HKT48 - Sakura, Minna de Tabeta

HKT is my least liked of the 48s. It seems like they release the same song over and over on their singles. I hope NGT takes a different direction and doesn't go cutesy at first. I am excited to see HKT next release though. I keep hoping it will be something a little different even though that hasn't happened yet.

The title track for the single is Sakura, Minna de Tabeta. Out of their five current singles, this is my least favorite title track. To me, it's the most generic one. It's a typical idol pop track and it's not energetic at all like Melon Juice or Suki Suki Skip. The music video is adorable though. It reminds me a lot of Perfume's Sweet Refrain video (can't remember which came first). I actually miss Meru as center. I like her as center more than Sakura and Haruka. 3/5.

The first B-side is Kimi wa Doushite? found on all versions of the single. Really this just feels like a more upbeat version of the title song. The vocals are also a little too high pitched for my taste. 3/5.

The next B-side is Kidoku Through by Team H found on the Type A version of the single. Even though this single has my least favorite title song, it's B-sides are among my favorites from HKT. Even though this song is still over-hyper idol pop, it has song electronic pieces and is very energetic. This type of song would make a nice title track for HKT. It would still be energetic idol pop like their image, but it would be different enough to distinguish it from their other A-sides. The music video is just as energetic as the song. It also serves to show just how out of place Rino Sashihara looks in HKT. I'm glad that she doesn't want to be center in HKT because I don't think this style suits her much at all. Meru again does a wonderful job as center. I hope she gets to center something again in the future. 5/5.

Kidoku Through MV

The next B-side is Mukashi no Kareshi no Oniichan to Tsukiau to Iu Koto by Team KIV found on the Type B version of the single. First of all, yikes that song title is long. Second of all, this is my all time favorite HKT song. The instrumental reminds me so much of A*Teens cover of Gimme Gimme Gimme and that makes me so happy. I would love it if one of the 48 Groups would go all the way with a crazy Europop track like was popular in the early 2000s. The music video's pretty standard for 48G...just done in reverse. 5/5.

Mukashi no Kareshi MV

The next B-side is Oboete Kudasai by the Kenkyuusei found on the Type C version of the single. Even with this being a Kenkyuusei track (which I generally dislike from all groups), it's pretty catchy. It actually sounds like a mix between J=J's Ca va & the H!P Kenshuusei album. It's definitely an enjoyable song. 4/5.

The final B-side is Kimi no Koto ga Suki yaken found on the Theater edition. This is actually a cover of AKB's Kimi no Koto ga Suki Dakara except it's sung in the dialect of HKT's area. I personally can't see the difference besides the change from dakara to yaken. I'm sure to the trained ear/for natives speakers it sounds a lot different. It's like MM's Osaka Koi no Uta where they're supposed to be singing in the Kansai dialect. I've listened to that song over 100 times and I still can't figure out what they're pronouncing differently. AKB's version is better though.

If it weren't for the title track, this single would be incredibly solid for a 48G single. I'm sure fans of the cutesy idol pop stuff will love the title track along with the rest of the release though. 4/5.

C-ute - The Power/Kanashiki Heaven

This is one of the more recent C-ute singles that I tend to forget exist. I even forgot it was a double A-side until I looked it up. It still really bothers me that they took a 3 year old B-side and made it part of the new single. It doesn't matter if it's popular at concerts or not. You know who goes to concerts? Fans. You know who buys H!P singles? Fans. I'd argue there's very little acknowledgment from the public at large about the newest H!P releases. You never really see H!P singles doing anything digitally (which is more indicative of public opinion than the Oricon chart). Fans would've already owned Kanashiki Heaven. If they were so desperate to give Kanashiki Heaven a video, they should've just done it for the next C-ute MV compliation as a bonus.

The first of the two A-sides is The Power. I know I mentioned that I forget that this single exists, but this is also one of my most played C-ute songs. You're probably wondering how that's not contradictory. I forget that this song is part of a single from 2014 and I tend to associate it with the time when 8 Queen of Jpop came out because I try to forget that the single version of Kanashiki Heaven ever happened lol. I know that people seemed to be disappointed with this single, but I really enjoy it. It came after two very lackluster singles from them and was such a breath of fresh air. I love the feel of the entire song. To me, it's a subdued (and more J-poppy) version of Momoiro Clover Z's Gounn. The music video isn't one of my favorites of theirs, but it's a good video for H!P. You can tell they were trying to come up with new ideas (even if it does look like Gounn inspired it). I don't like it because I find the camerawork really jerky and distracting. It's nice that they were trying to do something different, but the way it was shot drives me crazy. 5/5.

The second A-side is the single version of Kanashiki Heaven. I LOVE the original Kanashiki Heaven. It's one of the best H!P songs of all time in my opinion. Redoing it was the worst idea the company could have done. If anything, an "updated" version as a B-side would have been tolerable, but to "update" it and use it as a single is a crime. Ok, yeah. I'm overreacting a bit. The new version isn't as bad as I thought it was going to be because they didn't change a whole lot. They could get rid of the Latin parts & the annoying "la la la"s though. Kanashiki in this version is still good, but the original is miles better. The great thing about this song is the Airi/Chisato lead with no Maimi. I'd rather listen to a Mai lead song than a Maimi led song. The video is better than the one for The Power. The scenery is very pretty and the camera shots aren't as bad. The only thing I don't get though is the pole dancing. It's not that I have a problem with it, it's just that it's so out of place for a song like this. They should've used it in Crazy Kanzen na Otona or a similar song. It would've made sense and been cool there, but it doesn't fit for this song. 3/5. [Original: 5/5.]

While as a complete package the single is slightly disappointing, if you just look at the one new song from the single, it was a welcome change from the previous two singles during this time. I still recommend searching out the original Kanashiki over this though. 4/5.

Jonas Brothers - Lines, Vines and Trying Times

So this release is a little weird for me to talk about. I used to be a HUGE Jonas Brothers fan. They were my One Direction really. It's probably a good thing that I have bad anxiety over posting things on the internet because if I hadn't been, back then I'm sure I would have been a crazy rabid fan bashing & defending (I was in like 7-8th grade xD). One really cool thing was that I actually got the opportunity to meet them before a concert one time. Even though I'm not really into them now, that was a neat memory. It saddens me a little that I don't care for anything they've done since the breakup, but I guess we all grow up and move on at some point.

This is their fourth and final album. Also the point where I was starting to fall out of love with them.

Track #1, World War III: Before I start, I should probably say that this is my least favorite album of theirs. In fact, I don't care for it much at all. Most of the songs are average at best. This song is one of the few exceptions on the album. I think it's sung well and the composition is stellar. It's such a deceiving song because one of the best tracks is first which makes you think the rest of the album will be the same. 5/5.

Track #2, Paranoid: This was a terrible idea for a single. I know that with this album they were trying to "mature" or whatever, but this song is so so average. I don't really know why I used to like them as much as I did. Nick's voice is really grating. It's a little better now, but then, yikes. With this song, it really sounds flat. There's hardly any change in tone between the verses and the chorus. If they were to pick up the chorus a little more, it might not be such a boring song. 3/5.

Track #3, Fly With Me: This was the song in the second Night At The Museum right? Great movie, super unnecessary cameo by them. I remember my dad teasing me about them being in the movie. It was right when I was starting to grow out of them so I pretended to be excited for the cameo even though I didn't really care. This song is one of the more "Disney"-esque songs on the album. More like their older stuff. For that reason, it is a more enjoyable listen; but it's not something I'd listen to anymore. 3.5/5.

Track #4, Poison Ivy: And this one sounds like a "rockier" country song. I really don't like country music. At least Joe's voice is less annoying than Nick's. The only good thing I can say about the song is the keyboard in the bridge. That would have been cool to hear through the whole song. I finished playing Lego Batman 3 recently (It was really fun actually xD) and when they sing Poison Ivy I can't stop thinking about the one character in the game called that. 3/5.

Track #5, Hey Baby: I almost feel bad not caring for this album. I appreciate that they were attempting to create more mature music, but to me, it just feels like too large of a departure from their previous albums too fast. Not everything that they did was lackluster, as parts of this song prove. The prechorus was really well done, but I just can't take them seriously with the "darker" tone of the song. Which is weird because I like World War III. I don't know. Relistening to this album is really causing mixed emotions about them. 3.5/5.

Track #6, Before The Storm (ft. Miley Cyrus): Full confession time. I used to hate Miley for about a year when I found out she was dating Nick xD Keep in mind I was in middle school when that happened though lol. I feel stupid for thinking like that now. It was ridiculous. When this album was released, I actually liked her, so I was super excited that she was appearing on the album. I don't remember what I thought about the song then, but now I think it's kind of boring. It's trying to be too serious. Miley really does have a wonderful voice here though. She can really sing. Nick's voice also isn't completely annoying here. To be honest, I'd probably love it more if it was a Miley solo. 3.5/5.

