Jpop: Top 20 of the first quarter of 2015

For the first time since I started making lists of eastern asian music, I have more music videos that I want to share from Japan than Korea, but that isn't really that surprising. In the long run Japan has a bigger variation and depth than Korea has shown so far. It is not really a negative critque of anything, just a natural effect of me being exposed to so much nice music from Korea that I have come to crave a little more variation and oddness. And is it something Japan has, it is that. ;-)

20. Ringo Shiina - Ketteiteki Sanpunkan. Arguably the coolest woman in jpop music industry has a given place on my top lists. This is actually a live video too.

19. Cupitron - Battery. Using electric light dresses and using the Robot restuarant in Tokyo as a backdrop is enough for being worth noticing, I think. ;-)

18. Molice - Rainbow. Music that makes you wanna jump! Yep, indeed.

17. Kyary Pamyu Pamyu - Mondai Girl. The emo girl look is quite new for the queen of japanese kitsch, and the video is really great. Kyary has the problem of being expected to excel every time, but Mondai Girl is just perfect her.

16. Suiyoubi no Campanella - Jeanne d'Arc. SnC continues to give us charming and odd pieces of soft rap and electronic cozyness.

15. One Ok Rock - Cry Out. I loved Mighty Long Fall. Cry Out is not on the same level for sure, but it is still better and more "International" than most jrock I hear.

14. Wagakki Band - Ikusa. The historical cos-players of WB gives a new song on the theme of war.

13. Frederic - Oddloop. Airy sounds makes this indie music very likable.

12. LiSA - Shirushi. Having seen Sword Art Online II, I confess to being extra weak for this song...

11. Nogizaka46 - Life is Beautiful. Some darkness almost always makes idol jpop more interesting, and so it is for the self proclaimed rivals of AKB48.

10. Kira - Nadeshiko Soul. Reggea meets Japanese pop? It actually works quite well.

9. Daichi Miura - Unlock. The man really got style and character, and a voice that suits his dance moves well.

8. Especia - We are Especia ~Nakinagara Dancing~. The best idol retro act from Japan that I know of.

7. Berryz Kodo - Love together. A nostalgic piece from the group that is supposingly disbanding now.

6. Hanae - S-T-A-R-S. I loved the Kamisama Kiss songs but the new S-T-A-R-S is fine too.

5. Root Five - Love Ninja. The super charming boys does a uptempo hit song that makes me smile every time I hear it.

4. Momoiro Clover Z vs. KISS - Yume no Ukiyo ni Saite Mina. This wholly unexpected cooperation somehow was the final sign after Babymetalsthat jpop and metal can make a beautiful combination

3. Predia - Beautiful Lonely People. I can't for the life of me understand why the Japanese idol industry has such a fixation on extreme youth. Predia is an excellent example of why this should be amended (and then we are still talking women younger than 30 with a margin...)

2. Asakura Saya. The very charming young lady has made her fame based on singing in the local Yamagata dialect, and she does it with a inner nerve given to few.

1. Tofubeats - Stakeholder. Finally we got a new song from tofubeats that manages to balance style and hit potential. Love it.

Kpop: Top 10 of the last quarter of 2014

VIXX managed deliver a second great song this quarter, quite impressive.

First, some honorable mentions:
16. Dia - Paradise
15. T-ara ft Chopstock Brothers - Little Apple
14. Love x Stereo - Storm
13. Hitchhiker - 11
12. Hellovenus - Sticky Sticky
11. Topp Dogg - Annie

And the final top 10 is:

10. High4 - Headache. I just loved the sounds in this song, and the boys are really charming in the video, too. ;-)

9. Badkiz - Babomba. I actually like this video quite much, but listening to it on audio only can become a bit too much.

8. WIMP - Somewhere far. A fun song from this electrinc duo.

7. Wym - Trying. A soft and light electronic gem.

6. Super Junior - This is love. A classic kind of sound, and just what SJ needed.

5. Boyfriend - Witch. The vampire theme with a the boys being hunted (down) is great fun and suits the song.

4. IU & Seo Taiji - Sogyeokdon. I'm actually not a big fan of the no 1 kpop darling IU, but this song really suits her.

3. Laboum - What about you? On the surface is this a really mainstream and standard kpop song, but the fun sound in the start and the perfect sweet sound makes this second song from rookies Laboum one this years surprises.

