Artists You Should Know: Japan, Man Takes Alt-Pop Through a "Wormhole" of Their Making on New Single

Three years after their debut EP, The Bad Days, indie duo Japan, Man shows no signs of leaving anytime soon with their third single of 2023, “Wormhole.” Contrary to their name, Japan, Man is the project of 19-year-old Lebanese-born singer Laeticia Acra and her uncle Julian Cassia. Acra spearheads the music, going as far as to design some of the cover art and being the primary mind behind songwriting.

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Though they’re known for often crossing over into ambient territory, “Wormhole” is more conventional in its structure, embodying a woozy mindset on relaxed alt-pop production.

The explosive opening might initially mislead some into thinking the track will be an energetic rock anthem. But soon after, it eventually settles down and remains calm through most of the runtime. Acra’s vocals are soft, matching the mellow instrumentation—impeccably produced and marked by some playfully funky guitar licks—while revealing enough emotion to charge up the rather personal lyrics.

The visualizer for “Wormhole” starts with a foreword, using the idea of a wormhole as a way to explain the logical loopholes Acra goes through to justify jumping “through rings like a circus animal trying to make you look like a good person.” Judging by how Acra wrote the foreword, it’s directed at a particular person, adding to how personal the lyrics sound while breaking down the thought process going into the song.

As for the actual visuals, they’re as simple as the song itself. Featuring Acra walking up and down a house while the lyrics scroll past the screen like the opening of a Star Wars movie, it’s the most stripped-down you can get with a visualizer. That speaks to Japan, Man’s singles — offering enough infectious melodies and impressive production to give similar alt-pop artists a run for their streams.