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 // Mar 31 – Apr 6 // Apr 7 – Apr 13 // Apr 14 – Apr 20 // Apr 21 – Apr 27 // Apr 28 – May 4 // May 5 – May 11 // May 12 – May 18 // May 19 – May 25 // May 26 – Jun 1 // Jun 2 – Jun 8 // Jun 9 – Jun 15 // Jun 16 – Jun 22 // Jun 23 – Jun 29 // Jun 30 – Jul 6 // Jul 7 – Jul 13 // Jul 14 – Jul 20 // Jul 21 – Jul 27 // Jul 28 – Aug 3 // Aug 4 – Aug 10 // Aug 11 – Aug 17 // Aug 18 – Aug 24 // Aug 25 – Aug 31 // Sep 1 – Sep 7 // Sep 8 – Sep 14 // Sep 15 – Sep 21 // Sep 22 – Sep 28 // Sep 29 – Oct 5 // Oct 6 – Oct 12 // Oct 13 – Oct 19 // Oct 20 – Oct 26 // Oct 27 – Nov 2 // Nov 3 – Nov 9 // Nov 10 – Nov 16 // Nov 17 – Nov 23
THIS WEEK: November 24 – November 30
A.B.C-Z -Hiri Hiri (song of the week!)
This is such a fun re-creation of the mid-90’s Eurobeat sound that was so popular in Japan. This is easily their best single in years. They hit me right in the musical sweet spot. The song is so enjoyable I can even overlook some of the dubious vocal work.
Aina The End – Poppin’ Love
It’s interesting to hear her release something so upbeat. I like parts of this (the piano stabs in the pre-chorus!) but overall it’s solid but unspectacular.
Fudanjuku – Issai Gassai I Love You
This is fun. Very J-pop.
Gang Parade – Good Luck My Future
I like the stomping percussion that opens this.
Genin wa Jibun ni Aru. – Operation Ego
Who says they don’t write weird songs anymore? This sounds as if a bunch of shrapnel was thrown in a blender. I don’t even know what to think, but I admire its chutzpah and find it strangely addicting.
Hey Say JUMP! – eek!
Their new album is actually pretty solid (minus the horrendous Donkey Gongs) and their full catalog is finally on streaming so I can post a b-side. I highly recommend the theatrical Dark Hero. I love this style of Starto song. Eek! is decent, too.
Hilcrhyme – The Ambition
I wouldn’t call this “ambitious,” but it’s nice.
LUN8 – Together Forever
The vocals sound uncomfortable on this.
Mamoru Miyano – Dressing
Best Miyano single in years. I love this sound for him. It’s got an 80’s rock sheen that works very well.
Mrs. Green Apple – Bitter Vacances
With each passing release, I realize that 2023’s Magic was just a fluke for me. I’m not a big fan of this song.
Naniwa Danshi – Arigato Kokorokara
Yeah, they can keep this one.
NCT Wish – Wishful Winter
I wrote about this here. I thought it was okay.
Nogizaka46 – Hodoukyo
They’ve now released a music video for this winter single. It’s very pretty and seasonal.
Psychic Fever – Cold Rain
Ooh, those synths are soooo satisfying. The song itself isn’t as compelling, but that atmosphere is enough to have me coming back for more.
Ryugujo – Hunting Dog / Taboo (song of the week!)
Nothing on their new album quite matches their near-flawless Deep Wave EP from earlier in the year, but I really like a couple of the unit tracks. Hunting Dog has an especially nice sound.
Seventeen – Shohikigen
I wrote about this here. I liked it.
XENO – Bada Bing, Bada Boom
I feel like I’m on drugs.
Zipang Opera – KAMIYAGURA (song of the week!)
This is the kind of high-octane dramatic rock I like from them.
This week’s old favorite:
Yuki Kimura – Bad Boy! (1999)
When in doubt, always go back to a Daisuke Asakura produced banger. Bad Boy wasn’t even one of Yuki Kimura’s singles, but I’ve always loved its 80’s sound and awesome suite of synths.