PUNK

It’s a heady, dazzling blend of pop, punk, dance, funk and electronica, moulded into a swirl of kaleidoscopic energy.

Those new to the band are in for a real treat ... Punk is a huge step forward for CHAI, and easily one of the best albums of the year.

Punk as pop or pop as punk, CHAI blend their influences and ideas together so well it hardly matters. Bursting with fun, expanded musicianship, and boundless energy, this is one sophomore record that couldn’t exist more in the now.

PUNK is a record written in earnest about being yourself, loving your friends, and not caring about what anyone else thinks about the way you live your life.

Even though Punk might not be the pop explosion that Pink was, it's a well-rounded album that capitalizes on the band's imagination and capacity for experimentation while blending the sounds more organically.

‘PUNK’ is an infectiously fun rollercoaster that delves into themes of self-acceptance and confidence, filled with anthems about how you should celebrate your own uniqueness.

Confidently taking on everything from rave rock to rose-tinted tropic-pop and with former singles trashing tired beauty tropes, CHAI tackle our stereos – and societal stereotypes – head on.

Mostly, their juxtaposition of heft and nimble weirdness is an exhilarating delight.

Loud, hook-laden bubblegum pop with a defiant message of individuality and independence. From Japan. What’s not to love?

By the time it comes to a close, Punk prepares you to step out into the world with a newfound perspective, not just on yourself but also on an act such as Chai.

It’s true that CHAI’s ultra-pop framework may not, at first, scream rebellion or rage. However, cutting lyricism makes it unquestionably clear that for the members of CHAI – Mana, Yuna, Kana and Yuuki – enough is enough.

‘PUNK’ sonically is what would happen if Sleigh Bells decamped to Japan, dialled down the corrosive riffs, ramped up the toytown electronics and spliced in 8 bit video game noises to kids’ TV theme tunes.