nitro.pop

[analysis] Artist blurbs; that's coming out when?

2006-04-12T16:52:00.000-04:00

Here's where I crawl out of a dirty little hole among some rocks in a barren wasteland, filthy and battle-torn, and start waving a white flag--not a big one, but one of those little tiny ones that looks like it belongs in a drink in place of a cocktail umbrella. I always thought that would be funny.

Yes, I have to admit it: I've listened to all of KAT-TUN's new album, and I actually rather like it--if only for the variety and the surprising rock spin, but it's some level of enjoyment nonetheless. It turns out that what I thought I'd heard of their stuff was actually NEWS, because I mix up Japanese boy groups just like I used to mix up all of Hello! Project, or at least, the Johnny's groups. In reality, I only ever heard a poor quality live clip of KAT-TUN. What kind of a basis of an opinion is that? So I went ahead and downloaded real material, and as I said, I'm pleasantly surprised.

If I end up reviewing it, it won't be until I buy it though--I'm just like that.

Oh, but wait, I never reviewed any of that other stuff, now did I? Well, I've got two perfectly good reasons for that.

1.) I'm a lazy bastard. (There's no skirting that one...) But more importantly,

2.) It's the end of the term in school, and anyone who's in high school or remembers it well knows just how busy the end of the term is. It's starting to slow down with vacation starting after tomorrow, so I may or may not go back and review some things, but at least I'll be able to post more should the feeling strike me.

KAT-TUN aside, I'm also giving in and buying AAA's album and remix album in my next order. It's not that I had avoided them before, but that I didn't really get a good enough idea of their music the first time they caught my attention. Seeing that they were putting out that remix album, I started to dig through the section of my computer set aside for random samples that I save but don't immediately love to pieces (y'know, just in case) and found a digest of all the tracks on their album that Avex had up for streaming around its release. Even though I still haven't heard a full song by them, I do think I like it enough that it's worth giving a shot. (And this is a rare choice for me--to be honest, I'm just too lazy to bother with finding some AAA tracks and then having to download them, especially given that I have dial-up.) And as for the remix album, well, we know I like remixes anyway, so that's no problem either.

...I actually don't want to preview them further, come to think of it, because I usually have a good idea what's on an album, if not the whole thing, before I get it. It would be a nice change to hear a whole album, entirely new, for once. (Not including the 15~30 second clips in the digest.) But now that the thought of pulling up some AAA videos on YouTube has just come to mind...I'm just wishing it hadn't.

So I'll distract myself with HIGH and MIGHTY COLOR instead. I got into them right at their debut, but I lost track of them after their OVER single and have since only picked up their first album. I've noticed that they've been releasing singles, but I couldn't get myself back into them again right away. (Ah, another case of a storm of releases turning people away.) Now that they have a second album out, an album that people are saying is better than their first (which I already liked), I'm getting a bit excited again. That'll give me something to do, I think.

I'm really hating this month so far for its releases though...because there are none! Well, of course there are some, but compared to the activity of the past three months, this is stagnant to me. Without torrents of releasing flying at me from all sides, it's like I don't know what to do with myself. It's sad that it's gotten to this point, actually.

So, recent J-Pop marketing is killing my attention span. Great.

Not even my attention span though, I suppose, but rather...my patience? I don't really know what to call it. Whenever I have to stop and think about what's happening in J-Pop, what's being released and when, what new artists people have been starting to buzz about...it's no good to me. I've gotten too used to being assaulted with it before having to question it, before having to search out the information myself.

When I do have to stop and think all of that, I soon find myself going to, say, Avex's homepage, to see what the top visited artist pages are and what artists they're highlighting on their flash reel. Lately, there have been some fresh faces on the lower sections of the main page...yet no information about them? No samples? What kind of promotion is that?

It is all because of promotion, though, isn't it? I keep falling back on Koda Kumi's 12 singles lately, but that's a prime (albeit extreme) example. That was a simple release assault that kept the girl fresh on people's minds and made people buy.

Then on the other hand you have Ai what-the-heck-happened-to-her Otsuka popping out a single out of nowhere months and months after her last release that I wouldn't even know about were it not for being subscribed to CDJapan's newsletters.

Then there are other artists still, like Daichi Miura, who haven't released anything new in months. (That DVD doesn't count--I'm speaking in terms of new music.) I've been having trouble staying interested in such artists without a stream of new music, new merchandise, and new information to keep me endeared.

So with this apparent lack of promotion, where are all promotional energies going? Are they being focused onto artists I don't follow at all, and therefore, I don't feel many waves from the effort? Is this just a lazy time of year, in part because there are no major holidays and whatnot (White Day having passed), and I should just sit tight until May, when there are already releases planned?

I'd like to know if anyone else has noticed this or feels the same as me. Or, for that matter, if anyone thinks I'm just missing the mark on this one. Even if I am totally off, I still can't help but feel...strange. I'd hate to call it "promotion withdrawal", but that's what it is, isn't it? I'm getting bored because there haven't been tons of releases planned for the month, and therefore, there hasn't been tons of promotion to go with it--nor has there even been much promotion of the recent releases we've just passed at the end of March. Much of what I bought at the end of March I wouldn't even know about had I not already been interested for a while beforehand.

But that's not to say that I like promotion in general (advertising is sly and overbearing usually). To some extent, it's necessary. But the thing is, I never imagined feeling this odd without the onslaught of promotion and releases. I don't think anyone imagines it, really. I for one always complain about advertising and say we'd be better off without it, yet here I am wanting more of it.

