25 Days Of Christmas Countdown Day #24: J-pop Groups to Watch in 2016

Why is it so dang difficult to find a list of Japanese groups that debuted in 2015?! I KNOW that I know of groups that have actually debuted in 2015 but I just can't remember anything....so I just decided to go with groups that are newer that I discovered in 2015.

Group #1: Tsubaki Factory

I'm just going to keep posting about them dang it lol. Tsubaki Factory is Hello! Project's newest group. They were formed in April with six members from Hello Pro Kenshuusei. They made their debut in August with their first indies single, Seishun Manmannaka. This song is an electropop number reminiscent of songs from Morning Musume during the current colorful era.

In November, they unveiled their second indies track, Kedakaku Sakihokore. It is also an electropop track like Seishun, but this time features a rap section by the members.

With the group still in their infancy, it will be fun to watch them grow over the course of 2016 and hopefully we will see their major debut soon in the next year.

Group #2: Osaka Syunkasyuto

It irks me that they romanize it as Syunkasyuto instead of Shunkashuto. It just looks bad like Syachihoko instead of Shachihoko. I'll probably just keep it as Shunkashuto even though the official romanization is with the ys. Osaka Shunkashuto is a seven member group that debuted in 2014. Member Maina is the lead in their tracks and has an absolutely stellar voice. They've released a few tracks so far and have recently released their first mini album, Early Season. I haven't yet listened to all of the CD as I haven't received it yet, but one of the songs on the EP, C'Mon!, is an uptempo pop-rock track led by their powerhouse vocalist Maina.

Because of how they managed to impress me as they have and with Maina's vocals, they are a group to keep your eye on in the coming year.

Group #3: X21

X21 is currently a thirteen member group put together by Avex who debuted in 2013. I cam across them this year with the release of their first album, Shoujo X, and the title track that was released for promotion. Shoujo X is a strong pop song with a driving beat that you can't help but want to dance to.

Earlier this year, X21 was issued a challenged by their company. If they didn't sell 10k copies or reach the top 10 with their new single, You-Ki no Parade, the group would go on an "indefinite hiatus". The song, a happy idol pop track, managed to reach #5 on the charts, allowing the group to continue.

Their most recent release is Magical Kiss, another idol pop track with a beat that reminds me of some Christmas songs.

As they are a more established group than the other two, and were able to beat their challenge, they are a J-pop group to watch in 2016.

25 Days Of Christmas Day #25: Merry Christmas!!!

I know I haven't posted the 24th day yet, but I wanted to post this before the end of Christmas. So I just want to wish everyone a very Merry Christmas & a Happy New Year!!

25 Days Of Christmas Countdown Day #23: K-pop Groups to Watch in 2016

So this is slightly different than the other posts I've done. I want to highlight three groups that debuted this past year that I'm looking forward to seeing more of in 2016. I should also say that I likely won't get tomorrow's post up for tomorrow. I'll be running around everywhere because of the busy-ness of Christmas Eve, but I hope I can get it up.

Group #1: Oh My Girl

Oh My Girl is an eight member group that debuted in April of 2015 with their first mini album, Oh My Girl. The lead single from the mini album was Cupid, a cute track somewhere between an early SNSD and KARA's recent material sound wise.

In October, Oh My Girl came back with their second mini album, Closer, with the lead song being the title track. Closer is a mid-tempo track with an ethereal sounding EDM beat, reminiscent of what you would hear on Ellie Goulding's Halcyon. With this track, it seems as if Oh My Girl has lit a fire in the international K-pop community, gaining the song a lot of praise for an offering from a new girl group.

Oh My Girl hadn't managed to capture my attention with their debut track, but blew me away with their comeback. There will be a lot of hype for the follow up to Closer, and this makes Oh My Girl a group to watch out for in the coming year.

Group #2: Twice

Twice is a nine member group that debuted in October of 2015 with their first mini album, The Story Begins. The lead single from the mini album was Like Ooh-Ahh, an upbeat pop track which is almost like a combo of early 4Minute and early SNSD.

Twice's debut had been highly anticipated as they began on the JYP Entertainment survival show Sixteen. As they have a lot of momentum behind them and they are yet to release a follow up, they are another group to look out for in 2016.

Group #3: CLC

CLC is a five member group that debuted in March of 2015 with their first mini album, First Love. The lead single from the mini album was Pepe, an upbeat and colorful track that showed off the girls' charms.

After the release of their debut CD, the girls made their comeback with the digital single Eighteen in April. The song is a synth filled pop track catchy pop track that follows Pepe nicely. While not a true comeback, the release served to generate hype for the next mini album which was released in May, with the title track Like. This song is a peppy cute track in contrast to their first release.

Although CLC failed to impress me with their comeback, I still am looking forward to what they can come out with next. I have hopes that they'll rise to the level of 4Minute's music. As they have gone the longest of the three groups with no comeback, their return hopefully with happen in early 2016.

25 Days Of Christmas Countdown Day #22: Top Hello! Project Songs 2015

I'm not entirely certain on my feelings about H!P's music this year. Losing Tsunku as the producer for almost all of the groups was such a huge blow in my opinion. His music was the main reason I fell in love with Hello! Project as much as I did. I'm hoping that as he continues to recover and get more into work again that we'll see at least one song by him per group next year.

Morning Musume probably released the best tracks as a whole this year. From their first single this year, Seishun Kozou and Yuugure were both fantastic. I've gotten a little sick of Seishun, but Yuugure is really a highlight in their discography. Ima Koko Kara was good as well, but I often forget it exists. Their second single was awesome as well, with Oh My Wish being one of my favorite tracks from the colorful era. Sukatto was a nice break from the EDM for those that had been wishing for it. Ima Sugu I don't care for much at all. It's really bland. Their newest single doesn't take up any spots on my list because it's too new, but it continues their sreak of pretty good singles for the year. Endless Sky is ok. I like it more than Ima Sugu at least. Tsumetai is absolutely gorgeous though. If it had been released a little sooner I could have easily placed it among the best of the year. The beat in the song is perfection. One And Only is amazing for the sole fact that it was made for us. The foreign fanbase. I'm grateful that UFP wants to reach out to us like they do. They don't have to, but they do anyway and it is so appreciated. The song itself is typical Musume, but a lot of fun to close out a bittersweet goodbye single for Riho.

Berryz sole musical offering this year remains one of their best ever. I'm glad they ended with a high. I'll still miss them though.

C-ute was one of the worst music-wise in H!P this year. I did quite like The Middle Management, but it wasn't good enough to have a place on my list. Tsugi no Kado eventually grew on me and GamushaLife kind of did, but both are kind of boring if you're not in the mood to listen to them. Their second single was pretty bad though in my opinion. Even though I love hearing Airi & Chisato sing, Arigatou is so boring. It was difficult to get through it once. Arashi would have been good if Maimi wasn't allowed to sing. She kind of ruins it. The previews from their album aren't all that great either. I had high hopes for Digitalic because I was expecting something Perfume-y, but it sounds like a mess. The rest I can't remember at all which isn't a good sign. Hoping next year is better for C-ute. Actually, I think they'd be better off graduating from idol-dom and moving to UFP as full artists. They could do so much more I believe without H!P & the idol tag holding them in place.

Angerme has given me mixed feelings this year. On one hand, they've really come into their own as a group with the addition of the 3ki. The group seemed pretty solid this year. Losing Kanon didn't seem like it would affect them much, and then Meimi announced her graduation. Meimi is really a core vocalist for the group and it's going to be a major blow when she leaves so I hope everyone steps up when she's gone. Music-wise, I don't feel like Angerme was a solid as their group seems. Taiki Bansei & Otome was an amazing way to start the year. The gothic and peppy themes worked perfectly. Their second single didn't come through as much as their first did. Nana Korobi is one of the best things they've done this year, but Gashinshoutan was boring generic idol pop. Mahou Tsukai was cute, but felt out of place for the group. Their final single was their worst this year though. I want to pretend like Desugita doesn't exist and Watashi is okay but annoying to listen to more than a little. Dondengaeshi was pretty good and I certainly hope that if their last single is indication on the direction they're doing to choose, I hope that direction is Dondengaeshi and not Desugita. Of the new songs on their album, only Marionette is a stand out (and one of their best ever). The other Latin flavored one was pretty good, but beyond that I only remember the other ones being boring. I'm just hoping for consistency for them next year.

Juice=Juice was completely a non-event this year. One single and one album, that's it. Next year seems bright for them though because of their drama coming up. Their only single this year was quite a let down from their previous material. Beyond what Country Girls put out, Wonderful World is the most bland song to come out of H!P this year. Ca va was pretty great, but still pales in comparison to their main A-sides in past years. Their album proved to be better than the single, even though I don't remember half of the tracks. That's my own fault though. I haven't given the album a listen since I received it.

