Earlier this month, Calgary country singer-songwriter Robert Adam did a tour of Japan.

It was their first trip beyond North America as a musician and Japan was a strategic choice. Adam, a nonbinary queer country artist, offers a unique look at the world of country music. It’s not something you would generally see at the Grand Ole Opry, but they felt right at home in Japan.

“Over there, cowboy culture and country and western music are so exotic that there is a real interest in it,” says Adam, now back in Calgary. “I think that, paired with my aesthetic, makes people really like it. In Japanese anime, there are a lot of androgynous figures. A lot of anime men have long hair and dewy skin. Even their idols over there, the men are wearing makeup and cute clothing. They really love the androg

See Full Page