LDH Japan has suddenly begun to blitz the internet with new music videos from its Exile Tribe acts, which is pretty exciting. Unfortunately, many of these have been in support of ballads that were digitally released months ago. But then we have Rising Soul – a new single by the agency’s popular Sandaime J Soul … Continue reading
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. October 2020 Overall Thoughts After a fantastic September, October was another strong month. And, it was … Continue reading
This year’s retro synth revival continues to spread around the globe, and that includes Japan. Exile Tribe has always had a retro flair, rooted most deeply in the early-90’s, so it’s no surprise that one or more of their groups would pick up this baton and run with it. However, Fantastics have never attempted a … Continue reading
It’s been awhile! As I’ve started covering more J-pop singles on the blog, there haven’t been as many tracks to feature in a J-pop round-up. But, one of the purposes of this feature is to unearth buried treasures. The seven songs below are a mix of singles and b-sides that have caught my attention over … Continue reading
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
I’m a big fan of the Exile Tribe family of groups, and for me The Rampage are the ones to beat at the moment. Their trio of vocalists are excellent – complimentary but compelling in their own right. And, the group’s edgy sound makes a great conduit for dynamic material. The Rampage’s music often steers … Continue reading
Apart from their exciting, old-school hip-hop debut Tenhane, most of Ballistik Boyz’ best material has appeared as b-sides. February’s Anti-Hero’s was alright (though the teacher in me despises that misplaced apostrophe), but the rock-rap Front Burner and breakbeat Bang Out were absolutely incredible. New single Summer Hype doesn’t live up to either of those tracks, … Continue reading
Exile’s iconic vocalist Atsushi is celebrating his 40th birthday with the impending release of a new album – his first in nearly seven years. Pre-release single Osaka Tokyo (オーサカトーキョー) stands as another milestone, recorded with fellow J-pop veteran Koda Kumi. The duo last collaborated way back in 2006, making this song a long-awaited reunion. As … Continue reading
I don’t think I’ll ever tire of Exile Tribe groups’ love for early-90’s pop throwbacks. Get With You is the debut single of new unit Deep Squad, which adds three members to veteran vocal act Deep for a fresh combination that injects a little more youth into their sound. This results in a satisfying blend … Continue reading
Hey, I kept my promise! After February’s maiden voyage, I’m back with the second Bias List J-Pop Round-Up! This is the place where I get to recommend Japanese tracks or albums that I’ve been into over the past few weeks. Like before, this won’t be a place for Japanese songs by Korean artists. Those will … Continue reading
Like Japan’s leading purveyor of male idol acts, Johnny’s Entertainment, the groups of Exile Tribe have their own individual quirks but largely adhere to a proven house style. Generations are the agency’s most quintessential boy band, complete with a princely, straight-out-of-an-anime character in vocalist Katayose Ryota. They’ve been churning out music for over seven years … Continue reading
Of all the Jr. Exile groups, The Rampage have consistently been my favorite. Though they have sixteen (!) members among their rank, I’ve always found their trio of vocalists to be their greatest appeal. Group center Kawamura Kazuma is a particularly magnetic performer, with one of the most charismatic hip-hop tones of this pop era. … Continue reading
I haven’t written much about any of the artists from Japan’s LDH empire since 2016, but I’m hoping to change that this year. Over the past few months, I’ve actively engrossed myself in the history of the agency’s Exile Tribe brand of groups, inspired by a late-2019 streak of excellent singles. That streak has continued … Continue reading
Despite its title, I’m quite confident that this list does not represent the “best” J-pop tracks of the year. It’s a much more filtered list than my K-pop countdowns, because I just don’t keep up with J-pop as strongly as I’d like to. So, what you’re getting here is twenty great tracks by artists that … Continue reading
