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

Now that I've had 24 hours to process the news of 13th gen, I'm just somewhat ambivalent towards them. They need to release something for me to have any interest in the new girls. I do think people are being a little unnecessarily harsh towards Kaede though. I don't particularly care for her because I don't think that her voice is good like people say it is. It's a deeper voice which draws people to it, but I don't find her a good singer. As for her supposed attitude problem, I don't follow the Kenshuusei close enough to even know what people are complaining about. With Reina, I'm really thinking she would make a good double center with Maria. MM needs faces to lead the group. Keep the Sakura/Mizuki/Masaki lead singer trio, but put Maria/Reina front and center to push them into the minds of the general public.

With MM this year, I feel like they just coasted through it. Two singles a year for the most popular group of H!P is not a good business plan Up-Front. They even have a bunch of new songwriters so they can't use the excuse that Tsunku has too many songs to write. They need to have an album next year and at least three singles. If they want the new members to gain traction, they need to start shoving them onto as many music, variety, internet, cooking, or alien theory shows as possible. Anything that they can get them on is the point really. Now is a great time to start with the buzz from new members.

Musically, MM was once again the group with the best releases (with maybe the exception of Juice=Juice this year). Their first single was a bit blah, but Utakata ended up being fun & Tokyo to Iu is still awesome. I like to pretend The Vision doesn't exist. The entire Sexy Cat single was pretty solid in my opinion. I like Sou Janai the least but it's still cool. Mukidashite (? I can't spell to save my life this month I swear) is freaking amazing. Sexy Cat is quirky and fun. Something different for the group in it's current incarnation. Hoping next year's single exceed this year.

#10

Yuugure wa Ameagari (2015) (NEW)

#9

Onna ni Sachi Are (2007) (-2)

#8

Only You (2011) (+2)

#7

Ai Araba It's All Right (2004) (+1)

#6

Do It! Now (2001) (-1)

#5

Renai Hunter (2012) (+1)

#4

Onna to Otoko no Lullaby Game (2010) (-)

#3

Fantasy ga Hajimaru (2010) (-1)

#2

Osaka Koi no Uta (2005) (+1)

#1

Watashi wa Watashi Nanda (2014) (-)

25 Days Of Christmas Countdown Day #12: Top C-ute

This is supposed to be about C-ute, but just a quick aside: Congrats to the new Musume members! I had a feeling that Yokoyama would get in because of the random buzz around her that seemed to crop up overnight. She's very pretty and I hope that she has a good voice to accompany that. As for Kaede....well. I'm very happy that she's getting to realize her dream and got to join the group with the most opportunities. I truly hope that she melds in well and is a good asset for Musume. The members both are older which is a shock (and it feels like there will be new younger members added next year too because of it) and they both fit the current mature image of MM. Congrats again to them & I can't wait to see their debut!

As for C-ute. I sooooo knew it. I KNEW they would announce their disbandment this year. Honestly, it's time and I couldn't be happier that they're leaving. That sounds awful as I do like them, but H!P needs to complete it's transition to the new H!P and pass the torch to the new members and groups. Now there's just Ayaka Wada who is pre-2010 (if you don't count Aika who doesn't do anything anyway.). I fully predict that Ayaka will announce next year as well. Maybe not graduate, but definitely announce.

As for C-ute's music this year, outside of Mugen Climax (which was such a return to form for them), nothing was outstanding at all. Jinsei wa Step was fun & even though I've mainly ignored Summer Wind, I'm coming around to it. Naze Hito was just bad & I don't even remember what the other Mugen Climax single songs sound like so that's not a good sign. I guess I can say they outdid Angerme this year and maybe Kobushi, but I'm not sure on my feelings on that. Hopefully their final single will be an awesome goodbye for them. I'm also expecting a single/B-side collection like Berryz. I will be so incredibly upset if they don't do that. I want their singles/B-sides but I don't want to have to buy all of the singles I don't have to do so. I'm running out of room on my display shelf.