Track #7, What Did I Do To Your Heart: Argh again with the country influences. Also, is it just me or are the bulk of these songs sounding the same to anyone else? Now I remember why I never really took any songs away from this album. Being completely biased here, but I don't like this song because of it sounding like a country song. Country is the genre I like the least. There are VERY few country songs/acts that I can stand and this just sounds like one of those painfully awful generic male country singer tracks except without the southern twang. Bleck. 2.5/5.

Track #8, Much Better: Any song that says you *want* to fight with your girlfriend/boyfriend is stupid to me. I don't understand why so many songs talk about that. Shouldn't the goal be to NOT fight with your significant other? I know it says about making up later, but why fight at all? Just....stupid. Joe's voice sounds pretty good in this song. It seems to me that when they sing more restrained their vocals are good but attempting to belt anything out just makes them annoying. 3/5.

Track #9, Black Keys: I vaguely remember counting this song as one of the better ones on the album. I don't know why I thought that way because it's a ballad (and Nick led), but it's not bad. Nick should have always sung with his voice restrained like this because he sounds nice. What I do appreciate about the ballads of this album, is that there is discernible emotion in them. 3.5/5.

Track #10, Don't Charge Me For The Crime (ft. Common): This one has always really confused me. They were going for a more rocky mature image...and they have a pseudo-hip hop/rock song with a rapper on it on the album. Even more confusing, this is one of the better songs on the album. I wonder if a more urban route like Joe & Nick chose to pursue would have worked for the whole group. The problem with the song is the lyrics. I'm not talking about the lyrics themselves, I'm talking about the fact that they sound so silly singing them because they had such a clean cut good guy image. Common's parts are awesome though. 4/5.

Track #11, Turn Right: Again, their vocals in the slow songs are actually good and not annoying. It's too bad that the songs are boring though. This is the kind of song that has been done to death (and better) by others. 3/5.

Track #12, Don't Speak: I was actually hoping this was a cover of the No Doubt song. Would've been a great way to end this mixed bag of an album. As I listen to this, I keep thinking that this would be an incredible song if someone else was singing it. They just don't have the vocals to carry a song like this. 3.5/5.

Track #13, Keep It Real: Ah yes. The song that was in that ill fated Disney show. I still like some Disney/Nick tween shows, but this one was just dire. The fact that I didn't care for it back then when I still kinda liked the group speaks volumes about the show. Of course this song is like their earlier material so it's not so weird for me to listen to. Still not a big fan of it. Give me Burnin' Up over this any day. 4/5.

Spotify Link

It might seem that I'm being overly harsh on this album as it does show a growth in their music and they were trying to be serious about growing as a group. The issue for me is my connection to the earlier Jonas Brothers. Call it bias, nostalgia, or whatever, but this album will never be able to live up to the rest of their discography to me. However, if you're looking for a slightly rocky more mature type of boy band album, this is for you. 3/5.

Song Recommendations (May 26, 2015 Edition)

May has been a really slow month for new music in my opinion. I haven't even really found any awesome music that I hadn't heard before either which is sad. Maybe June will be better. With May coming to a close, these songs are pretty much the only ones that have made any impact for me.

Tiësto & KSHMR - Secrets (ft. Vassy)

Came across this by playing SongPop again after a few years. It's really awesome.

P.IDL - Sansan Aibo

It's been awhile since I was truly impressed with another Japanese girl group (outside of 48s & H!P). It's so sad to me that their other songs aren't even close to the same league this is in.

Hiroshima Maples - Isolator

This is exactly the type of song I'd like to see MM tackle.

W - Miss Love Tantei

Been really into W again lately. Will forever mourn the 3rd album that never got to see daylight.

KARA - Cupid

A little cheaty to name a song that came out slightly over 12 hours ago, but it's one of the better K-pop songs this year.

Enjoy!

Morning Musume - Seishun Kozou ga Naiteiru/Yuugure wa Ameagari/Ima Koko Kara

It's only been slightly over a month since this was released and I'm already antsy for new Morning Musume music. I want to see the new members (or at least one) getting solo lines in the next single because I was disappointed that that didn't happen with this release. I think that at the very least, a generation's first single should give them a solo line each. Or in at least one of the A-sides (since it doesn't look like H!P is ending the double/triple A-side stupidity anytime soon). As this was the first single for the 12th gen, I was really excited to see how their voices would sound in MM. Unfortunately we really didn't get to hear that with this release.

The first A-side is Seishun Kozou ga Naiteiru. I don't care what anyone else says. Keep up with the EDMusume Up-Front! I personally feel like they started this year very strong with this track. Even though I love EDM, the EDM singles from last year were a bit lackluster. I don't really listen to any of them from last year except for their album tracks (which really were fantastic and I wish they'd released one of them as a single instead.). Where the songs from last year (except TokiSora & Egao) felt like rehashes of each other, Seishun Kozou is able to differentiate itself from those tracks. Seishun sounds like it could fit among the album tracks from 14 Shou. I like that Tsunku is finally beginning to experiment a little within EDM. There is still SO MUCH MORE he could do (I'd love to see them reach into the Zedd/Calvin Harris type territory with a truly good dance), but the bridge gets the closest to what I want to see so far. Hoping next single pushes further. This song has two MVs for it, the typical H!P dance shot+closeups & the video created by the winner of the director contest they held. I'm probably in the minority opinion that prefers the H!P version to the other version. I like the concept of the other version with showing off their personalities and trying to give the video some character (the final shots with the pink sky & flower petals were AMAZING. One of the best visuals I've seen from them); however, I really don't feel like the video was that well done. For starters, they shouldn't have put the dancing parts in at all. The dance for this single is messy anyways & it looks 10x as bad in those shots. The exploding clothes scenes were very strange as well. Not sure how that fit in with the rest of the concept. If you're going to go "crazy", take a note from Stardust Promotion MVs and at least make it coherent. Now, the cheerleading shots were very cool. I like the concept of "cheering" for the new members and integrating them into the group. With that video, good ideas not so good execution. I thought that the H!P version was actually very pretty. The girls looked STUNNING in the solo shots. I really didn't care for Akane until that video was released but I was so impressed with the way she was in that MV. H!P's version also helps the dance to not look so messy. Personally, I wish they'd end the formation dance thing & try something harder. Formation dance was cute with Wagamama & Ai no Gundan but I know these girls are better dancers than that. They should do a routine closer to the Hello Station dance club thing. That would be impressive & would catch people's attention as they've been doing formation dance for so long. 5/5

The second A-side is Yuugure wa Ameagari. I like that they are doing different kinds of songs on the singles. As much as I'd be pleased with three Seishun Kozous, I realize that's a pretty poor marketing strategy. These lighter songs still have an EDM base to it, but it's different enough to not sound like another Seishun. The lighter songs from last year (Egao & TokiSora) hadn't completely been sold on me. Egao is ok at best and TokiSora, although good, feels like it's missing something. Yuugure is TokiSora brought to the next level. I truly adore this song. I know it's a hopeful song, but there's something that feels sad about the melody. Maybe bittersweet is a better word to describe the song. This song is quickly becoming one of my favorites of theirs ever. The dance for this song is so beautiful. I remember watching the concert performance on Hello Station and being completely blown away. A huge shout out to Masaki Sato in this song and dance. To me, she outshone every other member. At this point, I don't even remember Karin is in the MVs until she pops up. It's still stupid that they gave her solo shots, but at the end of the day it really doesn't matter. 5/5.

The final A-side is Ima Koko Kara. I originally really disliked this. Not really the song, just the whole thing around it. As a huge Tsunku fan, I wasn't too excited to hear a MM track done by someone else, especially because it was written for an anime. Besides the Love Live series (which didn't start as an anime anyway), I don't think I can name an anime associated song that I actually enjoy. I really became hostile towards the song when I heard the PreCure version. I couldn't believe they were going to make MM do something so childish. I still tried to hate the song when MM's version came out....but I couldn't xD. MM's version has a beat to it and they don't sound childish which is a plus. It's so so catchy. I wouldn't mind too much if MM went in a direction like this. My only real criticism of the song is that certain music pieces in the composition are ripped straight from TokiSora and the song as a whole is too short. I like the music video, but I wish that the anime cutscenes weren't there. I know why they are, and you can't really have the MV without them, but the anime looks stupid. It really does. It looks like a cross between Love Live & Tokyo Mew Mew. And I really don't like anime to begin with. Yeah, I know I'm being overly harsh on it give my dislike of most animes, but if any video from this single needed an alternate version, it was this one. 5/5.

Like I've said before, anything related to H!P is extremely biased as you can tell lol. I do feel like this release is very strong compared to last year's singles. I hope they can keep up the pace with their next single. 5/5.

