His music videos and live performances—handcrafted yet perfectly polished, evoking the 1970s and ’80s—and his style, which effortlessly blends genres like synth-pop, alt-disco, boogie, and soul, appear lighthearted yet are incredibly powerful. He says his work is shaped through the lens of an Asian American who grew up captivated by everything from French pop to Philly soul, Paul McCartney’s RAM era, and Western-influenced Japanese city pop. Many fans likely became fans after being struck by the music video for “Loretta,” which suddenly appeared as a suggested video while they were mindlessly scrolling through YouTube during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2021. From the opening track “No Problems”—packed with a singable bassline, undulating guitar riffs, and clever keyboard hooks, to the point where he himself boasts, “The entire sound logo of Ginger Root is contained within this song”—all the way to the breathtaking and dramatic closing track “Take Me Back (Owakare No Jikan),” the album’s unique worldview is perfectly packaged.
My top recommendation is “Only You” (sample_1)—a track born from the question, “If he were to write a ‘true city pop’ song, what kind of sound would he want?” ’—the result being “Only You” (sample_1), with its deep bass disco groove and sparkling synths; “Kaze” (sample_2), which incorporates Japanese lyrics and hints at the influence of Haruomi Hosono’s Tropical Trilogy; and and “Show 10” (sample_3), a tear-jerking disco-pop track written when he was utterly exhausted from touring, which sings of his compassion for the audience. (Original Japanese text by AYAM)