Country Girls started off well for a cutesy group, but took a nosedive with their second single. I had absolutely no expectations for them as cutesy groups are a pretty big turn off for me, but their first single was so catchy! Itooshikute & Koi Dorobu are fun tracks despite being cutesy. Because I had been surprised by them with their first single, I was looking forward to their next one. Which was horrible. A poor Itooshikute rip off & the generic mess of Tameranai. Gone was the charm of the first single. I'm hoping that with the addition of the two new members, they can get back on a good path next year. Hopefully. I'd be horribly disappointed if Musubu was exiled to the blandness of Country Girls and they never improved.

Kobushi had a pretty good debut year in my opinion. I'm not a huge fan of the rock style for idol groups, but it suits them so much. I'm actually disappointed that they only had one true single this year. It's actually funny that in the end Nen ni wa Nen, which I thought would be the only song I liked on the single, turned out to be my least played from it. I'm not going to pretend that Ramen Daisuki is actually a good song, but it's so catchy that you can't help but love it in the end. Dosukoi is also really fun. It's too bad nothing topped Survivor this year though. Even though it was just for a stage play, it's their best song yet and I hope to see more of that "darker pop/rock" style in their upcoming single.

Tsubaki was the wild card this year. No one expected a new group formed right after Kobushi. I honestly didn't expect a whole lot out of them. The only member I really sort of cared about in the Kenshuusei was Kisora. Then they released their first song. Yeah they aren't the greatest singers or performers or what have you, but they managed to blow even Morning Musume out of the water with their song. I have heard their newest song and it sounds super catchy like Seishun as well so I have high hopes for it when a better performance comes out. Tsubaki is the group I'm most excited to see in 2016.

#10: Morning Musume - Sukatto My Heart

#9: Juice=Juice - Choice & Chance

#8: Morning Musume - Seishun Kozou ga Naiteiru

#7: Kobushi Factory - Survivor

#6: Morning Musume - Yuugure wa Ameagari

#5: Angerme - Nana Korobi Yaoki

#4: Angerme - Marionette 37C

#3: Berryz Kobo - Love Together!

#2: Morning Musume - Oh My Wish!

#1: Tsubaki Factory - Seishun Manmannaka!

Enjoy! What are your favorite H!P songs of the year?

25 Days Of Christmas Countdown Day #21: Top 48G Songs 2015

48G has been very hit or miss this year in my opinion. AKB themselves have actually been pretty great, both with A-sides & B-sides. Much better than last year anyway. SKE wasn't too bad, but not many of there songs really popped to me. NMB's A-sides were pretty fantastic (minus Durian Shounen), but their B-sides were bland. HKT & Nogi were pretty much non-events this year. I hoping that for the sister groups next year's music is better overall and AKB keeps up what they have going this year.

#10: AKB48 - Halloween Night

#9: NMB48 - Renai Petenshi

#8: SKE48 - Coquettish Juutaichuu

#7: AKB48 - Amanojaku Batta

#6: AKB48 - Haru no Hikari Chikazuita Natsu

#5: NMB48 - Don't Look Back

#4: AKB48 - Bokutachi wa Tatakawanai

#3: NMB48 - Must Be Now

#2: Jurina Matsui - Akai Pin Heel no Professor

#1: AKB48 - Mizu no Naka no Dendouritsu

Enjoy! What are your favorite 48G songs of the year?

25 Days Of Christmas Countdown Day #20: Top Western Songs 2015

The Western pop scene doesn't get enough love from K-pop or J-pop fans. I will never understand why some of those fans (K-pop fans in particular) rave about other countries' pop music being SO much better than American stuff when it's pretty much exactly the same thing. Just with more groups instead of solo singers. There's nothing wrong with preferring one over the other, but to say that there's this vast difference in musical style & quality is wrong. There's crap music in K-pop, J-pop, and American pop, just like there's good music in all three. This list was also really incredibly difficult because of the sheer amount of artists this covers. I'm going to need to have a better solution next year lol. Spotify playlist at the bottom this time instead of YT videos.

#10: The Weeknd - In The Night

#9: Demi Lovato - Kingdom Come (ft. Iggy Azalea)

#8: Colette Carr - Three Percent

#7: Zedd - I Want You To Know (ft. Selena Gomez)

#6: Ellie Goulding - On My Mind

#5: Adam Lambert - Evil In The Night

#4: Walk The Moon - Work This Body

#3: Fall Out Boy - Fourth Of July

#2: Melanie Martinez - Pity Party

#1: Pentatonix - Ref

Enjoy! What are some of your favorite Western tracks of the year?

25 Days Of Christmas Countdown Day #19: Top J-pop Idol 2015

So unlike yesterday's list which was J-pop acts in general, this list is all Japanese idol groups. This year I really found myself digging deeper in the Japanese girl group scene. I had been content for years with just 48G & H!P and a couple other songs here and there, but over the years I've become more and more curious about other groups that are out there. I have to say that the idol scene in Japan is quite overwhelming because of the sheer number of groups that exist. It's also interesting to me how many of these local idol groups have YouTube channels and allow overseas viewers to see videos and such. YouTube has really been an awesome way for me to discover new groups.

For this list, 48G & H!P are excluded like always.

#10: Linda III Sei - Ruby Monogatari

#9: Fairies - Kiss Me Babe

#8: Osaka Syunkasyuto - C'Mon!

#7: X21 - Shoujo X

#6: Ayami Muto - Parallel World

#5: Dianna Sweet - Fire Girl

#4: Yuu Kikkawa - Wild Strawberry

#3: Up Up Girls - Bijo no Yajuu

#2: Cupitron - Battery

#1: Galette - Air Summer

Enjoy! What are your favorite songs from Japanese idols this year?

25 Days Of Christmas Countdown Day #18: Top J-Pop 2015

This list is only for J-pop acts, so what I mean by that is no current idol groups or singers. Groups like Perfume and soloists like Tomomi Itano still count in this list to me as girls like Tomomi are former idols and I don't count Perfume as an idol group. Again, I've only barely begun to scratch the surface of non-idol J-pop so this list probably trends pretty close to groups/singers associated with idol pop. But, I am getting more into other Japanese acts so hopefully by this time next year I'll have different types of acts to feature! I also only have a top seven because I couldn't think of anything else non-idol I've really cared for this year. Another reason I need to get into more things!

#7: Namie Amuro - Golden Touch

#6: Man With A Mission - Raise Your Flag

#5: Perfume - Pick Me Up

#4: Ai Shinozaki - A-G-A-I-N

#3: Tomomi Itano - Gimme Gimme Luv

#2: Perfume - Star Train

#1: Ai Otsuka - Laugh

Enjoy! Anyone have any good recommendations for a non-idol J-pop song?

25 Days Of Christmas Countdown Day #17: Top K-pop 2015

So unlike my earlier lists which were all time lists, now we're on to the year specific lists. The first of these is K-pop 2015. For the past couple of years, I felt like K-pop was on a decline. In 2014, I felt like K-pop had taken a nosedive into that decline like it had never before. There's really only a handful of songs I can name from 2012-2014 that I would still call today "pretty good", unlike 2009-2011 where K-pop was at it's peak. This year, however, the releases have actually been pretty good. I'd say that 2015 is a great turnaround for K-pop and I'm hoping that it continues into 2016. As I don't listen to boy groups much anymore, this list is all from the ladies lol.

#10: Twice - Like Ooh-Aah

#9: EXID - Ah Yeah

#8: Girl's Day - Ring My Bell

#7: 4Minute - Crazy

#6: AOA - Heart Attack

#5: Nine Muses - Hurt Locker

#4: Red Velvet - Dumb Dumb

#3: Brown Eyed Girls - Brave New World

#2: Wonder Girls - I Feel You

#1: Oh My Girl - Closer

Enjoy! What are your thoughts on K-pop this year?

25 Days Of Christmas Countdown Day #16: Top H!P/48G songs (From acts other than the current main groups)

I know, I know....I missed another day. I was doing so well with being on time for things (even having some things typed up early!). I will try not to fail for the few days I have left lol.

This pretty much covers any former group, subgroup, and soloist of HP/48G. So essentially none of the current main groups. Of course the vast majority of the list is Hello Project, mainly because I haven't heard much from the subgroups and soloists of 48G yet. They just have SO MANY songs to get through lol. The list was pretty difficult to come up with because of the massive amount of songs to pick from, but I think I like the way the list is. Maybe next year I'll have more 48G representation.

#10: Koharu Kusumi - Balalaika (2006)

#9: High-King - Kioku no Miero (2008)

#8: SDN48 - Tengoku no Door wa 3kaime no Bell de Aku (2011)

#7: W - Ai no Imi wo Oshiete! (2005)

#6: SDN48 - Kodoku na Runner (2010)

#5: Def.Diva - Suki Sugite Baka Mitai (2005)

#4: Country Musume - Uwaki na Honey Pie (2003)

#3: Aya Matsuura - Good Bye Natsuo (2003)

#2: Maki Goto - Ai no Bakayarou (2001)

#1: W - Samishii Nettaigyo (2004)

Enjoy! What do you think of the past groups of 48G & Hello! Project?