Maybe I've just gotten too used to it?

[analysis] Another post as jumbled as trail mix.

2006-03-31T15:42:00.000-05:00

My apologies for the mini-hiatus there. There were some...things to deal with. Let's just act like nothing happened and carry on with J-Pop happenings as usual, shall we?

I have no strong semblance of any sort of streamlined post idea in mind at the moment, and therefore, you're all getting another goodie bag of a post once again, like it or not. It's going to have a bit more value than the previous one, I think, and hopefully I can get more back into the usual swing after this one.

Expect mentions of possible upcoming discussion points, as well as a wealth of miscellaneous artist comments.

> Recent schwag

Well, not really schwag, but what I've bought. I've finally received my copy of Koda Kumi's BEST ~second session~, limited edition, with the 2 DVD's. (I ordered it really late from CD Japan, and ended up really lucky, as the day after I ordered, they marked it as out of print.) I'll probably review the CD and at least comment on some of the music videos, and maybe the concert as well...because there are a lot of snide comments to be made. Anyone who's seen the Ima Sugu Hoshii video, at the very least, knows what I mean by that. Total sleazy what-the-#!@%-ness, those types of Kuu videos are.

Also, I've placed an order for misono's VS single (CD+DVD), Daichi Miura's Live Chapter 2, and Ami Suzuki's AMIx WORLD and AROUND THE WORLD albums. Unfortunately, the last of that list was expected to ship in 3-5 days (whereas the rest are new releases, out 3/29, and in stock), so the whole order has yet to ship. You can expect to hear more about all of this as it reaches my eager little hands. (And then no more orders again for a while--liking J-Pop is merciless on your wallet!)

> Koda Kumi

I'm still amazed by her first week sales for BEST ~second session~. She's managed to pull in well over 1 million by now, and at the rate she's going, she just might break the 2 million mark, but it'll still be a bit of a stretch. As far as the CD itself goes, I really like it--this coming from someone who had only heard No Regret before, of the 12 singles A-sides. The DVD's, though...I like and dislike at the same time. She's been laying on the raunchiness a bit thick lately. Several of the videos are just fine, and others are just slightly sexed up and nothing at all beyond the norm even for J-Pop, but a handful of them are either spoiled (Lies--was gaudy purple Kumi with a pole really necessary?) or just never should have been made (Ima Sugu Hoshii). As far as the concert goes, I like hearing her live and seeing how she interacts with the crowd, but some of the outfits and the dancing were just pushing it. Like what I've said before, what's good is great, but what bad is...um...difficult to stomach, sometimes.

> misono

I might as well go through the Koda sisters back-to-back. Again, I ordered the VS single with the DVD, and now that Ray at Cult of Pop has mentioned an extended version of the PV, I'm just too eager to see it! As it is, I've been watching my low quality, came-from-You-Tube craptacular version way too much. I was disappointed by how short it was, so the promise of a longer version is wonderful. I also heard a preview of the c/w track, Gurasu no Kutsu (I think?). As Ray also mentioned in that same post, I agree that it seems like what day after tomorrow might have sounded like. I was so intrigued to see if this was right, in fact, that I searched out the samples on Avex's website. (This was a few days ago, actually.) I'd definitely have to say it's at least somewhat like d-a-t's music, having heard those clips. I personally hope she carries on with more of a VS sound as far as her upbeat songs go, though, because it's different and energizing, a strong contrast to that light pop-rock sound that has already been abundant with Do As Infinity, Every Little Thing, and possibly even some of Ai Otsuka's music lately. That, and I love misono's antics in the VS PV, and I don't think slower songs would allow for that very well.

Also worth mentioning is that the VS single debuted at #4 on the Oricon daily singles charts, and has remained in that position since its release a few days ago. Given the competition this week, this is a very good position, especially for a break-out soloist from a group that wasn't insanely popular. Very good.

> Ami Suzuki

I'm loving Ami Suzuki right now. I haven't heard her old material from when she was with Sony back in the day, but I like her new material (and voice) so much that I'm a bit afraid to go back and try it. Regardless, I love trance music, so between her original electronic songs and her amazing remixes, I'm in heaven. I can't wait to hear AMIx WORLD!

Oh, while I'm thinking of it, is anyone reading this an Ami Suzuki fan? I've made a couple of desktop wallpapers of her (two original ones, one of which I made two versions of, so three in total), so if anyone here is interested, I could post them up for you. You're also more than welcome to request them if you're just curious as to my Photoshop ability. My layout tweaks here are nothing compared to what I can attempt to pull off. Besides, I don't think the wallpapers came out too terrible. :)

> KAT-TUN madness

Honestly, are they planning on taking over Japan or something? Now, Japanese boy bands in general just can't seem to grab me. I've got some FLAME, V6, and Tacky & Tsubasa stuff, but other than that scant bit, I just can't get into it. The boys are cute, yes, sure, but that isn't going to get me to buy their music. Then again, I haven't heard a lot of KAT-TUN stuff...but still. Their debut sales are too insane. No, no, no. Just craziness.

