Back catalogue: Pop

Review: When Tatsuro Yamashita first released 'Christmas Eve' in 1983, it didn't receive a huge amount of attention. It was only when the track was picked up for an advert in the late 80s that it caught on became a seasonal favourite in Japan, going on to become one of Yamashita's biggest hits. Now it's being repressed in this 40th anniversary commemorative edition right in time for the impending festive season, featuring a bonus version of the B-side version of 'White Christmas' recorded for the Happy Xmas Show. If you want a quintessential ingredient for the Japanese Christmas experience, look no further.

Review: South London singer Lola Young shares the sixth single from her second studio album This Wasn't Meant For You Anyway (2024) on limiited 7" coloured vinyl. A viral moment on TikTok spurred the popularity of this plaintive single, billed by the artist as an "ADHD anthem" and reproof of her last relationship; the lyrics track Young's misgivings about a romance gone sour, critiquing the many contradictory "too"s used to justify a given lover's impropriety: "I'm too messy, I'm too clean... I'm too clever, I'm too dumb... I'm too perfect till I show you that I'm not..." The song is brow-beaten and bluesy, bearing the emotive scars of a fraught time, and perfectly capturing the indie minimality of pop in its ideal incarnation in 2025.

Review: London's singer and songwriter Lola Young (who you may know covered 'Together in Electric Dreams' for the 2021 John Lewis Christmas advert) is back with a limited edition 7" featuring two tracks from her last album This Wasn't Meant For You Anyway back in 2024. First up is 'Conceited' which has a slow motion groove and dumpy kicks with Lola's acrobatic vocals shapeshifting throughout next to bleeping synth sounds. 'Crush' is another stylish vocal delivery with languid indie guitars that bring some sleaze over live drums that build to a raw crescendo before falling away again to reveal Lola's vulnerability lyrics.

Review: Tatsuro Yamashita's It's a Poppin' Time is one of the many albums of his that are being reissued right now as part of a campaign focussing don his work for RCA. It arrives on nice heavy 180g vinyl and is the first of two live albums he put out. This one came in 1978 and an expanded remaster came in 2002. At the time he was an already established Japanese singer-songwriter and record producer who had very much helped to define the early city-pop sound that has endured to this day. He dropped a wealth of studio albums from the seventies onwards and as this one shows had more than enough skill to carry that magic over to the live arena.

Review: Jazz and soul flavours from Tatsuro Yamashita, the Japanese guitar megastar whose original covers releases are coveted all over the world. In turn, you reap what you sow; many of his originals are likewise the targets of covers artists, and this isn't the first time we've encountered his song 'Ride On Time'. Yamashita's sixth single, it's a popular myth that the track marked the very beginning of the genre 'city pop'; true or not, the accompanying tracks on this album version are equally as slick.

Review: Acclaimed Japanese producer, singer and songwriter Tatsuro Yamashita is the man credited with laying the early foundations for the city-pop sound. He put out a great run of albums, live albums and compilations and many of them are now being reissued. This one is a great hits collection on heavyweight vinyl that came in 1982 and rounds up the many standout works of his early period. All the tracks have had a fresh mastering job for this release and so classics like 'Sweet & Dangerous Scent', 'Draw Ai Let's Kiss The Sun' and 'The Door Into Summer' all sound as good as ever.

Review: Music On Vinyl are our new best friends. With a wide range of music being reissued as of late, Yello's 1987 One Second is just spoiling us. Never being fully acclaimed when it was originally released, this is one album which really spans the full circle in terms of artistic ideas sonic experimentations. While being tagged primarily as a pop work, it's really more of a lesson in synth manipulations and nutty beat-making. "The Rhythm Divine" has to be out top track but do check the whole thing, it's magnificent...

Review: The tide of (hyper)pop has ebbed into increasingly emo and indie directions and the frothiest edge of this fluid movement is perhaps best represented by the latest album from Yeule (Nat Cmiel). Softscars follows up Yeule's 2022 album Glitch Princess and continues the trend of ultra-glossy, CD-reflective, knife-edge sounds packed into the blueprint of downtempo dream pop, in which said gloss reflects Cmiel's own personal experience of healing from trauma. The likes of 'ghost', 'dazies' and 'sulky baby' are giving glitchy alternate-reality Green Day in their Boulevard Of Broken Dreams era, with a dash of ejector-jewel-cased lyrics and a sprinkling of George Clinton-esque production flavour.