25 Days Of Christmas Countdown Day #15: Top H!P Members (Year End Edition)

Link From May's Ranking.

As I've stated before, I feel like H!P has been on a bit of a downturn this year, music wise. I guess I'm still not over Tsunku not producing all of the groups' music anymore. Some of the new people brought in have done awesome [Nana Korobi Yaoki, Choice & Chance, Seishun Manmannaka], but some have been downright dreadful [Desugita, Tamerenai]. I'm hoping that in 2016 Tsunku does at least one song for every group & we have less attempts at "metal" or "super duper cutesy".

As before, no members who have announced their graduations are listed.

Morning Musume

-In my opinion, Morning Musume has had the best year in H!P. This year will be a good turning point for them with Riho leaving. Their first single of the year was pretty solid, with a nice attempt at a different type of music video, their second single showed different centers and different styles of music, and their third single (although I find it the weakest release from them this year), represents that change when Riho leaves. 2016 will be interesting for Musume.

#1: Kanon Suzuki

#2: Masaki Sato

-Masaki's getting realllllly close to inching out Kanon for that top spot. She really just blossomed this year into a star.

#3: Sakura Oda

#4: Miki Nonaka

#5: Akane Haga

-I never cared for Akane in the Kenshuusei, but man she has really caught my attention in Musume.

#6: Haruka Kudo

#7: Ayumi Ishida

#8: Mizuki Fukumura

#9: Maria Makino

-Once my favorite Kenshuusei, was really excited to see her in Musume, and now she's really low in rankings. She just hasn't stood out at all in Musume. I wonder if she would've been a better choice for Kobushi or Tsubaki.

#10: Haruna Iikubo

#11: Erina Ikuta

#12: Haruna Ogata

-I feel bad for listing one of the newbies in the last spot. I just don't see what she adds to the group. Maybe she'll grow within the next year.

C-ute

-C-ute has been super meh this year with their releases. The Middle Management was cool, but I got tired of it pretty quickly. I eventually warmed up to Tsugi no Kado, but again, not much replay value. Their second single this year was worse though. Arigatou was boring and Arashi could have been pretty great if Maimi hadn't been allowed to sing. I'm hoping their album presents something awesome, but from Jounetsu and Iron Heart, I'm not holding my breath.

#1: Airi Suzuki

#2: Chisato Okai

#3: Mai Hagiwara

#4: Saki Nakajima

#5: Maimi Yajima

-Ah. I should feel bad for saying this but I wish she'd leave (or switch positions with Saki). Arashi could have been a good song if she wouldn't have sung in it. I don't hate her at all and she seems to truly enjoy what she does but I just hate her vocals so much.

Angerme

-Angerme has had an up & down year for me. Their first release was completely awesome & their second was also pretty great (discounting Gashin Shoutan). I still haven't heard all of the new album tracks in full yet so I can't really comment on it, although it did bring us the masterpiece that is Marionette. Their final single though was really a let down. I hope management never allows them to attempt a "metal" song again. None of them (besides maybe Meimi & Mizuki if they had enough coaching) can pull it off & Desugita was a screamy mess. Dondengaeshi is catchy, but it's missing that spark, and Watashi sounds cool, but why did Kanon, a girl that can truly sing, have to use the annoying high pitched cutesy vocals. It's bothersome. I'm just hoping for a little more consistency in their releases next year. I'm hoping they continue in the Otome/Nana Korobi/Dondengaeshi range. I think those kind of songs suit their image best.

#1: Ayaka Wada

#2: Meimi Tamura

#3: Mizuki Murota

#4: Maho Aikawa

-When she was first added to Angerme, I didn't get it. It was so out of left field that she was added, but even though she's still kind of awkward, she has this really cool persona that just draws you to her.

#5: Rikako Sasaki

#6: Akari Takeuchi

#7: Kana Nakanishi

#8: Rina Katsuta

Juice=Juice

-Juice=Juice hasn't really done much this year besides their half great half mediocre single and their album. Their album was just ok to me. I feel like I need to give it a couple more listens because nothing really grabbed me at first besides Choice & Chance. I'm hoping they get more releases next year.

#1: Karin Miyamoto

#2: Akari Uemura

#3: Yuka Miyazaki

#4: Sayuki Takagi

#5: Tomoko Kanazawa

-It bothers me that Tomoko is becoming a second Maimi to me. I really liked her when the group began but the tone of her voice just keeps sounding more and more awful to me.

Country Girls

-Oh Country Girls. I dislike the cutesy idol style, but their first single gave me hope that it would be done right. Both songs, although cutesy, were super catchy and fun. Then came their second single, with a Itooshikute rehash and the God-awful Tameranai. Now that Musubu's in the group, I really hope they step it up with Country Girls musically because I would hate to see Musubu stuck in a boring cutesy song rehash group.

#1: Musubu Funaki

-I wanted her for a new group/Musume so much but I'm just ecstatic that she's debuting!!

#2: Risa Yamaki

#3: Manaka Inaba

#4: Chisaki Morito

#5: Mai Ozeki

#6: Nanami Yanagawa

-I just don't know enough about her to have her in any other position besides the last one, not counting Momoko.

#7: Momoko Tsugunaga

Kobushi Factory

-Honestly I was not expecting to care much more Kobushi. I wasn't interested in hearing that they were going in a "rock" direction, but their single has been kind of a sleeper hit for me. I couldn't stand Ramen at first, but it's so catchy you can't help but love it. Dosukoi is pretty cool too. Although I'm not the biggest rock fan, I think this direction is perfect for their talent.

#1: Minami Nomura

#2: Ayaka Hirose

#3: Rei Inoue

#4: Sakurako Wada

#5: Rio Fujii

#6: Ayano Hamaura

#7: Natsumi Taguchi

#8: Rena Ogawa

Tsubaki Factory

-Tsubaki has really blown me away this year. I'd even argue that Seishun Manmannaka is my favorite release of the year. I know that most people complain about them not being the "best" singers or performers, but honestly, with a style like Seishun, they don't really NEED to be at Kobushi's level. To me it seems like they were designed to be the visual group with catchy electro songs to hide their supposed lack of ability. I also believe that a couple years from now they're going to have an explosion of talent and leave Kobushi in the dust. I view the whole Kobushi/Tsubaki thing very much like Berryz/Cute, and I think that was the point from H!P as well.

-I can finally rank them with some certainty!

#1: Kisora Niinuma

-I swear I will name my first daughter Kisora. I've never heard a name that I fell in love with so much as "Kisora". For Kisora herself, I love her performing. She's adorable and has one of the better vocals in Tsubaki.

#2: Yumeno Kishimoto

#3: Kiki Asakura

#4: Risa Ogata

#5: Ami Tanimoto

#6: Riko Yamagishi

Kenshuusei

#1: Ruru Danbara

-#DebutRuru2016Please.

#2: Kizuki Horie

#3: Kurumi Takase

#4: Kaede Kaga

#5: Reina Ichioka

#6: Mao Akiyama

#7-#18: The rest. I just don't have any kind of opinion on the rest of the girls (except Yumei. She can't sing at all and I feel bad for wanting her to quit because this is her dream, but gosh she's bad even for idol standards.)

That's my list. How would you rank Hello! Project?

25 Days Of Christmas Countdown Day #14: Top 48G Members (Year End Edition)

Ahhh I realize I didn't post this yesterday sorry! I had it typed up & ready to go but then I got very distracted by Dragon Age Inquisition.....lol. So I did a version of this earlier this year [Old Ranking From May Link], and this is my updated version for 48G. For NGT48 & Keyakizaka46, the members I have listed are more like first impressions from photos since they haven't really done anything lol. Like last time, it includes no members who have announced their graduations. I may also have a couple little comments for some members.

So before we get into the member lists, I just want to state some impressions on 48G as a whole this year. The music released this year by the groups was much higher quality than last year in my opinion. AKB in particular had pretty good A-sides and some fantastic B-sides. SKE & NMB were wonderful as well. HKT, unfortunately, I believe suffers from the sheer amount of groups/releases that need to be done. Absolutely nothing they did stood out to me this year. Nothing Nogizaka released really made an impression on me either, but I think that their music quality in general is pretty high, even though I don't quite care for the style. When it comes to the groups themselves, I think this year is establishing a turning point for them. First of all, there are SO MANY new girls incoming. At this point the groups are becoming so over-saturated they really need to stop with all of the new members/new groups. Also, if they're going to add all of these new girls, can they PLEASE do something with them? They (especially those running AKB) are playing it way too safe with Senbatsu choices and pushes. The new gen girls are being completely cast aside for the old. You'd think management would learn from Morning Musume about the importance of establishing newer members in the public eye, but apparently they haven't. They can't rely on Atsuko & Yuko to keep them relevant forever or the future AKB will be cursed with old gens maintaining relevance to the public, while new girls can't get a foothold. I sincerely hope that after the mess of a single they're planning for March that they make a real transition to the new gens. Give new girls variety show slots, give them subunits to show their unique talents, give them maybe an internet web series for viral marketing, give them photobooks, make them visible. Of course the shadow of the old AKB will always be there, but if they don't try and get new girls into the public eye, they will become exactly where Morning Musume is at right now. Handshakes will not hold them forever and the cracks in the system are starting to show.

