Known for her eccentric, brightly colored outfits and electric synthpop melodies, Kyary Pamyu Pamyu has long reigned as the queen of Harajuku kawaii culture.
"I don't really have that much of a negative [perception] of being viewed as a kawaii culture icon," she told NYLON magazine in 2021. "That shows what Kyary Pamyu Pamyu is for a lot of people: it's this character that lives in the virtual world." And, with her fifth studio album, Candy Racer, the Kyary Pamyu Pamyu character lives on.
In this episode of Global Spin, Kyary Pamyu Pamyu delivers a vibrant performance of the album's title track. As she sings under colorful flashing lights and images of soundwaves, the kawaii persona shines through with playful vocals and signature Japanese decora fashion.
With Kyary Pamyu Pamyu's autotuned vocals and 8-bit sound effects, she immerses herself into the cartoon universe of "Candy Racer." "Come on now, glittering Tokyo, hurry life/ Painting the future, Candy Racer," she cheerfully chants.
Candy Racer arrived in 2021, which marked 10 years since Kyary Pamyu Pamyu's debut. Like the colorful performance, the album takes inspiration from iconic anime Vocaloid voicebanks like Hatsune Miku. Candy Racer is her first release under Nippon Columbia's KRK Lab, a record label created and owned by the star herself.
Press play on the video above to watch Kyary Pamyu Pamyu cruise through the Japan neon in this hypnotizing performance of "Candy Racer," and keep checking back to GRAMMY.com every Tuesday for more episodes of Global Spin.
10 K-Pop Rookie Girl Groups To Watch In 2023: Le Sserafim, Mimiirose, Ive & More