Italia Is Kawaii - Superstar Idol (review)
A superpowered Idol brings magic to a dimming world with holistic conviction and dazzling anthems.
Score: 10/10
Genre: Pop, Dance Pop, Idol
Be the change you want to see in the world. Italia sees an increasingly bland world that needs a level-up that only a superstar Idol can do. The Japanese idol aesthetic and subculture is a holistic one — flamboyant music and dance, elaborate costumes, charismatic personas — and Italia lives and breathes every aspect of it while amplifying her own personal and homegrown spin.
Despite countless EPs and singles, this is only her second full-length album, the first being 2019’s “Fantasy World” which catapulted her into viral success and established her kawaii and gamer aesthetic. Since then, she has given the Italia touch to dream pop, cloud rap, cumbia, and even metal, and knocked it all out of the park. Now, with an Idol persona she has cultivated for years, she drops a long-delayed pop album that has the fun and conviction of a woman on a mission. Sure, most of us won’t get all the niche references scattered throughout, but we can still feel all the magic.
The opening title track summarizes the feel of the album: dancy, dreamy, and cute. She chants positive affirmations like “I’ve got the power to change the world. I am so beautiful and powerful,” while asserting that all opposition is futile. The catchy relentless energy of “IDOL! IDOL! IDOL!” shows Italia’s captivating stage presense even while in the studio. “Everybody now show me your light sticks,” she commands in a call-and response with the audience before doing an I-D-O-L spellout.
She represents her drip in the instantly brilliant “Hello Kitty Swag”. It’s the smoothest song in her entire discography, and while it’s the only rap song on the album, the slick syncopation, psychedelic bells and flute, and fluid raps fit in while sticking out as a major highlight. Another standout is the moody “Tamagotchi Life”, named after the digital pets housed in an egg-shaped device. It’s a fitting image as she reflects on traveling the world with many eyes watching her, yet feeling antisocial and trapped, wanting to hatch out and truly be free, without fear of failure and what-ifs. The most vivid and daydreamy is “I Love Harajuku”, where having big lashes and a pink tattoo, playing dancing games and admiring the Harajuku girls makes it the place Italia wants to be.
Italia’s grand persona doesn’t cloud her appreciation for others. In each song title she respectfully credits the beat producers, whose tracks are dazzling, diverse, and layered to perfection. There’s the intense DDR-ish “Sanrio Girls <3”, the tender orchestral backdrop of “Alone this Valentine’s Day again”, the tropical and buoyant “Kawaii Summertime”, and the skittering 808s and growing ambience of “Waifu Pls Don’t Call Me Pt2”.
One of the most surprising things is also easy to forget: Italia is a commanding MC despite having a timid childlike voice and a narrow range. Sure, it helps with the cutesy themes, but it also doesn’t stop her from creating powerful anthems. Her idealistic attitude supersedes any shortcomings, and that’s perhaps the most inspiring thing about this album. So, what’s stopping the rest of us? Could we all make the world a little more magical if we just tried?
Score: 10/10
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