Wemibelle

@redwing42: My city pop knowledge is pretty slim, at least off the top of my head. The only city-pop esque group I can think of is Blu-Swing, but they have some pretty fantastic songs. Otherwise, I don't think you can go wrong with plugging Japanese city pop into Youtube and seeing what comes back.

Got another group of 2021 releases for your listening pleasure!

Bijin - Chanmina (2021)

Another new Chanmina release! Bijin is one of her hip-hop styled tracks instead of the poppier style she’s used for her last few songs. It’s dark and sultry and slightly unhinged, especially when you look at the meaning of lyrics and the very creepy music video. I love how well the artist pulls it all off, since she has the poise and presence to spit vocals in a way that perfectly suits the themes of the song, but I wouldn’t call it a “good” song personally. It’s a bit discordant and the video has a huge section in the middle that interrupts the song, both of which hurt it for me. Still, it’s an impressive creation that should be experienced at least once.

The Vampire feat. Hatsune Miku - DECO*27 (2021)

DECO*27 is one of countless producers that work mainly as a vocaloid producer and occasional utaite (someone who covers songs and posts them online). For this track, The Vampire, as well as most of his releases, he uses Hatsune Miku as his vocalist. The production on this track is great across the board, both in DECO’s utilization of Miku and the underlying music. Many people probably think vocaloid software does most of the work, but if you listen to enough vocaloid music, you definitely hear certain producers get more out of a vocaloid than others, such as here with Miku’s tight, punchy vocals.

Line of Fire - Nano (2021)

I’ve been a fan of Nano for about as long as I’ve been regularly listening to Japanese music. Her video for Rock On was one of the earliest tracks I heard and I loved her energetic style. I check in on her from time to time to listen to her new releases, such as with her newest track Line of Fire. This song is a bit different than Rock On, going for a darker, alt-rock style instead of a more traditionally “anime-rock” style from some of her other songs. Her voice is excellent here too, reminiscent of artists like Evanescence’s Amy Lee and Lacuna Coil’s Cristina Scabbia.

SLIGHTLY NSFW BONUS SONG

Ride on Time (cover) - Mariri Okutsu (2021)

This is something extra I just wanted to throw in because I love it SO MUCH. The group Dance for Philosophy has done a handful of “Tiny Bath Concert” videos this year where they cover songs while in a bathroom. While the concept seems very shameless, with the artists sitting naked in a bathtub while they sing, it actually gives the covers an amazing, unique sound due to being filmed in an echoey bathroom. This one is my favorite, a cover of an old city pop song by Tatsuro Yamashita called Ride on Time, just because the acoustics of Okutsu’s performance are so beautiful. It sounds SO GOOD, and I’ve been mildly obsessed with it for weeks now.

Got three pretty great new tracks, including two coming in very hot, to share this week!

Freaks - Atarashii Gakko & Warren Hue (2021)

Atarashii Gakko is back with a new release, Freaks, along with a guest vocalist, Indonesian artist Warren Hue. It’s WILDLY different from their last song, adopting an electropop sound akin to artists like The Chemical Brothers; if not for the Japanese vocals, I think you could easily mistake it for a Western Top 40 release. It definitely relies more on those “Western-style” sounds than the vocals from Atarashii Gakko, which means I don’t like it nearly as much as Nainainai, but it’s still a neat track.

Nobody Knows We Are Fun - CHAI (2021)

I never really know what to expect from CHAI. They have such a unique style that shifts from song to song, trying on new genres like pieces of clothing yet still always managing to retain that core unmistakable CHAI sound. Nobody Knows We Are Fun is a mellow, downbeat song that feels much more hip-hop than their past releases. It’s funky and groovy and delightfully hypnotic, a sound that fits CHAI’s vocal style so perfectly I’m surprised they haven’t done it before.

Peace & Love - Cluppo (2021)

Fans of Band-Maid may know they do a “joke song” every year for April Fools’ Day. Typically, this has been an alternative style release by ‘Band-Maiko’ with more traditional Japanese-sounding instrumentation, but this year, we get a fun solo track from rhythm guitar player/backup vocalist Miko. It’s a pretty catchy track, with a bit more of a pop-rock sound, but it’s also very silly. The lyrics are cheesy yet endearing, the video is hilariously typical of the genre, and it’s full of dumb little details, like how Miko’s guitar changes in pretty much every shot. Not a bad track for a joke release.

Got another post for everyone--all three of you! ^_^

Biriyani - Paraiso (2021)

Paraiso is a newly-formed group bringing together moderately famous artists, such as the duo from Pop Shinanaide, into one new project. The track, Biriyani, has a post-pop, very experimental sound akin to groups like Pop Shinanaide (no surprise) and Gesu no Kiwami Otome. It’s a wild trip of a song that you never really lets you know where it’s going next.

Blink [Revenge] - Coaltar of the Deepers (2021)

Coaltar of the Deepers (one of the best band names I’ve heard in a while) released Blink [Revenge] early this year, and I really like its loose, almost playful sound. It feels more like a jam song at times than a song with any real goal or direction, and the light, airy vocals give it a very dreamy quality I enjoy.

Gift - Monkey Majik (2021)

Gift is Monkey Majik’s newest song, and I really wanted to share it because of its video. The song is perfectly fine, if a bit plain, but the video is incredibly endearing. It shows the story of a father and daughter picking out a gift for the mother’s birthday and is full of cute moments. It may be a bit saccharine, but it still makes me smile every time.

Quick post this week!

Bluma to Lunch - BLOOM VASE (2021)

I don’t post hip-hop/rap very often, but I do enjoy it on occasion. Bloom Vase’s Bluma to Lunch is a fun hip-hop track with a slick electronic production underneath that I really dig. The flow is pretty slick and I like the random Dragon Ball clips in the background.

