Punk (Chai album)

Last updated
Punk
Chai Punk.jpg
Studio album by
Chai
ReleasedFebruary 13, 2019 (Japan)
Genre
Length31:06
Label
Chai chronology
Wagama-mania
(2018)		Punk
(2019)		 Wink
(2021)
Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
AnyDecentMusic? 7.9/10 [6]
Metacritic 86/100 [7]
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [2]
DIY Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [8]
Exclaim! 9/10 [9]
The Guardian Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [5]
The Line of Best Fit 9/10 [4]
Pitchfork 8.3/10 [10]
Q Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [11]
The Skinny Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [12]
Spectrum CultureStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [3]
Vice (Expert Witness)A− [13]

Punk (stylized in all caps) is the second studio album by Japanese band Chai. The album was released on February 13, 2019, by Otemoyan Records. [14] It was released on March 15, 2019, in North America and Europe by Burger Records and Heavenly Recordings, respectively. [14]

Contents

Composition

AllMusic's Tim Sendra felt the record left some of the rap rock influences prominent on PINK behind in exchange for more pop-oriented stylings. [2] Indeed, PUNK dives into several pop-based genres from bubblegum to indie to synth-pop.

Kicking off the record is "Choose Go!", a "punchy" piece of "cheerleader rock", [2] that features "synths that churn like vacuum cleaners." [5] Following is "the pulsing electronic pop" [1] of "Great Job". "Wintime" is "Paramore-plucked, rose-tinted tropic-pop". [12]

"This Is Chai", the record's only song to have its writing credited to all four members, has been called everything from post-punk [10] to Europop [12] to "happily corny handbag house". [2] "Fashionista", along with "This is CHAI", "has some seriously infectious funk woven into its DNA". [4] "Curly Adventure" is a "synth-pop ballad" that "throw[s] heavy metal guitar grind" into its mix. [2]

Accolades

Accolades for Punk
PublicationAccoladeRankRef.
Noisey Top 100 Albums of 2019
97
Pitchfork Top 50 Albums of 2019
46
RX MusicBest Albums of 2019 (Indie Pop)
5
Thrillist Top 35 Albums of 2019
20

Tracks

Accolades for tracks from Punk
PublicationWorkListRankRef.
Pitchfork "Fashionista"The 100 Best Songs of 2019
59

Accompanying music video

In 2019, a music video for the eighth track (Curly Adventure) was directed by Sean Solomon, using character designs from band member and visual director Yuuki, in which the video picks a load of eccentric (and surreal)scenes with vibrant colours [20] with the simplistic style of the album's cover, inspired by Peanuts characters and the hyper-stylized Hanna-Barbera cartoons of the 1970s. [21] The additional credits in the video are storyboards drawn by Evan Red Borja and animation by Sarah Schmidt and Ian Ballantyne. [22]

Track listing

All music by Mana and Kana, except where noted. All lyrics by Yuuki, except where noted.

Punk track listing
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Choose Go!"
  • Mana (music)
  • Yuuki (lyrics)
2:42
2."Great Job" 3:15
3."I'm Me" 3:21
4."Wintime"
  • Mana (music)
  • Yuuki (lyrics)
2:39
5."This Is Chai"
  • Chai (music & lyrics)
2:37
6."Fashionista"
  • Mana (music)
  • Yuuki (lyrics)
2:56
7."Family Member" 3:11
8."Curly Adventure" 3:21
9."Feel the Beat" 3:42
10."Future"
  • Mana (music)
  • Yuuki (lyrics)
3:22
Total length:31:06

Personnel

Chai

Charts

Chart performance for Punk
Chart (2019)Peak
position
Japanese Albums (Oricon) [23] 50
Japanese Hot Albums ( Billboard Japan ) [24] 72

Use in other media

A song from the album, "This Is Chai", was featured prominently in an episode of the American television series Better Call Saul in 2020. [25]

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References

  1. 1 2 "CHAI – PUNK (Burger Records) | God Is In The TV". godisinthetv.co.uk. 11 March 2019. Retrieved January 24, 2021.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Sendra, Tim. "Punk – CHAI". AllMusic . Retrieved April 14, 2019.
  3. 1 2 Jacobs, Mick (March 19, 2019). "Chai: Punk". Spectrum Culture. Retrieved August 8, 2019.
  4. 1 2 3 Kuscher, Oliver (March 11, 2019). "CHAI dazzle us on aptly-named new album, PUNK". The Line of Best Fit . Retrieved August 8, 2019.
  5. 1 2 3 Snapes, Laura (March 15, 2019). "Chai: Punk review – harebrained gang bring positive pop vibes". The Guardian . Retrieved March 15, 2019.
  6. ↑ "Punk by CHAI reviews". AnyDecentMusic? . Retrieved August 8, 2019.
  7. ↑ "Punk by Chai Reviews and Tracks". Metacritic . Retrieved April 14, 2019.
  8. ↑ Siregar, Cady (March 15, 2019). "CHAI – Punk". DIY . Retrieved April 14, 2019.
  9. ↑ Pearson, Luke (March 12, 2019). "CHAI: Punk". Exclaim! . Retrieved March 15, 2019.
  10. 1 2 Kemp, Sophie (March 15, 2019). "Chai: PUNK". Pitchfork . Retrieved March 15, 2019.
  11. ↑ Monroe, Jazz (May 2019). "Chai: Punk". Q (397): 108.
  12. 1 2 3 Amour, Cheri (March 12, 2019). "CHAI – PUNK". The Skinny . Retrieved April 14, 2019.
  13. ↑ Christgau, Robert (June 22, 2019). "Robert Christgau Reviews Charly Bliss' 'Young Enough'". Vice . Retrieved June 22, 2019.
  14. 1 2 "Discography". Chai-band.com. Retrieved April 14, 2019.
  15. ↑ "The 100 Best Albums of 2019". Vice . Retrieved May 14, 2020.
  16. ↑ "The 50 Best Albums of 2019". Pitchfork . December 10, 2019. Retrieved May 14, 2020.
  17. ↑ Bell, Lindsay; Clemens, Craig; Primiani, Michael (December 20, 2019). "Best Albums of 2019 | RX Music". rxmusic.com. Retrieved May 21, 2021.
  18. ↑ Jackson, Dan (December 21, 2019). "Best Albums of 2019". Thrillist . Retrieved May 14, 2020.
  19. ↑ "The 100 Best Songs of 2019 | Pitchfork Media". pitchfork.com. December 9, 2021. Retrieved May 21, 2021.
  20. ↑ Wilde, Thomas (1 April 2019). "CHAI – "Curly Adventure" [Video]". The Fire Note. Retrieved 20 July 2022.
  21. ↑ Breihan, Tom (26 March 2019). "CHAI – "Curly Adventure" Video". Stereogum . Retrieved 20 July 2022.
  22. ↑ "Curly Adventure music video". YouTube. Retrieved 20 July 2022.
  23. ↑ "CHAIの作品 (すべて)". Oricon . Retrieved August 9, 2019.
  24. ↑ "Billboard Japan Hot Albums [ 2019/02/25 付け ]". Billboard Japan (in Japanese). Retrieved August 12, 2019.
  25. ↑ "Better Call Saul Soundtrack". Tunefind. Retrieved 18 June 2022.
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