SKE48 - Sansei Kawaii!

I have a difficult time wrapping my head around the fact that this single will be 2 years old come November. The end of 2013 was when I decided to buy 48G releases like I buy H!P releases. My wallet has been crying ever since lol.

The title track for this single is Sansei Kawaii! It's a standard SKE track along the lines of 1234 Yoroshiku & Banzai Venus. Even though it is standard for them, it's a lot of fun and a pretty catchy song which makes it memorable. It's one of those songs where you read the title & sing it in your head. Even though the video concept has been done to death in the 48G franchise, it's a very pretty video to look at. It was filmed in Thailand and the girls look like they're having the time of their lives. 5/5.

Sansei Kawaii! MV

The first B-side is Koko de Ippatsu found on the Type A version of the CD. This song is sung by a unit comprised of Akari Suda & Kaori Matsumura. The music sounds a bit like a carnival. My feelings are split on the song. I kind of like the chorus, but the verses and the talking bits really drag the song down. The song really seems to fit the unit though. The video I really enjoy. Before watching the video, I had no idea that Akari could do the limbo thing like that. I was super impressed. 3.5/5.

Koko de Ippatsu MV

The next B-side is Mich wa Naze Tsuzuku no ka? found on all versions of the single. The opening of this song sounds VERY familiar. It sounds almost identical to the opening of a contemporary Christian song I have that I can't remember the title of at the moment. It's going to drive me crazy for the next week until I figure it out xD Besides the opening (which is only memorable because I'm positive I've heard it before), the song itself is a non event. It's upbeat, but it's so run of the mill and not in a good way like Sansei. 3/5.

The next B-side is Zutto Zutto Saki no Kyou found on all versions of the single. This is just a typical 48G song that skirts the line between midtempo & ballad. It's boring either way. 3/5.

The next B-side is Itsunomanika, Yowaimono Ijime found on the Type B version of the CD. Besides Koko de Ippatsu, I don't think I've listened to the other unit songs from this single. Or if I have, I don't remember any of them. Judging from this first song, I'm guessing I may have listened to them and don't remember them because there's nothing special about them. This is another of those interchangeable songs from 48G. Sometimes I feel like I'm being a little unfair with that characterization as they have close to 1000 songs and there's obviously going to be some overlap. It's just my general dislike for the generic idol pop that makes me say it....MM could put out Seishun Kozou 20 times only changing a few things & I'd probably love it because it's EDM xD Everyone has bias in their music taste though. The music video's pretty standard for 48G. Nothing super interesting. 3/5.

Itsunomanika, Yowaimono Ijime MV

The next B-side is Canaria Syndrome found on the Type C edition of the single. Ah this song started out so promising. Then it turned straight into a generic idol pop track, and not an interesting one at that. Now I'm sure that I did listen to them before, because I remember having a good association with this song and now I remember it's just because of that beginning/transition. Disappointed to say the least. The music video is the same as the song, something you'd find on every 48G single. 3/5.

Canaria Syndrome MV

The final B-side is Zakuro no Mi wa Yuu'utsu ga Nantsubu Tsumatteiru? found on the Type D version of the single. Perhaps THIS was the song that I associated with good in my head instead of Canaria. It's not as powerful as I wish it was, but I like the fact that it actually has a beat and it's something different from the rest of the single. I really enjoy this MV. The dance looks like it could be really good if it was just sped up a little. 4/5.

Zakuro no Mi wa Yuu'utsu ga Nantsubu Tsumatteiru? MV

Overall this release is just okay. The title track is really catchy and among the better standard 48G fare, but the B-sides are nothing to write home about. 3.5/5.

SDN48 - Next Encore

I still wonder what would happen if they decided to reboot SDN. I actually think it'd be a pretty good idea. In AKB there's a lot of members that really should move on. I know that sounds horrible to say because they probably enjoy what they do or they would have left by now. If SDN was rebooted though, those members could be transferred and still get to do what they love and AKB could allow more younger members to take the reins. They wouldn't have to do the super sexy image. They could always try something different.

This album is a Best Of album and includes all of the songs from all of their singles (except their final one).

Track #1, Gagaga: The first song I heard from SDN48. I remembering immediately being interested in the group because they were doing electropop instead of the more typical stuff. Then I promptly forgot about the group for no reason until about a year ago lol. Last year I kind of got into the mood of "Buy everything 48G related on ebay" and bought a couple of SDN's singles and really liked them. After getting this album, Gagaga has kind of taken a backseat for me. I still like it, but it's not even close to the best that SDN has to offer. The whispery vocals kind of undermine the song. I really don't understand why that type of vocal is considered "sexy" because it sounds silly to me. 4/5.

Track #2, Kodoku na Runner: This song has become my favorite SDN song by a wide margin. It has such an 80s feel to it. The first thing I thought of when hearing this song was actually Bon Jovi's Runaway. They don't sound alike at all, but they have the same overall feel to them when you listen to the songs. I'd love to see one of the 48s (or heck, even H!P) do a song like this again. 5/5.

Track #3, Eros no Trigger: This song really fits their image. Pulsing beat, sensual feel, good vocals. These type of vocals fit better for "sexy" themes than the annoying whisper ones like in Gagaga. It's not one of my favorites from them, but it's a strong song. 4/5.

Track #4, Sado e Wataru: I like how this song sounds like a mix between Gagaga and a typical AKB song. The big issue with this song though is that it seems to go nowhere. From the verses to the chorus the song is the same tone the whole time except for the end where the chorus kicks up a bit. 3.5/5.

Track #5, Ai, Chuseyo: Chuseyo is a Korean word right? I've never fully understood why SDN tried to release stuff/promote in Korea. Sure their music was closer to K-pop than the rest of 48s, but their image/concept wouldn't have worked in Korea. Going off of that, this is probably their most "K-pop" sounding song. The annoying whisper vocals are back though. I could picture Girl's Day or Sistar doing this song easily. 4/5.

Track #6, Tengoku no Door wa 3kaime no Bell de Aku: I love songs that have a Latin feel to them. SDN really pulls off this style of music. When the chorus kicks in, the song just because incredible. Their vocals sound really impressive together. 5/5.

Track #7, Awajishima no Tamanegi: This is one of those guilty pleasure kind of songs lol. It's so silly (the chanting parts especially) but it's so incredibly catchy. It reminds me a lot of early 2000s A*Teens/similar groups material. It's one of their more idol-ish songs, but it works so perfectly for them. 5/5.

Track #8, Ai yo, Ugokanaide: This song is actually a solo by member Reiko Nishikunihara. The song is a ballad, but it's not nearly as boring as most 48G ballads. Her vocals are very beautiful and you can feel emotion in the song. It's still not something I would listen to on a regular basis, but this is more what I want out of ballads. 4/5.

Track #9, Min Min Min: This single is practically the successor of Gagaga. It's EDM with the annoying whispery vocals. Just like Gagaga, this song could be vastly improved if they sung it differently. I personally prefer Gagaga to this as well. This sounds like a cheap knockoff of that single. 3.5/5.

Track #10, Onedari Champagne: This is my absolute favorite SDN song (excluding their stage songs...haven't heard that CD yet.) It's so catchy and anthemic. Always really makes me want to go get a drink...even though I think champagne tastes terrible xD. 5/5.

Track #11, Abazure: This is one of those songs that I've listened to from an album, but forgot existed. In the case of this song, I don't know why I can never remember it exists because it's pretty good. It's more what I wanted from Gagaga and Min Min Min. It also reminds me a little of Kataomoi Finally (which I LOVE). It's unfortunate that it's such an unmemorable song. 4.5/5.

Track #12, Everyday Katyusha: AKB48 cover. AKB48's is also better.

Track #13, Kudokinagara Azabu Juuban (ft. Mino Monta): This song is a little weird to me. I mean, I get it. I do. Still weird. Even though the subject matter to me is awkward, the song itself sounds really great. The girls' vocals are fantastic. Probably one of their best releases vocally. Even the guy sounds good in the chorus. I don't care for the lines he does solo, but his voice blends well with the girls. The jazzy sound of the song works well with the theme. 4/5.

Track #14, Yaritagariya-san: When I first started to listen to SDN, this song immediately stood out to me. I would seriously love it if any of the 48s now would release a song like this. Bokutachi wa Tatakawanai would be SO much better with a bassline like this. This is the type of song they should have gone with for a single. It sounds like a mix of K-pop (like 2009-2012 K-pop) & 48G. 5/5.

Track #15, Gamjatang Bojou: This song has the same jazzy sound and overall feel that Kudokinagara does. Their vocals are very nice in this song as well. It does almost sound like a copy of Kudokinagara though. 4/5.

