THE J-POP THREAD a.k.a JAYYYYPAAAWP

[Pretsy 1343]

THE JAPANESE POP A.K.A. J-POP THREAD

(bless this post, Cat/Zess/Nos/etc.-sama, onegaishimasu~)

 

 

 

Are you a hardcore SMAPer? Or perhaps a bit of JUMPer? Arashist? Cieler...?

 

Okay, fan nicks aside - and as you might already guess from these "absurd" names, this is basically J-POP we are speaking of!

 

This thread is basically about anything you could easily drop under this subject - i.e non-vk bands/acts/artists that get usual, mainstream exposure inside and outside of Japan and so on...

 

To blatantly "quote" Cat's words in his J-INDIE THREAD (which I highly rec), besides myself, Zombie, most of the mod staff, admins...who else here is more of a "vk-free Japanese pop" person? You can start by discussing anything about your favorite J-pop acts, be it even some cutesy-patootiesy acts such KPP, Yanakiku, AKB48, Babymetal (I think they are j-pop...ish?) - or you might as well go passionate and talk about even more "serious" music in the vein of Hilchryme, Charisma.com, m-flo and etc. etc. etc.

 

Talk about your 2015 expectations for J-pop, fav classics, stuff you really hate...nah, just anything JAYPAWP goes in here, lol.

 

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

As for me...

 

- New Kyary single was quite okay - not so sure about classifying any replay value for A-side + B-side 1 (KISEKAE) but B-side (My Room) oozes some sugarsweet nostalgia - sometimes it's good to see Nakata without his Guetta anthems

 

- YANAKIKU unfortunately deserves their place as another "promo once, then pass away"-kind of a group like FEMM did a few months/half a year ago...cool ideas, not-so-cool performance.

 

...

 

Guess that's all from my part for now, what about you guys?

[ShanethVarosa 1209]

*inhales* I was born ready for this topic.

 

My most favorite J-Pop artist is Koda Kumi, but if you factor in K-Pop artists with careers in Japan then it becomes BoA. Either way, these women are everything to me. They're basically the asian versions of Cher and Madonna to me, they don't come more important. 

 

In terms of either of their most recent releases: 

BoA's pissed me off that it was all singles, but the quality of the music was still good (In re: Who's Back?)

Kuu's was decent, but far from her best work. Most of it is likely to grow on me if I let it. (In re: Walk of My Life)

 

Anywho, otherwise it's mostly K-Pop acts with careers in Japan that I like.... Girls' Generation I think I actually prefer in Japanese and 2NE1 gave it their best effort, but they need to stay in Korea (or do an English album.... maybe as long as CL gets her solo debut first and within the next 4 months). Additionally, I am freaking in LOVE with Square One and beyond m-flo. When they got all trip-hop and EDM I think they really found their sound. Although I've always liked Verbal's features with Crystal Kay and BoA.

 

Oh and Crystal Kay is pretty good too. Not consistently good, by any means, but she has talent. Rule Your World is my JAM. 

 

Namie Amuro is someone I got into fairly recently, I like nothing before Uncontrolled and even on that I only like In the Spotlight. I loved Feel and her song with Jolin Tsai is phenomenal. 

 

My appreciation for Ayumi Yamasaki goes as far as her Inu Yasha song and maybe 2 or 3 tracks from her dance album last year. I ALWAYS listen to her albums to see if I like her more, but.... I rarely, rarely ever do. 

 

Other artists with Japanese Pop careers I listen to on a very passive basis:

After School

Kanon Wakeshima

TVXQ

4minute

[zombiesatemycereal 64]

Jay Pawp!
 
I like Kyary's new single a lot, KISEKAE probably being my favorite out of all of them. All three new songs are really good though, they will get many listens from me. I like that her music videos have become being slightly more serious but still having a weird as hell theme to them. 
 
Other new stuff, gave new AyumiKurikaMaki a try since I really liked them when they were KurikaMaki. Didn't really like the new style as much, but the bear concept is still really cute, and クマトナデシコ is still one of my favorite jpop songs ever.

 

After School has a new Japanese best of album out, which has a nice selection of songs. 

 

 

Perfume's new song was at SXSW, don't really mind the EDMness of it as much as I did new Capsule. 

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qc3dRDV2cmw

[Pretsy 1343]

@Shaneth: does that make Namie Amuro the Asian version of Mariah Carey then? Rather surprised to see someone who managed to embrace m-flo's new, "clubbier" direction...

 

@zombie: I can't decide how I should feel about Perfume having trap sections in their newer repertoire now - Nakata trying to be too hip and square after WR? Idk...

 

In terms of Wub-bleep-bloop-kata:

 

He found himself another model for another Coltemonikha-y/MEG-y moniker: Natsume Mito

 

YES, 3 PVS, 1 SONG.

