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?
For the longest time I ignored the other Up-Front groups. Not because I was intentionally avoiding them, but because everything that I had heard from groups like Up Up Girls & The Possible were just bland. Then came Bijou no Yajuu. I was hearing good things about it on forums and decided to check it out. I couldn't believe that a group that seemed so bland before had gotten SO good. I bought the album as soon as I could because I was shocked. I don't very often buy things on whims but this was an exception. I was hoping that the album would be as good as Bijou, and I wasn't disappointed.
Track #1, Beautiful Dreamer: This isn't the strongest song to start out an album with personally. The verses skirt the lines between typical idol track and not which is an interesting combination; however, the chorus just dives straight into the usual guitar driven idol pop stuff. The rap is also very out of place with the music of the track. It's a grab bag of a song and doesn't really come together for me. 3/5.
Track #2, Kira Kira Mirai: I don't really like rock music much anymore beyond a few songs. Now, this song isn't really rock, it's more of an idol pop/rock fushion thing, but it's just not my style of music. I do like how the vocals are layered in the chorus though. I will say that it does the idol pop/rock thing better than most others. 3.5/5.
Track #3, Up & Up!: This is the first of several EDM tracks on the album. What I love about this track is that it sounds like it would fit in extremely well on American radio....well, at least it would if they were singing in English and were a solo singer (as girl groups don't tend to do well in the States). It's a very fun track. I love how it goes from the hard electro beat into the electric piano led verses. It's really quite neat. Up Up Girls does best with hard EDM tracks like this. 5/5.
Track #4, Enjoy!! Enjo(y)!: This is a great song to follow Up & Up. It's another EDM track, but it's more on the electronic side than the pop side like Up & Up is. It just feels like a good flow between the songs. However, I'm not the biggest fan of the song. I like the music of it, but the way it's sung bothers me. It's not the autotune, it just sounds like in some parts they were trying to make their voices sound a certain way with the music and it just sounds really disconnected. I don't know how to describe it better than that. 3.5/5.
Track #5: Nijiiro Mosaic: Whenever I see the word 'mosaic' anymore I can't help but think of Dragon Age Inquisition lol. I know that probably doesn't mean anything to most, but it's amusing to me lol. If you enjoyed Beautiful Dreamer, it's likely you'll enjoy this song as well. They both have the typical idol track sound with a slight amount of the Up Up Girls style. I think this is better than Beautiful Dreamer, but my issue with the songs are the same. 3.5/5.
Track #6: Zenryoku! Pump Up!!: Did I say that Bijou no Yajuu first piqued my interest in Up Up Girls in the intro? Well I was kinda half lying. Bijou no Yajuu was the first song to really make me want to look into more Up Up Girls music and was the catalyst behind buying this album, but Zenryoku was the first song that made me think that Up Up Girls could possibly be interesting. Unfortunately, I didn't follow up on my original curiosity. Zenryoku is a good example of the EDM I'd like to see Morning Musume tackle. 5/5.
Track #7, Itadaki wo Mesazu!: When I started this song, I wondered why I had only played it once. It's the type of song I adore, a catchy EDM track. It's problem is in the placement. Right after Zenryoku & right before Be Your Soul & Bijou no Yajuu. Now that I'm reminded of it's existence I'll have to play it more lol. The song is a nice blend of the EDM from the album and songs like Beautiful Dreamer which are more on the pop side. 4.5/5.
Track #8, (Kakko Kari) wa Kaesuze Be Your Soul: When I first got the album, I figured that Bijou no Yajuu would be the song I'd play the most, but it wasn't. Somehow, this song beat it out. It's only weird to me because I had played this song on YouTube out of curiosity when it was released and didn't think anything of it. I must have not been paying attention because this is the best song on the album. It's very catchy and another kind of song I'd like to hear MM do. If you don't have time to listen to an entire album, I recommend at least checking this one out. 5/5.
Track #9, Bijou no Yajuu: It's not often I find Japanese music "powerful". Not powerful as in moving, but powerful as in how Demi Lovato's Confident is powerful. A certain feeling of the song that just hits you when you first listen to it. Maybe the better word I'm thinking of is instant but that doesn't fully describe what's in my head either. Any way, this song is just under Be Your Soul in how amazing it is. I'm sure at this point in the album for some people, they're a little tired because it is pretty much one hard hitting EDM track after another; but for me, even nine songs into the album songs like this keep me pumping. Too many albums crowd their ballads and weaker tracks near the end so this album is a welcome change. 5/5.
