At the end of each month, I look back at my three favorite title tracks by K-pop artists. I take my own ratings into account, but there’s a bit of wiggle room as certain songs tend to grow or fade. July 2022 Overall Thoughts Counting up all of July’s releases, I’m not sure we’ve ever had … Continue reading
Tag Archives: ayumi hamasaki
The 90’s J-Pop Roadmap: Ayumi Hamasaki – Boys & Girls
If you were to map my musical DNA, a sizable portion would be indebted to 90’s J-pop. To me, this is a truly magical time in music, but it’s rarely discussed or shared outside of Japan. Being an aficionado of certain sounds within this era, I’ve tracked down hundreds of highlights over the years. And … Continue reading
The Top 50 J-Pop Songs of 2020: 50-31
I’ve compiled a “Best of J-pop” list every year since The Bias List started, but it always came from a very narrow point of view. In 2020, one of my personal resolutions was to follow the J-pop industry more broadly and (hopefully) expand my palette in the process. So while those past lists definitely included … Continue reading
The Top Three K-Pop Songs of August 2020
At the end of each month, I look back at my three favorite title tracks by K-pop artists. I take my own ratings into account, but there’s a bit of wiggle room as certain songs tend to grow or fade. August 2020 Overall Thoughts At the beginning of the year, one of my wishes for 2020 … Continue reading
Song Review: Ayumi Hamasaki – Dreamed A Dream
Earlier this summer, Empress of J-pop Ayumi Hamasaki released her first new single in nearly four years. Ohia no Ki was a sentimental ballad, similar to those that have helped forge her decades-long career. But, I’m much more interested in its follow-up track, the electronic-meets-rock Dreamed A Dream. This song also represents a comeback of … Continue reading
A Love Letter to Japan’s Late-90’s Techno Trance Craze
I often write about musical trends on The Bias List, and it’s rarely in a positive light. But, today I want to zero in on one of my favorite trends to ever sweep pop music. We’re going back decades for this one, as I attempt to compose a love letter of sorts, written to one … Continue reading