Mangolian pop: Bayartsengel

Bayartsengel from Mongolia found a missing niche in music - yodeling to electropop! He does sing songs without this magic combination, but this special combination is just magic.

• Bayartsengel ft Anu - Holly Dolly
• Bayartsengel - Durlal gedeg
• Bayartsengel - Busgui mine chi ineemsegle (NSFW? There are some risqué mags passing by in the start)

Jpop: Ringo Shiina - Blink of Youth (青春の瞬き)

Ringo Shiina does a passionate version of "Blink of Youth", thereby reinventing herself (again). The video is quite beautiful and it makes me like this song even though I usually doesn't like the more slow-paced songs.

• Ring Shiina - Blink of Youth (青春の瞬き)

Jpop: Misoshiru - It's dark at the base of the tower

The song by Misoshiru ("Miso Soup") is called "Tou Dai Moto Kurasi "which literally means "It's dark at the base of the tower" and corresponds to the english proverb "Can't see the forest for the trees". You can guess yourself how the theme from the video is then put together from that. It is out there with fever fantasies and drug trips anyway.

• Miso Shiru - Toudaimotokurasi (It's dark at the base of the tower)

Jpop: TVXQ - Android

TVXQ, called Tohoshinki in Japan, and this single from 2012 was a release for the Japanese market and is off therefore sung in Japanese. It was a big success and sold gold quite quickly, and I like it too with a video which showcases them well with a dance choreography well adjusted to the robot theme.

• Tohoshinki - Android

Jpop: Happiness

With "Juicy Love" I think Happiness has finally taken the step from wannabe's to a group in their own right as the music finally has that quality that makes it stand out a little more. Yes, Happiness is still very much about dance moves and eye candy, but they move to a song that is actually catchy and listenable on its own.

• Happiness - Juicy Love
• Happiness - Sunshine Dream
• Happiness - Wish
• Happiness - Friends
• Happiness - Kiss Me

Jpop: exist†trace

An all-female Visual Kei band from Japan, Exist Trace have been going "soft" the last few years which may make some fans mad, but its just part of a natural evolution for a musician and in ET:s case it is also a question of wanting to experiment. As they have been going on since 2003 it's just healty to change. I like the new "Great Spiral Battle/Spiral Daisakusen" and its balance of melodic and a little punkpop feeling.

• exist†trace - Spiral Daisakusen (スパイラル大作戦)
• exist†trace - Dream Rider (イグズィストトレイス)
• exist†trace - True
• exist†trace - Diamond
• exist†trace - Resonance
• exist†trace - Ginger

Mandopop: Khalil Fong (方大同)

Khalil Fong's latest album is really something else, from it's highly stylish and cool "Dangerous World" who is up there with the best kpop or american videos in production values and smoothness, to his charm and talented singing in "Little Fong". In comparison to what he has done before, I think his voice is at its best in these more uptempo songs. This is star quality of a special kind. Listen to Lights Up where he sings in english and it's obvious his voice spans several languages.

• Khalil Fong - Dangerous World (危險世界)
• Khalil Fong - Black White & Grey
• Khalil Fong - Little Fong (小方)
• Khalil Fong - Very Not Low Key (HBDD/很不低調)
• Khalil Fong ft Diana Wang - All Night
• Khalil Fong ft Zion T & Crush - Flavor (味道)
• Khalil Fong - Monkey King (悟空)
• Khalil Fong feat Miss Ko - No Love (愛不來)
• Khalil Fong - BB88
• Khalil Fong - Lights Up (english, audio only)