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.
2023-2025 Index
2026 Index: Dec 28 – Jan 3 // Jan 4 – Jan 10 // Jan 11 – Jan 17 // Jan 18 – Jan 24 // Jan 25 – Jan 31 // Feb 1 – Feb 7 // Feb 8 – Feb 14 // Feb 15 – Feb 21 // Feb 22 – Feb 28 // Mar 1 – Mar 7 // Mar 8 – Mar 14 // Mar 15 – Mar 21 // Mar 22 – Mar 28 // Mar 29 – Apr 4 // Apr 5 – Apr 11 // Apr 12 – Apr 18 // Apr 19 – Apr 25 // Apr 26 – May 2 // May 3 – May 9 // May 10 – May 16 // May 17 – May 23 // May 24 – May 30 // May 31 – Jun 6 // Jun 7 – Jun 13 // Jun 14 – Jun 20 // Jun 21 – Jun 27 // Jun 28 – Jul 4 // Jul 5 – Jul 11 // Jul 12 – Jul 18 // Jul 19 – Jul 25
THIS WEEK: July 26 – August 1
AST8 – Sway
I was SO with this until the chorus and I’m actually pissed off because it could have been an incredible song but it winds up being just okay. Why did they have to kill the momentum?
Ballistik Boyz – SAKU
It has its moments, but is overall pretty forgettable. These anthemic, guitar-led tracks are very popular this summer, aren’t they?
BE:FIRST – Bruce Wayne (ft. Flo Milli & ATL Jacob)
I don’t get the appeal of this repetitive, droning sound and phrasing. It’s so boring.
ILLIT – I Got Your Back (ft. Hana’s Jisoo & Momoka)
I wrote about this here. I thought it was pretty good.
Jam Heads – Z Love
I don’t really have anything to say about this. I just thought their group name was funny.
JO1 – Whatcha Doin
I wrote about this last week and now it has a music video. It’s still a mixed bag.
Juice=Juice – Bloody Bullet
Holy AI! Song is boring.
Kenshi Yonezu – Yodaka
A little more cinematic than most of his material, but still a bit dull for me.
King Gnu – Go Ghost
This has such a great atmosphere. I love the choral backing vocals.
Kis-My-Ft2 – HB2U
New songs about “Happy Birthdays” should be banned. Nothing good can come of this.
Mrs. Green Apple – Brand New
I wrote about this earlier in the month and now it has a music video. It still feels like a weird song for a Spider-Man soundtrack.
≒JOY – Natsu wa Jewelry
Not for me, but I hope it soundtracks someone’s summer.
One Love One Heart – Ups&Downs
A pretty formulaic OST track, but I’ll always be happy to hear new music from this group and I can see this growing on me.
RIIZE – Sunburst (song of the week!)
I’ll write a full review when the mv is out. For now, I’ll say this is a less-great version of Impossible, which is still great enough to earn some level of distinction in a weak week of releases.
The Super Fruit – Oshihen Kinshi Jourei
Well, this is… something.
timelesz. – Timeless Fireworks
Forgettable Fireworks.
UNiFY – Let’s Enjoy Together UNiFY
These self-introductory songs can be very lame, but this one’s a lot of fun.
WHIB – First Love Never Die
A perfectly fine rock-infused mid-tempo. Nothing memorable, but quite pleasant.
22/7_the 3rd – Kaze ha fuiteruka?
This has some nice soaring moments.
&TEAM – For You
A perfectly fine mid-tempo for the soundtrack of Jo’s upcoming movie.