With wink, the ‘neo-kawaii’ japanese 4-piece have made the ultimate consolation album, but it tackles vital issues too.
Winking is a flexible little shape of non-verbal communique, with a meaning that oscillates between cultures and contexts. Once in a while, it’s an affectionate gesture, an invite to flirt; other times, it indicators a joke or some tongue-in-cheek deception.
For japanese rock band chai, the wink is an indication of easy-breezy self-assuredness – and that they‘ve never sounded more positive of themselves than on their effervescent new album, the aptly-titled wink.
Formed in 2012 and composed of four pals (twin sisters mana and kana, lead singer/keyboardist and guitarist, respectively; drummer yuna; and bassist yuuki) during the last near-decade chai has labored to dismantle the restrictive conformities surrounding ‘kawaii’ lifestyle in japan, reshaping it into some thing more inclusive (a concept they seek advice from as “neo-kawaii”).
They’ve also stimulated themselves, as well as listeners, to lean into radical self-love: on their first album, 2017’s crimson, the organization laid out their their musical manifesto – to grow to be extra assured and own their individualism in the system – and on their 2019 sophomore effort, punk, they endorsed their fanatics to embrace their personal flawlessly imperfect quirks and eccentricities.
For his or her 1/3 record, which became recorded at the peak of the coronavirus lockdown, the nagoya-formed dance-punk foursome set out to craft the final comfort album… With a twist.
Drawing sonic proposal from electronica and r&b, the end result is a sugar-dusted sense-correct album that functions chai’s maximum kick back, playful songs up to now.
But as irreverent because the song sounds, the band’s messaging is complicated as ever, with lyrical issues that explore the rejection of modern-day splendor standards (“perhaps chocolate chips”); embrace one’s goals and autonomy (“donuts thoughts if i do”); and bring in the strength of protest inside the face of social injustice (“action”).
In keeping with chai, wink has meanings. “the first that means is ready self-love. Someone who winks is someone who is confident, who’s flexible, who is free. She’s doing it due to the fact she wants to,” mana tells dazed over a delightfully chaotic zoom call. “winking is another form of smiling at anyone.
Even as being so confident in your self which you’re not concerned approximately the other character’s reaction. We need to be the identical way. We attempt to be women who can wink at any individual and sense unfastened, and now not must fear about being judged.”