Track #10, Jumper!: My first thought when hearing this song was DDR. It reminds me a lot of some of the older DDR stuff my friend used to show me (I've never played it xD) It's almost like an updated version of some of those songs which makes it a lot of fun to listen to. There's a lot of energy in this song and I bet that it's a concert favorite. 4.5/5.
Track #11, Runway: Out of all of the songs on the album, I think this is the most "Western" EDM style. I could really imagine it being on American radio. If it was by Calvin Harris or Zedd with someone like Ellie Goulding no one would think of it being from a Japanese idol group. Of the EDM tracks on the album, this isn't one of my favorites, but it's definitely a good track. 4/5.
Track #12, Kono Melody wo Kimi to: Is it just me or does this sound like a rehash of Beautiful Dreamer? Maybe it's just me but I was positive I'd heard this earlier in the album. With that said, it is among my least favorite songs on the album. It's too idoly of an EDM track for my taste. Although I said that about Ima Koko Kara & now I love it. Well everyone by now should know that I rate music extremely subjectively (really that's everyone...you can't rate music objectively xD) and am biased towards certain styles/groups/whatever lol. 3/5.
Track #13, Party! Party!: For a song called Party Party, I don't think this is much of a party song though lol. It is a good way to end the album. It's a happy song that leaves a good impression on the listener when finishing up the last of the actual songs. My only real gripe about the song is that it's much too long. 5 minutes for a happy dance pop song is a little overkill. 4/5.
Track #14, Zenryoku! Pump Up! (Ultra Mix): Just a remix
Track #15, Starry Night (y0c1e Remix): Just a remix. The original song was released as a single & is on their previous album.
Whenever I listen to this album in full I always regret not looking into Up Up Girls earlier. Prior to this year (well, really prior to my liking of Galette), I tended to view everything not from H!P or the 48s as not worthy to check out besides a small few (idol groups/singers, not people like Namie or Utada, I'd listened to them before the 48s) and I was wrong. Yes there's a lot of boring idol pop crap stuff out there (including in the 48s), but there's also a lot of stuff that's interesting to at least check out. For an EDM fan like myself, Up Up Girls' album is perfect and I hope they continue to release such great material. 4/5.
It's been awhile since I've done one of these. It's been a not very good week for me so I figured doing one of these would cheer me up a bit and I hope that anyone who reads this can find a new song to make them happy :D
Crayon Pop - FM
This is just a dance shot for their new song as the MV isn't out yet, but wow I was really impressed with this song. I've liked Crayon Pop since before Bar Bar Bar and had been excited to see them get a lot of attention and was ready to see what they'd do next. Then they released Uh-ee. I find that song so bland I was very disappointed. This song makes them exciting again.
Krewella - Somewhere To Run
I love them. I do. So much. However, I've been unsure how their new music was going to go since the guy left, but this is reassuring. It's not as good as anything on their first album, but it makes me less nervous about the direction of the new album.
C-ute - The Middle Management ~Josei Chuukan Kanrishoku~
This really is the only good song from C-ute's new single tbh. Tsugi no Kado wo Magare is ok and GamushaLife is pretty much your generic idol track that you're pretty sure you've heard the 48s do 100 times. I don't like this Tsunku-less H!P....
Orange Caramel - The Gangnam Avenue
Kind of an older song (from last year), but this is such a gem in Orange Caramel's discography.
Up Up Girls - Bijo no Yajuu (Beast of Beauty)
Gosh this song. THIS FREAKING SONG. Why had I never paid attention to UUG before...
Predia - Na mo Naki Shiroi Hana wa Kie Iku
Such a wonderful song. They're a group I really need to look further into.
DIA - Paradise
This song is so beautiful. I don't know why I never knew it before. It actually made me cry when I watched it with the translation up. Gorgeous.
Country Girls - Itoshikutte Gomen ne
I usually don't like this amount of cutesy but I adore the retro feel of the song.
Fall Out Boy - Fourth Of July
Thought I'd end with this. Absolutely blew me away when I heard the album. Can't wait to do a full review on this CD
