city pop

noun

a form of Japanese pop music that emerged in the late 1970s and peaked in popularity during the 1980s, including influences such as funk, disco, R&B, AOR, soft rock, and boogie, and associated with the country's nascent economic boom and leisure class.

OriginJapanese シティ・ポップ ← English city pop →
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Meanings

nouncity pop (uncountable)
  1. uncountableentertainmenta form of Japanese pop music that emerged in the late 1970s and peaked in popularity during the 1980s, including influences such as funk, disco, R&B, AOR, soft rock, and boogie, and associated with the country's nascent economic boom and leisure class.

Origin

  1. Englishcity pop
  2. Japaneseシティ・ポップ
  3. Englishcity pop

From Japanese シティ・ポップ (shiti poppu), itself from English city pop.

More words from Japanese, English

Full word history & related roots →
Cite this entry
APA

city pop. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/city%20pop

MLA

“city pop.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/city%20pop. Accessed November 4, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “city pop,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/city%20pop.

Source: city pop on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.