Kyary Pamyu Pamyu - Invader Invader

Popular electro-pop singer, Kyary Pamyu Pamyu is back with another single! Her sixth single, Invader Invader, “invaded” stores on May 15 in two types. The limited edition sold out fairly quickly and included a photo book, while the regular edition contained three tracks. Her image tied to the release plays with a supposed “space” theme.

Title track Invader Invader made an early debut in the beginning of March through another tie-up CM series with Japanese clothing chain GU. In one version of the CM, Kyary (dressed as a stylish alien) lands a flying saucer and “invades” the area by firing a laser gun towards nearby people, only to make their outfits more appealing. She giggles afterwards, saying “gu gu gu” which is also a line taken from Invader Invader. The song itself toys with dubstep—a new path for Kyary and producer Yasutaka Nakata—and it’s fun, much like Kyary’s many strange, cute songs that have gauged her popularity to date. Beyond the “fun” or cute factor, Invader Invader hasn’t experimented enough and sounds like a rehashed take on an older song. Following from Ninjari Bang Bang, Invader Invader has a lot of room to cover to rank equally, but it lacks a unique element in the song, one that says “this is a Kyary song.”

B-side track Point of View challenges Kyary’s singing range. Most of the lyrics consist of the English phrase “point of view”(sung in a soprano range) followed by a line in Japanese. The track is being used as the opening theme for Fuji TV’s Ageru TV.

Fashion Monster - extended mix -is included on both types of Invader Invader. The only major difference of the remix to the original version of Fashion Monster is during the instrumental section—it’s not a longer song. The remix is as good as the original version, if not better!

The PV for Invader Invader is where some of a collective creative outlet is shared: in the beginning with quick cuts open space and a strange, illegible logo—and towards the third of the track, where the bass drops. Furry, pastel-coloured polka-dot aliens dance around at this point, but the focus is on Kyary and her dance troupe dancing and the box-headed DJ, all on a spaceship with less emphasis on the aliens on board. She does play a game which looks closer to aligning the planets, but that only happens briefly about halfway through the PV.

All in all, Kyary Pamyu Pamyu is booming in popularity, in all aspects of her career. It seems like just yesterday when fans gawked and giggled over the craziness in PONPONPON but now, she has become a well-recognized global fashion icon with her daring take on aomoji kei and her drive to stand out.

Da da da da!