Track #16, Cachaca de Jihaku Suru: Another song that has a Latin feel much like Tengoku no Door. I do wish they had released a single with a Latin sound. Something like J=J's Hadaka no Kiss turned into SDN style would have been cool. It's too bad they disbanded. This is one of those rare songs where I really enjoy the verses, but the chorus falls flat. I don't know what it is about the chorus, but it just doesn't work for me. 3.5/5.

Track #17, 1 Gallon no Ase: The only new song on the album. Except for the AKB cover, this is probably the most idol track on the entire CD. It's super catchy though. I could picture AKB releasing this as one of their title tracks. In fact, it sounds a lot like Kibouteki Refrain. 4/5.

Next Encore (Audio) [Note: not all tracks on playlist]

It's still a shame that SDN disbanded. They really had some great songs and I think they should have released more than one stage and one album (which is really just a compilation.) For this CD, there really isn't a song that I would skip. Certain songs are stronger than others, but as a whole the album is one of my favorite 48G releases. 4.5/5.

GALETTe's 5th Single Announced! [News]

Image from GALETTe's official website: Here

GALETTe has recently announced the release of their 5th single, "Air Summer/Shijou no Ai"! It will be released on July 22. I don't know a whole lot of Japanese so I hope Google Translate is right on the romanization of the second A-side. According to the website (again, from Google Translate, might not be 100% accurate). The first A-side "Air Summer" will be a summery pop tune and the second A-side "Shijou no Ai" will be a ballad.

Personally not a huge fan of ballads, but I love GALETTe and I hope they blow me away with it. I'll be posting links to buy the single and more information as it becomes available!

C-ute - Tokai no Hitorigurashi/Ai tte Motto Zanshin

Pretty sure I reviewed this one way back on my old blog. Still mad at myself for not at least saving what I had written....cause now I have to do it all over again lol.

The first of the two A-side is Tokai no Hitorigurashi. I've never been a huge fan of this song. It really sounds like a retooled The Matenrou Show. This single also was a disappointment because it came right after the incredible Kanashiki/Adam to Eve. The music video is pretty good though. This single is the point where it seems like H!P started to experiment with C-ute's videos. The set is awesome and the girls look stunning. 3.5/5.

The second A-side is Ai tte Motto Zanshin. Much like Tokai, this song isn't one of their better ones. I only find it slightly better than Tokai because of its verses. The verses are pretty epic. Which is why it's so sad that the chorus is different. It's a really jarring transition from the verses to the chorus. Usually when Tsunku does weirdly structured songs it works for me, but this just is a little too different in style between the two parts to me. It's like the song is trying to be funky (the beat in the beginning & bridge), mature pop/rock-dance (verses), and idol pop (chorus) all at the same time. I appreciate that they were attempting a new location with the video, but dancing in a run down building singing about love is a bit strange. The outfits are cute though. 3.5/5.

The first B-side is Please Love Me More. Where the title songs fail to impress, the B-sides pick up the slack. Of all of the songs on this song, this should have been a title track. It showcases their mature image and isn't such a dramatic departure from Crazy Kanzen no Otona or Adam to Eve. It's an improvement over those styles. Another example of my belief that Tsunku really learned how to make some fantastic EDM flavored tracks. Looking back at One Two Three or Renai Hunter (even though I love that song to death), they seem so amateur compared to a song like this. 5/5.

The second B-side is Yuuwaku no Kyuujitsu. Can we all just take a moment to appreciate how amazing that keyboard line is in that runs through the song? Seriously. The people in charge of deciding the title tracks got it all wrong with this release. This one isn't as amazing as Please Love Me More, but it's still really great. Probably my favorite B-sides C-ute has ever done. My only issue is that the chorus feels to bright compared to the verses. Not as extreme as with Ai tte, but still throws the song off a bit. 4.5/5.

The promoted songs of this single are disappointing, but the B-sides drag this release up to something that people should take notice of. 4/5.

Berryz Kobo - Aa, Yo ga Akeru

I'm sure everyone's sick of all my posting recently lol. The reason I'm posting SO MUCH STUFF is because my semester ended and I have a week off from work so I'm using this time to catch up on my list of things to be reviewed.

I still find it strange that Berryz is actually gone. I knew it was coming before the announcement and I wasn't emotional when they left, but the fact that they're not there anymore is such a weird feeling. I'm glad that they're all doing what they want to though. I heard that Miyabi was thinking of putting together a group of her own much like Reina has with Lovendor. I think that's pretty cool.

The title track for this single is Aa, Yo ga Akeru. This single has always ranked fairly low among Berryz's releases for me. When it was released, I knew who Berryz were, but I really only cared about Morning Musume. Actually, when I saw the video, I was like "why are they dressed in nightgowns they look stupid." The Berryz I had known were the ones who released Special Generation and them suddenly being adults threw me off (it hadn't really clicked in my head that they had been a group for YEARS before hand yet), so I wasn't too impressed with them "all of a sudden" doing something "sexy". Coming forward to now, I still think it's one of my least favorite Berryz singles. The disco-ish/EDM-ish beat in the chorus is nice, but as a whole the song almost feels like it doesn't flow well. All of the adlibs from Miyabi in the bridge don't help it's case either. She can sing wonderfully, but it just doesn't work in the song. The video is still weird for me to watch. Sometimes it's hard to shake first impressions. What I do like with the video is the sets. I think this is what H!P had been missing (and are starting to work back in). Quality settings. Because let's face it, it's not like H!P is the only company that does dance shot + closeups. It's not that uncommon. H!P's problem is they have crappy set design. Country Girl's MVs were a step in the right direction. 3.5/5.

The B-side of this single is Otona ni wa Naritakunai Hayaku Otona ni Naritai. Really long title lol. I think this should have been the title track. It fits with the more "cool" song theme they were going for at this time. It would've made a great follow up to Ai no Dangan. It's got that electro-ish/rock sound. 4.5/5.

Although this isn't one of my favorite Berryz singles, it does have its positives. 4/5.

Candy Kiss - Koisuru Candy Kiss

So this was an impulse purchase from CDJapan because I don't like ordering just one CD at a time lol. I first heard of Candy Kiss on Hello! Online (I think...it's been awhile). Someone posted their Tinker Bell video and I thought it was cute so I decided to keep tabs on them. Chose to buy this single first because it's their first one and might as well start from the beginning.

If you've never heard of Candy Kiss, they are a three member group currently and are set to release their first album in July. At the time of this single's release, they had six members. If you want to know more you can check out this site: Candy Kiss

. It's really well put together and gives more information than I know off the top of my head.

The title track is Koisuru Candy Kiss. So the song is autotuned to death (not sure if it was fully intentional like a Perfume thing or not), but it's kind of cute. At least the company it trying something different. It actually reminds me a lot of the really indie K-pop groups except with young Japanese vocals. It's not a song I'd actively recommend because it's really not that great, but it's a good guilty pleasure type of song. I like that instead of going the generic idol route, they're kind of doing a slightly EDM, Perfume-y, bright pop song. Again, not great, but refreshing after hearing a bazillion other indie idols going for the generic songs. The music video is so adorably low budget. The dance shot outfits are kind of ugly though...they remind me of something a toddler would wear. 3.5/5.

The single's B-side is Nee...Suki. Another song that is autotuned to death, but it has a really funky sound to it that reminds me of a more indie Galette. I don't find this one as entertaining as the title track, but again it's something different than the usual. I like how it has an electro undertone in the song. In this song, more so than the title track, it seems that they were going for the Perfume route. I can't remember what their newer songs sound like at the moment, but I think that if they kept up with this style it would sound better with older vocals. This was 2012 & I'm pretty sure that the girls were super young at the time of this release. 3/5.

Nee Suki (Audio)

Yes. This super indie Japanese idol group is on Spotify. It shocked me too when I saw it.

Even though this release isn't the greatest thing out there, it's still kind of cute. Tinker Bell is better (and I'll feature it once I receive the CD), but for a really young group (at the time), it's something different. 3/5.

AKB48 - Kaze wa Fuiteiru

Ever since Juice=Juice released Kaze ni Fukarete, I keep getting the two titles messed up. When I was searching for this single on Generasia, I typed in "Kaze wa Fukarete" and was so confused that it was bringing anything up xD. It's mindboggling to me that 2011 was 4 years ago already. I barely knew what AKB48 was back then.

The title track is Kaze wa Fuiteiru. I had never cared for this song when I first got into AKB48. It actually annoyed me that it was referred to as one of the "cool" singles because it didn't fit my definition of what that should be. As a result, it was one of the last AKB singles I bought from the years before I started following them. Of course, after I received the single, my perception on the song changed. It's so different than what they've done for any other single. It's a really powerful song. It might not be a "cool" song like UZA or Beginner, but it certainly ranks up there with them as one of their best singles. I really love the colors of the outfits/set in the video. It really fits the song. I don't know if that makes sense to associate a song with colors, but they just fit so perfectly. I don't quite get what the tree...beaver...rabbit....looking thing is in the video though. It was kind of freaky when I first saw it. 5/5.

