A Guide to Pacific-Trap&B, Pop's Latest Genre From Ariana Grande, Kehlani, And More
By Da'Shan Smith
Twenty years prior, on February 2, TLC released their signature smash, “No Scrubs.” Set as a guideline to warn females about “broke-ass” bustas “sittin’ on the passenger side of their best friend’s ride,” the hit single topped charts of numerous countries, including the U.S.
Billboard Hot 100. “No Scrubs” contains a masterful mixture of Chilli and T-Boz’s R&B vocals, a pop chorus penned by Kevin "She'kspere" Briggs, Kandi Burruss, and Tameka "Tiny" Cottle, and a rap verse from Left Eye. Its video matched Janet and Michael Jackson’s outworldly “Scream” with its futurist ambitions.
Last May, I ended up coining the distinct genre of the “No Scrubs” era (existing in ’90s and early-2000s female R&B) as “
Electro-hop&B,” pinpointing these anthems’ intergalactic bounce. At the end of that article I concluded: “With persistent political movements for women’s rights continuing for eternity, and right now a sweltering rise of Asian acts and music taking over the
Billboard charts, the music industry could visualize a mainstream resurgence of the subgenre that once championed independent females prepared to define their lives on their own terms.”
At the starting of this year, the mainstream music scene seemed to be fulfilling that prophecy with the release of Ariana Grande’s “7 Rings” and Kehlani’s “Nights Like This.” These records not only followed the Electro-hop&B leads of TLC, nevertheless also mirrored East Asian undertones present in some ’90s R&B music. At the same time, the discourse and controversy centered around whether or not Grande is benefiting from cultural appropriation (
and her infamous tattoo) got me further thinking about cultural fusion in the music industry at large.
“7 Rings” and “Nights Like This” shouldn’t be totally classified as Electro-hop&B records, although rather Pacific-trap&B. Both songs have trap&B styles that align with the Bay Area and Los Angeles, California. Fused into these vibes are sonic and visual influences from various East Asian genres including J-pop of Japan, C-pop of China, and K-pop of Korea. These songs have a trans-Pacific connection, as all four regions border the Pacific Ocean.
This particular mixing of genres into a massive one is nothing new to the music scene. The examples extend far and wide in this decade alone, from Far East Movement and Dev’s 2010 hit “Like a G6” to The Weeknd’s “Reminder” or Future’s “Mask Off.” The mixing of hip-hop and R&B in K-pop is also evident in the discographies of 2NE1, BLACKPINK, and BTS.
Rolling Stone also
previously documented how notable songwriters from the R&B scene (such as Teddy Riley and August Rigo) have ventured out to writing camps for some of those artists. The following list of examples are personalized picks from eight females who successfully execute the sound of Pacific-trap&B.
Ariana Grande, “7 Rings”
Beginning off with an ominous, tick-tocking from a marimba — leading into an interpolation of “My Preference Things” from The Sound of Music —“7 Rings” immediately sets a tone for the lavish. Afterwards, the looping of a Japanese shamisen underscores Grande’s “Gimme The Loot” and “Pretty Boy Swag” flow, gloating about what black cards can afford her and her companions. Yet, it’s the video which caused controversy: From the posh pink trap residence (which 2 Chainz would later cosign in the official remix) to Japanese lettering on the single cover and also some cultural props indoor within the kitchen. One can only “Imagine” what’s to come on Thank U, Next (particularly on “Break Up With Your Girlfriend, I’m Bored”)...
Victoria Monét ft/ Ty Dolla $ign, “Made In China”
Monét has served as a key songwriter and producer for Grande, from their first collabs on Grande’s Yours Truly and My Everything to her inclusion on the “7 Rings” dream team. Any time Monét was making her solo begin in 2014, she released “Made In China,” a love ode powered by trap hi-hats and the metaphorical meaning of the title. What drives this song is its dramatic roots in native Chinese mandopop, led by Monét’s angelic cooing, a pipa musical instrument, and electronic synthesizers backed by a verse from L.A.’S own Ty Dolla $ign.
