And now the song translated from Perfume’s ⊿ album is this one! I love the sound of this and originally thought the song would have cute romantic messages but the lyrics turned out to be of a really needy girl. (Nakata, the things you are making Perfume sing!)

I had just planned to do up to this – you know, “favorites from the album” and all – but apparently my favorite new songs are pretty much every new song on the album that’s not in complete English. So I might do Zero Gravity for fun too.

Like always, alert me to any mistakes you might see! Japanese, romaji, and English lyrics under the cut.

Japanese

言葉じゃうまく言えないの
ぬくもりだって足りないの
視線の行く先はどこ？
キミに全てあげるわ

心がうまく冷えないの
ぬくもりだっていらないの
期待の向く先はどこ？
キミに全てあげるわ

You are my heart, my life, and my soul.
I love you more than words can say. Ah
You are my heart, my life, and my soul.
The best thing that I can do is to show you now.×2

Romaji

Kotoba jya umaku ie nai no
Nukumori datte tarinai no
Shisen no yukusaki wa doko?
Kimi ni subete ageru wa

Kokoro ga umaku hienai no
Nukumori datte iranai no
Kitai no muku saki wa doko?
Kimi ni subete ageru wa

You are my heart, my life, and my soul.
I love you more than words can say. Ah
You are my heart, my life and my soul.
The best thing that i can do is to show you now. x2

English

Can’t say it well in words
Not feeling enough warmth
Where are your eyes looking?
I’ll give you all of me.

My heart doesn’t get cold
Don’t need any warmth
What are you anticipating?
I’ll give you all of me.

You are my heart, my life, and my soul.
I love you more than words can say. Ah
You are my heart, my life and my soul.
The best thing that i can do is to show you now.　x2

Next on my list of favorites from Perfume on ⊿ is this one. I think this song (and the accompanying PV and performance) is superb – the voices are full of longing while the music is fun and retro-sounding. A retro midtempo techno ballad? Yes please!

As always, I am simply someone trying to learn Japanese by translating and is by no means an expert, so if you see any mistakes anywhere let me know! Japanese, romaji, and English lyrics under the cut.

Japanese

キミをどんなに想い続けても
あたしにできることなんかなくて
夕焼けみたいに沈む気持ちを
胸にしまいこむ

それがどんなに意味のないことで
一つも変わることがなくても
一緒に笑い合える関係
それを守りたい

願うなら　さよなら　と　笑えるより
寂しいねって　いってくれるよな　そんなふたりがいい

※I still love U 抜け出せない　迷路のよう　見えないドア
I can smile 隠してるの　この気持ち　涙に変えて
You and me どうしようもない　それはきっと　あたし自身
rescue me なんていえない　目を閉じて　眠りにつく

あまり連絡がこないときでも
あたしにできることなんかなくて
曇り空みたいなこの気持ちを
胸にしまいこむ

震えた気がして電話を見て
気のせいだとがっかりしたりもして
次はいつになるとあえるかな
思い続ける

願うなら　じゃあまたね　って手を振るより
寂しいねって　いってくれるよな　そんなふたりがいい

※

Romaji

Kimi wo donna ni omoi tsuzuketemo
Atashi ni dekiru koto nanka nakute
Yuuyake midai ni shizumu kimochi wo
Mune ni shimai komu

Sore ga donna ni imi no nai koto de
Hitotsu mo kawaru koto ga nakute mo
Isshouni warai aeru kankei
Sore wo mamori tai

Negau nara sayonara to waraeru yori
Sabishii nete ittekureru yona sonna futari ga ii

※ I still love U muke nasenai meiro no you mienai DOA
I can smile kakushi teru no kono kimochi namida ni kaete
You and me doushiyou mo nai sore wa kitto atashi jishin
Rescue me nante ienai me wo toji de nemuri ni tsuku

Amari renraku ga konai to kidemo
Atashi ni dekiru koto nanka nakute
Kumori sora itai na kono kimochi wo
Mune ni shimai komu

Furueta ki ga shite denwa wo mitte
Ki no sei dato gakkari shitairi moshite
Tsugu wa itsuni naru to aerukana
Omoi tsuzukeru

Negau nara jyaa mata ne ne te wo furu yori
Sabishii nette ittekureru yo na sonna futari ga ii