Kaze wa Fuiteiru MV

The first B-side is Kimi no Senaka which is found on all versions. I love how this is such a contrast to the title track. Kaze is all dark and flowing and this is bubbly idol pop. It's not among my favorite of their generic idol pop songs, but it's listenable. The slow down & vocal effects on the bridge are pretty cool. The video is way too long again. I'd like to see them go one single without releasing videos that are longer than the song. It's funny seeing Aika center an AKB song though. I'm so used to her in HKT it feels weird. 3.5/5.

Kimi no Senaka MV

The next B-side is Vamos found on the Type A version of the single. The very beginning of this song is so misleading lol. When it starts I always picture the beginning of a rap song. The song is nothing like that of course (although I'd love to see them attempt it...Green Flash is NOT rapping xD). It's bubbly & catchy but I wouldn't call it a generic idol pop track. It's got too much of bass line for that. The Vamo-Vamo-Vamos! part of the chorus is so dang catchy too. The video isn't anything special, but the "guy" (it IS one of the girls dressed as the guy right? xD) is so bouncy and happy it's funny. 4/5.

Vamos MV

The next B-side is Gondola Lift found on the Type B version of the single. Every time I have typed the title of this song today I keep putting "life" instead of "lift". This might be a ballad, but I actually don't mind this one. The girls really sound good together & they don't sound as bored as rocks. The music video is so sweet. A fantastic example of a video that can have a moving plot to it and still stay in the song's time limit. 3.5/5.

Gondola Lift MV

The final B-side is Tsubomitachi found on the Theater edition of the single. It's actually strange ending a 48G single this early lol. I'm used to the singles now that have like 8 songs on each. Having only four B-sides is kind of refreshing. It's a very idol pop track. I kind of like it though. Maybe it's just the fact that this single is actually fairly good quality that I'm saying it, but it's definitely catchy. 4/5.

Tsubomitachi (Audio)

For a 48G single, this is pretty strong. The title track is one of their best and even the generic idol & ballads tracks are solid. 4/5.

48G Ranking May 2015

Since I just did one on Hello! Project I think it's only fair to do one on the 48s as well. I won't do this as detailed as the H!P one. To be honest I couldn't even tell you why I like certain girls from 48G except for my top ones. I'm only going to list my top ten of each group...if I ranked everyone this post would be 3 pages long xD. I'm not counting kennins during the group rankings. If a kennin ranks it would would be with her main group. The list also will not include any girls who have announced their graduations.

AKB48

#1. Minami Minegishi [Team K]

#2. Nana Okada [Team 4]

#3. Misaki Iwasa [Team B]

#4. Hijiri Tanikawa [Team 8]

#5. Yuki Kashiwagi [Team B]

#6. Mitsuki Maeda [Team 4]

#7. Anna Iriyama [Team A]

#8. Mariya Nagao [Team K]

#9. Nana Fujita [Team K]

#10. Moe Aigasa [Team K]

SKE48

#1. Rena Matsui [Team E]

#2. Aya Shibata [Team E]

#3. Jurina Matsui [Team S]

#4. Ruka Kitano [Team KII]

#5. Nao Furuhata [Team KII]

#6. Madoka Umemoto [Team E]

#7. Akari Suda [Team E]

#8. Marika Tani [Team E]

#9. Rika Tsuzuki [Team S]

#10. Ami Miyamae [Team S]

NMB48

#1. Sayaka Yamamoto [Team N]

#2. Rina Yamao [Team N]

#3. Shu Yabushita [Team BII]

#4. Fuuko Yagura [Team M]

#5. Konomi Kusaka [Team BII]

#6. Yuuka Kato [Team N]

#7. Narumi Koga [Team N]

#8. Kanako Kadowaki [Team BII]

#9. Miyuki Watanabe [Team BII]

#10. Rurina Nishizawa [Team N]

HKT48

#1. Nako Yabuki [Team H]

#2. Chihiro Anai [Team H]

#3. Haruka Ueno [Team H]

#4. Haruka Wakatabe [Team H]

#5. Anna Murashige [Team KIV]

#6. Meru Tashima [Team H]

#7. Miku Tanaka [Team H]

#8. Mao Yamamoto [Team H]

#9. Emili Yamashita [Kenkyuusei]

#10. Aoi Motomura [Team KIV]

Nogizaka46

#1. Minami Hoshino

#2. Rina Ikoma

#3. Maaya Wada

#4. Iori Sagara

#5. Marika Ito

#6. Kazumi Takayama

#7. Nanase Nishino

#8. Misa Eto

#9. Mai Shiraishi

#10. Sayuri Inoue

And that's it! I don't follow JKT or SNH at all so I didn't include them. Post your own rankings if you'd like!

NMB48 - Bokura no Eureka

I have no idea why all of my NMB CDs are reaching the top of the "to be reviewed" pile at once lol. This is the third in a row.

The title track is Bokura no Eureka. This is one of 48G's "summer singles" and not a very interesting one at that. I always expect that the summer single of any group will be generic idol pop (although there have been exceptions like Utsukushii Inazuma and Bokutachi wa Tatakawanai), but usually they're super catchy and fun. This is just a pretty average song. The video's a bikini one (at least in the dance shot) and I don't have the patience to sit through a nine minute music video. I don't see how getting stranded on an island fits with the song anyway. Maybe the bikini/beach/summer theme, but otherwise it's kind of strange. Not my thing. 3/5.

Bokura no Eureka MV

The first B-side is Todokanasou de Todoku Mono found on all of the regular editions. Now this should have been the title track. It's so catchy. It's got a slight electronic undertone that really makes the song. Probably my favorite NMB B-side. 5/5.

The next B-side is Okuba by Shirogumi which is found on the Type A and theater versions of the single. It's a really boring ballad. My brain literally can't focus on it long enough to find anything worth listening to in the song. Listen, 48G powers that be, if you makes ballads you have to make sure that they actually have discernible emotion in them so the listener can connect with the song. In this, the girls sound just as bored to be singing it as I feel listening to it. At least the video fits. A boring school setting with seifukus. Actually makes sense. 2.5/5.

Okuba MV

The next B-side is Yaban na Soft Cream by Akagumi found on the Type B and theater editions of the single. I don't find this song much more interesting than Okuba, but at least it keeps you awake. It's another idol pop track. The music video for this really makes me want ice cream. 3/5.

Yaban na Soft Cream

The next B-side is Hinadan de wa Boku no Miryoku wa Ikinainda by Teppoutai found on the Type C version of the single. I find this one only slightly more interesting than the Teppoutai on Kitagawa Kenji. It's still generic idol pop, but it's a little more catchy. The music video really makes the song though. It's so funny. They nailed the 80s thing perfectly. 3/5.

Hinadan de wa Boku no Miryoku wa Ikinainda MV

The final B-side is Sayanee, found on the theater edition. This is more boring than Okuba. I've come to expect very little from the theater edition tracks though. There are only a couple that are good to me. The fact that this runs five and a half minutes is criminal. 2.5/5.

Sayanee (Audio)

There's only one song on this single that I really enjoy. The others are either just average or extremely boring. Probably my least favorite NMB single as a whole. 3/5.

NMB48 - Kitagawa Kenji

Two NMB's in a row! I've always viewed Kitagawa Kenji the end of the first era of NMB. It's the single right before the release of their first album and it's the single released before I got into 48G.

The title track is Kitagawa Kenji. I think it's neat how the song's title is the name of a staff member. When I first heard the song, I wrote it off as being another generic J-pop song. I still think it's a generic J-pop song, but it's SUCH an earworm. Probably one of 48G's catchiest idol pop tunes. Even though the video concept has been done to death, I still think it fits the concept perfectly. The bubblegum pink set with the bubbly dresses is so cute. 5/5.

The first B-side is In-goal, found on all of the regular editions. I'm not going to rate this song because I've never heard the full studio version and can't find it, only live performances. From the live below (starts around 3:30), it sounds like a typical J-pop song, but it is catchy.

The next B-side is Hoshizora no Caravan by Shirogumi found on the Type A and Theater editions. I like the use of the violins? in the song (or similar instrument/soundboard item), but the song as a whole is pretty uneventful. I actually want to start singing Kitagawa Kenji again at the slight build up before the chorus because they sound similar to me. The video's cute but the beginning is too long. 3/5.