Though I have to say, I don't really consider those true "debut" sales anyway. The way they've been out there touring already eliminates a crucial criteria of my own definition of "debut", which is that the artist is a fresh face (or comprised of fresh faces). Ami Suzuki's Avex debut, for example, doesn't count as a true debut to me. KAT-TUN already had a strong ~~fangirl following~~ fanbase, they've been making appearances here and there for a while now, and because of that, I don't mark it as a true debut. It might be their first release(s), but they just aren't new.

> The bottom line

I truly like seeing these recent waves in the J-Pop scene, however puzzling or disagreeable--Koda Kumi's soaring popularity, KAT-TUN's massively successful "debut", and whatever else I haven't already mentioned here. It seems like lately, more artists have been breaking out, and others have been claiming their own portion of the spotlight from the veterans. It's just nice seeing different names on the charts for once rather than the usual chart-toppers like Ayumi Hamasaki, B'z, and Mr. Children. I've been buying more CD's by more different artists in more different styles than I ever have before, from pop and rock to trance and eurobeat to hip pop, and any fusion of those styles. Heck, there are a lot of great styles out there in mainstream J-Pop now that I can't even apply any sort of label or description to. I still can't adequately describe Aqua Timez's sound, and I still haven't the slightest idea what to label misono's VS. Promotional videos, too, are becoming, in general, more interesting and/or entertaining.

Basically what I'm getting at is that, while it's sad seeing the aforementioned veterans starting to lose some of the sales they once totally captivated, it's likewise inspiring and exciting to see new artists break out and older artists gain some much-deserved attention. I know some people think J-Pop has just been going down the tubes since any given time in the late 1990's, but I think this just could be the beginning of another great era in J-Pop.

I'll take those in a doggie bag, thanks.

2006-03-20T18:15:00.000-05:00

A much needed casual odds 'n' ends post.

First, I have to admit, as much as I wanted my blog to be the "different" one (as far as what topics were to be discussed in it) compared to a lot of the J-Pop blogs out there, it seems like, at least for the time being, I'm going to sink into a lot of Hello! Project related talk. Not entirely, but just be aware that it's probably coming. Y'know, given my recent...addiction.

Yes, I'm secretly glaring at a few of you who helped to directly, indirectly, or sideways-directly effect my submersion into H!P-dom. That's right, sideways.

But aside from my ever growing disbelief in myself, I don't think this (H!P posting) is a bad thing, as it's probably more appropriate for most of the audience who ends up reading this. (Hi, everyone.)

So, not to ramble, I'm just going to throw out what remaining thoughts I have in nice concise bullet-style. Wow, concise. How uncharacteristic of me. Huzzah!

Viyuden (or v-u-den or Biyuuden or however you kiddies are writing it these days) is really, really good. For me, at least. Much love for VYD.
The Kago Ai scandal is getting stupid and they need to bring her back already. The end. ♥
W's Miss LOVE Tantei single is pure awesomeness.
...and for some reason, most W songs make me want to play one of the Katamari video games.
...actually, for me, Hello! Project is to J-Pop what the Katamari series is to games. Different, fun...and stupidly addictive. ♥ ♥
The fact that I'm starting to like Berryz Koubou frightens me a little bit.
I used to like Kaori and Miki (to some extent), but now, not so much. They're still cool though.
I used to dislike Nono and Mari, but now I like them.
Did I mention that I'm starting to like Berryz Koubou and it's kind of scary? [sic]
H!P definitely needs to churn out more DEF.DIVA / Gomattou-like material, 'cause it's awesome.

I think that sums up most of my random H!P related thoughts for now. I just wanted to throw them out there, seeing as I did promise follow-ups on my Morning Musume indulgence and all. And so, follow-ups I shall provide. :)

[analysis] And so, the bubble bursts.

2006-03-15T08:26:00.000-05:00

The sales are in for Koda Kumi's BEST ~second session~ in its first week of release, and the results are a staggering 983,359 copies. To put that into perspective, the next best-selling album that week, also a new release, was Kaera Kimura's Circle, selling only a tenth of Koda's sales at 98,439 copies.

The most recent high-selling album I can think of is DREAMS COME TRUE's THE LOVE ROCKS, which scored 212,132 sales in its first week. Even Ayumi Hamasaki's most recent album, (miss)understood, has earned just 846,021 copies to date since its release a few months ago.

(For reference, the above sales information was obtained from here.)

So, does this make Koda Avex's new powerhouse seller? Or is it all skewed because it's a best album, and we won't really be able to tell until she releases another album? Given her successful single sales, as well as hear nearly ever-present top position as the most visited page on Avex's website, I think it would be safe to pass some judgment now.

I'm actually surprised that it seems to be Koda who is gaining the most success, fitting sales-wise as a sort of "Ayumi replacement" for Avex--though I do prefer Koda, I was expecting Ai Otsuka to become the greater force to reckon with. However, this is definitely becoming a Koda revolution.

Right now, I'm most curious to see how she'll do in her second week, and if she'll be able to crack the 2 million mark with this one. Until then, I'll be keeping you posted with new Koda information (and more, of course!) as it comes in, following up as always.

[translation] Tsuji Nozomi's letter to Yoshizawa Hitomi

2006-03-11T09:17:00.000-05:00

I don't know if it's been translated elsewhere on the internet yet, but I translated it myself as a request on the Jpopmusic.com forums, and having gone through the trouble translating it, I figured I might as well share it with a few more people.

Here's the original Japanese with my translation, part by part, and then notes.

