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.
2023 Index: Feb 1 – Feb 18 // Feb 19 – 25 // Feb 26 – Mar 3 // Mar 4 – Mar 10 // Mar 11 – Mar 18 // Mar 19 – Mar 25 // Mar 26 – Apr 1 // Apr 2 – Apr 8 // Apr 9 – Apr 15 // Apr 16 – Apr 22 // Apr 23 – Apr 29 // Apr 30 – May 6 // May 7 – May 13 // May 14 – May 20 // May 21 – May 27 // May 29 – Jun 3 // Jun 4 – Jun 10 // Jun 11 – Jun 17 // Jun 18 – Jun 24 // Jun 25 – Jul 1 // Jul 2 – Jul 8 // Jul 9 – Jul 15 // Jul 16 – Jul 22 // Jul 23 – Jul 29 // Jul 30 – Aug 5 // Aug 6 – Aug 12 // Aug 13 – Aug 19 // Aug 20 – Aug 26 // Aug 27 – Sep 2 // Sep 3 – Sep 9 // Sep 10 – Sep 16 // Sep 17 – Sep 23 // Sep 24 – Sep 30 // Oct 1 – Oct 7 // Oct 8 – Oct 14 // Oct 15 – Oct 21 // Oct 22 – Oct 28
THIS WEEK: Oct 29 – Nov 3
ANGERME – Red Line
Halloween has already passed, but this has a spooky feel that fits the season well.
Fantastics – Starboys (song of the week!)
I wrote about this here. I liked it a lot and it’s a song of the week!
FlowBack – Silent Killer
This could be so good if it settled on one musical idea (and if the vocal mixing was clearer).
GreeeeN – Hirari (song of the week!)
This sounds like something they would have written for News. It’s got the upbeat, sprawling sound J-pop does so well. It’s a song of the week.
JO1 – Eyes On Me (ft. R3HAB)
I featured this last week and now it has a music video. I’m still not impressed with the song.
Lienel – Kimito
I’m eager to hear a song that gets me into this group. Sadly, Kimito won’t be that song. But I like its energy.
LM.C – Joker
I don’t know anything about this group but I guess this is an updated recording of a 2008 song. I like it, and it’s making me want to delve further into their discography. It’s a good combination of hard rock and electro.
Mega Shinnosuke – Tokyokirai
A really fun, brash rock track with tons of personality.
MeseMoa. – White Wolf
Cheesy, theatrical fun.
Perfume – Sumikko Disco
There’s not much to this song, but the instrumental is so addictive.
PKCZ – Hard Luck Madness
PKCZ is such an underrated unit. This is a nice blend of pop and club sounds.
Ryokuoushoku Shakai – Be A Flower
I’ve really begun to appreciate Ryokuoushoku Shakai this year. This song is more driving than their summer hits but it has the same blend of power and sentimentality.
STU48 – Kimi wa Nani wo Koukai Suru no ka?
You can always count on these 48 groups for a boost of positive energy. This song feels pretty standard for them, but it’s still nice.
Zipang Opera – Get Over
I need Zipang Opera to put the “opera” in their name to use. Get Over is a pleasant ballad with great vocals, but I’d love them to go full bore into Jim Steinman-style bombast.
This week’s old favorite:
Mamoru Miyano – Egoistic (2012)
Back when I was first getting into Miyano’s music, these older videos were region-blocked on YouTube. I’m not sure when that changed, but it’s great to have them more accessible! Egoistic is a fantastic track. It reminds me of something TVXQ would have recorded around this time.