Ayumi Hamasaki Sekai - American Songs

Ayumi Hamasaki Sekai (http://www.ahsforum.com/forum/index.php)

- Asian Music Chat (http://www.ahsforum.com/forum/forumdisplay.php?f=19)

- - American Songs (http://www.ahsforum.com/forum/showthread.php?t=99139)

I think the title of this thread will attract people. |D I searched for a thread similar to this and it gave me tons of pages and since i haven't seen one within the first few pages I thought I should do it.
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I think we could have an interesting discussion here. What jpop (or really any Asian song) do you think sounds very American like? As in, if it was rerecorded in English, it would probably do well on American radio?

Off the top of my mind:
Meisa Kuroki - Like This
Leah Dizon - Love Paradox
Utada Hikaru - Prisoner of Love
G-Dragon - The Leaders
Jasmine - Koi

So what songs do you think have a very American feel? Or would do very well on American radio if resung in English?

The one that comes right to my head is Namie's Shut Up. XD

Utada Hikaru's Prisoner of Love.

a lot of Namie songs. :yes

and i agree with Love Paradox and Prisoner Of Love.

LP and PoL are the top two I always thought would also o.o

Pretty much anything Utada released before Deep River singles...
Pretty much anything Namie released of r&b/hip-hop
The same goes for Koda

Namie - It's All About You

MY LOVE by Namie Amuro definitely! That song would be HUGE.

I think MiChi could make it big in America. Crystal Kay too.

I agree with the members who are saying 'Namie Amuro!'

Ayu - Startin'

I kinda always got an american vibe from it

Namie - Hello
Ayu - GUILTY -> so Linkin-Park-ish :yes
Namie - WHAT A FEELING
Namie - LOVE GAME

so muuucccchhh Namie... ROFL

Quote:

Originally Posted by Picaflor 7/4 (Post 2271141)

I think MiChi could make it big in America. Crystal Kay too.

******* you and your money will be a big hit in america :lech

Quote:

Originally Posted by zyoeru (Post 2271627)

Anything by Chihiro. http://i206.photobucket.com/albums/b...3/oncihi11.jpg

are you sure about that? :shakehead

the one song with Namie Amuro and Ai. . . what was it called. . .Uh Uh. . .

and a lot of Koda songs. . .i dont think a lot of ayu songs would fit so perfectly into a genre that s good for them.. .except maybe a few ballads. and maybe if u play with the arrangements just a little.

Quote:

Originally Posted by prussian blue (Post 2271731)

are you sure about that? :shakehead

Are you sure about that? http://i206.photobucket.com/albums/b...3/oncihi11.jpg ;)

Actually, no seriously. I think SOME Chihiro songs would do well like X. Purely because it'd find a rock crowd. :P

OLIVIA's music but I'm not sure if it's the fact that some of it is completely and in perfect English.

Kumi's TABOO and Eien from Boa

Kuu's Under I think would be popular in America now, it's very On to the Next One. Take Back could be popular if it were the 1990s again.

This sounds like it was made in New Orleans lol...

I forgot about taboo. That definitely would do amazing on american radio. I always got a justin timberlake feel from it.

Quote:

Originally Posted by noidea (Post 2271442)

Ayu - Startin'

I kinda always got an american vibe from it

really? what makes you think that? lol

I get american vibe from startin' too x,x

and I think A-L-I-V-E by Foxxi misQ could also be successful in the US..

A Page by Jin Akanishi would probably do well in America
though it's already in English...

And Want Me, Want Me my Namie... and maybe One Night Magic by Hikaru...

many songs by Namie @_@
I dont like that american influence, uh.
I cant think of anything else since I always delete and forget such songs lol.

lol 95% of these songs don't sound anything like what's on American radio AT ALL.

Anyway,

Sparkle by Ayumi could work, and Sunrise definitely would. Sunrise is by far one of the most americanized jpop songs i have ever heard.

FIRE by 2NE1 maybe

a lot of Miho Fukuhara songs would do well on Adult Contemporary radio (especially ON TOP OF THE WORLD -- and hey, that's already in English!)

anyone who thinks TABOO would succeed is delusional because it's just too different from what American likes. Yes -- it's electro pop -- but it's very very different than what is popular in America.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Paparazzi (Post 2271983)

I do agree that people often exaggerate Kumi's music being so American-like, even TABOO.... But are you being serious, or are you just trying to anger people, lol? Because if TABOO wouldn't work, neither would Sparkle (they're both pretty much the same sort of thing); Sunrise DEFINITELY would not work, considering it's extremely, you know, J-Pop. The only thing more J-Pop is stuff like Kumi's SUPERSTAR, lol. :\

like hell taboo wouldn't work. it would work more than sparkle. I don't see anything american in that. ayumi's connected would be very good in clubs.