#10

Mugen Climax (2016) (NEW)

#9

Kiss Me Aishiteru (2011) (-2)

#8

Kanashiki Heaven (2012; Aitai Aitai na) (-3)

#7

Crazy Kanzen na Otona (2013) (+2)

#6

Midnight Temptation (2011; Chou Wonderful 6) (-)

#5

Please, Love Me More! (2013; Tokai no Hitorigurashi) (+3)

#4

Aitai Aitai Aitai na (2012) (-2)

#3

Adam to Eve no Dilemma (2013) (+1)

#2

Tokaikko Junjou (2007) (+1)

#1

I Miss You (2014) (-)

25 Days Of Christmas Countdown Day #11: Top Angerme

Ah Angerme. It seems like they're the current "golden child" of H!P fans. They are always praised to the heavens by just about everyone. I don't get it personally. I like Angerme. I do. I like the members, they're talented. But their music is no better or worse than the rest of the H!P groups. It's exactly the same. For me personally, I actually like Angerme's newest material less than everyone but Kobushi. Their EDM-ish tracks are so lame and one note. The girls sound bored singing them. Their rockier tracks are even worse. I've been indifferent to everything they've released this year. Itoshima Distance was probably the highlight and even then it's kind of meh. So disappointing for Meimi's final single. I really hope they get better music next year, or at least have some energy while singing the songs.

Member wise, Angerme has been somewhat surprising this year. Moe was pretty surprisingly added (although I don't remember if that was late last year or early this year. Whatever. She had her first single this year so it counts). Moe seems to be very talented, but I don't find myself drawn to her like everyone else seems to be. She also really looks like Zoe Barnes from House of Cards to me. I don't know why. I didn't like Zoe. She was annoying and I'm glad she was killed off super early into season two (I'm on episode 3 I think of season two so far, such a good show). Off-topic but ANYWAY, I'm indifferent to Moe. Momona though. Gosh I really dislike saying I don't like certain girls because I don't know them personally and they're all younger than I am and it's their dreams to do this job, but I really don't like Momona. They couldn't have picked a more horribly awkward girl for Angerme. She needed another year or two in the Kenshuusei in my opinion. I know that Maho was super awkward at first and she's amazing now, but Maho has a quality that drew me to her from the get go. Seeing Momona in official pictures makes me cringe because she is so out of place. I'm just somewhat disappointed in Angerme all around this year.

#10

Suki yo, Junjou Hankouki (2012) (-2)

#9

Aa Susukino (2014) (NEW)

#8

Ee ka?! (2013) (NEW)

#7

Mystery Night (2014) (-)

#6

Uchouten Love (2011) (-1)

#5

Smile Bijin (2010; from Ganbaranakutemo Eenende) (+1)

#4

Shin Nippon no Susume! (2013; from 2 Smile Sensation) (-)

#3

Nana Korobi Yaoki (2015) (-1)

#2

Yumemiru 15 (2010) (+1)

#1

Chikyuu wo Kyou mo Ai wo Hagukumu (2014) (-)

25 Days Of Christmas Countdown Day #10: Top Juice=Juice

Juice=Juice seems to have had a pretty good year. Both in public recognition and music. I think it's pretty awesome that they were able to star in their own drama. I haven't watched it because I really don't care enough to watch it, but it's still cool. Upset that they never released Otona na Jijou as a B-side/a single. I don't want to waste the money to buy the Petit Best to get it on CD. The group is very good as a complete package. Better than C-ute in my opinion. I don't think that they have amazing talent above and beyond everyone else, but as a cohesive unit they're good. As for the music this year, I think that they had the best releases. Their first single was amazing all around and Dream Road is probably one of the best songs out of H!P in the past 2 years. They're the group that still has the most "H!P Tsunku vibe" to them, probably because they're still mainly produced by him. I predict that someone will graduate next year though. I don't imagine that they will last as long as Berryz and C-ute. I'd be surprised if they lasted as a group until 2020. For next year though, I hope that they continue with the great music and continue to impress.

