Kpop: Gavy NJ - Shubirubirub (슈비루비룹)

It has been a while since I last wrote about Gavy NJ, as they have been trawling along with songs that didn't do it for me. With the new single with the onomatopoeic name "Shubirubirub", it is a slight turn for the cutesy for the trio in their latest song, but the refrain is really just right so it is a thumbs up for me.

• Gavy NJ - Shubirubirub (슈비루비룹)

Kpop: CocoSori - Exquisite! (절묘해)

With their weird theme and special design latex clothes, the debut "Dark Circles" of CocoSori was very much worth noticing. The 2nd single "Exquisite!" keeps the colors and the clothes, switching theme to a correspondingly colorful American 40s look, but the song steps up the tempo significantly and adds odd almost metal-esque interludes now and then. It leaves me feeling the song is slightly schizophrenic but the video is still a "should see". Getting high on candy and fighting a cat boss with laser beam eyes is not to be denied...

• CocoSori - Exquisite! (절묘해)
• CocoSori - Exquisite! (Dance version)

Jpop/metal: Babymetal - The One

Last year's success story in the metal world, Babymetal, returned this week with their new single "Karate" which ticked all the expected boxes with a nice fantasy setting and their usual energy. With the next video "The One" they instead goes for live footage and a more emotional ballad, and this time lead singer Suzuka sings quite much in english. This feels like a perfect fan video and I'm quite sorry I can't be at the concert this saturday in London.

• Babymetal - The One

Jpop: Ladybaby - Renge Chance! (蓮華チャンス！)

No, this is not a bad taste copy of Babymetal. Well. The three members of Ladybaby may be riding on the waves that the idol metal girls of Babymetal has created, but Ladybeard has its own distinctive style that is one part beard, one part scream metal and one part kawaii Japan. This time around they have released two videos for each of the songs from the new single! The first song "Renge Chance!" is an ode to Ramen noodles (You can see the producer from many Dempagumi.Inc videos have been a part of the creation), and the second "C'est si bon Kibun" has been inspired and produced by clothes designer Higashi Kanae.

• Ladybaby - Renge Chance! (蓮華チャンス！)
• Ladybaby - C'est si bon Kibun (セシボン・キブン)