NIPPON Nationalism!
 

I've been listening to Sunny a lot for the last week or so and just now, NIPPON had a different effect on me. I disliked it initially for sounding very J-Rock. I didn't see the point of Nippon when you already had its symmetrical cousin Companion to Freedom already on the album. But in the context of the album, it sounds like she was going for the exact kind of sports song they would blast in North Korea (and in this sense, this song wouldn't belong on Sports). She's been consistent with the -ism motifs throughout her career and this song sounds like she tried to build a song with this sound in mind.

Sure, it could just be boring J-Rock sellout song, but the FOUL public announcement intro and the vocal filter and the Hurray, Hurray seems to push it in the direction of protesting Japan's fabulousness a tad too much.

Have you heard any songs they blast in North Korea? You'd think they would allow that free-spirited rock n roll filth?

Lol, as if you couldn't compare any of Ringo's songs to that. What was that last song on The Midnight Channel called?

I thought your thread was about Nippon. If you want to talk about nationalism, the best song to bring up is 母国情緒.

The sound she had in mind is probably any generic sellout song that the Japanese music industry shit out every year so it can please the average listener, like those who listen to Nickelback in the west. "FOUL public announcement intro" just shows how unoriginal the song is - she steals from her own song! Hurray Hurray is an annoying cliche, the harmonica sounds like cancer, and the tune is forgettable.

Can we name songs in an English-friendly way on an English-friendly forum? Otherwise I can't reply to your post.

Be consistent as to whether you want to be controversial or be consistent with general opinion, because you're just one single away from Gunjou Biyori.

Hard to say anything except 'what did you expect from a world cup song called NIPPON'?

Sold good though.

lol
I'm sorry, but really this is funny

That's kinda the point, though. Japan is already fairly nationalistic and this song was for a tournament that brings out nothing but extreme nationalism from it's participants. :P


She wasn't exactly going to downplay glorious Nippon was she? It could have been worse I guess with a video at the Yasakuni Shrine to drive the point home?

The song Inseu was referring to was Bokoku joucho.

NIPPON for me was anything but forgettable. I imagine I would go berserk (in a good way) if I heard her play this at an arena tour, or something.

Is Bokoku Joucho a nationalist song though? From me it doesn't seem to be about JAPAN in an international context, but rather that the person Ringo is longing for is of the same the "motherland" but they nonetheless cannot meet...

"moshi mo nozomi ga kanau to shitara kotoba wo kawashitai
boukoku datte onaji da mono"

And according to this blog, the guy thinks it's about Ringo and her child? IDK. But I think saying it's a nationalist song just because the word "bokoku" is used is a big stretch. http://blog.livedoor.jp/r_i_n_5/archives/51283793.html