Well that was kinda depressing lol. Onto the ranking! Just like the first time I did this, I can't explain why I like certain girls over others. Also besides approximately my top 3, most other positions are completely fluid so expect huge changes from last time lol.

AKB48

-My top 5 remained somewhat the same, but my bottom ranks totally changed (no thanks in part to Mitsuki graduating T-T)

#1: Minami Minegishi

-She'll always be my favorite in all the 48Gs.

#2: Misaki Iwasa

-Her solo single this year helped her to move up in ranks

#3: Nana Okada

-Why is she NOT senbatsu yet?! It's such a tragedy.

#4: Mayu Watanabe

-I was never a fan of Mayuyu. I thought she was one of those flavor of the month idols who just tried to be cutesy all the time for attention. This year I just became so impressed with her starting from her reaction to placing third in the election.

#5: Hijiri Tanikawa

#6: Yuka Tano

#7: Yuki Kashiwagi

#8: Ayana Shinozaki

#9: Kiara Sato

#10: Kira Takahashi

She's completely new, but there's something that says to me "I'm gonna be a star!" when I see her.

SKE48

#1: Aya Shibata

#2: Rara Goto

-To me, she has the idol aura. I think she's a new Sayaka in the making. Hopefully fans don't dislike her push and make her more like Rina Ikoma.

#3: Jurina Matsui

#4: Kaori Matsumura

#5: Madoka Umemoto

#6: Akari Suda

#7: Nao Furuhata

#8: Ruka Kitano

#9: Kyoka Isohara

#10: Ami Miyamae

NMB48

#1: Sayaka Yamamoto

#2: Rina Yamao

#3: Shu Yabushita

#4: Fuuko Yagura

#5: Kanae Iso

#6: Ayaka Umeda

#7: Konomi Kusaka

#8: Ririka Suto

#9: Nagisa Shibuya

#10: Miyuki Watanabe

HKT48

#1: Meru Tashima

#2: Chihiro Anai

#3: Sakura Miyawaki

#4: Haruka Ueno

#5: Yui Kojina

#6: Haruka Kodama

#7: Emiri Yamashita

#8: Anna Murashige

#9: Nako Yabuki

#10: Miku Tanaka

NGT48

#1: Yuka Ogino

#2: Minami Kato

#3: Yuria Otaki

#4: Reina Seiji

#5: Noe Yamada

#6: Ayaka Mizusawa

#7: Marina Nishigata

#8: Maho Yamaguchi

#9: Rie Kitahara

#10: Nanako Nishimura

Nogizaka46

#1: Rina Ikoma

-I really wish that she was popular. I love her and she makes a fantastic center.

#2: Minami Hoshino

#3: Maaya Wada

#4: Mai Shiraishi

#5: Nanase Nishino

#6: Iori Sagara

#7: Sayuri Matsumura

#8: Manatsu Akimoto

#9: Marika Ito

#10: Yumi Wakatsuki

Keyakizaka46

#1: Fuyuka Saito

#2: Yui Imaizumi

#3: Miyu Suzumoto

#4: Aoi Harada

#5: Manaka Shida

#6: Yui Kobayashi

#7: Nijika Ishimori

#8: Yuuka Sugai

#9: Nanami Yonetani

#10: Nanako Nagasawa

So that's my list! Who are your favorite 48G members?

25 Days Of Christmas Countdown Day #13: Top Morning Musume Songs

This list was SO DIFFICULT. It's no secret that Morning Musume is my favorite group of all time. I've never heard a group where almost their entire discography is listenable for me. Unlike with all of the other groups on my countdown, I've actually heard all of Morning Musume's songs which just made this ranking all the harder. I'm kind of glad I've been too lazy to listen to 48G stages or Berryz albums, for example lol. This is also probably the only list of I've done where all of songs might not be ones I like to listen to the most, but songs that have a lot of meaning for me & my following of Morning Musume. Like how Onna to Otoko is the first MM song I ever heard, or Only You is the song that made me from a casual listener to a fan, or Renai Hunter which turned me from a fan to someone who actually cares about the actual group itself and not just the music. As much as I love Hello! Project & 48G, as a whole they just have good songs. Morning Musume is the only artist that I've ever connected to on the level that I have.

#10: Only You (2011)

#9: Say Yeah! Motto Miracle Night (2000)

#8: Ai Araba It's All Right (2004)

#7: Onna ni Sachi Are (2007)

#6: Renai Hunter (2012)

#5: Do It! Now (2001)

#4: Onna to Otoko no Lullaby Game (2010)

#3: Osaka Koi no Uta (2005)

#2: Fantasy ga Hajimaru (2010)

#1: Watashi wa Watashi Nanda (2014)

Enjoy! What's your favorite Musume track?

25 Days Of Christmas Countdown Day #12: Top Berryz Kobo Songs

Ah Berryz. One of the first J-pop groups I was ever introduced to and one of the first J-pop group disbandments I've witnessed. I've decided to include them in my countdown this year as they were still a group in the beginning of this year and I think it's only fair to mention them. The fact that it's been almost a year since their end is mindblowing.

#10: Jiriri Kiteru (2006)

#9: Love Together! (2015)

#8: Dakishimete Dakishimete (2009)

#7: Motto Zutto Issho ni Itakatta (2013)

#6: Koi no Jubaku (2004)

#5: Heroine ni Narou ka (2011)

#4: Rock Erotic (2013)

#3: 1oku 3senman Sou Diet Oukoku (2014)

#2: Nanchuu Koi wo Yatteru You Know? (2005)

#1: Ai no Dangan (2011)

Enjoy! What are your thoughts on Berryz?

25 Days Of Christmas Countdown Day #11: Top C-ute Songs

Ah, finals week is over for me!! Congrats to those of us who made it through & good luck to those who have them coming up!! C-ute has probably been the most blah of all the H!P groups this year. Their last single wasn't for me at all & I rarely listen to anything from their other single this year. I'm hoping their album is cool but what I've heard so far is just more blah.

#10: Forever Love (2008)

#9: Crazy Kanzen na Otona (2013)

#8: Please, Love Me More (2013)

#7: Kiss Me Aishiteru (2011)

#6: Midnight Temptation (2011)

#5: Kanashiki Heaven (2012)

#4: Adam to Eve no Dilemma (2013)

#3: Tokaikko Junjou (2007)

#2: Aitai Aitai Aitai na (2012)

#1: I Miss You (2014)

Enjoy! What are your thoughts on C-ute this year? Enjoying the new direction or no?

25 Days Of Christmas Countdown Day #10: Top Angerme Songs

Of course this includes S/mileage as well lol. Angerme's had an okay year I guess. I feel like I'm in the minority in that I don't think Angerme's been all that mindblowing this year as everyone keeps saying (to be honest H!P in general has been on a downturn). They haven't released anything bad (except maybe Desugita....there's only so much shouty attempts at "singing" a "metal" song that I can take before turning it off), but nothing beyond one or two songs have been amazing in my opinion.

#10: Samui ne (2012)

#9: Marionette 37C (2015)

#8: Suki yo, Junjou Hankouki (2012)

#7: Mystery Night (2014)

#6: Smile Bijin (2010)

#5: Uchouten Love (2011)

#4: Shin Nippon no Susume! (2013)

#3: Yumemiru 15 (2010)

#2: Nana Korobi Yaoki (2015)

#1: Chikyuu wa Kyou mo Ai wo Hagukumu (2014)

Enjoy! What's your opinion on Angerme this year?

25 Days Of Christmas Countdown Day #9: Top Juice=Juice Songs

I sincerely hope that those of you who have finals this week are doing well! Also, people in the USA can watch Hello! Project videos again!!!!! I'm so incredibly happy. It was such a pain to get the videos for this countdown since I couldn't technically view them & YouTube doesn't show them in the search results if you can't. But that's over now! A HUGE thanks to the folks over at Up-Front who got everything sorted out.

#10: Romance no Tochuu (2013)

#9: Choice & Chance (2015)

#8: Ça va? Ça va? (2015)

#7: Black Butterfly (2014)

#6: Watashi ga Iu Mae ni Dakishimenakya ne (2013)

#5: Hadaka no Hadaka no Hadaka no Kiss (2014)

#4: Ijiwaru Shinaide Dakishimete yo (2013)

#3: Kaze wa Fukarete (2014)

#2: Samidare Bijo ga Samidareru (2013)

#1: Senobi (2014)

Enjoy! What's your favorite Juice=Juice track?

