Jpop Addict - the everything Jpop blog!

New Life for Jpop n' Kpop and the Archive

2008-11-02T19:55:00.003-05:00

I decided to befriend Charisma today on livejournal to see the new Jpop n' Kpop. Her livejournal address is http://charisma2.livejournal.com. She's got quite the collection there already. I barely use Jpopsuki anymore (unless I want Oricon Top 30), since I'm so used to the convenience of sites like Jpop n' Kpop.

But how about all the hard work she put in her old posts? Well...although her blog and feed are unreachable, Google Reader has this neat feature of caching all RSS feeds. That means, you can access all her old posts. Basically, add this feed to Google Reader and tada!

http://jpopkpop.blogspot.com/feeds/posts/default

Just a (scary) reminder that Google caches everything :)

...and so ends my once in a blue moon posting on Jpop Addict, as I've become a Hwang Mi Hee addict

The Status on Jpop n' Kpop

2008-10-11T23:10:00.002-04:00

I just happen to check my blog today and noticed someone was asking about what happen to the blog Jpop n' Kpop.

Charisma's popular blog is private at the moment, here's what she had to say about it:

Today I have received a second warning from the DMCA today this one regarding Namie Amuro "Funky Town" music video. If I have one more warning then this blog is removed and so is my account. In the next couple of hours I'm going to turn this into a private blog so no more DMCA threats. Then I will be creating a new site (since it's in the lead right now) and will be easier for me. I really want to do a forum however I would need 5 committed people to help me and I don't want to burden people plus this is the internet that alone says enough. Check back on Saturday or Sunday to find out the link.

IN THE WORST CASE SCENRIO:
If my account is removed you can contact me at charisma2.livejournal.com where I will leave a link on Sunday telling everyone where they should go to or email me at Charisma_2001ca@yahoo.ca

Even though her site is made private, through the magic of Google caching you can still find out what's up.

What's Next for Jpop Addict ?

2008-08-31T13:54:00.004-04:00

Hey everyone, you might have noticed Jpop Addict has been inactive for what seems to be forever. This site has gone into inactivity once another one of my blogs, Really Cute Asians (don't worry it isn't pr0n), started to take off. For both of these blogs I tried to find some niche market. For Jpop Addict, it was Monkey Majik and at one time, a place to download collections of songs I liked. My gamble on Hwang Mi Hee and Korean models at my other blog won...by a landslide.

However, with some of the monetary benefits from Really Cute Asians, I have decided to buy hosting and a domain name and start a new generic Asian blog (using the Wordpress blogging platform). This blog will include Jpop, so Jpop Addict will likely continue its life there. The new blog is still under construction, so when it's finally up I'll link it.

Monkey Majik's new album TIME is going to be released on September 9, 2008 so I'm going to buy that album and put the English lyrics up either here on my new site, depending on how things go. I wasn't particularly fanatic about their recent singles Together / Akari / Fall Back and Aitakute / MORNING-EVENING / goin' places. I really love certain songs, but I wouldn't buy the singles for it (the only single I have is Change, for the song Car Crash since it's a b-side).

Interesting Jpop in Anime

2008-07-07T23:20:00.006-04:00

I recently became obsessed with Anime again after about one year of not watching anything (but still reading manga of course). I have Code Geass and Code Geass R2 to blame for getting me started.

First, the Macross Frontier opening features "Triangular" by Maaya Sakamoto. Maaya Sakamoto did an excellent ending for the Anime Tsubasa Reservoir Chronicles with the song "Loop"

I didn't like this song too much at the beginning, but then I got addicted to it after 4 or 5 listens.

Second, it's FLOW's song "COLOR" as the opening to Code Geass

Third, it's Orange Range's song "O2" as the opening to Code Geass R2

I'm not a huge fan of Orange Range, but this song is particularly catchy

All Anime songs can be found on Gendou, so give it a try!

Blaise Plant - Call me (Appelez moi)

2008-07-07T23:09:00.002-04:00

If you happen to listen to Blaise Plant's (from Monkey Majik) solo song Call me (Appelez moi), you might have been surprised that it's French Pop. Quite the deviation from his Jpop career, but it's an interesting listen if you've never heard French music before.

In my opinion, Blaise Plant should just stick with Monkey Majik, since Blaise Plant singing without good guitar just doesn't do it for me. If you want an example of good French music, I was recently introduced to Kyo. One of my favourite songs by them is Comment te Dire:

KYO - Comment Te Dire - DVD
Uploaded by odin062

Jpop Recommendations - Girls Be Ambitious

2008-05-10T23:06:00.006-04:00

The Jpop album Girls Be Ambitious was released March 26, 2008 which featured a variety of popular and talented female artists. I was glad the female voices were typically lower pitched, but wasn't too happy about the rapping.

Artist	Song	Details
Crystal Kay	Tears	Slower paced song with excellent vocals
ARIA	I Love You	Pop, the song's hook is the excellent piano instrumental
MINMI	Aisuru Toiu Koto	Pop/Soca, excellent vocals from my favourite Soca Jpop artist
DOUBLE	SPRING LOVE	Pop
Leah Dizon	Koi Shiyou	Pop, I like this song minus the chorus
Orion	Once More	Pop, I'm a sucker for piano yet again

Of the 26 tracks, only 5 songs matched the Jpop I enjoy. I was slightly disappointed, but then again, the percentage of songs I enjoy in the Oricon SINGLE WEEKLY TOP 30 is usually just as bad.

Highly Recommended Jpop - January to April 2008

2008-05-07T16:49:00.010-04:00

2008 has started with an incredible amount of releases from some of my favourite Jpop Artists as well as some who I've recently discovered.

There were a lot of albums containing older songs, such as Ken Hirai's Pop Star or any song from the brilliant's green single collection. However, if you've missed them before, it's a good opportunity to get them now.

Albums/Singles

ASIAN KUNG-FU GENERATION - World World World
Ben Arashino - Chapter One ~Complete Collection~
CHEMISTRY - Face to Face
EXILE - Pure / You're my sunshine
GLORY HILL - DAYBREAK e.p.
Hikari - Naked
Ken Hirai - FAKIN' POP
Koda Kumi - Kingdom
KOKIA - Tatta Hitotsu no Omoi
Leah Dizon - Love Paradox
melody. - Lei Aloha
mihimaru GT - diverge
Monkey Majik - Together/Akari/Fall Back
Nami Tamki - Don't Stay
Namie Amuro - 60s 70s 80s
Rimi Natsukawa - Ano Hana No Youni
the brilliant green - complete single collection '97-'08
Utada Hikaru - HEART STATION
YUI - I LOVED YESTERDAY
Yuna Ito - WISH
ZEEBRA - BUSHIDO

I decided to summarize my favourite Jpop songs in a tabular format, so you can quickly scan for songs that interest you.

Artist	Song	Details
ASIAN KUNG-FU GENERATION	After Dark	Rock, the popular song used in the opening for the anime Bleach
ASIAN KUNG-FU GENERATION	Korogaru Iwa, Kimi ni Asa ga Furu	Rock
ASIAN KUNG-FU GENERATION	Travelog	Rock
Beni Arashino	Cherish	Pop, an old favourite of mine
Beni Arashino	FLASH FLASH (feat. KOHEI JAPAN)	Pop, rapping
Beni Arashino	Goal	Pop, an old favourite of mine
CHEMISTRY	Kagayaku yoru	Pop, song supported by Monkey Majik, which means amazing guitar
EXILE	Pure	Pop, on the slower side but excellent male vocals
GLORY HILL	DAYBREAK e.p.	Punk/rock, sounds like ELLEGARDEN (including unintelligible English)
Hikari	Sowelu	Pop
Hikari	Still lovin' you	Pop
Ken Hirai	Pain	Pop
Ken Hirai	Pop Star	Pop, if you haven't heard this song before you should!
Koda Kumi	anytime	Pop
Koda Kumi	Under	Pop
KOKIA	Tatta Hitotsu no Omoi	Pop
Leah Dizon	Love Paradox	Pop, surprisingly good for a Leah Dizon song
melody.	Haruka -Eternal Version-	Slow song
mihimaru GT	diverge	Pop
Monkey Majik	Akari	Pop
Monkey Majik	Fall Back	Pop, the rap sucks but the rest of the song is good
Monkey Majik	One More Chance	Pop, the surprisingly good b-side
Nami Tamaki	visualize	Dance, reminds me of her song "Believe"
Nami Tamaki	Promise	Slow song
Namie Amuro	NEW LOOK	Pop
Namie Amuro	ROCK STEADY	Pop
Namie Amuro	WHAT A FEELING	Pop
Rimi Natsukawa	Ano Hana No Youni	Slow song
the brilliant green	Ai no Heart Ai no Hoshi	Rock
the brilliant green	Rainy Days Never Stays	Rock, one of my favourite tbg songs ever
the brilliant green	I'm So Sorry Baby	Rock
the brilliant green	Stand By Me	Pop, another one of my favourite tbg songs
Utada Hikaru	Beautiful World	Pop
Utada Hikaru	Flavor Of Life -Ballad Version	Slow song, my absolute favourite song from this album
Utada Hikaru	Stay Gold
YUI	My Generation	Pop
YUI	Namidario	Pop
Yuna Ito	Mahaloha	Pop
ZEEBRA	BUSHIDO	Rap, this is what Japanese rapping should be like

Namie Amuro Play Tour 2007 Cover Scan

2008-04-29T19:28:00.004-04:00

I saw Namie Amuro's Play Tour 2007 DVD for sale today, so I decided to make an impulse purchase. I had seen the Play concert on JPOPSUKI, but my ISP does a great job in preventing me from getting it. The concert was okay. I don't think there's much lasting value, since I don't see myself watching it more than two times. I would recommend you "sample" this concert before you buy it, since the concert wasn't spectacular.

I love the DVD cover:

The Namie Amuro Play Tour 2007 cover, scanned by me. I'm a newbie at scanning stuff, so hopefully it turned out correctly. It was originally scanned at 300dpi and Flickr shrunk it down to 692x1024 (which is not too bad of a resolution). I wasn't able to find a large scan of the cover anywhere, so this is my attempt to scan something.

Not Dead...Yet. Just Really Busy

2008-04-22T23:16:00.003-04:00

I've been really busy with work, so haven't had time to do anything Jpop related.

Luckily, even when I'm completely out of touch with Jpop, I can always rely on these two great sites for finding recent and older releases:

Jpop n' Kpop
Too Fast To Live

Basically, they are my JPOPSUKI substitutes, since I would get exactly what shows up on those two sites anyway :) If you didn't know about those resources before, check them out!

Monkey Majik's new single is out tomorrow. Hopefully it won't be disappointing or I'll be crushed.

Monkey Majik - Together

2008-04-04T23:33:00.004-04:00

Title: Together
Artist: Monkey Majik
Single: Together / Akari / Fall Back
Release date: April 23, 2008

It's about time Monkey Majik released something new in 2008. I've been eagerly waiting for something new from Monkey Majik. When I found out that the title of their new single would be Together / Akari / Fall Back, I was overjoyed at the potential for three killer songs. Hopefully these songs will be the triple counter to compete against Namie Amuro's 60s 70s 80s single, which will probably still be at the top of Oricon SINGLES TOP 30 when this single is released.

Luckily, this single starts off nicely with the song Together. Together follows the award winning Monkey Majik recipe: the use of their indie-pop style, amazing guitar playing, excellent English and Japanese vocals, and no rapping (thank God). Overall, Together has a depressing tone similar to their song "Sotsugyō, soshite mirai e.". About 85% of this song is sung in Japanese with very few consecutive lines of English. I felt that the tidbits of English were appropriate and didn't sound out of place.

I'd say the weak point of this song was the chorus. I didn't find the chorus to be particularly interesting. To me, it's a rare anomaly, since Monkey Majik choruses are usually the song's hook. Besides that, I really enjoyed the song. As an added bonus, the music video was well made too. The music video is touching, as it focuses on a mother and daughter dealing with the death of the father. This music video reminds me of the "Christmas Gift" scenario in the Nintendo DS game Elite Beat Agents, which has a similar premise (including the ghost father watching over his family). Here's the Together music video:

Mirrors:
High quality MV at Jpop n' Kpop
Flash video at JpopAsia

Lyrics: Monkey Majik - Take

2008-03-30T02:09:00.002-04:00

Title: Take
Artist: Monkey Majik
Album: eastview
Year: 2005

Take what you will what you will
I can go where I wanna go

Take what you will what you will
I can go where I want to
Say what I want to

I forget
Repeat x4

If I changed your name
Repeat x3

Take what you will and what you will
I can go where I wanna go

Take what you will what you will
I can go where I want to
Say what I want to

I forget
Repeat x4

If I changed your name
Repeat x3

You can take back
What you wanted
I don't need it
I don't need it anymore
Repeat x2

Take what you will and what you will
I can go where I wanna go

Source: lyrics from eastview CD pamphlet, typed up by me with minor modifications. The reason for the modifications is the CD pamphlet does not repeat certain versus/choruses, so I had to recopy some lines and add repeats.

Lyrics: Monkey Majik - Apology Accepted

2008-03-30T02:07:00.000-04:00

Title: Apology Accepted
Artist: Monkey Majik
Album: eastview
Year: 2005

Forgive me if I do forget

Forget your name seems to have changed
overnight just keep it the same
I know it's 12 o'clock
I was gonna pick you up around the blockade
Your Birthday, it's the same day, now isn't it?
Have we met before
I don't even know if you were
a purple, brown, black, blond, blue eyed, red head
I don't remember

Apology Accepted

Source: lyrics from eastview CD pamphlet. Odd song, I can't actually hear most of these lyrics, so I typed it up as is.

Lyrics: Monkey Majik - Inside

2008-03-30T01:53:00.002-04:00

Title: Inside
Artist: Monkey Majik
Album: eastview
Year: 2005

Did you ever wonder how we got this far
All these little people crammed up in a jar (I know)
Living like we take for granted everyday
Made up of a single thought that blinds our way

All I ever wanted wasn't there to take
A reason to explain my only real mistake
Even if I asked you wouldn't clear my name
'Cause that is just something for me

Leave me inside here wither with you
This is the place I belong to
Tell me in secret what should I do
Tell me you need me with you

Did you ever wonder how we got this far
All these little people crammed up in a jar (I know)
Living like we take for granted everyday
Made up of a single thought that blinds our way

All I ever wanted wasn't there to take
A reason to explain my only real mistake
Even if I asked you wouldn't clear my name
'Cause that is just something for me

Leave me inside here wither with you
This is the place I belong to
Tell me in secret what should I do
Tell me you need me with you

Source: lyrics from eastview CD pamphlet, typed up by me with minor modifications. The reason for the modifications is the CD pamphlet does not repeat certain versus/choruses, so I had to recopy some lines.

Lyrics: Monkey Majik - I was waiting

2008-03-30T01:45:00.002-04:00

Title: I was waiting
Artist: Monkey Majik
Album: eastview
Year: 2005

I was waiting
Everybody knew my name
If you didn't notice
Everything was still the same
'Cause everywhere I go they're watching
Everyday I hear them screaming
Everything is building up on me
'Cause everywhere I go they're watching
Everyday I hear them screaming
Everything is building up on me

Everybody wants to be like me
Repeat x2

Hanging on a string
It's never too late
'Cause I want it
Repeat x2

I was waiting
Nothing ever came my way
Didn't even notice
Everything would be the same
'Cause everywhere I go they're watching
Everyday I wake up screaming
Everything is building up on me
'Cause everywhere I go they're watching
Everyday I wake up screaming
Everything is building up on me

Everybody wants to be like me
Repeat x2

Hanging on a string
It's never too late
'Cause I want it
Repeat x2

'Cause everywhere I go they're watching
Everyday I wake up screaming
Everything is building up on me

Source: lyrics from eastview CD pamphlet, typed up by me with minor modifications. The reason for the modifications is the CD pamphlet does not repeat certain versus/choruses, so I had to recopy some lines and add repeats.

Lyrics: Monkey Majik - 1996

2008-03-30T01:38:00.003-04:00

Title: One moment
Artist: Monkey Majik
Album: eastview
Year: 2005

It's not so bad
I tell you everynight
I think about it everyday
Something tells me that it'll be alright

I get up
I see you
When I come home
I'm fed up
Won't you make it right
Repeat x2

Don't take me back to a time before
Don't take me back
Don't take me back to '96 no more
Just don't take me back

It's not so bad
I tell you everynight
I think about it everyday
Something tells me that it'll be alright

I get up
I see you
When I come home
I'm fed up
Won't you make it right
Repeat x2

Don't take me back to a time before
Don't take me back
Don't take me back to '96 no more
Just don't take me back
Repeat x3

Source: lyrics from eastview CD pamphlet, typed up by me with minor modifications. The reason for the modifications is the CD pamphlet does not repeat certain versus/choruses, so I had to recopy some lines and add repeats.

Lyrics: Monkey Majik - One moment

2008-03-30T01:17:00.006-04:00

Title: One moment
Artist: Monkey Majik
Album: eastview
Year: 2005

Take my away for a moment
Take me away if you don't mind
We could just dance in the moonlight
Until the morning shines

Remember the times we were singing
Remember the knock on the door
We were so loud getting busy
But that was all before

Oh ooh! Why did ya fake it Here I go again
Tell me tell me please, you know
I'm begging you for more

Love had never made a difference
Living in a lonely life
Repeat x3

Ohh...No one has it worse than me
(But) Ohh...Maybe it suppose to be

Take my away for a moment
Take me away if you don't mind
We could just dance in the moonlight
Until the morning shines

Remember the times we were singing
Remember the knock on the door
We were so loud getting busy
But that was all before

Oh ooh! Why did ya fake it Here I go again
Tell me tell me please, you know
I'm begging you for more

Love had never made a difference
Living in a lonely life
Repeat x3

Ohh...No one has it worse than me
(But) Ohh...Maybe it suppose to be

loving never made a difference so much as an essence that u and i never had a chance to go the distance let's not be too hard on ourselves it's only been like 24hrs but seems like we've been going for miles you know i love it and you love it too and every minute that we're together is telling me that i can only be true this isn't the first time i've had a little fling so take of your clothes cause i'll know that you're the real thing

Love had never made a difference
Living in a lonely life
Repeat x3

Ohh...No one has it worse than me
(But) Ohh...Maybe it suppose to be

Love had never made a difference
Living in a lonely life
Repeat x3

Ohh...No one has it worse than me
(But) Ohh...Maybe it suppose to be

Source: lyrics from eastview CD pamphlet, typed up by me with minor modifications. The reason for the modifications is the CD pamphlet does not repeat certain versus/choruses, so I had to recopy some lines and add repeats. Note: The rap is exactly written with the short forms: u, i, and hrs.

J-Rock Group GLORY HILL, the ELLEGARDEN Substitute?

2008-03-23T00:10:00.003-04:00

Since ELLEGARDEN's last release in November 2006, I've been eagerly waiting for some new music from my favourite J-Rock/Punk Rock group. For those hardcore the brilliant green fans that waited five years for their comeback single, how did you survive? Last week, I was skimming through the March 17, 2008 edition of Oricon SINGLE WEEKLY TOP 30, when I found the song DAYBREAK e.p. by GLORY HILL (ranked 26). I promptly took out my "Essence of ELLEGARDEN" checklist from my pocket and filled in the details:

Band name is CAPITALIZED
Music genre is J-Rock/Punk Rock
Songs contains (some) unintelligible English lines
Lead singer has a whiny voice similar to Simple Plan's Jeff Stinco

We have a winner! The list may be simple, but it fully represents the wonders of ELLEGARDEN.

