Some might suggest that the American influenced J-pop is a
shallow derivative of the original source, however these artists are not trying
to be American and certainly not trying to be the next hip-hop star. Japanese pop continues to make original and
ground-breaking music that uses a multitude of influences, just like any other
music industry in the world. The
international infusion into these pop stars’ music does make it somewhat more
accessible to Americans, and they make an excellent starting point for
listening to Jpop.