のんがフットサルをやめたいって思ったとき、
よっちゃんの、
「ガッタスは11人でガッタスなんだから、頑張ろう」
って言ってくれたでしょ。
When Non thought she wanted to retire from futsal,
Yocchan's
"Gatas is Gatas with eleven people, try your best"
is what she said, I think.

のん、すごいうれしくて、
今までいろんな人にやめない方がいいよって言われたけど、
やろうって気持ちにはならなかった。
Non is amazingly glad.
Until now, various people said "it would be good not to stop", but
The feeling that "I should play" was gone.

でも、よっちゃんが言ってくれたその言葉で、
のんは、まけないぞって思うことができた。
But, with those words Yocchan said,
Non was able to think "I'm not going to be defeated."

本当にありがとう。
Truly, thank you.

そして、これからもこんなのんですが、
ガッタスのメンバーとして、よろしくお願いします。
And, from now on, this Non
is a member of Gatas. Please be kind.

よっちゃん、本当に大好きよ。
Yocchan, truly, I love you!

辻　希美ヨリ
- from Tsuji Nozomi

Notes:
- Obviously, Non = Tsuji, and Yocchan = Yoshizawa.
- The "I love you" isn't exactly serious, it's a playful way of saying it that's literally "to like something a lot".

Also, don't reproduce this anywhere. Link here if you want to use it in something, but don't shamelessly "bootleg" it--that's just rude, ne?

Now, to make a few comments on the letter itself, I can't help but notice how...vulnerable Nono sounds. I know she's talking specifically about Gatas, but it still seems like it could stand for something more. Of course, I'm talking about the Kago scandal. It sounds like what she's saying about Gatas could be said in exactly the same way about her idol career. I could be reading too much into it, but it might be a subtle expression of how Nono is feeling right now about everything. I just hope she, at least, will be alright through all of this.

辻ちゃん、がんばれ。

[analysis] Frantic releases and general instability

2006-03-07T20:29:00.000-05:00

Somehow, as I was coming home today, my mind drifted to thinking about HIGH and MIGHTY COLOR, and how they've been around for a bit over a year now. I remember falling in love with their first single, PRIDE, while being disappointed at the same time, knowing an album release would be far away.

September came and went, leaving HandMC's first album GooVER in its wake. It was a solid release, and I was satisfied with that. However, 6 months after that, they've already got another full-length album due out this month.

I've noticed it a bit too often lately, and I've already touched on it a bit. Artists gain a bit of popularity, and suddenly we're mech-assaulted with releases almost faster than we can buy them. (Ahem, Koda Kumi.)

To release two full-length albums just half a year apart is almost unheard of. Even as far as indies J-Rock goes, to put out two mini-albums within 6 months of each other isn't very common. The general mainstream trend is an album per year with 3 or 4 singles in between (for typical popular artists, at least). Though these artists are only on their first albums so far, both UVERworld and Daichi Miura have fit this pattern, releasing 3 and 4 singles (respectively) followed by an album within the past year or so.

It's too soon to see if it will be a new trend with HandMC, but older or more well-informed J-Pop fans will surely be familiar with Ayumi Hamasaki's release extravaganza around the release of her I am... album. Of course, most of us have our opinions about Koda's "best-album / 12-singles / second-best-album" spree. And again, it's not uncommon for J-Pop fans to admit that Ayumi began to decline after that swarm of releases. I've already speculated about Koda, who's reaching a similar peak. HandMC, I suppose, is beginning to take off, thanks in part to a lot of anime exposure.

Will they, too, face potential overexposure? At what point can you start to predict these sorts of things? Am I just jumping the gun, trying too hard to be some sort of a J-Pop watchdog and keep a barrage of releases, facts, and artist statuses in check?

The Japanese music biz is just as frantic as, if not more frantic than, any other, the US included. It's a constant chart-watching and sample-fishing game. "Did you see the preview of that new Morning Musume PV?" "Did you catch the sample clip of Koda Kumi's new single on her official site?" "Did you see this week's Oricon album charts? Isn't it ridiculous that EXILE sold so little?"

No matter how badly I want to, there's just no way I can predict things. I can overanalyze them, I can make some lucky guesses, but I can't predict things, nor can I change them or have any sort of significant impact. Do I wish things were like how they were just a couple of years ago, with good singles and albums breaking the 1 million mark more easily? Do I wish the benchmark sales number didn't fall to a rather sad 300k? Do I think things were just a bit better in general a couple of years ago, as far as the J-Pop world goes? Sure I do. But with changing economies, the ever-present illegal downloading, changing music distribution methods (digital sales are on the rise, and Oricon doesn't take those into account yet), as well as changing musical styles and changing faces to go along with them, of course things aren't going to stay the same.

But then again, we all wouldn't have much to write about if it was more predictable. As worrisome as it can sometimes get, doesn't that instability make it all the more fun and interesting to try to keep up with? That, I can say "yes" to.

[analysis] Problems with J-Pop fandom, typical complaints

2006-03-01T18:54:00.000-05:00

You might understand some of what I'm about to discuss because it will pertain to you concerning an artist or a few that you follow. You otherwise should at least recognize some of it from forums or blogs.

The bottom line is, J-Pop fans always have something to say about everything. The newest single by their favorite artist, the fresh daily charts on Oricon, the latest TV performance, etc. However, I've long witnessed certain patterns in discussions of the aforementioned "news", patterns that can result in conversations both entertaining and downright annoying at the same time. I'll explore three of the more common annoying instances in a lighthearted way; just keep in mind that I myself have been guilty of some of these at one point or another. (i.e. Don't get offended!)

