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?

Music Discovery Mondays (Late Thursday July 30, 2015 Edition)

First of all, I apologize for this being late. I wasn't home much on Monday and it slipped my mind. Then on Tuesday I had things come up after I posted the update and I wasn't home all day yesterday. But it is up finally today! Hopefully the more I do this section I will get used to posting on a regular schedule.

Track #1: Linda San Sei - Ruby Monogatari

I was debating if this fit better in Song Recommendations or here. I decided on here as they are a less known group. Linda San Sei is a "B-Pop" group that began in 2013. They are known as this because the girls are Japanese with a Brazilian heritage. I think they've had Portuguese in some of their songs before too. They currently have five members: Sayuri, Shiori, Sakura, Mutsumi, and Yukaren. This song reminds me of a mix between the electro styles in K-pop and Japanese idol pop.

Linda San Sei Official Site

Track #2: Bump.y - Savage Heaven

Bump.y was a five member group that was active from 2009-2014. I was so sad to hear that they were going to disband because the group had a lot of promise and it's disappointing that they didn't get much popularity. This was their last single before their disbandment. The song is a midtempo pop track with an electronic undertone.

Track #3: Aither - Kimi no Namida wa Boku no Kanashimi Kimi no Yume wa Boku no Kibou

Note: the video above is a sampler of all of the songs on their second single. Aither was a J-pop girl group that was active from 2013-2014. Even though they were short lived, they released three singles and even had a chance to perform in the United States. The song is a mix of 2000s Eurodance and J-pop.

If you have a song that you think needs to be more well known, feel free to comment about it! Enjoy!