The Geek Within

Posts Tagged ‘jpop’

SO ADORABLE!

I watched the 2009 Kouhaku Uta Gassen earlier this week. Perfume performed their song One Room Disco. Not only did I enjoy the unusual sound of the tune, I also loved their cute little dance. Unfortunately, it seems that most of their songs sound the same. At least I’ll always have this, right?

In June and July, Gackt released a slew of singles. “Koakuma Heaven” came out on June 10, 2009. It is a fast-paced dive into the seedy world of club hostesses and prostitutes. Yet it is really catchy and difficult to get out of your head once you hear it. It’s not my absolute favorite from his recent releases, but it’s a close second.

On June 24, 2009, the infamous Kago Ai released her first solo single after the big scandals. (For those that don’t know, she was caught smoking in 2006, when she was only 18. Then she was caught dating an older man AND smoking, which prompted her release from Hello!Project.) The title track, “no hesitAtIon,” is a cute little ditty with lyrics that were written by Aibon herself. At first listen, the song seems like a fairly typical pop tune. However, after a few rotations, you can hear the “Kago-ness” come out. Lately, Aibon has kind of dubbed herself a spokesperson for teaching young people how to behave properly. (Meaning not smoking or having risky sex…things like that.) As such, this song has an uplifting message about starting over and being yourself. Granted, it’s not quite as good as the B-side, “Children of the Night,” but it is still a really great song. I hope she keeps going long enough to release a full album on her own.

Tomorrow is July 4. Besides being Independence Day in the United States, it is also Gackt’s birthday. As a present, I give you his latest music video, “Flower.”

Kago Ai, formerly of Hello!Project, was caught in a bunch of scandals a few years ago. First it was smoking, then it was dating an older man. Soon after, she was dumped from her label. She recently released the music video for her first single, which will be released next week. Welcome back Kago-chan ^_^

I have been lacking in the music department lately. I apologize. Hopefully, a little boy band music will make you feel better.

Wish is popularly known as the theme song for the first season of the Hana Yori Dango jdorama. Of course, both Arashi and HYD feature Matsumoto Jun. Not only is the song cute on its own but the video for it is also adorable. It features a little puppet man trying to win the heart of a little puppet girl. I think, thanks to the HYD connection, that this was my first introduction into the world of Arashi. Let the cuteness wash over you!

At first, I wasn’t sure how I felt about Ken Hirai’s music. I liked the pop stuff but the bluesy songs that he’s really known for never really interested me. Then I decided to sit down and truly listen to what he was singing. That is when I realized how amazingly talented the man is. “Hitomi wo Tojite” is one example of how well he can handle a ballad. A lot of the time, ballads come out contrived and boring. Yet Hirai manages to express that feeling of love without making it feel forced. I have to admit that nowadays, he’s one of my favorite artists.

Here is the music video for Gackt’s new single, Jesus.