Here is a YouTube video of DAYBREAK e.p. by GLORY HILL

I hope they're using Japanese and English in this song, otherwise they have some epic English pronunciation problems...

If you've never heard of ELLEGARDEN before, here's a sample from their song Marry Me

Since YouTube tends to remove Jpop videos, an alternative MV for ELLEGARDEN is the song Space Sonic, which can be found at JpopAsia by clicking here.

If you've never heard of the popular Canadian band Simple Plan, here a sample MV for their song Perfect (one of my favourite songs by them)

Unfortunately, JPOPSUKI doesn't have their single and they have no Wikipedia article. They may be lacking popularity now, but if you're a fan of the J-rock/punk rock genre or a fan of ELLEGARDEN, they're a nice temporary substitute.

GLORY HILL's myspace page can be found here. You can legally sample some of their songs. An interesting note: ELLEGARDEN and POLYSICS are myspace friends with GLORY HILL.

The Joys and Horrors of English Lyrics in Jpop

2008-03-21T21:05:00.003-04:00

The Joys of English Lyrics
I've always been a fan of seamless integration of English and Japanese lyrics from popular Jpop artists such as Angela Aki, Utada Hikaru, melody., and Yuna Ito. I'm a big fan of English lyrics in Jpop for two reasons. First, I don't know Japanese. God knows I've tried to learn, but I can never make it past the first few chapters of any learning Japanese books. Unless the lyrics involve common romaji terms or ninja jutsu techniques, I have no idea what they're saying. Second, when used correctly, it creates a unique sounding song with lyrics I can understand and sing along to.

Pop quiz! What do all four artists mentioned previously have in common?

Answer: they were all born or brought up in the United States, so their English skills are superb (i.e. they are cheaters).

Angela Aki - brought up in Hawaii
Utada Hikaru - born in New York City
melody. - born in Hawaii
Yuna Ito - born in Los Angeles, brought up in Hawaii

Depressing note: the only Jpop artist I know who is from Canada is Monkey Majik...

However, English lyrics also bring much pain when used incorrectly.

The Horrors of English Lyrics
#1 - Jpop Artists who pronounce English poorly
One of my pet peeves is poorly pronounced English from Jpop singers. If you can't pronounce English properly, please don't use it in your songs...For those poor Japanese listeners trying to learn English, it doesn't help to hear bad English.

Example offenders: Beat Crusaders and BoA

The first offender is Beat Crusader's song Tonight Tonight Tonight. I first heard this song while watching the anime Bleach and later heard the full version on Oricon top singles. Although it was popular, the English killed me. There are parts in this song where I'm not sure if they are speaking English (nor do I know what the hell they are talking about). Here's a sample:

Second, is BoA, the undisputed master of terrible English. Although BoA is getting slightly better, some of her older releases featured English so terrible, it could be used to torture prisoners. In 2003, this horror was released in dangerously high concentrations. I'm referring to BoA's English album Next World, an album I believe would be looped continuously in hell. I'll admit that not all the tracks are bad, but then there's tracks like Amazing Kiss (English version):

What horror!!! Did you feel a part of you die in the inside?

#2 - Seemingly unnecessary use Of English
It can get annoying when people use English in Japanese songs for no reason. Maybe it sounds cool, but sometimes I feel like it's forced and really breaks the flow.

Example offenders: Namie Amuro and Mika Nakashima

The first example is the recent release of Namie Amuro's single 60s 70s 80s, which features the song ROCK STEADY. In the chorus, Namie uses the phrase "bungee jump" in the middle of some Japanese lines. If you're like me, you're wondering what the hell she is talking about and grow increasingly angry each time she says it. In my opinion, it would have annoyed me less if she had just used Japanese instead.

The second example is Mika Nakashima's song GLAMOROUS SKY. For most of the song, I don't even realize that Mika is using English phrases here and there, but around three-quarters into the song, she uses the lines:

SUNDAY MONDAY inazuma TUESDAY WEDNESDAY THURSDAY yukibana... OH...
FRIDAY SATURDAY nanairo EVERYDAY
yamikumo kieru FULL MOON kotaete boku no koe ni

Source: Absolute Lyrics

Thank you Mika, for saying all the days of the week in English. Maybe it's poetic to others, but it really annoyed me.

#3 - English lyrics I'd rather not know about...
Sometimes it's best to not know what your favourite artists are saying. If the lyrics are in Japanese, your favourite artist could be singing about horrific killing spree and you'd never know, unless you found a fan translation. Then you'd realize you were indirectly enjoying songs about serial killers. It's pretty horrible when your favourite Jpop artist's reputation is destroyed when you hear some of their lyrics.

Example offenders: ELLEGARDEN and m-flo

First, it's ELLEGARDEN's song Under Control. Here are some verses:

She's 40 when I'm 22
Her skin is almost like my mother's
She'll be 50 when I'm 32
Stop wondering what is the point
Leave us alone

Her sweet smile is cure for my wounded mind
That's all and you won't understand
Way she cares for me no one else has ever done
That's all hey I do mean it

Source: Seek Lyrics

Personally, I find this song disturbing since he's talking about loving someone 18 years older than him. Not that I'm saying it's wrong, but compared to other young punk-rock bands out there, they are usually singing about girls within a decade of their age group.

Second, it's m-flo's song Stuck In Your Love (which features melody). Here are some verses:

Let's leave all of this behind us
Forget it like highschool calculus
I'm into YOU and YOU into ME
And I know intuitively you feelin me
So please, TALK IS CHEAP
So like Ben Stiller in Starsky and Hutch…and just DO IT

Source: Just Some Lyrics

Those are some killer metaphors. Who couldn't relate to a calculus and a mediocre movie reference? "Forget it like highschool calculus" is probably my favourite line. I'm sure VERBAL could've come up with something better. These lyrics alone have destroyed any gangsta rapper image I had of VERBAL.

Conclusion
Ironically, I complain about bad English lyrics in Jpop when my English is poor and I write articles in this blog. I'm a hypocrite, there's no doubt about that. I hope I provided some decent examples of bad English in Jpop. I know there's an abundance of terrible English in Jpop, but I typically stop listening to those songs and remove it from my memory. If you have some examples you'd like to share, feel free to leave a comment. If I've offended anyone, say if BoA's Next World album is your favourite album of all time, direct your anger towards clicking some ads or something...so I can continue buying better Jpop.

Single: Namie Amuro 60s 70s 80s

2008-03-17T20:03:00.010-04:00

Title: 60s 70s 80s
Artist: Namie Amuro
Released: March 12, 2008

Track List
01. NEW LOOK
02. ROCK STEADY
03. WHAT A FEELING
04. NEW LOOK (Instrumental)
05. ROCK STEADY (Instrumental)
06. WHAT A FEELING (Instrumental)

I was very excited to purchase Namie Amuro's new single 60s 70s 80s about two months ago. Having watched NEW LOOK, ROCK STEADY, and the making of videos, the hype subsided as I listened to both songs more than 20 times.

If you don't want to suffer the same fate as me, don't over listen to these songs. No matter how amazing they sound. All three songs, NEW LOOK, ROCK STEADY, and WHAT A FEELING, feature great vocals from Namie with addictive fast paced beats. It appears that Namie has improved her English skills, as her English pronunciation was great.

I really enjoy the chorus for NEW LOOK and ROCK STEADY. Every time Namie says, "how do I look baby tell me" or "let's go, tell me are you ready? ROCK STEADY 1...2..3...4... Are you ready? Ready, ready, ready ROCK STEADY BABY" I tend to lip sync to it. I'm pretty sure I creep out my office mate as he must think he's sharing a cubicle with a psycho. I'm not sure if he knows I'm wearing headphones in my other ear...

Anyone know why Namie says bungee jump in ROCK STEADY? I'm puzzled as to how that relates to anything in the song. It just seems so random.

Reviews From Other Critics

Amai Wana

Although I was nervous about Namie’s 32nd single when the project was first announced, 60s 70s 80s really blew me away.

Full Review

Beyond the Sea

60s 70s 80s definitely contains Namie Amuro’s best material to date

Full Review

do you love?

Fresh, funky, fun. Packs in everything you’d want in a single and more.

Full Review

Looking at Jpop Artist Blogs Part 2

2008-03-03T23:22:00.004-05:00

http://www.myspace.com/melodymelmode
As if I wasn't already obsessed with melody., I found her official MySpace page. Thankfully, I wasn't dissapointed since melody. uploads many pictures of herself. Like all MySpace pages, it's a stalker's paradise (not that I'm stalking melody.). You can also subscribe to her blogs, so you can find out what's she doing. She updates frequently and writes in an informal tone. For example, she says:

..the flower looked way too big!! It was as big as my face! ...actually the flower was completely in my face and in the way... lol.

Her posts are relaxing and fun to read, so I'd highly recommend it for any melody. fans. However, the absolute best part of her MySpace page, is you could potentially be added to her friend list. You can be part of her exclusive 2000 member friend list :)

http://ameblo.jp/leahdizon/
Before visiting Leah Dizon's music blog, I was contemplating what I would see. Perhaps something pink, maybe a few hearts, maybe some scantily clad photos of Leah Dizon...getting 2 out of 3 isn't too bad. Unfortunately, the one I got wrong is probably what people were looking for :)

From Leah Dizon's past posts, it seems that she has only recently started to translate her posts in English. I'm not sure if it makes sense in Japanese, but her English is very random. For example:

Ive been busy, busy, busy but Ive been sleeping well. I dont want to speak too soon but I can finally sleep at night. Ganbaru yo~
Im also taking very good care of my skin and doing face massages everyday. Machi taught me how. She made a blog recently.

Also, I ate sashimi recently and really liked it. I am surprising myself more and more everyday. Maybe tomorrow I will eat EBI NO ODORI GUI =D!

The photos aren't too bad, since they are approximately 400x300 pixels. However, Leah Dizon looks surprisingly normal when she's not under special lighting and mass makeup.

POLYSICS - "DOMO ARIGATO" Mr. Roboto

2008-03-02T14:35:00.004-05:00

Thanks to J-MELO, I was introduced to the Jpop group POLYSICS. My favourite music video is "DOMO ARIGATO" Mr. Roboto. I'm all for comedic Jpop music videos, since I rarely see any humerous music videos from the likes of Yuna Ito, Ayumi, or Namie Amuro.

The music video starts of with the antagonist Mr. Roboto filming a Japanese robot TV show. However, like all free minded robots, he escapes and prepares to wreak havoc on humanity.

Mr. Roboto's wrath includes:
1. Tipping over supplies and stealing batteries from a local convinience store
2. Pushing over bikes on a bike rack
3. Pulling childish pranks like ringing a door bell and running away
4. Kicking ass at a club (including the DJ)
5. Beating up children until they are unconscious (although I wouldn't rule out death)
6. Returns to the film set to kick the director's ass

The gruesome aftermath of Mr. Roboto's wrath on small children

It's a random music video, which is always good. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did. As for the song, it's pretty repetitive, but I'm too distracted by the music video to make any deep analysis about it.

This music video proves once again, why robots are a danger to our society. Yes, that means you Honda ASIMO. Your cute outer shell was intelligently designed by engineers to hide your dark, evil intentions...

Photos: melody. singles 6 to 11 cover scans

2008-03-01T23:46:00.001-05:00

I really like melody.'s single covers for Finding My Road and Haruka :)

melody. 6th single Take a Chance / Take a Chance

melody. 7th single see you...

melody. 8th single Lovin' U

melody. 9th single Finding My Road

melody. 10th single Love Story

melody. 11th single Haruka

Note: I didn't scan these singles covers myself

Photos: melody. singles 1 to 5 cover scans

2008-03-01T23:38:00.004-05:00

melody. 1st single Dreamin' Away

melody. 2nd single Simple As That/ Over the Rainbow

melody. 3rd single Crystal Love

melody. 4th single Believe me -English version-

melody. 5th single Next to You

Note: I didn't scan these single covers myself

Photos: melody. album cover scans

2008-03-01T23:22:00.005-05:00

I am becoming increasingly obsessed with melody., so I decided to find some high quality scans of her album and single covers. My standard of high quality are scans that have dimensions at least 500x500 pixels (however, some come pretty close).

You can click on the image to see the larger image on Flickr.

melody. 1st album sincerely

melody. 2nd album Be as One CD cover

melody. 2nd album Be as One CD+DVD cover

melody. 3rd album READY TO GO! CD+DVD cover

Downloads Removed from Jpop Addict

2008-03-01T20:46:00.002-05:00

I've removed the direct downloads for Jpop Addict. I've removed these links for ethical reasons (plus I was guilt tripped into doing so). So there's around 20 posts affected by this change. There might be broken links if you are searching from Google or Yahoo. If you were resourceful enough to find this site for downloads before, then you should have no problem finding other sites. The good thing, is almost all search engine queries are not download related, so I don't think my website traffic will die off. Also, I have other non-download related content, so it's not like my site has no more posts.

Sorry for the inconvenience,

Steven

What is J-MELO?

2008-02-29T21:20:00.002-05:00

NHK Online describes J-MELO as:

J-MELO is NHK´s first ever Japanese music show recorded entirely in English for audiences around the world.

J-MELO features the latest, cutting edge developments in Japanese music, selections of hit songs, and diverse material from a wide-range of different genres including pop, rock, jazz and classical.

The program´s name, J-MELO, is a combination of "J" for Japan and "MELO", an abbreviation of both "melody" and "mellow".

I will be putting up direct download links for J-MELO when they come up on JPOPSUKI each week. nakoruru from JPOPSUKI is nice enough to upload these videos every week, but too bad the seeds disappear so fast :(

I hope you'll enjoy J-MELO as much as I do!

J-MELO: February 23, 2008 featuring ZEEBRA and POLYSICS

2008-02-29T20:42:00.011-05:00

melody. interviews ZEEBRA and POLYSICS. I never heard of POLYSICS before, but I will definitely check them out now. They have nice music videos and "cute" sounding songs.

Music videos:
ZEEBRA - "Street Dreams"

ZEEBRA - "Do What U Gotta Do" feat. AI, Namie Amuro, and Mummy-D
I had already seen this music video before because I am obsessed with Namie Amuro music videos :)

ZEEBRA - "Not You Boyfriend" feat. JESSE (RIZE)

ZEEBRA - "Bushido"
Bushido actually doesn't sound too bad for Japanese rap, I might try to find this song

POLYSICS - "DOMO ARIGATO" Mr. Roboto
The music video looks amazingly humerous and the song itself is interesting

POLYSICS - "I My Me Mine"

POLYSICS - "Baby BIAS"

POLYSICS - "Rocket"

J-MELO: Monkey Majik

2008-02-28T19:45:00.013-05:00

I was so happy when I found the J-MELO episode featuring Monkey Majik. This episode ran on August 4, 2007 and features the stunningly hot melody. interviewing my favourite band Monkey Majik. I was recently introduced to J-MELO from one of my friends who likes melody. I wish I had known about this show sooner.

melody., Blaise Plant, and Maynard Plant

The low quality video from crunchyroll can be found here.
The high quality video from Japtard can be found here.

Photos: YUI Single Covers

2008-02-25T23:11:00.002-05:00

I just had to post these YUI single covers. They look so nice :)

YUI's tomorrow's way cover looks amazing. Great colours!

Photos: YUI From Me to You Scans

2008-02-25T22:56:00.003-05:00

With YUI's new single Namidairo out, I decided to listen to her first album "From Me to You" again. I was happy to discover some high quality album scans. I decided to post some of the YUI images (which could be wallpapers), since they look so nice. Click on the images to see the image at gargantuan dimensions.

YUI doing what she does best, playing the guitar and looking depressed (gives us a smile please!)

YUI playing some more guitar

This photo of YUI looks rather artsy. Perhaps something you would see at an art gallery?

Lyrics: CHEMISTRY SUPPORTED BY MONKEY MAJIK - Kagayaku yoru

2008-02-24T22:01:00.003-05:00

I always wondered what Monkey Majik songs would sound like if they were sung by the CHEMISTRY duo. I've always been a fan of CHEMISTRY, so this is the perfect combo. I just hope Monkey Majik does a cover for this song, since I'd be interested in how it sounds.

Title: Kagayaku yoru
Artist: CHEMISTRY supported by Monkey Majik
Single: Kagayaku yoru
Year: 2007

※akiramenai tsumari sorega mirai
azayakana ashiato o koishite
yume o kono te ni tsukamunda

midori no naka de odoru
furisosogu hikari no naka
mabushiku hikaru hi no shita de

(※repeat)

nanimo nai hibi o sugosu boku wa
wazuka na koto bakari ki ni shite
jinsei to wa kawaranai mono
kaeru mono dakara
shinjitsu o mitsumeyou

nagasarenai youni mayowanai youni
fumidasou kono michi o

kanawanai eien'no yume o
hitasura oitsuzukete
shizumu yubi ni terasarete

(※repeat)

kono sekaino kurushimi o
hitori de shoikondetayo
wakattetanosa kotaeno nai
doryoku nante nai koto o

taoresou demo hashititsuzuketa
sono shunkan itsumo mune ni kanjiteikou

yuruginai kokorono koe de
kasoku shite yumeno butai e
kagayaku tsuki no sono shita de

(※repeat)

wasurenaiyo ano hibi o
sasaetekureta tomodachi o

kikoeruyo kikoetekurunosa ano koe
(I know you're always gonna get through!)

kawaranaiyo kono kimochi
eien ni nokoru soshite hirogaru

"kanarazu anatano yume wa yume o tsunagukara"

hitomino nakani utsuru
hikari ga terasu mirai

kagayaku yoru ni kono uta o

(※repeat)

You know that you'll make it!
I know you can take it!
kagayaku yoru ni kono uta o

You know that you'll make it!
I know you can take it!
tsukamu'nda

Source: from Jpop Asia, link is found here.

Looking at Jpop Artist Blogs Part 1

2008-02-22T19:02:00.006-05:00

I visit quite a few Jpop blogs, but I hadn't visited many Jpop artist blogs. So I started off with two blogs today: Angela Aki and Blaise Plant (the guy from Monkey Majik). You are absolutely right if you think I'm bored out of my mind today.

http://blog.excite.co.jp/angelaaki/
Angela Aki's blog (I hope it's her official blog, otherwise we have an amazing stalker) has tons of photos, which is exactly what I want since I don't understand Japanese. I browsed through the photos and was satisfied.

http://blaiseplant.syncl.jp/
Blaise Plant has both English and Japanese in his posts, accompanied with a low quality photo. I was pretty surprised that he would put Google Ads on his blog. If you're wondering why a song plays, which isn't by Monkey Majik, it's a solo song called "Call me"

Starting March 18th Blaise Plant will begin
his solo project "The Alphabet Project"
releasing his first single "Call me"
On the same day this blog will also be renewed and connected with www.blaiseplant.jp

He better not leave Monkey Majik, or I'll be crushed. Also, Blaise Plant singing without amazing guitar = NO THANKS.

the brilliant green complete singles collection '97'-'08'

2008-02-22T18:28:00.008-05:00

It's about time the brilliant green released a single collection. I guess it looks a lot cooler to have an eleven year range (although they were inactive for some time). For hardcore the brilliant green fans, there's nothing new. However, I will probably purchase this album off YesAsia or eBay, since I'm a fan of the brilliant green and it would be nice to support them.

I was contemplating purchasing the "Rainy Days Never Stays" and "Stand By Me" singles, since they are my favourite songs, but now it's all on a single CD, so I'm overjoyed.

The cover is incredibly boring, but the scans are interesting. I especially enjoy the signatures and the wonderfully drawn dog.