25 Days Of Christmas Countdown Day #8: Top Country Girls, Kobushi Factory, Tsubaki Factory, and Hello Pro Kenshuusei Songs

Uploaded a little early because I'll be busy with finals all day tomorrow + finishing a paper that I'll have to turn in a day late lol. I had to lump all of these groups together as they don't have enough material on their own for a top 10. Hopefully next year they'll all get more releases. For those in the US, you will need a proxy to view the majority of these videos.

#10: Country Girls - Koi Dorobou (2015)

#9: Kobushi Factory - Dosukoi! Kenkyo ni Daitan (2015)

#8: Country Girls - Itooshikute Gomen ne (2015)

#7: Hello Pro Kenshuusei - Koishitai Shinto (2015)

#6: Kobushi Factory - Nen ni wa Nen (2015)

#5: Kobushi Factory - Ramen Daisuki Koizumi-san no Uta (2015)

#4: Hello Pro Kenshuusei - Oheso no Kuni Kara Konnichiwa (2014)

#3: Kobushi Factory - Survivor (2015)

#2: Hello Pro Kenshuusei - Onna no Sono (2015)

#1: Tsubaki Factory - Seishun Manmannaka! (2015)

Enjoy! What are your thoughts on Hello Project's newest groups?

25 Days Of Christmas Countdown Day #7: Top AKB48 Songs

Like SKE, this actually wasn't as hard as I thought lol. I haven't listened to all of the stage albums yet (I actually just bought all of them for myself for Christmas lol) so I'm sure this would've been much more difficult if I knew all of the stages as the only one I've heard is A6 and it is their best release ever lol. There's no video for #7 as I can't find it. Sorry. :(

#10: Romance Irane (2008)

#9: Korogaru Ishi ni Nare (2006)

#8: Everyday, Katyusha (2011)

#7: Utsukushiki Mono (2009)

#6: Hate (2012)

#5: How Come? (2013)

#4: Seifuku ga Jama wo Suru (2007)

#3: UZA (2012)

#2: Beginner (2010)

#1: Mokugekisha (2009)

Enjoy! What's your favorite AKB song?

25 Days Of Christmas Countdown Day #6: Top SKE48 Songs

It actually wasn't as difficult to come up with the SKE list as I thought it would be lol. I didn't realize I had a pretty set top 10 with SKE. Like before, some videos are linked instead of embedded and some may need a proxy to view.

#10: Darkness (2013)

#9: Coquettish Juutaichuu (2015)

#8: Banzai Venus (2011)

#7: Kesenai Honoo (2014)

#6: Hanikami Lollipop (2012)

#5: Bukiyou Taiyou (2014)

#4: Tsuyokimono yo (2009)

#3: Utsukushii Inazuma (2013)

#2: Escape (2013)

#1: Kataomoi Finally (2012)

Enjoy! What's your favorite SKE song?

25 Days Of Christmas Countdown Day #5: Top NMB48 Songs

Now it's NMB's turn! Even though I vastly prefer NMB to HKT, it was MUCH harder to come up with a top ten. With NMB, the problem isn't that they don't have enough songs I enjoy, it's that besides the top 3-4 I really don't know how to rank them lol. It's going to be really incredibly difficult from here on out because of the sheer about of material SKE & AKB have lol.

#10: Ibiza Girl (2014)

#9: Star ni Nante Naritakunai (2014)

#8: Renai Petenshi (2015)

#7: Todokanasoude Todokumono (2013)

#6: Kitagawa Kenji (2012)

#5: Don't Look Back (2015)

#4: Must Be Now (2015)

#3: Teppen Tottande! (2013)

#2: Kamonegix (2013)

#1: Zetsumetsu Kurokami Shoujo (2011)

Enjoy! What's your favorite NMB48 song?

25 Days Of Christmas Countdown Day #4: Top HKT48 Songs

Whereas Nogizaka46 is the group I'm least familiar with in 48G, HKT is the group that I like the least. It was incredibly difficult to come up with a top 10 because I find most of their songs incredibly bland. This year being the worst of their blandness. At least in past years there was a couple B-sides that were interesting, but this year everything sounded so samey. I hope that next year they bring something new, especially with NGT coming up. As with the Nogizaka list, some may not have embedded videos and may not even have a link at all (it's surprising to me that it is more difficult to locate HKT songs on YouTube than Nogizaka).

#10: Wink wa Sankai (2013)

#9: Sakura, Minna de Tabeta (2014)

#8: Kidoku Through (2014)

#7: Suki! Suki! Skip! (2013)

#6: Doro no Metronome (2013)

#5: Melon Juice (2013)

#4: Onegai Valentine (2013)

#3: Hikaeme no I Love You (2014)

#2: Mukashi no Kareshi no Oniichan to Tsukiau to Iu Koto (2014)

#1: Tenmonbu no Jijou (2013)

It's unfortunate that I can't find my number one on any video sites to link it. It's the theater edition song on their Melon Juice single and the best thing they've ever done.

Enjoy! What's your favorite HKT48 tracks?

25 Days Of Christmas Countdown Day #3: Top Nogizaka46 Songs

Day #3! Now we descend into my top songs of 48G & H!P. I chose to separate them as all of the groups have so much material (and I need enough posts to reach Christmas lol). Nogizaka46 is probably the group I know the least songs from in 48G as they were the final group of the 48G that I followed. As with the last list, not all clips will be in full and some will be links only.

#10: Sekai de Ichiban Kodoku na Lover (2013)

#9: Kizuitara Kataomoi (2014)

#8: Popipappapa (2015)

#7: Yubi Bouenkyou (2012)

#6: Sono Saki no Deguchi (2014)

#5: Girls Rule (2013)

#4: Barette (2013)

#3: Natsu no Free & Easy (2014)

#2: Seifuku no Mannequin (2012)

#1: Koko ni Iru Riyuu (2014)

Enjoy! What's your favorite Nogizaka46 track?

25 Days Of Christmas Countdown Day #2: Top J-Pop Songs of All Time

Day #2 on my 25 Days of Christmas Countdown! Today is all about J-pop. I will be listing my top 10 J-pop songs of all time, excluding both Hello! Project & 48G (as I'm too big a fan of the groups lol). I'm sure some people will be surprised by my list, but please keep in mind that I only very recently began exploring J-pop beyond idol groups so I haven't really been impacted by other songs and such yet. In the future this will certainly change! Also, please note that some videos won't be full clips because they aren't on YouTube & for those in the USA, you might need to use a proxy to view some.

#10: Namie Amuro - Ballerina (2014)

#9: Dancing Dolls - Wangan Wonder Darling (2013)

#8: Perfume - Fake It (2010)

#7: Cupitron - Battery (2015)

#6: Hangry & Angry - Top Secret (2009)

#5: Team Syachihoko - Otome Juken Sensou (2012)

#4: Fairies - Beat Generation (2012)

#3: Ayumi Hamasaki - Real Me (2002)

#2: Galette - Brand New Style (2014)

#1: Momoiro Clover Z - Mouretsu Uchuu Koukyoukyoku Dainana Gakushou "Mugen no Ai" (2012)

Enjoy! What's your favorite J-pop songs of all time?

25 Days of Christmas Countdown: Day #1: Top K-pop Songs of All Time

Hey everyone! I'm in the middle of papers & tests galore but came up with a fun idea that I'd like to do. So for every day up until Christmas (I will try my best to be on time lol), I will post a new "Top" list. They're going to be a variety of different topics in music so I hope people find them interesting and maybe find a new song to love! I won't do any kind of "review" or commentary on any of them (because I'll never get through them xD). Today's topic is my top 10 K-pop song of all time. Enjoy!

#10: Oh My Girl - Closer (2015)

#9: f(x) - Beautiful Stranger (2012)

#8: Wonder Girls - I Feel You (2015)

#7: Nine Muses - News (2012)

#6: After School - Dressing Room (2013)

#5: Shinee - Sherlock (2013)

#4: Girls' Generation - Into The New World (2007)

#3: Chocolat - I Like It (2011)

#2: Swan.B - Be All Right (2011)

#1: Orange Caramel - Bangkok City (2011)

So that's my list! What's your favorite K-pop songs of all time?

2NE1 - To Anyone

This is the first real review I've posted in awhile lol. I want to start getting back to doing these, but I really don't have the time to do many. This one took me almost a week to sit through all the tracks and write my thoughts. I really wish that YG would have had the group come back this year instead of just CL. CL needs to stay over in the US and work on gaining connections and collaborating with other artists until her label thinks she can release a song and gain some attention. Releasing in both Korea & the USA is just going to be a recipe for disaster if they're expecting it to be a hit in the States.

