In reference to my want to totally sustain with the J-pop business, I’m planning on doing a weekly round-up of any new releases which have caught my ear. A few of these could have been lined on the weblog already, however my hope is that it will turn out to be a one-stop store for anybody all for what’s new in J-pop.
With that in thoughts, right here’s the place you are available in: I’m one particular person with one set of musical preferences, so please embed every other new J-pop tracks you’ve loved within the feedback so we are able to get a fuller spectrum every week.
*And similar to I do with my critiques, I’ll wait till full variations of songs can be found earlier than posting them on this round-up. It will largely apply to Johnny’s teams, who nonetheless restrict the vast majority of their YouTube uploads to shorter, edited variations.
2023 Index: Feb 1 – Feb 18
Atarashii Gakko! – The Edge
I like the punky edge combined with the brand new wave-esque manufacturing.
BABYMETAL – Gentle and Darkness
Assist me out, right here. Do BABYMETAL typically fuse parts of dance music to their heavy steel sound? In that case, I undoubtedly have some catching as much as do as a result of that is nice!
BiSH – Bye-Bye Present
I’m not all the time a fan of BiSH’s music, however this farewell single has a pleasant grungy power.
Fantastics – Simple Come, Simple Go (b-side of the week!)
Excellent news! Fantastics’ buoyant Panorama Jet (from final week’s round-up) is formally a single and could have a music video within the coming weeks! Earlier than that, the group have delivered a lyric video to one among its b-sides. I like this a lot. It’s an explosion of melodic pop pleasure.
Frederic – Yuyukanei Kaiyuroku (Album)
This group’s quirky sound is plenty of enjoyable. My favourite b-side from this new mini album was truly pre-released late final yr, however their single Sparkle Dancer can also be good.
iScream – Love Me Higher
Tremendous strong, atmospheric dance pop from this proficient trio.
Kep1er – I Do! Do You?
I wrote about this one right here. I believed it was okay.
King & Prince – Life Goes On / We Are Younger
I wrote about Life Goes On right here. I appreciated it!
We Are Younger is a gorgeous ballad, however I’m not normally an enormous ballad particular person.
NOA – NO.A (Album)
It’s humorous… I didn’t take care of the overwhelming majority of the singles that preceded this album, however there are a handful of implausible b-sides on the album. I’m posting my favourite, alongside the present single for reference.
And FYI, NOA was a part of undertaking group 8LOOM final yr, in case you’re questioning the place you’ve seen him!
The Rampage – Spherical & Spherical (Album)
The Rampage launched their fifth album this week, preceded by a variety of wonderful singles. There are a couple of new tracks included as properly. These are my two favorites.
SKY-HI – D.U.N.Ok.
SKY-HI’s speedy hearth movement is in full show over quirky manufacturing that’s equally as ferocious.
SUPER★DRAGON – Revolution
I actually admire what they’re going for with this and there are components which might be fairly ear-catching. However, however vocal association in the course of the refrain lets the track down. It’s too skinny. I want they’d have layered the heck out of it.
Nonetheless an fascinating monitor, although. I like these digital breakdowns.
7ORDER – Who I Am (single of the week!)
I wrote about this one right here. I liked it!
Hey! Say! JUMP – AinoArika (2014)
One in all my favourite Hey! Say! JUMP songs, newly accessible on YouTube this week! It took me ages to recover from the tremendous nasally efficiency in the course of the verses, however that orchestral refrain is EPIC.
