Jpop: Morning Musume - Confront With Bare Nakedness (ムキダシで向き合って)

The jpop idol group Morning Musume has in their newest single "Confront With Bare Nakedness" one of their best songs so far, both in regards to composition, drama and lyrics. It's very much a conventional idol song, but inside those (arguably) narrow limits it does really well, and the girls delivers the song with passion.

• Morning Musume - Confront With Bare Nakedness (ムキダシで向き合って)

Mandopop: Xue Zhiqian(薛之谦)

After his popular participation of Chinese Idol-esque competition "My show" back in 2006, Xue Zhiqian has had some success as both artist and actor, but this is his first showing as an music artist the last few years. I love the electronic sounds and the suggestive drama, and there is surprising amount of almost gory detaail but the video reminds me of Show Lou's "Fantasy".

• Xue Zhiqian - Beginner (初学者)

Japan: Yuko Oshima meets the Kano Sisters

It is hard to miss that my blog takes it name from japanese Yuko Oshima, the extremely charming and popular ex-AKB48 member that for represents much of my ideal personality would be. Everyone who follows japanese pop and their idol groups can't miss out on how chaste the girls are supposed to be. Even a suggestion of one of them having a boy-friend may merit exclusion from all activities. It may then come as a surprise when we get to see her not only visit but do ... things ... that we almost wouldn't see on sexually liberated swedish television. The Kano Sisters are known for their big 'charms', but actually their fan base is as much women as men. Please read this very nuanced article before you judge them. The short clip is also an excellent peek into the kind of anti-stylish and very folksy TV shows that are so popular in Japan. Yuko Oshima shows what a big heart she has, expanding the narrow idol role to something more and meaningful, something about human equality and even love.

• Yuko Oshima meets the Kana Sisters

Jpop: SKE48

If you have already written about the Japanese mega-group AKB48, and then continue to touch upon jpop idol groups, soner or later you will run out of excuses for not writing about their sister group SKE48. They are *another* girl group consisting of 48 girls, but with the simple difference that they are based in Nagoya. Being created after AKB48, they of course will have their fans and opponents, but they basically do the same kind of music. You like AKB48, you should like SKE48 and vice versa.
Their new single is the ending theme for a super-(too)-cute anime but the video instead takes place in a futuristic setting that obviously takes some inspiration from movies like Blade Runner. But why did they have to match a video like this with the song name "Chicken LINE"?!... :-P

• SKE48 - Chicken LINE
• SKE48 - Beautiful Lightning (美しい稲妻, full version here)
• SKE48 - Unrequited Love Finally (片想いFinally)
• SKE48 - 1! 2! 3! 4! I'm Counting on You! (1!2!3!4! ヨロシク!)
• SKE48 - Even Kiss is Left-Handed (キスだって左利き)
• SKE48 - Clumsy Sun (不器用太陽) 
• SKE48 - 12 December Kangaroo (12月のカンガルー)
• SKE48 - Slave to Chocolate (チョコの奴隷)

Jpop: Dempagumi.inc - STAR☆TT Shichauze Harudashi ne

I have a really hard time decoding the meaning of the Japanese title of the new song from Dempagumi.inc, my best guest being "It's time for this darn spring to start!", but anyway, the video itself is a whopping 8:52 long but then the last four minutes is basically ending credits made fun by the girls. If you know them since before, this video delivers more of their nerdy, happy high-speed idol pop, and if you haven't; if you feel the least thirst for more they have a heap of even more nerdy songs and videos since before. Enjoy!

• Dempagumi.inc - STAR☆TT Shichauze Harudashi ne (STAR☆ットしちゃうぜ春だしね)