New & Noteworthy J-pop of the Week (March 19, 2023)

In connection with my desire to fully keep up with the J-pop industry, I’m planning to do a weekly round-up of any new releases that have caught my ear. Some of these may have been covered on the blog already, but my hope is that this will become a one-stop shop for anyone interested in what’s new in J-pop.

With that in mind, here’s where you come in: I’m one person with one set of musical preferences, so please embed any other new J-pop tracks you’ve enjoyed in the comments so we can get a fuller spectrum each week.

*And just like I do with my reviews, I’ll wait until full versions of songs are available before posting them in this round-up. This will mostly apply to Johnny’s groups, who still limit the majority of their YouTube uploads to shorter, edited versions.

2023 Index: Feb 1 – Feb 18 // Feb 19 – 25 // Feb 26 – Mar 3 // Mar 4 – Mar 10

THIS WEEK: March 11 – March 18

ATARASHII GAKKO! – Otonablue

This song is actually from 2020, but they released a video for it this week. I’m definitely feeling the retro freestyle vibe.

Da-iCE – Funky Jumping

I’m not sure if this will eventually be promoted with a music video, but I’m posting it now because it’s very good. The rubbery bass reminds me of SHINee’s Sherlock in places.

DreamBoat – Footloose

Okay, the song itself is fantastic. But, the muddled mixing of the vocals sabotages it. That’s a shame, because all the right ingredients are here.

DRIPPIN – Hello Goodbye

I wrote about this here. I liked it a lot!

Fujifabric × Frederic – Eye Rendezvous

I’m not familiar with Fujifabric, but this has Frederic’s sprightly charm all over it. Not one of their strongest, but I like the energy.

Kalen Anzai – Give Me♡Stop

It’s super interesting that this is a co-write with the band CHVRCHES. Definitely not a collaboration I would’ve expected. I’m not sure how often I’d listen to this, but it’s nice.

Kep1er – Together Forever (b-side of the week!)

Is this Kep1er’s best song yet? I think so! Its worst instincts are borrowed straight from K-pop, but the propulsive, strings-laden chorus is a total highlight.

Kvi Baba – Tombi

I’m so happy this got a music video! I’ve been watching Trigun Stampede this year and Tombi (its opening theme) captivates me every time. I don’t usually use the word “languid” as a compliment, but Kvi Baba utilizes that energy to craft such a compelling tone.

News – A Real Man / Tick-Tock (single of the week!)

I wrote about A Real Man here. I loved it, and it’s my single of the week!

Tick-Tock is also very good – especially if you’re looking for something more rock. I feel like News have delivered variations of this chorus many times in the past, but there’s no sense fixing something that’s not broken.

Nogizaka46 – Kokoro ni mo Nai Koto

I really like this single. It has such an uplifting, spring-like energy and the chorus is very strong. It just buoys your spirits, which is always a welcome approach when it comes to pop music.

One Love One Heart – Yell For You

I wrote about this here. I liked it a lot!

w-inds. – Beyond (Album)

This album is better than I expected! And, my expectations for w-inds are pretty high to begin with. The opening run of five songs is particularly strong. It’s synth-funk bliss. Parts of Find Me remind me of Beyonce’s Alien Superstar, while Bang Bang (released as a single late last year) has an early-00’s bounce.

&TEAM – W.O.L.F. (Win Or Lose Fight)

I’m just not into HYBE’s Japanese push and the overall K-popification of the industry. This song is above average, but we’ve heard it a million times in Korea and I don’t really need it in Japanese too.

This week’s old favorite:

Sekai No Owari – Lost (ft. Clean Bandit) (2019)

I’m always surprised this doesn’t get more attention within Sekai No Owari’s discography. I really think it’s the perfect pop song. Those builds and payoffs are so, so satisfying.

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