The next B-side is Renai Higai Todoke by Akagumi found on the Type B and Theater editions. Now this song is memorable. When I first got into 48G, I had always assumed that Shirogumi was the "cool" unit and Akagumi was the "cutesy" unit. After going through most of the 48G singles, I realize that I was pretty wrong and it's almost the other way around. I don't even remember what gave me that impression. I love the "echoing" of lines between the girls in the song. One thing I do wish is that the girls' vocals were more powerful in the song. They sound so light and airy and I think the song would be better with stronger vocals. I'm not quite certain what's going on in the video. I mean, I get it, I just don't understand what it has to do with the song. The red dresses of the dance shot are so gorgeous though. I'd love to own one....and I don't even like dresses. 4.5/5.

The next B-side is Fuyushougun no Regret by Teppoutai found on the Type C edition. The song is a disappointment. It's a generic idol track and not in a good way. There is absolutely nothing that stands out about it. Nothing to make it memorable in any way. So I don't think the concept for the video fits the song at all, but for once, a super long video is actually interesting. I just wish the song was more like UZA/Beginner so it would actually fit the video. 3/5.

The final B-side is Nemuku Naru Made Hitsuji wa Detekonai found on the theater edition. I love how the translation for this is "The Sheep Don't Come Till I Get Sleepy" (According to Generasia), but I get sleepy trying to listen to this song xD. It's a very slow ballad in the verses & kind of picks up for the chorus. Even though the pick up is a little unexpected at the first chorus, it still only goes to a slow midtempo. Just not my kind of song. 3/5.

This is a fairly standard J-pop single, but the title track alone makes it worth a listen. Sometimes standard and generic songs are better than innovation. 3.5/5.

NMB48 - Don't Look Back!

This is the single that NMB challenged SKE's Coquettish Juutaichuu with. Unfortunately for NMB, they did lose, but that was expected to be honest. I had a feeling that SKE's fans were going to go all out (and the whole music card thing helped too xD). This single is the final one for Nana Yamada, who also got to center the single.

The lead track for the single is Don't Look Back!. When I first heard the song, I thought of it as a poor man's Kamonegix. However, after I received the CD, the song really clicked. It's kind of cheesy, but this semester of college for me hasn't been the greatest, so I've been blasting it all finals week as a "goodbye" to the awful semester. I still don't think it's as great as Kamonegix, but it has such an anthemic quality that makes it one of NMB's best title tracks. It's such a perfect sendoff for Nana too. The music video is also really great. The more "cool/dark" style works perfectly for NMB and I wish they'd use it more often. To me, they seem like the best dancers of 48G. I don't think the dance for this song is as great as I've seen it praised, but they seem to all be in sync for the most part so it looks good. 5/5.

Don't Look Back MV

The first B-side is Nietzsche Senpai found on all of the limited editions and the theater edition. I'm not sure what to make of the title. It's actually a little bothersome to me that they're using historical thinkers in titles...I think they also have Kafka in the upcoming AKB single right? I just don't know what to think about it...since I don't understand Japanese I don't know what the lyrics are saying, but even so I'm not interested in a side of philosophy with my mindless J-pop. Maybe I'm just over thinking it because I'm not a fan of Nietzsche. Whatever. I also can't find the full track anywhere to listen to so I won't rate it or link anything. From the clip that I have heard of the song, it sounds like a pretty typical 48G track. Nothing interesting.

The next B-side is Renai Petenshi by Team N, found on both of the type A versions. I really like this song. It blows Team N's song from their last single out of the water. It's kind of jazzy and reminds me of James Bond in the beginning (no clue why to be honest...I've never seen any of those movies). I think the girls all look gorgeous in the video (especially the red dresses), but it's really hard for me to watch because of the side scrolling. It hurts my eyes. 5/5.

Renai Petenshi MV

The next B-side is Sotsugyou Ryokou which is found of all of the regular editions and the theater version. If you're already picturing your typical 48G graduation song, it's only half like that. Which is surprising. The verses have a slight country pop feel to them and I think that's pretty unique. It's still not a song I'd listen to on a regular basis, but it stands out. 3.5/5.

Sotsugyou Ryokou (Audio)

The next B-side is Heart, Sakebu by Team M which is found on the Type B versions of the single. This is a pretty cutesy idol track. Not really my thing. I do like the "echoey" effect in the chorus though. The music video is much like the song. Been done many times before. 3/5.

Heart Sakebu MV

The next B-side is Minna, Daisuki by Nana Yamada found on the Type B editions of the single. I guess this is her full graduation song. Thinking back to Tomodachi on on the Rashikunai single, these are very much in the same vein. Ballads, boring. I'm sure for her fans this is very emotional, but I can't feel that through the song. Not to mention that her vocals are really annoying. Trying to get through a full song of her solo voice is hard. 2.5/5.

Minna, Daisuki (Audio)

The final B-side is Romantic Snow by Team BII found on the Type C versions of the single. In Rashikunai, Team BII had the best of the team B-sides. On this single, they have my least favorite. It's probably the most generic idol pop song on the single. There's nothing in it that makes it distinguishable from the dozens of other 48G tracks just like it. The music video's cute though. I'm glad they actually have it set in the snow. I don't quite understand why they're at a ski resort and then the dance shot shows them in front of a carousel though. 3/5.

Romantic Snow MV

As a whole, I think this single is better than Rashikunai and SKE's Coquettish Juutaichuu. It's unfortunate to me that they lost the whole "challenge" thing to SKE, especially because this single is such a step up from Rashikunai. 3.5/5.

SKE48 - Coquettish Juutaichuu

I'm positive that Japanese lyricists just open up a dictionary, place their finger on a random word in another language and name their song that. When I saw the title I had to go look up the word cause I sure didn't know what it meant xD So in all seriousness....is Coquettish a word that Japanese people actually use/know what it means? I'm so curious to understand why Aki-P used the word "Coquettish" in a song title.

The A-side of the single is Coquettish Juutaichuu. This song is a really typical 48G track. In fact, I'm almost positive that they've used parts of this song before. When they sing the first part of the chorus, it sounds EXACTLY like one of their other songs...I just can't remember the name of it at the moment. It's actually bothering me that I can't remember it. It's a pretty catchy song though. I wouldn't mind listening to it more than once. The video reminds me of Koisuru Fortune Cookie mixed with Banzai Venus. In other words: been there, done that. Yeah yeah, I get that I sound like a hypocrite because I defend H!P's dance shot in a box videos, but at least the dances are discernibly different to people who don't know dances and their green screen/white background changes colors. 4/5.

Coquettish Juutaichuu MV

The main B-side across all single versions is Boku wa Shitteiru. It was used as the theme song to their documentary. It's another pretty standard fare idol pop song, but unlike Juutaichuu, there really is nothing memorable about it at all. It's just okay. 3/5.

Boku wa Shitteiru (Audio)

The B-side for the Type A edition is Dirty by Team S. SKE's more EDM-ish tracks tend to be their best ones, but this one is kind of in the middle for me. The verses are really cool and seem like they're going to build up to a really explosive chorus, but then all we get is the word "Dirty" repeated over and over. As a pop fan, you have to be used to repeated words. However, this is just overkill to the extreme. The video makes sense with the whole "dirty" thing, but all I see is MM's Koko ni Iruzee video even though they are completely different. 4/5.

Dirty MV

The B-side for the Type B edition is Kon'ya wa Join Us! by Team KII. The song's not bad. It's a typical idol track but it has a 50s/60s diner feel to it. Not very memorable to me though. The video's kind of cute. I like the prom theme. 3/5.

Kon'ya wa Join Us! MV

The B-side for the Type C edition is Oto wo Keshita TV by Team E. Not sure if I like this more than Kon'ya or not. It's slower, but it's got such a nice flow to it. I actually enjoy it. The video is really average. 3.5/5.

Oto wo Keshita TV MV

The B-side for the Type D edition is Sakura, Oboeteite Kure by Mieko Sato, Yuka Nakanishi, and Airi Furukawa (who were all graduating). I knew before I even listened to it that it would be like every other graduation song from 48G. They're so bland and boring. This is no different. 3/5.

Sakura, Oboeteite Kure MV

The final B-side of the single is Yoru no Kyoukasho found on the theater edition. So after I stop buying solely the theater editions the songs on them get good? Interesting. I'll have to grab a copy from ebay. This song is probably the third best on the CD behind the title track and Dirty. I can't even think of anything it reminds me of which is a good sign. 4/5.

Yoru no Kyoukasho (Audio)

I don't think the single is as good as their last one, but it's ok. Really it's a very idolly song mix. I do recommend checking out the theater edition track though. It's pretty great. 3.5/5.

Song Recommendations (May 6, 2015 Edition)

So I finished my paper yay! But I'm totally exhausted.....so I decide to mess around on the internet more instead of sleeping xD It's like 9 minutes to midnight where I'm from so I know I should be sleeping...especially because I have to be to work at 8am tomorrow. Oh well xD For those of us who need a pick me up in the middle of the week (or also want to procrastinate and lose sleep lol), here's some great songs to jam to while trying to stay awake xD:

Nine Muses - Gun

Old song, I know. Fell back in love with it today. So great.

