When pop goes complicated, all too often the product is convoluted and dense; there’s a tendency to forget the hooks and melodies – to forget what is, after all, the very essence of pop. But not Kaho Nakamura. Out of dense, tricky compositions, Nakamura fashions sumptuous, cerebral, addictive pop. NIA, her most recent full length, is just as glorious as 2018’s celebrated AINOU, a playful work that, despite its technicality, never feels remotely overwhelming or burdensome.

Listen to “Aimiru” below.