Random J Pop

U.S. boy band Full Circle Boys release their (fire) single “Bleachers” and I want to know where the other minute and a half of it is

noreply@blogger.com (Random J) — Sat, 02 May 2026 19:44:00 +0000

So, this boy band put out a new song on Friday, which nearly slipped through the cracks on a day which saw a bunch of high profile releases — many of which Twitter is dragging left and right, as it does. It’s called “Bleachers” and it’s kinda great. Too bad it’s only 1 minute and 39 seconds long. [Sighs]

Flashback Friday: Madonna on BET’s 106 & Park | Selling Hard Candy to the negroes

noreply@blogger.com (Random J) — Fri, 01 May 2026 22:59:00 +0000

Do you remember the promotional run for Madonna’s Hard Candy album? I sure do. It’s hard to forget Madonna pulling up to BET’s 106 & Park. I sometimes wonder ‘Was that even real?’ because it seems so ridiculous and like some shit out of a fever dream or a Mad TV sketch. But, it was 100% real. Madonna was on Black Entertainment Television’s 106 & Park to promote her album Hard Candy, because somebody at Warner probably told her ‘You need to promote this album to the negroes’.

For those who are too young to remember 106 & Park or didn’t really watch it — it was basically MTV’s TRL for Black people. So 99% of the artists who showed up were Black. And 99% of the artists they played in their chart countdowns were Black. That 1% being Justin Timberlake, *NSync when they released “Girlfriend”, Lady Gaga and Fat Joe. So, Madonna appearing on the show wasn’t a complete anomaly. But it did feel at slight odds with how and where she had done promo and interviews for the past 10 years. And there was a greater distance that Madonna had from Black audiences at this point of her career compared to the aforementioned music acts.

Crystal Kay to release her first new single in over a year — “Only One” featuring Yoonmirae

noreply@blogger.com (Random J) — Thu, 30 Apr 2026 21:28:00 +0000

Crystal Kay is FINALLY releasing a new single. We got 0 singles in 2025. And 2 singles in 2024 — one at the start of the year and one at the very end. And I swear to God, if Universal do not have Crystal put out a new album this year, I’mma…do nothing. But it’s long overdue. It is beyond ridiculous that Crystal Kay’s last studio album of original material was released in 2018.

Girl. Fire the whole management and marketing team.

Madonna circles the block in her leotard, fishnets and Gina pumps for a follow-up to Confessions on a Dance Floor II. And girl... I get it.

noreply@blogger.com (Random J) — Thu, 30 Apr 2026 20:04:00 +0000

So, Madonna has officially announced her new album, Confessions on a Dancefloor 2, COAD2, Confessions II. Pick your preference, because currently the album is going by all 3 titles. But Confessions II is the one on the album covers.

Madonna’s 15th studio album being a sequel to her widely considered 2005 classic Confessions on a Dance Floor is hardly a surprise to fans, as Madonna has been teasing it for years now. But now it’s OFFICIAL official.

Initially, I was a bit torn on this. But I get why Madonna is doing it. And have come around that it’s probably the best thing for her to do right now.

Hikaru Utada sings the new theme song for the anime series, Chibi Maruko-chan

noreply@blogger.com (Random J) — Thu, 30 Apr 2026 15:06:00 +0000

One thing about Teruzane, he’s gonna get Hikaru some theme song bags. And I really dig that there is a certain corner that Hikaru occupies when it comes to theme songs. When their songs are for dramas, they’re usually for particular sorts of dramas — First Love, Hana Yori Dango 2, Last Friends, Saiai — heavy and depressing. And when it’s for games and animation, it’s always for things with an extremely broad appeal — Kingdom Hearts, Evangelion and now Chibi Maruko-chan.

So little of what Hikaru and their team does feels like it’s on whims and without purpose. The brand of Hikaru Utada is CONSISTENT.

The best way I can describe Chibi Maruko-chan is that it’s Crayon Shin-chan, but where the main character is a girl. The premises of both manga and their anime adaptations are similar. The main characters live at home with a slightly off-beat family. They get involved in some mess. And then they and their friends try to work their way out of it.

When it was announced that Hikaru Utada would be singing the theme song for Chibi Maruko-chan, I had no expectations, because the song could go in any direction. But even so, I still didn’t expect the song to turn out how it did.

Album Review: Madonna - Confessions on a Dance Floor

noreply@blogger.com (Random J) — Thu, 30 Apr 2026 00:30:00 +0000

I’m just gonna say it right now. I think I’m outside the club when it comes to Confessions on a Dance Floor.

