Category: j-rock

Best J-Pop/J-Rock Albums of 2022

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Well, another year bites the dust I guess. It was honestly a bit of a flop in terms of anime (if you go strictly by the numbers, anyway), but you know what, that’s fine by me. I find myself with less and less time to watch stuff in general, and I think on the whole, I’d rather spend that time watching the few really good shows and feeling not guilty in the least about skipping everything else. Oh yeah, and it gives me time to listen to stuff too. Continue reading “Best J-Pop/J-Rock Albums of 2022” →

Best J-Pop/J-Rock Albums of 2021 (Kind Of)

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Welp, it’s that time of year again. I guess it really did sneak up on me because I just didn’t have the chance to check out that much new music – I’m not exaggerating when I say that 2021 genuinely was a lot crazier for me than last year (yeah… I’ll just let that sink in for a minute). Continue reading “Best J-Pop/J-Rock Albums of 2021 (Kind Of)” →

Best J-Pop/J-Rock Albums of 2020

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2020 sure has been a year, huh? Luckily, despite… well, you know, everything, there was some pretty good music to come out of this one, and I actually think I ended up listening to more of it than I have for several years now. As a result, I managed to pull a solid list together for this annual blog series, containing a couple of already-strong contenders as well as a couple of pleasant surprises. Continue reading “Best J-Pop/J-Rock Albums of 2020” →

Best J-Pop/J-Rock Albums of 2019

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Although I’ve admittedly not listened to as much Japanese music this time around as I have in previous years (or at least, fewer full albums), I still enjoy hearing what’s out there and writing up these annual posts as a result. There’s just something fun about it for me, and taking a break from anime every once in a while to write about other aspects of Japanese pop culture is also something I can get behind. Continue reading “Best J-Pop/J-Rock Albums of 2019” →

Best J-Pop/J-Rock Albums of 2018

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It’s been a fairly underwhelming year for Japanese music for me, at least as far as full studio albums are concerned. While plenty of my favourite artists released compilation or best of albums during 2018, far fewer released studio albums; as a result, I listened to only 11 of them total, while just 3 of these made the cut. As always, the following list is arranged in order of release date and comprises only full and original studio albums by a single artist or band – no cover, compilation, EP, or live albums have been included. Continue reading “Best J-Pop/J-Rock Albums of 2018” →

Best J-Pop/J-Rock Albums of 2017

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This year’s list is a little lighter than in 2016, when I listened to 18 Japanese studio albums total (in comparison to 13 this time around). However, I think that’s more of a reflection on my own time constraints as opposed to any particular dip in the Japanese music industry, and I managed to find a handful of albums that really stood out to me regardless. As always, the following list, arranged in order of release date, is comprised solely of full and original studio albums by a single artist or band – no covers, compilations, collaborations, EPs, or live albums. Continue reading “Best J-Pop/J-Rock Albums of 2017” →

Best J-Pop/J-Rock Albums of 2016

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It’s been a whirlwind year in the Japanese music industry. Influential singer/songwriter Utada Hikaru released her first album in eight years; Boom Boom Satellites released their final (gorgeous) record before the passing away of vocalist Kawashima Michiyuki; iconic boy band SMAP disbanded after a run of nearly three decades; and BABYMETAL took one step closer to world domination when they opened for Red Hot Chili Peppers on their UK tour. To nobody’s surprise, fan-favourite idol groups such as Arashi and AKB48 continued to top many of the charts, but they were far from the only fare on offer in 2016. Continue reading “Best J-Pop/J-Rock Albums of 2016” →

Best J-Pop/J-Rock Albums of 2015

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Clearly there’s some kind of heathen magic at work here, because every year I listen to more albums than I did the previous one and every year I end up picking exactly six of them for this list regardless. Oh well, at least I have a male band on it this time. Continue reading “Best J-Pop/J-Rock Albums of 2015” →

5 First J-Pop and J-Pop Acts

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Japanese music can be potentially quite difficult for English-speaking listeners to get into, and not just because of the language barrier. With the record charts saturated by saccharine-sweet idol units such as AKB48 and their numerous sister groups, and bishounen-heavy boy bands like Arashi and Kis-My-Ft2, the industry might seem off-putting to those wanting something with a little more depth. However, even lovers of mainstream pop might find the comparatively high-pitched and sometimes rather nasal vocal style of many J-pop singers overly harsh on the eardrums – and besides all that, it can simply be tricky to know where exactly to begin. Continue reading “5 First J-Pop and J-Pop Acts” →

Best J-Pop/J-Rock Albums of 2014

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So many new albums, so little time. Each year I seem to listen to more than I did the previous one, and whether this year has been a poorer one for Japanese music or whether I’m simply continuing to become pickier, there’s a lot more in my discard pile this time around. Still, that doesn’t mean 2014 has been bereft of good music; as with the last two years, six albums managed to stand out from the rest – albeit every single one of them from a female artist or band. Continue reading “Best J-Pop/J-Rock Albums of 2014” →