#10

Romance no Tochuu (2013) (-)

#9

Black Butterfly (2014) (-2)

#8

Ijiwaru Shinaide Dakishimete yo (2014) (-4)

#7

Karada Dake ga Otona ni Nattan ja nai (2016) (NEW)

#6

Watashi ga Iu Mae ni Dakishimenakya ne (2013) (-)

#5

Hadaka no Hadaka no Hadaka no Kiss (2014) (-)

#4

Dream Road ~Kokoro ga Odoridashiteru~ (2016) (NEW)

#3

Kaze wa Fukarete (2014) (-)

#2

Samidare Bijo ga Samidareru (2013) (-)

#1

Senobi (2014) (-)

25 Days Of Christmas Countdown Day #9: Top Country Girls, Kobushi Factory, Tsubaki Factory, & Kenshuusei

It's too bad none of these groups have enough songs to fill an entire countdown yet. Well, Kobushi does (and technically the Kenshuusei do too but they'll always be with other groups unless they come out with a second album), but I haven't heard the songs from Kobushi's album yet so they still get this place. With C-ute leaving next year, there will be an open slot on the countdown for them or Country Girls, depending on if Country Girls releases an album since they have more seniority.

I guess I'll go backwards and talk about the Kenshuusei first. This year I don't find myself interested in any of the Kenshuusei that are left. There's girls that I think are talented, but I'm not invested in any of them like I was with Musubu or Kisora. Even the Kenshuusei test this year was pretty bad. I thought almost all of the girls didn't perform well, especially girls who had been in the company for a while. Momohime knocked it out of the park & Hikaru/Ruru were good as usual, but everyone else just sounded blah. As for who I'm rooted for for 13th gen....I don't really know. I don't want Kaede. I don't think her vocals are hot stuff like everyone says they are, she just has a deep voice. I do want Reina though. Her singing is ok, but she's so gorgeous. She and Maria could be co-faces of the group & get lots of photoshoots I believe. As for a good singer, either Hikaru or Ruru would be nice. Momohime I believe would be a good talent to have in MM, but not yet. In my opinion, she doesn't look mature enough yet to meld into the group with the style they're going for these days. In a year or two, maybe, but not yet. Could MM change their style up to fit her? Yes. But at the same time, MM has NEVER been a cutesy group. Sure they have a couple cuter songs, but they've always been a more mature looking funky group and to become Country Girls 20 years into their existence would be a terrible route to pursue. I truly think that Momohime is the next Karin/Ayano. The future face of a future group once she's older to be able to carry it. So yeah, I don't have much of a preference for 13th gen. Even if Kaede or Momohime get in, I won't be upset. I don't personally think they'll fit, but who knows, they might surprise me.

Tsubaki! I don't care what anyone says I love Tsubaki & they're better than Kobushi will ever be (bold statement xD). Yes, objectively Kobushi are much MUCH more talented than the Tsubaki girls. However, I love EDM. Therefore, I vastly prefer Tsubaki over Kobushi and always will unless both groups drastically change their style. I'm extremely excited for their major debut. Just Try sounds like it'll be great in the studio recording. The three new members were a shock this year. Mao was really the one I was hoping to get into MM, but I'm very pleased with her placement in Tsubaki. Saori I was always iffy on (I've always seen her as a Karin-lite), but she seems to be fitting in well. I didn't really know anything about Mizuho, but she's SO pretty and fits in with the group perfectly. I'm upset that they only received one release this year (I don't count the EP cause it was all already released/covers). Hitorijime was.....ok. I typically love Tsunku's songs but it just felt ok. Nothing mind blowing like Manmannaka or Sakihokore.

