Photo Credit: Billboard

J-pop has never been a single sound so much as a moving target. It’s a glossy, restless ecosystem where hook-heavy songwriting collides with rock guitars, bedroom electronics, hip-hop swagger and R&B sensuality, all polished to a near-mythical sheen. It soundtracks anime arcs and late-night dramas, spills out of cafés and stadiums alike, and mutates faster than most genres can name themselves. As 2026 unfolds, a new wave of artists is pushing J-pop in sharper, stranger and more emotionally honest directions. These are the names shaping where it’s headed next.

Check out the Metropolis Spotify for curated playlists on the latest in Japan’s music scene.

Kenshi Yonezu 

Singer-songwriter and producer Kenshi Yonezu is known for seamlessly blending J-pop with electronic, rock and alt-rock. His music gems so far include the song for the anime My Hero Academia and for Studio Ghibli. He’s celebrated for his unique voice, artistic vision and wide-ranging experimental sound.

“Iris Out,” the main theme song for the anime Chainsaw Man: The Movie Reze Arc, placed top in January as the most popular J-pop song in the country, with over 139 million views on YouTube and 12.754 million weekly plays on the Oricon charts since January 5. 

Other popular songs by Yonezu include “Kick Back,” “Lemon” and “Peace Sign”.

HANA 

HANA is an up-and-coming J-pop girl group formed in 2024 out of a music audition series called No No Girls. The series starred talented women who had been rejected by the entertainment industry, with selection based on vocal talent and life experience rather than superficial qualities. 

Representing authenticity, hard work and self-love, HANA features strong vocals, with K-pop, Western pop and rock influences. With their song “Blue Jeans” reaching the Top 2 spot on Apple Music and Spotify, plus four other songs in the Top 10 charts, this band is definitely one to keep your eye on this year!

Other songs to listen to: “ROSE,” “NON STOP,” “My Body” and “Drop”.

Mrs. GREEN APPLE

Mrs. GREEN APPLE has long since graduated from “popular band” status into something closer to a cultural fixture.  Blending solid rock with catchy hooks, vibrant keyboards and powerful vocals, their songs have been used in series such as Yu-Gi-Oh! and Fire Force. Their song “lulu.” currently reached a solid #3 on Apple Music and #3 on Spotify in January, along with five other songs in the Top 20 charts. 

Other songs to check out: “Lilac,” “Soranji,” “Kusushiki” and “Darling”. 

King Gnu

King Gnu doesn’t fit neatly into the idea of a “four-piece band” so much as it bulldozes straight past it. Their self-described “Tokyo New Mixture Style” isn’t branding fluff, it’s a restless collision of J-pop, rock, R&B and jazz, stitched together with an almost cinematic sense of scale. One minute they’re smooth and slinky, the next they’re jagged, chaotic and borderline confrontational, all wrapped in visuals that feel closer to high-art fashion editorials than standard music videos.

Their rise has been supercharged by high-profile anime tie-ins, including Ranking of Kings, Jujutsu Kaisen and Detective Conan. However, reducing King Gnu to “anime success” misses the point. These songs hit because they sound like modern Tokyo feels, overstimulated, stylish, emotionally raw and impossible to pin down. Right now, they’re not just popular, they’re defining what contemporary Japanese pop can get away with.

M!LK 

M!LK sits at the brighter, more unapologetically pop end of the spectrum, but don’t mistake that for lightweight. The five-member group leans hard into anthemic idol pop. They pair tightly stacked vocals with choreography that spotlights each member’s off-stage pull, whether that’s acting, modeling or sheer camera gravity. Their songs hit with thumping basslines and club-ready choruses, then pull back just enough to keep the whole thing buoyant, playful and unmistakably youthful.

Right now, “Sukisugite METSU!” is doing exactly what an idol single should: climbing Apple Music and Spotify with sugar-rush momentum. Tracks like “E Jan,” “Over the Storm” and “Telepathy” show how M!LK balances cuteness with punch, delivering pop that’s engineered to explode live while still looping effortlessly in your headphones. It’s idol music that knows its lane and commits to it with confidence.

AiNA THE END 

AiNA THE END operates in a lane that’s equal parts raw nerve and controlled chaos. A singer-songwriter, dancer and actress, she’s instantly recognizable by a husky, lived-in voice that sounds like it’s been dragged through heartbreak and come out sharper for it. Her songs move fluidly between aching ballads and explosive pop-rock, threading J-pop melodicism through grit, distortion and R&B inflection without ever sanding down the edges.

She’s also become a familiar presence in anime soundtracks, lending her voice to series like Mobile Suit Gundam: The Witch from Mercury and The Apothecary Diaries, where emotional weight matters as much as hooks. Right now, “On The Way” is catching serious momentum, climbing into the Top 10 on both Apple Music and Spotify. It’s a reminder of what AiNA does best: turning vulnerability into something loud, physical and impossible to ignore.

Snow Man

Snow Man isn’t just popular, they’re engineered for spectacle. The nine-member group has built its reputation on choreography that borders on athletic performance, folding acrobatics, precision timing and full-command stage presence into shows that feel closer to a live-action blockbuster than a standard pop concert. 

Musically, Snow Man thrives on excess in the best way. Their sound pulls from futuristic electro-pop, rap, disco and R&B, stacked with muscular vocals and hooks designed to stick on first listen. It’s maximalist, glossy, and relentlessly entertaining without ever feeling sloppy. Their latest single “CHARISMAX” leans hard into that high-voltage energy, while tracks like “Kissin’ My Lips,” “Grandeur” and “Hello Hello” show just how effortlessly they balance polish with impact. This is pop built to overwhelm, and Snow Man knows exactly how to make it land.

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