To Anyone is the girls' first album, released all the way back in 2010! The fact that it's been over 5 years is just mindblowing to me because this album is the first thing of K-pop I landed upon that drew me in. Now, I am pretty sick of this album as a whole, so I might end up being harsher on the songs because of it, so please, bear with me.

Track #1, Can't Nobody: Ahhh memories. This is the video that did it. I had heard of K-pop before this, and had listened to the Wonder Girls' Nobody before (actually saw them in concert like 2 years prior to this album), but I never dug any deeper. Then I came across this. I really liked Lady Gaga at that time, and this sounded very much like her music but with more attitude. The song really caught my attention because of it's electropop sound and infectious beat. Nowadays, I could probably do without listening to this again, but I won't deny that this is probably the best song they've ever done. Most people call I Am The Best that (which is also great), but Can't Nobody is in a whole other level. That final chorus is one of the best things to come out of music anyway and still sounds fresh today. It's too bad that it's so autotuned. I didn't care about that five years ago, but today it makes a lot of the song sound pretty dated, even for K-pop. 5/5

Track #2, Go Away: This song is probably the one that has aged the best on the album. It's not overly autotuned (when compared to other songs on the album) and it's a more poppy dance song. It's songs like this that really made 2NE1 stand out among the crowd. An anthemic breakup song with a catchy hook as opposed to a love song for the bazillionth time. 5/5

Track #3, Clap Your Hands: You know, I really thought that it would be difficult listening to this album again because of me being sick of it, but I find myself jamming to everything so far lol. I thought this of all songs I would have wanted to change, but nope. I guess that's the hallmark of a fantastic album. Even when you don't care to listen to it anymore on a regular basis, you still love the songs when hearing them. This song and Can't Nobody are the same style of song. In fact, I think if you smashed Can't Nobody & Fire together, this song is exactly what you'd get. The rap in the bridge is kind of annoying though. It just sounds very shouty and out of place with the rest of the song. 4.5/5.

Track #4, I'm Busy: This song deserved to be one of the ones that received a video. I think it's better than Clap Your Hands and it still has that unmistakable 2NE1 sound that the rest of the album has. I guess it's possible they didn't do a video for this one because it has swear words in the lyrics. Not sure if the Korean broadcast standards care about English swear words though. Although I love this song and album, I'm only on track 4 and I do feel a little tired of it. Their upbeat songs do all sound very similar on this album, and although they are very good, I can understand how this album could be difficult to get into for someone not sold on 2NE1 because they are very similar. 4.5/5.

Track #5, It Hurts (Slow): I believe that 2NE1 truly shines during slower songs like this. Sure their upbeat songs are my favorites and they're a lot of fun, but you can't get a grasp on just how talented the girls are from an overly autotuned track. Even group weak links like Bom (she might be the main vocalist, but she seems to struggle a lot with singing) and Dara (who is actually quite good, she just has a different type of voice than the other three), sound incredible in this song. This song is such a lovely piano led ballad that even a ballad hater like me enjoys listening to it. 5/5.

Track #6, Love Is Ouch: With how solid I find this album, it's difficult to pick out a 100% favorite song. Out of all the tracks, I think this is the best one. It's a midtempo/ballad like Go Away, yet it sounds different than the majority of the album. It's too bad that this song was relegated to album track status. The piano line & the underlying electro music is a winning combination. 5/5.

Track #7, You & I: This is Bom's solo song on the album. Personally, I really dislike Bom's vocals. She's got a really distinct tone and I don't think she's as bad as people say (although she seems to struggle live), but her voice just isn't pleasing to me. However, I do love this song. It's such a pretty song and flows very well after Love Is Ayaya. It's a good song for her voice. Not too much room for oversinging on her part. It really sounds like a good mix between Go Away & It Hurts. 4/5.

Track #8, Please Don't Go: This is CL & Minzy's duet song on the album. Even though CL & Minzy are the "hiphop" girls in 2NE1, this isn't a rap or hiphop song at all. Actually it sounds like a popper version of the rest of the album while still keeping the pulsing beats. I have a love/hate relationship with this song. I'm not a huge fan of the rapped verses anymore, but the chorus is one of the best on the album. I just wish CL wouldn't go the rap route since her singing voice is so much better. 4/5.

Track #9, Kiss: This is Dara's solo song on the album. It's interesting how this is my favorite of the unit/solos on the album. I like how it's more poppy like the chorus of Please Don't Go & sticks with that instead of trying to be all "bad girl" like the rest of the CD. Even CL's rap works super well with the song. 4.5/5.

Track #10, Try To Follow Me: When they say 2010 in the very beginning it's still mindblowing to me. Of all of the promoted tracks on this album, I think this song aged the worst. It's still fun to listen to, but kind of grating by the end because of how repetitive it is. 3.5/5.

Track #10, I Don't Care (Reggae Mix): Remix of a song from their first mini album.

Track #11, Can't Nobody (English Version): Just like it says, English version of the first track.

I tried to be harsh but just couldn't lol. With this album, yes, some of it has aged kind of badly, but it's still a wonderful album. I'll say it's not as awesome as I'm making it out to be (memory bias all over this review but I tried lol), but it's still a solid pop album from what's (imo) the peak years of K-pop. 4.5/5.

Music Discovery Mondays (Nov. 16, 2015)

Sorry for not posting regularly! It's probably going to be like this until mid December. I thought I would have more time but I just don;t :(

Track #1: Ai Otsuka - Laugh

This song is proof that I really need to look into more mainstream J-pop acts instead of sticking mainly with idol pop. I just wish it wasn't as hard to find music videos and such of their songs to watch.

Track #2: Red Velvet - Oh Boy

Red Velvet's been really impressing me this year. They put out some really great music. I love how this song is so poppy. It reminds me a lot of 2010-2012 KARA or SNSD.

Track #3: Juice=Juice - Ijiwaru Shinaide Dakishimete yo

I've been going through my CDs recently, and ever since I came across this single again it's been stuck in my head. Juice=Juice has put out some great songs recently, but I agree with many others that say their indies/first year holds their best tracks (sans Senobi...which is the best thing they've ever released). The whole "jazzy yet pop" feel worked so much for them. Sorry for those of us in the USA who can't watch it on YT...below you'll find a handy proxy link to let you view it!

Proxy: Click Me!

Enjoy!

New Music Thursdays (Nov. 5, 2015)

Sorry this is a day late! I can't even blame being busy on the lateness....I just simply forgot. Gotta get back into the routine of doing it after missing two weeks' worth lol.

Track #1: Twice - Like Ooh Aah

I didn't like this when I first heard it, but now I love it. It's such a grower of a track. Reminds me a lot of earlier K-pop tracks from SNSD or KARA. On a side note, I ADORE Tzuyu's outfit with the black crop top. Twice's first mini album, The Story Begins, released on October 20th.

Track #2: f(x) - Papi

I was so incredibly disappointed with 4 Walls (the song, not the album). I guess I just had such incredibly high expectations because it was an f(x) comeback and they fell short. I immediately listened to the album clips to see if anything was better, and this stood out above the rest. I haven't heard the rest of the album in full yet, but this is certainly the most instant (and more "mainstream" K-pop, I guess you could say) song on the album. It's crazy catchy and would have made a great title track. f(x)'s new album, 4 Walls, released on October 27th.

Track #3: G.E.M. - Blindspot

I'm actually glad I didn't post this yesterday because this wouldn't have been on it. I've followed GEM on and off over the years and I was just absolutely blown away by this track. It's so gorgeous (THAT BRIDGE. WOW.) and the music video is equally as gorgeous. GEM's new album, Heartbeat, releases on November 9th (which, now that I look up the date, is coincidentally my birthday xD)

Enjoy!

Music Discovery Mondays (Nov. 2, 2015)

Track #1: M.O - Wait Your Turn

M.O is a three member British girl group. This was their very first single release and personally my favorite song from the group. The song has a lot of attitude, much like Little Mix's Salute.

Track #2: After School - Dressing Room

I was convinced that I had already featured this and was shocked to see I hadn't. It's After School's best song and should have been a lead track.

No track three this week....it was going to be Koharu Kusumi's Balalaika but because of YouTube Red there's nothing viewable in the States. Screw you very much YouTube.

Enjoy!

J-Pop Girls Mix (Vol. 1)

Odd title for many to read I'm sure lol. I'm finally able to post again after over a week of a self imposed hiatus. It's very likely that I will be able to start posting regularly again and hopefully I don't get crazy overwhelmed like I was this past week. But back to the title. As I've been free today, I was messing around on a site called 8Tracks and decided to make a playlist. This playlist is full of Japanese idol group songs & is a fun listen! I tried to do a mix of unrelated artists & I hope everyone enjoys!

J-Pop Girls Mix (Vol. 1) from danceordie9173 on 8tracks Radio.

The tracklist is....

#1: Coco Decoru - Kiss Me Kiss Me

#2: Dianna Sweet - The Twin Tail!

