World Music Wednesday is a new weekly segment on The North 103.3 FM. Every Wednesday at 4pm on Northland Afternoon, we will feature a brand-new release or a significantly important past work from our vast library of music from around the world.
Support for World Music Wednesday comes from Simply Ballroom in Duluth's Craft District
Today's World Music Wednesday spotlights the music of Japanese pop band CHAI. Formed in 2012 in Nagoya, Japan. Twin sisters Mana and Kana alongside Yuuki and Yuna make up CHAI. Mana, Kana, and Yuna met in high school. Mana later met Yuuki in university where she was introduced to the rest of the soon to be band. The band started releasing singles in 2013. They later signed with SONY Music Japan in 2016 after releasing their EP Hottaraka Series (translating to "irresponsible series") earlier that same year.
In 2017, CHAI released their first studio album Pink, later released in the US in September of 2018. Deciding to pursue music globally, CHAI signed with Heavenly Recordings in the UK. From there they released their second studio album Punk in 2019.
CHAI signed with indie label Sub Pop in 2020 and has since collaborated with Gorillaz and JPEGMafia on the track MLS, and collaborated with Duran Duran on their single More Joy!.
In 2021, CHAI realsed their first studio album with Sub Pop, WINK, which received acclaim from music critics.
September 22, 2023, CHAI released their fourth studio album and second album with Sub Pop, self-titled CHAI, being described as an ode to 80's City Pop.
