the Po -- Uh-oh!（おっおー）

 

The latter half of the 1980s was known for a more dynamic segment of the Golden Age of Aidoru and it was also when Japanese music in general was beginning to diversify with more genres coming into the mainstream such as ska and glam rock. Another trend throughout those years was the advent of mellow pop created and performed by female singer-songwriters such as Miki Imai（今井美樹）and Akiko Kobayashi（小林明子）; still have a fondness for that music.

Recently, I listened to this singer-songwriter who hails from Osaka but currently resides in London and I wondered whether she and some other fellow female singers could bring a second wave of mellow music back into Japan. I'd be all for that. Her stage name is the Po（ポー）and with her background love being Western music and musicals, she apparently first began her career by posting cover versions of other acts' songs onto YouTube.

Then in July this year, she released her first bona fide single in the form of "Uh-oh!", a mellow English and Japanese pop tune with a touch of soul that has had me thinking about those aforementioned singers of yesteryear. The tone is not only great but I also appreciate the undulating presence of the title throughout the tune as she sings what I think is her message of having a potential couple not needing to fit together like perfect pieces in a puzzle. There can be rough edges or an unexpected ridge or notch but that's part of the process of getting together.