※

English

What kind of thoughts did you have
I can do without thinking about it
I just want to sink into the sunset
Store these thoughts inside my chest

It doesn’t have any meaning but
Still nothing has to change
Always smiling together as one
I want to protect that

As for my wish, smiling is better than goodbyes
I’m lonely when you leave, it’s better when it’s the two of us

※I still love U   Don’t slip away　A maze with invisible doors
I can smile   Holding back changes these feelings into tears
You and me   Can’t be helped, I’m always by myself
rescue me  I can’t just shut my eyes and fall asleep

There’s not much contact between us
I can do without thinking about it
It feels like there’s a cloudy sky
Store these thoughts inside my chest

My heart trembles when I look at the phone
It’s just my imagination and I feel disappointed
Next time I’m strange it’ll be because
My feelings will continue

As for my wish, well see you later and wave goodbye
I’m lonely when you leave, it’s better when it’s the two of us

※

I am loving the new songs from Perfume’s new album ⊿ and I’m working on translating what I can. “Kiss and Music” is one of my new favorites – simple and short but staying sophisticated and sexy.

As always, I am no expert by any means and translate for the learning, so if you see any mistakes, alert me! Original Japanese, romaji, and my attempt of the English translation under the cut.

Japanese

夜の隙間が　鋭角になる
わからないのね　刺激じゃないわ

コインを投げて　運で決めるの？
勇気ないのね　踏み出せないの？　ねえ

※
DANCE. The kiss and music
潜る音 basement
DANCE. キミのABC　伝わるのよfeel
your eyes, your hands, your lips,
love me, see me, catch me, touch me,
Kiss and Music

あなたの隙は　わかりやすいけど
わからないのは　あの日のことね

コルクを開けて酔いに揺られて
勇気ないのね　踏み出せないの？　ねえ

※

Romaji

Yoru no sukima ga eikaku ni naru
Wakaranai no ne shigeki janai wa

KOIN wo nagete un de kimeru no?
Yuuki nai no ne fumi dasenai no? nee

※
DANCE. The kiss and music
Moguru oto basement
DANCE. Kimi no ABC tsutawaru no yo feel
your eyes, your hands, your lips,
love me, see me, catch me, touch me,
Kiss and Music

Anata no suki wa wakari yasui kedo
Wakaranai no wa ano nichi no koto ne

KORUKU wo agete yoi ni yurarete
Yuuki nai no ne fumi dasenai no? nee

REPEAT ※

English

The gap between us gets acute at night
I don’t understand why you’re not excited

Flip a coin and let luck decide?
Don’t have the courage to step forward? Hey

※
DANCE. The kiss and music
Dive into the sounds of the basement
DANCE. Your ABC. The feel of the flow
your eyes, your hands, your lips,
love me, see me, catch me, touch me,
Kiss and Music

Your space is easy to understand but
I don’t understand what happened that day.

Pop open the cork and get intoxicated on your movement
Don’t have the courage to step forward? Hey

REPEAT ※

I usually don’t do song by song review types or anything like that on this blog, but after the leaks (cough from the normal sources), I’m certain ⊿ (Triangle) deserves attention and praise for what its achieved – both for Nakata and for Perfume.

Starting with the songs themselves: Take off is a futuristic opener with a simple concept: a countdown from ten to one until the start of the actual songs. What it does differently is that each number is repeated three time – presumably once representing for each girl, and going off the triad concept of the album. The synth is gorgeous and the vocalizations add to the mystery of the short track. I do believe the transition into love the world could be slightly better handled, but the pairing is marvelous: similar synth sounds, but one mysterious and dark leading into one cheerful and poppy.

love the world is followed by Dream Fighter, and sounds like a fairly natural progression given that the two singles seemed to pair along from the very beginning. It then leads into edge(⊿-mix) – a more aggressive version on what is already an (shall I say it?) edgy song. Most of it sounds very similar to the original and extended versions of the track, but the additional synth created melodies inserted in between the vocals, along with the addition of distorted noise and pure instrumental portions, give the track even more of a gritty club feel than the original.

edge leads into NIGHT FLIGHT, this year’s PINO CM song. The song has a throwback feel with 80’s style synth instrumentals, but don’t pin it as retro: Perfume’s echoed vocals and a strong synth bass line give this track a modern twist. The song is sophisticated and is at the same time catchy.