Here are the scans:

Where's the rest of the band??? Why is Tomoko only in this picture :(

Track list:
1. the brilliant green - Bye Bye Mr. Mug
2. the brilliant green - Good Bye And Good Luck
3. the brilliant green - There will be love there ~Ai no Aru Basho~
4. the brilliant green - Tsumetai Hana
5. the brilliant green - Sono Speed de
6. the brilliant green - Ai no Heart Ai no Hoshi
7. the brilliant green - Call My Name
8. the brilliant green - Call My Name
9. the brilliant green - Bye! My Boy!
10. the brilliant green - Hello Another Way
11. the brilliant green - angel song
12. the brilliant green - Forever to me
13. the brilliant green - Rainy Days Never Stays
14. the brilliant green - I'm So Sorry Baby
15. the brilliant green - Stand By Me
16. the brilliant green - Enemy
17. the brilliant green - Ash Like Snow

Update March 1, 2008: Sorry, but the downloads have been disabled

Album Review: Yuna Ito - WISH

2008-02-21T18:37:00.009-05:00

Finally, Yuna Ito's new album WISH is out! I had hoped that WISH wouldn't be as disappointing as Yuna Ito's last album HEART. However, WISH is just as boring as HEART. Before the Yuna Ito fan boys and fan girls fill my shoutbox with death threats, it's important to remember that I don't understand Japanese. Yuna Ito has an amazing voice, but her songs aren't exciting when you don't understand Japanese. Having interesting beats and addictive instrumentals is very important in determining my interest in a Jpop song. Unfortunately, WISH doesn't have a whole lot of interesting beats.

I listened to the full album three times at work and barely made it through the third time. There just wasn't anything to keep my interested, except for "Mahaloha". "I'm Here" has a good beginning, but that's about it. However, I've heard these songs from Yuna Ito's singles, so I didn't discover anything new.

I couldn't stand Yuna Ito doing the cover for "My Heart Will Go On". When the movie Titanic was released, I heard this song too many times. Maybe it would be interesting if Yuna Ito sang this in Japanese and remixed the song to a fast-paced pop song.

Track list:
1. Power of Love
2. Alone Again
3. Anata ga Iru Kagiri ~A World To Believe In~
4. Urban Mermaid
5. Heartbeat
6. Colorful
7. Unite As One
8. Mahaloha
9. A Long Walk
10. Moon Rabbit
11. I'm Here
12. Wish
13. Tokyo Days
14. My Heart Will Go On (Bonus Track)

The direct download for Yuna Ito's album wish can be found here, thanks to Jpop n' Kpop.

Nothing Like Jpop to Brighten Your Day

2008-02-19T18:26:00.002-05:00

After getting terribly sick on the long weekend and forcing myself to go to work today, I felt like dying. However, upon returning home, I noticed that the mail box was bulging with two small packages. Finally, my Monkey Majik's Sora wa Marude album and AAA's Around album had arrived from YesAsia and eBay.

With what could only be described as short-term amnesia, I forgot about all my problems as I viciously opened up the packages. The eBay seller had included a gift CD, which was Yuna Ito's single stuck on you. Good thing I like Yuna Ito...and free stuff :D

Perhaps I'll attain self-actualization when I purchase all the Jpop albums I've ever wanted. Meanwhile, I'll enjoy listening to these new CDs on my (death) bed.

Don't forget to support your favourite Jpop artists! ^_^

Lyrics: Monkey Majik - Smile

2008-02-19T18:14:00.000-05:00

Title: Smile
Artist: Monkey Majik
Album: Sora wa Marude
Year: 2007

You see the walls? They're breaking, changing.
But hell it's all ok.
The good days are passing, and you're laughing,
Smile as much as you can...
Look above you're trapped again, ya see the end,
But everything will be ok...
Ya come back to the bus stop
Knowing that you don't got to follow that storm no more.

I caught a bolt of lightning.
Put it in my pocket as a good luck charm.
And then I started thinking...
Maybe this piece of fire will protect me from harm.
Sentimental journeys, are the only things that turn me around.

C'mon and smile for me, I know you're waiting for that moment
to wash away your pain. You got to live it as much as you can.
Cherish what you have 'cause someday you'll be gone and you might say...
Where have they gone. But you can fix it, just give it a try

You get yourself right out of bed,
Clear your head, time for something new.
You start meeting new people,
And ya keep on moving ahead.
You look at all the good stuff,
Knowing that it's gonna be tough,
But everything will be ok.
Keep going, never look back again,
Until the end, follow that storm beyond.

I caught a bolt of lightning.
Put it in my pocket as a good luck charm.
And then I started thinking...
Maybe this piece of fire will protect me from harm.
Sentimental journeys, are the only things that turn me around.

C'mon and smile for me, I know you're waiting for that moment
to wash away your pain. You got to live it as much as you can.
Cherish what you have 'cause someday you'll be gone and you might say...

You gotta try to get out.
Make sure you promise.
What you have now,
I fugure, one way or another,
What will count is what happens.
But you know what?
All you need to do is smile.

Source: the lyrics written in the CD cover of Sora wa Marude (to think the English lyrics were here all along...)

Lyrics: Monkey Majik - Falling

2008-02-17T23:40:00.002-05:00

Title: Falling
Artist: Monkey Majik
Single: Around the World
Year: 2006

The mission's only half way done
It's taken on a life of its own
I wasnt sure how they'd make it back home
I crawl when you need me to run
I know you think that I can't cope all alone,
but in time I can count on you there.

A little bit of tme is all I want
A little bit of luck to turn me on
A little bit of something else all want these days

I'm falling offways
Ain't gaining headway
Been left here on my own
A little bit of time is all I want
A little bit of luck to turn me on
A little bit of something else all want these days

It's knowin' that I had to change
(I'm) lookin' back on all the days,
(But) couldn't find anytime, that's the way that it is
It's hard to say the words I feel
(I) need to understand I'm still,
on my own, even when you are here my by side

A little bit of tme is all I want
A little bit of luck to turn me on
A little bit of something else all want these days

I'm falling offways
Ain't gaining headway
Been left here on my own
A little bit of time is all I want
A little bit of luck to turn me on
A little bit of something else all want these days

Source: http://www.seeklyrics.com/lyrics/Monkey-Majik/Falling.html

Lyrics: Monkey Majik - Car Crash

2008-02-17T23:40:00.001-05:00

Title: Car Crash
Artist: Monkey Majik
Single: Change
Year: 2007

It makes me happy when you smile
You blush right out and stay where you are,
Every move you make is a photograph.
We've taken pictures in the park,
Posing just like the movie stars,
I can't see anything out of focus.

I know that you'll be there for me always,
I could take you to a different place you hadn't been before.
Will you walk with me, just for a little while?
Got something that I need to say.

If I hold your hand just a little more,
Could you smile for me, oh baby.
You're the girl I need and I want nothing more,
Would you say the same for me?
If I sing a love song and turn you on,
You could be my melody.
I could bring some yellow flowers when I come home to you.

Local car crash on the news.
Call your house and no sign of you.
Agitated from this tension.
The doorbell rings and I'm not looking back,
I fall to my knees can't face the fact.
What am I supposed to do?
Oh no!

I know that you'll be there for me always.
I'll see you in that other place...wherever it is.
Could you visit me just for a little while?
I've got something that I need to say.

If I hold your hand just a little more,
Could you smile for me, oh baby.
You're the girl I need and I want nothing more,
Would you say the same for me?
If I sing a love song and turn you on,
You could be my melody.
I could bring some yellow flowers when I come home to you.

Source: long link, click here

Lyrics: Monkey Majik - Red Dress

2008-02-17T23:39:00.001-05:00

Title: Red Dress
Artist: Monkey Majik
Single: Picture Perfect
Year: 2007

The girl with the red dress,
she is standing just to confess.
Has an eye for fancy things
He buys her diamond rings.
With high heets, just walking.
She has got everyone talking
About who is next line,
To take her out, and dine.

She knows how it feels,
She makes all the world turn for her.
She knows, ooh! I know.
And he knows how it feels,
Not on his own, he is chasing at her,
He knows, ooh! Everyone knows.

"I love her, oh! I love her, I love her."

Spending everyday outside her doorway,
The ligth goes out, the window is open,
I hear her sleeping.
The groud below me never moves,
I'm sick rigth here.
Wishing she would fly out with a rope.
To pull me near

She don't know how I feel,
I would give up all my kingdom for her,
I know, ooh! I know.
And she knows how it feels,
She makes all the word turn for her,
She knows, I know.

Oh! I love her oh! I love her
Looking at your window with the curtain slightly
Open there is a mirror
And in that mirror I see a reflection
Of a cloth that is satin red.
Black car in the driveway, how does it mean?
I think I know

He loves her? Yeah he loves her,
And she loves him! And I lost her.
Oh no!

Source: http://www.seeklyrics.com/lyrics/Monkey-Majik/Red-Dress.html

Lyrics: Monkey Majik - turn

2008-02-17T23:28:00.001-05:00

Title: turn
Artist: Monkey Majik
Album: thank you
Year: 2006

Wakin’ up asa me ga samete futto kanojo ga satte ikuyou na
tojiru to mieteiru monoga hirakuto mienakunaru genjitsu
nani mo sondeinaiyo, tada hito koto dake wonderfull wonderfull
Is all I need to hear me ni mienakute

Sometimes I feel like cavin' in nani ka ni semararete iruyouna
I wonder why? Ima made konna ni chisai jibun ni kizukenaide
subete o moto ni modosou toshite donna ni kako o sosuttemitemo
I'm right in yumede mite yume

Ohh.. It's still turnin' around
It's so nandomo meguri meguru
Alright now
It's still turnin' around
demo ashita wa kittokurukara
Alright now

What if I'm the only one? hikari ga tashika ni ashimoto o tomoshiteite
sukushi zutsu sukushi zutsu dakedo shinjiteru boku no mukau beki basho ga
Is this really now the only way through? sokoni wa itsudemo kimi ga ite
kataku omoi kono tobira nokku suru yo

boku kara hanashi o suru yo kimi ga iwareru sono mae ni
furi kaeru to yoku mieru kara I can see all three sides from here.
mirai wa dareni mo mienai kedo kimi to futari nara yakusoku dekiru
I'm right in shizuka ni naraku

Ohh.. It's still turnin' around
It's so nandomo meguri meguru
Alright now
It's still turnin' around
demo ashita wa kittokurukara
Alright now

Sometimes when everything's dark i take a lil' time and make sure it's all real
Sometimes when i'm alone I think about what the hell went wrong.
I look right out the door and see that all of this is turning.

Ohh.. It's still turnin' around
It's so nandomo meguri meguru
Alright now
It's still turnin' around
demo ashita wa kittokurukara
Alright now

Sometimes I feel like cavin' in nani ka ni semararete iruyouna
I wonder why? Ima made konna ni chisai jibun ni kizukenaide
mirai wa dareni mo mienai kedo kimi to futari nara yakusoku dekiru
I'm right
Alright now

Source: http://www.seeklyrics.com/lyrics/Monkey-Majik/Turn.html

Lyrics: Monkey Majik - Fly

2008-02-17T23:27:00.000-05:00

Title: Fly
Artist: Monkey Majik
Album: thank you
Year: 2006

Leaving on that 7:30 train, I don't how far I'll go.
Round in circles just as long I would tell you, I am alone but
we could be.
Tell me something I haven't heard before, except for when you
shut me down.
Remember when we stayed up all night drinking whiskey.
I know that you've been waiting.
I'll see you on the other side.

Oh! We're better off alone, I told you once before,
so don't knock on my door, you'll see it if you will,
but I don't wanna know.
I'm feeling so resentful.

I wanna fly
Fly me up so high
Take me to the skies
I won't get by
Itsu made mo kimi no koe ga boku no kokoro de hibiku
If you can't believe me take me home

Kimi no tiisa na te wo semete ato sukoshi
Tsuyoku nigiri shimete itanara
yukkuri ashita wo materareta noni
namida no wake shiteita kedo ima dewa mou ososugiru kara
sore wa sugi yuku keshiki no youni

I wanna fly
Fly me up so high
Take me to the skies
I won't get by
Itsu made mo kimi no koe wa boku no miti ni aru sa
If you can't believe me take me home

Everybody's talkink always up and groovin' come on up and join
up with me yeah!
Always on and dancin' always on the move and, come on everybody
won't you come with me?

cause I wanna fly
Fly me up so high
Take me to the skies
I won't get by
Everybody needs to go beyond the seas
If you can't believe me take me home

cause I wanna fly, I wanna fly,
take me high. cause I wanna fly,
I wanna fly, take me high!

I wanna fly
Fly me up so high
Take me to the skies
I won't get by
Itsu made mo kimi no koe wa boku no miti ni aru sa
If you can't believe me take me home

Source: http://www.seeklyrics.com/lyrics/Monkey-Majik/Fly.html

Lyrics: Monkey Majik - Around the World

2008-02-17T23:25:00.001-05:00

Title: Around the World
Artist: Monkey Majik
Album: Thank you
Year: 2006

Every night I look to the skies And wonder what we did
Always a naive point of view that breaks us in the end
If I could find the meaning of it all I’d take the chance
Maybe in time We’ll walk the mile and change it if we can

It’s now and always (How did we get this far)
Always (We’re making a brand new start)
Always (Nothing will hold me down)
Always (Wave goodbye to me!)

Around the world atarashii kotoni
Around the world fumidasu chikara de
Around the world sekai wa kawaru sa
But don’t run away ’cause if it’s not OK!
I’ll change that world Into something better honey!

Rettsu - kanfu!

hateshinaku hirogaru kono michi wo
bokura wa mata aruki tsuzukeru sa
subete no imi ga wakaru no nara ba
kono hitomi (me) de nani wo mitsumeru no darou

It’s now and always (How did we get this far)
Always (We’re making a brand new start)
Always (Nothing will hold me down)
Always (Wave goodbye to me!)

Around the world kimi dake no tame ni
Around the world sagashi tsuzukeru yo
Around the world kiseki no kakera wo
But don’t run away ’cause if it’s not OK!

And you know it’s gonna be raining
And you know it’s gonna be hard
As long as we trust each other
Nothing gonna break apart Oh No!No!
If ya wanna be somebody
Get up on ya feet and go
I know we’re gonna meet each other
Somewhere around the globe

Around the world itsu demo jibun ni
Around the world make te iru hitowa
Around the world nai mo tsukame nai
But don’t run away ’cause if it’s not OK!
But don’t run away ’cause if it’s not OK!
I’ll change that world Into something better honey!

Source: http://www.lyricsspot.com/monkey+majik-around+the+world-lyrics-1536218.html

Lyrics: Monkey Majik

2008-02-17T18:08:00.019-05:00

I have collected and posted Monkey Majik lyrics after frantically searching through many web sources and the Monkey Majik CDs. Unlike Ayumi Hamasaki or Utada Hikaru, it's quite difficult to find a single source containing all the Monkey Majik lyrics. Also, since Monkey Majik is not nearly as popular, the romaji lyrics are difficult to find. In some cases, the romaji lyrics don't exist, so they will be unavailable :(

The collected romaji lyrics for Monkey Majik will be added to a single index for easy access and will be updated as new albums and singles are released.

I decided to start with Monkey Majik because they are my favourite Jpop group and they use a lot of English in their songs. If you are wondering how deep or shallow their songs are (from the English lyrics), now you can find out!

I recently acquired the Sora wa Marude album, which has the lyrics written in the cover. Too bad it doesn't have the romaji lyrics :(

2005 Album: eastview
1. One moment
2. Livin' in the sun
3. All my life
4. Kamome
5. 1996
6. I was waiting
7. Inside
8. Kanpai
9. Decay
10. Apology Accepted
11. Take

2006 Album: thank you
1. turn
2. another day
3. thank you
4. on and on
5. YUKI GASSEN
6. fly
7. between the lines
8. all by myself
9. delayed
10. Around the World
11. STAY
12. TANE

2007 Album: Sora wa Marude
1. Sora wa Maru de
2. NO SNOW IN DECEMBER
3. Mitsumoto
4. Picture Perfect
5. Sotsugyou, Soshite Mirai e
6. Change
7. Futari
8. LONG SHOT PENNY
9. Pretty People
10. Negai
11. Smile
12. MAYBE
13. I MISS YOU

Single B-Sides

Update log:

March 30, 2008 - Added lyrics for eastview

Lyrics: Monkey Majik - I MISS YOU

2008-02-17T18:06:00.002-05:00

Title: I MISS YOU
Artist: Monkey Majik
Album: Sora wa Marude
Year: 2007

If you try to fly
I would catch you if you'd fall
And let you go

Could I hold your hands
And we could fly together somewhere
Just me and you

We'd be floating by
See you gather way up high
So pretty like

And our time will pass
And we will be together
But our past may change
And we could be together no more
Better say goodbye (yeah yeah)

I want to say

And when the skys begin to cloud
About the moment when the sun comes out
And you'll know the meaning
'cause I'll be there right by your side
And when the starlit sky begins to shine
(Oh) like it's never shined before
You'll know I miss you
Yeah, and I miss you

Every long goodbye
Far away from her lone nights
Can't remember you

Couldn't say your name
But I'm glad I met you (I miss you)
Was it all a dream?

Am I floating by your window
While you're sleeping
Hello, better open your eyes

But our time has passed
And we had been together
But our past may change
And we could be forever no more
Better say goodbye (yeah yeah)

I want to say
And when the skys begin to cloud
About the moment when the sun comes out
And you'll know the meaning
'cause I'll be there right by your side
And when the starlit sky begins to shine
(Oh) like it's never shined before
You'll know I miss you

Yeah, and I miss you (yeah)

And when the skys begin to cloud
About the moment when the sun comes out
And you'll know the meaning
'cause I'll be there right by your side
And when the starlit sky begins to shine
(Oh) like it's never shined before
You'll know I miss you
Yeah, and I miss you

If you try to fly, (oh no)
You know I miss you

Source: http://lyricwiki.org/MONKEY_MAJIK:I_Miss_You

Lyrics: Monkey Majik - MAYBE

2008-02-17T18:06:00.001-05:00

Title: MAYBE
Artist: Monkey Majik
Album: Sora wa Marude
Year: 2007

Lately, she's got me hypnotized
With a word she triggers numbness in my head
Maybe you keep me holding on
'Cause loneliness is one thing that you dread

Maybe you ain't listening baby
Turn the volume up a little
Yeah that's all it takes

Yeah you got me goin' crazy
Running round in circles lately
Yeah can't set things straight

You don't know yet
but I've been waiting for the right time to talk to you
You don't know yet but I've been yearning yeah
Oh to step up to the plate and bring myself to say.