 

Yay/nay for Kyary leftovers?

[ShanethVarosa 1209]

@Pretzels lmao, no I don't think there's any Asian artist I hate as much as Mariah Carey. But in re m-flo.... People don't like their new sound as much? I'm crazy about EDM and I'm not like... a superfan or part of their "fandom" or whatever, but I do really REALLY like their dance music. It's so much fun.

[Bear 1817]

Can we talk bout this album:

 

 

More or less the perfect pop album, with one of the very best productions ever no matter what genre we're talking about. Hikaru Utada is amazing and the songs are amazing, but the production and how the album sounds is by far the highlight here. It's a pleasure to the ear to listen to the album. Ear massage from begining to end. 10/10 and so on.

[herpes 1597]

^ her eyebrows have always upset me

 

sugar's campaign still have the best jpop release of the year so far

[evilcoconut 109]

It's weird, I've never really wondered why there wasn't a JPop thread on this forum, but now that it's here, I wonder why we've never had one before lol.

 

My top Jpop acts are KAT-TUN and Koda Kumi, but I think I listen to quite a bit of it, just maybe not the super ridiculously popular acts that everyone seems to like, i.e. Arashi, Kyari, that AKsmthsmth group. 

 

Other faves with high listens:

 

Yamapi

Namie

Lead

Ayu (only like older Ayu though)

KinKi Kids

Capsule

BoA (I guess she counts, she has lots of Japanese releases)

Hitomi

Mika

Tommy

ONE DRAFT

Every Little Thing

Perfume

Lecca

Yulia

FEMM

Chemistry

Sekai no Owari

Dream

 

Tbh, I probably listen to more Cpop artists, but I have more favorites in Jpop, if that makes sense.

[CAT5 9075]

sugar's campaign still have the best jpop release of the year so far

I remember seeing this video on plug.dj, but after going to their last.fm page, I KNOW i have to check this out now. I had no idea this was a collaboration between Avec Avec and Seiho! Both are pretty dope iirc!

My preferences as a whole tend to lie within the realm of alternative, non-mainstream/indie, and SSW-y jpop. I've especially been into Abe Fuyumi, Kotoringo, Babi, and BOMI these past few years. In the past, I was really into balladeers like Shibata Jun too. I've never been a fan of idol music in the least, though. I can dig some kayokyoku to a degree.

What other recent jpop releases has everyone else been into?

He found himself another model for another Coltemonikha-y/MEG-y moniker: Natsume Mito

 

Yay/nay for Kyary leftovers?

@beni showed me this woman today. Nakata is copy-pasting all the way to the bank.

[hiroki 5521]

i have fond memories of female singer-songwriters like ZARD, KOKIA, Onitsuka Chihiro. oh, and Utada Hikaru of course (can she please come back from hiatus?)

i've followed w-inds. and Keita's solo projects since 2004(?), as well as another dance/vocal group in the same mold, Da-iCE, who just formed a few years ago.

2 other artists off the top of my head: R&B/pop singer Matsushita Yuuya (i love

), who recently decided to end his solo career to form a lame boy band ._. and Miyano Mamoru, pretty much the only seiyuu whose singing i can stand (i even have all his cds)

finally, i'm totally not into idol music.

[evilcoconut 109]

↑ Ahh yeah, I totally forgot to list Yuuya Matsushita. His last album was really good.

 

Last few Jpop releases for me have been KAT-TUN's single/ep/wtvr, Sonar Pocket's album, and I have Kuu's, but haven't listened to it yet.

[indigo 389]

I like BOMI.

[zombiesatemycereal 64]

@zombie: I can't decide how I should feel about Perfume having trap sections in their newer repertoire now - Nakata trying to be too hip and square after WR? Idk...

I wouldn't want a whole album of that, but as a one shot i'm okay with it. Maybe Nakata just needs to get it all out of his system, and then go back to making actual music. Just don't mess with Kyary and everything will be okay.

 

Bomi is really good, I found out about her through Plug. Her and Ai Otsuka are probably my favorites at the moment. I don't mind idol music, but it all starts blending together at some point and it's hard for me to know where to go find alternatives. Plug has actually been really good at helping find new and awesome stuff.

[Pretsy 1343]

BOMI is quite cool even though that her latest left a lot to be desired in terms of heavily SE-ridden content...I mean sure, it might be a bit of plus for those who happen to embrace nihongo to some extent, but for people who lack such capability (e.g. me), spoken word SEs after each track might be totes unavailing :/

 

@herpes: I am not so sure about Sugar's Campaign deserving the main spotlight in J-pop territory (too early for "le grande J-pop AOTYs" I suppose?) but I might give their new album another try...a real shame since anything Avec avec/Seiho never really clicked in the past...

