J-pop

NEWS “Hikari no Shizuku / Touch” Single Announced

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NEWS

NEWS have announced the release of a new single titled Hikari no Shizuku / Touch.

The title track Hikari no Shizuku has been chosen as the theme song for a drama titled Kasa wo Motanai Aritachi.

The sound for each song is described as more of a support song for Hikari no Shizuku while Touch will have a more poppy sound. With each song there will be a different version, a normal regular version, a Hikari no Shizuku version and the Touch version, but both the limited editions will contain a DVD with their respective MV.

The regular edition will have a nice bonus, though, two additional tracks titled Hoshi no Tabibitotachi and whis・per.

Overall it’s a nice announcement and a perfect way to kick off the year since the release is set for January 20 which is around a month away!

Source: Natalie.mu

 

Goto Maki Has Given Birth

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Goto Maki

Goto Maki announced on her blog that she had given birth to her first child.

Goto Maki Daughter

Her daughter was born on 4:31 on December 7.

As you might remember, Goto Maki announced out of the blue that she had married and that she was pregnant. Of course, it was somewhat sudden but nonetheless it was happy news for the former Morning Musume member.

Congratulations Goto Maki and your newest addition to the family!

Source: Natalie.mu | Goto Maki Ameblo

AKB48’s Nagao Mariya To Graduate From Group

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Nagao Mariya AKB48

AKB48’s Nagao Mariya has announced her graduation from the group.

The announcement was done during their performance at AKB48 Theater, so it was quite sudden for the many fans in attendance.

Graduations are always shocking and this one is no exception. Of course, members change quite rapidly since it is a rather large group but nonetheless she will be missed.

Thankfully, it seems like she wants to be an active member in entertainment so this might not be the last we see of her.

No graduation date has been announced, but we should be finding out in the coming months.

 

AKB48 “Kuchibiru ni Be My Baby” MV Previews Released

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AKB48 Kuchibiru ni Be my Baby

The short MVs for the rest of AKB48’s Kuchibiru ni Be My Baby have been released.

Hold on to your bandwidth folks, this post is packed with MVs.

Obviously commenting on each would take quite a lot of time, but basically they can be summed up in a sentence each.

Kimi wo Kimi wo Kimi wo has a cute idol sound to it and it’s not surprising since this song features some of the newer members, but it’s a perfect song for the group. Yasashii Place has a slower and more ballad taste to it with a mature overtone. The dark theme is a nice contrast so it’s one of those videos for the fans of the adult side of the group.

Madonna no Sentaku has a nice beat combined with more laid back vocals alongside a line of commercial inspired shots of each of the members. Onee-san no Hitorigoto is one of those unique Japanese videos since it has a bright happy feel to it combined with weird but nice visuals while the members perform.

Kin no Kane wo Motsu Hito yo has a harder beat combined with vocals from guys in between the girls singing. With a set inspired straight out of a Rammstein video, we get to enjoy some fast paced music to some slow and dreary factory shots (factory idols?). Nanka, Chotto, Kyuu ni .. is a fantasy themed song with a calm feel to it if you’re a fan of mannequins then you’ll feel right at home.

Finally, Senaka Kotoba is the main track fans will be looking for, mainly due to it being Takahashi Minami’s graduation song and it’s perfect. The beat is slow, and we see shots of her from the past as well as several shots of her as she pulls ropes with the words that represent her history in the group.

This is the highlight of the single, and rightfully so. The shots of Minami as she grows with the group with shots of walking alongside her team is a nice touch. It’s hard to not feel nostalgic, especially if you’ve followed the group since it started.

Check out all of the songs after the break and get those pre-orders in since the single will be released on December 9!

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manaminorisa “ν Polaris Ab/Gyakushuu no Polaris” MVs Released

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manaminorisa

manaminorisa have revealed the short MVs for their double A-side single titled ν Polaris Ab/Gyakushuu no Polaris.

Laundromats and idols surprisingly match well and the MV provides a nice representation of what all of us do when we wash clothes: dancing to idol songs while transforming into power rangers in between. The song itself is catchy and has a nice beat so I do love how well it turned out.

The accompanying song Gyakushuu no Polaris has a harder beat to it and a simpler MV which is basically just white and black themed. The simplicity of the video is a nice change and provides a chance to focus on the song.

The contrast between the two is amazing and results in a full single for fans to enjoy.

Release is set for December 22, so it seems like a perfect last minute Christmas gift for those idol fans in your life!

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Saishuu Mirai Heiki mofu “RED ZONE” MV REleased

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Saishuu Mirai Heiki mofu

Saishuu Mirai Heiki mofu has released the MV for their 2nd single titled RED ZONE.

There will be 3 different versions: Passion, Blood, and Love. Naturally there will also be different content for each so here are the coupling song titles for each version:

  • Passion – TOMORROWLAND
  • Blood – Color of fantasy
  • Love – orion

The group itself have a Perfume-esque sound to them, with a futuristic style that combines techno and Japanese instruments. In a way, it’s Perfume and Wagakki Band in one, and that makes the songs quite epic.

Sure, the songs are a bit mainstream at times but the group has potential. You can definitely notice the Perfume influence in the preview for their coupling song TOMORROWLAND.

It’s a group worth following since they seem to have a nice style so make sure to get their single when it releases this December 9 since it’s just a matter of days before we get it!

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Perfume To Provide Theme Song For “Chihayafuru” Movie

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perfume-chihayafuru

Perfume will be providing the theme song titled FLASH for the movie Chihayafuru.

Following a similar trend to current movies, there will be several parts of the movie. The 1st is titled Chihayafuru ~Kami no Ku~ which will be out March 19. The 2nd part will be titled Chihayafuru ~Shimo no Ku~ and it will be out shortly after on April 29.

For those unfamiliar with the manga, it’s about a story of lost friends hoping to find each other with a card game as the basis. The trailer does a good job of showing off the mood. A somewhat serious mood, with the happy song bein performed by Perfume that breaks the tension at times.

The most interesting thing is that the song FLASH hasn’t been announced as a single or as part of an album. We’re due for either so it seems like it’s a waiting game to find out just how we will be enjoying this song.

For now, it’s a great time to be a Perfume fan due to all of the promotion the group is receiving so those who are in the area are recommended to check out the movie this Spring.

The trailer is after the break!

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Ange☆Reve Announce 2nd Single, New Member

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Ange Reve

Ange☆Reve announced the release of their 2nd DVD single titled Stare.

According to the members, the single will be a cute mainstream song that fits the mood of Winter well. Tis the season after all, although it will be released late February so it might be stretching the Winter part somewhat.

Alongside that, they have also announced the addition of a new member. Sawada Akina had announced her graduation recent, so adding someone else was a natural progression. Of course, it’s necessary to point out that the number of members for the next generation hasn’t been revealed so we might be getting more than one.

It seems like we’re in for some nice changes from this up and coming group, so it will be fun to see just how they evolve. The new member will be added on December 19, and their new single will be out February 24 so keep those dates in mind!

Source: Ange☆Reve OHP

E-girls “Merry x Merry Xmas★” MV Released

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E-girls Merry x Merry Xmas

E-girls has released the MV for their song titled Merry x Merry Xmas ★.

Most Christmas songs are a bit relaxed and this song isn’t an exception with a tone that is sure to get you in the mood for some shopping. Vocals, as expected, are top notch with the E-girls raising the bar for Christmas themed idol releases for Holiday.

Not surprisingly we get to see red, white, and green abounding in the video for the song. Despite that, it’s a cute video with a nice setting featuring a multitude of dancing and decorations.

Release is set for December 23, so it’s a perfect Christmas gift!

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