Kiss and Music is next, a funky and sometimes dissonant slow track. Unlike most of Perfume’s music, Kiss and Music lacks a distinct pop melody and track – instead, it offers a fairly simple minor track paired with sensual, almost spoken lyrics.

It’s then a smooth transition into Zero Gravity that’s a fun midtempo version of 90’s shibuya-kei. It has a clear piano backing track to match soft and sweet vocals. The song is – for the lack of a better description – adorable, and is a nice change of style for the girls.

I still love U follows to give us a retro styled track paired with a unforgetably catchy melody. The instrumental itself sounds like 80s and 90s synth pop. The vocals switch between vocoded to be muffled and more distorted and to be  fairly clear. The chorus is sweet and longing and wonderfully paired with strains of violin.  The only fault of the song is breakdown before the last chorus: it adds a nice emphasis on the last part but should ideally be only half or less of its current length.

The best thing follows with fun twinkly synth sounds paired with a fun melody. The chorus is catchy and fun to sing along to. It doesn’t achieve anything new but does give a great song. It leads into Speed of Sound – which is less of a Perfume track than something like an interlude. There’s no distinct melody and Perfume only contributes spoken words into a colorfully varying song. The lack of melody makes the song more of a club than a pop song, but the song does provide a cute atmosphere.

The ending of the Speed of Sound leads nicely into the grating synth beginning to One Room Disco. Finally, the album ends with Negai (album mix). The difference would be the addition of acoustic piano and strings to the beginning, as well as along with additional acoustic effects throughout the song’s arrangement. The additional instruments sound a little messy paired with the heavy percussion during the bridge and refrains, but the addition of strings and timpani is a perfect addition during the choruses. There’s also a pleasant new acoustic ending to the song. I loved the original Negai, but I think the album mix offers a more personal, humanized version of the song – a fitting ending to an album that was strictly electronic.

Overall, I think ⊿ is an amazing album musically and Nakata has done a great job once again – there are definitely going to be new Perfume favorites coming out of this.

And to address the increasingly common viewpoint that Perfume is becoming capsule part two, I think ⊿ can confidently disprove that claim. It’s true that some of the songs wouldn’t look out of place in a current capsule album – like Take Off, Kiss and Music, or Speed of Sound – but the other tracks are all still the pop-based technopop Perfume fans know and love. Do you thinks  Yes, the songs do feature significantly stronger club-based influences, but does anyone want Perfume’s music to have stalled permanently at the offerings in GAME? Yes, Perfume sounds differently in ⊿ – but they sounded differently in GAME from Complete Best too. It’s natural for an artist to evolve, even if the evolution is strongly based on the producer. I think its brave for Nakata and Perfume to try some drastically new styles in the album songs when they could have just have released a rehash of songs that sound right in place in GAME in order to continue off the sophomore album’s success.

Most importantly, ⊿ makes me realize how big an influence Perfume is in the music. No, I do not believe Nakata would be able to make I still love U as charming as he did if he had used Toshiko’s vocals instead of mixing Perfume’s three lines together. The vocoding has changed and it’s harder to differentiate the three voices – but you can still differentiate three different voices during the solos for most of the songs. Perfume still adds their personal charm to their songs and are still present.

If you’re feeling disappointed that Perfume in ⊿ no longer sounds like the Polyrhythm or Chocolate Disco Perfume you fell in love with, throw away your bias and just listen to the music for a moment, and tell me if you enjoy it. And if not, that’s fine, it’s just not your style: personally, my GAME loving heart still thinks GAME is one of the best albums of all time. But lets put Perfume’s history aside for a moment.

Hmm. That’s been a rambling. I guess in conclusion what I’m saying is just that ⊿ is an AMAZING album, and I’m loving several of the new album tracks with just a few listens. Go on and give them a try – whether you’re a big fan of Perfume’s sound in GAME or not, you might be pleasantly surprised!

Leah Dizon really gets no respect. Sure, we’ve all loved a song or two of hers now and then, but no one has real respect for her as an artist – some even downright despise her. I’ve been pretty ambivalent towards her the whole time: she can’t sing and her kouhaku failure was hilarious, but she does get great producers sometimes – either way, I don’t care for her too much. A thought actually hit me like randomly a few days ago: love her or (more commonly seen) hate her, I think you do have to admit that Leah Dizon is actually kind of a cool girl.