I'll take good music any day
'Cause I'm all fed up with reason
'Cause you know my heart has got to play
I said, I'll take good music any day
'Cause I'm all fed up with reason
'Cause you know my heart has got to play
I said

Maybe, if you'd give me half a chance
I'd a slowly edged back to your way instead
Of me fading in the distance
But you always had to have it your own way

You knew everything about me
Never got real close now did we yeah
It's too fate
Yeah you got me goin' crazy runnin' 'round in circles lately yeah
Can't set me straight

You don't know yet but I've been yearning yeah
Oh step up to the plate and bring myself to say

I'll take good music any day
'Cause I'm all fed up with reason
'Cause you know my heart has got to play
I said, I'll take good music any day
'Cause I'm all fed up with reason
'Cause you know my heart has got to play

Maybe you could beg
Lie a little bit
Put my trust back into you
To get my faith again

I'll take good music any day
'Cause I'm all fed up with reason
'Cause you know my heart has got to play
I said, I'll take good music any day
'Cause I'm all fed up with reason
'Cause you know my heart has got to play

Source: http://www.justsomelyrics.com/1421214/MONKEY-MAJIK-MAYBE-Lyrics

Lyrics: Monkey Majik - Pretty People

2008-02-17T18:05:00.001-05:00

Title: Pretty People
Artist: Monkey Majik
Album: Sora wa Marude
Year: 2007

Alright now here we go
You say the world is changing
Don't seem so complicated
Wake up in the middle of the night
With a newspaper beside your bed
It's in you head!
Don't have to be educated
Cause half the people who "conduct the train"
Are overpriced and we're underpaid
Say no names!
Just try to make the change
We'll follow you, and whatever you go through
We've seen it all

Now let's try something new
(Don't need the same things)
Make sure it's true
(Let's try to change things)
Holding hands with your brothers, and your sisters
and your mothers and your fathers,
sons and daughters friends and cousins all the "ISMS"

Pretty people yeah! They're living all around the world
We try to make it better, look at eachother deeper
You'll see us pretty people

Simply put it's just a shame
And no one else is set to blame
I don't know if I can help
But I want to lend a hand
It's a simple theory, yeah
Nothing complicated man
And I just wish that everyone would not agree to disagree
To all the pretty people who
Take this message to be true
Put your hands together watch the system crumble down again
That's all that it takes
Watch the system crumble down again, yeah

Source: http://lyricwiki.org/MONKEY_MAJIK:Pretty_People

Lyrics: Monkey Majik - LONG SHOT PENNY

2008-02-17T18:04:00.001-05:00

Title: LONG SHOT PENNY
Artist: Monkey Majik
Album: Sora wa Marude
Year: 2007

WE WERE WALKING DOWN THE STREET
6 AM YEAH WE WERE TALKING.
SMELL OF RAIN AND EARLY MORNING
IS ALL WE NEEDED TO GET STARTED
BUT SOMETHING HIT ME
I THOUGHT THE WORLD WAS FALLING DOWN
AND THEN I REALIZED
THAT I SAW SOMETHING IMPOSSIBLE
EVERYDAY'S ALWAYS THE SAME
BUT THIS IS SOMETHING I HADN'T FELT BEFORE
WHAT THE HELL AM I DOING HERE?
IT'S NOT LIKE RUNNING IS AN OPTION.
AND SHE WAS CRUMBLING DOWN, AND WE WERE FALLING DOWN,
AND WE COULD SEE IT ALL BECOME CLEARER.
SHE WAS CRUMBLING DOWN, AND WE WERE FALLING DOWN,
AND WE COULD SEE IT ALL BECOME CLEARER.

IT'S A LONG SHOT PENNY EVERYTHING YOU TELL ME,
YOU TURN IT INTO A LIE I REALLY WONDER IF
THE SUN THIS MORNING HAD NEVER RISEN?
THERE WOULD BE NO GOODBYES.

ITS FUNNY, WHAT I WANTED MOST,
I TURNED AWAY WITHOUT A SECOND THOUGHT.
AND WHO WOULD'VE THOUGHT IT WOULD COME TO THIS?
BUT NOW, IM ASKING FOR ANOTHER CHANCE.
AND NOW IM FALLING DOWN, MY WORLD IS CRUMBLING DOWN,
I WISH THAT IT WOULD ALL BECOME CLEARER.
AND NOW IM FALLING DOWN, MY WORLD IS CRUMBLING DOWN,
I WISH THAT IT WOULD ALL BECOME CLEARER.

IT'S A LONG SHOT PENNY EVERYTHING YOU TELL ME
I TURN IT INTO A LIE I REALLY WONDER IF THE SUN
THIS MORNING HAD NEVER RISEN?
THERE WOULD BE NO GOODBYES
BUT I DON'T WANT TO DO IT ALONE,
CAUSE I NEED YOU IN MY LIFE,
AND IF I THOUGHT THAT I WOULD WANT YOU TO KNOW,
YOU WOULD COME BACK TO MY SIDE TO MY SIDE.

Source: http://lyricwiki.org/MONKEY_MAJIK:LONG_SHOT_PENNY

Lyrics: Monkey Majik - Futari

2008-02-17T18:03:00.002-05:00

Title: Futari
Artist: Monkey Majik
Album: Sora wa Marude
Year: 2007

Ikudo to naku oshioseru omoi ga majiriatte
Kiramenku jikan no naka ni tashikana ashiato wo
Yureru mirai wa kitto yozora wo koeteikuyo
ima to iu toki wa ima shika nai kara

Soba ni ite ageruyo itsumadedemo
Kimi wo shiritsukushitai hikari to kage
Mabushii asa ni mi wo yudaneyou
Eien ni futari de...

kono yo no arayuru koto ga fukuzatsu ni karamiatte
Boku no kanjiru subete ga yukkuri boyaketeiku
Nigotta kenjitsu wa kitto itsuka suki to otte ikuyo
Ima to iu toki wa ima shika nai kara

Soba ni ite hoshiiyo donna toki mo
Kimi wo shiritsukushitai hikari to kage
Mabushii asa ni mi wo yudaneyou
Soshite futari de...

Onaji hibi sugoshi ashita wo matsu no?
Kowagaru koto wa naiyo
Subete wa kokokara hajimaru ki shite
Futari no mirai wa yume jyanakute
Sukoshizutsu mae ni...

Soba ni ite ageruyo itsumadedemo
Kimi wo shiritsukushitai hikari to kage
mabushii asa ni mi wo yudaneyou
Eien ni futari de...

Source: http://www.seeklyrics.com/lyrics/Monkey-Majik/Futari.html

Lyrics: Monkey Majik - Change

2008-02-17T18:03:00.001-05:00

Title: Change
Artist: Monkey Majik
Album: Sora wa Marude
Year: 2007

You had your wishes but you threw them away
It made you happy yeah for more than one day
But now you're lost and cannot figure a way
To get out of this lie that comforts you
And you know that I would lie to comfort you

Renew your wishes get on out of this fray
You'll never change if you keep running away
A little time, you need to figure a way
'Cause you know it doesn't lie in front of you
And you know it doesn't lie in front of you

I need a change
'Cause it's all gone wrong for me
Somebody else to lead me now
I need a change
'Cause it's all gone wrong for me
Somebody else to lead me now
(I want) Somebody else to lead me now
(I said) Somebody else to lead me now

Brothers on the top pressing all the melodies
Never can stop 'cause it's a necessity
You like the way the northern brothers
They make ya dance
I think we're changing the sound of sweet romance
Time to party juni-hon no ude
Everybody wants to get started
Takatantan!!! Sweet sound of the shamisen
Tsugaru style if you know where they're coming from
Wouldn't it be nice if the whole world got along
Even on a small scale change is possible
We keep saying these things
Don't even know what they mean
As if we had never seen
The other end of the street
Start travelling, communicating, educating
Sing them your song
You'd be surprised how many people wanna hear what you're saying
Apples are red,
But taste the same as green WOOO!!

Source: http://lyricwiki.org/MONKEY_MAJIK:Change

Lyrics: Monkey Majik - Sotsugyou, Soshite Mirai e

2008-02-17T18:02:00.001-05:00

Title: Sotsugyou, Soshite Mirai e
Artist: Monkey Majik
Album: Sora wa Marude
Year: 2007

Say goodbye sabishiku wa nai sari yuku hibi ni hokoreru hibi
Itoshiku kamishimenagara omoi wo haseru
Say goodbye sabishiku wa nai arata na hibi ni masshiro na hibi
Ima, bokura wa mirai wo mune ni omoi wo idaku

In my life, you know it's hard to say
That every single day, I had to feel the pain but
Namida de sabisou ni nattara mabushii ano hi no omoidasu yo
Kayoi nareta itsumo no kono michi, kyou tabidatsu yo
Tooi mirai no fuan jyanai yo koraekirezu afure deru kimochi

We could stay close, say no goodbyes
Keeping our ties, and never unwind
Maybe tomorrow we can go out for a ride

We're driving for miles, there's always smile
Your very first kiss, remember those days
'Cause in my heart I know you're close to me

Don't wanna
Say goodbye sabishiku wa nai sariyuki hibi ni hokoreru hibi
Itoshiku kamishimenagara omoi wo haseru
Say goodbye sabishiku wa nai arata na hibi ni masshiro na hibi
Ima, bokura wa mirai wo mune ni omoi wo idaku

Ikiru to yu no wa suburashii koto kanashimi tanoshimi tai ni naru mono
Torokeru hodo masshiro na KYANBASU boku iro ni someru tame arukidasu
Kono jinsei sono mono ga sakuhin hitotsu hitotsu kokoro ni jigaku shi

Toki ni akubi shichau gurai RIRAKKUSU shite boku wa boku no PE-SU de ikou
Waku waku wo tsunorase AIDORINGU joudai maru de kotori no saezuri
Mitaku kibun odorase ikuyo doko made? ippo ippo otona e
machi ukeru no wa MERODORAMA tsuki mitaku hade hyanakutemo na
Boku ni totte taisetsu na hibi imi aru boku dake no michi

We could stay close, say no goodbyes
Keeping our ties, and never unwind
Maybe tomorrow we can go out for a ride

We're driving for miles, there's always smile
Your very first kiss, remember those days
'Cause in my heart I know you're close to me

Woah!

And if I try
To make it all worthwhile
And all it takes
Is just to get up and run

I don't think that I could ever see myself waiting
...Stop!

I don't wanna
Say goodbye sabishiku wa nai sari yuku hibi ni hokoreru hibi
Itoshiku kamishimenagara omoi wo haseru
Say goodbye itoshiku wa nai arata na hibi ni masshiro na hibi
Ima, bokura wa mirai wo mune ni omoi wo idaku

Zutto wasurenai yo tomo ni sugoshita
Just bring it down
I'm not gonna stop livin' my life to the top
Your memory's all that I got
I've been dreaming
This time would come
And make it all worthwhile
Won't let you down
Take my hand
Let's get out

We could stay close, say no goodbyes
Keeping our ties, and never unwind
Maybe tomorrow we can go out for a ride

We're driving for miles, there's always smile
Your very first kiss, remember those days
'Cause in my heart I know you're close to me

Don't wanna
Say goodbye sabishiku wa nai sariyuki hibi ni hokoreru hibi
Itoshiku kamishimenagara omoi wo haseru
Say goodbye sabishiku wa nai arata na hibi ni masshiro na hibi
Ima, bokura wa mirai wo mune ni omoi wo idaku

Say goodbye kinou kara kyou soshite ashita e no show
Itoshiku hanaretemo tsune ni kokoro ni arudeshou
Say goodbye ima made no subete no kinou ni arigato
Itoshiku koko kara mada minu e wo egaki hajimeyou

Source: long url, click here

Lyrics: Monkey Majik - Picture Perfect

2008-02-17T18:01:00.000-05:00

Title: Picture Perfect
Artist: Monkey Majik
Album: Sora wa Marude
Year: 2007

All the time that you were standing by my side
She's that picture perfect kind
I can't believe I was so blind
Do you remember the time
You know I stepped across that line
I made you cry and that's my crime
I wish that I could just rewind

It's the evening, and you've been complaining
About our situation and all my deceiving
I know that everything is going slow
And if you want to feel better
I can tell you that it's going to be great
Yeah it's going to be good
Oh! But I would be lying to you

But these days, I'm changing
Meeting new faces
Now how am I supposed to be?
My feelings for you seem to be changing
Looking back, don't look back on me

(Chorus)

Inakute mo ii I wanted to be FREE
Inaku natte mo ii I wanted her to LEAVE
It's kind of hard to see... when the WORLD tunnel-visioned me
Motometeta ai no katachi
They say BELIEVE in what you can't SEE
Demo mawari no CANDY ga SWEET de HARD to THINK
Atama de wa COMPREHEND shite mo koudou ni utsusen
My eyes on the rikutsu, the TRUTH's here LISTEN
CHASE shite mo CHASE shite mo things keep FLEETING
Henna yumemite ta I must have been SLEEPING
Tooku samayou maeni chikaku wo SEEK IT
Yoku mite mireba kokoro ni wa BEACON
Of LIGHT sashite?sagashite ta thing's HERE
Omotta yori NEAR, close to your HEMISPHERE
Imade wa CLEAR 20/20 cuz I'mma SHARE
Subete and I don't CARE if they think I'm WEIRD
There there nobody thinks you're weird
Ya see, I've been through it all before

And the same thing happened to me
Kinishi nai "wounds heal with time"
But in the meanwhile...
I'll show you what I mean
Let's think of it another way
Everything we do and say defines who we are
As we live out each day
What we did was wrong at the time
But it helps us go back and rewind
It's a mistake but it ain't no crime
Kasanariau no sa tsumari sore ga ai

I said goodbye
I didn't know that it would all turn out this way
But now I know
I realise
And I can learn from my mistakes

Source: http://lyricwiki.org/MONKEY_MAJIK:Picture_Perfect

Lyrics: Monkey Majik - NO SNOW IN DECEMBER

2008-02-17T18:00:00.001-05:00

Title: NO SNOW IN DECEMBER
Artist: Monkey Majik
Album: Sora wa Marude
Year: 2007

Yeah! There comes a time when the north becomes the south.
Yeah! It's a long December.
Everybody wants to “chill” a bit, what's this about?
No! No! We're hoping it gets better.
Where's the snowman you're always building with your friends?
This world is heating up like ember.
I want to see it all falling out and about.

1.2.3 wishing I could see something
Fall through my window like it used to be.
Those good days have gone and passed.
Once or twice do you remember
We were making snow angels?
But those days have gone and passed.
Yeah time is heating up. Oh no...

What do you mean when you say I have to stay?
This world is heating up, the degrees are climbing day by day.
I don't think that we have really too much time.
We've been making changes lately,
I know its gonna be alright.

Hey did ya see the signs? Living your life as if you'll be alright now.
I know I am missing something in the news.
Man we gotta change it!
Hey the signs. Living your life.
But when it comes, I'll be feeling fine.
I know its hard, you know its hard.
Just take your time and go!

Yeah! There comes a time when the north becomes the south.
Yeah! It's a long December.
Everybody wants to “chill” a bit, what's this about?
No! No! We're hoping it gets better.
Where's the snowman you're always building with your friends?
This world is heating up like ember.
I want to see it all falling out and about.

These days I am feeling that I'm letting you down.
But ya know, I found the seed inside of me,
And I'm ready to make it grow.
You know your heart must be heating up inside.
It's the same as outside. Maybe it's time to cool it down.

What do you mean when you say I have to stay?
This world is heating up, the degrees are climbing day by day.
I don't think that we have really too much time.
We've been making changes lately,
I know its gonna be alright.

Hey did ya see the signs?
Living your life as if you'll be alright now.
I know I am missing something in the news.
Man we gotta change it!
Hey the signs. Living your life.
But when it comes, I'll be feeling fine.
I know its hard, you know its hard.
Just take your time and go!

Yeah! There comes a time when the north becomes the south.
Yeah! It's a long December.
Everybody wants to “chill” a bit, what's this about?
No! No! We're hoping it gets better.
Where's the snowman you're always building with your friends?
This world is heating up like ember.
I want to see it all falling out and about.

Yeah! There comes a time when the north becomes the south.
Yeah! It's a long December.
Everybody wants to “chill” a bit, what's this about?
No! No! We're hoping it gets better.
Where's the snowman you're always building with your friends?
This world is heating up like ember.
I want to see it all falling out and about.

Source: http://www.justsomelyrics.com/1421227/MONKEY-MAJIK-NO-SNOW-IN-DECEMBER-Lyrics

Lyrics: Monkey Majik - Sora wa Marude

2008-02-17T17:57:00.001-05:00

Title: Sora wa Marude
Artist: Monkey Majik
Album: Sora wa Marude
Year: 2007

Sora wa marude kimi no you ni aoku sunde doko made mo
Yagate bokura egakidashita ashita e to hashiridasu

Tabidatsu kedo looking in the rear view mirror
I got you there sukoshi dake clearer
I know with you?subete ga hirogatteiku
All we need is just a little more time nagareteru kara
Everyday look at yourself and smile
Hoping things will go your way.

Tashika na koto nado nani mo
Dare ni mo waranai kara
Donna koto ga okoru darou
Te wo tsunaide I'll never let you get away

Sora wa marude kimi no you ni aoku sunde doko made mo
Yagate bokura egakidashita ashita e to hashiridasu

1...1...Hey I wish we hadn't departed,
But now you life has started,
We met at the shop, and still have something in common.
Soshite itsuka wakaru?
I'm hoping everything is fun,
Kisetsu ga meguru yo
Tagai ni sugoshite hibi ga aru kara
I'm happy ya had the time to stay.
Letting it back, to chat, chilin' and bringin' it back.

Tashika na koto nado nani mo
Dare ni mo waranai kara
Donna koto ga okoru darou
Te wo tsunaide

Sora wa marude kimi no you ni aoku sunde doko made mo
Yagate bokura egakidashita ashita e to hashiridasu

Everyday I wake up thinking of you
You make it all clear to me
What I want you to do
Leave it up to you
I always knew you'd make it somewhere
You're pushin' it for the top
You never can stop
Enjoy the ride
And you know I'll always be there for you
So make every moment true

'Cause we all grow up and and our time is running out
(But) we can teach our youth
That's what life's all about
Maybe you'll fall in love
I maybe be your guide 'till then
Kimochi osaekirezu ni...yeah

Sore wa marude namida no you ni afuredasu yo itsumade mo
Deatta hibi no yorokobi mo itsu no hi ka itsu no hi ka

Source: http://www.jpopasia.com/lyrics/6592//monkey-majik/sora-wa-marude.html

Jpop Addict - Discovering Jpop Volume 1

2008-01-26T08:24:00.000-05:00

Jpop Addict - Discovering Jpop Volume 1

Everyone has heard Ayumi Hamasaki, BoA, Koda Kumi, and Namie Amuro before. I decided to create an album with some female Jpop artists that are not nearly as popular (this statement is debatable of course), but still sound amazing. Most of these songs are slower paced and relaxing. I hope you'll enjoy this small sample. Feedback is always welcome!

Note: All mp3s are at 192kbps or higher

Track list:
1. [2006] YOSHIKA - nothing
2. [2005] Dream - Shine Of Voice
3. [2006] RYTHEM - Dear Friend
4. [2005] Sakamoto Maaya - Loop
5. [2005] Younha - Himawari
6. [2003] Mikuni Shimokawa - Sore Ga Ai Deshou
7. [2005] Hitomi Takahashi - My Answer
8. [2004] Double - You Took My Heart Away
9. [2006] Rie Fu - I Wanna Go To A Place...
10. [2006] Angela Aki - Kokoro no Senshi

Intended for sampling purposes only. Support your favourite Jpop artists.

The direct download link is located here (80.64mb)

AAA: Shalala Kibou no Uta and Shocking Truths

2008-01-25T23:12:00.000-05:00

After watching every AAA music video and listening to most of their songs, I found that the music video for "Shalala Kibou no Uta" reveals a frightening truth about the group. If AAA ever lack funds, the music video shows exactly how the members will be kicked off.

We start of with 4 members standing behind the tree. There seems to be way too many members in this group. The whole group barely fits in this wide screen shot. Who's first to go?

Everyone starts walking through an alley. The camera rotates around and...gasp...only three members are left.

Three seems like a nice number. We got our two lead singers here and a guy in a toque (who sings well). To be perfectly honest, these are the only members I truly care about in AAA. Rather frightening how accurate this music video is getting. Can they reduce more? The music video reveals more shocking truths!

Now only the two lead singers remain. We got the handsome fellow Nishijima Takahiro and the cute Uno Misako. I could live with AAA being two people. I'm sure most people could live with that fact as well. However, in the end, AAA is a wonderful band that I hope won't ever break up. However, one female member, Goto Yukari, has already left due to health reasons. And yes, she was one of the first people to get kicked off the music video.

