How Official Hige Dandism Encapsulates All I Love About Japanese Music

Hi! I’m Nostalgia, a Japanese music fan of over 15 years and more than half my life. I’m definitely someone who leans more on the Jrock and Anime side than any other genre of Jmusic. I have heard everything, from Japanese pop to jazz to math rock to soundtrack music and so on, but Jrock remains my favourite genre.

Over the last decade, One OK Rock has been my favourite band. I have listened to their full discography over and over again, and I have yet to get sick of it. I loved the energy, the guitar riffs, the unique and relatable messages, and of course, Taka’s emotional voice that can touch anyone. I will admit, perhaps the increasing use of English has made their music more enjoyable to listen to, but I loved them even before I could understand half of what they’re saying.

I have checked out 100s of other artists and bands, and now that I have the internet and Spotify, it has been easier for me to discover more bands and also check out their B-sides. However, despite this, I find myself only *liking* 1-3 songs from other artists, and even then, I may get sick of them eventually and *unlike* them.

Now, that’s not to say I hate them or their music now, but sometimes the song just becomes a little annoying (usually too high energy, squeaky voices, etc), or it just doesn’t hit as much anymore. Even after months or years of not hearing songs, I don’t find them popping up in my head, nor do I have an urge to check them out again. I still do have my retro rewind days, but I’m just being honest with you.

In early 2021, I became more aware of the band, Official Hige Dandism. I think I came across either “Pretender” or “No Doubt” when checking out Japan’s popular tracks. I loved them all, but only added “No Doubt” and “Hello” to my favourites as they were more high energy, which fits in well with the other rock songs I listened to. The following year, I finally watched Tokyo Revengers and “Cry Baby” was a musical masterpiece to me.

Obviously, running a Japanese music and theory blog, I have to decide on songs to use as examples when demonstrating points. Sometimes, I’m talking to someone who has never listened to Japanese music, so I have to figure out what handful of songs to share with them so they can see what I love about it. While One OK Rock is still my favourite band, Official Hige Dandism is usually my go-to when it comes to super popular Japanese songs that have this magical power to it.

A while ago, I wrote on article on “Why Japanese Music Is So Good“. I used various songs and artists to express my points, but more recently, I was thinking about Official Hige Dandism, and how my two favourite songs by them “Cry Baby” and “Yesterday” could cross off every point on the list.

I’ve admittedly only listened to about 8 of their songs, so I was curious what else they had up their sleeves when it came to their discography. This band has many Top 10 hits in Japan’s music charts and countless awards since their major debut in 2018, so it’s not that they’re small or underground either. This is a band that Japan really loves too, and I think the world needs to start talking about them more as well.

So in this article, I will be comparing this band to the points made in my other article, “Why Japanese Music Is So Good“, and only using Official Hige Dandism songs to highlight each point. I am copying and pasting my descriptions as well so you don’t have to refer to that article to know what I’m talking about.

If you have only heard some hits or some anime openings from this group, I think this is a great way to get more familiar with them as well 🙂

So let’s explore!

1. They Sing Passionately About Many Topics & Issues

“Passionate singers are everywhere, I don’t doubt that. But when it comes to Western music, I have noticed that the majority of songs center around love/sex/heartbreak, and then you got others that talk about fame and fortune, partying and having a good time, sometimes violence, with the occasional motivational hit. The vocals have also been neglected, keeping the melody pretty simple and save, with the occasional high note.

In Japan though, their culture doesn’t really embrace or celebrate those themes. They tend to be more conservative and law abiding. Yeah, there are no doubt love songs, but they tend to talk more emotionally as opposed to physically. Not about the kiss and their hands on your body, but about the warmth you feel, the smile they give you, and how you no longer feel alone.”

Official Hige Dandism definitely has a wonderful vocalist who is clearly passionate about the songs they create. Satoshi Fujihara not only sings, but he also plays piano which has a big role in a lot of their songs. While they definitely do write some love songs, it’s usually about more complex relationship issues and feelings.

“Pretender” for example, is a bittersweet love song about a man who knew early on that he was not meant to be with this girl. He didn’t feel a click and is aware that he is not her soulmate, so he says ‘goodbye’ as he can no longer pretend.