1. She’s really damn motivated.

Yeah, she’s not a classy runway model, she can’t sing or dance well, and she acts like a ten year while at the same time flashing her body around, but if you think about it, she’s achieved a lot on her own accord:

Successful modeling career: check.
Successful music career: check.
Successful television career: check.
Being adored byfanboys: check.
Being a major (possibly unforgettable) celebrity: check.
Snagging a hot Japanese man: check.
Having an adorable baby: check.

Yes, she only got her record deal because she’s a beautiful and is shamelessly willing to show her body in almost no clothing, but she did apply for a record deal, move to Japan, and learn the language on her own accord.

2. She’s partly a dorky fan of Asian music, just like us.

If you know or know of Asian girls who do import modeling, you’ll know what kind of stereotype they seem to be like: skimpily dressed, pancake-heavy makeup, hanging over equally tool-ish guys as they booze it up over bad hip-hop blasting from their overly-modded cars.

Leah Dizon is probably no different in the makeup and partying and the taste in guys, except she goes home and listens to Utada Hikaru and Kanjani8 and such. This is not Japanese music related, but honestly, anyone who declares their favorite artist as Jay Chou while also listening to Japanese pop is pretty chill in my book.

3. She’s not really taking it that seriously!

I don’t think any of us though Leah Dizon’s career was going to last long – and I don’t think she did either. A lot of you know you’d like to spend some time in your life living in Japan, meeting all the Japanese celebrities and becoming a celebrity yourself – but can you visualize yourself living in Japan forever, stuck in the vicious and fast-revolving industry trying to remain relevant? Leah went in with a bang, had her fame and fun for a few years, wrote her songs and had her performances, and then seemed to willingly drop out of Japanese entertainment. Maybe one day she’ll feel like doing something else, or she’ll stay out of the spotlight and just tell her daughter Mila that she was once a popular idol who even showed up on all the major Japanese music shows – with ridiculous outfits.

If you think about it, Leah Dizon achieved the ultimate foreigner J-pop dream: a foreigner who was lucky enough to become a real J-pop star.

Tegomass will be releasing their single “Tanabata Matsuri” (Star Festival) on July 8th. The following week, they will be releasing their debut album “Tegomasu no Uta” (Tegomass’ Song) on July 15th. These releases will accompany their first around-Japan summer tour. Both the album and single have limited editions that contain DVDs.

The single “Tanabata Matsuri” sounds significantly different from Tegomass’ previous works. It’s in a significantly lower range and focuses more on Massu’s vocals than Tegoshi’s. There doesn’t seem to be a focus on harmonizing and instead more on singing the melody. The song itself is a cheerful midtempo with an almost country-western feel to the instrumentation at times. The vocals are spot on as usual, and the song is fun and catchy – perfect for a summer festival mood.

If you’re pining after the amazing ballads Tegomass usually releases though, you’re still in luck, because the coupling B-side to the single “Hanamuke” gives just that: a midtempo ballad with gorgeous harmonizing in their trademark smooth vocals paired with an amazing orchestral and synth instrumentation.

The PV is also refreshing as it puts Tegomass in the middle of what looks to the a temple, playing with kids for what we can assume is Tanabata while still looking very Johnny’s-stylish. The limited edition DVD has the full version of the PV as well as the making-of clip.

As for their debut album, the tracklist is

1. ミソスープ (Miso Soup)
2. キッス～帰り道のラブソング～ (Kiss~ Kaerimichi no Love Song; Kiss~ Going Home Love Song)
3. アイアイ傘 (Ai Ai Gasa)
4. 片思いの小さな恋 (Katamoi no Chisana Koi; Little Love from One Side)
5. たったひとつだけ (Tatta Hitotsu Dake; Just the ONly One)
6. 夏への扉 (Natsu e no Tobira; Summer’s Door)
7. What’s going on?
8. くしゃみ (Kushami; Sneeze)
9. HIGHWAY
10. POWER OF EARTH
11. サヨナラ僕の街 (Sayonara Boku no Machi; Farewell My Town)
12. 四季彩 (Shikisai; Color of Four Seasons)
13. 雨のち晴れ(Ame Nochi Kare; Rain Then Clear) *
14. チキンボーヤ (Chicken Boy) *
15. MISO SOUP *
* Regular Edition only

The limited edition to the album has a DVD with live footage of (according to Johnnys-net) a Ai Ai Gasa Live, with Miso Soup, Moshimo Boku ga Pochi Dattara, Bokura no Uta, Ai Ai Gasa, and Kiss ~Kaerimichi no Love Song~, as well as a documentary of Tegomass in Sweden.