Of course, near the 55 second mark, the whole gang is together again dancing in the middle of a town. Hooray for AAA!

Sites for Downloading Jpop

2008-01-22T18:36:00.000-05:00

Here is a guide to the best places to download free Jpop on the internet. Don't kill the messenger! This guide is to save you time from searching Jpop downloading sites that are already highly accessible on search engines.

Leave a comment if you have any additional sites to suggest.

A shelf full of unbought Jpop. Please remember to support your favourite Jpop artist if you like their music!

JPOPSUKI
URL: mullemeck.serveftp.org/jps_beta/
Download type: BitTorrent
Description: the god of all Jpop downloading sites. The community is huge, so there is an enormous selection and new Jpop is added incredibly fast. You can find albums, singles, music videos, concerts, DVDs, and basically any Jpop medium here. I basically check this site everyday to see what new stuff is coming out (or you can subscribe to the RSS feed). However, my ISP (Rogers in Toronto, Ontario, Canada) blocks everyone from accessing JPOPSUKI because it's such an amazing site. An annoying workaround is using a proxy to access the site so you can get the torrent. Furthermore, you have to force encryption for outgoing and incoming connections to avoid being disconnected. Even with that drawback, JPOPSUKI is still my favourite site for getting Jpop.

JPSEEK
URL: http://forums.jpseek.com/
Download type: BitTorrent
Description: JPSEEK is my alternative to JPOPSUKI. JPSEEK has albums, singles, PVs, MVs, and all the essentials. Typically, I will go to "Release" and see what's there. There is a wide selection, but I find music comes out relatively slow on this site. Usually music has already been up on JPOPSUKI for a few days before it's posted here.

Gendou's Anime Music
URL: http://gendou.com/amusic/
Download type: direct download
Description: It's very common for popular Jpop songs to be part of an anime. If you're looking for a particular song used in an anime, you can almost always find that song at Gendou's Anime Music. Typically, the TV size, full size, and instrumental is released for a given song. You won't find full singles or albums here, or any other Jpop medium other than songs. However, the selection is huge and updated frequently, so it's an excellent place to find specific anime songs. For example, some anime related songs are: "Life" by YUI, "Alones" by Aqua Timez, "DAYBREAK'S BELL" by L'Arc-en-Ciel, "Days" by FLOW, and "Ash Like Snow" by the brilliant green, "Believe" by Tamaki Nami, and "Ike Ike" by HINOI Team.

Too Fast To Live
URL: http://toofasttolive.blogspot.com/
Download type: direct download
Description: Too Fast To Live is quickly becoming one of my favourite sites because it features direct downloads of singles, albums, PVs, MVs, and more. Where JPOPSUKI and its lack of seeds fail, Too Fast To Live always has the download available (since it's direct). You can place a request if you're looking for something, which means the selection is just as good as JPOPSUKI (if not better).

J-Spot
URL: http://j-pop-rock.com/rotation/jpoprockmusicrotation.htm
Download type: direct download
Description: If you need just a song (not the entire single or album), J-Spot is a good source. This site is particularly useful if you are looking for an old song that probably has no seeds for torrenting.

Last Updated: January 25, 2008

Spotlight: AAA - ATTACK ALL AROUND!

2008-01-21T21:01:00.000-05:00

I discovered the wonders of AAA (ATTACK ALL AROUND) three days ago and their songs have brought me to the brink of insanity. Their songs plays constantly in my head. I can't sleep, my productivity is down the drain at work, and I am slowly dying on the inside. Seriously, it should be a crime to make songs so addictive and exciting.

For quite sometime, I've been looking for a Jpop group to replace the guy/girl group songs that I once filled with the Korean "group" SMTOWN and even as far as the songs from High School Musical. Finally, the void in my life is filled, thank you AAA!

Perhaps it's a tad too over dramatic, but AAA does have really catchy songs. Also, as an added bonus, they also have great music videos. I "acquired" almost all their MVs yesterday. The reason for this behaviour isn't because the lead female singer, Uno Misako, is incredibly cute, but it's still a great incentive to do so :)

If you haven't heard AAA songs, what are you waiting for?

Here are some of my favourite AAA songs and music videos. Uno Misako looks so cute in all these videos!!!

Get Chu!

SUNSHINE

Kuchibiru Kara Romantica

If you'd like to download AAA's albums, singles, and music videos, the best place is at the Jpop blog Too Fast To Live which features direct downloads! JPOPSUKI also has an AAA discography available, but the music videos lack in seeds.

Namie Amuro: The Making of the Vidal Sassoon CM "New Look"

2008-01-19T08:42:00.000-05:00

I've been completely obsessed with Namie Amuro's Vidal Sassoon CM "New Look." Namie Amuro looks very cute and the commercial is really well choreographed. Vidal Sassoon is building up their competitive advantage by hiring such a "kawaii" person for advertisement.

Naturally, I would dig around for more videos. Luckily, there is a collection of "making of" videos around. I hope I don't get sick of "New Look" when it gets released, since I've watched the commercial like 20 times. There is also a "making of" video for her other CM "Rock Solid," but I don't think I can embed anymore videos, since it'll take forever for the page to load :(

The Making of the Vidal Sassoon CM "New Look"

Song Review: Satori Negishi - Stargazer ~Hoshi no Tobira~

2008-01-18T23:16:00.000-05:00

Title: Stargazer ~Hoshi no Tobira~
Artist: Satori Negishi
Single: Gundam Seed C.E.73-Stargazer
Released: September 05, 2006

The only full length "music video" I could find was this Final Fantasy VII fan video. It's annoying that Satori Negishi didn't make a music video for this song.

Review

"Stargazer ~Hoshi no Tobira~" is one of my favourite slow songs in 2006. I'm not sure how popular this song was, but I know it was briefly on the Oricon singles chart.

The first time I heard this song was the ending song for the anime "Mobile Suit Gundam Seed C.E.73." Satori Negishi has an excellent voice as she sings the song with a sad tone. The mood is depressing as hell and that's what I love about this song. The depression continues if you listen to the other songs on this single. The B-sides are just crap in my opinion. I wonder if Satori Negishi is ever going to sing any other songs in the future...

The verdict: Listen to "Stargazer ~Hoshi no Tobira~" if you want an excellent slow song! I highly recommend it.

It's probably hard to find this song now. Since it's an anime and the B-side sucks, you can download the full length song (and the TV size if you'd like) from Gendou. You can visit Gendou here.

Lyrics

Romaji lyrics for "Stargazer ~Hoshi no Tobira~":
Miageru sora
Kanashimi no
Aoki nageki no uta ga tada kikoeru

Yasashii shiroi matataki
Ubaisatta kaze... kanata

Nigenai boku wa kimeta yo
Kimi no nukumori soba ni kanjite

Me wo sorasazu ni
Subete kono mune ni
Sasaru shinjitsu naraba

Aruiteyukou
Yugami fusagareta
Hoshi no tobira no mukou...

Nari yamanai
Akai ame
Omoidasenai tsubusareta ashioto

Kimi no te sotto furetara
Kanjiteru yo sono kodou

Tsunaide mou hanasanai
Terashitsudzukeyou hoshi no hikari de

Nanika ga kawaru
Ryoute hirogetara
Sore ga shinjitsu dakara

Doko e mo yukazu
Boku no soba ni ite
Tobira wo akete ageyou

Me wo sorasazu ni
Subete kono mune ni
Sasaru shinjitsu naraba

Aruiteyukou
Yugami fusagareta
Hoshi no tobira no mukou...

Source: http://filer.case.edu/slc15/kashu/lyrics/stargazerhoshinotobira.html

Metadata

Artist: Satori Negishi
Release year: 2006
Genre: Pop
Song speed: Slow
Dominant voice: Female
Dominant language: Japanese

Toshinobu Kubota: Soul Music Master

2008-01-18T18:47:00.000-05:00

Thanks to smallhow for telling me about Toshinobu Kubota by commenting in MyShoutBox.

smallhow: why [don't I] see Toshinobu Kubota here??!!! he is great!

Toshinobu Kubota (or Toshi Kubota) is a great male singer if you're a fan of soul music. The Toshi Kubota Wikipedia article (found here), says Toshi Kubota is a pioneer of soul music in Japan. Maybe I'm terrible at searching for songs, but it's really difficult to find Toshi Kubota songs (if anyone knows where to find his stuff, please leave a comment!). I really enjoyed some of his music by watching his music videos. His soul music is relaxing and can easily compete with North American songs. Someone mentioned that his song "Masquerade" was on BET. I'm not surprised, since I can't even tell that he's Japanese from hearing his songs. I'm not a fan of his earlier work in the 80s. I think his newer work is more interesting :). Soul music is one of many genres of music I like. Naturally, I'm happy that I was recommended to a Japanese soul music singer.

His music videos are quite limited in availability, but here are some that I like:

"Masquerade" from his 2000 Album "Nothing But Your Love."

"Nothing But Your Love" from his 2000 Album "Nothing But Your Love."

"Breaking Through" from his 2000 Album "Nothing But Your Love."

Japanese Hairstyles: Male Jpop Artists

2008-01-17T22:20:00.000-05:00

Japanese people generally have some pretty neat hairstyles. Japanese female hairstyles aren't particularly interesting as they don't do anything crazy. However, males just go crazy with the wax or gel and come up with artistic and creative looking hairstyles. I'm fully aware that Koreans have amazingly cool looking hair...but this is a Jpop blog (the "J" is for Japanese).

Need some examples? Here are some of the wickedly cool looking hairstyles from some of my favourite male Jpop artists:

Tohoshinki

UVERworld

L'Arc～en～Ciel

Nightmare

I've never worked up the courage to try any of these hairstyles myself. But I have watched "How to" videos. Basically, the best source for Japanese male tutorials is from Gatsby. You can visit the Gatsby website here.

You need to navigate around to see the tutorials. After it fully loads, you should see a menu called "Ch 1 HAIR STYLING." Most of the videos of interest are in that menu. Browse around! Have fun!

For those of you who think these hairstyles are absolutely ridiculous, you might find these videos humerous. People do spend a lot of time making their hair look like that. If you want a few previews, you can always look around YouTube. Here are some interesting videos in case you don't feel like manually searching:

I actually watched all the videos on the Gatsby site and enjoyed it. The tutorials are quite detailed and somewhat addictive to watch. There are some other humerous videos on that site. For example, there is one video where they teach you how to wash your face. If you truly love Jpop, you would wash your face like an authentic Japanese person after all!!!

Blogger Template Problems

2008-01-17T19:17:00.000-05:00

I'm not sure why my page doesn't show up with my custom template anymore, but I'll need to fix it. Since my page was getting hits up to 6:45 pm EST, I'm assuming they just made some recent change. Perhaps my template isn't compliant with the Blogger XML schema >_<.

For now, I'll need to keep the template like this until I can find time to fix the problem. Unfortunately, after programming and debugging code all day at work, I'd rather not find bugs in my blogger template. I guess I was asking for trouble when I chose a third party template.

I'm really excited that new releases are coming out frequently on JPOPSUKI. I could use some new Jpop to keep me busy at work.

Song Review: mihimaru GT - Diverge

2008-01-16T20:02:00.000-05:00

Title: Diverge
Artist: mihimaru GT
Single: Diverge
Released: January 30, 2008

Review

"Diverge" is the 16th single from the hip-hop duo mihimaru GT. I had always associated mihimaru GT with hip-hop only songs and never expected such a wonderful song. I'm glad I heard this song, since I usually don't listen to music by mihimaru GT.

"Diverge" is (nearly) J-Rap free!
If you despise Japanese rap and you've heard some of mihimaru GT's songs, you might have strayed away from them like me. Whenever I hear Japanese rapping, I rarely keep listening. I usually find Japanese rapping to be cheesy and mediocre when compared to North American standards. I'm a fan of angry and poetic rapping, which I believe can only be attained through jail time and a few bullet wounds.

I honestly didn't think "Diverge" would last 20 seconds, since I've heard a few mihimaru GT songs before. However, when the rapping started at 2:46, it was already too late. I had already fallen in love with this song (figuratively speaking).

Now, what makes "Diverge" such a good song? The lead female singer, Hiroko, sings a mellow-sounding song with a classy string orchestra background mixed with the electric guitar. Hiroko's vocals are superb and kept me interested the entire song (she excellently uses deliberately off-key vocals too!). However, there is the problem with the rapping at the 2:46 mark, but I feel the rest of the song is too good for this brief rap to ruin it.

The verdict: "Diverge" is a wonderful song from mihimaru GT. I highly recommend this song.

Lyrics

Romaji lyrics for "Diverge" will be posted when it becomes available.

Metadata

Artist: mihimaru GT
Release year: 2008
Genre: Pop
Song speed: Fast
Dominant voice: Female
Dominant language: Japanese

Song Review: Koda Kumi - Under

2008-01-14T19:40:00.000-05:00

Title: Under
Artist: Koda Kumi
Album: Kingdom
Released: January 30, 2008

Review

"Under" is the 7th track in Koda Kumi's January 2008 album "Kingdom." Nothing screams quality like panting and heavy breathing in a song. Mix in some sensual vocals and you got yourself a classy hit. Such techniques are used by highly respectable North American artists like Britney Spears (try "I'm A Slave 4 U"). Amidst the thick sarcasm, there is some truth: the song is a hit. I hate to admit it, but "Under" does sound pretty addictive.

Even if you hate this song, you still have a highly suggestive video. I was pleasantly surprised at how much clothing Koda Kumi wore in this music video. Usually Koda Kumi's clothing starts disappearing as her song speed increases.

You know she's worked up a good reputation when fans expects her to be undressed and act suggestively in her music videos. What would be unexpected would be an innocent Jpop artist like YUI following in Koda Kumi's footsteps. I don't recall seeing YUI's bare shoulders (or shins for that matter) in her music videos. Yes, YUI is the model citizen for high school dress codes.

So what makes this song so addictive? The beats are undeniably addictive as is the chorus. The song does contain synthesized vocals, which I normally despise, but it works quite well in this song. It adds to the urban-style environment that is reminiscent of North American music. Even though her panting is distracting she doesn't keep doing it constantly, so it could be considered artistic. A really desperate justification indeed.

"Under" can get pretty repetitive since it's the same beats over and over again. The lasting appeal wears out surprisingly fast after about 7 or 8 times. I also think this song is too long. The ending is quite lazy when it repeats the same damn tune a million times. Just end it already!

The verdict: "Under" is a guilty pleasure that is good for a few listens

Lyrics

Romaji lyrics for "Under" will be posted when it becomes available.

Metadata

Artist: Koda Kumi
Release year: 2008
Genre: Pop
Song speed: Fast
Dominant voice: Female
Dominant language: Japanese

The Softer Side of Koda Kumi

2008-01-13T16:59:00.000-05:00

Koda Kumi is undoubtedly a talented artist who is well known for her urban style music. However, she's always found time to include her softer and gentler songs. I've always been a fan of her slow songs, as I believe that's when her voice sounds the best. Don't get me wrong, I'm a big fan of her faster songs such as "I'll be there," "real emotion," and "Cutie Honey."

I've compiled a list of my favourite slow songs from Koda Kumi. I include the year, title, album/single name, and a music video (whenever the video exists). Enjoy!

2003 Album - grow into one

1000 no Kotoba - Koda Kumi really demonstrates her powerful and gentle voice in "1000 no Kotoba." I'm not sure why there isn't a music video for this absolutely excellent song.

2005 Album - Best ~first things~

Promise - Koda Kumi's voice is as smooth as honey in this song. "Promise" is a really beautiful sounding song.

2006 Single - Yume no Uta / Futari de...

Futari de... - Koda Kumi sings another great sounding gentle song.

2007 Single - Ai no Uta

Ai no Uta - Koda Kumi's super smooth voice is back once again! I really love the chorus in this song.

Last updated: January 13, 2008

Profile: HINOI Team

2008-01-12T14:09:00.000-05:00

If you're a EUROBEAT fan and love Jpop, I highly recommend you check out HINOI Team. They are my favourite Japanese dance/parapara group. HINOI Team often do covers for EUROBEAT songs. Some examples include "Night of Fire" and "King Kong."

What I believe makes HINOI Team so appealing is their great voices and energetic songs. I often prefer their EUROBEAT covers over the original.

The leader, Asuka Hinoi, has a great voice as she demonstrates in her early solo career. She sings the highly addictive song "Wanna be your Girlfriend."

Naturally, not all their songs sound great, but I have some that I would highly recommend.

2006 Album - SUPER EURO PARTY

An absolutely great album with a wide variety of dance songs. If I had to buy a HINOI Team CD, "SUPER EURO PARTY" would be the one. The album would be better if that male comedian Koriki was excluded from the album. Koriki ruins some of the songs, but he does provide the EUROBEAT atmosphere. Here are my recommendations:

Recommended songs
The following songs are all energetic and addictive. There's no need to repeat the same description for each song. If I had to choose two, they would be "Just for Me" and "Yeah," since both have amazingly addictive choruses.

Hey Mr. DJ
Night of Fire (with Koriki)
Play With The Numbers
Sing Na Na Na
IKE IKE
Just For Me
Yeah!

Here are some of their music videos for these songs:

IKE IKE

Night of Fire (with Koriki)

Yeah

2006 Single - Now and Forever

"Now and Forever" is an incredibly catchy song and a perfect single to follow "SUPER EURO PARTY." Currently, "Now and Forever" is my favourite HINOI Team song. Here is the music video:

2007 Single - Dancin' & Dreamin'

Another great single from HINOI Team. I recommend both "I'M GONNA CARRY ON" and "Dancin' & Dreamin'."

Here is the music video for "Dancin' & Dreamin'"

Lyrics

If you'd like romaji lyrics for HINOI Team songs, I recommend you visit http://www.hinoiteam.glt.pl/.

Song Review: YUI - Namidairo

2008-01-12T08:37:00.000-05:00

Title: Namidairo
Artist: YUI
Single: Namidairo
Released: February 27, 2008

Review

YUI-syndrome
I hope I'm not the only one who suffers from YUI-syndrome. YUI-syndrome occurs when you are unable to differentiate certain YUI songs because they sound all the same. A deadly disease indeed. I feel that YUI has too many songs where she sings softly in a sad tone to an acoustic guitar. For those of us who don't understand Japanese, it's really depressing to not understand what she's saying. She's got some sad sounding songs, I want to feel her pain too. <3 YUI!!!

Feeling bored? Play the YUI game!
If you have an iPod, one of the "games" (used very loosely of course) is the "guess the song" game. A song is chosen at random with a short preview. Then you must guess the song from a small list. I recommend you try this song with YUI's two albums "Can't Buy Love" and "From Me to You." Remove songs like "LIFE," "CHE.R.RY," "Rolling Star," and "Good-bye days" since they are clearly differentiable. I cannot assign this game an ERSB rating since I don't understand Japanese. YUI could be secretly hiding intense profanity in her sad songs...just cursing this cruel world.

Moving On...
"Namidairo" is the 11th single from YUI. It's the typical heavily acoustic and sad sounding YUI song. Her voice sound relaxing since she doesn't do any "yelling," like the "Good-bye Days" chorus. However, this song is hardly differentiable from many of her older songs, so it doesn't stand out. It's great for relaxing background music, but hardly a top YUI pick for me.

The verdict: There's nothing addictive to "Namidairo," just a typical sad sounding YUI song with acoustics.

Lyrics

Here are the romaji lyrics for "Namidairo" so you can sing along:
Kirawareteiru you na ki ga shiteta kaerimichi
Miageta heya no akari ima donna kimochi de iru no darou?

