Sakanaction has spent more than a decade as one of Japan¡¯s biggest rock acts, yet they were largely ignored overseas ¡ª until recently.
Thanks to a series of events set off by a preteen busting a move on a boat, the quintet now have a viral global hit. Sakanaction¡¯s splashy arrival into online consciousness also doubles as evidence of the rising status of J-pop in a neighboring country that once routinely banned Japanese content.
The story starts in Indonesia in 2025. Rayyan Arkan Dikha made waves after a during the traditional race called Pacu Jalur went viral. A set to American rapper Melly Mike¡¯s ¡°Young Black & Rich¡± sent it even further into the world and helped popularize the concept of ¡°aura farming¡± ¡ª Gen Z lingo for ¡°trying to look cool.¡±
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