Kobushi is a group of ups and downs for me. They're so very talented, but so few of their songs appeal to me. I don't really care for funky pop rock music and it's grating hearing young teenagers attempting to do that vocal growl in songs. I didn't really like any of the songs on their third single, and outside of Sakura Night Fever (which grew on me), their second single was meh too. Also, what's with them receiving an album before Country Girls?! That somewhat bothers me but whatever. I am surprised that none of the girls have announced a graduation yet though. H!P groups tend to always have that one that leaves not long after debut. I would be ok with both Kobushi & Tsubaki becoming the new Berryz/Cute and not having generations (barring Tsubaki gen 2 as they were clearly added to balance out the group before major debut) and graduating as a mainly intact team.

Country Girls had such a high point early this year with Boogie Woogie Love & Koi wa Magnet, and then kind of crashed from that with the okay Dou Datte & a song cover. I don't like covers. To me, it's a company being lazy and they didn't want to pay a songwriter to do something original. I really wanted an album from them this year. I'm hoping that the rumor of their new single is true. The rumored song titles sound like a dark vs. light (SWTOR themed? LOL....if anyone gets the bad joke xD) concept with a mature song and a cutey song. I think that'd be cool. I'm SO glad that Momoko is leaving next year. It's a perfect time, right after Cute leaves. I'm also hoping for a Country Girls Gen 3 with Momohime & one of the newer girls. And Musubu leads. And solos. And a Musubu solo career without Country Girls. Yes. That. Speaking of Musubu, was anyone else upset that she got no lines in that cover song? I was upset. It wasn't only a cover song, but it was also a cover song without Musubu getting a solo line. Two dings from me! In all seriousness though, Namida no Request isn't bad at all, I'm just annoyed they had a cover song as an A-side on a single with only two songs. It's not as annoying when there's more songs.

#10

Country Girls - Dou Datte Ii no (2016) (NEW)

#9

Kobushi Factory - Sakura Night Fever (2016) (NEW)

#8

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

#7

Kobushi Factory - Survivor (2015) (-4)

#6

Country Girls - Boogie Woogie Love (2016) (NEW)

#5

Hello! Pro Kenshuusei - Koishitai Shinto (2015) (+2)

#4

Hello! Pro Kenshuusei - Onna no Sono (2015) (-2)

#3

Tsubaki Factory - Keidakaku Sakihokore! (2015) (NEW)

#2

Country Girls - Koi wa Magnet (2016) (NEW)

#1

Tsubaki Factory - Seishun Manmannaka! (2015) (-)

25 Days Of Christmas Countdown Day #8: Top AKB48

It's kind of fitting that AKB's day lands on the same day that they debuted their 16th gen! Congrats to all the new girls! I'm excited to see new faces in AKB & I can't wait to see who gets pushed. AKB itself has been somewhat interesting this year. Takamina FINALLY left after her way too long drug out graduation, Kojiharu is also finally leaving soon, and Paruru announced her graduation. I never really minded that Shimazaki didn't seem to be overly enthusiastic about AKB. Unlike Kojiharu who I feel should've left a long time ago, I like Paruru. I think it's for the best that she announced though. Not just for her health, but I think it's always better to leave at your peak than overstaying your welcome. Nana Owada's recent graduation announcement shocked me. I can't believe she's leaving already. I figured Nishino would be gone before any of the other newer pushed girls. As for next year, I'm hoping that more old gen girls start to leave. It's time for AKB to completely transition to Gen 9 and newer. As much as I love Miichan, I hope she also announces next year. It's time for first gen to go. I also have a feeling that Mayuyu will announce next year.

As for the music this year, it's been very up and down. Kimi wa Melody was pretty good to me, even though I saw a lot of people not really feeling the song. That single also featured two super awesome B-sides: Make Noise & Mazariau Mono. Tsubasa wa Iranai, both the song itself and the B-sides, were so bland. NGT's song on the theater edition is cool, but everything else was SO disappointing, especially for the summer single. Love Trip as a song is awesome, but I didn't think the other A-side or the B-sides were anything special at all. I never really care for the B-sides of the Sousenkyo single though. High Tension I think is on par with Kimi wa Melody as far as the total package. The A-side is great & there's two super great B-sides: Seijun Tired (best B-side this year from them) & Shunsuki (? I think I spelled that wrong...) Adrenaline. Overall though, I didn't feel like there was that great of music from AKB this year. Hoping for something different next year. Maybe another UZA-type A-side? That'd be nice instead of more slow songs or funky songs. Change it up please!

