J-Pop Song Review #1: Lemon by Kenshi Yonezu (米津玄師)

Listen to the song here

Ah yes, my very first song review, in which I talk about... the biggest J-pop song in recent history. Maybe ever, though it's not like I have any way of telling if that's true.

I cannot speak Japanese. I do not live in Japan. I'm just doing this because I follow their Hot 100, and nobody else reviews that chart. For better or for worse.

Lemon was the biggest song of both 2018 and 2019. It first hit #1 in April of 2018. It last was at #1 in February of 2019. It holds the record for most weeks in both the top 10 of the Japan Hot 100 (82 weeks, or over a year and a half), and weeks on the chart overall (228 weeks, or over 4 years), a record it tied this July.

It is... majestic.

In some aspects, it might not seem like such a big smash hit at first. It is lowkey at parts. Many elements are bog-standard; it doesn't break any ground sonically.

But in other aspects, it fits the bill. It rises to such high highs, yet has such a tragic undertone, all of which can be communicated even without understanding a word. 

Beautiful. Truly, truly beautiful.

I would say that it is the strings that bring it all together. When used correctly, such instruments can absolutely carry these emotions, both negative and positive, and amplify them greatly, improving the listening experience as a result. Yonezu, an experienced writer, takes these tools and puts them to use, to great effect. They rise and fall with the tone of his singing and the cadences of the structure of the song. The final chorus sees them rising higher than ever before, putting an exclamation mark on an already exciting and riveting story written in the form of song.

Yonezu wrote this on tour, and it was greatly affected by his grandfather passing away during its production. The song is mournful, yet grandiose. Small, yet impactful. A melancholic tone, yet so wonderfully crafted that it keeps you coming back for more. Over and over again.

The second comment on the music video that I saw said simply, "Masterpiece". I am inclined to agree.

9/10