Lizzy - Not An Easy Girl

Never checked this song out until earlier this week. It's so good! The music video is even more impressive. They took a movie from 1961? (I think) and imposed Lizzy over it.

Kobushi Factory - Survivor

For those of us "surviving" finals weeks!

Kind of short, I know. But just some jams to get you through whatever it is you're going through :) Enjoy!

Hello! Project Ranking May 2015 [Warning: Long Post]

So I'm currently avoiding doing a paper and I thought this would be fun. I've seen a lot of people do their rankings on their favorite members and they're always so interesting to me so I figured I'll do one too. I'll be doing a 48G one too but that will take FOREVER for me and I don't have the time to do it at the moment. I can't rank the whole project together so I'll rank the groups only. This post will be super long cause H!P has really boomed recently. Just a warning.

Morning Musume

#1. Kanon Suzuki

--I don't really know what I like about Kanon. Something about her caught my eye a few years ago and I've really loved her ever since.

#2. Masaki Sato

--There was a time when Masaki would be among my lower ranked girls, but over the past year she just seems to be getting more and more talented. I've been very impressed.

#3. Sakura Oda

--Her voice is stellar and she just gets prettier and prettier each single.

#4. Riho Sayashi

--I remember when I couldn't stand Riho. When I saw the Only You video, I was so angry that she was getting all of these lines and I saw her as a threat to Reina (who I was a HUGE fan of xD). Now, she really stands out and I can see why she's the ace. Her vocals have been improving too.

#5. Ayumi Ishida

--Another girl that has really been standing out to me lately. The H!P version of Seishun really put a nice spotlight on her.

#6. Haruka Kudo

--This girl is truly gorgeous and I don't know why she's not a front girl. Her voice is good too.

#7. Akane Haga

--She was my least favorite 12th gen but then the new single happened. She really shines and I'm looking forward to her future in the group.

#8. Miki Nonoka

--She can speak English! Haha, that's not why I like her though. Her vocals seem pretty good for a newbie.

#9. Maria Makino

--Maria used to be my favorite KSS but she doesn't seem to stand out in MM that much. It'll be interesting to see how she is in future releases.

#10. Haruna Iikubo

--I don't dislike Haruna, I just very indifferent to her. She's improved a lot since debut though.

#11. Mizuki Fukumura

--Much like Haruna, I'm just indifferent to her.

#12. Haruna Ogata

--She's very pretty, but can't sing at all (yet, she could improve). I think she's the least stand out of the 12th gen to me.

#12. Erina Ikuta

--I don't hate her. I don't dislike her. I just can't see anything special about her. She's just there to me.

C-ute

#1. Airi Suzuki

--The best voice in all of H!P. Absolutely a stellar performer. And she joined when she was 8. It's just incredible.

#2. Chisato Okai

--Another incredible talent.

#3. Saki Nakajima

--Indifferent

#4. Mai Hagiwara

--Indifferent

#5. Maimi Yajima

--Probably the only girl in all of H!P I actively dislike. I don't hate her and I'm glad that she's had this opportunity, but I can't stand her voice. It's just absolutely awful in my opinion and I don't understand how she gets praise for it.

Angerme

#1. Meimi Tamura

--The second best voice in all of H!P. In fact, give her a year or so and she'll probably surpass Airi for me.

#2. Mizuki Murota

--Great vocals and she immediately caught my eye when Taiki Bansei was released. Love her.

#3. Ayaka Wada

--I may have mentioned before that I used to dislike her and grew to like her but I can't remember. She really has that spark that people look for in performers.

#4. Kanon Fukuda

--She's got really great vocals

#5. Akari Takeuchi

--Used to be my favorite 2nd gen. Personally, I've felt that her vocals keep getting worse, but I still keep my eye on her.

#6. Rikako Sasaki

--I understand the hype from some people, but I'm still unsure on how I feel about her at the moment.

#7. Kana Nakanishi

Indifferent

#8. Rina Katsuta

Indifferent

#9. Maho Aikawa

--She was so awkward in their new single (more so than MM's newbies...and she was a KSS). I'm interested to see how she grows but I'm not sure if she was ready to debut.

Juice=Juice

#1. Karin Miyamoto

--Used to really dislike her, but over this year she's really stood out to me.

#2. Akari Uemura

--Has really blown me away with her improvement.

#3. Sayuki Takagi

--Used to be my favorite, but like with Akari Takeuchi I feel like instead of improving she's getting worse.

#4. Yuka Miyazaki

--She was so adorably awkward at first, but now she's so confident. I love how she's grown.

#5. Tomoko Kanazawa

--Kind of another Maimi situation. Her vocals just don't do it for me. I recognize that she can actually sing though.

Country Girls

#1. Risa Yamaki

--I liked her in KSS and still really like her here.

#2. Manaka Inaba

--I don't totally understand why she was added to such a cutesy group, but she still stands out.

#3. Uta Shimamura

--She seems to be everyone's favorite. She's adorable, but she hasn't been around long enough for me to have a full opinion.

#4. Mai Ozeki

--Indifferent

#5. Chisaki Morito

--Indifferent

#6. Momoko Tsugunaga

--Didn't like Momoko in Berryz, really don't like her here. She'd be better off doing solo variety stuff.

Kobushi Factory

#1. Minami Nomura

--I was really indifferent to her during her whole time in KSS, but after seeing the Nen ni wa Nen performance on The Girls Live she just outshined everyone else.

#2. Rei Inoue

--Never had a strong opinion since she was very new, but wow her voice. She could be really amazing in the future.

#3. Ayaka Hirose

--Seems to have a really strong voice. Will keep my eye on her.

#4. Rio Fujii

--Indifferent

#5. Natsumi Taguchi

--Indifferent

#6. Sakurako Wada

--Indifferent

#7. Ayano Hamaura

--Indifferent

#8. Rena Ogawa

--Never really liked her in the KSS. I personally think she's the weakest link in Kobushi, but who knows where she'll be in a couple years.

Tsubaki Factory

#1. Kisora Niinuma

--Tsubaki is still SUPER new, so it's difficult to rank them, but I've liked Kisora since KSS and I ADORE her name. Like, I want to name my first daughter 'Kisora' type of adore her name.

#2. Yumeno Kishimoto

--Again, really liked her in KSS. Super excited she gets to debut.

#3. Kiki Asakura

--Girl's got a heck of a stage presence. Really interested to see her growth.

#4-6. Riko Yamagishi, Risa Ogata, Ami Tanimoto

--I don't even have enough of an opinion of these three to rank them in any sort of order. In the future I'll know more.

Kenshuusei

--I won't rank them all, but I'll rank my top 5.

#1. Musubu Funaki

--I know she's still young, but DEBUT HER ALREADY AKLSJADKJHKAJSDHASKDH. I think she might be my favorite H!P member ever. She's got everything.

#2. Ruru Danbara

--Phenomenal voice. Absolutely phenomenal.

#3. Kizuki Horie

--Was indifferent to her, but her Recital test performance blew me away. Excited to see her progress in the future.

#4. Hikaru Inoue

--Everyone else heard her performance from the Recital right? I was stunned.

#5. Kurumi Takase

--Really starting to take a liking to her.

Everyone else

--Either too new or I'm just indifferent to them.

So that's my ranking! Sorry for the ridiculously long post. So who's everyones' favorites? I'd love to know! Post a comment if you'd like :)

C-ute - The Middle Management/GamushaLife/Tsugi no Kado wo Magare

Long gone are the days where C-ute was my least favorite Hello! Project group. I think I love each group equally now to be honest. It's actually crazy to know that C-ute is now the older group and there are THREE new groups in the project. I remember when C-ute was selling really poorly and I remember thinking that they would be gone within the next couple years. It's pretty amazing how strong they're going now. Even though I'm sure that C-ute's days in H!P are numbered (I'm predicting 2016 announcement with 2017 graduation), I also have a strong feeling that C-ute will continue as a girl group outside of idoldom. I don't see in any of them the desire to quit like I saw in Berryz.

This is C-ute's current single and first single of 2015.

The main A-side is The Middle Management. I know people are getting tired of EDMProject, but gosh keep them coming for me. H!P is the most interesting thing out there in music at the moment in my opinion. I really love the beginning instrumental of the song. It catches the attention of the listener immediately. I was slightly worried about have western composers/arrangers do the track (not because I dislike Western music, just because I was afraid of it being a really radical departure from the H!P I know), but if you told me that Tsunku composed this track I'd totally believe it. It sounds like something he do. The music video is really great. Proof that to have a quality video you don't have to go all "Bokutachi wa Tatakawanai" (Although I LOVE that video so much...I'll talk about it when the single is released xD) to have something interesting. It's not much different than your typical H!P video, but the shots that acted like they were coworkers having dinner together really made the video. 5/5.