(I'll take this time to note that I had thought of several more than this, but as I sat down to write, they've absolutely escaped me. Should I manage to recover them, I'll add them in a future post.)

Pattern #1: The Apocalypse Syndrome
Symptoms: These are those instances where the tiniest little bump in an artist's career sends the fans running, screaming that the sky is falling. That new album sold fewer copies than expected in its first week? New Chinese tabloid pictures of your favorite artist coming out of a bar? Oh mah gawd, they're going to get booted from their record label and forced into eternal obscurity!
Cure: Wait a week or two. Chances are, sales will level out because Orange Range happened to release something the same day your favorite artist did, and people will get over the "scandal" just like they always do with that sort of non-Hello! Project thing. (Read: Ayumi Hamasaki. Tabloid pictures of her coming out of gay bars or getting a piggyback ride from her boyfriend haven't stopped her in her tracks yet.)

Pattern #2: Neophobia
Symptoms: Any newer material that a certain artist has released after a certain date or previous release is utter crap--no ifs, ands, or buts.
Cure: Realize that just because you don't like it doesn't mean it's bad. Again, I have to mention Ayumi Hamasaki. There are some fans who get hung up on one of her past album releases (Duty and I am... seem to be most popular) and constantly insist her newer material just plain sucks. Change does not equal suckage--it might not be your style, but that doesn't mean it's lacking in quality. This could also apply to Morning Musume to some extent, as I've seen enough luke-warm reviews of their newest album Rainbow 7 and troves of people yearning for the days of the Love Machine single. (For the record, I have managed to get a hold of Rainbow 7, and my newbie ears rather like it.)

Pattern #3: "Rock Bottom" Syndrome
Symptoms: A bit of a combination of the previous two, it's when someone is convinced an artist is beyond the point of no return, way past their prime, and releasing sub-par material that won't ever bring them back to the top.
Cure: Wait it out. Most artists in the business less than a decade can make some sort of rebound at some point, however small. Through my Morning Musume research, I saw this one quite plentifully. I'm among the few who think Momusu could pull off another hit, but the only noticeable thing I can find holding them back is the group's name and the stigma attached to it. For a group that's always changing styles and members, it's absurd to say they never could manage another hit single or two. It's just a matter of convincing Japan that there's more to them than what most initially think.

[analysis] The obligatory Morning Musume post?

2006-02-27T16:45:00.000-05:00

These days, it seems like everyone mentions Hello! Project, or more specifically, their star group Morning Musume, in their J-Pop blogs at least every now and then. (And this isn't including the Ai Kago smoking incident!)

When I made this blog, I had no intentions of ever discussing the group, personally being a toned down version of "the typical Momusu anti-fan". Momusu fans probably know what I mean: the type who thinks the group doesn't have an ounce of talent, existing only to manufacture more airheaded suupaa-genki!! pop oozing with photobooks and DVDs aimed at awkward older men living in their parents' basements. And of course, all of these assumptions are to be based on absolutely no knowledge of the group other than that the group is all girls, and there's way too many of them. (But I must reinforce, my opinions weren't this exaggerated; my preconceptions were only lightly based on the typical anti-fan's arguments against the group.)

Despite this, for almost a year now, I've been fighting off "H!P cravings", as I've dubbed them, after having somehow downloaded ex-Morning Musume member Maki Goto's 3rd Station album shortly after its release. It has an infectious quality to it that kept drawing me back to listen to it at the least likely of times.

A mere couple of days ago, I had another one of these cravings, and against all better judgement, felt I had to dig out 3rd Station. Playing the album on shuffle and browsing around the internet, I decided I might try to learn a bit about the group, just out of sheer boredom.

I bet you can all already see where this discussion is going.

So I toyed with a member learning quiz and browsed around some forums and threads about the group, but I still managed to maintain most of my preconceptions. That is, until I found myself on YouTube.

I watched the close-up version of the PV for Chokkan 2, and after getting over the initial apparent obnoxiousness that I was expecting, I found they had Maki Goto's infectious quality to a power of 10. As oddly repetitive as the song was, it was just one of those catchy songs that completely latches onto you. It also helped that the girls clearly had a lot of personality and were entertaining to watch. (The airhead preconception? Shattered.) I was pleasantly surprised, to say the least.

I'm actually still surprising myself at how excited I'm becoming about the group, and Hello! Project in general. Maybe as a teenage female J-Pop fan, H!P is just that little something that's been missing from my genki-pop-lacking repertoire, something that I've been just too stubborn to take notice of before now. I'm still in the discovery period, so you can expect some follow-ups in the near future as I come to know more and become more familiar with it all. (Because, as any H!P fan knows, there's a lot to be familiar with!) In the meantime, I'll continue shaking my head in disbelief at myself as I wait eagerly for the PV for Osaka Koi no Uta to finish loading.

[analysis] Koda's roller coaster ride, where does it end?

2006-02-25T16:07:00.000-05:00

I've been keeping an eye on Koda Kumi for some time now. Perhaps not as long as some of the older fans have, but at least since I heard of her connection with Final Fantasy X-2's soundtrack, and especially since I've had a face to match to the name after she was mentioned (and pictured) in an FFX-2 special in an issue of the Official Playstation Magazine. So, it's been a little while at least.