My ranking has drastically changed from last year. I finally got (almost, missing Pajama Drive, the Himawarigumi stages, Renai Kinshi & Saishuu Bell) all of the stage albums and I LOVE so many of the songs from them. Much better than their singles and normal albums tbh.

#10

Kibouteki Refrain (2014) (NEW)

#9

Nageki no Figure (2006; Team A 2nd Stage) (NEW)

#8

Dokugumo (2010; Team K 6th Stage) (NEW)

#7

How Come? (2013; Sayonara Crawl Type K) (-2)

#6

Seifuku ga Jama wo Suru (2007) (-2)

#5

Ikiru Koto (2013; Sayonara Crawl Type A) (NEW)

#4

Beginner (2010) (-2)

#3

Hana to Chire! (2006; Team K 3rd Stage) (NEW)

#2

UZA (2012) (+1)

#1

Mokugekisha (2009; Team A 6th Stage) (-)

25 Days Of Christmas Countdown Day #7: Top SKE48

I wish SKE hadn't only gotten two singles this year. As they're the second most senior group after AKB, they should get more releases tbh. And what happened to that album? Did management forget about it or something? SKE's really feeling pretty forgotten recently. Their first single this year, Chicken Line, was REALLY good. Now that's the type of song SKE pulls off the best. The music video was amazing too. The B-sides were largely forgettable, although Is That Your Secret was good. Kin no Ai the A-side was nice. The concept fit SKE even though the song was just ok. The B-sides though...is it just me or were they all the same song? Seriously, they all sounded so sameish and bland. The group also lost a lot of strong members in the past year. Aya Shibata leaving was certainly a downer. They really need to focus on the new girls and stop relying so much on Jurina cause the older established members are starting to drop like flies.

#10

Darkness (2013; Choco no Dorei all versions except Type C) (-)

#9

Banzai Venus (2011) (-1)

#8

Coquettish Juutaichuu (2015) (+1)

#7

Kesanai Honoo (2014; 12gatsu no Kangaroo (Type A))(-)

#6

Tsyokimono yo (2009) (-2)

#5

Chicken Line (2016) (NEW)

#4

Bukiyou Taiyou (2014) (+1)

#3

Utsukushii Inazuma (2013) (-)

#2

Kataomoi Finally (2012) (-1)

#1

Escape (2013) (+1)

25 Days Of Christmas Coundown Day #5: Top HKT48 & NGT48

Didn't NGT have a single announced for this year? What happened to that or was that just an internet rumor? AKS seriously needs to get on the ball and have them release something. Keyaki has been around for almost the same amount of time and they've already had three singles. It's almost like AKS wants everyone to forget about NGT and watch them fail. They have I think only 2 songs (or was it three? I don't remember) so far that were just AKB B-sides. Their B-side on Tsubasa wa Iranai was awesome though. I hope they take that direction instead of HKT cutesy. It was also the only good song on the entire Tsubasa single too. I really don't have many thoughts about the group itself. They need to debut because I'm just uninterested in them otherwise.

HKT is so boring. There I said it. Out of all the 48s, 46s, eleventyfours & whatever else, they're the most boring musically. They absolutely have good songs, but why do all of their A-sides tend to sound EXACTLY THE SAME. Saikou ka yo was an ok change from Okubuns & 12 Byous, but it still felt so blah. For a supposedly high energy song where was the energy? The girls sound like they sing on auto pilot & the recording people don't care. I also really miss Meru has center. Haruppi is bland in my opinion. I liked that they switched it up & made Hana center for Saikou but I don't really see anything much more interesting in her to be honest. Their B-sides this year were all rather bland too. Taboo no Iro attempted to be edgy & cool, but it came off really forced. Team H's song on Saikou was alright, but beyond that I can't think of any other B-side this year that caught my attention. The weird thing is, their best song this year was on an AKB single! Make Noise is awesome. Why not do that on your own singles?!

