The grown folks’ answer to J-pop, City Pop started as Japan's answer to the booming worldwide popularity of folk rock and Motown, but as it blossomed, it started to develop its own whimsical identity while staying curious about its Western counterpoints. As American tastes moved from quiet-storm R&B to yacht rock to easy listening, Japanese producers responded accordingly, always with a delicate touch. As precisely engineered as origami cranes and just as weightless, City Pop pulls equally from light jazz grooves, soulful belting, New Wave keyboards, and a smattering of disco beats, always emphasizing a rhythmic playfulness and bouncy hooks.