In connection with my desire to fully keep up with the J-pop industry, I'm planning to do a weekly round-up of any new releases that have caught my ear. Some of these may have been covered on the blog already, but my hope is that this will become a one-stop shop for anyone interested in what's new in J-pop.
With that in mind, here's where you come in: I'm one person with one set of musical preferences, so please embed any other new J-pop tracks you've enjoyed in the comments so we can get a fuller spectrum each week.
*And just like I do with my reviews, I'll wait until full versions of songs are available before posting them in this round-up. This will mostly apply to Johnny's groups, who still limit the majority of their YouTube uploads to shorter, edited versions.
THIS WEEK: June 30 - July 6
Access - Arc Jump'n To The Sky
Access is back! Unfortunately, despite its crazy title the song is not among their best.
Ado – RuLe
Lots of heavy hitters this week. I tend to run hot or cold with Ado's music. This one's a little cold for me, but I imagine many fans will love it.
aespa – Hot Mess
I wrote about this here. I didn't care for it.
Aimyon – Lucky Color
Not really my thing.
AiNA THE END × Yuta Bandoh – Creation
Pleasant, but very, very slow. (Though it does pick up halfway through)
Ayumu Imazu - Where Do We Go!
Funky and light, but somewhat throwaway.
BE:FIRST x ATEEZ – Hush-Hush
I wrote about this here. I didn't care for it.
CSR – Higher
I wrote about this here. I thought it was 'meh.'
GEMN (Tatsuya Kitani x Kento Nakajima) – Fatal
This is Kento Nakajima's first musical work since leaving Sexy Zone, and comes in the form of a collaboration. I have high hopes for his future, but this song doesn't do anything for me.
Hitsujibungaku - Burning
I like this group's vocalist and their 90's alt-rock sound. Just wish the song was more memorable.
The Jet Boy Bangerz - What Time Is It?
Boring.
Key – Tongue Tied
I wrote about this here. I liked it.
LiSA - Black Box
A solid rock track. Nothing more, nothing less.
Mamoru Miyano – The Battle
A much lighter, funkier "battle" than I would have expected.
MAZZEL – Seaside Story
Harmless summertime fluff, but lacks ambition.
Mrs. Green Apple – Apollodorus
A step in the right direction, but this band's singles are all starting to sound the same to me.
NiziU – Rise Up
I may have more thoughts on this once the video is released. It's an interesting shift for them. A bit darker.
Official HIGE DANdism – Sharon
Similar thoughts to Mrs. Green Apple's song. Sharon is fine, but it sounds like so many other songs by the group and lacks the punch of their best material.
Sandaime J Soul Brothers – Blaze
Oof. I wish they'd release another Rising Soul or R.Y.U.S.E.I.
TRENDZ – Season Of You
I wrote about this here. I liked it.
TXT – We'll Never Change
I wrote about this here. I thought it was a bit dull.
Vaundy – Homunculus
For those who love classic rock.
Yoasobi – Undead (song of the week!)
Yoasobi's music isn't often my thing, but I can appreciate what it does. And in a very underwhelming week, this is a standout. The energy alone gets it over the line.
This week's old favorite:
Tasuku Hatanaka - Dying Wish (2020)
Tasuku Hatanaka's full music videos are being uploaded on YouTube! I love when this happens to great J-pop artists. Dying Wish was a 2020 highlight and now we can watch the whole thing. I love the theatrical drama of this.
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