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» From the Up Up Girls to Polysics: The five weirdest Japanese music videos this year so far【Video】

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From the Up Up Girls to Polysics: The five weirdest Japanese music videos this year so far【Video】

Preston Phro Mar 31, 2016
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When your trying to sell your music in this day and age, it helps to get a little creative with your videos.

No matter how good your music is, it can still be difficult to get people’s attention in a saturated marketplace. And that’s where music videos come in! Combining the right visuals with your new single can turn an awesome song into a viral hit.

Here are five of the weirdest Japanese music videos we’ve seen so far this year that combine bewildering visuals with delightful tunes.

1. Up Up Girls (Kakko Kari) — “Party People Alien”

What does an idol group, DDT pro wrestlers, and Sailor Suit Old Man all have in common? They’re all in this bizarre video about…party people aliens? Even with the lyrics clearly printed in both Japanese and English at the bottom of the screen, we’re still not sure we know what’s going on. Still, we have to admit, Up Up Girls (Kakko Kari), an idol group that’s been active since 2012, has produced quite the catchy song! The chorus is definitely going to be stuck in our heads for a few days.

And there’s no denying that the alien dance is awesome — here’s to hoping this song becomes the theme song for the next season of Ancient Aliens!

▼ If you’re wondering how this video ever got made, there’s only one explanation…

As hyper and frenetic as “Party People Alien” is, it’s not the weirdest video we’ve seen this year. Though we are a bit concerned about their claim that “maybe everyone is an alien.”

2. Urbangarde — “Femme Fata Fantasy”

Urbangarde remains one of our favorite Japanese bands, partly thanks to their weird but oddly poetic music videos. Seeing Yoko’s finger turn into a rocket, launch off her hand, and crash into the planet is definitely bizarre, but no more so than seeing the band members in ape masks going crazy in front of a Monolith.

In case you didn’t know, this single is off their new album Showa 90, which is available pretty much everywhere.

3. Misoshiru’s — “TENDON”

When it comes to rocking out, Misoshiru’s doesn’t hold back — but they also don’t seem to have an entirely firm grip on what most people would consider “normal.” And that’s just another reason to love this band! The music for this song, which is about dancing in heaven, sees the band rising into the sky in a sequence that even includes urinating on a spaceship. We’re starting to wonder if these bands are trying to warn us about an impeding alien invasion…

Unfortunately, it doesn’t look like they get to spend much time in heaven, which is also probably a metaphor for something, but we have no idea what.

4. POLYSICS — “SUN ELECTRIC”

(If the video above doesn’t work for you, you can try this.)

When it comes to unusual Japanese bands, Polysics is among the most famous overseas, partly thanks to their longevity and partly thanks to their bouncy electronic rock. And they prove they still have want it takes to entertain us with this new video for “SUN ELECTRIC,” a single off their new album What’s This???, which was released at the beginning of March. We just wish they’d let us borrow that keyboard skateboard…

5. FEMM — “L.C.S.”

Finally, we have FEMM, an abbreviation for Far East Mention Mannequins, a pair of singers/dancers who are actually mannequins (according to their profiles anyway). Somehow, this isn’t the craziest video they’ve produced, but it is undeniably catchy!

These are just a few of the music videos produced in Japan this year, so we’re sure we missed some great ones. Be sure to share your favorites (weird or not) in the comments!

Sources/images: YouTube/urbangarde, YouTube/upupgirlsofficial, YouTube/FEMM’s Agency Syndicate, YouTube/misoshirus Official, YouTube/POLYSICS Official YouTube Channel