In reference to my need to totally sustain with the J-pop trade, I’m planning on doing a weekly round-up of any new releases which have caught my ear. A few of these might have been lined on the weblog already, however my hope is that this may develop into a one-stop store for anybody involved in what’s new in J-pop.
With that in thoughts, right here’s the place you are available in: I’m one individual with one set of musical preferences, so please embed some other new J-pop tracks you’ve loved within the feedback so we will get a fuller spectrum every week.
*And identical to I do with my evaluations, I’ll wait till full variations of songs can be found earlier than posting them on this round-up. It will principally apply to Starto teams, who nonetheless restrict the vast majority of their YouTube uploads to shorter, edited variations.
2023-2024 Index
2025 Index: Dec 29 – Jan 11 // Jan 12 – Jan 18 // Jan 19 – Jan 25 // Jan 26 – Feb 1 // Feb 2 – Feb 8 // Feb 9 – Feb 15 // Feb 16 – Feb 22 // Feb 23 – Mar 1 // Mar 2 – Mar 8 // Mar 9 – Mar 15 // Mar 16 – Mar 22 // Mar 23 – Mar 29 // Mar 30 – Apr 5 // Apr 6 – Apr 12 // Apr 13 – Apr 19 // Apr 20 – Apr 26 // Apr 27 – Might 3 // Might 4 – Might 10 // Might 11 – Might 16 // Might 17 – Might 24 // Might 25 – Might 31 // Jun 1 – Jun 7 // Jun 8 – Jun 14
Bi-ray – Butterfly (music of the week!)
Yoshiki needs to be one of many worst music managers within the enterprise. I imply, look what occurred to his boy group XY! Nevertheless, he can nonetheless write a killer music – despite the fact that all of them form of sound the identical. That is his new woman group, and if historical past is any precedent this may occasionally develop into their one and solely music.
BOKUAO – Cowardly Crow (music of the week!)
Oh! They shortened their extremely lengthy title into an acronym. Truthfully, I don’t care what they name themselves in the event that they’re going to launch a banger like this. Simply their greatest music but for my part!
Def Class – Do Or Die
I recognize the raucous rock vitality however the music doesn’t really feel significantly notable.
Fantastics – Shake It Off
That is first rate however nothing they’ve launched since 2023 has hit the identical with me for some motive. Previous to that, I used to like just about all the things. What occurred??
Fudanjuku – To Future Me
A basic J-pop sound. Fairly forgettable, although.
Gang Parade – Gang Rise
I just like the vitality, however the music doesn’t do a lot for me.
Genic – Don’t Give Up (music of the week!)
I like all the things about this besides these plodding, momentum-killing pre-choruses. It’s nonetheless higher than most releases this week, although.
Hiromitsu Kitayama – HAMON (music of the week!)
I wrote about this already however now it has a music video. The music’s positively rising on me.
Kis-My-Ft2 – Cheat
I actually want this music had an precise refrain that wasn’t simply them speaking.
M!LK – wan
Insert cringe emoji right here.
m-flo – EKO EKO (ft. Zico & eill)
We’ve acquired some Ok-pop illustration on this one. The music is simply okay.
Maki Goto – Chekera (ft. Da-iCE’s Sota Hanamura)
I just like the punchy refrain higher than the verses, however total it is a bit too completely happy clappy for me.
One N’ Solely – Blast
Extra pots and pans manufacturing and boring sing-talk. Will this model of music ever fall out of favor? We now have so lots of them.
One Or Eight – 365
Properly, that is positively higher than the boring Rihanna interpolation of their final single, but it surely nonetheless doesn’t fairly obtain liftoff. It must go sooner and more durable.
PG – IMA
An enormous ol’ ballad.
PLAVE – Disguise And Search
It was solely a matter of time earlier than they launched a Japanese single, I suppose. Japan is means forward of Korea in relation to any such act, making this harder to face out. The music is nice however uneventful.
Sakurazaka46 – Shindafuri
This one isn’t doing a lot for me. It’s a disgrace, as a result of they’d a really robust 2024.
Tora Undertaking – AtoZ
Fairly boring music.
