Random J Pop

Beyoncé. You done lost-yo-mind.mp3 with this B’Day 20th anniversary release

noreply@blogger.com (Random J) — Fri, 28 Aug 2026 06:00:00 +0000

Beyoncé is releasing a 20th anniversary edition of B’Day, which is really cool. But the package is a little bit of a weird mess. Which isn’t cool. But the original release of B’Day — for those who remember it well — was a bit of a weird mess. So I guess it’s fitting that its anniversary release would be too.

Hikaru Utada gets that train money, as their new song “Intentions” features in JR’s campaign for their new Shinkansen Supreme Class Cabins

noreply@blogger.com (Random J) — Fri, 28 Aug 2026 05:00:00 +0000

Hikaru Utada has a new song on the way. And because Teruzane don’t play when it comes to the tie-in cheques for his child — this new song features in JR Central’s new campaign for the Supreme Class Cabins of their Shinkansen (Bullet Trains).

Justice for Glitter has been served, as Mariah Carey celebrates its 25th anniversary with a vinyl release

noreply@blogger.com (Random J) — Fri, 28 Aug 2026 04:00:00 +0000

When Glitter mysteriously vanished from streaming back in February, the Lambs had suspected that a potential anniversary release of the album may have been the reason why. And…they were correct. I don’t think the anniversary release was the sole reason. But the lack of speed at getting the album back on streaming was probably because Mariah and her team knew the anniversary release was in the works. So, they may as well just make everybody wait. But now, it’s tiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiime.

Pull out the silk press units and red kimonos y’all. Crystal Kay has uploaded her North American tour performance of “Kirakuni”.

noreply@blogger.com (Random J) — Fri, 28 Aug 2026 03:00:00 +0000

Members of the LGBTCK+. Let us hold our copies of Call Me Miss… in the air and rejoice. For we’ve got another official performance video from Crystal Kay’s 2025 North American Tour, and it’s of the semi-recently emancipated classic “Kirakuni”.

Ariana Grande weightgate is such a fucked situation

noreply@blogger.com (Random J) — Fri, 28 Aug 2026 02:00:00 +0000

The Internet has been talking about Ariana Grande’s weight loss for a while, and she addressed it pretty wonderfully for the first time via TikTok 2023. Although this was at a point when I don’t think there was enough visible concern for enough people outside of Ariana’s fanbase to make a bigger deal of it. She also addressed it again 2 years later during the Wicked press tour in 2025 in an interview with Sally for Oui Oui Baguette. Everything Ariana said still very much stands. But it’s harder to argue against concerns about her appearance now, given how she looks in her music video for “Petal” and on her Eternal Sunshine tour. But this isn’t a post about how Ariana looks and a demand that she seeks help. It’s a post about the mess of trying to navigate trying to help somebody. And the ways in which this can spin out of control and become an absolute trainwreck with anybody, much less when that somebody is a public figure who is one of the most followed people on Instagram IN THE WORLD with over 360 million followers.

Dis Cover: Rachel Chinouriri - I Think I Spoke Too Soon

noreply@blogger.com (Random J) — Fri, 28 Aug 2026 01:00:00 +0000

Rachel Chinouriri will be releasing her second studio album, I think I Spoke Too Soon on 10th October and she’s already shared the album cover. So, let’s get into it and discover dis cover together.

Jon Batiste talks music with video game composer legend, Nobuo Uematsu

noreply@blogger.com (Random J) — Thu, 27 Aug 2026 19:00:00 +0000

So, Universal Japan just randomly decided to upload a series of videos of Jon Batiste and Nobuo Uematsu just sitting and talking music. [In Kevin Jz Prodigy voice ] THIS IS WHAT I WANNA SEE.

Shout-outs to the YouTube algorithm actually coming through with some good shit.

Kylie Minogue joins the MCU (Madonna Confessions Universe), with an appearance on Madonna’s “Love Sensation”

noreply@blogger.com (Random J) — Thu, 27 Aug 2026 18:00:00 +0000

Madonna and Kylie Minogue are on a song together. This is like Avengers: Endgame for the RGB (255, 255, 255) gays. Doomsday and Secret Wars could never.

Kyary Pamyu Pamyu releases a music video for “Kuru Kuru Harajuku”...a whole year after the song was first released

noreply@blogger.com (Random J) — Thu, 27 Aug 2026 17:00:00 +0000

So, Pussy Pam has released a music video for her single “Kuru Kuru Harajuku”, a whole year after the song originally released. Maybe she forgot that she did not put out a video for this song. Or maybe she finally had enough money to get one made. Either way, it’s pretty cool that she bothered.