#10

HKT48 - Kidoku Through (2014; Sakura Minna de Tabeta (Type A) (-2)

#9

HKT48 - Suki! Suki! Skip! (2013) (-2)

#8

HKT48 - Shekarashika! (2015) (NEW)

#7

HKT48 - Tasogare no Tandem (2015; Shekarashika all versions) (NEW)

#6

NGT48 - Kimi wa Doko ni Iru? (2016; Tsubasa wa Iranai - AKB48 (Theater)) (NEW)

#5

HKT48 - Melon Juice (2013) (-)

#4

HKT48 - Hikaeme no I Love You (2014) (-1)

#3

HKT48 - Make Noise (2016; Kimi wa Melody - AKB48 (Type C) (NEW)

#2

HKT48 - Mukashi no Kareshi no Oniichan to Tsukiau to Iu Koto (2014; Sakura Minna de Tabeta (Type B) (-)

#1

HKT48 - Tenmonbu no Jijou (2013; Melon Juice (Theater) (-)

25 Days Of Christmas Countdown Day #4: Top Nogizaka46 & Keyakizaka46

So. I've noticed that all 3 of the entries I've done so far besides this one I've screwed up the title. Wow. I clearly am not having a good week lol. I've been sick all week so that's my excuse.

Nogi & Keyaki are together in this because Keyaki doesn't have enough releases yet to have their own spot.

To me, Nogi hasn't had a super stand out year. Quite frankly all of their releases from this year blend together and I actually had to sit for a couple minutes to even remind myself what they'd released. I haven't enjoyed any of their title tracks this year and their album wasn't interesting outside of Erika Ikuta's solo either. I guess Nogi's music style is not for me at all. However, they do manage to release some really awesome songs once in a while. Like I said on my Top J-Pop post, when Nogizaka releases a good song, it's not just good, it's stellar. They did that this year. Their B-side Harukanaru Bhutan. Whoever did the music for that song, I just want to congratulate them on creating one of the most gorgeous pieces of pop music I've ever heard. I'm so upset that it was a B-side and didn't get a whole lot of attention. It's the best thing that any 48G group has ever put out. It's just too bad that the rest of their music is so bland. As for Nogi themselves this year, I'm actually a little shocked at how strong they are going right now. It looks very possible that they will beat AKB within the next year or two, as long as the idol market doesn't completely crash.

Keyaki is a bit of a mystery to me. I can't figure out if I want to like them more than Nogi or not. Their very first single, Silent Majority, absolutely blew me away. Such a style difference from Nogi's more reserved songs. I loved it and the B-sides weren't that bad either. However, I've been disappointed in their next two singles. I like that they're keeping the faux military concept, but I HATED Sekai ni wa. It's a song. There's not supposed to be that much talking in a song. Make a freaking drama if you want to talk over music don't ruin the song. The B-sides were okay, all though I did really like Yurina's Parco solo. That was cool. Although I don't hate Futari Saison, I find it bland like Nogi's material and the B-sides were very lacking too in my opinion. The group seems to be easily matching AKB's sister groups in sales and will likely surpass them by next year. One thing I do wonder though is how long people will like Yurina being the center. I think she's a rather good center, but as we saw with Nogi, will people start being resentful that she's the only one centering like Rina was? There's already some talk on forums that I've seen where people are wishing for a new center. I'm curious to see if management will stick with Yurina or if they'll try someone new next year.

On to the song countdown! Like last year, it's unlikely that all of the songs will be linked because it's harder to find 48G material online that aren't download links sadly.