#3: P.IDL - Sansan Aibo

#4: Predia - Utsukushiki Kodokutachi

#5: Aither - Kimi no Namida Boku no Kanashimi no Yume wa Boku no Kibou

#6: Morning Musume - Watashi wa Watashi Nanda

#7: AKB48 - Mizu no Naka no Dendouritsu

#8: Prizmmy - My Transform

#9: Cupitron - Battery

#10: Galette - Air Summer

Enjoy!!

Notice

Hi everyone! I'm just posting this to let everyone know that I won't be posting this week's New Music Thursday & it's looking like I won't be able to do the next Music Discovery Monday either. I'm in the middle of midterm season with classes and with working two jobs I don't have the time to post for about the next week. I'm hoping that I'll be able to do next week's NMT, but even that's a little iffy. With this note, I'll also say that there will likely be a few more weeks I won't be posting regularly. With midterm season fully in swing and more papers than I want to do looming on the horizon I don't have much time for anything. I'm hoping that I'll at least be able to keep up with by bi weekly posting for the most part and once I hit December I'm hoping that I can start doing regular posts again too.

So, TL;DR: no NMT or MDM for the next week and a half because I'm busy lol. To everyone else out there in midterm seasons/overwhelmed with papers: Good luck!

Music Discovery Mondays (October 19, 2015)

I like to call this edition, "I'm running out of good unknown songs to posts so time for a mishmash of older songs!" I think that's really how MDMs are going to run from now on because I've run out of songs I would consider "unknown" that I know of to share. However, I still think this new approach stays true to what my original intention of this corner was: to showcase songs that I personally enjoy so people can perhaps find something new to love or be reminded of a song they may have forgotten about.

Track #1: Paula Abdul - Straight Up

So this song has been stuck in my head all week. There's a trolley system at my university and the drivers always choose their own radio stations to listen to. Unlike the other drivers who play country stations, there's one that plays the local 80s to now station and this song was playing on my way to work last week and has been stuck with me ever since lol. It was a megahit and for good reason.

Track #2: Marina & The Diamonds - Froot

I really wish Marina was more popular than she is. I get that her music is more niche than someone like Katy Perry, but she has such a lovely voice and a great catalog of catchy tracks. This song was her lead single from her latest album, Froot. Unlike the lead single from her last album, this song is more laid back but it's still such an earworm.

Track #3: Rainbow - Mach

I can't believe this never had a video! I thought it did but I guess I was thinking of the Japanese version. Rainbow was so great at their debut. It's too bad that they were mismanaged so much because they could have been big like their labelmates KARA. This song in particular seems like it could've been a megasmash. It's got the same sound as other popular 2010 K-pop songs.

Enjoy!

New Music Thursdays (October 15, 2015)

Track #1: Oh My Girl - Closer

Oh My Girl is an 8 member Korean girl group that just debuted this year. This is only their second title track. I honestly have no words to describe this song. It's so catchy and beautiful and awesome and original for K-pop. I would have never expected something like this to come from a K-pop girl group. It sounds like something off of Ellie Goulding's Halcyon except better. It's probably too early to name this one of K-pop's best ever isn't it? Their second mini album, Closer, released on October 8th.

Track #2: Veridia - Crazy In A Good Way

There's nothing better then when I find a good Christian rock song. With so many of the groups I used to love on hiatus or disbanding or only touring, it's rare for me to come across something great. Veridia is a Christian rock group that is fronted by a female vocalist. Their style is mainly rock but also mixes in some electronic elements as well. I also really appreciate that instead of just side stepping everything Christian while calling themselves a Christian group (like too many groups that call themselves "Christian" groups), their lyrics seem more like Skillet's, where they have Christian lyrics and songs in a way that is accessible for non-Christian listeners. I'm very much looking forward to their future as I'm always looking out for Christian groups that don't compromise themselves just to fit in. Veridia's second EP, Pretty Lies, released September 25th.

Track #3: Taeyeon - I (ft. Verbal Jint)

It's too bad this song has a token rapper on it because it'd be really good if it didn't. Ignoring the unneeded rapper, this song is really not the direction I was expecting Taeyeon to take. I was expecting a full on ballad but this is something unique. It actually reminds me of a mellower version of something Swedish pop group Timoteij would do, but since I'm certain that there won't be many people who know who they are, I guess I would call it a mellow pop track with great vocals and just a hint of American country music influence. Just as a side note, it is very amusing to me that SM Entertainment is now releasing unique songs where a few years ago they were as generic as possible. Taeyeon's first mini album, I, released on October 7th.

Enjoy!

Music Discovery Mondays (October 12, 2014)

To everyone in the States: Happy Indigenous Peoples' Day! Enjoy the day off if you have it :)

Track #1: Clique Girlz - Never Gonna Fly

So this is something completely different than what I've put up before. The Clique Girlz were a three member preteen girl group that released only one album (and only in Japan) before disbanding. Some people may have heard of Destinee & Paris, a spinoff group from this featuring the sisters. I was obsessed with this group when I was younger and even today a lot of their songs have held up really well despite being very "teenybopper" Disney stuff. This song in particular is my absolute favorite of theirs. Imagine something Hannah Montana would have sung and that's really what you can expect from the song, but don't let that turn you off. Hannah Montana had some great songs lol.

Track #2: Dalmatian - Lost In Love

Dalmatian is currently DTMN (if they still exist because idk lol). They were known as Dalmatian before switching companies. Of all of their songs, I consider this their best track. It's also one of the best K-pop songs ever released by a male group. It's such a tragedy that it was doomed to be an album track on something that would go out of print. It's a sweet midtempo track with great vocals and catchy beats.

Track #3: David Cook - Bar-Ba-Sol

Much like the Clique Girlz song, this is a bit different than what I usually post here. Some might know David Cook as one of the winners of American Idol. I've said many times before that I don't care for rock music much so it might be surprising that this is a rock song. Or, well, the most rock song there is on a pop rock album by an American Idol alum.

Enjoy!

New Music Thursdays (October 8, 2015)

I almost completely forgot today was Thursday until 9:30 at night lol. Luckily I had most of this typed up earlier haha.

Track #1: Ellie Goulding - On My Mind

I don't care what anyone else says I adore this new mainstream pop Ellie. This song is just so catchy and it's been stuck in my head for days. Out of her more "mainstream" tracks I'd say this is my favorite so far and a really nice change from Love Me Like You Do which I didn't care for at all. Ellie's new album, Delirium, releases November 6th.

Track #2: NMB48 - Kuufuku de Renai wo Suru na

Unfortunately, I don't see the full MV uploaded anywhere yet so this is just the short version from YouTube. It's honestly rare for me to have two songs on a 48G single that I can actually really enjoy. It's not full blown EDM like the title track, but it does have some catchy electro beats and gets stuck in your head easily. NMB48's new single, must be now, released on October 7th.

Track #3: Pentatonix - Where Are You Now

So beyond excited for the new Pentatonix album! They're probably the most talented group I've ever heard. Seriously, if they're ever in concert near where you are, go. It is an incredible experience. Unfortunately, I didn't care much for Can't Sleep Love, but that's okay. Usually there's one or two songs on their albums I don't care much for. This though is incredible. I've never much cared for cover songs, but they just make everything so much better. For those who don't know who PTX is, they're a group of five who do all of their music completely acapella, from the vocals to the "instruments" it's all done by voice. They are truly talented and I urge you to check them out! Pentatonix's new album, Pentatonix, releases on October 16th.

Enjoy!

Music Discovery Mondays (October 5, 2015)

Track #1: Hello Pro Kenshuusei - Koi Shitai Shinto

Unfortunately I can't find the studio version on YT, but this is enough to give an idea of the track. The verses remind me of early 2010s K-pop while the chorus goes into a catchy yet sweet J-pop track.

Track #2: Jurina Matsui - Akai Pin Heel to Professor

Performance Link

It's funny to me that this is my favorite song on AKB's Koko ga Rhodes album. Jurina's voice is....not so great. Even in the song it's a little grating; however, the song's composition makes it one of the best 48G tracks of the year. It's a funky disco-esque pop track and I think it fits Jurina perfectly. Sorry it's not embedded. I'm unfamiliar with the site and I'm not even sure it can be embedded.

Track #3: Eden XO - Too Cool To Dance

I think this is a fun track to end with. I'm disappointed that this didn't receive as much attention as I was hoping. I've been listening to her since she was known as Jessie Malakouti. It's unfortunate that nothing she seems to do has gotten any attention because her music is quite fantastic. This song is just a fun dance party track and a nice way to lift of a Monday.

Enjoy!

New Music Thursdays (Oct. 1, 2015)

We're in October already?! What happened to this year we can't be in October. I also believe my happiness from last week about new releases happening often again was too soon. This week was pretty slow. Also, sorry this week's descriptions aren't the best. It hasn't been a good week for me but when I get the time to do up better descriptions I'll be sure to do that!

