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.
2023-2024 Index
2025 Index: Dec 29 – Jan 11 // Jan 12 – Jan 18
THIS WEEK: January 19 – January 25
Ado – Elf
A bit more restrained for her. I like this side of her vocal.
Cool-X – Poppin’
The song could be stronger but I appreciate the energy.
DXTEEN – Good Vibes
It’s nothing revolutionary, but this is fun and upbeat. It’s exactly as the title states.
Fashion Killas – We Are Fashion Killas
The whole XY project is just throwing anything they can at the wall. In this case, it feels like the visuals were given more attention than the song.
Genic – It’s Showtime (song of the week!)
I wrote about this here. I loved it!
Glay – Brighten Up
It’s always nice to hear from a veteran act.
Hinatazaka46 – Suzuka
A bit underwhelming for them.
ICEx – Utopia (song of the week!)
This is the version of their “retro toy pop” I like most. This might actually be their best song? I love the synths.
Issei – Go Getter (ft. AK-69)
After leaving the agency, it turns out all these ex-Starto Juniors just wanted to make bad hip-hop…
Karencici – Say It To My Face (ft. ØZI)
This is the kind of song that feels as if it’s trying harder to be cool than enjoyable.
Kenshi Yonezu – Plazma
He remains immensely popular but this sound just isn’t for me and I’m a bit annoyed that it’s taken over so much of J-pop’s current soundscape.
Kid Phenomenon – Party Over Here
They have a couple of great songs. This isn’t one of them.
MATSURI – Aventure Nakameguro
I like this new Avex group in theory, but the song is too old-fashioned even for me.
Mrs. Green Apple – Darling
Another surefire chart-topper, though all their music is starting to blend together for me.
Nemophila – Just Do It
Just pummeling.
Novel Core – Ojigi (ft. Shunto & Ryoki)
Not my thing.
ONE OK ROCK – Puppets Can’t Control You
This is my least favorite pre-release track from their new album so far. It’s still solid, but feels a bit too straightforward.
The Oral Cigarettes – Dikidandan
That title…
The song’s pretty good, though.
Super Beaver – Namida no Syotai
A solid rock track.
TK from Ling tosite sigure – Un-Apex
This highlight from a couple weeks ago now has a music video.
7ORDER – Harajuku Scream
I wish this had more of a chorus, but I still find it fascinating. I especially like the mv.
This week’s old favorite:
Hiroyuki Takami – Knights Of Peace (2023)
I put off listening to Hiroyuki Takami’s solo work because I assumed it wouldn’t be to my taste without Daisuke Asakura’s production. But surprise surprise, I might even prefer it to his work with Access! This is one recent standout that’s been lodged on my playlist recently.