The "What's on your Mind" Thread ~Asian Music Version~ II

[Bigtop]

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...)

Originally Posted by Bigtop

Umm...yeah.

Ayaka now has an OFFICIAL Instagram account! There was an @Ayaka_1218 Instagram account...but that turned out to be a fan account, not an official one. For a time there wasn't an official Instagram account for Ayaka...but that changes today.

Be sure to follow her!
https://www.instagram.com/ayaka_official_jp/

From her first post (two images):

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

(Wow, I'm surprised she now has an Instagram account! Found it out when I was doing my nightly mail check and received an email from the Room Ayaka fanclub - which I am still a member - that Ayaka has started her own 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!

[EndOfTheWorld]

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

[KarenPang]

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 ?

[Corvina]

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.

[Bigtop]

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

[KarenPang]

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

[KarenPang]

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

[~kashifaita~]

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.

[Bigtop]

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...)

[himawariii6]

I really want Namie to release a new album.

[KarenPang]

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)

[Bigtop]

Originally Posted by KarenPang

INKT announces today they have disbanded o_O O_o

http://natalie.mu/music/news/247135

I'm not a super big fan of INKT but at least I managed to see Tanaka & the rest when they came here to perform

Originally Posted by Bigtop

WHAAAAAT?????

Why would INKT disband? Maybe is it because of Koki's marijuana incident back in May of this year???

I think it has to be... Very unforunate...

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...

[KarenPang]

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

It felt not too long ago they came here

[KarenPang]

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

[KarenPang]

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 ?

[himawariii6]

Originally Posted by EndOfTheWorld

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

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

[Kacku]

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.

[himawariii6]

Originally Posted by Kacku

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?

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

[Corvina]

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.

[Bigtop]

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...