Kehlani ft/ Ty Dolla $ign, “Nights Like This”
Kehlani’s music comes a sense of ethereal realness, assisted by candid and susceptible lyricism. Voyaging into her sophomore era immediately after SweetSexySavage, the Oakland native (and mommy-to-be) keeps it up and continues to lean into the TLC inspirations that propelled her to pop stardom. “Nights Like This” heralds elements of city pop, Tokyo’s jazz fusion, soul, and soft rock subgenre-offshoot of J-pop. This cut is reminiscent of the futuristic vibes on TLC’s FanMail, the parent album of “No Scrubs.” It’s more than likely that if she was touring in Japan last year, Kehlani was rather influenced by the nation’s technoculture, as evident by the robotic music video.
Kay Cola, “D.M.T.”
As a
attendee of Kehlani’s majestic baby shower last month, Kay Cola also is aware the influence of combining East Asian pop with trap. The songwriter (whose sang in the choir of Eminem’s “Not Afraid,”) has released several indie mixtapes and EPs discussing the state of lucid dreaming. Back in 2014, she
opened up about her love for 2NE1 and being a fan of K-Pop. In 2016, Kay Cola released her alter-ego EP, Lucy, which includes “D.M.T. (Discover My Truth).” The song takes several cues from the harmony of K-pop, as she discusses a soulmate from “a past life.” Another highlight that hits these tones is “Dear God,” which features her father, Hubert Laws, playing the flute.
Jhené Aiko, “Overstimulated”
On her last album, Trip, Jhené Aiko conceptually taps into healing her soul with the help of hallucinogenic illegal narcotics and psychedelia-sonics. As a descendant of numerous ethnicities, Aiko delves into some instrumentation from her Japanese heritage, including wind chimes and bells. Powered by the energetics of trap, “Overstimulated” explores the rushing side effects of her trip, a kokyū violin underscoring this song’s particular journey towards the end.
DaniLeigh, “Lil Bebe”
On the official website of her record label, Def Jam, DaniLeigh describes Aaliyah and Missy Elliott (who have both dabbled in these tones through the “More Than A Woman” and “Work It,” respectively) as her “biggest influences,” and her clothing fashion as “very ’90s driven.” Whenever looking at the music video of “Lil Bebe,” these influences not only come to life in her bodega, sneaker store, barber shop, night club, and apartment — they’re heard on the particular track. DaniLeigh’s vocal delivery possesses a flow that matches the fashion of K-pop and takes inspiration from another personalized fave, Rihanna. Oh, and there’s also a play-on-words remix featuring the particular Lil Baby.
Rina Sawayama, “Cyber Stockholm Syndrome”
As a Japanese-born, emerging indie-pop artist, Rina Sawayama takes the futurism of Pacific-Trap&B into a rave matching the likes of fellow Brit Charli XCX. There’s a digi-tick-tocking underscoring the chorus of “Cyber Stockholm Syndrome,” where she “came here on my own” because the chorus goes. In
an interview with The Fader, Sawayama mentions that “Cyber Stockholm Syndrome” explores the duality between pessimism and optimism, and also anxiety and freedom in the world wide web age.
Lexie Liu, “Nada”
Lexie Liu
revealed to Billboard last month that any time whenever she was competing in her native reality competition show, The Rap of China, she was often criticized for pop singing rather than rapping. By the sounds of “Nada” alone, which is acidic and melodic with the help of a TB-303 bass line, her sensual fashion could be the ideal fit in a American market currently dominated by trap&B. The lyrics of “Nada” are half English language and half Mandarin, drawing allusions to NASA spacecrafts and birds flying away from their cages. Liu gloats about hefty pockets, designer clothes, yachts, wraiths, and “flexin’ all day,” bringing everything Pacific-trap&B full circle.
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