If you’re a fan of Tegomass, let’s be serious: when have they disappointed with their releases? No matter what you think songs like “Chicken Boy” are going to sound like or if you’re unsure if “Tanabata Matsuri” is really your type of song, you can be sure that they’re going to deliver fun and deliciously well sung pop songs.

And as always, support the boys! “Tanabata Matsuri” and “Tegomasu no Uta” will both be showing up at my doorstep come July, let it come to yours too!

Tanabata Matsuri:
CDJapan: Limited // Regular
Yesasia: Limited // Regular
HMV: Limited // Regular

Tegomasu no Uta:
CDJapan: Limited // Regular
Yesasia: Limited // Regular
HMV: Limited // Regular

Arashi’s latest double A-side single “Ashita no Kioku/Crazy Moon ~Kimi wa Muteki~” was released earlier this week. “Ashita no Kioku” is the theme for Sakurai Sho’s drama “The Quiz Show” while “Crazy Moon ~Kimi wa Muteki~” is a CM song for Kose. The single is released in three versions – two limited with DVDs, and one regular with karaoke tracks – and no b-sides are included.

I was on vacation so I’m a little late with my write-up; by now, if you cared about Arashi you’ve probably heard the songs already. If you didn’t, maybe you should, because this single is amazing.

“Ashita no Kioku” is a gorgeous midtempo ballad backed with dramatic strings and piano and has a great hook. Arashi songs have this tendency to have unforgettable moments in its music, and this is no difference: tell me you’re not hooked when the dramatic music led off into the chorus at “meguri meguru” – yeah, now you’re singing it too, right?

The PV will be boring if you’re a casual listener, but it’s a fan’s dream. A washed out pastel palette with five minutes full of just gorgeous casual shots of the boys. Yes, the taking pictures and sticking up photographs of clocks does tie in for the theme of time and memories and stuff – but let’s face it, if you managed to sit through more than one minute of this video, you’re watching this because everyone looks so good in this scheme.

Still amazing but on a completely different front, “Crazy Moon ~Kimi wa Muteki~” is an energetic and infective dance number. It blends heavy synth with electric guitar and a killer hook. From the very start, the song bursts with energy and simple but catchy melodies that get stuck in your head.

And with the PV, Arashi proves they’re one of the JE bands who can actually dance – or at least be able to hire good choreographers. The entire video is a flowing intertwined dance routine that is engaging to watch the entire time – it’s probably one of the best Johnny’s dance choreography I’ve seen in awhile. Visually, the boys look terrific dressed in monochrome and red in an open and empty stadium – slick, stylish, and just really cool.

I kind of hate that with every Arashi release I sing high praises, making me sound terribly biased – but what can I do when everything they release lately is just good? With strings of hits already, you’d think Arashi would mess up soon, but if it’s ever happening, it’s not with this single. Terrific music, terrific visuals, and altogether yet another amazing release from the group.

I never understood why GIRL NEXT DOOR was such a big hit in Japan. Yes, they’re pretty much avex’s nostalgic pet project, but why did the public catch on? How did the public get to like them? Why did they get onto Kouhaku when they have yet to have a big hit?

Taking a look at the PV for their debut “Guzen no Kakuritsu” did little to bring me on board. The synth, the set beats – it sounds like something Ayumi Hamasaki would’ve released last decade. And why is that girl smiling so widely all the time? And why are the two other guys in the band nothing more than mere props? I scoffed and closed youtube without even getting past a minute of the song – it’s like they put together another Do As Infinity, sucked out all the originality, gave it all of avex’s backlogs from the 90s and told them to run with it and sell records.

If the title to this post is any indication of where this is going – it did take me a full year to warm up to them – or rather, just a drama. At the end to “Atashinichi no Danshi,” an almost annoyingly peppy, synth-filled song played. And by the third episode played, I actually read through the credits to find the song – and hey, behold, it’s GIRL NEXT DOOR’s “Infinity.” (Which, by the way, is having its PV played over and over on my computer.)

