Looking back at a year in J-Pop . . . 2010 edition
By spazmaster666 19 Comments
It's about time for another random blog post and this time I figure I might as well write about something music-related (since I've already blogged about games and anime). Specifically of course I'm referring to my favorite J-Pop albums/singles that were released in 2010. Now obviously the J-Pop scene is as big as the music scene is in any country so my favorites are probably going to only represent a minuscule range of what's out there. Anyway, here we go . . .
FLASH by Crystal Kay (EP)
Release date: June 16, 2010
Number of tracks: 7
Top tracks: "FLASH", "I Pray", "Happy"
FLASH came as a pretty big surprise for me. Crystal Kay is definitely not a newcomer in the Japanese music industry (after all she just had her 10th anniversary tour recently) but FLASH has some stuff that I've never heard from her before. I enjoyed pretty much every song on this mini-album from the energetic/sexy "FLASH" to her somber cover of Michael Jackson's "Happy" (surprisingly one of the best songs I've heard her single in English). Also, as this is an EP, there is no chaff here so in that sense I probably enjoyed this album more than her full studio album Spin the Music (see below).
Spin the Music by Crystal Kay (album)
Release date: December 8, 2010
Number of tracks: 12
Top tracks: "After Love (First Boyfriend)", "FLASH", "I Pray", "Love or Game", "I'll Be There"
Spin the Music is Crystal Kay's 10th studio album and while it does draw much of it's strength from singles (as well as songs from her FLASH mini-album), there are still some surprises here including "Love or Game" which maybe her most unique sounding song to date. There are also of course a good dose of ballads and R&B inspired songs on here as well and while those are well produced, it's not the strong suit of the album. Overall however, the album does seem somewhat of a mixed bag and while I enjoyed listening to it, I can't help but think that she could definitely have tried a little harder on some of the supporting tracks of the album.
LIFE by Angela Aki (album)
Release date: September 8, 2010
Number of tracks: 13
Top tracks: "Unbreakable", "Ai to Bansoukou", "Mad Scientist", "Remember Me", "What are the Roses For?"
LIFE is probably my favorite album of the year, J-Pop or otherwise. I've probably played this album at least twenty five to thirty times in the past year. Surprisingly though I hadn't even heard of Angela Aki before I listened to this album but LIFE has definitely made me a big fan. There's just something about her voice, the arrangements, and the melodies that just draws you into the music. There's also something to be said about her approach of "less is more" (i.e. most of the arrangements are not overly complicated) There are also more English songs on this album that she's done in the past and while they aren't all interesting lyrics wise, they have a very clean, clear sound. Did I mentioned that Aki has a beautiful voice? This album has definitely encouraged me to go back and listen to her previous works.
GOLD by Jasmine (album)
Release date: July 21, 2010
Number of tracks: 14
Top tracks: "PRIDE", "sad to say", "Bad Girl", "Koi"
Jasmine's debut album is in one sense nothing new since most of the content here she has already released as singles. Still I greatly enjoyed this album and I can't think of a single song that I didn't like, which is not something I can say about most albums that have come out this year. Despite the fact that she's a relative newcomer, Jasmine can definitely sing and if GOLD is any indication, she definitely has a bright future ahead of her.
MIRAGE by Mell (album)
Release date: October 27, 2010
Number of tracks: 13
Top tracks: "KILL", "Subaku no Yuki", "Proof", "RIDEBACK", "Red Fraction -IO drive mix-"
MIRAGE is definitely not my favorite album of the year but it has enough standout tracks that it still ended being one that I really enjoyed. Mell's second album is a mix of trance, synth, and rock which gives here a interesting, if not necessarily unique sound. If you've never heard of MELL, she sung the opening theme song of Black Lagoon and in fact this album contains a remix of that song ("Red Fraction") which was used as the opening theme of the Black Lagoon OVAs. Given that I'm not exactly big fan of trance or synth I was pleasantly surprised at the sound of this album. Certainly the rock aspects of the album are what made is more enjoyable but this album has definitely made me more appreciative of the genre.
Holidays in the Sun by Yui (album)
Release date: July 14, 2010
Number of tracks: 13
Top tracks: "again", "Kiss Me", "to Mother", "Parade", "GLORIA"
Yui's 4th studio album, Holidays in the Sun is a surprisingly laid back and mellow album that's probably a good thing as she can sometimes come of as trying too hard at times. There are plenty of upbeat rock songs on here as well as some more melodic offerings. The result is that this album is just very pleasant to listen to. That may not seem like a great compliment but give her track record, it's definitely different from what we expect from her. In any case, it's nice to see Yui having some fun with her song writing and taking a step back from being overly dramatic like she tended to be in her previous outings.
∞2 by Do As Infinity (single)
Release date: June 16, 2010
Number of tracks: 4
Top tracks: all of them!
This is Do As Infinity's 23rd single, and the second of three to be released before their latest studio album Eight (which was released in Japan on January 19th). I've always been a big DAI fan and this single proves why they remain one of my all-time favorite J-Pop bands. Every single song on this single is excellent (which is usually not the case with singles) from the uniquely arranged "1/100" to the upbeat "Everything will be all right" to the laid-back "HARUKA" and finally, the aggressive "Pile Driver". This is definitely DAI at the top of their game and I'm now more excited than ever about listening to Eight (which should be sometime soon now)
Well, there you have it, some of my favorite albums/singles of 2010 (from the land of the rising sun). I'm definitely looking forward to see what 2011 has in store.