 

@hiroki: KOKIA (!!!), Onitsuka and Hikki are truly awesome, yes! Even though I never really managed to give the second one a careful listen - mind recommending a few good full-lengths for starters?

 

Speaking of idol music, I am used to side-eyeing some "outstanding" idol acts every now and then (Dempagumi inc. being my current "point of attention") and I am not so big on them either (*cough*), but yeah - it'll be good (for the sake of ~variety~, don't judge me!) to see some exposure on that here once in a while...Stylelover, are you here? (pardon)

 

edit: @stylelover:

 

 

Sorry but !!!1!1! (+1 for Polysics guy writing this)

[herpes 1597]

^ it took 3 or 4 really good listens for me to love it, it's a grower.

 

also forgot that the new Chay is really cute? she might be onto a winner with this new style

 

 

ignore her first week drag race elimination lip synching though. 

[hiroki 5521]

@hiroki: KOKIA (!!!), Onitsuka and Hikki are truly awesome, yes! Even though I never really managed to give the second one a careful listen - mind recommending a few good full-lengths for starters?

 

 

ahh you should definitely start from her earlier materials! i strongly recommend her first 2 full albums - インソムニア (Insomnia) (

) and This Armor (

) - almost everyone i've spoken to agree that they remain her best albums and then there's Sugar High (the album after that), which is more energetic, and still very good!

 

her works after 2004 have been a mixed bag really. there's still the occasional gem here and there, but on average they're a shade below the high quality output of her earlier years (purportedly due to some drama in her personal life which i didn't bother to follow haha).

[fitear1590 2414]

^^You weren't kidding about that lip-synching  Really nice song though!

[stylelover 1086]

always lurking prets. kinda nice song

 

im seeing myself drifting more and more into jpop recently. 

 

really into this atm:

 

maybe not really "jpop", but they are from an idol band.

 

also best idol band > Chu-Z

[Pretsy 1343]

^ I don't think "idols" should be separated from the general J-pop movement? Other than that, those junior high school girls manage to impress - those basslines, mmmmmmmm.

 

@hiroki: thankies for recs! I will keep an eye (or an ear, lol) on those ones

[stylelover 1086]

thats not what i meant with it. meant it more like that its maybe a bit heavier, but they are from an idol band, so i still consider it jpop xd

[CAT5 9075]

I like BOMI.

BOMI is quite cool even though that her latest left a lot to be desired in terms of heavily SE-ridden content...I mean sure, it might be a bit of plus for those who happen to embrace nihongo to some extent, but for people who lack such capability (e.g. me), spoken word SEs after each track might be totes unavailing :/

BOMI is great, but I feel like even if I understood Japanese enough, having an SE after every track is a bit excessive and doesn't lend itself to a cohesive album listening experience at all. The actual songs on the album are great, but marketing 6 tracks and 7 SEs as a full album is pretty cheap. I still feel positive about it, overall, but I can't help but think it was also a missed opportunity.

 

Chihiro Onitsuka

"Borderline" is probably one of my all-time fav. jpop ballads!

 

maybe not really "jpop", but they are from an idol band.

Who writes music for them/produces?

[Pretsy 1343]

Let's revamp this thread a bit:

 

http://www.jpopsuki.tv/video/YU-A---Fried-Potato/5c99052e2437e4dc6467d7f3c5d54585

 

Life-changing tune...also: chorus.

[Pretsy 1343]

Okay, to revamp this thread - we need something *disappointing* and perhaps something a bit *better:

 

Oh look, David Gu...I mean Nakata is being hip and square once again...ew.

 

New Ayu is kind of okay - at least it's not as snoozy as GIFT, heh.

 

:V

[saishuu 3220]

Love the new Perfume. Everything clicked with me at first listen. Don't really get what's disappointing about it.

[beni 2149]

New Ayu is kind of okay - at least it's not as snoozy as GIFT, heh.

 

:V

 

I was going to respond to this thread with a lengthy discussion of favs in Jpop but that can wait/I'll cut it down. XD

 

But on this, about Ayu-chan, I've only listened to her compilations, but I'm going to try her older albums at some point. I'm staying up-to-date on her because she isn't the 'Madonna' I heard and thought she was. I'm excited hearing her upcoming works, and I'm digging Last Minute more so thanks to the recently done PV of it aha. I dled GIFT but haven't got to it yet, but I am really enjoying how she's sounding in these two recent PVs, nice contrast. I forgot about it at first but Ayu orgy anyone? Much PV.

 

 

 

Love the new Perfume. Everything clicked with me at first listen. Don't really get what's disappointing about it.

 

Haven't listened to it yet but this. XD Nah, cerially, nothing about Perfume has disappointed me so unless it sounds like how capsule has recently sounded, I'll instantly dig it.

Edited April 1, 2015 by beni