Now, she's had a generally steady career so far. After a botched attempt early in her career to gain some overseas attention by means of some dance singles released in the States, now focusing her energies on Japan (US convention appearances aside), Kumi has been gradually snowballing in popularity. With no clear-cut lows in her career, she's hit a few highs up until now, from her duet with BoA for SONGNATION to her Final Fantasy appearance to her acclaimed remake of Cutie Honey.

So, what's in for her now? Again, I must fall back on the good ol' Oricon charts. It seems like everyone and their grandmothers knows at least her name recently, what with the still amazing sales of her best album, Best~first things~, 5 months after its release, and the recent 12-singles-in-12-weeks stunt, a hot topic in J-Pop talk lately. Now, she has a second best album (of sorts) right around the corner, Best~second session~, due out March 8th, which is set to feature the plethora of A-sides from the 12-single-saga, as well as some extras, a DVD of the 12 promotional videos, and for those quick enough to get the limited edition, a live DVD. Naturally, this will also come in a total of about 20 different versions with different covers and subsequent rereleases with extra bonus tracks and T-shirts packaged in. (Or so my sarcastic side speculates.)

All of this, I contemplate, as I sit here with Best~first things~ playing on shuffle. What will all of this mean for older Ku fans? Will we get swept away in an explosion of releases and overexposure, left only to cry with veteran Ayumi Hamasaki fans who felt the same thing around the release of her I am... album? Or will it balance itself out, as the rest of Koda's career has managed to do, and not burn us all out?

While we'd all opt for the latter, I can't help but have a nagging feeling that Avex is going to pull another artist-milking stunt. It's a generally accepted idea that Avex tends to act first for money, second for longevity. If they can cash in on an artist now but have less uses for that artist after, that's an acceptible sacrifice for them. Sell 'em while they're hot, right? In fact, should reality swing that way, we could all end up looking back on this very time as the "beginning of the end". (As some Ayumi fans may look back upon the release of A BEST or RAINBOW with the same feelings.)

Honestly, let's stop and take a breather for a moment. Koda Kumi releases a best album in September. Through the holiday season, she releases 12 singles over the course of 12 weeks. Now, 6 months after the release of her first best album, she's already putting out a second one. Normally, if an artist ever does put out a second best album, it sure isn't going to be a mere 6 months after the release of the first one! No, 6 years maybe, but not months! Then again, it's really only a best album by it's name. With no normal album releases between the best albums, can it really be considered a true best album in the first place?

Being the helpless overseas fan that I am, all I can do is speculate what's well out of probably even Koda's control. All I can do now is decide whether or not I should try to get the limited edition version of the new album, and sit it out from there. That's all anyone can do at this point. This roller coaster has come to a steep upward bound recently, and that mean's we've got to strap in tight for when this coaster may start coming back downward. Let's just hope we're not too close to the top.

[review] UVERworld - Timeless (album)

2006-02-24T15:16:00.000-05:00

Timeless
UVERworld
SRCL-6240
2006.2.15
artist homepage

Tracklist:
1. CHANCE!
2. Toki no Namida
3. Rush
4. D-tecnoLife
5. Yasashisa no Shizuku
6. ai ta Kokoro (Album Version)
7. Burst
8. Nitro
9. just Melody (Album Version)
10. Lump Of Affection
11. Tobira
12. SE
13. D-tecnoLife (Album Version)

A very good first album from UVERworld, but it's not without its flaws.

1. CHANCE!
While it is a good energetic choice for an intro track, it's the same exact version of the song that anyone who's already been following UVERworld will have heard about a million times by now. As for the song itself, I actually was a bit annoyed by it at first, but it's grown on me a lot. It's peppy and cheerful, and it'll probably put you in a good mood to move on with listening through the rest of the album. 4/5.

2. Toki no Namida
This is definitely one of my favorite tracks on the album. After a brief intro, it bursts into an upbeat chorus full of UVERworld's typical guitar riffs and electronic beats in the background. It maintains a consistent sound and feel throughout the entire song, which is a very good thing for this track. It's nothing terribly original, but it certainly gets the job done as an energetic rock track while not overdoing it. 5/5.

3. Rush
Unfortunately, what I just mentioned about Toki no Namida not "overdoing it" doesn't hold true here. The song opens with a few lines of frantic rapping by vocalist Takuya that can be slightly nerve-wracking, especially because it truly does feel a bit overdone. However, the chorus is this song's savior, because here, UVERworld falls into their usual niche of upbeat and not overbearingly hard sounding rock. Fortunately, the rapping is tolerable enough to get to the choruses, which are much more enjoyable, but the forced hard sounds still bring the song down from what it could be. 3/5.

4. D-tecnoLife
UVERworld's first A-side, the same version we've known and loved since the single's release back in July. Still energetic, still fun to sing along to, and still generally and simply great. That is, assuming you haven't grown tired of it in the past 7 months. But with the remix on the just Melody single, chances are, you haven't. 5/5.

5. Yasashisa no Shizuku
At the risk of being targeted by various kinds of rotting food, I must honestly say, I don't care for this song. However, for what it's worth, most people do seem to like it, so take my opinions on this one with a grain (or a bucket) of salt. It has more of an acoustic sound than UVERworld's other material, with a slight jazzy flair as well. Even a saxaphone is used, totally out of left field, during the bridge. I guess this song is simply a hit or miss. You'll either love it, or you just won't be able to get into it. It's still not unbearable though, at the very least. So, my own personal and apparently warped rating for this one is 2/5.