I would defenatly say Meisa Kuroki's Are ya ready, Ayu's (don't) Leave me alone, half of B'z('s) discography, Kuu's SHAKE IT, 4minute Hot issue... May I say more? XDD

Thinking about it, I can't think of the opposite:

Have you guys ever heard an American song and thought it sounded "Japanese"?

Quote:

Originally Posted by Picaflor 7/4 (Post 2272125)

like hell taboo wouldn't work. it would work more than sparkle. I don't see anything american in that. ayumi's connected would be very good in clubs.

Actually Connected was played in clubs some time ago^^ So were remixes from M and Naturally.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Zelda-Maker (Post 2272212)

Actually Connected was played in clubs some time ago^^ So were remixes from M and Naturally.

but you're from germany, the songs you mentioned were all drizzly, germany singles. of course they're going to be played in clubs, not here in america though. the most we ever got was utada's devil inside remixes.

DJ Mike Rizzo (guy who opened Utada's US shows) asked for song suggestions over at Utada.net forum and one member suggested Ayu's evolution. He listened to it and said he is going to play it at his future shows. 0_o

kuu's music is very western friendly... i think TABOO would hit number 1 on the billboard if executed properly

tbh i get the feeling that most of the people here are not from the US... you are suggesting some horrible songs that would flop on american radio lol

^Imagine this... Fergie covers TABOO! :laugh

Quote:

Originally Posted by DEEP RIVER (Post 2272254)

I'm not sure if that counts. He openly asked for suggestions, and upon hearing it, personally liked the song, it doesn't necessarily mean it will be american/radio play worthy because one dj happens to like it. That would be cool though. XD

Quote:

Originally Posted by ero-kakkoii (Post 2272282)

you are suggesting some horrible songs that would flop on american radio lol

like the songs on american radio aren't already flops? haha. American radio sucks. especially since it's taken over by rap producers who know how to use nothing except autotune and synthesizers. and know how to only write song lyrics about drugs, women, and being bad ass. not like Japan doesn't use autotune and synthesizers as well. but not nearly as much. lyric though, I hope japan never turns that way. >>

Quote:

Originally Posted by Picaflor 7/4 (Post 2272864)

Like japanese lyrics aren't all the same too xD

Quote:

Originally Posted by Andrenekoi (Post 2272936)

Like japanese lyrics aren't all the same too xD

can you give me an example?

^^^omg my brother jsut loves his lil wayne. i only like Kanye West for his last album. teh most creative thing ive heard from a rapper lyrically lol. i think american mainstream needs help nowadays (slthoug htheres some i love of course) and also there are some of these songs that make me wonder i some of u know what american radio is like. . .its sorta around florida: Lady Gaga, Drake, Kesha, Owl City, Justin Beiber, more Lady Gaga, Lil Wayne, Kesha again lol, Black Eyed Peas and it never ends T.T

what about rock music ( i love me some american rock bands and i dont mean Fall Out Boy). what japanese rock songs could hold their own. . .i personally think the Gazette songs could when referring to vkei but if they saw the gazette. hmm. idk.

^ example?

Koda Kumi - Ima Sugu Hoshii...

Spoiler:

Quote:

Originally Posted by Picaflor 7/4 (Post 2272965)

can you give me an example?

Really, all the "deep" jpop love songs or whatever have almost the same lyrics... The themes aren't the same, but being american themes or japanese themes, they really lack variety on both markets

example of creativity:

Spoiler:

all of those were huge hits on Japan =)

^I only recognize first love. XD I think the first one is an ayu song not sure though. haha

^ SEASONS. ;)
The only one I can't think of is the fourth example......

Anywho. There are A LOT of Japanese songs that deal with "deep" and "poetic" lyrics, but who cares? I'd much rather listen to 100 songs talking about the wind or the pain of a lost love, rather than 100 songs that talk about booty shaking or.....well, literally nothing, lol.
No, lyrics aren't everything, but they certainly add a lot. For me, if the singer sucks or the lyrics are terrible, the song had better be really ****ing amazing, hah. The problem with American music is, usually the singer is average at best, the song has extremely *****y lyrics, AND the music is typical and generic; to make matters worse for me (but not for everyone), they rarely use a type or genre that I like enough to ignore all that other stuff. Of course, I do agree with those of you saying that J-Pop isn't much better these days, but at least they still have the good lyrics most of the time, and, in my opinion, they usually sing better (a lot of American artists hardly even sing - it's much closer to rapping D: ).
Having said all that, I would just like to go even more off topic [lol] and share my concern for music these days, as a whole...... Most of it sucks, be it in the U.S. or Japan or Europe or Australia or wherever. And this makes me very, very sad. :( We've really hit a rough patch in creativity, for all of the entertainment industry, actually. >.<

Ayu's Season
Hikki's First Love
Koda's You
Mika Nakashima's Yuki no Hana
Ai Otsuka's Planetarium
Namie's Can you celebrate

Quote:

Originally Posted by Crystal_Ageha (Post 2273231)

^ SEASONS. ;)
The only one I can't think of is the fourth example......