Review: ***B-STOCK: Sleeve damaged but otherwise in excellent condition***


The tide of (hyper)pop has ebbed into increasingly emo and indie directions and the frothiest edge of this fluid movement is perhaps best represented by the latest album from Yeule (Nat Cmiel). Softscars follows up Yeule's 2022 album Glitch Princess and continues the trend of ultra-glossy, CD-reflective, knife-edge sounds packed into the blueprint of downtempo dream pop, in which said gloss reflects Cmiel's own personal experience of healing from trauma. The likes of 'ghost', 'dazies' and 'sulky baby' are giving glitchy alternate-reality Green Day in their Boulevard Of Broken Dreams era, with a dash of ejector-jewel-cased lyrics and a sprinkling of George Clinton-esque production flavour.

Review: Japanese pop duo Yaosabi share the vinyl edition of their critically acclaimed song 'Idol'. 'Idol' is a combination of Japanese idol-styled pop, hip-hop, rock, and video game music, and depicts the two-faced nature of a fictional star in the Japanese idol industry; the record also serves as the lead theme music for the anime series Oshi No Ko, in turn based on Aka Akasaka's short story 45510, both of which also tracks Japan's cultural interest in the figure of the idol. This is a knowing slice of Japanese bubblegum, nonetheless aware of its murkier underbelly; it also packs a crazed confluence of idiomatic borrowings, from Atlanta hip-hop to orchestral music, and ties them all together with a single bow.

Review: Yomm's upcoming EP showcases a unique blend of City-Pop with diverse influences, solidifying her as a standout figure in the contemporary music scene. This six-track collection includes the pre-release singles 'Hatsukoi,' 'Alice,' 'Miraco feat. Layone,' and 'Saratto Patto Pitto,' alongside two new tracks: 'Hon de Yomitake,' penned and arranged by Kiseru's Gobun Tsujimura, and 'Scramble - Tokyo,' written and composed by yomm herself. A new project by Korean singer-songwriter and model Choi Jung-yoon, Yomm has quickly gained attention since its launch in April, with contributions from notable artists like Shota Araya (formerly of yonawo), Motoi Kawabe (Mitsume) and Jin Ono. The EP showcases yomm's ability to blend City-Pop with modern elements, creating a sound that feels both nostalgic and innovative. With its eclectic mix of styles and top-tier collaborations, this EP is set to be a refreshing addition to the evolving City-Pop genre.

Review: An electrifying, genre-blurring debut that explores heartbreak with striking honesty and musical sophistication. This Wasn't Meant For You Anyway is sure to be one of the most engaging pop albums of 2025. The artists breathy, understated vocals are the anchor, effortlessly gliding across a soundscape that blends r&b, jazz, rock and classical elements. Tracks like 'Walk On By' show Young's ability to marry modern pop touches with a soulful, timeless aesthetic, while 'You Noticed' s is a minimalist ballad that underscores her poetic lyricism. The fusion of styles is seamless, each track serving its lyrical content with precision, from the jazzy playfulness of 'Conceited' to the raw energy of 'Crush'. The album's production, with its nostalgic crackles and modern electronic accents, creates an intimate, almost journal-like atmosphere, allowing listeners to connect with Young's unfiltered emotions. With TWMFYA, Lola Young carves out a distinct voice, a riveting blend of vulnerability, wit and musical depth.

Review: Produced in LA by her friend and collaborator Solomonophic (who has worked with the likes of Remi Wolf, BROCKHAMPTON and Dominic Fike), this new studio LP from Young is an electrifying and fearless concept that blends passion, rage, humour and narrative flair, all while crackling with energy and surprises. As a modern breakup album, it captures the raw sound of youth navigating relentless romantic turmoil. Irresistible and unexpected, Lola's work defines the chaos of love and heartbreak and is a record that is poised to propel her musical journey to even greater heights.

Review: Yuna's self-titled debut album came with three tracks produced by none other than Pharrell Williams. That was a decade ago when she was just 24 years old and one of the hottest properties in the scene. Freshly signed to Fader for the album, it was a great showcase of the young singer's voice across a mix of sounds that took in r&b, soul and pop with a mature edge and moving emotional narrative. It was initially only put out on CD but a decade on that is corrected as Fader drop this vinyl version just in time for Christmas.