Jpop: Miyavi (石原 貴雅 / Ishihara Takamasa)

Miyavi's background as a Visual Kei artist evolved in a spectacular way with Horizon and Secret as the "latin-american" sexiness of the videos combiend with his intense guitar skills created a meld quite unusual for japanese music. Some of the female singers like Koda Kumi has done similar stuff, but the instrumental skills brings another dimension to it. It reminds me of the way Red Hot Chili Peppers communicated their music. With the new Guard You it is a more silent sensuality but still he has got that quality prescence that makes the music extra interesting.

• Miyavi - Horizon
• Miyavi - Secret (probably Not Safe For Work)
• Miyavi - Real?
• Miyavi - Guard You
• Miyavi vs Yuksek - Day 1

Jpop: Koda Kumi (神田 來未子)

Koda Kumi(ko) is Japans own R&B star, and she has ex kind of grown-up sexuality that not many jpop stars can pull off, and she has even given name to a kind of anti-kawaii style called Ero-kawaii. Then one could argue that normal jpop plays on (young) female sexuality anyways, but seldom this openly and empowered. The music then, is a mixed bag (at least for me). Some of it is nice, some is just bland run-of.the-mill pop.

• Koda Kumi - Juicy
• Koda Kumi - Selfish
• Koda Kumi - Lick Me
• Koda Kumi - No Regret
• Koda Kumi - Real Emotion (Yes, it was played in Final Fantasy 12)
• Koda Kumi - Taboo
• Koda Kumi - No Man's Land
• Koda Kumi - It's all love
• Koda Kumi - Take back
• Koda Kumi - Shake it
• Koda Kumi - Candy
• Koda Kumi - DDD
• Koda Kumi - You
• Koda Kumi - Lollipop
• Koda Kumi - Get up and move
• and many more...