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]
| Punk | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | February 13, 2019 (Japan) | |||
| Genre | ||||
| Length | 31:06 | |||
| Label | ||||
| Chai chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Aggregate scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AnyDecentMusic? | 7.9/10[6] |
| Metacritic | 86/100[7] |
| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [2] |
| DIY | [8] |
| Exclaim! | 9/10[9] |
| The Guardian | [5] |
| The Line of Best Fit | 9/10[4] |
| Pitchfork | 8.3/10[10] |
| Q | [11] |
| The Skinny | [12] |
| Spectrum Culture | [3] |
| Vice (Expert Witness) | A−[13] |
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
| Publication | Accolade | Rank | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Noisey | Top 100 Albums of 2019 | 97 | |
| Pitchfork | Top 50 Albums of 2019 | 46 | |
| RX Music | Best Albums of 2019 (Indie Pop) | 5 | |
| Thrillist | Top 35 Albums of 2019 | 20 |
Tracks
| Publication | Work | List | Rank | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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.
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Choose Go!" |
| 2:42 |
| 2. | "Great Job" | 3:15 | |
| 3. | "I'm Me" | 3:21 | |
| 4. | "Wintime" |
| 2:39 |
| 5. | "This Is Chai" |
| 2:37 |
| 6. | "Fashionista" |
| 2:56 |
| 7. | "Family Member" | 3:11 | |
| 8. | "Curly Adventure" | 3:21 | |
| 9. | "Feel the Beat" | 3:42 | |
| 10. | "Future" |
| 3:22 |
| Total length: | 31:06 | ||
Personnel
Chai
- Kana – vocals, guitar
- Mana – vocals, keyboards
- Yuuki – bass guitar, chorus
- Yuna – drums, chorus
Charts
| 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]