“Hello”, is a more fun and energetic song which expresses how the beauty of life is more evident when you have that someone in your life who can bring back warmth and light, whether it be a friend, family member, or lover. Anyone that can make you laugh and dance at random times, and forget the pain and scars you have.

All in all, as you read the subtitles for the songs that have them across this list, you’ll see that the messages area always changing and that they tend to hit on topics and feelings that people usually never sing about. Friendship, self-growth and discovery, struggles and emotions, being the change in the world, etc. That is something that has always attracted me to Jmusic as a whole.

2. Fuller & More Beautiful Instrumentation

“The Western world has pretty much converted into electronically made music. Pop, Hip Hop, House, Dance, Lo-Fi etc. We are a world full of producers and singers, and instrumentalists are missing. The ‘music’ part of music is missing in exchange for beats and rap. A short piano riff just isn’t doing it for me.

In Japanese music though, even if the words were missing, the instrumental is just so beautiful and interesting to listen to. I feel like I could listen to a song 10+ times and still notice something new I didn’t realize before. It’s the small details, you know what I mean?

In many songs, the usual band instruments are present (guitar, bass, drums, along with piano), but then they will double or triple on the guitar, have funky basslines that really stand out, some synth, some strings, maybe saxophone, tambourines, flutes, sometimes even or traditional instruments in the background. Guitar solos or impressive singing isn’t needed because the background music and rhythm is enough on it’s own.

All in all, Japanese music just sounds full. Yet, at the same time, it doesn’t sound over crowded. Every instrument there has a purpose and they only play what is necessary, adding harmonies, melodies, or catchy riffs in the background. If there is a silent or empty part, it is with meaning, or to make the return of other instruments even more powerful.”

Official Hige Dandism is definitely a band that not only plays their own real instruments, but they aren’t afraid to spice it up with electronic elements, or by hiring session musicians for brass or strings, as you can see in the 3rd video. I think this all creates music that has a lot more emotion and expression to their music and it’s very beautiful and interesting to listen to.

3. They Use Longer Chord Progressions To Tell A Story & Evoke Emotion

“Japan has always been a creative country. Food, martial arts, electronics and video games, and their music is the same. Compared to the West that usually bases their songs on 3-4 chords that repeat throughout a verse or chorus, Japanese music may have 6, 10, or even 12+ different chords in one phrase.

Instead of just putting the weight of a song’s meaning on the words, they use these chords to change the feel and make one feel a certain way. This is especially important for anime or video games which tell a story. They want the viewer to get wrapped up and feel anxious or motivated, or whatever the characters are feeling. If a fight is going on, if you’re in a scary dark place, you can tell that from the music.”

I’m not going to lie and say ‘every’ band uses long progressions, and many do fall into the 3-4 chord repetitive loop as that’s all that is required a lot of the time. However, the majority of Official Hige Dandism songs definitely use longer progressions, and a lot of their songs has a clear storytelling direction from beginning to end.

They’re not a band you can listen to passively as you’ll feel like you’re missing out on something beautiful and magical. “Yesterday”, the first video below, is my all-time fav song from them. If it started before I was ready for it, or I got distracted, I will restart it. More so for “Cry Baby” which is in the next section.

3b. They Play A Lot With Tension, Modal Interchange & Key Changes

“Most music is pretty chill, easy going stuff that you can listen to in the background and go about your day. This happens because the chords they use fit the key. They all sound good. They all sound right…and people like that.

Tension is what happens when you put an unexpected chord in there, or when you play a melody over a chord that isn’t a 100% fit. Your ears will perk up, and sometimes you’ll get shivers because it can feel a little unsettling, but it makes the resolution that much more satisfying. I, along with many others, have noticed that Japan loves to play with things that don’t 100% fit, to help convey a certain feeling even more.

On top of that, Japan loves to play around with key changes and modulation. Usually in Western music, if this is used, it’s only near the end as they move to a higher pitch and raise the energy. In Japanese music though, it can be done so often and so subtly that you don’t even notice it audibly, but you do feel the change in mood. It’s also crazy how they find a way to go back to the original key.”

As mentioned a few times now, “Cry Baby” by the band definitely got my attention and it is a song I reference a lot when describing modulation. It was also an inspiration for my first song, “Be Courageous“. However, since this song was made for the anime, Tokyo Revengers, I wasn’t sure if it was a one-off, or a regular occurance for the band’s songs.

