Kyary Pamyu Pamyu – The Kawaii Idol Making Inroads In America and the World

Is This Japanese Singer a “Worldwide Sensation?”

Have you heard of Kyary Pamyu Pamyu?  Well, if you’re into the world of Kawaii, she’s someone you definitely want to know about.  She is a Japanese singer who has come twice on world tours to the U.S and sold out all of her shows, with a pretty diverse crowd showing up to see her. She doesn’t sing any of her songs in English yet, but many in the crowd knew the words in Japanese and sang along.

She has been a host in three Japanese variety shows (Kyary Pamyu Pamyu TV John!, Catherine, and Catherine the Third), as well as having made many other TV appearances, and even having some radio experience.  While maintaining her Kawaii persona, many have referred to her demeanor in interviews as having a gracious and dignified presence.

With such a popular pop singer, comparisons to Lady Gaga and Katy Perry are inevitable…and in truth, she’s met them both! By all public appearances and comments, she’s on friendly terms with them both and shares a mutual admiration with the American singers.

She has recently been talking about learning more English, in order to expand her audience even further.  Read more below the break!

Still only 22, Kyary’s rise to superstardom has been meteoric, a coquettish charm and off-kilter pop appeal spawning a string of number ones and viral videos and thrusting her firmly to the forefront of Japanese “kawaii” (cute) culture.

Despite extraordinary fame in her home country and frequent comparisons to American divas Katy Perry and Lady Gaga, the popette wants to capture hearts and minds further afield.

“I’m happy for people to liken me to Katy Perry or Lady Gaga so I’m working hard to emulate them and become a global star,” Kyary told AFP in a backstage interview before performing at the Summer Sonic music festival outside Tokyo this weekend.

“I admire Katy Perry and always looked up to her,” added the singer and fashion model, perched on a sofa backstage in a fluffy pink skirt with a giant yellow bow crowning her strawberry blonde locks. “I don’t have Katy’s sexy style so I’m focusing on introducing Japan’s unique cuteness and quirky music to the world.”

“We are similar in having a clearly defined concept or theme for our videos or live shows,” Kyary said, referring to Perry. “But I know I’ve got to improve my English. My new song’s about Halloween and has an English chorus, but my pronunciation isn’t very good.

“I just hope people think it’s cute.”

Kyary, who released her debut album in 2011, describes her sound as a mish-mash of styles.

“It’s hard to pigeon-hole it,” she said. “I suppose it would come under the genre of J-pop but also ‘Harajuku girl’ or Harajuku style. Perhaps it might also be a bit of electro pop but I haven’t especially thought of myself as belonging to a genre.”

Her techno-pop went down well with a sun-baked Summer Sonic crowd waiting for headliners the Chemical Brothers as her backing dancers — pint-sized Kyary clones — supplied more saccharine sweetness to the kawaii overload.

She remains fiercely determined to conquer the North American and European markets, with two world tours — including sold-out shows in Los Angeles and New York — under her belt already.

“Japanese people are usually shy so they sort of just clap along,” she said. “But fans abroad scream ‘Kyary, Kyary!’ They really get into it. It’s a bit like Summer Sonic. Most people have come to see foreign bands.”

Getting up from the sofa, she added: “I’m first on stage in the morning, so the crowd will be half-asleep. I’ll have to open their eyes!”

Source: Yahoo News

Featured Image: Japanese model and pop singer Kyary Pamyu Pamyu poses for photographers on the red carpet for the MTV Video Music Awards Japan 2014 in Urayasu, suburb of Tokyo. — AFP pic

Do you want to see her in action?  Go to the next page to check out one of her most popular music videos!