6. ai ta Kokoro (Album Version)
I was indifferent to the original version of this song that appeared on the D-tecnoLife single. It was alright, nothing special, but I'd listen to it. However, something about this version just sounds better to me, though the changes seem to be subtle. The chorus, especially, stands out more than I remember from the original. I suppose this song could be something of a laid back sibling of CHANCE!; it's not as energetic, moving along at a calmer pace, but it uses some similar guitar effects. It's still nothing special, but it's nonetheless pretty darn good. 4/5.

7. Burst
Oh, Burst. How I wish you wouldn't try so hard to be like Rush. This track uses similar hard guitar/rapping in the verses, but instead, the choruses don't save it either. I think this track would have actually been really good without the vocals, because it's Takuya's awkward rapping throughout the whole track that makes it a bit of a nuissance at times to sit through. It's not a total waste of CD space, but it's not much of a worthwhile investment either. 1.5/5.

8. Nitro
Unlike Rush and Burst, this attempt at an edgier track came out really well. Instead of rapping taking over the track, Takuya does more singing, and the song uses some cool vocal effects to create these "back and forth" moments that make me think of drum battles where everyone tries to one-up everyone else, except it's echoes of Takuya's voice that answer the main vocal track. Maybe I'm putting too much weight on it, but I thought it created a really neat effect. Aside from that, it's taken a lot of the better hard guitar sounds that we've heard in other tracks and makes it all work together with the vocals in ways Rush and Burst couldn't manage. This is actually another one of my favorite tracks on the album. 5/5.

9. just Melody (Album Version)
This is also primarily the same as the original version from the just Melody single. However, now we have a longer, instrumental opening. It starts with the familiar "twinkling" sound from the original song, gradually adding more and more instrumentation and finally precussion to build up to the song itself. It's a nice addition to an already great song, and I'm glad they didn't change the song too much for the "album version". If it isn't broken, don't fix it, just make it shine. 5/5.

10. Lump Of Affection
More downtempo and (mostly) gentle sounding, it's a nice change from the rest of the album without being too different. While the vocals in this track are good, it's noteable that the instrumentation is quite good too. Another one that's nothing particularly special or original, but it's still quite an enjoyable track. 4.5/5.

11. Tobira
This is technically the last track of the album, because the following two are bonus tracks. With that in mind, it does have the feeling of a closing track. It opens with some acoustic guitars, but opens up to the more familiar electric sound. Lump Of Affection actually set up for this one nicely, as this one is another more downbeat track compared to much of the album. It actually feels a bit like a final track, oddly enough, especially in the way the song ends. This doesn't detract from it at all though. 4.5/5.

12. SE
I love this song more than I probably should. For an instrumental techno track on a vocal rock album, it's really, really good. (That is, if you like techno.) Specifically, it has a trance sound to it, but it doesn't ignore the chance to use a lot of the electronic beats like those we've heard in the backgrounds of other songs. Though it's totally different, it does manage to maintain some level of familiarity, and even if it didn't, it's still an awesome techno track. I hope this is a standard for UVERworld albums to come. 5/5.

13. D-tecnoLife (Album Version)
The album's encore wraps up with this refurbished version of D-tecnoLife. SE set up for the new opening, which borrows some of the techno sound. I only wish more of the techno sounds were used throughout the track. Once the intro is done with, it's largely the same version of the song but "thicker" sounding, with more layers of instrumentation. At times this sounds cool, but at others, it's almost overload. In the end though, it's still a great way for the album to go out with a bang. 4/5.

OVERALL (not an average): UVERworld has managed to pull together a great first album, but it's clear they've still got to figure out exactly what niche they're most comfortable with musically, and stick to it. They've done some excellent experimentation here, now they just need to tighten it up and focus on their strengths. While the not-so-great on this album isn't entirely omittable, what's great is fantastic. I can't wait to see what else this band can pull together. For that, Timeless gets 8.5/10.

[analysis] Oricon album charts, what just doesn't fit

2006-02-24T08:59:00.000-05:00

Anyone who checks the daily or weekly Oricon album charts on a regular basis, or even once in a while, know how things generally work on it. On Wednesdays, a flood of new albums appears. The majority drop off after the first day or two, and the more popular ones last a week or two before succumbing to newer releases. Then there are the best albums that have a magical ability to stay on there for months and months. (Koda Kumi's Best~first things~ is a prime example of this; released in September, it's still holding a relatively strong top 20 position.)

However, there's one album that's been clinging to the top 10, and that's "Sora Ippai ni Kanaderu Inori", a debut mini-album by Aqua Timez.

Now, I've listened to Aqua Timez. They're alright to me, but nothing spectacular (just a personal opinion here). A mix of rock with a few "Jawaiian" sounds, though I'm not sure if that's the best thing to call it, along with slightly higher pitched vocals than the norm that don't really stand out, it adds up to something totally average and unimpressive in my eyes.

So now I have to ask myself, how could this band's first mini-album and so far only release be so strong in the top 10 now when it was released last August, 6 months ago? Going back as far as the charts presently allow to the week of 1/23, I now see that the album was at 11 then and on the rise. Perhaps a recent popularity spike can explain the sudden boom for this 6-month-old album?

