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 #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?

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.

Berryz Kobo - 21ji Made no Cinderella

I cannot believe that Berryz disbands next week. That's insane to think about. I felt like that time would never come. I still don't 100% percent like the idea of Momoko in Country Girls, but since I can't change anything I'm glad that she has found her place after Berryz's end. We also have found out that Saki & Chinami will be staying in the company in advisor/staff roles. Then Maasa will also be doing stage plays after Berryz. Yurina has chosen to focus on education first, which I certainly admire her for doing. Then I believe it was said that she will be trying to be a model. Most surprising to me is that Miyabi and Risako have chosen to go on breaks. I figured Risako would end up being the one to fully leave the spotlight, but I'm surprised that Miyabi didn't announce something that she'd be doing right away. I thought it would be nice to do a post about Berryz before their final concert, so I chose this release....mainly because it was next in the pile of CDs that I have waiting to be reviewed haha.

This is Berryz's eighth single and was released in 2005 and also the last song to feature member Maiha Ishimura. It's hard to believe that this song is almost ten years old. It's always interesting going back to their very early releases and then listening to their newest music. I think it's really incredible that these girls were picked at such a young age and ended up being true talents. The song itself has that whole 50s retro feel to it, but not as much as a song like Waracchaou yo Boyfriend though. The music video is set at a very 50s looking diner as well. They all look so young in the video. It also makes me wonder what the group would have been like had Maiha stayed. 4.5/5.

21ji Made no Cinderella MV:

The B-side for this single is Himitsu no Utahime. I'm honestly not a big fan of this song. It's just ok. It's a pretty standard H!P B-side. It doesn't help that their vocals are still pretty young so the slower pace of the song can get grating after a while. 3/5.

Himitsu no Utahime (Audio Only):

The single itself isn't one of their best. It's more in the middle of their discography. 4/5.

I know this is a weird single to choose as the post before Berryz's disbandment, but I don't think I could make it through a full album or a single I like more before hand. I don't generally care about graduations, but this one's a little different. It's going to be hard at first to see H!P without Berryz. They've been here for so long and within the next couple of days they will be gone. I want to wish the members of the group a lot of luck in their futures and I hope they are blessed with their future choices, even if it's wanting to go back to a normal life. They deserve it after all of the years they sacrificed to be in the group. Thank you Berryz for putting your hearts into entertaining us. I'll miss them.

Berryz Kobo - Romance wo Katatte/Towa no Uta

To be honest I never expected Berryz's final single to have been released in November. I was certain they were going to release one more single in the new year. It's interesting that they aren't going to, but I suppose it is best to completely focus on the final album and concert instead of promoting another single, not to mention it's a little late to put out another single now. I'm very happy that this single sold so well for them. Of course it sold like it did because it was their last single, but it's nice to see them go out with a bang instead of average.

The first track on their final single is Romance wo Katatte. This is a good song, but it's not their best from last year. It has a very Christmasy feel to it which is nice for the season it was released in. When they leave H!P, I'm really going to miss Risako's voice. I like her a lot. The music video for this is really nicely done. I think it's pretty cool how towards the end of last year, H!P was beginning to experiment with video effects. The retro music show set, the perfectly done CG effects, and the gorgeous outfits make this one of their best videos ever. 4.5/5.

The second A-side is Towa no Uta. This song is weak. Really weak. It's supposed to be like a farewell single, but it's not special in any way (at least to me). Probably their worst song in a few years. It's not bad really, just weak. It sounds like an Avril Lavigne reject from 2001. I would have preferred if instead they would have used the same music style as their very first single for their very last A-side. It would've been a cool way to wrap up their careers. The music video is weak as well. I get that it's supposed to be a homage to their first single but those outfits are horrible. If they wanted to do something plaid they should have done it right. At the very least, I guess I can say that they're a massive improvement over the things that they were forced to wear for their first single. 3/5.

Really this single doesn't feel much like a final single, but more like a "well we have to release SOMETHING for their last single....what do we have left over in the vaults?" kind of thing. Luckily one of their best songs ever is their final final song (Love Together), so musically they won't end bad. 3.5/5.

Dance Or Die's Top Songs of November

So I decided to try something else new. A top 10 (or however many songs pique my interest) list of songs in all genres for each month and at the end of the year I'll do a top 10 list of J-Pop, K-pop, and others, and then a top 20 list of all of them combined. So we'll see how this goes. Not all of the songs on my lists will have reviews yet. Just click on the song titles to check out the songs.

The monthly lists are songs officially released for sale in that month. Dates after the song is the date of release.

#1: I Miss You - C-ute (Nov. 19)

#2: Kibouteki Refrain - AKB48 (Nov. 26)

#3: The Future - C-ute (Nov. 19)

#4: Froot - Marina & The Diamonds (Nov. 11)

#5: The Hanging Tree - Jennifer Lawrence/James Newton Howard (Nov. 24)

#6: Play - Jolin Tsai (Nov. 21)

#7: Romance wo Katatte - Berryz Kobo (Nov. 12)

I admit that I really REALLY struggled trying to come up with 10 songs released this month that I thought were worth a mention. I figured I'd be at least one short considering how busy I've been this month but THREE short?! Was November really that bad for songs or is it just me? Now I haven't listened to all of Jolin's album yet so I'm sure there's more awesome songs on that. AKB's release beyond the title song isn't all that great so nothing else from there was really worth a top 10 placement. Also, I didn't find any K-pop this month interesting from groups that I know (although K-pop has been pretty bad for the past two years anyway in my opinion, but usually there's at least one thing.) So I encourage you to check out the songs and if you know of any songs that were released by anyone in the month of November that you love, please leave me a comment! I'd love to check out something that I might have never heard of before! Or even give something another chance xD :)