The Middle Management MV:

The second A-side is GamushaLife. I have really mixed feelings on this song. On one hand, it's kind of catchy and has a really feel good mood to it. On the other hand, it sounds like a really generic idol track and C-ute is so far past that that it's annoying they were given it. The only real difference musically between the generic idol tracks and this is that there is a nice bass line. I'm torn on if I like it or not. It's the weakest song of the single. The music video is pretty simple but I love the splash of colors behind them. It's so pretty. 3.5/5.

GamushaLife MV:

The final A-side is Tsugi no Kado wo Magare. This one is done by Takui. When I first heard it, I was really disappointed. I had loved Taiki Bansei and this seemed like such a step down. I had figured that my approval of Takui doing H!P needed retracted, but after I played this in the car, I realized how amazing it is. It's a sing at the top of your lungs kind of song and C-ute's vocals compliment it wonderfully. The music video is probably my least favorite of the three, but the the blue/black colors are so pretty to me. It was an interesting choice to use Kenshuusei in the dance though. As much as I'm glad that they got a chance to do something official, it also felt unnecessary. 5/5.

Tsugi no Kado wo Magare MV:

All in all, this is a pretty good single. Management & Tsugi are outstanding and GamushaLife is...well....it's kind of catchy. I'll give it that. For their next single/album, I'd like to see a mix of Management style [EDM] & Tsugi style [the more mature/sing a long/rock-ish type]. I think the styles fit together perfectly. 4/5.

Nogizaka46 - Inochi wa Utsukushii

I'm shocked that I'm getting another newer release done lol. This is Nogizaka's latest single. I'm pretty sad that they ended the Rina/Rena concurrences. Rena worked well in Nogizaka and Rina really seemed to blossom in AKB. It's really a shame that their kennins were cancelled. I still don't get why fans complain about kennins....all of the 48s really are only subgroups of AKB...at least that's how I see it. I believe it's only a matter of time before Nogizaka46 is used in AKB as a tactic to keep them million sellers.

The title track of the single is Inochi wa Utsukushii. Nogizaka's lead tracks tend to be very hit or miss for me (much like the rest of 48G). This song is in the middle for me. It's one of their better title tracks, but I have mixed feelings about it. The verses are really great, which surprises me, but the chorus just seems like a bit of a let down to me. I'm not really sure what I was expecting. The music video is really beautiful. I don't like the dresses in the dance shot though. They're pretty hideous. 4/5.

Inochi wa Utsukushii MV

The main B-side across all versions is Arakajime Katarareru Romance. It's a very typical idol song. Not my thing at all really. If I had a dollar for every J-pop song I own that sounds like/has this feel, I'd actually be able to afford my music addiction. 3/5.

Arakajime Katarareru Romance (Audio)

The Type A B-side for this single is Tachinaorichuu. I think I'd rather listen to Arakajime on repeat than this more than once. It's so boring. Like all idol ballads, I've heard this song at least 100 other times. I swear all they do is mess with the arrangements of one song, retitle it, have new girls sing it, and call them new songs. Very rarely do I hear anything that makes them any more special or different than the others. The music video for the song is really long. Companies, you can tell a story within the length of a song too you know....especially J-pop songs because they're usually 4-5 minutes long. 3/5.

Tachinaorichuu MV

The Type B B-side for this single is Gomen ne Zutto. It's another ballad. Really Nogizaka song choosing people? Really? I think it's even more boring than Tachinaorichuu. Not even the pick up for the chorus helps the song. It's just bland. The music video is so cute though. I'm guessing this is a Nanase solo then? Her voice sounds pretty good if so. I love the childhood pictures/clips that they put in the video. It almost feels like a graduation video even though it's not. I think when she looks back on this time in her life, this video will be really something special. 3/5.

Gomen ne Zutto MV

The Type C B-side for this single is Kimi wa Boku to Awanai Kata ga Yokatta no Kana. It's at least not a ballad. That's what I can say nice about it. Even though the instrumentation is different than the other tracks, I still can't find anything that stands out about this song in a good way. It's easily the most forgettable song from the single. The music video is so run of the mill too that it doesn't make the song any more memorable like Gomen ne Zutto's video does. 3/5.

Kimi wa Boku to Awanai Kata ga Yokatta no Kana MV

The final B-side for this single is found on the regular version of the CD and is called Border. It's actually funny to me that this B-side is the best of the whole single. It's upbeat and catchy. After every 48G release, I always listen to the clips to decide which version of the CD to get (cause I can't afford all at once), and I was so happy that the best B-side was on the cheapest version xD I almost like it as much as Inochi. 4/5.

Border (Audio)

Like I said earlier, Nogizaka's singles are very hit or miss for me, but this is probably the most boring 48G release in a long time. There's almost nothing special about this release. I can't say that I'll come back to any song on this single very often after the new factor wears off. 3/5.

Morning Musume - 7.5 Fuyu Fuyu Mini

Reviewing a Christmas-ish CD in May? Sure! I certainly wish it was Christmas....a week off from work, no classes, cold weather. I'm the strange person that prefers cold over hot when it comes to the weather lol. I've never fully understood the decision to have Morning Musume release a mini album instead of a full album or a single in it's place. I read a rumor once about perhaps this was going to be a Berryz release that then got switched to MM, but I don't know how true that is or why they would have done that. It's just that this mini album is an anomaly in MM's discography.

Track #1, Aruiteru: This isn't even a Christmas song lol. It doesn't even feel like a Christmas song to me. I get a beginning of fall feeling from it. Probably because of the music video that ends in the campfire scene. This is such a nice song. It's different enough from the rest of their singles to stand out. I've always viewed it as a transitional song. Going from all of the graduations of the end of the Golden Era into the very beginning of the Platinum Era shortly before Aika joined and when Koharu was new. I might just be blinded by fandom, but I love this even though it's a J-pop midtempo. Tsunku's compositions just seem to blow everyone else out of the water. 5/5.

Track #2, Kira Kira Fuyu no Shiny G: Reina Tanaka's solo song. I remember when she sang this song for her graduation and I had no idea what it was or where it was from lol. I'm not sure if I ever mentioned it before, but Reina was the girl that caused me to really pay attention to MM when I first came across Onna to Otoko no Lullaby Game. I absolutely adored her hairstyle and tried to recreate it with my own hair. I still like Reina now, but now that she's been graduated for a couple years, I can say that really her vocals can be grating. She's certainly a good singer, but her tone is unique and that makes it hard to listen to a full song of her voice. I also had expected this to be a really genki song because of the title lol. It certainly has a Christmas-y feel to it. 4/5.

Track #3, Yuki/AixAnata>Suki: Gosh the way that title is written is really annoying. This is Ai Takahashi's solo with Risa Niigaki doing some sort of radio MC thing. Yikes I never noticed how long this song is. I'm a strong supporter of the idea that songs shouldn't have any random speaking in them. It really ruins a song. I do really like Ai's voice, but this isn't my type of song. It's too slow for my taste. 3/5.

Track #4, Samui Kara Fuyu da mon! ~Doumokou no Naissu yo Mikitty~: Miki Fujimoto's solo song that features C-ute's Chisato Okai & Mai Hagiwara. They really should have never added Miki to Morning Musume. I don't know what it was like when she was actually in the group, but looking back now she seems like she never actually fit into the group. She should have stayed a soloist. She certainly has the voice for it. With this song, I like the beat, but the rest of it is pretty average. I also don't quite understand what purpose Chisato & Mai have in the song besides interrupting it. 3/5.

Track #5, Kotatsu no Uta ~Jyuken Story~: Sung by Hitomi Yoshizawa, Risa Niigaki, and Eri Kamei. The intro is not winter at all. It's like an early Ca va Ca va with the French feeling lol. Besides Aruiteru, I think this is the most interesting song on the CD. It could do with the fact that I have an irrational hate for just about all Christmas music, but I think it's more that this feels like a throwback to Golden Era Musume. If I just got into the group and someone told me that this was released around the time of Do It! Now, I'd believe it. 4/5.

Track #6, Wa~ Merry Pin Xmas!: Sung by Sayumi Michishige and Koharu Kusumi. You can already tell just by seeing those two names what type of song this is lol. It's probably the most Christmas song on the CD. It's certainly not my kind of song by any means though. Much like Miki's solo, the beat makes the song ok, but it's too idoly of a track for me. 3/5.

Fuyu Fuyu Mini (Audio):

This certainly isn't my favorite Morning Musume release, although I expected it to be abnormal due to it being a Christmas album. I really don't like Christmas music all that much and MM doesn't help me to like it even if the songs are original. The album as a whole is just okay. Nothing special at all. 3.5/5