Kenka ni nareba sugu ayamaru yowakute anata wa zurui hito

Namidairo koe ga kikoenai yoru wa
Komarasete shimau hodo wagamama ni naritai
Daijoubu sou itte mita kedo
Sonna hazu nai desho…

Mizu tamari ni utsuru kanashii kao minareteiru
Muri iwanai tsumori wakatteru kara kurushiku naru no

Yasashiku sareru to naketekuru yappari anata wa zurui hito

Namidairo koe ga kikoenai yoru wa
Komarasete shimau hodo wagamama ni naritai
Daijoubu sou itte mita kedo
Sonna hazu nai desho…

Anata no mae ja uso tsuki yo
Kizuite hoshii to omotteiru no
Sonna ni tsuyoi wake ja nai kara ne atashi

Namida kobosanai kimeteita no ni
Komarasete shimau yo ne? wagamama ni narenai

Daijoubu? Nante mata kiku kedo
Sonna hazu nai desho…

Source: http://yui-lover.com/index.php?showtopic=5802&view=getnewpost
Thanks a lot to the user "uchihamel" for posting the romaji lyrics so quickly.

Metadata

Artist: YUI
Release year: 2008
Genre: Pop
Song speed: Fast
Dominant voice: Female
Dominant language: Japanese

The Best Jpop Song List

2008-01-11T21:30:00.001-05:00

I will be uploading "Discovering Jpop" albums with songs from this list. The albums are located here.

A great thing about Jpop, is there's always something new out there that you haven't heard before. It is incredibly tedious to listen through an artist's discography to find excellent songs. After all, not every song can sound great, but there are always some that stand out.

I encourage you to leave a comment if you'd like to recommend some of your favourite Jpop songs (I recommend you follow a similar format to the list below).

I'll periodically update this list to include songs from the comment list and any new songs. You can suggest a new category if you'd like :D. Don't feel like you're restricted to those categories. Go crazy! Here's a list of of my absolute favourite Jpop songs, sorted alphabetically by category. I've tried to list as many artists as I could per category.

The Best Jpop List

Best Japanese slow songs

[2000] Ayumi Hamasaki - SEASONS
[2001] Ayumi - Hamasaki - Endless Sorrow
[2006] Angela Aki - Kiss Me Good-Bye
[2006] Angela Aki - Kokoro no Senshi
[2006] Angela Aki - This Love
[2007] JYONGRI - Lullaby For You
[2003] Koda Kumi - 1000 no Kotoba
[2007] Koda Kumi - Ai no Uta
[2005] Yuna Ito - ENDLESS STORY
[2006] Mika Nakashima - CRY NO MORE
[2005] Namie Amuro - ALL FOR YOU
[2005] Namie Amuro - White Light
[2005] Rie Fu - I Wanna Go To A Place
[2006] Satori Negishi - Stargazer ~Hoshi no Tobira~
[2007] Utada Hikaru - Flavor Of Life
[2007] YUI - Good-bye days

Best Japanese fast songs

[2006] 20th Century - INNOCENCE
[2007] AAA - Get Chu!
[2007] AAA - Sunshine
[2007] Aqua Timez - ALONES
[2004] Ayumi Hamasaki - Winding Road
[2007] ERIKA - FREE
[2007] ERIKA - Destination Nowhere
[2005] Do As Infinity - TAO
[2004] DOUBLE - Life is Beautiful
[2005] DOUBLE - You Took My Heart Away
[2005] Dream - Shine of Voice
[2005] FLOW - DAYS
[2005] Hitomi Takahashi - Aozora no Namida
[2005] Hitomi Takahashi - My Answer
[2006] K - Brand New Map
[2005] Ken Hirai - POP STAR
[2003] Koda Kumi - real emotion
[2007] JYONGRI - Hop, Step, Jump!
[2007] JYONGRI - Romeo&Juliet
[2005] Matsuura Aya - Ki ga Tsukeba Anata
[2003] Mikuni Shimokawa - Sore Ga Ai Deshou
[2007] Morning Musume - YES Nude
[2007] Nakagawa Shoko - Sorairo Days
[2006] Namie Amuro - CAN'T SLEEP CAN'T EAT, I'M SICK
[2003] Namie Amuro - Four Seasons
[2007] Rie Fu - 5000 Mile
[2007] Rie Fu - Tsukiakari
[2006] RYTHEM - Dear Friend
[2005] Sakamoto Maaya - Loop
[2007] Sowelu - Hikari
[2005] SweetS - on the way
[2004] Tamaki Nami - Be Positive
[2007] the brilliant green - Stand by me
[2004] TiA - Ryuusei
[2007] Tohoshinki - Together
[2006] Utada Hikaru - Keep Tryin’
[2005] Younha - Himawari
[2005] Younha - Houki Boshi
[2006] YUI - LIFE
[2006] YUI - Merry Go Round
[2005] Yuna Ito - Journey
[2007] Yuna Ito - Mahaloha

Best Japanese rock/heavy metal songs

[2007] ASIAN KUNG-FU GENERATION - After Dark
[2005] Do As Infinity - For the Future
[2002] Hitomi - I am
[2006] Hyde - SEASON'S CALL
[2007] L'Arc～en～Ciel - DAYBEAK'S BELL
[2005] Mika Nakashima - GLAMOROUS SKY
[2007] Nightmare - Raison d'Etre

Best collaborations

[2005] Chemistry and Crystal Kay - TWO AS ONE
[2006] EXILE and Koda Kumi - Won't Be Long
[2004] m-flo, melody., Yamamoto Ryohei - Miss You
[2004] m-flo and BoA - the Love Bug
[2007] Monkey Majik and m-flo - picture perfect
[2005] Namie Amuro and Nao'ymt - Ups & Downs
[2007] The Gospellers and Howie D - It Still Matters

Best indie-pop/acoustic songs

[2005] Monkey Majik - 1996
[2007] Monkey Majik - Car Crash
[2006] Monkey Majik - fly
[2007] Monkey Majik - LONG SHOT PENNY
[2006] Monkey Majik - turn
[2000] the brilliant green - rainy days never stays

Best Soul/R&B songs

[2000] Toshi Kubota - Masquerade
[2000] Toshi Kubota - Nothing But Your Love

Best punk songs

[2004] ELLEGARDEN - Addicted
[2005] ELLEGARDEN - Bored of Everything
[2004] ELLEGARDEN - Perfect Days
[2005] ELLEGARDEN - Star Fish
[2002] ELLEGARDEN - Under Control

Best Parapara or dance songs

[2006] Hinoi Team - Ike Ike
[2006] Hinoi Team - Just for Me
[2006] Hinoi Team - Yeah!
[2006] Hinoi Team - NOW AND FOREVER
[2006] KOTOKO - Face of Fact RESOLUTION ver.
[2004] Tamaki Nami - Realize
[2004] Tamaki Nami - Believe

Best English dominant song (a bit of Japanese is OK)

[2003] melody. - Do you hear what I hear
[2007] melody. - Glory of Love
[2007] melody. - ONE DAY
[2004] melody. - Over the Rainbow
[2007] Monkey Majik - NO SNOW IN DECEMBER
[2006] Rie Fu - 5 minutes
[2005] Rie Fu - shine
[2002] Utada Hikaru - Simple and Clean
[2006] YOSHIKA - nothing

Best remixes

[2007] Namie Amuro - Violet Sauce (Spicy)

Change Log:

January 11, 2008: Initial list created
January 18, 2008: Added Toshi Kubota's songs "Masquerade" and "Nothing But Your Love", various Rie Fu songs (I can't believe I forgot to add them the first time!), and Satori Negishi's "Stargazer ~Hoshi no Tobira~"
January 22, 2008: Added "Sunshine" and "Get Chu!" by AAA

Song Review: the brilliant green - ENEMY

2008-01-10T23:06:00.000-05:00

Title: ENEMY
Artist: the brilliant green
Single: ENEMY
Released: December 12, 2007

Review

Question: what is the difference between Tomoko's vocals in "ENEMY" and a dying hospital patient? The dying patient has more energy. Is this a trivial answer? I think not.

"ENEMY" is the 16th single from the brilliant green. The song has a depressing tone that you'll feel deep in your heart. It's not the lyrics that make you depressed, it's the lifelessness of Tomoko's voice, as she sings for roughly 5 minutes. I suppose it takes skills to sound so consistently boring. Her poor vocals waste the excellent instrumentals, which has created a haunting atmosphere. Next time, someone needs to poke Tomoko real hard when she sings to get some tone variation.

The verdict: the enemy in this song is Tomoko's awfully boring voice. What a waste!

Lyrics

Here are the romaji lyrics:
aozameta sora kokuchou no retsu
hiai no te muragaru kage
susurinaku koe
mukuwarenai namida wa munashii

tsuki ni kagayaku tenshi no hashigo
sono saki ni kitai wo shite wa
nageku bakari
itsu made mo sou shite itai no?

nani ga kawaru wake ja nai
kiseki nanka okoranai

the Enemy lives inside myself
yeah I know...
tozasareta sora no shita de
furuete iru
I stand alone

amai dake no jibun ni kidzuiteta

yureru minamo ni koboshita namida
kakusenai fuan no toge
modoru nara ima
te wo nobashi dareka ga naiteta
kanshou ni wa hitaranai
nan no yaku ni mo tatanai

The Enemy lives inside myself
yeah I know...
ima wa mada koerarenai kabe demo
ii
mite mitai no
mukougawa ni hirogaru
aozora wo

ima wa chiisana hoshi dakedo
kagayakeru hi wo egaite
koko ni iru no
I stand alone

mune wo tsuku yokaze ga munashisa ga
oroka da to azakeru nara sore demo ii
mite itai no
sono mukou ni hirogaru
aoi sora

Source: http://www.jpopasia.com/play/4795/the-brilliant-green/enemy.html

Metadata

Artist: the brilliant green
Release year: 2007
Genre: Rock
Song speed: Fast
Dominant voice: Female
Dominant language: Japanese

Song Review: Monkey Majik - fly

2008-01-10T22:35:00.000-05:00

Title: fly
Artist: Monkey Majik
Album: thank you
Released: May 24, 2006

Review

What happens when you mix Monkey Majik, indie-pop, good English lyrics, and a touch of Japanese? You get my favourite track on the album "Thank You" called "fly." I'm especially a fan of the English verses before the first chorus. The lyrics are somewhat poetic and mimic indie-pop style lyrics. You might fool listeners into believing this song is a North American indie-pop song using the first quarter of the song. Of course, the song does have its flaws. I'm not a fan of the Japanese lyrics in this song. I wish the entire song was English since I enjoy the English parts the most.

The verdict: "fly" is an enjoyable authentic sounding indie-pop song from Monkey Majik. I highly recommend this song.

Lyrics

Here are the romaji lyrics for you to sing along with:
Leaving on that 7:30 train.
I don't know how far I'll go.
Round in circles just as long as I would tell you.
I am alone but we could be.

Tell me something I haven't heard before
except for when you shut me down.
Remember when we stayed up all night drinking whiskey.
I know that you've been waiting.
I'll see you on the other side.

Oh! We're better off alone.
I told you once before.
so don't knock on my door.
you'll see it if you will.
but I don't wanna know.
I'm feeling so resentful

Cuz' I wanna fly, Fly me up so high
Take me to the skies, I won't get by
itsu made mo kimi no koe ga boku no kokoro de hibiku
If you can't believe me, take me home

kimi no chiisana te wo semete ato sukoshi
tsuyoku nigiri-shimete-ita nara
yukkuri ashita wo matterareta no ni

namida no wake shitte-ita kedo
ima de wa mou oso-sugiru kara
sore wa sugi-yuku keshiki no you ni

Cuz' I wanna fly, Fly me up so high
Take me to the skies, I won't get by
itsu made mo kimi no koe wa boku no michi ni aru sa
If you can't believe me take me home

Everybody's talking always up and groovin'
come on up and join up with me yeah!
Always on and dancin' always on the move and.
come on everybody won't you come with me?

Cuz' I wanna fly, Fly me up so high
Take me to the skies, I won't get by
Everybody needs to go beyond the seas
If you can't believe me, take me home
If you can't believe me, take me home

Cuz' I wanna fly. I wanna fly.
Take me high.
Cuz' I wanna fly. I wanna fly.
Take me high!

Cuz' I wanna fly, fly me up so high
Take me to the skies, I won't get by
itsu made mo kimi no koe wa boku no michi ni aru sa
If you can't believe me take me home

Source: http://lyricwiki.org/MONKEY_MAJIK:fly

Metadata

Artist: Monkey Majik
Release year: 2006
Genre: Pop
Song speed: Fast
Dominant voice: English and Japanese
Dominant language: Japanese

Song Review: Monkey Majik - turn

2008-01-10T22:02:00.000-05:00

Title: turn
Artist: Monkey Majik
Album: thank you
Released: May 24, 2006

Review

"turn" is an excellent indie-pop song from Monkey Majik with an addictive chorus and superb guitar playing. The chorus is a mixture of both Japanese and English with the catchy verse, "Oh.. It's still turnin' around" supported by percussion, bass, and guitar. The guitar melody is interesting and keeps me occupied, especially when the lyrics are in Japanese.

The verdict: "turn" is an excellent song and properly represents Monkey Majik's indie-pop style. I highly recommend this song.

Lyrics

Here are the romaji lyrics for you to see along with:
Wakin’ up asa me ga samete futto kanojo ga satte ikuyou na
tojiru to mieteiru monoga hirakuto mienakunaru genjitsu
nani mo sondeinaiyo, tada hito koto dake wonderfull wonderfull
Is all I need to hear me ni mienakute

Sometimes I feel like cavin' in nani ka ni semararete iruyouna
I wonder why? Ima made konna ni chisai jibun ni kizukenaide
subete o moto ni modosou toshite donna ni kako o sosuttemitemo
I'm right in yumede mite yume

Oh.. It's still turnin' around
It's so nandomo meguri meguru
Alright now
It's still turnin' around
demo ashita wa kittokurukara
Alright now

What if I'm the only one? hikari ga tashika ni ashimoto o tomoshiteite
sukushi zutsu sukushi zutsu dakedo shinjiteru boku no mukau beki basho ga
Is this really now the only way through? sokoni wa itsudemo kimi ga ite
kataku omoi kono tobira nokku suru yo

boku kara hanashi o suru yo kimi ga iwareru sono mae ni
furi kaeru to yoku mieru kara I can see all three sides from here.
mirai wa dareni mo mienai kedo kimi to futari nara yakusoku dekiru
I'm right in shizuka ni naraku

Oh.. It's still turnin' around
It's so nandomo meguri meguru
Alright now
It's still turnin' around
demo ashita wa kittokurukara
Alright now

Sometimes when everything's dark i take a lil' time and make sure it's all real
Sometimes when I'm alone I think about what the hell went wrong.
I look right out the door and see that all of this is turning.

Oh.. It's still turnin' around
It's so nandomo meguri meguru
Alright now
It's still turnin' around
demo ashita wa kittokurukara
Alright now

Sometimes I feel like cavin' in nani ka ni semararete iruyouna
I wonder why? Ima made konna ni chisai jibun ni kizukenaide
mirai wa dareni mo mienai kedo kimi to futari nara yakusoku dekiru
I'm right
Alright now

Source: http://www.lyricstime.com/monkey-majik-turn-lyrics.html

Metadata

Artist: Monkey Majik
Release year: 2006
Genre: Pop
Song speed: Fast
Dominant voice: English and Japanese
Dominant language: Japanese

Song Review: the brilliant green - Ash Like Snow

2008-01-08T19:39:00.000-05:00

Title: Ash Like Snow
Artist: the brilliant green
Single: Ash Like Snow
Released: February 6, 2008

Review

"Ash Like Snow" is the 17th single from the brilliant green which will replace the opening theme for the anime Mobile Suit Gundam 00. I'm a fan of "DAYBREAK'S BELL" (the old opening), but the song isn't fitting for a Gundam opening. In other Gundam series, such as Gundam Seed and Gundam Destiny, the openings were dance songs from artists like Tamaki Nami.

When I think about a Gundam opening, I think about the main characters in their overpowered robots blowing up bad guys in their obsolete mobile suits. What sort of music matches these openings? Killer dance tracks. There is no need for depressing songs with the intention of creating sympathy for those poor, poor youngsters piloting those war machines. They are fully aware of what they signed up for. Now let's see some action!

With the title "Ash Like Snow," I wouldn't expect this song to be a dance song and that hypothesis is correct. I would describe this song as a fast paced rock song.

the brilliant green waste no time by starting off with energetic instrumentals via the electric guitar and bass. I anxiously wait for Tomoko's vocals and pray that it won't be disappointing. Luckily, Tomoko vocals aren't monotone. Tomoko is notorious for having some lifeless vocals, so I'm glad she didn't exercise that option for this song. I live for two parts of this song: the beginning and the 1:25 mark. Tomoko and the guitars start off quietly and begin picking up energy until you think something will explode. It's addictive and refreshing, exactly what I was looking for. The chorus is somewhat disappointing since it lacks any addictive elements, I almost forget that it exists in this song. The chorus just blends in with the rest of the verses.

One thing that made me shudder was the use of synthesized vocals. Around the 2:30 mark, Tomoko's voice is synthesized as she enlightens us with her lyrics. It seems unnecessary and really breaks the flow of the song.

One notable part of the music video is the two pandas attempting to snipe Tomoko, but fail miserably. How hard is it to snipe a member of the brilliant green in their music video? They don't dance like BoA or Leah Dizon would. They are stationary objects. Don't be greedy, don't go for the head shot.

The verdict: unfortunately, I'm only hooked on two parts of this song so it's not enough for me to highly recommend this song. The song is good, but not one of my favourites from the brilliant green.

Edit: January 12, 2008

Here is the actual Gundam 00 opening with the brilliant green's "Ash Like Snow" summarized in 1:30. I really like this version because the song's energy has been concentrated in 1:30 instead of stretching it out for 5 minutes. I'm looking forward to the anime length version when the Gundam 00 soundtrack comes out. As I had pointed out previously, the opening is a pity party as I had expected. From the few reviews I've read from anime viewers, they seem to like this Gundam 00 opening more than "DAYBREAK'S BELL," and I completely agree with them.

Lyrics

Here are the romaji lyrics for "Ash Like Snow" so you can sing along:
sora akakusomeru kokutan no yami
nomikomareta hoshikuzutachi
hakanaku furitsumoru hai no yuki

mitsumeta nageki no mado
I never dreamed
kooritsuku
there... I come for you

omoi wa sekibaku no yozora ni
maiagari kudaketa
kono sekai ga katachi o kaeru tabi ni
mamoritai mono o
kowashiteshimatteitan da

kokoro ni hishimeku haitoku no yami
kimi no koe ga masui no you ni
tsumetaku kankaku o ubatteku

mujyun o oikaketemo
owaranai
naze boku wa tatakau no?

tatoeba hikari ga kieusete
kono chikyuu(hoshi) ga ochitemo
wasurenai yo
sono chiisana negai ga
arubeki basho e to michibiku

there I come for you yeah
Ash Like Snow is falling down
from your sky
Ash Like Snow
Ash Like Snow
Ash Like Snow
Let me hear...
why? I have to fight

kono omoi wa sekibaku no yozora ni
maiagari kudaketa
yami o hiraku eikou to hikikae ni
mamorubeki mono o ushinattekita
(It's falling from your sky)
munashisugiru
(Baby I come for you)

kudakechitta kakeru ni kizutsuku tabi
tozasareta boku no kokoro o
tsuyokunaru koto o erande
koko made kitan da

Source: http://forums.animesuki.com/showthread.php?p=1337112
Much thanks to "NominalBeast" for the post!

