Attending a concert is 1 thing but going for a handshake event + mini live the next day ?

I am seriously freaking out now , big time

My sister & I went for the 1st BREAKERZ 10 Shunen 10ban Shoubu -VS- yesterday & saw GRANRODEO + BREAKERZ performed onstage

We were 3rd row centre away from the stage which was madness

And today we shook BREAKERZ's hands 4 times each & told them where we were from . They were so surprised especially AKIHIDE

We probably were the only 2 non Japanese in the crowd

I hope we made an impression on them & that they will come visit S'pore in the near future

It's not everyday you see someone from J-pop die, but this one is shocking. One that is way too young to die. :(

Wow. This is devastating. :cry

I cannot believe how in the world an 18-year-old idol girl could die. RIP Matsuno. :(

^ I was so shocked about this when I heard news yesterday.

I guess she was ill already for long time but never cared much about it like all Japanese usually do. They continue to work even if they are seriously ill.

As I learnt Rina also worked as a regular model for LARME magazine. I guess she ate little that also could cause her immune system fail.

Well, this is really scary when someone so young dies suddenly. I hope she is now in the better world.

After what happened last year to poor Becky , right now it's the same thing happening all over again to someone else who had an extra martial affair :x

I don't understand men sometimes :x especially when you do such things which break up marriages . If kids are involved it's worst

NakamuraEmi is releasing her new album tomorrow. I'm loving the lead single, Otona no Iu Koto wo Kike, and am really excited for the whole album. :heart

I was watching random birds video on youtube and suddenly there's a parrot singing Perfume's "Chocolate disco" xD Go to exactly 1 min:

Zepp is going to open its 1st live house venue in my country & it's the 1st 1 they'll be opening outside of Japan

So ecstatic & best of all , it's quite near my house too

Finally no more cheap live house venue to rely on

- I've been listening to a LOT of CLAZZIQUAI PROJECT recently. God, they're so good! I wish I saw people talking about them more, but I guess they're not really relevant with how slowly they release things these days. Still, I've been obsessed with songs like You, Night Flight, Come To Me (Mellotron Remix), Still I'm By Your Side, Love Mode, Beautiful Stranger -sliced cheese remix-...

- I made a mix CD to listen to in the car recently and remembered how much I like doing that when I played it while driving. It's such a great way to put songs into a new context and rediscover songs you already loved; I was so happy when Ai Otsuka's LOVE FANTASTIC started playing as I'd forgotten that I even put it on the disc and hadn't really listened to it in a good while, and I got a reminder of what a fantastic pop song it is. :heart

- I listened to BoA's Spring Rain and really loved it. Ugh, I love BoA's voice so much. I guess it's about time for my bi-annual re-listen of BoA's discography to try and see if I could like her music this time around... I really want to like BoA more but I just really can't stand most of her pre-2010s material. But maybe this time...!

- It's gonna be summer soon! I think we would all do well to re-listen to BENI's Natsu no Omoide, best j-pop summer jam probably ever.

BREAKERZ are releasing a new single on their 10th anniversary month

My wallet is ready 8D

And I'm so looking forward to hear the B-sides cos of the significance of the material , not that I'm not eager for more new material of the guys

It's a real honour for them to perform together with GLAY and so far what they're doing for their 10th anniversary has been very different and interesting

nooooooo I can't stand this cover! Ketsumeishi's original song is a fucking bop though :yes

Just realized the Pony Canyon YouTube Red ban is over... (there's still Victor Entertainment that is among the companies not complying to YouTube Red yet, and it's been 18 months)

I was just on CDJapan a minute ago and it looks like they are having a vote for who the most popular Johnny's group is. I voted for KAT-TUN.:yes
http://www.cdjapan.co.jp/campaign/jo...poll_vote_2017

Ooh, the original is definitely a bop, I love it! I still prefer BENI's cover for a few reasons (I think the slight increase in tempo serves the song well, and I LOVE the production), but I love having both versions. :heart

I'm listening to Nana Kitade's new album VIOLET BLAZE and it's soooo good! I'm glad that she's back.

V6 is finally releasing a new album , real excited about it

Also , more Johnnys should go on VS ARASHI as they always spill the dirt on anything everything on ARASHI , be it embarrassing , cringy or epic

TOKIO's Matsuoka , you didn't disappoint x)

I listened to the album as well and I agree, it's really good!! I was very surprised by the style though, I thought she was more of a rock chick!