Ariana Grande releases her music video for “Petal” and it’s a bloody mess

noreply@blogger.com (Random J) — Thu, 27 Aug 2026 16:00:00 +0000

Ariana Grande released her eighth studio album Petal, and with it we got a music video for the album title track and a WHOLE lotta controversy. When the video dropped in July it threw fuel on what was already a very heated conversation online. But that’s a whole other post.

For now, let’s get into the music video from a purely creative perspective.

Akina Nakamori makes an appearance on Music Station for the first time in 30 years

noreply@blogger.com (Random J) — Thu, 27 Aug 2026 15:00:00 +0000

Akina Nakamori has been making a bit of a comeback over the past couple of years. What started out as Akina doing a couple of small gigs here and there, has now turned into a tour, a new single release, an appearance in GQ magazine and a performance on Music Station. The latter being particularly significant, as it marked the first time Akina had appeared on the show in 30 years.

Victoria Monét serves up Herbs Ritts realness in her music video for “Reach Out”

noreply@blogger.com (Random J) — Thu, 27 Aug 2026 14:00:00 +0000

Victoria Monét has FINALLY released a new song with a new video.

The creative partnership of Victoria Monét, Dave Meyers, Sean Bankhead gave us the video for “Alright”, which was incredible and one of the best music videos of 2023. (I cannot believe that shit came out 3 years ago). And they are at it again with another incredible music video.

Hikaru Utada releases a second music video for “Pappa Paradise” featuring famed Japanese rocker, Hiroto Kōmoto

noreply@blogger.com (Random J) — Thu, 27 Aug 2026 13:00:00 +0000

Not me forgetting to post about the second “Pappa Paradise” video featuring Hiroto Kōmoto.

Madonna keeps it 98% cute in her tribute to Ray of Light producer, William Orbit

noreply@blogger.com (Random J) — Thu, 27 Aug 2026 12:00:00 +0000

Whilst Madonna was under no obligation to publicly post about William Orbit’s unfortunate passing, I did wonder if she would. (I mean… How could she not!?) And she did, via an Instagram post.

Let’s talk about the Grammys, their new ‘Oriental music’ category and other segregated categories for the ‘ethnics’.

noreply@blogger.com (Random J) — Thu, 27 Aug 2026 11:00:00 +0000

Y’all saw the headline. And, oooof. This is an absolute mess.

Flashback Friday: Perfume - Voice | The fushizen na girls are fighting

noreply@blogger.com (Random J) — Fri, 14 Aug 2026 22:59:00 +0000

11th August, 2026 marked the 16th anniversary of Perfume’s single “Voice”. So we gon’ run it back for this installment of Flashback Friday. Also, with all things on the Perfume front being silent with the group on hiatus, I’m down for any ol’ reason to talk about some Perfume shit.

Flashback Friday: All Saints - Black Coffee | Why it gotta be black!?

noreply@blogger.com (Random J) — Fri, 07 Aug 2026 22:59:00 +0000

In light of William Orbit’s recent passing, this Friday we’re going to flashback to one of my favourite William Orbit productions — All Saints’ 2000 single “Black Coffee”, which has not left my playlist for the past 20 years. This is a song I always play when I’m having a late night sad bitch moments and I want something that’s moody that’s still a bop.

British producer William Orbit has passed away

noreply@blogger.com (Random J) — Fri, 07 Aug 2026 22:00:00 +0000

On Thursday evening news circulated on Twitter that William Orbit had died. Then people said that it wasn’t true and was part of some weird hoax, resulting in those who had tweeted that he had died, deleting their tweets. But today it was announced on William Orbit’s official Instagram page via his family that he has indeed passed away.

Random J Pop monthly: July 2026

noreply@blogger.com (Random J) — Fri, 31 Jul 2026 22:59:00 +0000

💿 Single Reviews

🎤 Performances

📺 Music Video

Kyary Pamyu Pamyu is back on her bonkers bullshit for her music video for “Focus Focus”

📼 Flashback Friday

🗄️ Other

f5ve cover Perfume’s “Electro World” and the spirit of Nocchi’s bob makes a brief appearance

Crystal Kay is doing dem Billboard Live gigs again for 2026

noreply@blogger.com (Random J) — Thu, 30 Jul 2026 01:30:00 +0000

It’s almost that time of year ya’ll. Don’t let the Summer and the heatwaves fool you. Christmas is around the corner bitch. I can’t believe it’s Jugustember already.