2. Pungdeng-E - Cabbage Bossam. This is my kind of humor and with a really catchy melody, a sure hit in my world.

1. Vixx - Error. The second great song from VIXX this year, the name is quite the opposite of what it is - a perfectly pitched kpop drama.

Jpop: Top ten of the 4th quarter of 2014

A little more rock and indie music than usual these last three months of 2014, and maybe because of that, all the more interesting.

10. Who the bitch - Tokio. I liked the sound of this rock/pop track.

9. Crossfaith - Madness. The popular heavy metal band didn't create a new hit with Madness, but is still interesting.

8. Czecho No Republic - Oh Yeah!!!!!!!. Somehow a very likable trio that makes me happy.

7. Oresama - Ookami Heart. Very pleasing video and a retro sound to match.

6. Sakanaction - Lotus flower. The weaker of the two new releases (due to a getting a bit repetitive) from Sakanaction is still a great song.

5. World Order - Information Empire. Love their dance performance antics as usual.

4. Sakay Yu - Headphone Girl. A refrain that sticks, and Sakai really managed to follow up on his Summer Again.

3. D-Lite - Naruba Gwisun. Daesun from kpop stars Big Bang makes a really, really remake of one of his catchy trot songs for the japanese market.

2. One Ok Rock - Mighty Long Fall. This is one of those few japanese songs that actually could be played outside Japan without it being extraordinary, as the song is in english and the sound is international rock.

1. Sakanaction - Sayonara wa Emotion. Sober and still gentle, melancolic and yet hopeful, this song is the epitome and essence of what Sakanaction is.

Chinese pop: Top 10 of the third quarter of 2014

Summing up the best Chinese pop (Mandarin & Cantonese) of July, August and September, I first want to mention the five just outside the top:

15. Alex To - Shake
14. Popu Lady - More
13. Jeannie Hsieh - To Be Mature
12. Elva Hsaio - Romance Strikes
11. Amber An - Welcome to the party!

The final 10 are then:

10. Chopstick Brothers - Xiao Pingo. In some sense this one should be at the top as it is THE viral hit of this year in the Chinese-speaking communities. One couldn't watch a TV-show this summer without seeing the dance of "Little Apple" being done at some point...

9. Han Geng - Wild Cursive. Basically a cool ex-Super Junior dude doing cool war cosplay video.

8. A Mei - Faces of Paranoia and March. Beautiful singing and interesting video (with "Faces...").

7. Show Luo - Fantasy. I have been lazy about Mr Luo but with his double co-op with Ga-In from Korea, I had to write about him in this fascinating video about working in the office. Which is lika a jungle. A sexy jungle.

6. Keeva Mak - Terminally Ill. Somber video which matches the song's theme well.

5. Huangqi Wen - Rain & Happiness. Two quite different sounds but both videos complements each other quite well and makes Ms Wen someone to look out for in the future.

4. Kerin - Good As You. Cheap video from an unnoticable artist, but that doesn't matter as the music is a perfectly good dance track.

3. Jane Zhang - Bazaar. If Show Luo's video is like a sexy fashion shoot, Jane Zhang's Bazaar is a less explicit image of fasionability, but more interesting as her singing tops Luo's.

2. Alan - Mo Lan. Eerily beutiful "ethnic" singing combined with quite the unexpectedly bizarre video that I wouldn't let my younger children watch makes this a must see (and listen).

1. Li Yuchun (Chris Lee) - In 1987, I didn't know I would meet you. Ah, the electronica of this video is just so delicious, and this new direction of Li Yuchun is just perfect.