I feel sorry for my friend because BREAKERZ & KinKi Kids are having their own respective anniversary concerts on the exact same dates , on the same weekend at different venues/prefecture in July

Her solution ? Go see KinKi Kids on Sat & go see BREAKERZ on Sun , LOL

She rather get a concert DVD instead of being given a chance to take photos of BREAKERZ inside Toyosu PIT . I would do that too if I were her

She was but I suppose she decided to try new things. She has so many time during her hiatus to listen to different styles and to work on them. She surely wanted to evolve and not just come back as she left.

I've really been enjoying Love Honey. It reminds me of how much I enjoyed Love Tricky. Ai's music from those albums just really puts me in a good mood. Like it's what I want to listen to on vacation and reminds me of the vibrant feelings that I can't put into words that I had back when I was first listening to certain j-pop music from 2006-2008

Also I enjoy that Love Honey is on Spotify and hope to see more Japanese music continue to be added.

Yeah, that sounds like a likely explanation. And she does this style really well! I've been re-listening to the album and I especially like the slower songs (Saddest Song, One Night Story, Shed One Tear).

1st , B'z with their comeback single & a few minutes ago , new GRANRODEO single announcement

I'm happy :D

LUNA SEA's INORAN & SUGIZO are coming to perform here next month in the new Zepp venue

Finally big heavy JRock heavyweights even though LUNA SEA performed here 4 years back but still , awesome

http://i.imgur.com/DPHvTJAl.jpg

I just subscribed to Sayuri Sugawara's (THE SxPLAY) SxP CREW - I've been waiting for years to join! In the past I couldn't subscribe because I needed a Japanese phone...but now I am finally able to join the fanclub that I've wanted to join since, I think, four years ago!

https://thesplay.jp/

The new MONDO GROSSO album is really great, I've been listening to it pretty much every day since it came out. The first three tracks are an especially good combo, sometimes I just want to skip right back to the beginning after Labyrinth - and sometimes I just want to put Labyrinth on repeat, it's definitely my favourite song on the album!

Yesterday's THE MUSIC DAY Negai ga Kanau Natsu was so cool especially with most of the Johnnys' performances & the 10 songs Johnnys special medley shuffle songs performance

Watching ARASHI's Aiba + MatsuJun performed KinKi Kids's Aisareru Yori Aishitai & the 2 of them danced together with Domoto Koichi was so cool , that performance made both ARASHI & KinKi Kids fans really happy , even though Domoto Tsuyoshi had to miss the fun

Let alone Seishun Amigo is still so popular after all these years and so great to see Kame to Yama-P performed it , alongside with Senakagoshi no Chance

July is finally here & that = Acid Black Cherry & BREAKERZ's respective 10th anniversaries . I'm foreseeing to be very broke for July but hey it will be worth haha

Honestly, other than the Johnny's acts mentioned above, my opinion of THE MUSIC DAY is different...it just lacks substance for me. I mean, Arashi was great, and it's nice for miwa to perform with a school band, but Leo Ieiri wasn't something special (other than the fact that the song is a tie-in to an NTV drama), and aside all the Johnny's 'bias', umm...

Watanabe Naomi in V6's PV = win

What happened to Yuna Ito lol

All I need to know is when is DOUBLE going to have a comeback :(

When the sun rises in the west and sets in the east
When the seas go dry and mountains blow in the wind like leaves
Then she will return, and not before.

I literally screamed at your comment. :laugh

:laugh :laugh :laugh

I know it's going to be never, but I can still hope :(

REOL is disbanding in October.

Not really JPop related of sorts but I find it amusing everytime my sister go back Japan , she's always not feeling well o_O

Next month when she heads back Japan , aside from going to the same anime event that she attended last year , she's also going to watch an anime butai stageplay for the 1st time & the venue will be the 1st and last time she will be going as it's going to get demolished end of Sept D:

I read this news this week. I'm not really convinced by their excuses. It could be a good reason for a band with more years of career but with a band with only one album :no I suppose the sales was very bad.

Do As Infinity performing in S'pore for the 1st time next month !

