[luminaire]

This year... more stagnated compared to last year. Although we do have more impressive artistes popping up, there is also much more throwaway pop out there, plus the fact that quite a few good artistes aren't going anywhere. Overall, I do think there's more decline than last year, although 3 people have impressed me quite a bit this year, 1 more so than the other 2.

Sasagawa Miwa, Hirahara Ayaka and Hayashi Asuka.

I'd go so far as to call Miwa's debut album "jijitsu" the best album from this year, even though it was technically released before the start of the Oricon Chart year for 2004. Her style is so unlike pop music as we know it - showing influences from folk, gospel and even Scottish waulking, Bulgarian women choirs, whatever you want to call it - and yet it doesn't stray too far from pop music in terms of execution to be labelled alternative. Whereas Ringo's "karuki zaamen kuri no hana" was more visionary, Miwa's album is more revolutionary in my opinion, because it managed to incorporate elements unheard of in J-pop successfully, yet still sounding very much like J-pop. Plus, her raw vocals invoke sentiments within you. Definitely worth a listen.

Hirahara Ayaka totally surprised me with "Jupiter" and "BLESSING shukufuku" this year. She has proven herself to be worth her mettle, rapidly stepping up to take on lyrics and composition on her first album, "Odyssey". Definitely one of the surprises in J-pop this year.

Hayashi Asuka continues to wow me with her voice. For a 15-year-old, she has pipes with the capacity to rival MISIA's. Her 2 singles released before "hatsukoi", "rin no kuni" and "SANCTUARY ~yume no shima e~" were amazing, especially the former. Although the album fell short of my expectations, I have faith in Asuka and I hope her next album will be much better.

Other artistes that were good this year: Every Little Thing, Hitoto You, Shiina Ringo and Tokyo Jihen, especially ELT, considering their music really grew on me this year. Hikki's only single was pretty good as well.

And because I haven't answered the question, I'll post my list here:

Songs:
01. Every Little Thing, "koibumi"
02. Sasagawa Miwa, "tomenaide"
03. Tokyo Jihen, "sounan"
04. Utada Hikaru, "dareka no negai ga kanau koro"
05. Hitoto You, "HANAMIZUKI"
06. Hayashi Asuka, "rin no kuni"
07. Nakashima Mika, "Missing"
08. GARNET CROW, "wasurezaki"
09. Yaida Hitomi, "MONOCHROME LETTER"
10. Hirai Ken, "hitomi wo tojite"

Albums:
01. Sasagawa Miwa, "jijitsu"
02. Every Little Thing, "commonplace"
03. Tokyo Jihen, "kyouiku"
04. Hirahara Ayaka, "The Voice"
05. m-flo, "ASTROMANTIC"
06. LOVE PSYCHEDELICO, "LOVE PSYCHEDELICO III"
07. Shibata Jun, "hitori"
08. GARNET CROW, "I am waiting 4 you"
09. Nakashima Mika, "oborozukiyo ~inori"
10. BONNIE PINK, "Even So"