East Asian pop update Nov 2017 - Feb 2018

It haven't been sustainable for a long while to do individual reviews for a long time now, but I still want to share some of the stuff I find good so here's a general update of what has passed the last few months, the best or the funniest.

Kpop:

General:

• Momoland - BBoom BBoom (뿜뿜). Maybe THE kpop hit of 2018, and the definite break through for the girls. For sure a viral hit with its dance moves and refrain, but with an catchiness that lasts.

• BoA - One Shot, Two Shot The best of the newest releases
• BoA - Nega Dola  Another great track by the queen of kpop

• OLNL (오르내림) - Kokiriko (코끼리코). He has a distinct style that is very and unexpectedly likable

• Gugudan - The Boots  After the decidedly weird (but great!) Chococo comes this more classic take on kpop.

Trot, ie old style korean music:

• Hong Jinyoung (홍진영) - Good Bye (잘가라). Miss Hong is back with another great video.
• Yoyomi (요요미) - Who's that guy (이 오빠 뭐야). A debutante. 

Jpop:

• BoA - Jazzclub  AND she releases great videos in Japan at the same time!
• Wednesday Campanella - Gala. Why the japanese make THE BEST commercials...

• Oresama - Meteor Shower (流星ダンスフロア)

• Sakanaction - Midnight Daydream. This is a cooperation with two fashion magazines to showcase a collection. It is in truth like a musical sweet daydream perfectly suitable to the sound of Sakanaction.

Chinese:

• Cosmos People - Bon Bon Bon Bon. After Hello Princess, another super likable song in a very Taiwanese pop style.

• Namewee ft. Meu Ninomiya - Tokyo Bon 2020 / Makudonarudo The Malaysian comic/musician is back with another catchy song.
• Dragon Pig - All About You  This kind of laid back (and non-cringy) R&B is actually rather unusual in the Mandarin music sphere.

Jpop: Sakanaction - Maybe, Wind (多分、風)

How it is possible, I don't know, but I managed to miss out on this early winter single from Sakanaction, the Japanese synth band that has over the years given me the most musical enjoyment (forgive me, Perfume, but that's the truth). Their bittersweet but still soft sound is healing for the soul, and this song is no exception. And, oh, the video is just so great too!

• Sakanaction - Maybe, Wind (多分、風)

Jpop: Top 20 of 2015

Another great year for jpop and as usual it is hard to choose only 20 of them but here goes:

The five videos just outside the top 20 was:

25. Meiri Alaha - Crave. New and interesting debutante.
24. Dotama - Music Valyrie 2. A very personal style of rap.
23. Ringo Shiina - God, nor Buddha. The visuals oh the visuals.
22. Momoiro Clover Z vs. KISS - Yume no Ukiyo ni Saite Mina. KISS *and* nerdy jpop!!
21. 5572320 - Ponpara Pekoruna Papiyotta. If you ever loved Bohemian Rhapsody by Queen, you have to see this!

For the final 20 I have chosen:

20. 0.8Syooogeki - Words of rainbow color. Punk and jpop, attitude and passion.

19. Towa Tei - Luv Pandemic. Again the man produces a electronic pop song that exists in its own unique universe.

18. Sloth - Bi Bi Bi. Not high culture this, but the rap and the hands-on party feeling makes an excellent contrast to much else in jpop.

17. Perfume - Pick Me Up. Ironically, after seeing them live last year, my appreciation for their more static videos has lessened.

16. Charisma.com - Kongara girl. The duo with the impressive attitude delivers maybe their most rhythmic offer so far with this.

15. Mizuki Nana - Super☆man. No more dark and gothic here, and I love this 180 degrees turn-around!

14. Suiyoubi no Campanella - Ra, Medusa, Ono Imako, Diablo, Napoleon, ... this group is hard to place in a list as on the one hand they *are* a bit special and an aquired taste, on the other hand I couldn't make a list of jpop this year without including them as a prime example of what the japanese sound is about.

13. Root Five - Love Ninja. I just love the charm of these guys, somehow they turn the whole kawaii concept around and create a male version of it that really works!

12. Tokyo Karan Koron - Spice. Their best song, with a musical sweetness perfected by adding real feelings and empathy to the mix.

11. Especia - Aviator & Boogie Aroma. Explicit 80s retro done right.

10. Tofubeats - Stakeholder. Tofubeats has strong sound going for him, but often it is just a bit too intelligent and a little to hard to access for me. But not here, Stakeholder was his best song this year.

9. Asako Toki - C’est La Vie ~Onna wa Ai ni Isogashii~. Soft and soulful, her song embraces and relaxes you.

8. Daichi Miura - Unlock. He has a full sound that is very much international and his performance as an artist adds to that impression.

7. Frederic - Owarase Night. Their sound flows like a summers day through my mind; light and flowing without uninteresting partsbut without being stressed.

6. Rebecca ft Charisma.com - Friends. A perfect example on how to make a good cover - update it to the present (make a dance song out of a rock song) and add some personal new elements (like the rap). Viola!

5. Asakura Saya - River Boat Song, and more. Her songs are the most personal and charming I know from jpop, and she is a hopeful beacon for the future of enka styled music too.

4. Osaka Syunkasyuto - Furo the King. I dare you to be able to not have to join the chorus for this fantastic Rainbow cover!

3. BoA - Kiss My Lips (and Lookbook). I don't know any other asian pop artist that has the same presense and pondus in her artistry as BoA has. In the end her songs may lack depth, but the return to greatness in Kiss My Lips was still pure perfection.

2. Gesu no Kiwami Otome - Romance is too much for me. I just can't get enough of the lyrics for this one, with the music perfectly set to heighten the mood.

1. Sakanaction - New Treasure Island. They was my number two favorite last year and again they deliver their trade mark sound that is a combination of singer Ichiro's voice and airy and light sound that somehow conveys both happiness and melancholy at the same time.

Jpop: Top 10 of the 3rd quarter of 2015

Not so many songs this quarter that I wrote about, but those that there were is very much worth the time.

10. Ladybaby - Nippon Manju. This was bound to happen sooner or later, a cross-dressing western man with ambitions to do growl jpop. Absolutely tasteful and low key. ;-)

9. Dempagumi.inc - various songs. So much to choose from, so much to enjoy of this colorful, nerdy over-energetic but warm jpop.

8. Dotama - Music Valkyrie 2. The rapper that makes me feel he really loves his language, every word of it.

7. Especia - Aviator. More tasteful 80s retro (yes you can use those words in the same sentence).

6. Towa Tei - Luv Pandemic. The rhythms, the sounds. Towa Tei in his element.

5. Meiri Alaha - Crave. A new star that seems very promising.

4. Ringo Shiina - God, nor Buddha. Hans down the most beautiful Japanese video this year with a track that is slightly to avantgarde for me.

3. Gesu no Kiwami Otome - Romance is too much for me. The song text is just perfectly matched to the melody, laid back bittersweet.

2. Sakanaction - Slow Motion. From their re-release album comes a lot of nice videos, this being my favorite,

1. Sakanaction - New Treasure Island. But it was this new song that actually ranks the highest this autumn. The clearity of sound, the rhythms. the song.

Jpop: Sakanaction - New Treasure Island (新宝島)

Long time favorite from Japanese Hokkaido, Sakanaction, is re-releasing and remixing lots of stuff right now it seems, which is nice for old and new fans, but "New Treasure Island" is a completely new song made for the upcoming live-adaption of the manga Bakuman. A nicely tuned creation with a both sober and lively video. Love the guitars and the song and the whole composition.

• Sakanaction - New Treasure Island (新宝島)