#10

Nogizaka46 - Sono Saki no Deguchi (2014: Natsu no Free & Easy, Type A) (-4)

#9

Nogizaka46 - Yubi Bouenkyou (2012: Seifuku no Mannequin, all versions) (-2)

#8

Nogizaka46 - Popipappapa (2015: Ima, Hanashitai Dareka ga Iru, Type A) (-)

#7

Nogizaka46 - Natsu no Free & Easy (2014) (-4)

#6

Nogizaka46 - Barette (2013) (-2)

#5

Keyakizaka46 - Silent Majority (2016) (NEW)

#4

Nogizaka46 - Girl's Rule (2013) (+1)

#3

Nogizaka46 - Seifuku no Mannequin (2012) (-1)

#2

Nogizaka46 - Koko ni Iru Riyuu (2014: Natsu no Free & Easy, Type C) (-1)

#1

Nogizaka46 - Harukanaru Bhutan (2016: Harujion ga Sakukoro, all versions) (NEW)

Only one Keyaki on the countdown...maybe next year they'll feature more.

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

So last year when I did this one, I didn't really know many J-pop songs outside of idol groups. This year I've gone more out of my way to find J-pop songs from soloists and bands. I still have a long way to go to get into other J-pop, but it's improving lol. Because of expanding my horizons, this list is much different than last year's. As with last year, this will not feature any songs from H!P or 48G (minus one) because the entire list would be from them otherwise.

#10

One Ok Rock - Mighty Long Fall (2014) (NEW)

Yeah blah blah this isn't technically J"pop" but I don't technically care. The only reason I checked this song out was because I saw their Taking Off video uploaded on the Fueled By Ramen YouTube & I was so confused because I knew they were a Japanese group and didn't know why they were being uploaded on an American YouTube channel. I'm glad I did decide to check it out though because it's such a great song. Reminds me a lot of Fall Out Boy who I love.

#9

Minako Honda - Dramatic Escape (1988) (NEW)

One thing I've really been trying to do over the past year is focus on 80s J-Pop. I really love the sound of it. Unfortunately, I haven't had the time to check out too many CDs, but one that I have is Minako's Lips album. It's SO good. I'm a sucker for great 80s music and it really is awesome.

No YT video, sorry. But you can listen to it on my 8Tracks playlist! (<---Clicky Clicky)

#8

Galette - Brand New Style (2013) (-6)

I DON'T WANNA TALK ABOUT IT GUYS. IT'S JUST NOT FAIR. I was devastated by the news of their disbanding. Well, at least as devastated as I can get with music. I don't get super attached to groups even if I love them so it's not like I was crying over it but I was still upset. They had SO MUCH POTENTIAL. Wasted. Utterly wasted. To be honest I'm more pissed off at their company than upset that they disbanded. But ANYWAY. This song has slipped a lot for me recently. Probably because I overplayed it to death. Still an absolutely amazing song though.

#7

Ayumi Hamasaki - Real Me (2002) (-4)

One of the very few non-English songs I enjoy primarily for its lyrics. Just a lovely song.

#6

Predia - Maboroshi wa Xanadu (2014) (NEW)

So. I feel as though I should be ashamed of myself for not knowing this song earlier. I actually owned it for a year before listening to it. I bought Predia's first album because I liked the singles and then never got around to actually listening to the album itself (which is absolutely fantastic by the way if you like dance pop & good vocals). I either like this or Yakou Chou best on the album but I couldn't decide which so I just went with which one I loved first lol.

No video

#5

Hangry & Angry - Top Secret (2009) (+1)

This really only has a placing because of nostalgia, but I remember this being my first real J-pop song addiction outside of Morning Musume.

#4

Momoiro Clover Z - Mouretsu Uchuu Koukyoukyoku Dainana Gakushou "Mugen no Ai"(2012) (-2)

Another song that's fallen because I played it completely to death. Still love the insane wackiness of the whole thing.

#3

Osaka Shunkashuto - Cameleon Shoujo (2015) (NEW)

When are they going to release a new single? Seriously they need to release something and not just perform all the time. I hate when I fall in love with a group and then they hardly ever release music (looking at you Coco Decoru. One release since 2014.) But at the same time Osaka Shunkashuto is one of the few groups that I actually have watched a couple live performances of, mainly because Maina is an absolute star and owns any stage she walks on.

