Blended-gender group Genic have been considered one of my favourite J-pop acts for the previous few years, and final 12 months’s N_G album solely cemented that. Sadly, since then I haven’t related with any of their singles in the identical method, making me fearful for his or her upcoming album If. Nevertheless, the splashy It’s Showtime will get us proper again on observe with a sound that compliments the group’s appreciable abilities.

Two of the most important causes I grew to become a Genic fan have been their uniformly glorious vocal expertise and their means to compose nice pop songs. The members haven’t been composing their most up-to-date materials (sticking with lyric-writing as a substitute), which most likely explains why it hasn’t sat with me in the identical method. It’s Showtime continues this method. Nevertheless, this time they’ve handed the reigns over to the unimaginable Takuya Watanabe, identified on my playlist for writing epics like Attractive Zone’s Run, M!LK’s Winding Highway and Bullet Prepare’s Yell. He has a present for anthemic melody and that high quality takes a cool flip for It’s Showtime.

This tune lets Genic sing passionately over a rhythmically brilliant and interesting observe. In different phrases, it lets them do what they do greatest. The refrain is extremely sticky, delivering a flashy hook over a bounding instrumental. And at almost 4 minutes in size, the tune makes method for an prolonged dance break and a completely fleshed-out construction. That is one thing J-pop has at all times carried out so nicely: delivering a complete musical buffet no matter what exterior musical traits might dictate. This leads to music that feels traditional and enduring. It’s Showtime will doubtless sound as nice 5 years from now because it does as we speak.

Grade: A-