Finally someone who hasn't perform here yet , instead of the usual group of JPop artistes that kept coming here (no offense)

Yesterday & Today was 1 of the 1st few songs I heard when I started listening to Japanese music too

Idk about sales. The album sold about 12k on Oricon, that's actually not too bad for a debut nowadays.
But yeah, they just got together in 2015 and now they already say goodbye. You have to be determined to achieve success, that doesn't work at once. Oh well.

Everytime a group disbands be it the circumstances it's always unfortunate

For me , I still regret not going to Japan to watch girl next door perform before they disband , especially since I followed/supported them from their debut

I realise that I wasn't accurate in my previous post. I wanted to talk about the whole sales including the concerts. And of course what they thought such band could yield and the reality. The singer'll surely follow her career as she was an utaite.

Well, when I heard Ayaka opened up an Instagram account, I went - :O

(I mean, 'stop everything what you're doing' and check out Ayaka's new, official Instagram...)

And just last week Angela Aki opened up an Instagram account as well. :O
https://www.instagram.com/angelaakiusa/

So be sure to give both Ayaka and Angela Aki a follow on Instagram!

I have been listening to Zard. So many enjoyable songs to listen to.

I find it odd for Johnnys to endorse products that women use ie. shampoos , conditioners , cosmetics

But hey they're getting fat pay cheques from the CMs endorsements so who am I to judge ?

I was pretty neutral about Daoko so far, but her new song, Uchiage Hanabi, is amazing!
It deserves to top all the digital charts like it is doing right now.

I didn't realize DAOKO is a rapper... :O

Listening to V6's THE ONES album now . So worth the 4 years wait

1 of so many reasons on why I respect V6 a lot , alongside with KinKi Kids as they still deliver great music & rarely disappoints

Also unlike ARASHI where they contributed their own personal input which backfired last year which gives rise to 1 of their most boring albums in their discography , so relieved that's not the case for V6

Just watched the short PV version of Fukuyama Masaharu's Seiiki

Man Fukuyama-san never ages but he still looks so good in the PV preview D: Didn't expect Seiiki to sound great but I probably will get the single

Just glad that Fukuyama-san is finally back with something new

I honestly freaking love Perfume's 'Everyday.' 'If you wanna' is a bop too (or at least it was a bop for me when I saw the choreography for it), but everyone seems to hate it and it makes me feel like the odd one out lol : /. It reminds me of when people detested Spending all my time.

I've overspent on Japanese media this year, and my parents took away my allowance, and there's still FOUR MONTHS left in the year...

I can't get a new job soon enough!!! (But I also have school to do...)

I really want Namie to release a new album.

Congrats to EXILE's TAKAHIRO's marriage even though it's shotgun for obvious reasons

My sister couldn't believe it & yet she used to like him a lot but not anymore x)

Well, it's sad to hear, but in all honesty, serious actions by any member could make or break the band... And in the case of INKT, because of the vocalist's incident back in May (ex-KAT-TUN member Koki Tanaka, involving marijuana), that may have been the last straw... :cry

Unexpected but nice of Yuzu to return back to perform in my country so soon

It felt not too long ago they came here

Tackey & Tsubasa are going on hiatus =(

While they haven't been so active as a duo for a really long time , it's still sad considering this year's their 15th anniversary

It's unfortunate they never were able to match up to how great of a success KinKi Kids are & they're both duo's

I wasn't planning to buy DAIGO's Kumapanda Monogatari as I'm already real broke in requesting my friend to help me buy the fanclub version of BREAKERZ's X

BUT no thanks to my friend's 'bad' influence , I caved in again ahahaha :x but at least our copies will be personally autographed by DAIGO so that's not so bad right ? :P

I love her so much. Everytime I think about the fact that she passed away makes me really sad. :weep

I've also been listening to some ZARD recently. I've downloaded her 25th anniversary best album and been playing it every now and then. The songs are really nice, I feel like I enjoy almost all of them though none have actually hooked me so far. Does anyone have recommendations about what songs of hers to listen to to get hooked?

My current J-pop obsession is Every Little Thing's newest song, RIDE IT OUT. Every few years, they seem to release a song that just goes straight into my soul and sticks with me, and this time it's RIDE IT OUT. There's something unique about the song's atmosphere, the acoustic guitar makes me melt, and Kaori Mochida's performance is so good and relaxing.