#2

Galette - Air Summer (2015) (NEW)

Man I miss them. Their whole discography is flawless. They should've released one last single or an album before their end.

#1

Nogizaka46 - Harukanaru Bhutan (2016) (NEW)

This is my one exception. I only put this here because it is my actual favorite J-pop song of all time. It only came out this year, but it's one of those genre defining songs for me. The music is absolutely gorgeous and everything is just wonderful about it. It's actually surprising to me how much I love it as Nogizaka is one of my least favorite groups in 48G. However, when they have good songs, those songs are incredible.

No video :(

25 Days of Christmas Day #1: Top K-Pop of All Time

I said I was going to do this again and I'm going to try my best to post on time for each day lol. The format will be exactly the same as last year except this year I'm going to the places each thing moved (or is new) from the past year. Mainly because I just want to see how my interests have changed over the year. So here we go, entry #1!

So I feel like last year's list was completely all over the place. 2015 was the first year since 2012 that I had had much interest in new K-pop and due to that, my list was so scatterbrained and I had forgotten about so much. This year I think I have a much more accurate idea of my top 10 K-pop songs of all time.

#10

Oh My Girl - Closer (2015) (-)

This song made the list last year even though it was practically brand new. Closer really reignited an interest in K-pop for me. It's just an incredible song by an incredible group. If the song continues to hold up in the future, it easily could be in my top three.

#9

Girl's Day - Expectation (2012) (NEW)

I really got back into this song this year. I loved it when it came out, but I finally picked up the album this year and have played it a lot since. This song in my opinion was Girl's Day's peak. They've had good songs since, but this was their peak musically for me.

#8

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

Out of all of SNSD's songs over the years, their debut remains my favorite. It's actually aged rather well as opposed to once great songs like The Boys or Run Devil Run that just sound like they should've stayed in 2011. It's just a fun & uplifting song.

#7

Chocolat - I Like It (2011) (-4)

I still miss them so much. Years ago this would've been number one for me, but quite frankly it just hasn't aged well at all. I still love the song and I still love them, but there's so many other songs that are sounding better than this.

#6

Wonder Girls - Loved (2015) (NEW)

So last year I had I Feel You pretty high up, which was only because I couldn't think of half the tracks that I should've featured. But as much as I love that song, after listening to the album over the past year, Loved is such a stand out track. In my opinion, it's probably the single greatest K-pop album tracks ever released. It's just 80s filled amazingness.

#5

After School - Dressing Room (2013) (+1)

I'm still upset at myself that I haven't purchased the First Love EP yet. I want to, but I keep feeling like I can't justify buying K-pop EPs anymore because they cost the same as full albums & none have come up for cheap on ebay that I've seen. Oh well, eventually. This is After School's greatest song and should've been a single. I couldn't decide if this & Loved should've been switched around so I just kept them in the order of release.

#4

2NE1 - Come Back Home (2014) (NEW)

Quite frankly the reason this is so dang high is because of their disbandment. However, this is an incredible song and unlike the vast majority of their other material, I feel like this will hold up over the years.

#3

Orange Caramel - Bangkok City (2011) (-2)

The beat in this song is still fresh 5 years later. The ultimate K-pop club track in my opinion. Orange Caramel needs to release something else like this.

#2

Swan.B - Be All Right (2011) (-)

Why does no one know this song?! WHY?! Yes, it's super duper indie & there's no clue what ever happened to the group that did it but it's just so good. Eurobeat is sadly not featured in K-pop ever.

#1

KARA - Step (2011) (NEW)

I don't think there will be anyone in K-pop who will ever release anything quite as amazing as Step. It's one of those songs you can never get tired of and sound like they could be released tomorrow and still smash. I didn't list it last year because I forgotI forgot about it when I when I made the list. Kinda upset that I did that lol

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 #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?