The Rise of Japanese Pop With Spotify’s Gacha Pop Playlist

Just like its fashion and food trends, Japan’s music scene is constantly evolving, all while captivating a growing global audience. From J-Pop (Japanese pop) to J-Rock (Japanese rock), Spotify has enabled Japanese artists to connect with new fans around the world. As part of Spotify’s efforts to help music travel the globe, we launched our Gacha Pop playlist in May 2023. Named after the popular Japanese capsule toy vending machines with their many surprises, Gacha Pop showcases the vast and dynamic world that Japanese pop has to offer.

From rising Japanese singer-songwriter Fujii Kaze to J-Pop newcomer Ado, the playlist features an eclectic range of sounds and artists, including bands, rappers, singer-songwriters, idols, and VTubers (aka virtual YouTubers, online entertainers who use virtual avatars). It also contains anime music and Vocaloid tracks, which are songs created using voice synthesis technology.

A year later, the playlist has amassed more than 380,000 “saves” by Spotify users around the world. In addition to local love from music fans in Japan, Gacha Pop has also found its way to listeners far beyond the geographical borders of the country. Today, it boasts a following in the U.S., Mexico, England, France, and Indonesia, and is especially popular among Gen Z listeners. In honor of its first anniversary, let’s take a look at some of Gacha Pop’s top insights from the past year.

Japanese music and culture travel far and wide with Gacha Pop. Take VTuber Hoshimachi Suisei, whose song “BIBBIDIBA” has racked up nearly 30 million streams to date after being featured on Gacha Pop earlier this year. For the Record spoke with Hoshimachi about the playlist and its unique appeal.

A week after releasing “BIBBIDIBA,” you graced the cover of Gacha Pop, and the playlist recorded its highest number of streams this year. How does that feel?

That’s wonderful to hear. I created this song hoping that many people would listen to it, and it became a track that reached more listeners than I had expected—like global listeners through Spotify! The power of streaming and playlists is reaching those who don’t know much about me. Gacha Pop is great because it’s like a collection of Japanese pop culture, as the name suggests. Being featured on Gacha Pop was an honor, and I’m genuinely surprised by the scale of the response.

Why do you think your songs appeal to global listeners?

I’m happy that my music resonates with people overseas. I feel like global fans truly appreciate Japanese culture. For example, when I perform overseas, rather than singing in English, I feel that people are happier when I sing in Japanese. It seems like they find Japanese cool, in the same way we might find foreign languages cool in lyrics.

What do you hope to inspire in listeners with your music?

I prioritize making music that I find enjoyable. It makes me happy to see myself enjoying the music I create, and I hope that others can enjoy it together with me. Since my songs mostly reflect my own experiences, I’m glad that listeners can relate to them or simply derive joy from them. I also hope that my music can become a part of everyone’s daily lives.

What’s next for Gacha Pop

Gacha Pop bridges the gap between Japanese pop culture and international listeners, making it an essential playlist for discovering new Japanese music. And we expect it will continue to evolve, reflecting cultural moments and trends to a global audience.

“Gacha Pop is where we turn songs that are gaining momentum into long-term hits,” said Noriko Ashizawa, Spotify Japan’s Head of Music Planning and Operations. “We plan to spotlight up-and-coming artists who are gaining recognition internationally and continue to showcase the diversity of Japanese music. So much to come!”

Stream Gacha Pop to discover the Japanese sounds, styles, and artists making waves today.