Unmei no roulette mawashite is one of my favourite songs by her.

Daoko's Uchiage Hanabi is now digitally #1 for for 4 weeks in a row and is still going strong.
It's such a hit here.
And I'm happy, cause I love the song as well.

It's pretty much six months since the infamous 'Yuri!! on Ice' Avex export ban that started out as Avex Pictures anime ban, only to spill out into certain Avex releases that are also subject to a similar export ban, as well as certain other labels (such as Vision Factory and even Yamaha, which is non-Avex, as well as AKB48 DVD releases). These export bans are very contradictory to the Cool Japan initiative, and this hurts global spread of J-pop, not helping, already putting insult to injury on the YouTube Red blocks of certain J-pop acts (such as Sony).

I'm just glad Victor Music (subject to YouTube Red) doesn't have an export ban, as well as Arashi and Hey! Say! JUMP, but these export bans are still really irking us. When will these export bans come to an end???

Also, could we blame online streaming services - such as Spotify, which expanded to Japan like, last year, and now we're able to listen to (select) J-pop music outside of Japan - for the export ban or something?

And/or should we believe the future is digital, yet Johnny's acts are still running contrary to it?


By the way, I checked CDJapan's page for the LIMITED edition of Arashi's upcoming "untitled" album (coming next month, and, as I said earlier, not subject to an export ban at the moment; http://www.cdjapan.co.jp/product/JACA-5683)...and, even though I don't have any intentions to buy it, it's already SOLD OUT. With no future printing of it to come.

And we still have A MONTH to wait for that album to come out...

Ripping and converting PVs of GIRL NEXT DOOR , Matsushita Yuya & ON/OFF and putting them in my 2 portable hard disks made me realised just how much I loved their music

It's a huge pity that GIRL NEXT DOOR & ON/OFF have since disbanded and I still regret not going to Japan to watch GIRL NEXT DOOR perform at least once , especially since I supported them from their debut single until now

Also no offence to X4 but I really hope Matsushita Yuya can go back to release solo music again as what he did with Jin Nakamura was still so awesome

Lastly , I wonder why avex Taiwan kept pushing back the release of V6's THE ONES album and now the album supposedly wouldn't be out til next month ? o_O

If I know it takes this long , I would have told my sister to buy THE ONES for me 2 weeks ago when she went back Tokyo & Yokohama -_-

(Looks like the best way to overcome the export ban when buying V6's new releases is to buy Taiwan press copy through YesAsia? Maybe that's the reason why.)

(And where's GND's Chisa? She's married to Kosuke Kitajima, but what has been going to her since then?)

^ I'm sure it's the CD + DVD B footages of V6's THE ONES that's having issues if not avex Taiwan wouldn't have been delaying/pushing back its release numerous times , sometimes I rarely seen happening

Latest Johnny release that had a similar problem was KinKi Kids's The Red Light single as normally avex Taiwan would make all versions but this time round they didn't made the CD + DVD B version as they weren't able to get the license to do so

I stopped buying via YesAsia a long time ago . I've been buying Taiwan presses of releases via 5music for the past 7 years and I never had any issues with them and let alone it's more secure

Anyway this's a small matter cos I really don't mind to wait . THE ONES is 1 of my favourite albums of 2017 and it's frankly worth the 4 years wait , V6 still got it after all these years

BREAKERZ's X covers & group promo picture

Wow just wow . AKIHIDE looks so much younger & so good after he cut his hair , DAIGO is forever cursed by photoshop as always , LOL

Suga Shikao is coming to perform here & Taiwan end of 2017 as part of his 1st Asian tour in celebrating his 20th anniversary

That's so so cool . I do listen to his music but I don't think I will attend the concert :x

Leo Ieiri getting her FIRST acting role...she'll be acting in 'Shinjuku Seven' that will also feature KAT-TUN's Tatsuya Ueda.

http://www.tv-tokyo.co.jp/shinjuku_seven/
https://mdpr.jp/news/detail/1715248
http://natalie.mu/music/news/249207

From the Namie thread:

(Facebook)

Everyone was caught off-guard with this news. Namie is going to retire next year. This was one of the most influential figures in J-pop, especially at the time, and even before Ayu debuted...

Gosh, I can't imagine what would happen if one of my favorite singers - especially Ayu - announces a sudden retirement like this...because we weren't prepared for this!!!

