Youplus – “In your Dreams” A lot has happened in the Hello! Project since I last posted: three graduation announcements — including two group leaders! — and several new releases, so obviously the thing that kicked me in the ass hard enough to write about it is a recent song from Youplus. If you don’t know who Youplus is, they’re...
Sayuki – “Diamond” Former Juice=Juice utahime Sayuki Takagi has returned from her 14-month exile from the music industry with a new stage name and a new mission. Her stated mission is to provide a company where former idols can continue their careers unburdened by the rigid rules of the Japanese idol industry, rules which ended her membership in the Hello!...
Did Riho Sayashi join Babymetal? Maybe. No one knows at this point. What we do know is that the ex-Morning Musume ace performed with the metal-idols at their June 30th Glastonberry Festival performance, with no announcement or introduction made prior to or during the show. Sayashi’s appearance made the group a trio again, and allowed them to perform their routines...
Not sure how this release passed me by — this being the Foremost English Language PINK CRES Blog, and all — but I’m glad I found it. I’m happy to report that PINK CRES has finally arrived to the current day music scene! After two full albums of mostly re-hashed 3rd-wave Kpop, our girls have traveled home to a decidedly...
Remember 2017? It was a particularly painful year for fans of Hello! Project and associated acts, which was made to feel even worse as it followed one of the absolute best years in 2016. This plugged-toilet of a year saw the end of C-ute’s 15-year run, the Country Girls/KSS Divestment Draft, Kobushi Factory pushing the absolute limits of how much...
PINK CRES has dropped the video for “Etcetera”, the first video from their forthcoming sophomore album of the same name. The K-pop R&B that PC toyed with on crescendo is back, and once again it’s a bit dated, although perhaps not so much as before. It’s a nice hard-R&B stomper with a catchy chorus and a legitimate rap, but it’s...
The first song of Morning Musume ’17’s new single has been radio-ripped to Youtube. If you haven’t heard it yet, here’s your big opportunity: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Px4rBfIGIeA I know this is only half the song, but I really hate this. It’s musical pabulum. The arrangement feels mailed-in and directionless, which is odd for a Tsunku production. It sounds like they were going...
Is there any more irrefutable confirmation of having made it in today’s music world than having Postmodern Jukebox cover your music? They are the modern-day “Weird Al” Yankovic in that respect, so it’s cool to see them take on BABYMETAL’s “Gimme Chocolate” and confirm BM’s place in the not-Japan music scene. Going with 20s-era jazz was a savvy decision, as...
Henkka’s Tsubaki/Wonder mash-up reminded me the one I did about three years ago, that is possibly the most ridiculous mashup ever: AKB48’s “Beginner” and 80s one-hit-wonder Kingdom Come’s “Get It On”. Don’t ask how this popped into my head — genius can not be explained, but merely accepted. Set aside such uncomfortable questions and just enjoy the show.
So the cover art for LoVendoЯ’s come-back mini-album Яe:Start has been released, and the girls look just like… an idol group. Here, bask in the plenary pinkness of Reina’s rock band: The only things missing from this cover are Sayu and Koha, and it encapsulates the problem I’ve had with LoVendoЯ from the start: this group has no focus. Note...
Hmmm… And now Momona is leading ME:I I suspect HP scraping the bottom of the barrel is why ambitious talents…
Well! Fukumura is graduating, but only at the END of this year - LOL!
Fukumura and her cahoots are doing everything they possibly can to prolong their idoling careers. There's a certain amount of…
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