Chu Chu Chu (feat. GUMI) - Louis Vision (2021)

Chu Chu Chu from Louis Vision (and GUMI) is one of the catchiest songs yet from this year. The chorus is complete nonsense, but I can’t deny how easily it gets stuck in my head. The rest of the verses are memorable too, particularly their interesting autotuned cadence, and the beat is equally solid.

Accomplice - Tatsuya Kitani (2021)

Tatsuya Kitani’s Accomplice reminds me fondly of artists like Kenshi Yonezu. The half-pop, half-ballad style is pretty popular among solo male artists in Japan, and it works well here. It’s a fun little song with a decently enjoyable music video too.

Three more releases from 2021. Hope you like them!

Goshi Goshi - Candy Foxx (2021)

I love bizarre Japanese music videos like Goshi Goshi--it makes absolutely no sense but boy, is it memorable! Great use of color and light, over-the-top acting, and absurdly bizarre imagery make for a video you won't soon forget. The song is pretty damn good too, with a stupidly catchy main hook. And you’ve gotta love those nonsensical English “lyrics.”

Starry Night - Queen Bee (2021)

Queen Bee is a group I first heard last year, via their video for P R I D E. However, even though I liked that song, I never got around to checking out more of their stuff. Boy, how I wish I had. Starry Night made me realize just how amazing they are and I can’t wait to dig into more of their (extensive) back catalogue. The production on this track is amazing, but the highlight is certainly vocalist Avu-chan’s performance. Their range is absurd, sounding like two entirely different singers, and the song is just an amazing showcase of their talent. It’s one of the best songs I’ve heard in some time and already sits atop my top songs of the year list.

Heikousen - Eve x suis (2021)

Eve and suis (from Yorushika) are two amazing Japanese artists, and they have come together to create something truly special, Heikousen. Heikousen is a fantastic pairing of these two vocalists, with some great production too, but the best thing here is the music video. It’s a gorgeous, stunningly animated mini-story about a boy and a girl who are best friends and grow up across from each other their whole lives. It’s a heartwarming but bittersweet story that ends with the girl moving away with her family, putting their future relationship into question. I have seen animated, story-based music videos before, but this is easily one of the best and deserves to be seen by as many people as possible.

@bollard: Yeah, I can listen to the songs on Spotify here in the US. There's some alternative sites with those videos, if anyone's interested in them--they're neat!

@bollard: Thanks for sharing! Sadly, those videos are blocked in the US, so I can’t actually see them! It appears the group had region locked their videos in the past but opened them up at some point. These newer videos are still blocked, however, for whatever reason. Hopefully, they become available at some point.

Here’s another batch of 2021 songs, each of which is pretty great!

Dingga - Mamamoo (2021)

Mamamoo is a fantastic KPOP group that always does a wonderful job with the Japanese versions of their Korean hits. Dingga is one of their songs that didn’t do as much for me when I first heard it in Korean, but I’m really digging how it sounds in Japanese. They have a very distinct sound that comes through as perfectly in Japanese as it does in Korean, and it’s catchy as hell to boot.

Nainainai - Atarashii Gakko! (2021)

I’ve been moderately obsessed with Nainainai ever since I first heard it. It’s got this subtle catchiness to it despite its simplicity. The vocals have a flatness to them that make them almost sound like plain speech, but it still flows surprisingly well, especially during the punchy chorus. The main hook is also AMAZING, and I wish it was a bit more prevalent throughout the song.

Gum Gum Girl - Kyary Pamyu Pamyu (2021)

Time for a new Kyary track! Gum Gum Girl doesn’t really do anything I wasn’t expecting, but it’s one of the more solid releases she’s had in a while, at least for me personally. Its sound fits a bit more with her earlier releases such as Ninja Re Bang Bang and Invader Invader, which is when I first got into her. I’m not sure it’ll stick as one my favorites of hers or anything, but I’m happy to listen to it every few days for now.

Back with some more songs, including my first 2021 release!

Flyers - Girls’ Generation (2013)

Girls’ Generation was/is primarily a Korean pop group--one of the biggest of the last couple decades, actually--but they did release a fair number of Japanese songs too. This song, Flyers, was actually something I found via a Beat Saber pack and I really enjoy it. There’s nothing overly unique or stand-out about it, but it’s a solid, fun pop song with a catchy chorus.

Nadir feat. IA - Orangestar (2020)

Orangestar is one of many producers out of Japan who primarily make music using vocaloids. Nadir, as well as many of Orangestar’s releases, uses vocaloid IA for the vocals. I’m not as familiar with IA as other popular vocaloids, such as Hatsune Miku, but I really enjoy the sound of her voice here. The production is quite simple here, and maybe a tad too repetitive, but that doesn’t stop it from getting stuck in my head again and again.

Redheart - Akai Haato (2021)

Akai Haato, otherwise known as Haachama, is one of the VTubers associated with the Japanese team through Hololive, easily the biggest production company of VTubers both in Japan and the West currently. Many of the Hololive girls have released songs at this point, and this is Haachama’s first release, named Redheart because her name in Japanese literally means ‘red heart.’ This is actually an English track, despite the VTuber being predominantly Japanese focused on her streams, and you can definitely tell. Still, it’s a cute track with a fun, unique flow despite some predictable production.

It wasn't the first game I played this year, but I'm currently trying to push my way through Pathologic 2. It's one of those games I've wanted to play for a long time (as someone who cheated my way through the original and found it fascinating) but always was afraid to start because I knew it would be a lot to deal with. It's been quite a struggle and very stressful, but I'm making my way through it. Determined to not cheat or change the difficulty options this time and I think I've found my groove, but we'll see what curveballs the game throws me.