I absolutely get why so many people love this album, and deservedly so. I think a big part of me not holding this album in such high regard is that I didn’t think Madonna’s previous album American Life was the piece of shit that many thought it was. So when I listened to Confessions on a Dance Floor, I wasn’t overcome with this feeling of ‘OH MY GOD, MADONNA IS SO BACK’. Because whilst on the surface Confessions on a Dance Floor feels like this completely different album, it’s…not…really. Because once I got beyond the first 3 songs on the album, I realised ‘Oh, Madonna’s kinda-sorta done American Life again. But there’s a disco ball and a boombox this time’. And I was a little disappointed by that.

Tatsuro Yamashita celebrates the 50th anniversary of his debut album Circus Town, with a music video for the album title track

noreply@blogger.com (Random J) — Wed, 29 Apr 2026 01:37:00 +0000

Wednesday, 8th April 2026 marked the 50th anniversary of Tatsuraggedy Yamashita’s debut solo album, Circus Town. First released in 1976. And to commemorate the anniversary, the album was re-released and the album title track got itself a new music video.

Kelela puts on a Sephiroth bussdown and releases “idea 1”, as the run-up to album number 3 begins

noreply@blogger.com (Random J) — Wed, 29 Apr 2026 01:06:00 +0000

Kelela put on a brand new white bussdown and released a new music video, which could mean a couple of things. She’s a Sephiroth fan. She’s a fan of Storm from the X-Men. A new album is on the way.

On 8th April, Kelela released “idea 1”, the lead single from her third studio album — which is still untitled at time of posting.

Perfume to release a documentary in cinemas and have fans crying into their Nebula Romance towels

noreply@blogger.com (Random J) — Wed, 29 Apr 2026 01:00:00 +0000

THE Japanese girl group that is / was Perfume will be releasing a documentary titled Perfume “Cold Sleep” 25 Year Document. [Sighs at the raggedy name]. But, hey. At least it wasn’t titled Perfume “Cold Sleep” 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 Year Document.

Koda Kumi announces her second pregnancy. And the North remembers the Rotten Pussy Fluid Gate of 2008.

noreply@blogger.com (Random J) — Mon, 30 Mar 2026 11:51:00 +0000

Koda Kumi has announced that she is with child. Well, Avex did. And a lot of the public responses online are bringing up Rotten Pussy Fluid Gate of 2008. If you know, you know. But in case you don’t, pull up a seat.

Charlie Puth and Hikaru Utada join forces for the 2026 realtors anthem, “Home”

noreply@blogger.com (Random J) — Mon, 09 Mar 2026 22:00:00 +0000

When Charlie Puth dropped the tracklist for his fourth studio album and I saw that it featured Hikaru Utada, I gasped a little bit. Then a snippet of the song dropped, and I gasped a little bit more. Then a preview of the music video dropped, and I gasped quite a bit. Now the full song and music video have dropped and, y’all. I’m all gasped out.

Koda Kumi performs covers of Southern All Stars and Bubble Gum Brothers on the Korean variety show, Change Street

noreply@blogger.com (Random J) — Sat, 07 Mar 2026 09:00:00 +0000

Japanese pop star Koda Kumi made an appearance on Korean TV as a performing guest on the show Change Street — which fellow J-pop star Crystal Kay had also featured on. And just like Crystal, Kumi performed a couple of covers — the number 1 hit ballad “Tsunami” by Japanese rock band Southern All Stars to get the crowd swaying, and “Won’t Be Long” by the slightly problematic Bubble Gum Brothers to get the crowd bouncing their shoulders.

Hikaru Utada features in Burberry’s The Trench, Portraits of an Icon campaign. And fashion sites don’t care.

noreply@blogger.com (Random J) — Fri, 06 Mar 2026 09:00:00 +0000

Over the past couple of years Hikaru Utada has been popping up more and more at fashion week events. Before there was always some sort of connection. Around the time Hikaru first started popping up at fashion shows, it was for Sacai, which made sense given that Hikaru Utada featured as a brand ambassador for the 2022 Cartier collaboration with Chitose Abe — the founder and creative director of Sacai. And maybe this is when Hikaru got bitten by the fashion show bug. Because since then, every now and then Hikaru would show up to a fashion show.

Hikaru and fashion shows seems random…because it kinda is. But…it also kinda isn’t.

Crystal Kay covers Misora Hibari’s Enka classic “Kawa no Nagare no Yō ni”

noreply@blogger.com (Random J) — Thu, 05 Mar 2026 09:00:00 +0000

Crystal Kay covered The Queen of Enka, Misora Hibari’s 1989 enka hit “Kawa no Nagare no Yō ni”. A very different style of song than we’re used to hearing Crystal sing. But she sounded amazing, as she always does.