Track #1: Predianna - Destroy

Predianna is the little sister group of Dianna Sweet. They've previously released some digital only singles but this is their first CD release. Their style is much like Dianna Sweet's style, but I think they're distinct enough to shine alongside of the main group. Predianna's first single, Destroy, releases October 28th.

Track #2: Ailee - Mind Your Own Business

I adore Ailee's voice. She's one of the few K-pop artists that I still check up on immediately when they release something. This song doesn't deviate from the brassy pop sound that she's done in the past, but it's still a catchy attitude laced track. Ailee's first album, Vivid, released on September 30th.

Enjoy!

Music Discovery Mondays (September 28, 2015)

So this week's MDM is a little dark. Not like "UZA is a dark song" kind of dark, but in actual lyrics and themes lol. It's just the type of songs that first came to mind for this week.

Track #1: Within Temptation - Angels

This isn't an unknown song by any meaning of the word, but because it's over 10 years old I think it's okay to put here lol. I remember being in late elementary/early middle school & a good friend of mine showed me this song. I was into rock music at the time and this was really the first symphonic rock track I'd heard and it just blew me away. Even though I'm not too into rock nowadays, symphonic rock will always be something I go back to. It's just beautifully powerful music.

Track #2: Halsey - Control

I had been hearing about Halsey for the past few weeks and hadn't had any reason to check her out until a couple days ago. The reason is kind of stupid I guess but any reason to find a new song is a good one lol. I follow a certain Dragon Age blog on Tumblr & they posted a text graphic gif thing with some lyrics from this song and I thought that the lyrics were cool so I looked them up. I wasn't too sure what I thought of the song at first but now I really like it. It's composed in a way that you feel what the mind of the singer is going through. So cool.

Track #3: Akina Nakamori - Jukkai

I've been looking around everywhere for 80s Jpop playlists & videos because I find myself so interested in exploring lately. Came across this song last week on a playlist on 8Tracks & I really like it. I don't know if it's "dark" like the other songs as I can't speak Japanese, but it does have that UZA feel to it. I've read good things about Akina Nakamori before so I definitely need to check out more of her material. Anyone got any suggestions?

Enjoy!

Up Up Girls (Kakko Kari) - Third Album (Kari)

For the longest time I ignored the other Up-Front groups. Not because I was intentionally avoiding them, but because everything that I had heard from groups like Up Up Girls & The Possible were just bland. Then came Bijou no Yajuu. I was hearing good things about it on forums and decided to check it out. I couldn't believe that a group that seemed so bland before had gotten SO good. I bought the album as soon as I could because I was shocked. I don't very often buy things on whims but this was an exception. I was hoping that the album would be as good as Bijou, and I wasn't disappointed.

Track #1, Beautiful Dreamer: This isn't the strongest song to start out an album with personally. The verses skirt the lines between typical idol track and not which is an interesting combination; however, the chorus just dives straight into the usual guitar driven idol pop stuff. The rap is also very out of place with the music of the track. It's a grab bag of a song and doesn't really come together for me. 3/5.

Track #2, Kira Kira Mirai: I don't really like rock music much anymore beyond a few songs. Now, this song isn't really rock, it's more of an idol pop/rock fushion thing, but it's just not my style of music. I do like how the vocals are layered in the chorus though. I will say that it does the idol pop/rock thing better than most others. 3.5/5.

Track #3, Up & Up!: This is the first of several EDM tracks on the album. What I love about this track is that it sounds like it would fit in extremely well on American radio....well, at least it would if they were singing in English and were a solo singer (as girl groups don't tend to do well in the States). It's a very fun track. I love how it goes from the hard electro beat into the electric piano led verses. It's really quite neat. Up Up Girls does best with hard EDM tracks like this. 5/5.

Track #4, Enjoy!! Enjo(y)!: This is a great song to follow Up & Up. It's another EDM track, but it's more on the electronic side than the pop side like Up & Up is. It just feels like a good flow between the songs. However, I'm not the biggest fan of the song. I like the music of it, but the way it's sung bothers me. It's not the autotune, it just sounds like in some parts they were trying to make their voices sound a certain way with the music and it just sounds really disconnected. I don't know how to describe it better than that. 3.5/5.

Track #5: Nijiiro Mosaic: Whenever I see the word 'mosaic' anymore I can't help but think of Dragon Age Inquisition lol. I know that probably doesn't mean anything to most, but it's amusing to me lol. If you enjoyed Beautiful Dreamer, it's likely you'll enjoy this song as well. They both have the typical idol track sound with a slight amount of the Up Up Girls style. I think this is better than Beautiful Dreamer, but my issue with the songs are the same. 3.5/5.

Track #6: Zenryoku! Pump Up!!: Did I say that Bijou no Yajuu first piqued my interest in Up Up Girls in the intro? Well I was kinda half lying. Bijou no Yajuu was the first song to really make me want to look into more Up Up Girls music and was the catalyst behind buying this album, but Zenryoku was the first song that made me think that Up Up Girls could possibly be interesting. Unfortunately, I didn't follow up on my original curiosity. Zenryoku is a good example of the EDM I'd like to see Morning Musume tackle. 5/5.

Track #7, Itadaki wo Mesazu!: When I started this song, I wondered why I had only played it once. It's the type of song I adore, a catchy EDM track. It's problem is in the placement. Right after Zenryoku & right before Be Your Soul & Bijou no Yajuu. Now that I'm reminded of it's existence I'll have to play it more lol. The song is a nice blend of the EDM from the album and songs like Beautiful Dreamer which are more on the pop side. 4.5/5.

Track #8, (Kakko Kari) wa Kaesuze Be Your Soul: When I first got the album, I figured that Bijou no Yajuu would be the song I'd play the most, but it wasn't. Somehow, this song beat it out. It's only weird to me because I had played this song on YouTube out of curiosity when it was released and didn't think anything of it. I must have not been paying attention because this is the best song on the album. It's very catchy and another kind of song I'd like to hear MM do. If you don't have time to listen to an entire album, I recommend at least checking this one out. 5/5.

Track #9, Bijou no Yajuu: It's not often I find Japanese music "powerful". Not powerful as in moving, but powerful as in how Demi Lovato's Confident is powerful. A certain feeling of the song that just hits you when you first listen to it. Maybe the better word I'm thinking of is instant but that doesn't fully describe what's in my head either. Any way, this song is just under Be Your Soul in how amazing it is. I'm sure at this point in the album for some people, they're a little tired because it is pretty much one hard hitting EDM track after another; but for me, even nine songs into the album songs like this keep me pumping. Too many albums crowd their ballads and weaker tracks near the end so this album is a welcome change. 5/5.

Track #10, Jumper!: My first thought when hearing this song was DDR. It reminds me a lot of some of the older DDR stuff my friend used to show me (I've never played it xD) It's almost like an updated version of some of those songs which makes it a lot of fun to listen to. There's a lot of energy in this song and I bet that it's a concert favorite. 4.5/5.

Track #11, Runway: Out of all of the songs on the album, I think this is the most "Western" EDM style. I could really imagine it being on American radio. If it was by Calvin Harris or Zedd with someone like Ellie Goulding no one would think of it being from a Japanese idol group. Of the EDM tracks on the album, this isn't one of my favorites, but it's definitely a good track. 4/5.

Track #12, Kono Melody wo Kimi to: Is it just me or does this sound like a rehash of Beautiful Dreamer? Maybe it's just me but I was positive I'd heard this earlier in the album. With that said, it is among my least favorite songs on the album. It's too idoly of an EDM track for my taste. Although I said that about Ima Koko Kara & now I love it. Well everyone by now should know that I rate music extremely subjectively (really that's everyone...you can't rate music objectively xD) and am biased towards certain styles/groups/whatever lol. 3/5.

Track #13, Party! Party!: For a song called Party Party, I don't think this is much of a party song though lol. It is a good way to end the album. It's a happy song that leaves a good impression on the listener when finishing up the last of the actual songs. My only real gripe about the song is that it's much too long. 5 minutes for a happy dance pop song is a little overkill. 4/5.

Track #14, Zenryoku! Pump Up! (Ultra Mix): Just a remix

Track #15, Starry Night (y0c1e Remix): Just a remix. The original song was released as a single & is on their previous album.

Whenever I listen to this album in full I always regret not looking into Up Up Girls earlier. Prior to this year (well, really prior to my liking of Galette), I tended to view everything not from H!P or the 48s as not worthy to check out besides a small few (idol groups/singers, not people like Namie or Utada, I'd listened to them before the 48s) and I was wrong. Yes there's a lot of boring idol pop crap stuff out there (including in the 48s), but there's also a lot of stuff that's interesting to at least check out. For an EDM fan like myself, Up Up Girls' album is perfect and I hope they continue to release such great material. 4/5.