Metadata

Artist: the brilliant green
Release year: 2008
Genre: Rock
Song speed: Fast
Dominant voice: Female
Dominant language: Japanese

Song Review: Utada Hikaru - Stay Gold

2008-01-08T12:00:00.000-05:00

Title: Stay Gold
Artist: Utada Hikaru
Single: Stay Gold
Released: February 20, 2008
Here is the radio ripped version of "Stay Gold"

Review

I guess you can call it desperate, but I really can't wait for the music video or single to come out before I hear my first 2008 Utada Hikaru song. There are some low quality radio rips on youtube for your sampling pleasure. Also, JPOPSUKI has a 128kbps radio rip, which is significantly better in quality.

One great thing about Utada songs, is they sound great even when they are ripped from the radio and played at a 32kbps bit rate. I can guarantee (although not legally binding) that this ripped song will sound better than any Leah Dizon song ripped at 320 kbps. Why? Because Utada's voice is unquestionably powerful and versatile. No sound compression can suppress her vocal capabilities. Have I offended some Leah Dizon fans out there? If you're angry, I recommend you redirect your anger towards a more positive use. Viciously click on the google ads on my sidebar until your rage subsides.

Don't assume I'm biased towards Utada (I'm not an official member of the Utada Hikaru fan club), I do hate some of her songs with a passion.

Good News

The piano is undoubtedly the song's hook for me as I believe it is extremely well played. There is a nice piano solo at the beginning, middle, and end to keep you occupied. It's also interesting that the piano follows Utada's pace and pitch. When Utada sings quickly and higher pitched, the piano's pace speeds up and uses higher pitches. When Utada sings slower and lower pitched, the piano's pace slows down and uses lower pitches. I can only describe it as a duet.
English phrases, such as "My Darling, Stay Gold," "Good Night," and "Good Luck" are perfectly inserted into the song without breaking the flow. The English neither sounds strange or forced. A nice bonus for the people who don't understand Japanese and like to sing along.
I think it goes without saying that Utada's voice is incredibly smooth and relaxing. She varies her singing of words to prevent boredom (and I guess to show that she can do it damn well).

Bad News

Unless you understand Japanese there are times in "Stay Gold" when her singing can get rather boring when you have absolutely no clue what she's saying.
The piano really steals the show here. I don't think this song would be interesting if it weren't for the piano. Utada's vocals alone isn't enough to get the job done here.
The chorus isn't spectacular, the vocals sound pretty generic after some repetition. If you listen to this song a few times, you might start noticing this too.

The verdict: a great way to start 2008. "Stay Gold" is definitely an outstanding song from Utada Hikaru. I highly recommend this song.

Lyrics

Here are the romaji lyrics for "Stay Gold," so feel free to sing along:

Daisuki dakara zutto
Nannimo shinpai iranaiwa
My Darling, Stay Gold
Mujakini waratte kudasaina
Itsumademo...

Anata no hitomi no oku ni hisomu shounenn
Watashi no honnou kusugutte yamanai
Aah douka sonomama
Good Luck

Kanashii koto ha kitto
Konosakinimo ippai aruwa
My Darling, Stay Gold
Kizutsuku koto mo daijidakara

Daisuki dakara zutto
Nannimo shinpai iranaiwa
My Darling, Stay Gold
Mujakini waratte kudasaina
Itsumademo...

Shuushoku mo kimatte
Asondebakari irarenaine
Otona no joushiki ya chie mi ni tsukeru no mo ii
Aah Kyou ha konomama
Good Night

Kawariyuku no ga
Hito no kokoro no tsune dato iimasuga
Ne daarin Your Soul
Yasashiku kagayaki tsuzukeruwa

Daisuki dakara zutto
Nannimo shinpai iranaiwa
My Darling, Stay Gold
Mujakini waratte kudasaina
Itsumademo...

Daisuki dakara zutto
Nannimo shinpai iranaiwa
My Darling, Stay Gold
Mujakini waratte iraretara
Itsunohimo...

Source: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HebpA4wkC8o

Metadata

Artist: Utada Hikaru
Release year: 2008
Genre: Pop
Song speed: Fast
Dominant voice: Female
Dominant language: Japanese

News: 2007 Oricon Top 100

2008-01-08T10:41:00.000-05:00

Besides breaking new year resolutions, one thing to look forward to is the Oricon Top 100 release (the full list can be found here). 2007 was a great year, since there was no shortage of excellent songs from talented artists.

From this list, here are some songs you should check out if you don't want to work your way through all 100 songs. For people that hate male vocals, you may want to look at this list since the Oricon charts reek of male singles. I've listed the songs which were some of my favourites in 2007.

Favourite Female Vocal Songs
#02: Utada Hikaru - Flavor of life
#20: Utada Hikaru - Beautiful World
#36: YUI - CHE.R.RY
#39: Ayumi Hamasaki - glitter/Ayumi Hamasaki - fated
#48: Namie Amuro - Baby Don't Cry
#62: Koda Kumi - Ai no Uta
#67: ERIKA - FREE
#81: Angela Aki - Sakurairo

I am depressed that JYONGRI's "Lullaby for You," ERIKA's "Destination Nowhere," and the brilliant green's "Stand by Me" never made it, as those were excellent songs. I'd say my favourite song from the list would be Koda Kumi's "Ai no Uta," which is a superb slow song with excellent vocals.

Favourite Male Vocal Song
#01: Akikawa Masafumi - Sen no Kaze ni Natte
#33: L'Arc~en~Ciel - DAYBREAK'S BELL
#61: EXILE - I Believe
#65: L'Arc~en~Ciel - Hurry Xmas
#76: EXILE - Michi
#82: Aqua Timez - ALONES
#98: FLOW - Answer

"Sen no Kaze ni Natte" is sung by the Japanese tenor Akikawa Masafumi. It's definitely elegant, classy, and unrivaled on this chart. That song has been on the charts for a very long time since it sold over 1 million copies.

Songs that will break your mind
#40: Aya Hirano, Emiri Katou, Kaori Fukuhara & Aya Endou - Motteke! Sailor Fuku
#43: Oshirikajiri-mushi - Oshirikajiri-mushi

"Motteke! Sailor Fuku" is pretty addictive and unique sounding. I believe Aya Hirano was created to make songs like this. "Oshirikajiri-mushi" is one hell of a disturbing song. It sounds like synthesized Alvin and the Chipmunks voices. How the hell did this song beat Monkey Majik on the Oricon top 100? If you have that special someone you hate, be sure to send this song as a gift of excruciating pain

Every year, the Oricon Top 100's always surprise me, as I realize how different my tastes are from the Japanese singles chart. Perhaps my music taste is still affected by years of emotional damage caused from North American music.

Where might you find these songs? You can check JPSeek or JPOPSUKI.

Song Review: Namie Amuro - Violet Sauce (Spicy)

2008-01-08T09:45:00.000-05:00

Title: Violet Sauce (Spicy)
Artist: Namie Amuro
Album: PLAY
Released: June 27, 2007

Review

The song begins with Namie saying, "You know what? Who is hot?" Unless your ears are trained to understand poorly pronounced English, you won't find out what her answer is. The closest real English word that I hear is "Galatians," which is a book in the Bible. I suppose books in the Bible can be hot, but what Namie is actually trying to say is "collaboration" (thanks to the romaji lyrics). Although you may have missed that word, there's always more time to play "guess the English word" when listening to Jpop.

I hadn't even listened to Violet Sauce from Namie's other single White Light / Violet Sauce much because it didn't sound very interesting at the time. Luckily, Namie really improves this song by adding the electric guitar. The song's hook is definitely Namie's incredibly hot sounding voice (or as some others have said, sensual) and addictive beats.

I'm quite surprised that the English Namie uses in this song sounds decent (excluding the beginning). I guess she's been practicing. It's interesting that the lyrics are pretty dirty, but it's diluted using euphemisms. Either that, or I'm pretty perverted and I've clearly analyzed the lyrics incorrectly.

Of course, regardless of hotness, the song can get somewhat repetitive after listening to it a few times. After a while, the chorus becomes mind numbing and you'll look for safety in the verses.

The verdict: a hot and addictive remix from the queen of hip hop. I highly recommend it.

Lyrics

Here are the romaji lyrics for you to sing along with:
You know what?
Who is hot?
Collaboration
(C'mon Ah Ah Yeah)

Dip in the sauce (hey, hey)
Dip in the sauce (hey, hey)
Dip in the sauce (hey, hey)
Dip it in the violet sauce

tanjun na Rule demo kuse n' naru
sonna asobi shinai?
(You wanna know how to play)
mazu 2(ni)mai no Cards
"Joker" ga "Ace of heart"
ima kara nageru Coin no aizu de Start

*1 Show me your everything
I'll give you what you need
I know the way to please you, you, you
ato sukoshi kurai
kiken de Hot na Spice
ajiwatte mitai nara

*2 Dip it in the sauce
himitsu no recipe
Dip it in the sauce
Taste it and feel it
Dip it in the sauce
sugu ni itamitsuki
Dip it in the violet sauce
Dip it in the sauce
himitsu no recipe
Dip it in the sauce
Taste it and feel it
Dip it in the sauce
hora konna fuu ni
Dip it in the violet sauce

nani ga shitai no ka wakannai nara
koko de Join da game
(Everyone ain't need a ticket)
atatakakute Sweet na Trap
hamaritai nara
Burn it up, Turn it up kossori mimimoto de

*1, *2 repeat

yureru Candle lights
mawaru Hard knock life
marude kawaribae no nai hibi nara
Oh baby Don't worry
You ready? Come wit' me

*2 repeat 2x

(Enjoy my PLAY LAND)
koko kara sono Mind Control
doko ni mo nai himitsu no Toys
hoshii n' nara Knock My Door
saa Hear me say Oh Oh Oh Oh
zensai kara Cool na Course
jikkuri ajiwaeba dou?
shiage wa kono Violet Sauce
saa Hear me say Oh Oh Oh Oh

Violet Sauce
Violet Sauce...

Source: http://www.corichan.com/lyrics/albums/namie-play.html#10

Metadata

Artist: Namie Amuro
Release year: 2007
Genre: Pop
Song speed: Fast
Dominant voice: Female
Dominant language: Japanese

Single Review: Monkey Majik - Around the World

2008-01-08T09:40:00.000-05:00

Title: Around the World
Artist: Monkey Majik
Release date: February 22, 2006
Track list:

Click on the track name to view the song review.

Brief description:
Monkey Majik's second single. With the exception of "Falling," there's not a whole lot this single can offer you, if you are a die-hard fan of Monkey Majik's indie-pop style. The best analogy for this album is a burger. In the centre (track 2) is a delicious, meaty track with all the flavours of indie-pop. However, the meat is surrounded by some stale buns (track 1 and 3), that doesn't quite work. Now, the staleness isn't enough to make me vomit profusely, but I still wouldn't buy this burger.

Song Review: Monkey Majik - Around the World

2008-01-08T09:36:00.000-05:00

Title: Around the World
Artist: Monkey Majik
Single: Around the World
Released: February 22, 2006

Review

The song starts off with some attitude by saying, "I want to fight your brother, let's kung fuu!" I'll continue this attitude by describing why I don't think "Around the World" works. Perhaps it's because I've heard too many remixes of this song or the song itself doesn't sound too great to begin with, but I hardly think this song represents the godliness of Monkey Majik. I'll get to the point quickly:

Things that annoyed me

The instrumentals are awfully repetitive and sound horridly boring at times. Some more interesting guitar please!
Some vocals include higher pitched singing, which just ruins my mind. I'm not a fan of male singers using high pitched voices (and neither should you).
Maynard and Blaise Plant, please stop rapping. I will get people to sign a petition if I have to. Any attempt to do so with unpoetical lyrics just sounds lame. You've got a long way to go before Dr. Dre signs you.

Things I can live with

The music video for "Around the World" can be described as a drug trip. You can imagine how the quality of this song, when the complements are on the music video and not the song itself. If that appears strange, feel free to read some Leah Dizon song reviews.
The use of English and Japanese is smooth and natural. Unlike some other Jpop artists who insert English for seemingly no reason, Monkey Majik does this correctly.

The verdict: "Around the World" lacks the essential style of a Monkey Majik song. It just doesn't work for me.

Lyrics

Here are the romaji lyrics for you to sing along with:
Every night I look to the skies And wonder what we did
Always a naive point of view that breaks us in the end
If I could find the meaning of it all I’d take the chance
Maybe in time We’ll walk the mile and change it if we can

It’s now and always (How did we get this far)
Always (We’re making a brand new start)
Always (Nothing will hold me down)
Always (Wave goodbye to me!)

Around the world atarashii kotoni
Around the world fumidasu chikara de
Around the world sekai wa kawaru sa
But don’t run away ’cause if it’s not OK!
I’ll change that world Into something better honey!

Rettsu - kanfu!

hateshinaku hirogaru kono michi wo
bokura wa mata aruki tsuzukeru sa
subete no imi ga wakaru no nara ba
kono hitomi (me) de nani wo mitsumeru no darou

It’s now and always (How did we get this far)
Always (We’re making a brand new start)
Always (Nothing will hold me down)
Always (Wave goodbye to me!)

Around the world kimi dake no tame ni
Around the world sagashi tsuzukeru yo
Around the world kiseki no kakera wo
But don’t run away ’cause if it’s not OK!

And you know it’s gonna be raining
And you know it’s gonna be hard
As long as we trust each other
Nothing gonna break apart Oh No!No!
If ya wanna be somebody
Get up on ya feet and go
I know we’re gonna meet each other
Somewhere around the globe

Around the world itsu demo jibun ni
Around the world make te iru hitowa
Around the world nai mo tsukame nai
But don’t run away ’cause if it’s not OK!
But don’t run away ’cause if it’s not OK!
I’ll change that world Into something better honey!

Source: http://www.lyricstime.com/monkey-majik-around-the-world-lyrics.html

Metadata

Artist: Monkey Majik
Release year: 2006
Genre: Pop
Song speed: Fast
Dominant voice: Male
Dominant language: English and Japanese

Song Review: Monkey Majik - Falling

2008-01-08T09:31:00.000-05:00

Title: Falling
Artist: Monkey Majik
Single: Around the World
Released: February 22, 2006

Review

The song begins with a superb guitar intro that captures the essence of indie-pop. After some dissatisfaction with "Around the World," I'm glad the second track matches the unique style of Monkey Majik that I love. Without a doubt, the excellent guitar throughout the song is what makes this song addictive.

There is a hint of sadness in the vocals as the English lyrics are perfectly sung to a relaxing tune. Don't start analyzing the lyrics too much. It's hardly poetic like John Mayer lyrics, but at least you understand it and can sing a long. I suppose the lyrics are meant to be depressing, but I'm too busy listening to the guitar in the background.

There is a noticeable skip at the 0:22 mark, which I can only assume is there for artistic purposes (or everyone ripped this song poorly).

The verdict: indie-pop at its best. Another killer hit from Monkey Majik that is sure to please. I highly recommend this song.

Lyrics

Here are the English lyrics for you to sing along with:
The mission's only half way done
It's taken on a life of its own
I wasn't sure how they'd make it back home
I crawl when you need me to run
I know you think that I can't cope all alone,
but in time I can count on you there.

A little bit of time is all I want
A little bit of luck to turn me on
A little bit of something else all want these days

I'm falling off ways
Ain't gaining headway
Been left here on my own
A little bit of time is all I want
A little bit of luck to turn me on
A little bit of something else all want these days

It's knowin' that I had to change
(I'm) lookin' back on all the days,
(But) couldn't find anytime, that's the way that it is
It's hard to say the words I feel
(I) need to understand I'm still,
on my own, even when you are here my by side

A little bit of time is all I want
A little bit of luck to turn me on
A little bit of something else all want these days

I'm falling off ways
Ain't gaining headway
Been left here on my own
A little bit of time is all I want
A little bit of luck to turn me on
A little bit of something else all want these days

Source: http://www.seeklyrics.com/lyrics/Monkey-Majik/Falling.html

Metadata

Artist: Monkey Majik
Release year: 2006
Genre: Pop
Song speed: Slow
Dominant voice: Male
Dominant language: English

Song Review: Monkey Majik - everyone

2008-01-08T09:27:00.000-05:00

Title: everyone
Artist: Monkey Majik
Single: Around the World
Released: February 22, 2006

Review

A pure guitar song with some generic English singing. The vocals are in a sad tone as he sings a love song. The downfall to this song is definitely the lyrics. The lyrics seem repetitive and moderately boring. Mix that with some guitar and you got yourself some background music at a bookstore. The futile attempt to be artsy with "La La La La La La La La" finishes of this song and the single.

The verdict: "everyone" is nothing more than background music.

Metadata

Artist: Monkey Majik
Release year: 2006
Genre: Pop
Song speed: Slow
Dominant voice: Male
Dominant language: English

New Year, Fresh Start

2008-01-08T00:52:00.000-05:00

It feels like deja vu saying a fresh start again, as I had attempted to do so on WordPress these past two days. However, I did delete almost every post in Blogspot to start over again. I feel that the content on my old posts (when I started in December), lacked quality and needed to be improved.

It was difficult to manually remove approximately 65 posts, but in the end, it's quality that matters, not quantity. I will continually monitor google-analytics to determine what aspects of the site need to be improved.

As more song reviews are written and more metadata is added, the usefulness of this site will become more apparent. You can check out the "About Me" and "Purpose" tabs below the logo if you'd like to find out more about this site.

Thanks for visiting!

Song Review: the brilliant green - Stand by Me

2008-01-08T00:45:00.000-05:00

Title: Stand by Me
Artist: the brilliant green
Single: Stand by Me
Released: August 22, 2007

Review

Kawase Tomoko begins by taking a deep breath to start the brilliant green's 10th anniversary comeback single "Stand by Me." I brace myself for disappointment or joy. Luckily, it's the latter.
Tomoko wastes no time by starting us off with an intro where her voice sounds an awfully lot like YUI. I fear monotone vocals for the first 30 seconds of this song but am relieved when her voice picks up energy for the chorus. Without a doubt, the chorus is the hook in this song. Whenever Tomoko sings "stand by me, akirame to negai no tobira no mae," the song's mood becomes so happy that I literally sing a long with it. The electric guitar and percussion complements Tomoko's voice perfectly in this incredibly addictive chorus.

The song's instrumentals are decent, nothing spectacular, but it gets the job done. Matsui provides a brief guitar solo as a nice break near the 2:44 mark.

Thankfully, Tomoko's English pronunciation for phrases like "yeah baby," "you're always on my mind," and "stand by me" don't sound terrible. I cringe at some of Tomoko's bad English in some of her previous songs, but I'm glad it doesn't kill this song. However, I was disappointed at Tomoko's typical neutral tone for most of the song. This song could have used more energy, but luckily the chorus saved it from destruction.

The verdict: "Stand by Me" has plenty of lasting appeal with it's incredibly energetic chorus. I highly recommend this song.

Lyrics

Here are the romaji lyrics for you to sing along with:
nagai ichinichi ga owari
kiete yuku kako e no tobira
kizutsuitemo ii sore yori
chigau jibun wo mite mitai

can I try? "Why should I?" togireta koe
kioku no hako ni nemuru 憶(omo)i
You're always on my mind so...

Stand by me
sabitsuita sekai ni
nani ga aru no? Show me stars again itsuka
demo mienai kirameki ga aru koto
kidzukasete kureta kara

kokoro wo nozoketa nara
imasugu ni raku ni naru kana...
dare no mono ni mo naranaide
katte na negai dakeredo

dakedo itsuka kowashite shimau
garasu no hako ni
furetara kitto modorenai so...