Ichiro Yamaguchi shimmies on down with Aoi Yamada in a house of neon for Sakanaction’s “Iranai”

noreply@blogger.com (Random J) — Wed, 04 Mar 2026 09:00:00 +0000

Sakanaction released a brand new single “Iranai” last week, complete with a video of frontman Ichirō Yamaguchi just singing the song in his home studio — which I honestly thought would’ve sufficed for a music video. But I should have known that the band had already gotten Yusuke Tanaka on the blower and shot a music video where Ichiro gets to shimmy and we see the full band.

Dis Cover: Jessie Ware - Superbloom

noreply@blogger.com (Random J) — Tue, 03 Mar 2026 09:00:00 +0000

Jessica is releasing her sixth album, Superbloom on April 10th and she has unveiled the album cover, which true to the album title features lots of flowers. Very seasonal. I like it. But I’m not sure if I like the album cover though.

Perfume release their AI looking-ass-but-actually-not-AI video for “Fumetsu no Anata”

noreply@blogger.com (Random J) — Mon, 02 Mar 2026 09:00:00 +0000

Perfume’s last single release before their hiatus was “Fumetsu no Anata”. And I do wonder whether this song was planned before or after Perfume made the choice to go on hiatus. I’m willing to bet that it’s after, because the timing of the release of the single and the music video feel so weird. But they only feel weird because Perfume are on hiatus. Otherwise we would have gotten a live performance of this song for Perfume’s Nebula Romance: Episode Tokyo Dome when it was just a celebratory return to Tokyo Dome and an album concert, and not a farewell concert. And we would have gotten live performances too. The music video probably still would have been this though.

Flashback Friday: Crystal Kay - Eternal Memories | Young and grown

noreply@blogger.com (Random J) — Fri, 27 Feb 2026 23:59:00 +0000

Thursday February 26 was Crystal Kay’s 40th birthday. So this Friday, we’re gonna flashback to her debut single “Eternal Memories”, which was released in July 1991 — when Crystal was just 13 years old.

The Lambs continue to seek justice for Mariah Carey’s Glitter, as the album is removed from streaming

noreply@blogger.com (Random J) — Wed, 25 Feb 2026 01:00:00 +0000

It seems that the life of Mariah Carey’s Glitter will be one of perpetual mess and eternally seeking justice. Because nothing ever seems to end nor lay to rest with this album.

After a few quick ‘n’ short years of Mariah Carey’s 11th studio album appearing on streaming platforms, much to the delight of the Lambs — the album has now been yanked from all DSPs globally.

Toma Ikuta reprises a bunch of his acting roles in the music video for his debut single “Super Romance”

noreply@blogger.com (Random J) — Sun, 22 Feb 2026 06:00:00 +0000

Back in January, Japanese actor Toma Ikuta released his debut single “Super Romance”. And when I read that it was his debut single, I thought ‘That can’t be right’. Because I had just assumed that Toma was releasing music alongside his acting. But, nope. “Super Romance” is for real his debut single — which is a tie-in for the drama he stars in, Panda yori koi ga nigatena watachitachi.

Dis Cover: Angela Aki - Shadow Work

noreply@blogger.com (Random J) — Thu, 19 Feb 2026 03:00:00 +0000

Angela Aki has returned with her first studio album in 14 years — which is absolute insanity. Angela’s last studio album was Blue in 2012. Blue is an Angela Aki album I will always remember, because I associate it with the day I missed my flight to Japan — as the song “Aiueo” was the only song I listened to for the entire journey to the airport.

HENNYWAY.

Crystal Kay performs on the Korean variety show Change Street. (I swear, she’s performing everywhere but in Japan).

noreply@blogger.com (Random J) — Sat, 14 Feb 2026 02:20:00 +0000

Crystal Kay made an appearance on the Korea variety show Change Street, which is a variety show which brings together Korean and Japanese artists to compete in teams by performing songs. Think of it as a mini Kōhaku Uta Gassen, but instead of a red team and a white team, there’s a South Korean team and a Japanese team. A bit messy, but…okay. The performances are categorised as ‘busking’, but it’s more like luxury busking, if you can even call it that. Because these folk are performing in controlled environments with lights, top notch sound equipment and a live band — it’s a full performance production as it would be if it took place in a studio. It is absolutely not somebody with a bluetooth microphone, a karaoke machine and a jacket on the floor. Ain’t a damn thing about these performance busking. But, because they take place ‘outside’, I guess… [Shrugs]

HENNYWAY.