Thankfully, as I was exploring the band’s discography, I realized that song was not the exception. Not every song needs it, and it can be overdone for sure, but being able to incorporate this into one’s songs says a lot about their musicality in my opinion. It shows that they aren’t afraid to play around with chords and don’t mind being more risky with their compositions.

I don’t know how most people think about key changes, and I know most Westerners may think it sounds wrong as they’re not used to it, but personally, I’m obsessed with modulation. I love how unpredictable it is the first few times you hear these songs. There’s really no other way to replicate the mood and feeling shift if one stays in the same key and plays it safe.

4. They Love To Mix Up Genres & Styles

“Continuing on from the last point, Japan is not only more creative when it comes to progressions, but for genres and styles as well. As they continue to fuse genres and add new elements to their music, I find it harder and harder to figure out what genre a song is, as you can see my “What Genre is Anime Music?” article.

Some groups, like Babymetal made news international because you got heavy metal music combined with some adorable cute pop idols. Uverworld (and quite a few others) mix rock with pop and synth elements. I’ve seen jazz mixed with rap, rock mixed with orchestral elements, and so on. Even in “The Rumbling”, it’s a heavy metal rock song…but then they just throw in a few bars of reggae in the second verse.

Point is, if you’re looking to find something new, something original, something crazy and fun and just creative in general, there’s no better place to look than in Japan’s music scene. If you don’t like one band or group, there’s bound to be 10 others you would like or be open to.”

If Official Hige Dandism wasn’t just considered a “Pop” band, I honestly wouldn’t know where to put them. As a whole, I guess they’d be considered more alternative or indie. When they add brass to their songs, it can give a nice jazz feel and sound, as you can hear in “Mixed Nuts”. Some songs like “White Sound” is more electronic heavy, but has rock elements as well. The last song here (“Pending Machine”) is really funky as well.

All in all, since this band mixes things up with sound, feel, genre, and instrumentation for each song, there’s bound to be at least a few songs every person would like. If you didn’t like rock, then it’s easy to dismiss a band that only does rock, but you can’t do the same with a band that explores and experiments with their sound shamelessly like Official Hige Dandism does.

5. They Still Maintain That Traditional Japanese Flare

“Just like how Western music has some base chord progressions and scales they use, or how you can tell when a song is a certain genre like country or funk, Japan with their own home progressions along with their own scales and style that can make a song sound “Japanese”.

It’s gotten to that point where, even if a person didn’t know Japanese music that well, even they may hear the intro of a song and think, ‘it sounds like a Japanese song’. Before the singer even comes in, thanks to the other elements listed above, a lot of songs have this J-pop sound that is undeniable. I haven’t really heard a Western song that I confused as Japanese.

Other times, they do add some traditional bits and pieces in there, like a lick with a traditional 5 note Japanese scale, or using a traditional instrument as we saw above. Sometimes, it’s just being more high pitched and cute like older J-pop music. Point is, there’s this flavor that I think many international fans are attracted to that they really won’t find elsewhere.”

While One OK Rock has many Western influences and have been moving towards that sound more and more each album as they aim to be famous internationally, Official Hige Dandism is clearly more focused on their home country and that is clear in most of their songs. I have heard some common Japanese progressions used in their songs, but also the composition, song structure, and such are also very home-influenced.

This point, combined with all the points above, is a big reason why they seem to be my go-to when trying to introduce Japanese music to other people. They’re definitely not a unique exception, as you can see in my original article, but they’re certainly one of the most popular groups at this time that does incorporate some or all these points in most of their songs, and that’s certainly hard to do unless it was part of your band’s identity.

Bonus 1: Happy, Cute & Funny Songs For A Depressing World

“While the West is so focused on maturity, often centering around love and sex, partying, empowerment, and so on, Japan continues to hold onto their youth with cute and fun songs. In a dark, depressing, serious world, I think these kinds of songs and music videos have a really sweet charm, one full of happiness, joy, and energy!”

When writing this article, I just listened to the songs on Spotify and chose what I thought sounded fun and happy without even looking at the lyrics, so i found it funny when the music videos ended up giving the same impression. It just goes to show how well the Japanese are at expressing whatever emotion with just their music.