Taichi Mukai is releasing his first full album called 'Blue' on 29th November!
Looking forward!

^I'm waiting for this too. I hope it'll have some gems as on his mini-album.

I'm looking forward to Taichi Mukai's album as well! I actually liked more songs on his second mini-album than the first one, so he seems to be on a good roll.

I wonder who designed the covers for ARASHI's 「untitled」 album cos they're so uninspiring & boring and the CD + DVD is just so bad it ain't funny

That said , I really hope their upcoming new album will be at least be better than Are You Happy? which's hands down their most boring album to date :x

And couldn't they have picked another date to release 「untitled」 ? it's quite annoying :eviltongu

What's the problem with the October 18th release date?

Oricon is establishing a digital song chart, starting this December 20th (a weekly Top 200)!
They're tracking the 4 most popular services: iTunes, recochoku, mora and mu-mo plus its own Oricon Music Store.
The 'old' one just for albums will be discontinued.

Plus they're currently looking for a way to combine physical and digital charts in Japan. Won't be too far away now till we get it!

This makes so much more sense to have a song chart than only one for albums, considering the digital sales for songs are so much stronger than for albums!

http://www.oricon.co.jp/news/2097741/full/

Now I only hope we also get a back catalogue of the exact digital sales of old songs at some point.

You're asking a rather obvious question isn't it ? Especially since you posted in BREAKERZ's thread now & there and that you don't support/listen to them in the 1st place :irked

Pure irony

That said I have nothing against Johnnys releasing on the same day as BREAKERZ , I just find it ironic that most of the time the guys go up against them

Yume Monogatari was also released on the same day as KinKi Kids's The Red Light but that's ok cos I respect/support KinKi Kids & I like The Red Light

I think that beats BREAKERZ going up against any AKB related groups ugh

ONE OK ROCK is heading back to perform here next Jan & it will be at an Arena sized place they'll be playing at

The couple of times they came here to perform , it was all outdoor live house ish but not this time round

Good for OOR fans I guess & they really love touring a LOT . Quite happy for TAKA as it's hard to believe he used to be in NEWS but what he has accomplished with OOR it's a lot more than if he was still a Johnny

Also it's good to see that this year , quite a lot of different established Japanese artistes came/coming here to perform (some for the 1st time) such as

- LUNA SEA's SUGIZO & INORAN
- Yuzu
- Suga Shikao

And today Do As Infinity performed for the 1st time here & tomorrow will be The Gospellers

I'm still hoping SPYAIR will eventually come here and perform =(

Sorry, looks like I overlooked - BREAKERZ releasing on the 18th, but Arashi releasing on the same day as well...

Okay, now I understand. :headache

(I don't know why I sometimes lose focus...)

Just read that °C-ute are disbanding this year!
And Berryz Kobo are on hiatus.
I generally don't like idol groups, but I adore a bunch of songs from those two. So I am a bit sad now.

I'm pretty baffled.
Juju's new single only sold 3k in its first week physically.
Digitally it's doing fine.

Considering she's one of the popular female artists nowadays, that's really low.
Never checked her single sales before. They never were strong, but 3k is really low.
Her albums sell really well. How curious.

Olivia just posted that she's working on a new album!
And yes, she said it word for word like that! :D

This happened on last night's live broadcast of CDTV Special! Halloween Ongaku-sai 2017

https://scontent-sit4-1.xx.fbcdn.net...7d&oe=5A7F7670

:roflmao :roflmao :roflmao :roflmao :roflmao :roflmao

You know how some guys look so pretty when they're in drag ? Kisumai is NOT in that category for sure , LOL

Although that said I'm so jealous of Yokoo & Tamamori's legs D: xD

Uh, Taichi Mukais's new song 'Freer' from his upcoming album is the tie-in song for the new Galaxxy Note 8 CM.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BatSYBPA_F3/

I love what I can hear so far!

Akina Nakamori is gonna release 2 albuns in November and I have no one to hype with.

I've had high hopes for Anggun's new single but I don't like it. Looks like it's going to be Echoes all over again. :raincloud

This year's HALLOWEEN PARTY 2017 has some of the funniest costumes I've seen (Kishidan as SMAP , FLOW as Naruto x5 xD)

Can't wait to see even more tomorrow , saving the best for last perhaps ? :laugh

I love.