Hikaru Utada to feature on Charlie Puth’s fourth studio album, Whatever’s Clever!

noreply@blogger.com (Random J) — Wed, 11 Feb 2026 06:29:00 +0000

Charlie Puth revealed the tracklist for his third studio album Whatever’s Clever! and it boasts a bunch of features — Kenny G, Ravyn Lenae, Hikaru Utada, Coco Jones, Michael McDonald, Kenny Loggins and Jeff Goldblum. All of whom are really unexpected, but a bunch of whom also make sense. Based on the songs released from the album so far, Whatever’s Clever! is gonna be an ode to the sounds of the 80s. So, a song with a Kenny G sax solo? Check. A song with The Doobie Brothers’ member Michael McDonald? Check. And a song with Kenny Loggins — the writer, producer and singer of the song “Footloose”? Check. And Charlie Puth likes him a Black woman with a good voice. So, Coco Jones? Check. And then somehow there’s Hikaru Utada in the mix. A wild card alongside Ravyn Lenae.

Perfume Closet pimps the Perfume classic “Chocolate Disco” for its Valentine’s Day collection

noreply@blogger.com (Random J) — Tue, 10 Feb 2026 04:00:00 +0000

Perfume may be in cold sleep, but that doesn’t mean Perfume Closet is closing its doors. No bitch. Because Perfume Closet is pushing some new shit for Valentine’s Day — the Chocolate Disco collection.

Dis Cover: Janet Jackson - Control

noreply@blogger.com (Random J) — Tue, 10 Feb 2026 02:30:00 +0000

Control turned 40 last week on February 4th, so I really wanted to talk about its album cover. Because it’s quite the album cover. Janet Jackson is an artist with a couple of great album covers. But I think Control is one of her best. And I know this word I’m about to use gets thrown around a lot, but I do think it applies here — Control’s album cover is truly iconic. There have been riffs and homages paid to this over the years, by comic book illustrator Cliff Chiang and the problematic homosexual Todrick Hall — and as soon as you see them, you know the reference is Control. It’s THAT distinct of an album cover.

Janet Jackson - Control | A&M Records

🎨📷 Creative director & photographer: Tony Viramontes

The album cover for Control was shot and designed by illustrator and photographer Tony Viramontes. Born in the 50s and prominent in fashion publications throughout the 70s and 80s — Tony was well known. And the Control album cover was done in his signature style — a subject on a solid colour backdrop, drawn over with a marker. And he would use this style again for an album cover a year later for Donna Summer’s All Systems Go — although it was nowhere near as striking as Control.

The fusion of fashion and music was in the fullest of swings in the 80s. Many fashion photographers were called to shoot album covers. And there was an abundance of really cool, striking album covers which incorporated mixed media techniques. So as bold as Control looks in isolation, it probably didn’t stand out too much at the time of its release. But maybe it did. I’d really like to know if there was a huge reaction or response to the Control album cover and the shift in image for Janet.

Janet Jackson seeking out Tony Viramontes makes so much sense in the context of what Janet sought out to do with Control. She wanted to make a statement. To reintroduce herself. To shift the image of her last 2 albums, which were based on images everybody identified her with via her stint on the TV show, Diff'rent Strokes. And what better way to do that than to relinquish creative [turns and looks into the camera] control to a fashion photographer who had shot for Vogue, Tatler and I-D Magazine.

Janet’s first two albums featured covers which were very girly, coy, kinda whatever and said absolutely nothing about Janet herself. They felt like cheap attempts to cash in on her acting career, her acting career of which was Janet’s primary career and her focus at the time. The music and Janet’s image were not being taken seriously. But then there’s Control. Hyper feminine, but also masculine — something we’d see Janet play around with a lot for her next album Rhythm Nation 1814 and further down the line with The Velvet Rope. An album cover which actually made a statement and said something about Janet. She wasn’t that girl who acted any more. She was Janet the pop star.

Despite Janet being only 19 years old at the time, Janet doesn’t look it. She’s in a sharp Mugler suit. Looking like a grown woman who owns the majority share of a company and has a big ass office with a mirrored ceiling, a wall of windows and a mahogany desk which was shipped from Japan and was so big that they had to use a crane and put it into the office through the window. And I also think there’s something really cool about the album being titled Control, but Janet’s hair being kinda out of control — which is in stark contrast to her first two album covers, where Janet just had her natural hair slicked back and had a cute perm. And retrospectively it’s really interesting that Janet’s hair would be out, curly and a big focus on the album cover for The Velvet Rope — where Janet’s emotional state was all over the place, but she was trying to exercise control in compartmentalising them. At a time when silk presses and perms were all the rage for Black girls, Janet saying ‘FUCK IT’ and having her hair be big out and curly was such a power move.

And Janet’s name and the album title above and below that rectangular shape which looks kinda like an exclamation point?

Yes bitch. Zero notes for this album cover.