Now that we’ve got K-pop ranked for the year, it’s time to turn the blog’s attention to other music markets. First up is J-pop — a scene I write about every week on Sundays (and occasionally other days if a track catches my attention). Compared to last year’s excellent slate of music, I found J-pop pretty underwhelming overall this year. As with K-pop, there are a few persistent trends I’m not particularly fond of at the moment. However, while compiling this list I realized just how many great tracks came out in 2024. My list feels more rock-focused than normal, with even many of the pop tracks having strong guitar influence. I hope you’ll browse the selections and find something new to obsess over!

SONGS 50-31
SONGS 30-11
SONGS 10-1

2024 YEAR-END MASTERPOST

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10. A.B.C-Z – Hiri Hiri Sasete

Since their rebranding, Starto Entertainment jettisoned most of what I loved about their music, meaning I lost major interest in the company this year. However, Hiri Hiri Sasete revives a mid-90’s high energy dance sound that forged one of the agency’s most colorful building blocks. This style of song is cheesy as hell but that’s why I adore it. Pump your fists in the air and surrender to the high-octane beat.

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9. &TEAM – Koegawari

Koegawari sounded great on first listen but just kept getting better as the summer wore on. It’s the perfect mid-tempo groove, brass-kissed in all the right places and buttressed by a playful melody that’s as rhythmic and addictive as the instrumental. It’s the unlikely pinnacle of &TEAM’s discography so far. (full review)

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8. One Love One Heart – Aise, Shigoku Sanzan na Bokura no Hi wo

One Love One Heart’s music hasn’t veered in the direction I’d hoped, but even this straightforward J-pop idol sound feels bigger and bolder with their suite of personality-rich vocalists. The chorus blooms with bursts of aural confetti, kicked off with a series of sky high power notes. (full review)

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7. Hiromitsu Kitayama – COMIC

Hiromitsu Kitayama seems to have stolen all the oomph from his former group with a solo career that feels daring and unrestricted by genre. COMIC moves through several distinct segments, each more frantically powerful than the last. In a sea of subdued releases, its bombastic nature stood out in the best way. (full review)

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6. NCT Wish – Songbird

The Korean version of this song might have more streams, but the Japanese version came first so this is the countdown it lands on. Whatever the language, Songbird is a bounding, bountiful marvel. Its dynamic rhythm guitar and exciting vocal runs frame a whopper of a chorus. (full review)

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5. ONE OK ROCK – +Matter

I’ve wanted to get into ONE OK ROCK’s music for many years but even if I liked a song or two I never quite connected with their overall sound. +Matter changes that in a big way, going full-on stadium rock with a surplus of emotional resonance. The song is downright moving in its scale and execution, feeling like an instant classic the moment it premiered.

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4. Bullet Train (Chotokkyu) – Steal A Kiss

Bullet Train are no stranger to this countdown, churning out hits for many years and in several distinct group configurations. This is their best song in a long while, streamlined yet quirky and boasting one of the best choruses of the year in any music market. It feels like an old friend returning with a new lease on life. (full review)

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3. Queen Bee – Super Memorial

Queen Bee’s fifteenth year was relatively modest when it came to new music, but this celebratory single was enough to power my playlist for months. It’s simultaneously unhinged and euphoric, like the best hidden rave you never knew you needed. Avu-chan remains the most engaging vocalist in pop music, bringing grit and tenderness to Super Memorial‘s dancefloor freakout. (full review)

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2. Sakurazaka46 – I Want Tomorrow To Come

The keyword here is “ambition.” In an era of two minute TikTok tracks, J-pop is one of the few music markets still churning out mini-epics. I Want Tomorrow To Come unfolds like a song suite from a musical, moving from ballad to banger and back again. Each moment builds upon the last in compelling fashion, ultimately climaxing in a moving finale that takes full advantage of the group’s huge configuration. Sakurazaka46 had a very strong year and this was their masterpiece.

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1. Ryugujo – Deep Wave

No Japanese song managed to both thrill and confound me in the same way Deep Wave did. This time last year, I had a feeling Ryugujo might be a frontrunner for the top of this countdown. Their charismatic performance coupled with Avu-chan’s visionary production makes for an unstoppable match. Deep Wave is quite experimental in form and execution, yet it’s tied to such a potent pop approach. This duality makes for my favorite kind of music: accessible and fun yet strange and otherworldly. The song’s undulous breakdown segues into a thrilling build that ultimately incorporates elements as unexpected as police sirens to create an overwhelming collage of sound. It knocked me off my feet in a disconcerting way the first time through, but pulled me back again and again as the year went on. (full review)