Cute culture: Japan’s biggest girl band is setting up sister groups in India

AKB48 is holding auditions in Delhi and Mumbai, and fans can’t keep calm about it. 10,000 have auditioned already.

There’s a cultural obsession in Japan with female music idols or aidoru, who sing, dance and perform little skits for their teeming male and female fans. Their music is saccharine sweet, an extension of Japan’s kawaii or cute culture, with elements of bubblegum pop, coquettish lyrics and techno beats meant to be danced to.

What started out as one band in 2005 has grown to include offshoots across south-east Asia. In Japan, there is such intense competition to join the AKB48 musical conglomerate that there are televised ‘general elections’, held annually. And each year, the least popular members of the bands are phased out and replaced. (AKS)

J-POP CONVEYOR BELT: HOW IT WORKS

In Japan, there is such intense competition to join the AKB48 bands that there are televised ‘general elections’, held annually.

Membership is reviewed on the basis of popularity, with a few members ‘graduating’ or exiting the band each year.

Every year, an Election Single is released. Each idol must perform it. Fans must purchase it to obtain voting rights. Members with the lowest votes ‘graduate’.

It’s a maverick business strategy that has seen songs sell millions of copies in the week of their release.

The conglomerate’s 2018 election single, ‘Teacher teacher’, sold over 3 million copies in pre-orders alone.

“We now want to challenge ourselves in a new area, and particularly want to do business in a big market like India,” says Nariaki Terada of AKS, AKB48’s talent management company.

The women themselves must have a squeaky-clean image — no overt sexuality, no drugs, alcohol or even cigarettes. Where popstars around the world typically range from twee to angsty to rebellious, the Japanese counterpart is a perfect role model. Some are even reportedly banned from dating, lest hookups, breakups and rumours tarnish their appeal.

THEY’RE EVERYWHERE

Japan currently has about 300 aidoru girl pop groups. The biggest is Tokyo-based AKB48 from Akihabara, formed in 2005 with 24 girls. Over 15 years, that number has grown to 107; in addition, AKB48 has five branches or sister groups in Japan, with a total of 235 members.

The band became so popular, that the model has been replicated in seven cities across South-East Asia. Today, AKB48 is a 600-member conglomerate that’s challenging the very notions of what a pop band can be.

The AKB48 bands’ music is bubblegum pop with techno beats you can dance to. The women themselves have a squeaky-clean image — no overt sexuality, no drugs, alcohol or even cigarettes. Some are reportedly banned from dating, lest hookups, breakups and rumours tarnish their appeal. (AKS)

Now, they’re seeking an arm in India. Auditions are underway in Delhi, to be followed by Mumbai. Aspiring aidorus aged 12 to 20, with even passable talent, stand a chance to be groomed to fit the mould — smiley, approachable, obedient, innocent. Organisers say they’ve received over 10,000 entries so far.

RAW TALENT

The auditions are five-minutes long. Each contestant must sing a song of her choice, dance and display some acting skills.

“What we’re really looking for is raw, unpolished talent,” says Prerna Bakshi, who will be director of the Indian groups. “Those who just shine on stage.”

At the Delhi auditions. Each contestant must sing a song, dance and display some acting skills. “What we’re really looking for is raw, unpolished talent,” says Prerna Bakshi, who will be director of the Indian groups. (AKS)

For many of the Indian aspirants, it’s a chance to get famous and travel the world. For some, it’s a foot in the door.

Alpana Shukla, 16, is a trained singer from Assam looking to build a career in music. “The thing that attracted me most is that multiple idols will be selected,” she says “I’m here mostly because I want to travel, groom myself and sing my own songs.”

Her preparations involved watching AKB48 videos on YouTube and aping moves to Bollywood songs. “I think I have above-average dancing and singing skills,” she says. “The turnout at the auditions and the level of competition was something I was not prepared for.”

Mansi Singh, 19, an aspiring idol from Delhi, is pursuing an English degree and only just familiarising herself with J-Pop. “It’s quite peppy and I can see myself performing these catchy tunes before a crowd,” she says. “I have always dreamt of being a popstar and I am at that point in my life where I need to choose a career path, so I guess this is a start.”

HOW IT WORKS

The different chapters of AKB48 have their own identity. The India chapter will have popular songs performed in Hindi; the girls will be groomed and trained in different dance forms, as well as singing and acting, at the DEL48 academy in Delhi.

“Everything will be tailored to suit the Indian sensibilities, from the dressing to the messages in the songs,” says Bakshi.

The band typically trains all its idols, and then moulds them to fit their tagline: ‘Idols you can meet’. A big part of this is the handshake events where fans get to see their idols up-close. The working hours are long, given that girls often perform at events daily. But, Terada says, they prefer that the girls complete their formal education.

The bands’ popularity is driven, in large part, by their approachability. At handshake events, held regularly, fans get to meet their idols up-close. (AKS)

Which is a good thing, because this is far from a career for life. AKB48 members typically stay in the band for five to seven years. Every year, the least popular ones are retired and replaced with fresh faces. “Some girls from AKB graduate when they have established their careers as solo artists or movies star,” says Nariaki Terada, corporate officer at AKS, AKB48’s talent management company.