Anywho. There are A LOT of Japanese songs that deal with "deep" and "poetic" lyrics, but who cares? I'd much rather listen to 100 songs talking about the wind or the pain of a lost love, rather than 100 songs that talk about booty shaking or.....well, literally nothing, lol.
No, lyrics aren't everything, but they certainly add a lot. For me, if the singer sucks or the lyrics are terrible, the song had better be really ****ing amazing, hah. The problem with American music is, usually the singer is average at best, the song has extremely *****y lyrics, AND the music is typical and generic; to make matters worse for me (but not for everyone), they rarely use a type or genre that I like enough to ignore all that other stuff. Of course, I do agree with those of you saying that J-Pop isn't much better these days, but at least they still have the good lyrics most of the time, and, in my opinion, they usually sing better (a lot of American artists hardly even sing - it's much closer to rapping D: ).
Having said all that, I would just like to go even more off topic [lol] and share my concern for music these days, as a whole...... Most of it sucks, be it in the U.S. or Japan or Europe or Australia or wherever. And this makes me very, very sad. :( We've really hit a rough patch in creativity, for all of the entertainment industry, actually. >.<

Koda Kumi, Hikaru Utada, Namie Amuro, Ayumi Hamasaki, Ai Otsuka, Mika Nakashima... average singers... Jpop doesn't have lots of amazing vocalists, at least not popular ones... popular american acts like Gaga or Beyonce can oversing all the ones I cited like it was nothing...

Besides Britney, Madonna, Rihanna and Disney divas (whose main public is made of children anyway), I think that most american popular singers can hold their own better than Jpop popular singers...

Jpopular. that works :P

it would be cool if american and japanese artists collided and did fantastic music. like lady gaga and namie or something. (just please nothing like that ain't cool. cause it ain't cool) I think with the different lyrics and compositions, they could come up with some pretty neat stuff.

Î would like to see that too!^^

umm I say Matsushita Yuya ?

his music is very R&B driven & even my younger sister thought his latest single Trust Me has a very Korean vibe & that goes for the PV too

Namie Amuro - Indie Lady feat. ZEEBRA :yes

I think someone mentioned American songs that sound like they could have been J-Pop songs, and I was listening to Miss Spears on shuffle and out came "Anticipating". It really sounds like a J-Pop song that maybe Kuu would do.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Picaflor 7/4 (Post 2273248)

just please nothing like that ain't cool. cause it ain't cool

:roflmao

@Crystal's comment about 100 deep songs and 100 booty shaking songs, i agree. xD

i personally think (without bias) that alot of Big Bang songs and 2ne1 songs would be very popular over here because they are very dance hip-hop lol and hip-hop dance is definitley what is selling over here. i also think this because there have been occassions where i have been listening to one of those two bands and people will hear the music and ask "oh that sounds cool, who is that?" and as soon as i say a korean band they just say "oh.." and it makes me think "really? just because its in a different language you have to just abandon it like that?". but yes so i think these bands would do very well in america.

i also think Jessica H.O.- "Life is good" would sell here

Quote:

Originally Posted by AyuIsTheBest (Post 2275121)

A LOT of Korean music is very American-sounding, actually. But yeah, unless they learn good English and ditch the accent, it still wouldn't fly in the U.S. And even then, the fact that they're Koreans would be against them. It's a shame that's how it is. (Really, BoA did her English album perfect, in terms of what she should do for music in the U.S., and she improved so much in her English - hardly any accent at all! I thought she'd do a little better than what she did, but no. :\)

^ yes, its a shame that how it is, people really are missing out on great music..but im not so ha! on them :P

control, eat you up, idifl, energetic, obsessed, boa's american album was amazing. too bad it just did so bad. its how it works with every artist from asia, :(

maybe it was also lack of promotion? i still haven't heard Utada or BoA on the radio or seen them on t.v.

then again...i barely watch t.v and never listen to the radio. xD but no one i know has heard of them though.

^I heard utada's cbtm on the radio, but that was once, and we were in gym class last year. also remember that even if a radio dj is given songs to play, they get to choose what goes on the radio on their station. they don't have to play what they don't want. Not sure if that is the case though. but alot of mainstream, very popular radio stations don't want to play music from some asian girl they've never heard of who isn't popular at all in america.

^that's true. that sucks. =\