I find the West just doesn’t have many ‘happy’ songs, especially outside of love themes. And even if they did, cute and bubbly stuff isn’t appreciated. That was honestly one of the biggest reasons why I started listening to Japanese music in the first place. I want some songs that are positive, encouraging, and just enjoyable to watch and listen to. Not everything has to be so serious!

And that’s why I’m happy that while Official Hige Dandism definitely has some deep and emotional songs, they still go on to make happy and light-hearted songs as well.

Conclusion

All in all, Official Hige Dandism is a band with both a sound that’s fun, energetic, and easy on the ears, but they also got songs that are just amazing and creative musically and it’s so beautiful listen to. Some songs, I’d probably have to hear 5-10 times just to really wrap my head around the sound, progressions, and all the instrumentation going on.

The only point from my ‘Why Japanese Music Is So Good’ article that they didn’t really cross off was Bonus 2, in which I talk about Japan having a very active rock scene. While Official HIGE Dandism certainly has some rock elements in some songs, I definitely would not classify them as a rock band. And that’s also a big reason why they aren’t my favourite band as rock is my favourite genre.

However, in that article, you’ll mention I say Japan has a ‘rock scene’. Rock is pretty much dead in the West (when it comes to popularity), so I’m just happy that rock is alive and well in Japan. Not every band has to be a rock band, and honestly, Japan’s music scene would be pretty boring and predictable if every band had the same sound and was doing the same thing. Official HIGE Dandism is definitely in a class of their own when it comes to genres.

Part of being a great or well-rounded musician is being open to, and listening to various genres, styles, and artists. One should be able to see the beauty and creativity in anything, even if they may not check all the boxes for you personally. As I said in my intro, One OK Rock is my fav band due to the rock sound, passionate singing, and messages I relate to, while Official Hige Dandism is my go-to band when trying to show others what Japan does differently and why I love Jmusic genre as a whole.

There’s things Official Hige Dandism does that I have yet to see One Ok Rock do, like the inclusion of various other instruments, or playing with longer chord progressions, and that’s perfectly fine! They are a rock band and they have their own sound and elements. I actually think it works better for them because they are an ’emo’ band, and thus the vocals is what touches people the most. Taka definitely has an amazing range, and can pull out screamo when needed to express frustration or anger.

Unlike some Kpop stans that want every group to fit their tastes (usually girl crush/hip hop) so they could like them more, I’d rather appreciate groups as they are. Is one better than the other? No, cause music is subjective. What I may really love about one band, someone may hate it, and vice versa. There’s a reason why we all have different music tastes and favourite bands/artists, and that’s cause there’s just so much out there!

In my “50 Japanese Artists Known Internationally” article, I noticed that some got upset with the numbers, so I had to make a clear disclaimer that it wasn’t ranked and I would never dare to rank something like music. I just had to make sure I had 50 artists, and it helps others find where people are mentioned as well. Regardless, both bands made the list and I’m proud of both of them.

As I was making final edits to this article, I was reading their Wikipedia one more time, and noticed the singer was featured in One OK Rock’s newest album for the track, “Gravity”. I have listened to the song a few times, but I usually listen to the English album which doesn’t include it, and I would only see his name when browsing the song titles, so I didn’t realize! Point is, the groups are cool with each other! I’ve noticed many Japanese artists collab with other singers and bands as well. No reason to cause division cause musicians are better together!

Some people like simple and predictable music that the West usually offers, and music is just something to be enjoyed passively. But for me, I’ve always been attracted to music that actually makes me listen, and songs that have more longevity and replay value. I also may fall for catchy songs, but I find catchiness wares off and you’re looking for the next catchy thing. But songs that can cross these points for me will certainly stay in my personal playlists for much longer, if not eternity.

Out of all the new songs I heard recently, my favourite is definitely “Bad For Me”. I was going to put it in the happy/fun songs, but the others had videos that I think helped demonstrate what I figured the song was about. The chorus got stuck in my head immediately lol I also really love the sound and feel of “Tell Me Baby”.

So that’s my conclusion. I’m sure there’s many other Japanese bands that have various songs that cross of multiple points on this list because Japan has always favoured new and creative music, and maybe I’ll make this kind of post a trend. Go through their songs and help bring them a lil more exposure to the West.

Do you have a band in mind? Let me know in the comments!