Listen to! May

Long post ahead. Mostly random thoughts. Hope you enjoy, please do comment ♥

First off. People are always talking about the big entertainment labels in South Korea, but can we talk about Japanese Avex Group for a moment? One actual musical powerhouse that is. I still haven't had time to get familiar with all their artists, simply because there are so many of them! They're really advanced both musically and visually. Avex is the current label to names like Gackt, Ayumi Hamasaki and Namie Amuro, as well as the Japanese base for artists like BoA, 2NE1, After School, Super Junior and U-Kiss. They're launching new artists all the time, god damn it. So often that they don't even have time to all of them - Da-iCE switched to Universal Music Japan some time back because Avex didn't have time for them. That's not nice.

Anyway, here's one great Avex group, VIVIVID, which you should totally check out if your taste is even close to mine.

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To other great music. I'm starting with BTL's Too-G. Nice song. But are these the guys that-- no, they're not them. They just look, sound and feel the same. Even the name of the group and the song sound familiar. Get over your everyone-needs-to-be "hiphop" groaning, South Korea.

Last up is the new Berryz song, which I do like a lot. It's another song that shows the skill of empathy Tsunku has. I really hope Berryz are, indeed, proud, because at least I'm very proud & thankful of them.

What's your favourite song right now?

Listen to! March

I missed February, apologies.

Oh my, she’s so great, I’ve
fallen for her even as a girl,
I can see she’s so great. She’s
temperamental but I want to
see her I want to know her,
I want to dance with her.
━ Orange Caramel, Catallena

And a bonus song about how Mino hates ants. You're welcome.

CRUSH

I LOVE IT HOW YG AND THE WORLD IS FULL OF GORGEOUS MEN AND THEY PICKED AN AVERAGE LOOKING ONE FOR THIS BECAUSE IT ACTUALLY MATTERS.
I've always wanted to write a long deep analyzing blogpost concerning things like this and finally I'm getting to do it! Still, this is only how I see these things.

Well, clearly, it's a dystopia they're living in in Come Back Home. Have I told you I love dystopias? Even the song says: "Don’t leave me at the end of this cold earth" - There are only a few people left on earth and more and more are escaping the reality to "Virtual Paradise", where all is well. Love is pretty much everything that's left in the real world and the guy being an average looking druggie in my opinion highlights that the planet is no paradise any more. It's not the same as thousands of years ago when smoking hot Korean pop stars made you think everyone looks like a sex god. Seriously, all the comments I've already seen about the man being "fugly" and "not attractive enough" only remind me of the wicked beauty standards we have these days.

About the lip sync then? It's distracting and nothing new. But it's not like the girls can't lip sync, in Happy MV they clearly can, right? I think it's intended here because of the story MV, they're thinking the lyrics out loud or something, I think that would fit the picture. It still doesn't stop being distracting though!

I'm really pleased with this video overall. It's very 2NE1, but still something new. I can't even describe it, but I've never heard anything alike. And hey, a story MV built with a lot of thought that is understandable! It's great that story MVs are made but it's easier said than done to make one that actually works. Sometimes you have to watch the video multiple times to understand what's going on. Here I, at least, get what's going on and can just relax like watching a movie, now that I don't have to push myself to figure out the plot. My absolutely favourite scene is when the girls have entered the "Virtual Paradise" and they gone blow shit up. They always gone blow shit up! Plus, this is how CG is done. I don't even mind the postponement.

Happy I like as well. It might be my favourite song from the album, which is good overall, even though it doesn't have any songs that would actually fricking blow my mind. Still good, still very good. Other faves might be MTBD, Come Back Home (unplugged version), and of course Scream is still awesome.

Again a happy video for a sad song, huh? Yes, Happy is actually quite a horrible song. Well fine, at least we won't get that depressed. And it's pretty, very pretty! I'm just wondering when this was shot, because it should be quite a long while ago, if you think about how fast hair grows and winter comes, haha.

(Dara is stunning no matter what she does. She told she got inspired by chicken. Fine. Whatever. Goddes.)

Would say it's 4/5 album and 5/5 videos from 2NE1.

The one who wants to wear the crown, bear the crown

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I watched The Heirs. Sobs.

There's been a lot of hype going on around this SBS mini series that aired last year. I often feel like watching dramas but usually I need an excuse to actually do so, and this time it was WINNER's parody of the series. Was it worth it then? Oh yes it was. 5/5. Would recommend. Once you get past the first few episodes, the cheap American actors and the horrific Engrish that makes you want to puke (no offence, Lee Minho), the drama is actually very good. Everyone hail the character development.

It also ruins your life. But what wouldn't?

130 Million Bizarre Dieting Songs

What the fuck is this? That's what I was thinking when I heard the concert rip. It sounds better than I remembered, that's my thoughts in the beginning of the music video. And for the rest 4 minutes I thought: What the actual fuck?

But I was in awe.

1 Oku 3 Sen Man Sou Diet Oukoku is ridiculously amazing and so weird that I can't help loving it. I really like the instrumental and after the lagging begging of each verse there are the repeating parts and the glorious chorus I totally adore. I'm a bit mad to Tsunku for only making songs about dieting, but this song really makes me question what he actually wants to say by doing so and what the dieting culture of Japan is actually about. "Even slim girls are dieting", that's it?

It's my opinion, but this whole song is genius! It's not about H!P trying to be something different anymore - which has been the case for the last couple of years - this was something really unexpected.

The video deals with the basics, but is very pretty. Risako looks like she just returned from a holiday in Capitol, and I love it. I just wish she wasn't the only girl getting bright hair colors and bizarre makeups, because there are, well, 7 interesting, grown up girls in Berryz that would all have the potential to be just a bit more than just great idols.

The other A-side of this single, Otona Na Yo! didn't impress me as much, but I'm not saying it's too bad. I enjoy listening to it. I like the MV, maybe a bit more than the one of the dieting song. Many seemed to dislike the outfits and the dolls, but in my opinion they're the best things about this. The dance has its good and bad parts. Still, what distracts me is that the lyric arrangement doesn't really work and the wows sound just terrible, I and mean that, just ugh nope. Plus it's not their choice who they're dating.

Ah, I shouldn't be writing this quickly, it's all just flow. But otherwise I would never write anything. So I apologize if I disagree with myself tomorrow. Anyway, the Berryz Koubou single will be released in the 19th.

Listen to! January

Here are my recommended songs of the month. No commentary-edition because I would just write "nice song" under every video. This was seriously hard though. I've just been listening to AAA. And more AAA. And Winner, who hasn't even debuted yet. Soon, okay?

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AAA - Love

Right in the feels once again. Have I told you I love single shot videos? This one has a bit messy camera work, but it's not too bad. Chia looks like she's in maternity clothes though. But then again, around 2:15 she and Naoya look like they're the girl's parents and gosh, feels. Overall I like the video's simplicity and everyone looks damn fine. The song itself is gold, as all AAA ballads out there are. Especially loving the ending. U-uh, sorry, Hiro, for a second I kind of totally forgot that you exist!

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♥✧ ~Have a nice week!~ ✧♥

Check out Sora to Kujira

I realized I haven't posted here about me writing for Sora to Kujira, even though I believe most of you have already figured out I do. It's mainly J-pop news site/blog with various writers. But don't worry, I will not abandon this blog!

Today I blogged about my favourite male artists last year. Go check it out~

♥