Jpop: Mito Natsume (三戸なつめ)

Anyone familiar with Perfume, when listening to Mito Natsume one can hear some similarities, because they share the same producer, the famous Nakata Yasutaka. Natsume has her own almost anti-glamorous style which isn't totally about doing crazy stuff either, rather it is about being a rather "normal" but goofy girl, which is very refreshing.

• Mito Natsume - 8 Bit Boy (8ビットボーイ)
• Mito Natsume - I cut my bangs to short (前髪切りすぎた - 白菜篇-)
• Mito Natsume - I cut my bangs to short (前髪切りすぎた - 容疑者篇-)
• Mito Natsume - I cut my bangs to short (前髪切りすぎた - たわし篇-)
• Mito Natsume - I'll do my best 

Jpop: Perfume - Flash

On the 6th of April, jpop synthpop stars Perfume will release their new album "Cosmic Explorer", and as a first single we have already got to hear "Flash" one month ago as part of a trailer for the movie "Chihayafuru" which premiered last week in Japan. That was a movie about a Japanese card game based on first guessing the end of poems being read up, think of it like a version of Jeopardy without the money part.
The new short video released this week instead lets us finally see the three girls themselves with anew martial art styled choregraphy. The music is slightly above average, the hallmark electronic sound well in place.

•  Perfume - Flash (Short)
•  Perfume - Flash (Full audio, Chihayafuru trailer)

Jpop: Top 10 of the 2nd quarter of 2015

This post is also well overdue, as I was gone for four weeks in China in June-July, but here it is. As usual a top list from Japan has its share of odd and stylish music videos.

10. Urbangarde - Coin Locker Babies. The stylish people of Urbangarde delivers not another masterpiece, but still a very enjoyable music video.

9. Polysics - Dr Pepper!!!!! ANother odd number and slightly crazy song from Polysics.

8. Suiyoubi no Campanella - Diablo. To be honest, the song belongs to the rather common "fascinating but slightly irritating" type in SnC's production, but the video is just so full of japanese culture references that one has to see this.

7. Momoiro Clover Z - Z no Chikai. Another super fun fantasy video from the girls of MCZ.

6. Charisma.com - Otsubone Rock. This is very typical Charisma.com even though one may detect a certain feeling of them becoming more "established" somehow.

5. Charisma.com - Kongara Girl. This was actually a song made for a commercial, which may feel odd for a group like Charsima.com, but it is just the way jpop works.

4. Suiyoubi no Campanella - Napoleon. I liked the rhythm of this video combining with the night life scenery from Tokyo.

3. Saku - Fight Like A Girl. This felt very much like grunge meets jpop - in a good way.

2. Perfume - Pick Me Up. The trio always has a soft spot in my mind after seeing them live last year, but Pick Me Up is also a good permutation on the familiar Perfume sound.

1. BoA - Kiss My Lips. The reigning champion of mature female asian pop returned with style! A pitch perfect song that is just so very BoA.

Jpop: Perfume - Pick Me Up

Perfume's new single is here, and "Pick Me Up" is a great single that I just know will be  a great live song, they will rock this song! The video and lyrics is most probably a tie in to some kind of clothing brand/chain but it doesn't matter as it's a beautiful fantasy for us Perfume fans. I can't wait to see them live again!

• Perfume - Pick Me Up

Jpop: Capsule - Another World

As the songwriter of duo Capsule, Nakata Yasutaka, is also the main producer of Perfume, I have a weak spot for his own project. The new album "Wave Runner" they release the song "Another World" where we get drone fighting as the main theme. I can't see any big hit potential in it to be honest, but the video is interesting enough.

• Capsule - Another World