In connection with my desire to fully keep up with the J-pop industry, I’m planning to do a weekly round-up of any new releases that have caught my ear. Some of these may have been covered on the blog already, but my hope is that this will become a one-stop shop for anyone interested in what’s new in J-pop.

With that in mind, here’s where you come in: I’m one person with one set of musical preferences, so please embed any other new J-pop tracks you’ve enjoyed in the comments so we can get a fuller spectrum each week.

*And just like I do with my reviews, I’ll wait until full versions of songs are available before posting them in this round-up. This will mostly apply to Johnny’s groups, who still limit the majority of their YouTube uploads to shorter, edited versions.

2023 Index

2024 Index: Dec 24 – Jan 6 // Jan 7 – Jan 13 // Jan 14 – Jan 20 // Jan 21 – Jan 27 // Jan 28 – Feb 3 // Feb 4 – Feb 10 // Feb 11 – Feb 17 // Feb 18 – Feb 24 // Feb 25 – Mar 2 // Mar 3 – Mar 9 // Mar 10 – Mar 16 // Mar 17 – Mar 23 // Mar 24 – Mar 30 // Mar 31 – Apr 6 // Apr 7 – Apr 13 // Apr 14 – Apr 20 // Apr 21 – Apr 27 // Apr 28 – May 4 // May 5 – May 11 // May 12 – May 18 // May 19 – May 25 // May 26 – Jun 1 // Jun 2 – Jun 8 // Jun 9 – Jun 15 // Jun 16 – Jun 22 // Jun 23 – Jun 29 // Jun 30 – Jul 6 // Jul 7 – Jul 13

THIS WEEK: July 14 – July 20

Ballistik Boyz vs. Lil League – Icy Fire

This is the second new Battle of Tokyo collaboration track. It’s fine, but far less compelling than the first one.

The Boyz – Gibberish

I wrote about this here. I wasn’t impressed.

DÉ DÉ MOUSE & Hitomitoi – Skyscraper Starlight (song of the week!)

This has a retro bounce that’s really addicting. Then, about a minute in, we launch into a filtered dance beat that takes it to a new level.

DISH// – Plan A

A solid rock track by this popular group.

FANCYLABO – Sugar Sugar

Another super retro dance song. This sounds like it stepped right out of the 80’s with little in the way of modern touches.

Fantastics – Super Duper Disco (song of the week!)

I’ve been a bit underwhelmed by Fantastics’ latest singles, but their new EP includes some highlights. Super Duper Disco is a comfortable, upbeat sound for them.

iScream – Sorry Not Sorry

Meh. I feel like I’ve already heard this song dozens of times before.

Ling tosite sigure – Trrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrue Lies

I’ve always wanted to love this band more than I do. Their music is so challenging that I just end up admiring it instead. This has moments I really enjoy, though.

LiSA – Make A Miracle

A scuzzy, barreling rock anthem from a master of the form.

Mashiho – Dance With Me

Smooth and funky, but somewhat forgettable.

Nogizaka46 – cheatday

It feels weird listening to a new Nogozaka46 single before its music video is released. This one is on the lighter side of their sonic spectrum. It’s not doing much for me yet.

somei – Cyber Punk

You’ll always get me with a song called “Cyber Punk.” Unfortunately, this one doesn’t sound like its title at all. It’s still decent, though.

Stereo Dive Foundation – Katawara (song of the week!)

I can always count on Stereo Dive Foundation to release a boisterous bop. The opening verse of this one has SOTY energy. It meanders a bit from there, but brings things back for the propulsive chorus. Overall, I really like it.

WANDS – Wonder Story

WANDS are a J-pop fixture at this point, no matter their line-up. This is a classic rock mid-tempo with anthemic heft.

WATWING – Dance Now

I appreciate the funk energy they’re going for, but this doesn’t do much to distinguish itself from similar efforts.

Wolf Howl Harmony – Pierce

I feel like these guys would be huge if consistently given better material. I like the swirling, rock-tinged chorus but there are too many lulls during the verses.

Yuuri – Curtain Call

This is way more upbeat than I was expecting from him. I guess an OST for My Hero Academia demands some energy.

&TEAM – Koegawari (song of the week!)

I wrote about this here. I liked it a lot!

This week’s old favorite:

Mode – Foundation (1995)

Mode released two albums in the mid-90’s but have mostly fallen out of memory. They’ve got a slick electronic rock sound and even a single produced by personal favorite Daisuke Asakura. Foundation is from their second album and one of my favorite of their singles.