08. Smells Like Fireworks (Jayson Chun // Tatsuro Yamashita)

In the late 1970s a young Tatsuro Yamashita was making a name for himself as a prolific session musician and songwriter. He launched his solo career, but didn't see big commercial success at first. Yamashita took a trip down to the US and learned some tips from Western producers and began building up his solo work back when he returned to Japan. This would include some of his most iconic songs, like Ride on Time and Loveland Island, both of which are included in this Greatest Hits comp we're talking about today. Dr. Jayson Chun, Japanese and Korean pop culture professor, sits down with us to talk about why city pop resonates with Western listeners, CM songs, and Tatsuro's work with Charles Calello. Check out our Spotify playlist of as many songs as we can find on there! We also have the playlist on YouTube If you enjoy Primer please support the show and get some cool gifts too! Follow Jayson: Pop Pacific Follow Primer: Instagram | Twitter | TikTok