Ayumi Hamasaki Sekai - [Article] 'Gal's enka' evolves from quiet navel-gazing to upbeat tunes

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Leading gal's enka singers include Kana Nishino and Miliyah Kato. They present a wide variety of musical styles ranging from full-fledged R&B to ballads in the style of kayokyoku (traditional Japanese popular music). But similar to traditional enka songs, their lyrics are characterized by stereotypical phrases.

Gal's enka music became popular among teenage girls with the widespread use of the music ringtone download service "Chaku Uta" in the late 2000s.

"Listeners became able to instantly download music suitable to their moods through Chaku Uta when they were feeling introspective, and that was a major change," Suzuki says. "And then the circles of sympathy began to expand through blogs and social networking sites."

But how do gal's enka singers differ from J-pop superstar Ayumi Hamasaki, who gained enormous popularity among girls in the early 2000s?

Read it: 'Gal's enka' evolves from quiet navel-gazing to upbeat tunes