Kyary Pamyu Pamyu On Her New Album “Candy Racer,” Touring Plans, Her Creative Team & More

Following the 10th anniversary of her debut album, globally-celebrated Japanese pop icon Kyary Pamyu Pamyu released her much anticipated fifth full-length album Candy Racer last month on October 27, 2021. Available now on CD (in Japan only) and digitally (worldwide), Candy Racer is the first project to come out via Kyary Pamyu Pamyu’s newly-launched record label KRK LAB. Its CD version is accompanied by a hardcover digipak and 64-page para-para manga flip booklet. Touring in support of Candy Racer will kick off a 28-date Japanese tour on January 16, 2022 at Atsugi City Cultural Center in Kanagawa with international tour dates expected to be announced in the very near-future.

All 11 tracks on Candy Racer were written and produced by Yasutaka Nakata, a legendary figure in the Japanese electro scene and one-half of the music duo CAPSULE, who has produced all 5 of Kyary Pamyu Pamyu’s albums. The lead single from Candy Racer, “Gum Gum Girl,” was first released in January 2021 in collaboration with GunHo’s video game Ninjala. Meanwhile, the second single “Gentenkaihi” was released on the 10th anniversary of the release of Kyary Pamyu Pamyu’s major label debut (August 17, 2021). Creation of the album brought together a number of creative minds who have worked with Kyary Pamyu Paymu over the years, including art director Steve Nakamura, photographer Ken Hanzawa, stylist Kumiko Iijima and hair and makeup artist Shinji Konishi.

On November 16, 2021, I had the pleasure of speaking with Kyary Pamyu Pamyu via Zoom. Our conversation was translated into English and some of it was transcribed same-day by yours truly. More on Kyary Pamyu Pamyu and Candy Racer can be found by clicking here, here, here and here.

Candy Racer is your 5th full-length album. Was it an enjoyable album to make?

Kyary Pamyu Pamyu: Yeah, it was a lot of fun, because the recording process was kind of unlike anything we had done before. We went in and recorded two songs, so it was a lot more freeing, a lot more experimental. In general it was a lot of fun.

Do you have a favorite song on Candy Racer?

Kyary Pamyu Pamyu: “Dodonpa.”

Do you remember the first song you recorded for the album?

Kyary Pamyu Pamyu: The first song that was going to be part of the album that was set was “Perfect Oneisan.” I didn’t know how the album was going to form, so it was very exciting. The song was fun to hear and perform, but sort of unknown.

Will you be performing a lot of songs from Candy Racer on your upcoming tour dates?

Kyary Pamyu Pamyu: Of course, yes.

I have had the pleasure of seeing you live in New York City. Is it a unique experience for you to perform for international audiences?

Kyary Pamyu Pamyu: The biggest difference is that I don’t speak that much English at all. It’s exciting to be onstage for an audience that doesn’t really understand what I’m saying. But at the same time, with American audiences and English-speaking audiences, it’s a little easier to connect compared to Chinese audiences, where it’s really hard to get that oral connection going. So it’s always a unique experience with the different cultures, the different countries. In general, it’s exciting to connect with fans in different countries.

Do you enjoy performing your hits? Or do you prefer performing less-known material you have heard fewer times?

Kyary Pamyu Pamyu: In general, I love pop music, so hit songs… When I perform in front of an audience, I may be performing a song for the thousandth time, but there might be people in the audience who are hearing it for the very first time. Even though I may be on total auto-pilot when it comes to the song, there are people in the audience who are experiencing it for the first time.

Several members of your creative team were working with you when you released your first album. Has loyalty always been important to you?

Kyary Pamyu Pamyu: When they first came together with the first album, pretty much right away they were able to create something that appealed on an international level, it went viral. It was music that was reaching international audiences. We’re getting off to a good start, so we might as well keep it going. So the team kind of realized they had something good going and decided to stick with it.

Do you have any rock influences as a singer? For example, were you ever a fan of Van Halen?

Kyary Pamyu Pamyu: Rock has been a part of my journey through my musical life. I love the art and seeing rock performances, but I don’t have the connection with Van Halen and classic rock.

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Tags: Japan, jpop, Kyary Pamyu Pamyu, pop music, Tokyo, Warner Music

About the Author

Darren Paltrowitz Darren Paltrowitz is a New York resident with over 20 years of entertainment industry experience. He began working around the music business as a teenager, interning for the manager of his then-favorite band Superdrag. Since then, he has worked with a wide array of artists including OK Go, They Might Be Giants, Mike Viola, Tracy Bonham, Loudness, Rachael Yamagata, and Amanda Palmer. Darren's writing has appeared in dozens of outlets including the New York Daily News, Inquisitr, The Daily Meal, The Hype Magazine, All Music Guide, Guitar World, TheStreet.com, Businessweek, Chicago Tribune, L.A. Times, and the Jewish Journal. Beyond being "Editor At Large" for The Hype Magazine, Darren is also the host of weekly "Paltrocast With Darren Paltrowitz" series, which airs on dozens on television and digital networks. He has also co-authored 2 published books, 2018's "Pocket Change: Your Happy Money" (Book Web Publishing) and 2019's "Good Advice From Professional Wrestling" (6623 Press), and co-hosts the world's only known podcast about David Lee Roth, "The DLR Cast."