SINGAPORE/TOKYO -- "Arashi will be on indefinite hiatus after 2020!" exclaimed a tweet. Within minutes, Twitter in Asia was flooded with cries of despair from fans of Japanese pop group Arashi, upset that the group, which made its debut almost 20 years ago, has decided to suspend its activities, starting in 2021.
Japan and South Korea have long been the trendsetters in Asia's pop music industry. But with big-name acts stepping offstage in Japan, and a widening sex scandal wrecking the careers of a number of South Korean stars, rising Chinese performers have a chance to grab the spotlight.
