With the Tokyo Olympics coming up this year, I expect the J-pop industry to unveil all sorts of material highlighting Japanese culture and cheering their athletes on. The anthemic sounds often produced by Johnny’s Entertainment seem tailor made for this venture, and Sexy Zone’s new album Pop x Step!? does a good job exploring various … Continue reading
Dear Bias List readers: this is the kind of beat that makes me deliriously happy. Growing up, Michael and Janet Jackson’s discographies were my definition of pop perfection, and that really hasn’t changed. Give me a bright, funky instrumental and I’m happy. Add a powerful kick and layers upon layers of rhythm and I’ve reached … Continue reading
Most of this year’s releases by Johnny’s Entertainment artists have left me underwhelmed (hence, the lack of new reviews). But lately, the agency is enjoying a sort of renaissance. The new Sexy Zone singles were both stronger than the group has been in a year. The upcoming Kis-My-Ft2 tracks sound super promising. Arashi are finally … Continue reading
Most of the time, a k-pop group’s title track is the best song on their album. But, sometimes b-sides deserve recognition too. In the singles-oriented world of K-pop, I want to spotlight some of these buried treasures and give them the props they deserve. Ever since 2017’s Move, Taemin’s solo material has largely followed the … Continue reading
2018 was a whirlwind year for Pentagon, presenting great achievements and unexpected tailspins. Their career trajectory in Korea seems impossible to predict, but they’ve come roaring back with their first original Japanese single. And Cosmo is a doozy. The song is completely confounding on first listen, and sounds nothing like any music the group has recorded … Continue reading
I don’t tend to believe in the concept of guilty pleasures, but J-pop group M!LK’s discography would likely fit within that category for most. Their affected vocal delivery conforms to the more eccentric side of Japanese idol pop, and has often been paired with love-it-or-hate-it material. But the group has recently dabbled in harder-edged sounds … Continue reading
With over 2,300 songs on my iPhone’s “K-Pop Singles” playlist, I thought it would be fun to add a bit of unpredictability to my song review posts. So as a result, we have the “Random Shuffle Review” feature. The rules are simple. I fire up my playlist, press “shuffle,” and whatever song plays first gets the … Continue reading
There are few things more frustrating than the Japanese music industry’s insistence on posting “short” music videos online. I get the fact that videos usually come packaged with physical albums and singles, and that throwing them up for free might discourage sales. But, it’s a total buzzkill when a song fades out just as it’s … Continue reading
Co-ed group AAA have been dominating Japanese charts for over a decade, but their upcoming album will be their first without member Chiaki Ito. After she left the group early last year to start a family, AAA was left with a truly unique configuration — five men and one woman. Despite this uncommon gender imbalance, … Continue reading
Though their music differs vastly in sound, I like to think of AAA as j-pop’s answer to Bigbang. Its members form a uniquely amazing unit when put together, but are just as strong as soloists pursuing their own musical interests. For Mitsuhiro Hidaka, that takes the form of a genre-bending brand of pop-infused hip-hop under the … Continue reading
News are no stranger to World Cup anthems. This partnership has already resulted in my favorite single of theirs — 2012’s World Quest — as well as the excellent One (For The Win) two years later. Now they’re back with Blue, which sounds exactly as you’d expect it to. But when it comes to News … Continue reading
2018 has been a strong year for j-pop so far, both when it comes to native Japanese artists and k-pop acts expanding into this territory. Though boy group Da-iCE’s January single Tokyo Merry-Go-Round didn’t do much for me, they’ve come roaring back with the brilliant Fakeshow. This is easily in the running for their best … Continue reading
Dominant j-pop agency Johnny’s Entertainment hasn’t debuted a new act since 2014, making King & Prince’s arrival highly anticipated. The group is a combination of two trainee units, Mr. King and Prince, and has already proven to be a huge commercial success with first single Cinderella Girl (シンデレラガール). As with most Johnny’s acts, no one voice … Continue reading
I don’t know what it is about this year, but so far most of my highest rated songs have been Japanese releases by Korean acts. The Hallyu Wave in Japan has well and truly reignited, and the prospect of so many original songs coming down the line is very exciting. With the rock-influenced Call Call … Continue reading
Most of the time, a group’s title track is the best song on their album. But, sometimes b-sides deserve recognition too. In the singles-oriented world of k-pop (and j-pop), I wanted to spotlight some of these buried treasures and give them the props they deserve. This is probably the most “buried” of buried treasures I’ve … Continue reading
For fans of KAT-TUN, it’s been a long wait. The guys have been on a self-imposed hiatus for nearly two years after founding member Taguchi decided to leave the group. Ask Yourself is their first release as a trio, and their first new music we’ve heard since 2016. This return could have gone any number … Continue reading
Until We Meet (会えるまで) is the sixteenth B1A4 single that leader Jinyoung has composed, and his songwriting and producing skills show no signs of dampening. At this point, he’s developed a signature sound for the group — a stately, synth-kissed brand of melodic pop that feels at once powerful and dreamlike. And B1A4’s prolific Japanese … Continue reading
With the departure of founding member Koichi, Bullet Train’s already unique configuration has become even stranger. The group had previously utilized two vocalists to support their five dancers, but now they’re down to only one. That position is a tall order for the group’s youngest, Takashi, who is now responsible for carrying every note of … Continue reading
Over the past month, I’ve been digging deeply into the gargantuan discography of prolific j-pop group AAA. They’re an act I’ve been wanting to get into for years now, but never found the right entry point until hearing the insanely awesome double a-side Aitai Riyū / Dream After Dream, taken from their equally immense 2011 album Buzz … Continue reading
Most of the time, a k-pop group’s title track is the best song on their album. But, sometimes b-side tracks deserve recognition, too. In the singles-oriented world of k-pop, I wanted to spotlight some of these buried treasures and give them the props they deserve. EXO’s new Japanese album is absolutely fantastic from start to … Continue reading