The fact that BREAKERZ , Hey ! Say ! JUMP , KinKi Kids and Tackey & Tsubasa celebrate their respective 10th , 15th & 20th anniversaries this year , it's quite surreal

And out of the 4 , it's sad that while Tackey & Tsubasa should have done something to celebrate their 15th anniversary , they've gone on hiatus =(

I always wonder why Tackey & Tsubasa never was able to reach almost the same level if not on par status as what KinKi Kids achieved which's so unfortunate

That said Johnnys really know how to go all out cos KinKi Kids has been spoiling their fans silly this year with so many new releases to commemorate their 20th anniversary & my poor friend on 1 hand complains while on the other she loves it haha

My parents aren't letting me access my allowance my dad currently holds at the moment! What am I going to do with a new Hey! Say! JUMP single (plus previous single and 10th anniversary album regular editions that I still want to buy) AND a new Rina Katahira album both coming out on the SAME day in late December if I don't have access to my allowance???

Kira is releasing a new digital single called 'Macaron' on 22nd November! Excited!

SPYAIR will be performing for the 1st time in Hong Kong & China next month

Ugh why you guys can't come here to perform , so close yet so far D: D: D:

You're still a minor?? :D I thought you were like 30+

Akina Nakamori just released the best fucking album of the year, I was not ready
http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-w1IioHmXGj...+fall+down.gif

My sister said that she might be flying back to Japan 4-5 times next year

I don't know how to react when she told me that , lmao

B'z's Dinosaur PV is amazing . 1 of the best PVs I've seen of them & let alone in 2017

It's just madness over the top with CG overdose . It's a pity the PV is not included in their upcoming new album :x

Also , happy 10th anniversary to Hey ! Say ! JUMP ! To think it felt like yesterday when I 1st saw them in Shounen Club and that was way before they , Kisumai & A.B.C-Z made their official music debuts

Time flies when you're having fun in the Johnnys' fandom x)

Really hoping Kouhaku will invite HSJ to perform for the 1st time & if KinKi Kids get invited too , it will be doubly awesome as they celebrate their 20th anniversary this year <3

I just saw the NHK Kouhaku artist list for this year...and I'm surprised miwa's out of the list. And Ayaka isn't there either. And why did NHK leave out Leo Ieiri or - most importantly - Namie Amuro, considering this is within her final year of her career??? :O

I'm not sure if this is going to help out with the sluggish ratings the Kouhaku has been facing in recent years, or if I'm going to even to plan to watch it in the first place...

(Then again, I'll be in Europe at that time, the first time I'm out of state for New Year's in quite some time.)

Chanmina's new album is pretty awesome!
Even though it's short with just 8 songs.

Downloaded a lot of L'Arc~en~Ciel & GLAY PVs yesterday and today

L'Arc~en~Ciel old PVs made me realised how great their music still is . A bit sad that they ain't active as much as before D:

Also so awesome for Hey ! Say ! JUMP to finally get invited to perform on Kouhaku for the 1st time . Would have been great if KinKi Kids gets invited again but they will be in Osaka on the last day of 2017 & 1st day of 2018 x) which my friend will be going as always lmao

Lastly , Yuzu is performing here again tomorrow so welcome back guys !

https://s7.postimg.org/j6fspmeor/235...41027840_n.jpg

https://s7.postimg.org/vl2kpylmj/236...36138752_n.jpg

https://www.instagram.com/p/Bbl6-I_F2zD/

lol the 1 must thing every Japanese artiste must do when they come here xD aside from seeing the beautiful Marina Bay Sands skyline

Wonder if Suga Shikao will do the same thing next month , haha

Shuuji to Akirai are reuniting again ! And this time round they will perform their evergreen classic Seishun Amigo this coming Tue with Hey ! Say ! JUMP on Best Artist 2017

Sooo excited , Seishun Amigo is still so popular after all these years & it's easy to see why

I am really loving this new album by SHIN.:heart

I've been thinking a lot about YUI and how you don't hear from her anymore. Then I found out she stopped being a solo singer and formed Flower Flower.....in 2013!! I went 4 years without knowing!

I was super stoked to see iri has a new EP out...Groove It was one of my favorite j-pop releases last year and I love having new music from her!