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?