Posted by Emily Exton on 03/15/2012 at 1:53 PM Videos

The Popdust Files: Candy Candy, j-pop, Kyary Pamyu Pamyu

Female pop stars from the East are breaking out faster than Justin Bieber before the magical gift of Proactiv. But how does a casual fan differentiate between the onslaught of new artists? K-Pop sensations Girls’ Generation and The Wonder Girls have been making a heavy push with U.S. singles, television appearances and Pop-Off infamy on this very site, but there are others looking to experience similar success Stateside. Japan’s 19-year-old Kyrary Pamyu Pamyu is a former model and cover girl, who also broke out with a brand of fake eyelashes (Harajuku Doll Eyelashes by Eyemazing x Kyar) in 2011. (Always have a surefire backup plans, ladies.) So she’s basically the Claire Daines of Japan, except not really. KPP made her colorful U.S. debut with a few shows in Los Angeles this December, and singles (“Jelly,” “Tsukema Tsukeru,” “PonPonPon”) are currently available on iTunes. Her songs are both frantic and catchy; her wardrobe consists of what you’d pull in a blackout, only after coming home from some secret basement rave. With any luck, we’ll all be wearing the looks of this actual Harajuku girl come 2013.

But seriously, you guys, this “Candy Candy” video is bananas. Oversized hair bows and the return of the dreaded hand-heart gesture are the least of our worries here, as her florescent backup dancers appear to favor choreography that falls between The Chicken Dance and The Swim. Running with toast in one’s mouth just feels dangerous, which is probably why the chorus emphasizes “chewing” so much? Either way, this is now stuck in our heads, we think we have next fall’s Halloween costumed figured out and we couldn’t be happier on this dreary Thursday. Watch below, but beware of the giant, googly-eyed onion. We hear it’s tear-inducing powers are stronger than that of your typical yellow breed.

[The Hairpin]