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Chai, a Band With an Ethos, an Aesthetic and a Sound All Its Own
This Japanese quartet undercuts traditional ideas about cuteness, gender and rock bands. Its latest album, “Wink,” is arriving on Sub Pop in the United States.
The members of Chai, from left: Yuna, Yuuki, Kana and Mana.Credit.Shina Peng for The New York Times
By Jeremy Gordon
May 18, 2021
The Japanese band Chai is a professional purveyor of whimsy. In concert, its four members perform wearing an array of colorful, coordinated outfits loads of pink, lots of orange, some reds and greens, but never black. Its lead singer and keyboardist, Mana, will sometimes deliver exuberant monologues about “Neo-Kawaii,” a band-created ethos meant to redefine modern ideals of cuteness. (The phrase translates directly to “new cute.”) The group has been known to cover Culture Club’s “Karma Chameleon.” The refrain of one of its most popular songs, “N.E.O.,” goes “You are so cute! Nice face!”