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
2024 Index: Dec 24 – Jan 6 // Jan 7 – Jan 13 // Jan 14 – Jan 20 // Jan 21 – Jan 27 // Jan 28 – Feb 3 // Feb 4 – Feb 10 // Feb 11 – Feb 17 // Feb 18 – Feb 24 // Feb 25 – Mar 2 // Mar 3 – Mar 9 // Mar 10 – Mar 16 // Mar 17 – Mar 23 // Mar 24 – Mar 30
THIS WEEK: Mar 31 – Apr 6
BsGravity – Gravity
For whatever reason, songs called Gravity tend to be awesome. This one’s just okay.
Bullet Train (Chotokkyu) – Juveniler
I like the chorus, but this is a bit too hyper for me overall.
Chansung & AK-69 (ft. Changmin) – Into The Fire
2PM and 2AM join forces! This is much rockier than I would have expected. It’s not bad!
Genic – New Game!! (song of the week!)
This may just be a dance video, but its release gives me another chance to showcase this banger of a track. One of my favorites from their new album!
Hinatazaka46 – Bokunitsuzuke
I think this is better than their track last week, but neither really stand out among their discography.
Hiromitsu Kitayama – The Beast
This is one great hook away from being awesome. I love the dramatic production, but I crave just a bit of melody. I have a feeling it’ll have good longevity, though.
imase – Happy Order?
Not really feeling this one.
INI – Whatever Happens
Nice vocals. Boring song.
Juice=Juice – Naimono Love
The chorus is a bit monotone for me, but I like the general vibe.
Let Me Know – Ai No Highball
Funky!
Nogizaka46 – Shadogawa
It’s… fine.
Oishi Masayoshi – Let’s Duel!
As expected from Yu-Gi-Oh, this makes you want to go out and battle the world. Masayoshi is the perfect protagonist for this type of song.
Psychic Fever – Love Fire
I’m happy to see Psychic Fever get more international attention, even if I rarely vibe with their music. I like this one better than most, especially given its dance elements.
The Rampage – CyberHelix (song of the week!)
The parts where this goes full-on trance are awesome. The slowed down verses are a bummer, but this is still one of their stronger singles in recent memory. I love the synth tones and soaring chorus.
Stereo Dive Foundation – Peacekeeper
Another reliably great banger from Stereo Dive Foundation.
Takeru – Akutou (ft. Ade Sarivan)
I love the brash intensity of this. It’s a bit all over the place, but the energy is really satisfying and that thumping electro beat is right up my alley.
Tempest – Bang!
Sigh. Their Japanese music is just going to be bad, isn’t it?
This week’s old favorite:
Rebecca – Vanity Angel (1989)
Rebecca are best known for their 1985 mega-hit Friends, but I also love their more synth-heavy album Blondsaurus and especially this single. It’s like a perfect encapsulation of the 80’s.