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.
2023-2025 Index
2026 Index: Dec 28 – Jan 3 // Jan 4 – Jan 10 // Jan 11 – Jan 17 // Jan 18 – Jan 24 // Jan 25 – Jan 31 // Feb 1 – Feb 7 // Feb 8 – Feb 14 // Feb 15 – Feb 21 // Feb 22 – Feb 28 // Mar 1 – Mar 7 // Mar 8 – Mar 14 // Mar 15 – Mar 21 // Mar 22 – Mar 28 // Mar 29 – Apr 4 // Apr 5 – Apr 11 // Apr 12 – Apr 18 // Apr 19 – Apr 25 // Apr 26 – May 2 // May 3 – May 9 // May 10 – May 16 // May 17 – May 23 // May 24 – May 30 // May 31 – Jun 6 // Jun 7 – Jun 13 // Jun 14 – Jun 20 // Jun 21 – Jun 27 // Jun 28 – Jul 4 // Jul 5 – Jul 11 // Jul 12 – Jul 18 // Jul 19 – Jul 25 // Jul 26 – Aug 1 // Aug 2 – Aug 8 // Aug 9 – Aug 15 // Aug 16 – Aug 22 // Aug 23 – Aug 29 // Aug 30 – Sep 5 // Sep 6 – Sep 12 // Sep 13 – Sep 19 // Sep 20 – Sep 26 // Sep 27 – Oct 3 // Oct 4 – Oct 10 // Oct 11 – Oct 17 // Oct 18 – Oct 24 // Oct 25 – Oct 31 // Nov 1 – Nov 7
THIS WEEK: November 8 – November 14
Aimyon – Almost Lonely
Comforting and safe.
ALT BLK ERA x Novel Core – OKAY! OKAY!
A British/Japanese collaboration that’s pretty cool.
Chanmina – History
I’m not the audience for this at all, but I’m sure there is one.
Hey! Say! JUMP – TRUE
Another song from their new album. It’s a nothingburger.
imase – It’s a Beautiful Life
It’s got a bit more pep in its step than his usual stuff.
IMP. – Period
A gloopy ballad.
Kento Nakajima – CHOHENSHIN (song of the week!)
Ah, more Eurobeat influences in new J-pop! I am 100% here for this trend. This isn’t perfect, but I love where it’s going.
kiOra – KIRAKIRA
Fans of current K-pop trends will like this.
Kis-My-Ft2 – La La La
Honestly, I’d rather have had one or two excellent new songs this year than this endless stream of “meh” they’ve been giving. Sigh. This is not representative of my favorite J-pop group.
Meik – Mosaic Love
A catchy, sophisticated dance track.
Nogizaka46 – kimiloss
It’s a bit subdued for me.
SHINTOKYO – One Scar (song of the week!)
Oh, this is a different take on Japanese indie rock. I quite like the sound of this.
sumika – Ember Torch
The orchestral touches elevate an otherwise okay song.
Yoasobi – Killa (song of the week!)
This is really fun. I love how brisk the energy is and the chorus is solid.
ZORN – Star (ft. Aina The End & AKLO)
This beat is so authentically mid-2000s. I wish there was a better song built around it, but I love the production.
4U – Bloom World
I’m surprised this group is still making music! Good for them.
