The world loves Japanese anime like Jujutsu Kaisen, and if there were any doubts as to the validity of that statement, one need look no further than hip-hop icon Megan Thee Stallion’s most recent album – which includes two infectiously groovy odes to the beauty and impact of Japanese anime.
Megan’s new album, titled MEGAN, dropped on June 28, 2024, and unabashedly embraces her well-known infatuation with anime and manga. Nowhere is this vibe more present than in the album’s lead single, “Otaku Hot Girl”. The song is a boisterous celebration of anime culture that not only gives a lyrical nod to Gege Akutami’s Jujutsu Kaisen and Masashi Kishimoto’s Naruto, but also includes an audio clip using one of Yuji Itadori’s most famous lines from Jujutsu Kaisen’s first season.
Megan doubles down on the anime vibe on the track “Mamushi” where she teams up with Yuki Chiba – a well-known Japanese rapper who has composed music for Jujutsu Kaisen, Demon Slayer, and The God of High School.
Megan Loves Anime & Wants Everyone To Know It
From cosplay to constantly referencing her favorite shows, Megan is a diehard anime enthusiast
This is not the first time Megan has leaned in to her love of Japanese pop culture. In both her music and life, the Grammy award-winning artist frequently references her favorite anime or the manga she is currently reading. In “Girls in the Hood”, the hit single from her 2020 debut album Good News, she gives a heartfelt shout-out to Naruto’s Sasuke.
Megan not only wears her love for anime on her sleeve, but she’s also a walking anime advertisement. On stage or in public, Megan often appears cosplaying an anime character, displaying anime character hairstyles and looks, or otherwise representing anime in some way. Well-known to her fans for her meticulously detailed fingernails, Megan has sported a Blue Exorcist and Demon Slayer-inspired manicure.
Megan Thee Stallion Is Bringing Anime To Her Music
The Rapper’s Third Album Shows Off Her Inner Otaku
As she made clear in a 2020 interview with GQ magazine, Meghan begins and ends her days watching anime – and usually has a show on in the background at all times. However, despite her passion for anime, Megan had never fully integrated it into her music like other well-known hip-hop stars who’ve professed a love for anime, such as RZA’s Afro Samurai soundtrack or Richie Branson’s The Wing Zero EP.
Megan’s choice to wait until MEGAN‘s release for a more musical celebration of the medium was probably driven by her music production conditions rather than a deliberate effort to separate herself from her anime interests. Since her debut in 2020, Megan has been in a legal dispute with her record label, 1501 Certified Entertainment. According to Pitchfork, Megan claimed that the label had prevented her from releasing her music. However, the two sides were reconciled last year with Megan leaving 1501 and starting her own self-funded Hot Girl Productions record label. MEGAN is Hot Girl’s first release.
With her newfound creative freedom, there’s no one to stop her from making the music she wants. As “Otaku Hot Girl” and “Mamushi” reveal, the world will likely see more anime-influenced music coming from Megan Thee Stallion, one of the anime industry’s most talented and best-known ambassadors.
