the members’ natural charisma makes every single moment magnetic. The production and rhythms are super compelling, touching on addictive grooves that are in conversation with current pop music trends but quite otherworldly in Avu-chan’s hands. Seafood is impossibly catchy.
4. Late Show
As of this moment, Late Show is my favorite track on the EP and in contention for my favorite overall Ryugujo track so far. It has everything I love from them: anthemic, theatrical melodies, big moments of emotional release and intense, evocative delivery. As if they haven’t traversed enough genres yet, Late Show embraces stadium-ready EDM – almost an rave-like energy. It gives us the build and payoff we’re craving, centered around an incredibly energizing instrumental riff. And rather than peter out at two and half minutes, the song luxuriates in its generous running time with the style of immense climax this genre calls for. It’s an exhilarating listen, and should really have been a single.
5. Boyfriend
Ryugujo’s first EP gave us the (excellent) Keigo solo Japanese Psycho. Now, it’s youngest member Kent’s turn. On first listen, this song stood out the least to me but it’s also become one of the tracks that keeps on pulling me back. There’s clearly some interesting gender play in the lyrics, which makes me long for a decent translation to really parse out the nuances of the sentiment. In the group’s trademark way, this feelings like an unconventional answer to a conventional boy group track. It’s a lovely album closer – a bit softer and more unguarded in tone but never slow or boring.