A few weeks ago, I gave a brief overview of the lengthy singles run of J-pop group News — one of my favorite acts whose material is just now being released to streaming. Now, those singles have been joined by the group’s albums. Some of their best material can be found here, so of course I need to highlight my favorites. Any singles I’ve already mentioned will be skipped over on this post, though most are also on the albums themselves.
I’ve been a News fan for a decade now and envy everyone who’s able to experience their incredible catalog for the first time. Here’s every album with my personal highlights. Now you have no excuse but to dig in!
(*Romanization is taken from the official titles on Apple Music, even though some of them seem a bit weird to me)
Touch (2005)
9+ rated b-sides: none
Other highlights: Beyond the singles, the group’s first two albums aren’t really for me. With that said, I·ZA·NA·I·ZU·KI is a fun mid-2000’s pastiche and unit track Koi Yake (恋焼け) is a fun rocker.
Pacific (2007)
9+ rated b-sides: none
Other highlights: This album has a couple of the group’s best singles (already covered) but it’s probably my least favorite album overall. If I had to pick a song, it’d actually be the ballad Ainante (愛なんて).
Color (2008)
9+ rated b-sides: none
Other highlights: Snow Express is a beautiful synth-fueled dance track while Smile Maker is a burst of sunshine. Tomohisa Yamashita’s solo track MOLA is also worth a mention.
Live (2010)
9+ rated b-sides: Dancin’ In The Secret (whatever that means) is such a banger.
Other highlights: To me, this is News’ first great album. Live, Umareshi Kimi-e (生まれし君へ), Wonderland (ワンダーランド) and Be Funky are all very good.
NEWS (2013)
9+ rated b-sides: 4+Fan is a veritable festival of energy.
Other highlights: This was my first News album so it holds a special place in my heart (and includes some of my favorite singles). Greedier has a delicious melody, while Dance In The Dark is an absolute banger. Masuda’s solo Remedy is a fun bit of early-2010’s club music.
White (2015)
9+ rated b-sides: none
Other highlights: Byakuya is a like a movie musical, bringing a real sense of theatricality. Mr. White, Weather NEWS and SuperSONIC are all fantastic dance tracks and White Love Story is a beautiful ballad.
Quartetto (2016)
9+ rated b-sides: Sirius (シリウス) and Wonder are both 10/10’s for me. They’re some of the group’s best songs ever and Tegoshi’s vocals on the latter are goosebump-inducing.
Other highlights: I actually loved this album so much I wrote a track-by-track review back in 2016. There are so many highlights. Life (ライフ) and Departure have the anthemic, emotional sound News does so well. Quartetto is a straight-up banger and Newskool is an extremely fun hip-hop throwback. This would be a great album for new listeners to start with.
Neverland (2017)
9+ rated b-sides: U R Not Alone is one of the group’s biggest and best ever anthems. Un Deux Trois is an irresistibly perfect pop track. Black Fire is a straight-up a rock opera.
Other highlights: This is the first album in the group’s ambitious four-part concept series. It’s also one of their best. Neverland is immense and theatrical. Brightest and Silent Love offer softer pop grooves while Mysteria (ミステリア) gets us back to dramatic banger territory. Orihime is another anthem while Nagareboshi (流れ星) ups the energy. Solo tracks I’m Coming and Nyante (ニャン太) are also very good. This album is another ideal entry point for new fans. It’s definitely one of their best and more over-the-top.
Epcotia (2018)
9+ rated b-sides: none
Other highlights: This time, the concept is sci-fi. Kingdom echoes the best News sports stadium anthems. Jump Around is pure energy. The concept-heavy Epcotia is huge and dramatic. Twinkle Star tries on tropical trends while UFO, Erotica and Blackhole make a great late-album trilogy of songs.
WORLDISTA (2019)
9+ rated b-sides: Casino Drive is a guitar-fueled dance track with plenty of energy.
Other highlights: This album is frontloaded with a ton of great tracks. Worldista, Dead End, Invisible Dungeon (インビジブル ダンジョン) and Spirit are all solid News tracks with familiar sonic touchpoints. The solos are quite good as well, with Symphony of Dissonance, DoLLs and Going That Way all standing out.
Story (2020)
9+ rated b-sides: Story, Seven and Superstar form one of the greatest opening trilogies of any 2020’s album. Each are so overwhelmingly fantastic, almost like a three-pronged symphony. If I had to pick, Seven is my favorite. The emotional New Story is also up there. What a beautiful chorus!
Other highlights: This came out just as the pandemic was starting and will always be connected to that for me. It may just be my favorite News album overall, and the final one with four members. It’s such an emotional journey with some of their most effusive songs. Apart from the solos, I’d honestly call every song a highlight. Of those, the gorgeous ballad Stay With Me and the cathartic Clover (クローバー) deserve special mention. But really, the album should be listened to and enjoyed as a whole.
Ongaku (2022)
9+ rated b-sides: none
Other highlights: KMK The Boys Rock You All is easily my favorite b-side. The production is amazing. Triad, Canon (カノン) and Coda are also highlights, while Koyama’s Refrain is a super fun dance track.
Ongaku (2nd Movement) (2023)
9+ rated b-sides: A Real Man was actually a single, and a knockout one at that. I wrote about it here.
Other highlights: This is technically an EP, led by two singles. Tick-Tock is excellent and b-sides Hallelujah (ハレルヤ) and Memories (メモリーズ) are also fantastic.
News EXPO (2023)
9+ rated b-sides: none
Other highlights: Different Lives is the biggest standout here while Gekiban (劇伴) offers familiar sounds for the group. Overall, this could have been much better, though.
JAPANEWS (2024)
9+ rated b-sides: none
Other highlights: I haven’t listened to this new album much, but nothing stood out to me except Fireworks.