After a few years kicking around on independent labels, duo Chelmico have arrived on a major label. It’s a logical step up for a group who have done as good a job merging pop with rap over the last few years, and new album Power out August 8 comes at a time when a lot of labels in Japan are trying to make “kawaii women rappers” a thing. “OK,Cheers!” capitalizes on what has made Chelmico a standout act over the last few years, finding the pair tagging in and out over a brassy backing track nodding to their lineage in this J-hip-pop lane. Besides being a reminder of how vital timing can be for an artist’s career — the difference between this song and Lyrical School’s most recent material isn’t that vast, but only one got stuck with the idol tag early on in their career — it shows how energy can go a long way, and the right way to find that sweet spot in the middle is to make sure to always have everything moving at a speedy pace. Listen above.