Surprised by how much I actually liked GIRL NEXT DOOR’s songs, I checked out their album “GIRL NEXT DOOR” too. And well – I liked it.

Here’s the thing though: I still don’t think GIRL NEXT DOOR makes magically amazing music – it’s not. Vocalist Chisa’s (who I can actually recognize, thanks to her stint acting in Uta no Onii-san”) voice is good and smooth but not amazing, ad has a bit of a nasal quality. So many of their songs sound alike with similar, if almost identical instrumentation. Their songs are polished but shallow.

But if you’re looking for perfectly polished pop, GIRL NEXT DOOR delivers. If there’s one thing GIRL NEXT DOOR can do, they can release songs that have killer hooks and great production values. In an age where artists often strive for original style, heartfelt lyrics, or musical elitism and the only ones who release pure pop are idols who sell personality more than their music, GIRL NEXT DOOR is unapologetically pop. They’re going to be a band that focuses on music, and their genre of choice is commercial friendly, unbelievably catchy synth pop – what are you going to do about it? They also pair their songs with amazing imagery. Maybe it’s more avex’s pockets than the group’s direction that’s attracting me, but their photos and videos are some of the most amazing things I’ve ever seen – slick, stylized, and often bursting with color. For some of their releases, a mediocre song is offset by terrific visuals.

What also strikes me strongly is that the band isn’t selling themselves as much as a package they’ve created. Composer Daisuke and guitarist Yuji are often there only in image, looking cool but never doing much but acting as props who play instruments. Even Chisa, who is wildly charismatic, only displays an image of bubbly cheeriness. She sings and dances like a Hello Project idol, but she is always performing as if she were a doll – she gives no indication of anything that would lead a viewer to learn about her personality (unless her actual personality is creepily mannequin-like too). Despite having idol-like images, they have a strongly unidol-like aloofness.

What turned me off from GIRL NEXT DOOR initially is what now draws me back towards them. You can’t pinpoint something particularly amazing about the music – sometimes their songs are even irritating – but it’s always damn catchy and presented to you in a wrapped package of amazing production values. They’re going to release songs that aren’t amazingly deep or heartfelt, but I’m going to get them stuck in my head and sing it in the shower anyways. And that’s all they want from me – they don’t demand that I worship Chisa’s charms, or that I crush on the guys as if they’re Johnny’s. It’s the J-pop form of a guilty pleasure, with no strings attached.

For those of you residing in the States – you have a chance to party it up with Utada. Myspace is hosting a Utada Karaoke contest. Up until 5/11, record your version of “Come Back to Me” and you could qualify to win prizes – including a trip to Japan to have a “karaoke session” with Utada!

You need to have an account, record the song, and have 100 views before the due date to qualify- so what are you waiting for? And please give a click to the version I’ve recorded! (Yes, this is me shameless promoting myself.)

Also, for those in New York City, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Seattle, and Honolulu – there are upcoming Utada appearances to promote her new album in May, so you can pick up your copy of “This is The One” and see Utada at the same time. (:

I think Johnny’s always have the best debut songs and everyone else needs to take a note with their new artists. A Johnny’s group’s discography might not always be good as a whole, but their debut songs are generally epic – cheesy, exciting, infective, which, when all put together, mean totally awesome.Unlike many other artists, who try to gain momentum with their later releases, JE debut songs always have a strong impact and often stay as one of the group’s most popular songs throughout their career.

Here’s a ranking of the best 10!… or, since I’m only considering the still active groups (aka nothing BS: Before SMAP) the best and worst. (…what, my title isn’t that deceiving.)

10. SMAP – Can’t Stop!! -LOVING-

By putting SMAP in last place, I know I’m coming off as a total SMAP hater (I’m not really, honest) – but even the biggest SMAP fans can’t help but admit the group’s early musical releases aren’t exactly… good. Debut songs are supposed to be embarrassing and overdone in Johnny’s universe, but the song is such terrible bubblegum idol pop that it’s no wonder they didn’t get popular when they first debuted, and no wonder the group doesn’t sing this song EVER.
Can’t Stop!! -LOVING’- Live

9. V6 – Music for the People

Firstly, isn’t it odd when the song comes out around when half the members had barely broken voices, but still sound deeper and huskier than they do ten years later? Hard techno, deep voices – the song is actually really catchy, but sounds much better when they sing it years later without all the seriousness – yeah, V6 sounding really serious while singing a ridiculous song is probably what puts it in this spot. (This is where every song on the list becomes good, and the rankings are, to be honest, pretty arbitrary.)
Music for the People PV || Music for the People live, 2006

