Manaka
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Manaka is a Japanese artist whose music moves freely between alternative pop, electronic music and rap. With a style that draws as much from internet culture and underground music as from mainstream J-Pop, she has developed a sound that is deliberately difficult to categorize.
Before launching her solo career, Manaka was a member of Little Glee Monster, one of Japan’s best-known vocal groups. She joined the group as a teenager and became known for her distinctive voice as part of its powerful vocal lineup. Her experience in a major pop group gave her a strong foundation as a vocalist while also exposing her to a wide range of musical styles.
After leaving Little Glee Monster, Manaka began exploring a much more experimental musical identity as a solo artist. Her work moves away from conventional pop structures, combining electronic production, alternative sounds and rap with a playful, highly personal approach to songwriting and performance.
Her creative involvement also extends beyond music. Manaka has directed and edited her own music videos, including the video for “Drip on my body,” giving her considerable control over the visual identity surrounding her music.
Her collaborations bring together artists from Japan’s alternative rap, hyperpop and underground scenes, reflecting her interest in the increasingly blurred boundaries between pop, rap and internet music.
For listeners who know her primarily from Little Glee Monster, Manaka’s solo work offers a very different side of the artist — stranger, more experimental and much closer to the constantly evolving world of contemporary Japanese alternative pop.