T.M.Revolution reaches into the back of his closet and pulls out his freakum dress for a performance of “Hot Limit” on The First Take

noreply@blogger.com (Random J) — Thu, 30 Jul 2026 01:00:00 +0000

So, T.M.Revolution pulled up to The First Take to perform his 1998 number 1 hit single “Hot Limit” wearing an updated version of his iconic “Hot Limit” freakum dress. Because sometimes you’ve just gotta let everybody know that your body is still snatched and that middle age ain’t gonna stop you from serving pussy desu.

Crystal Kay shares her CK25 North American Tour performance of (yep, you guessed it) “Koi ni Ochitara”

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

I did wonder if we would get full professionally shot performances from Crystal Kay’s CK25 North American tour. And BING. Now we have one. And of course it is “Koi ni Ochitara”. [Smiles and sighs]

Kyary Pamyu Pamyu is back on her bonkers bullshit for her music video for “Focus Focus”

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

Can you believe that “Focus Focus” is the first music video that Pussy Pam has released in 3 years despite releases several singles during this time? Nope. Me neither. Prior to this, her last video was for “Isshin Doutai” in 2022 — which feels like it was WAY longer than 3 years ago. In this time Pussy Pam became Mrs. Pamyu and gave birth to Poko Pampers. Damn. Time really be flying.

Flashback Friday: Crystal Kay - Dream World | The latin pop coffee song that shoulda been a smash

noreply@blogger.com (Random J) — Fri, 24 Jul 2026 22:59:00 +0000

This week marked the 19th anniversary of Crystal Kay’s seventh studio album All Yours. So let’s throwback to a music video for a song from that album. A song which really should’ve been a single — “Dream World”.

Despite being a tie-in song for Tully’s Coffee which featured in a commercial starring Crystal herself AND getting itself a music video — “Dream World” was never released as a commercial single.

Girl. You should’ve fired the management and marketing team.

“Dream World” would have made for a great Summer single, so it’s a shame that it didn’t get the chance to be, and that it got tied to coffee with a TV commercial was so cozy and wintery.

“Dream World” cashed in on the popularity of latin pop, which had become HUGE in America. And by 2007, latin pop wasn’t just a lasting trend, it was a fixture in popular music. 2007 was the year that Jennifer Lopez had released her first spanish album Mi Gente Latino Como Ama una Mujer and Beyoncé released the Shakira assisted “Beautiful Liar”. But Japan has always had a bit of a thing for latin sounds, stretching as far back as the 70s. It was a sound which regularly popped up in city pop. Junko Ohashi’s “Spanish Wind” comes to mind. And if you’re a fan of J-pop of the Heisei era, you could probably name a song that your fave did which had a latin sound to it. Hikaru Utada’s “Can You Keep a Secret?”. Koda Kumi’s “Shake It Up”. So “Dream World” never felt derivative or like it was an obvious chasing of a trend. It was just a really good song, which also showed another side to Crystal’s sound.

Crystal Kay - Dream World | Sony Music Entertainment

As a single, “Dream World” would have done a great job of showing that Crystal is more than just “Koi ni Ochitara”, the sound of which became a go to for longer than it should have. As much as I adore “Konna ni Chikaku de…”, that song really was pulling on the same thread as “Koi ni Ochitara” sonically — it just had more of a bounce to it. I also feel that “Dream World” had the potential to be a huge hit and go on to be a song that would get covered to hell and back. It just has a sound and an appeal that so easily could have attracted all types of artists to want to cover it over the years.

Sure, “Dream World” isn’t straight R&B and it may not have been the direction Crystal had wanted to go with a single. But it had so much potential to broaden her audience at a time she had their attention. And even R&B in America was dipping into Latin pop sounds. Mariah Carey’s “My All”, which she also recorded in Spanish. Usher’s “How Do I Say”. Toni Braxton’s “Spanish Guitar”. Jennifer Lopez’s “If You Had My Love”. Beyoncé recording “Irreplaceable” in Spanish. And this was something which really took off after the success of Santana’s Wyclef Jean produced smash hit “Maria Maria” in 1999. And I don’t think pushing Crystal as a straight R&B artist was what Sony wanted anyway, despite All Yours being a R&B album.

Sony really didn’t know what they were doing back then.

And BIG shout-outs to the YouTube channel Crystal Kay HD Collections. Because were it not for this channel, barely any of Crystal’s music videos would be available on YouTube. It’s absolutely insane to me that Crystal’s official YouTube channel STILL does not have all of her music videos.

Girl. Fire the whole management and marketing team.

Fujii Kaze churches up the Music Awards Japan 2026 with a performance of “Prema”

noreply@blogger.com (Random J) — Sat, 18 Jul 2026 01:30:00 +0000

Fujii Kaze made an appearance at the Music Awards Japan, again. Where he won a bunch of awards, again. And he also performed, again.