Stand by me
akirame to negai no tobira no mae
ugokenai zutto
kanau no nara tomodachi de ii kara
tokubetsu ni naritakatta

dareka no tame ni nakeru nante
wakaranakatta
omou dake de itoshikute
setsunaku naru no
Stand by me
Stand by me yeah baby

so Stand by me
(so Stand by me oh...)
yeah baby Stand by me
(you're always on my mind)
mada mienai kirameki ga aru nara
arukidaseru kitto
mitsuketai no anata to so...
Stand by me

Source: http://www.jpopasia.com/play/3626/the-brilliant-green/stand-by-me.html

Metadata

Artist: the brilliant green
Release year: 2007
Genre: Pop
Song speed: Fast
Dominant voice: Female
Dominant language: Japanese

Top Songs

2008-01-07T23:50:00.001-05:00

Note: There's not enough song reviews yet! So this page will look empty at the moment. As an alternative, you can check out a list of the best Jpop songs by visiting http://jpopaddict.blogspot.com/2008/01/best-jpop-list.html.

Click on the links below to jump to an artist's name. Click on the name of the song to view the song review. This list only contains songs that I highly recommend.

# A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

#

A

B

C

D

E

F

G

H

I

J

K

L

M

mihimaru GT

Diverge

Monkey Majik

N

Namie Amuro

Violet Sauce (Spicy)

O

P

Q

R

S

T

the brilliant green

Stand by Me

U

V

W

X

Y

Z

JPOP Addict Almost Moved!

2008-01-07T00:55:00.000-05:00

EDIT: I tried out WordPress for roughly 2 days and then got incredibly frustrated. As a programmer, I died a little inside when I realized that the free WordPress service disables all scripting (no google-analytics or extreme tracker), it costs money to modify CSS/templates, and the available widgets are fairly restrictive. Although I'll miss my WordPress template, I've emulated the format as much as possible.

Over the next few days, I'm going to remove many of my previous posts and start fresh again. I'll keep the posts which are moderately popular so that this website doesn't look broken.

Meanwhile, if you'd like to see a preview of what my new site will be or if you are interested in my new writing style, you can visit the address below.

~~JPOP Addict has now moved to the following address~~
http://jpopaddict.wordpress.com/

~~Version 2 of JPOP Addict~~

~~Hope you'll enjoy the new version!~~

Album Review: Ayumi Hamasaki - GUILTY

2007-12-27T18:46:00.000-05:00

Album title: Guilty
Artist: Ayumi Hamasaki
Released: January 1, 2008

Track list:
01 - Mirror
02 - (don't)Leave me alone
03 - talking' 2 myself
04 - decision
05 - GUILTY
06 - fated
07 - Together When...
08 - Marionette -prelude-
09 - Marionette
10 - The Judgment Day
11 - glitter
12 - MY ALL
13 - reBIRTH
14 - untitiled ~for he~

Note: click on the link to view the song's romanji lyrics.

Ayumi Hamasaki's latest album GUILTY, is another JPOP album leaked before its release date. It seems pretty common now, since I've seen a few albums that have been released 1 or 2 weeks on the internet before the release date. I suppose this gives you an opportunity to try before you buy.

First, I'm a big fan of Ayumi's older work and I've only found a few recent songs which I like. Second, I'm not a fan of Ayumi's high pitched voice. There are times when I'm listening to Ayumi's songs on my headphones and I feel like my ears are going to bleed.

Overall, I found this album to be mediocre because no songs grabbed my attention. It feels like the same song with different titles. Without many interesting songs to match Ayumi's unique style in her earlier work, I would rather hear other female artists cover for these songs. Basically, if it's not going to sound interesting, I'd rather not hear her voice. However, the gem in this album would be "glitter", since it's the only song I feel has lasting appeal. The other tolerable songs would be "talkin' 2 myself", "fated", and "MY ALL". I'll applaud the four preludes in her album since it creates an excellent atmosphere before a song. It's been a while since I've heard an Ayumi album, so perhaps my hopes were too high.

Profile: Namie Amuro

2007-12-27T03:14:00.000-05:00

Namie Amuro is one of my favourite female JPOP singers. When I was first introduced to JPOP, she was the third artist I heard. I really loved her hip-hop style and catchy songs. Even to this day, I am a die-hard Namie Amuro fan. The first music video I saw from her was Put 'Em Up, where Namie Amuro looks incredibly cute (I especially like her mechanic dance near her pimpin red car).

She has made tons of good music videos since then and they can be found throughout the web.

Images and wallpapers of Namie Amuro:

You can find more detailed information about Namie Amuro from the Namie Amuro Wikipedia article. I will simply state who I recommend Namie Amuro for and highlight some of my favourite songs. I believe that Namie Amuro's songs are getting better each time she releases new albums and singles. I'm not a big fan of her earlier work so I'm happy that her songs are always getting better.

I highly recommend Namie Amuro if you like:

Hip-hop music. She is the "queen of hip-hop"
Face-paced and catchy music
Low pitched female voices. Namie Amuro's voice won't shatter your ear drums or break glass with high pitches. Her voice is low pitched when compared to some JPOP singers such as Ayumi Hamasaki and Aya Hirano

Song recommendations (click on the link if available for Japanese and romanji lyrics):

2003 Album - Style

Put 'Em Up - a moderate paced hip-hop song. This is the first song I heard from her so I'm somewhat biased towards it.
So Crazy - a moderate paced hip-hop song. The beginning of the song sounds really good and the song itself sounds very unique.
Four Seasons - my absolute favourite song on this album. Namie displays her amazing voice by singing this slow song. Definitely check out this song if you hate hip-hop songs.

2005 Album - Queen of Hip Hop

I Wanna Show You My Love - a catchy hip-hop song.
My Darling - a catchy hip-hop song, which sounds a lot like a North American song because some random guy grunts and says "hey" and "yeah" every now and then.
Ups & Downs - Namie does a duet with another male singer. The male singer, Nao'ymt, has an excellent voice and complements Namie's voice perfectly.
ALL FOR YOU - my favourite song from the Queen of Hip Hop album. Namie's voice is amazing as she sings this slow song.
No - a unique sounding song, which sounds like two songs in one. The song begins as a fast paced hip-hop song. At the 4:20 mark, the song changes to a slow song.

2007 Album - Play

Hide & Seek - a really unique sounding song, which is quite catchy.
CAN'T SLEEP, CAN'T EAT, I'M SICK - one of my favourite Namie Amuro songs. This song is fast paced and really addictive.
Violet Sauce (Spicy) - another one of my favourite songs from Namie Amuro. I didn't think that a remix of her song Violet Sauce would sound so funky. This song is full of energy and really interesting to listen to.
Baby Don't Cry - a slow song, where Namie displays her great voice.

2005 Single - White Light / Violet Sauce

White Light - one of my favourite Namie Amuro songs. I listened to this song way too many times. This slow song is very relaxing and displays Namie's excellent voice. Although White light is a Christmas song, it sounds great all year round.

Note: Profile last updated December 27, 2007.

BoA - Lose Your Mind

2007-12-11T13:07:00.000-05:00

Post Edit: January 8, 2008 to follow new blog standards

Title: Lose Your Mind
Artist: BoA
Single: Lose Your Mind
Released: December 12, 2007

Review

It's been a really long time since I listened to BoA. Luckily, my faith in her singing has been slightly revived as I listened to her new catchy song Lose Your Mind. However, I made a terrible mistake by watching the music video before listening to the song by itself. For her past few releases, I've been listening to the songs only, so I didn't find much that I enjoyed.

Some Praise...

BoA's English is good. If she continuously said "lose your mind" in terrible English, it would be torturous enough to break prisoners. I'll criticize the way she says "girls," since you have to admit that sounds a tad strange.
The vocals are decent and the song's hook is definitely the chorus. The chorus is addictive and energetic.
The electric guitar solo is a good break from BoA's voice.
BoA looks cute in her music video. She has a few styles, which will keep you occupied as you guess what she'll wear next. You might want to listen to the song first before you decide its quality, or you'll fall into the same deadly trap as me.

Things to get depressed over

With the exception of the guitar solo, the guitar playing is awfully repetitive. Is it really necessary to get someone from DOPING PANDA for this? While it does complement BoA's singing and create a nice atmosphere, a little variation would be nice.
If you remove the chorus, you'll notice that this song has almost no content. I love the chorus, it's well made, but I'm sure you can come up with something else for the other verses.

The verdict: I would definitely recommend this song if you are looking for good BoA songs, but BoA's voice still bothers me too much.

Lyrics

mitame no watashi wo suki datte hontou hoshii mono wa shiranai no
Should do, Be do you wanna betters and cosmetic
Material ja mou mitasarenai

LOSE YOU MIND futton jau gurai
MAKE ME WILD shigeki teki na WILDLY
BABY LOSE YOUR MIND "BOYS KNOW WHAT GIRLS WANT"
motto kimi wo muchuu ni sasetai LOSE YOUR MIND

doushitemo rikai fukanou 24/7 aitai no ni
Should do, Be do your like, music magic and dramatic
kokoro ni iku mono dake ga suki

LOSE YOU MIND amae chau gurai
MAKE ME WILD odorase teyo WILDLY
BABY LOSE YOUR MIND "BOYS KNOW WHAT GIRLS WANT"
nankai datte repeat shiteta LOSE YOU MIND

LOSE YOU MIND futton jau gurai
MAKE ME WILD shigeki teki na WILDLY
BABY LOSE YOUR MIND "BOYS KNOW WHAT GIRLS WANT"
motto kimi wo muchuu ni sasetai LOSE YOUR MIND

LOSE YOU MIND amae chau gurai
MAKE ME WILD odorase teyo WILDLY
BABY LOSE YOUR MIND "BOYS KNOW WHAT GIRLS WANT"
nankai datte repeat shiteta LOSE YOU MIND

Source: http://www.jpopasia.com/play/4797/boa/lose-your-mind-featyutaka-furukawa-from-doping-panda.html

Metadata

Artist: BoA
Release year: 2007
Genre: Pop
Song speed: Fast
Dominant voice: Female
Dominant language: Japanese

News: the brilliant green opening for Gundam 00!

2007-12-10T01:18:00.000-05:00

Now that I'm bored of listening to Daybreak's Bell every time I watch the Gundam 00 opening, I'm glad they are going to change it in January. What's even better, is the brilliant green will have their new song Ash Like Snow as the opening!

It only took a brief message from my tbg fan friend to make me stop studying for finals and do some searching:

wtfff
tbg and gundam anime?????
LOLL

WTF indeed...I thought he was joking at first until I did a quick search. It's great that the brilliant green will have a chance to get noticed by anime fans, since having your song played in anime openings/endings is a great way to get discovered :)

Yuna Ito x Celine Dion - A World To Believe In

2007-12-10T01:14:00.000-05:00

Post Edit: January 10, 2008 to follow new blog standards

Title: A World To Believe In
Artist: Yuna Ito
Single: A World To Believe In
Released: January 16, 2008

Review

"A World To Believe In" is an excellent North-America-meets-Japan duet with the Canadian powerhouse Celine Dion and Yuna Ito. "A World To Believe In" is the 10th single from Yuna Ito and it shows off her excellent slow song skills. Yuna Ito is an excellent choice for singing Celine Dion songs because of her flawless English, smooth sounding voice, and her proven ability to switch between English and Japanese without breaking the flow. Overall a great song and a great tribute to Celine Dion, but I still prefer some of Yuna Ito's other slower songs, such as "Endless Story."

The verdict: a great slow song from Yuna Ito and Celine Dion. I recommend it if you like slow songs.

Lyrics

I've seen the tears and the heartache
And I've felt the pain
I've seen the hatred
And so many lives lost in vain

And yet through this darkness
There's always a light that shines through
And takes me back home
Takes me back home

Takai kabe no mukou
Nani ga attemo
Nigetakunai
Arukitsuzukeyou
Wasurenaide

You gave me a world to believe in
You gave me a love to believe in
Ai no tame ni
Tsuyokunareru
Anata ga iru kagiri

Namida de afureru kokoro
Yorisou yohou ni daite kureta
Kizukeba hitori de wa nakatta
Kaze no hi mo
Ame no hi mo

And I see for one fleeting moment
A paradise under the sun
I drift away
And I make my way back to you
Wasurenaide

You gave me a world to believe in
You gave me a love to believe in
Nando datte
Yarinaoseru
Ashita ga aru kagiri

Hito wa kizutsuku tabi ni
Hontou ni taisetsu na
Kotae ni chikazukeru kara

You gave me a world to believe in
You gave me a love to believe in
Ai no tame ni
Tsuyokunareru
Anata ga iru kagiri

You gave me a world to believe in
You gave me a love to believe in
Nando datte
Yarinaoseru
Ashita ga aru kagiri

Anata to iru kagiri
Anata to iru kagiri

Source: http://www.jpopasia.com/lyrics/7125//yuna-ito/anata-ga-iru-kagiri---a-world-to-believe-in.html

Metadata

Artist: Yuna Ito
Release year: 2007
Genre: Pop
Song speed: Fast
Dominant voice: Female
Dominant language: English and Japanese

Aya Hirano - MonStAR

2007-12-06T00:02:00.000-05:00

Title: MonStAR
Artist: Aya Hirano
Single/Album: MonStAR single
Year: 2007
Genre: Pop
Speed: Fast Song
Languages used: Japanese

Review:
I am somewhat disappointed at this song since I didn't find this song to be as catchy as some of Aya Hirano's previous songs. There are parts of this song where her voice sounds terrible and the English chorus brings chills down my spine. The video shows Aya Hirano as a gang girl with a 1 million bounty. However, the "vault" holding all her bling seems rather empty, unless you count glitter curtains or items that you find in a garage sale to be valuable (I suppose sentimental value is priceless though...).

Aya Hirano's MonStAr Japanese lyrics can be found here.

Profile: Monkey Majik

2007-12-03T22:29:00.001-05:00

Monkey Majik is my favourite Jpop group. I recommend them to all my friends because I think their songs are absolutely amazing. I have no idea how they make such good songs...it seems every new single keeps getting better and better.

Images of Monkey Majik members:

Instead of plagiarizing the hell out of the Monkey Majik Wikipedia article
I'll simply state who I recommend Monkey Majik for and highlight some of my favourite songs.

I highly recommend Monkey Majik if you like:

Songs with lots of guitar
Excellent background music. Most of their songs are really relaxing to listen to, so I always listen to their music when studying or doing homework :)
Combination of English and Japanese lyrics. The two vocalists are Canadian (even better!) so they have songs with pure English, pure Japanese, and a combination of both
Indie pop. A lot of their songs seem to fit the category of Indie pop. There is really distinct sound to it
Songs that sound like North American songs! Some of their songs could easily compete against North American songs because the English lyrics and the beats are so good :) No high pitch squealing, cheesy beats, or Engrish here

If you are interested in Monkey Majik lyrics, visit my Monkey Majik lyric database by clicking here.

If you want to hear some of my favourite Monkey Majik songs, you can get the Monkey Majik Best 2005-2007 album I created here.

Song recommendations:

2005 Album - Eastview

1996 - an English song with excellent guitar.

2006 Album - Thank You

Around the World - Probably their most popular song, since it was featured in a Japanese drama opening. Definitely a creative song.
All By Myself - An English song, slower paced.
Fly - The first song I heard from Monkey Majik. Almost entirely English, an excellent sampling song for anyone interested in Monkey Majik.
Stay - A combination of Japanese and English. I really like the guitar in this song.
Turn - A combination of Japanese, English, and interesting beats makes this song sound amazing.

2007 Album - Sora wa Maru de
I am a really big fan of Monkey Majik's Thank You album. Just when I thought it couldn't get any better, they decided to release Sora wa Maru de which contained a lot of their new singles and is easily my favourite album of all time. It's rare for me to like so many songs on a single album. However, my most favourite songs are:

I Miss You - A slow paced song with piano and guitar! Definitely a change in style and it works. This song is in English and nice lyrics.
Long Shot Penny - Another amazing Monkey Majik song with their unique beats again. An English song with really catchy beats.
Maybe - A fast paced English song.
Mitsumoto - The chorus for this song is so catchy. This song is Japanese with bits of English.
NO SNOW IN DECEMBER - Simply another great Monkey Majik English song with great beats.
Picture Perfect - When I discovered that M-Flo was collaborating with Monkey Majik, I had to pinch myself. I didn't think that would ever happen but I was really glad it did. I am a huge fan of M-Flo collaborations, so I had some high expectations. Luckily, this song is really enjoyable so I wasn't disappointed. This song is a combination of English and Japanese with some rapping.
Smile - A slow English song from Monkey Majik, which I find quite rare. Definitely a change in their usual style.
Sotsugyou Soshite Miraihe - A collaboration with SEAMO. If you see the music video for this song you'll find this song slightly depressing. A mixture of Japanese and English with some rapping.

2006 Single - Around the World

Falling - A really interesting song in English with some neat guitar.

2007 Single - Change

Car Crash - I have no idea why Monkey Majik would hide such a good song as part of the Change single. Even worse, why they didn't add it to their recent album! This song is pure English and one of my favourite Monkey Majik songs.

Note: Profile last updated December 03, 2007.

For more information
Monkey Majik Official Site

About Me

2007-12-03T05:21:00.001-05:00

Name: Steven
Location: Toronto, Ontario, Canada

I'm just another blogger who wishes to promote Jpop to the world. At it's core, Jpop is an addictive drug that you just can't get enough of. Don't think you're the only one refreshing the jpopsuki popular releases page twice a day looking for new music.

Why is Jpop so appealing? Personally, I don't understand much Japanese but I still love listening to the Japanese language. To me, listening to Japanese singing is equivalent to listening to melodies or rhythm from an instrument.

Here are some of my favourite Jpop artists from a variety of categories:

Dance/Parapara

HINOI Team
Tamaki Nami

Pop

Angela Aki
Ayumi Hamasaki
ERIKA
FLOW
JYONGRI
Koda Kumi
melody.
Monkey Majik
the brilliant green
Utada Hikaru
Yuna Ito
YUI

Rap/Hip-Hop

Aqua Timez
m-flo
Namie Amuro

Rock/Heavy Metal

ELLEGARDEN
ASIAN KUNG-FU GENERATION

If you'd like to do a link exchange, I'll be happy to add you, just leave a comment with your URL :)

Technorati Profile

Blog Purpose

2007-12-03T05:04:00.000-05:00

Jpop Addict is a Jpop blog that focuses on Jpop news, reviews, metadata, and lyrics.

Here's a short description of each item:
news: if something new happens in the Jpop community, I'll provide a post.

reviews: although there are song and album reviews, the songs are reviewed on separate posts, which are linked to the song/album review. The idea behind separate posts for each song is to provide the user with metadata for each song. Unlike some other blogs, I won't add a rating or grade to a single or album as I believe it is too difficult to accurately quantify either. For example, I love one song from a single but hate everything else. How then, would I properly assign a rating to the single to accurately represent my absolute love for one song, but hatred for the others? Although some people probably have nice systems outside to properly provide a rating, I won't deal with it here.

metadata: I provide posts for each song, allowing you to search for a song that matches your style. With millions of songs out there, providing metadata can help reduce your search for the right song.

For each song, the following metadata will be provided at the end of each post:

Artist: artist name
Release year: release year
Genre: {Pop|Rock|Rap|Hip-Hop|Reggae|Rock}
Song speed: {Fast|Slow}
Dominant voice: {Female|Male|Female and Male}
Dominant language: {Japanese|English}

lyrics: if romanji or English lyrics are available for a song, the lyrics will be included with the song, with a citation to the source.