Cutesy anti-cuties of Chai enjoy their donuts, and then some
Chai is an all-female band that called their sound ‘neo-kawaii’, so I thought this was just another girl group jumping on the hugely popular kawaii-culture of cutesy girls and cuddly cartoon characters that people here in the West flock to museums for. But Chai is sort of anti-cute. I mean they’re cute, but on their own terms. Their cuteness is a feminist kind of cuteness. Kawaii culture often borders on the raunchy, rapey, pedofilian, all in service of the male gaze (and it’s irritating how many young women embrace it so wholeheartedly, seemingly unaware of its creepy aspects).
Chai, however, is not afraid to not oblige the sexist kawaii industry, propagating a society where women are humble, innocent, willing, always attractive playthings for men. The women of Chai look how they want to look, do what they want to do and every video seems to convey the message that they’re just fine without men.
They’re obsessed with food and this gorgeous video accompanying a great, smooth song is a hommage to the prince of foods, in the words of Frank Zappa (although he meant the muffin), the donut.
A little about the music (that’s what you are here for, isn’t it). Chai is really good at writing melodies and their musical arrangements are always superb. Gone here is the punk-rocky sound of their most recent album Punk however (fourth on my list of best albums of 2019), ‘Donuts Mind If I Do‘ has a clear city-pop vibe, a mix of R&B, rock and funk that is popular in Japan and I liiike it, like it, like it. (PB)
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