Asian Junkie Asian pop. Without discretion.
AAA’s Nissy is celebrating five years since the launch of his solo career with a greatest hits compilation. Never mind the fact that all of his solo work can be found across just two albums, making a greatest hits somewhat redundant, I’ll take new music where I can get it and this compilation comes with a brand new single in the form of “Addicted“.
“Addicted” follows many of Nissy’s musical hallmarks. It’s funky and jazzy and driven by a highly contagious hook. The song itself feels a bit slight when stacked against instant-classic hits like “The Eternal Live” and “Never Stop“, but as usual his effortless charisma elevates the track. The verses have a nice swing to them, bouncing atop a buoyant, brass-filled beat as Nissy delivers a nimble performance that feels light as air.
As fun as all of this is, the chorus is where the song unveils its staying power. What initially comes across as an amusing little trifle deepens into a get-under-your-skin earworm the more you hear it. I love the interplay between the topline melody and the groovier background vocals that take advantage of Nissy’s lower register. He’s got one of my favorite voices in J-pop, and that rich tone adds great texture to an otherwise simple hook. I feel like greatest hits singles are often encapsulations of everything that makes an artist’s career notable, and in this way “Addicted” acts as a solid representation of the Nissy sound. But now that we’re done celebrating past triumphs, it’s time for a brand new studio album, right?