But then, what caused that spike? As far as I know, none of their songs were featured in an anime/movie/drama. I haven't seen any promotion. I only know of one TV performance they've done. Is this just one of those instances of infectious promotion through word of mouth? Or is this just one of those things that someone outside of Japan will never be able to figure out?

Regardless, I actually am looking forward to hearing their next mini-album. I half-liked their present one, from what I heard of the samples on their official website, despite the vibes of mediocrity I got from it. I do think they have potential, and I'm eager to see them excercise that potential in their upcoming release. Will their second mini-album enjoy the same popularity that their first has achieved? Time will tell.

[review] UVERworld - just Melody (single)

2006-02-23T19:48:00.000-05:00

just Melody
UVERworld
SRCL-6230/SRCL-6231
2006.01.25
artist homepage

Tracklist:
1. just Melody
2. Revolve
3. D-tecnoLife (RYUKYUDISKO REMIX)

This is one of the best singles I've bought in a while, despite being on the small side. The reason? What's here is excellent, and I'd prefer 3 great tracks to, say, 1 great track and 4 filler tracks.

We start with just Melody, which is in my opinion one of the more impressive A-sides out of UVERworld's three singles thus far. Quite different from their first single, D-tecnoLife, it's as though the band took everything that was good about their second single, CHANCE! (more noteably CHANCE! and SHINE especially), and fused it together into this track. Upbeat enough not to drag, yet not so much as the previous two A-sides, it manages brilliantly not to bore like a lot of middle-tempo songs have a tendency to do by varying the tempo and style ever so slightly at different points in the song. Overall, quite an enjoyable and musically respectible song.

Now we pick up the pace with this single's B-side, Revolve. This is my favorite B-side of UVERworld's single releases so far. It keeps things mixed up with calmer verses that burst into energetic, edgy choruses that I admit having fun trying to sing along to. Another enjoyable song to those who like, or can at least tolerate, a bit of a harder rock sound than we've previously seen from the band, but it's nothing drastic. My only regret is the song's short length, clocking in at 3:16.

The single wraps things up with a remix of their first single's A-side, D-tecnoLife. What I love about this remix, in terms of remixes at least, is that it stays true to the original song (i.e. the vocals aren't butchered and rearranged, the pace hardly altered), yet makes it different enough that I don't get tired of it. The remixers used some Asian sounding drum effects at some points that are very subtle, but end up working surprisingly well with some of the guitar riffs left from the original version of the song. It's not heavy on techno and maintains much of the atmosphere of the original song, so if you want techno, turn to SE on UVERworld's Timeless album. Unlike most remixes, this is more a true "remix" than just a largely unchanged "rehash" or a slaughtered "remake". And it still manages to sound great.

The bottom line: So, now that I've sung the praises of this single, what's the final verdict? There's no arguing the quality of the songs here, I just wish there was a bit more of the goodness. If only Revolve was a bit longer, or there was another remix, or even an instrumental. (Then again, perhaps I'm still just yearning for a comeback of the days of 10-track Ayumi Hamasaki singles.) However, do not let that stop you from picking this one up. Singles this universally great, with the A-side and B-side tracks both excellent, as well as a good remix, don't come up often at all these days. If you're looking for something new, or if you're already a fan of UVERworld especially, I urge you to give this single a try. 9.5/10.

The obligatory introduction post.

2006-02-23T19:14:00.000-05:00

Hello, everyone. (All 2 of you, that is, you lucky ones who must have found this accidentally to be reading it so soon.) Sami here, bringing you the mandatory introductory post.

I love Japanese music and their culture in general (pop culture and otherwise). I've been blogging for a while now through Live Journal, however, inspired by Feed of Pop, I've decided to try a more "professional" blog (read: not saturated with personal business as well) to vent some of my thoughts on the Japanese music scene.

I can see this becoming a sort of "Swiss army knife" as far as Japan blogs go, though. My current plans are for general comments on anything from new releases to Oricon rankings, to album reviews, to the occasional download, to artist recommendations, and then some. But I shouldn't get ahead of myself just yet I suppose.

But yes, back to Japanese music. I'm familiar with many, many artists, and I personally follow quite a lot too. Don't believe me? My CD collection is well over 100, including artists such as (in no particular order) UVERworld, Utada Hikaru, Koda Kumi, L'Arc~en~Ciel, Daichi Miura, Ayumi Hamasaki, Gackt, Ai Otsuka, m.o.v.e, HIGH and MIGHTY COLOR, Namie Amuro, Miyavi, Mai Kuraki, Rina Aiuchi, Kagrra...heard enough, you say? That's not even all, but I think I've at least somewhat efficiently gotten my point across.

Needless to say, I support my artists. I download for sampling purposes only, deleting what I don't like and buying the rest. That's why this blog will feature very few downloads, if any. One now and then, if I happened to upload something for someone else, perhaps. Downloads were not the intention of this blog, but to express my thoughts. This is important.

Now, as for the name of this blog...despite whatever silly things I do with its appearance, the basic name is "nitropop", combining "nitro" (a word I've always liked that also happens to be the name of one of my favorite UVERworld songs) and "pop", obviously, for the focus on Japanese popular music and pop culture. That, and I thought that together as "nitropop" it had a neat sound to it.

And thus ends my introduction post. I think it's best to just keep any possible content separate from this, so I shall refrain from throwing any thoughts in here. Thank you for reading this far, those of you who actually might have done so. Here's to happy blogging!