8. Tackey & Tsubasa – True Heart

Okay, so technically this was on a debut album – but let’s not be technical, okay? The song should otherwise be a bad song – cheesy lyrics, boring instrumentals, mediocre vocals – but the simple tune wedges into your head in your head, and before you know it, you’re singing along to “I feeeel… I dooo” in all of this debut song’s melodramatic glory.
True Heart PV || True Heart live at Hatachi concert (hilarious!)

7. Hey!Say!JUMP – Ultra Music Power

“Ultra Music Power” is catchy, catchy, catchy. I know, some of you aren’t fans of this group because it’s like watching a group of middle school (primary, if you stare too long at Morimoto or Chinen) boys try to be sexy, but it’s just hard to not sing along. Musically, it’s somewhat standard, and the longevity of this song might be limited by how long Chinen can keep his voice from breaking, but this is just catchy to death.
Ultra Music Power PV || Ultra Music Power live

6. Kanjani8 – Naniwa Iroha Bushi

I wouldn’t say “Naniwa Iroha Bushi” is a song most people listen to often anymore unless they’re big Kanjani8 fans, but there’s no way you could get this out of your head when you first hear it. The mix of semi-rap parts and enka (both good (from Subaru) and bad (from everyone else, sadly)) so unique and unforgettable.
Naniwa Iroha Bushi PV || Naniwa Iroha Bushi rock version live

5. NEWS – NEWS Nippon

The song had fast paced pop portions, ballad portions, and rap portions – it’s like they tried to fit every genre into this song. Actually, each portion is charming and catchy in its own way, but the pop chorus is what sticks with you for days. You’ll never forget their name (I am 100% in support of sneakily placing your group name into the song MULTIPLE times) and never forget the chorus either.
NEWS Nippon PV || NEWS Nippon live 2004 || NEWS Nippon live, 2007

4. KinKi Kids – Garasu no Shounen

Put together two boys with the same last name, have them sing about glass boys (yeah, everyone first snickers at the song title) in a catchy tune against a really dramatic backing track – and you’ve got a hit that no one forgets. Even as KinKi Kids become KinKi Men, this is still one of their title songs that represents the duo – which says something about its awesome staying power.
Garasu no Shounen PV || Garasu no Shounen live, 1997 || Garasu no Shounen live, 2007

3. Real Face – KAT-TUN

It’s not often you debut with a catchy single that sells a million plus copies. That’s “Real Face” for you. No matter how much good singing, rock, tough rapping, beat-boxing, or obscene sound effects KAT-TUN tries to throw in the future, nothing can exceed this song because it has all of the aforementioned and does each aspect to perfection. Not only does the song have terrific composition and production, it’s iconic and established KAT-TUN as Japan’s hip-thrusting, tough-looking slutty idols wth just one song.
Real Face PV || Real Face live

2. TOKIO – Love You Only

“Love You Only” is an amazingly sweet and fun song and, quite honestly, is one of the best songs the group has ever had. TOKIO obviously agrees with me, because they even re-recorded this song in their more modern rock style at their tenth anniversary. Aside from the normal cheese factors of being a Johnny’s song and singing about love as if the entire group were middle schoolers, the song is actually pretty good just as a song. Plus, who can forget the short-shorts Nagase wore that are almost synonymous with this song? Whether it’s because you love Nagase’s legs or is just traumatised by them, the answer would be no one.
Love You Only live, 1994 || Love You Only PV || Love You Only, 2004 ver PV

1. Arashi – A.RA.SHI

It’s one thing to have your fans love your debut song ten years after your debut – it’s another to have everyone still love this song everywhere. “A.RA.SHI” is catchy, employs rap, ballad, and tempo changes, and name drops the group the most out of any debut song on here. You know it’s a good song when it’s still performed on national television even a decade after its debut and, not only does it manage to not sound too dated, people still love it despite your popular image and sound being completely different now. Ten years later, people can still associate the “arashi, arashi for dream” dance motion with the song. Now that’s a debut song done right!
A.RA.SHI PV || A.RA.SHI live, 1999 || A.RA.SHI live, 2008