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Ongaku Magazine is a teen-run music magazine, an independent collective of writers, critics, musicians, and producers under twenty. Explore below to find our original teen-written content, curated-playlists, charts, resonate with various topics surrounding the music industry.
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Ongaku Magazine publishes two curated ranking charts: a Top 25 Songs chart and a Top 20 Artists chart. Unlike sales-driven lists, our charts prioritize artistry — the compositional craft, emotional depth, innovation, and lasting resonance of a track or artist — over immediate commercial performance. We hold that true artistry shouldn’t be reduced to first-week streaming numbers or chart-topping ad buys; the most meaningful music often proves its value over time.
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Analyzing City Pop in Japan, and How It's Been Glamorized in Today's Social Media
The most prevalent songs within the City Pop discography all contemplate the feelings of transition between past and present and express the imagery of fleeting time in a very specific way. “Remember Summer Days”, for example, says this very literally: “Remember Summer Days | 夏が消えていくわ (The summer is starting to fade).”
The Fan-to-Industry Professional Pipeline
Did you know that many musicians and industry professionals are affiliated with fan accounts? Whether they take a role as the social media manager who posts constant updates or the designer who makes fan posters and art, a recurring part of the music industry are fandoms. Today, musicians don’t just create audiences: they also create workers, and often they are the most passionate fans you'd ever meet.
A Track-By-Track Review of Mitski’s New Album, “Nothing’s About to Happen To Me”
Read all about Mitski’s Newest Album and a Track-by-Track analysis of her art. The 8th studio album, “Nothing’s About to Happen To Me” is now audible on every major streaming platform.
The Revival of Cigarettes in Gen-Z Music Brands
From selfies on Dua Lipa’s Instagram, to being the main attraction in Charli xcx’s visual brand, having features on Malcolm Todd’s bedside, a grand contributor to Lana Del Rey’s “cool girl” aesthetic, cigarettes have been making a comeback in the pop culture scene and it’s raising some eyebrows. Why is it resurfacing now? How did it come about?
Joni Mitchell, Phoebe Bridgers, and the evolution of the confessional songwriter
The idea of the singer-songwriter as we know it today–someone who writes, performs, and produces profoundly personal music–didn’t always exist in its current form. For much of popular music history, songwriting and performance were separate jobs. Songs were written to be performed by others, and the commercial identity of the writer wasn’t essential to how the music was received.
Ariana Grande’s New Album, “Petal,” and What We Know About It
Just when the world thought Ariana Grande was ready to step away from music and focus entirely on acting, she pulls us right back in. On July 31, 2026, the pop icon will release her eighth studio album–a 12-track project titled Petal. According to Ariana herself, this new project will be something softer, stronger, and totally different from her prior music.
The Return of Indie Sleaze and the Power of Nostalgia
Indie sleaze is back, and this time, people actually know what to call it. What used to just feel like a messy overlap of music, nightlife, and internet culture is now being recognized as something worth revisiting.
I Went to the Buena Vista Social Club: Here’s What I Thought
On a rainy Wednesday afternoon during my President’s Day Break, I had the opportunity to view the Tony Award-Winning Music, Buena Vista Social Club. A performance depicting real events with vibrance, sentiment, colors, music, and a history lesson, the show is a must-watch, and most certainly a celebration of music you just can’t miss.
Inside the Coachella Moment That Sparked Bieber Debate
Every April, two weekends are reserved in the California desert for the iconic Coachella festival. This year’s festival lineup featured a range of major artists, including Sabrina Carpenter, The Strokes, Pink Pantheress, Addison Rae, and, the main conversation: Justin Bieber.
The most prevalent songs within the City Pop discography all contemplate the feelings of transition between past and present and express the imagery of fleeting time in a very specific way. “Remember Summer Days”, for example, says this very literally: “Remember Summer Days | 夏が消えていくわ (The summer is starting to fade).”