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?
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?
This is another group I discovered thanks to internet forums. They were described as being like Perfume except more pop which intrigued me. I like Perfume a lot and another J-pop group called Kus Kus has close to that same style & I like them, so I figured this group would just be an extension of that. Unfortunately at first, I didn't care for the music at all. That changed with the release of this single though.
Cupitron is a three member Japanese girl group that consists of members Nichika Yamakawa (blue), Saika Hamada (pink), and Rina Miyawaki (Green). As of this post, they have released two singles and a digital single.
The title track for this single is Battery. Some of you may have seen my earlier recommendation post where I included this song. It was at that point that I knew I just had to get the actual CD. Even though I don't know what the song is literally saying (and I can't find a translation online yet), I really love the lyrics at the end of the first and third choruses. The whole "Revolution, high power. Do you wanna follow me?" part. When I heard that it really struck me and got me hooked on the song. Even though I've heard of them described as like Perfume, I don't get that comparison beyond them being a 3 piece and doing electropop. Perfume is much more techno/electropop, while Cupitron is more pop with electro influences. Kind of like what Morning Musume would do if they dropped the dance and ramped up the autotune. It actually hurts a bit to admit, but this song is better than anything Musume has done in the past year except for their newest single, Watashi wa Watashi Nanda, and TokiSora. When it comes to the music video, I still can't get over how much Rina looks like an Aika/Sayumi mix and Saika like Sayumi, especially in the outdoor shots. I think the video as a whole is very nicely done for an indie idol group (at least I think they are right?). I'm hoping to see more of this style from them in the future. 5/5.
Battery MV:
The first coupling track which is found on the regular edition is Warp Warp. I was expecting another electropop song much in the Battery vein from this song when I saw the title. I was half right. It's still electropop, but it's nothing like Battery. In fact, this sounds a lot more like something Perfume would put out. If they are actually trying to be more like Perfume in music style, this is the direction they need to head in. Personally, I would prefer to see them stick with the Battery route. I don't know of any other idol group that's doing that at the moment and I'd like to see them not be compared to Perfume all of the time and find their own style. 4/5.
Warp Warp (Audio):
The second coupling track on the regular edition is Pipopatoku. This is the more standard idol song of the single. It's another song more like Warp Warp in terms of musical style, but the overall feel of the song is more standard idol in my opinion. It's my least favorite of the single. The autotune is way overkilled on this. I get that's the point, but it just doesn't feel done well to me. When Perfume does songs more like this, the autotune (or whatever the effect is on their vocals) is so well integrated into the song and into who they are that it just works. For Cupitron, the vocal style that Battery has works much better for who they are. 3.5/5.
Pipopatoku (Audio):
The final coupling track for the single is Denshi Keisan Ki no Yume which is found on the limited edition. I got the regular edition because it was cheaper, but I'm wondering if I should have bought the limited too because this is my favorite coupling track on the single. It's much closer to the Battery style than the other coupling tracks. 4.5/5.
Denshi Keisan Ki no Yume (Audio):
All together the single is fairly strong for a new idol group. It keeps up its theme well throughout all of the songs. I'm definitely looking forward to seeing what they'll be putting out next. 4/5.
So trying something new here as I figure that I'll never be able to keep up with those top 10 lists. I'm almost always listening to music and I always discover new things that I love so I figured that I might as well share some because by the time I'd get to doing actual reviews they'll be quite old. So here's what I've been loving the past few days!
Jolin Tsai - I'm Not Yours (ft. Namie Amuro):
This song is perfect! So ridiculously catchy and the attitude is amazing. There's some unfortunate English pronunciation (particularly from Namie), but for me it's easy to look past.
Angerme (S/mileage) - Taiki Bansei:
Angerme (S/mileage) - Otome no Gyakushuu:
Kind of cheating because there's two Angerme songs, but their new single came out today so please support them!
Cupitron - Battery:
Not many songs that I hear from indie idols interest me. This one is really wonderful though. Electronic-ish even. I swear that the red girl looks like Sayumi Michishige mixed with Nana Yamada, the green one looks like Aika Mitsui, and the blue one looks kind of like Yuu Kikkawa to me.
And that's pretty much it! I hope you enjoy checking out these songs!
