My Top 10 Jpop Albums of 2009.
Wow. 2009 is on its way out the door. What a thing! We've been through a lot this year as a community. But things are stabilizing, and that stability is a definitely good thing.
So now I'm going to present to you guys my top 10 albums of the year. :D Enjoy!
First up, Coming in at number 10 this year is Fukui Mai's debut album, MY SONG FOR YOU.
2009.03.04 Release
01. Can Can
02. Peace Friend
03. Ai no Uta
04. Lucky
05. Plastic Girls
06. Koi no Yukue
07. Aoi e
08. I wanna be a Rock Roll Star
09. Hate Myself
10. Promise You
11. The Sound
12. My Song For You
I was really impressed with her. The fact that she was a brand new artist was also really intriguing. You could call her music a type of cross between pop and acoustic pop. She really takes the acoustic part serious too. I think you can hear an acoustic guitar in almost every song on this album. And it works. It works spectacularly well. (If she put out just a plain old acoustically done album, I'd probably buy it in a heartbeat.) The melodies just meld with her voice so well. Did I mention that? She's a very good vocalist, if a little flat sounding at times. But she's definitely great. One of the draws to her voice is that its a deeper voice than what you're traditionally used to in a Japanese pop vocalist. It's probably one of the more enjoyable albums that was released this year. I cannot wait to see what else Fukui has up her sleeve. I hope that we hear from her soon. This album was the last thing that she released this year apart from a couple digital releases, I think.
Next up, I have number 9 which is GReeeeN's third original album, Shio, Koshou.
2009.06.10 Release
01. Hikari
02. Kuchibue
03. Haruka
04. Ayumi
05. Itsumademo
06. Tabibito
07. Hallelujah!!!!
08. STORY
09. Setsuna
10. Fuyu no Aru Hi no Uta
11. Tobira
12. Sora e no Tegami
13. Fubo Uta
14. Kiseki
15. Untitled track 15
GReeeeN's third album. If you're already a fan, then you'll notice after a few tracks that this album is a lot more tame than their previous ones. But that's not a bad thing. If you had the same faster paced, hyped up music all the time then you're gonna get tired of it. So I was very pleased with that. I will say though that the Untitled bonus track kills my ears. If I wasn't a collector, I'd delete it.
For the new comers to this group, you can expect a very pop/rock album. If you like the harder stuff, then check out their previous albums. It's not much harder, but its still pretty good.
It's good to note that GReeeeN always at least meets the bar that they set with their debut single in 2007, Michi.
Now on to number 8 for this year! Ayaka's History!
2009.09.23 Release
Disc 1
01. I believe
02. melody
03. Real voice
04. Mikazuki
05. WINDING ROAD (ayaka x Kobukuro)
06. Jewelry day
07. CLAP & LOVE
08. Why
09. For today
10. Te wo Tsunagou
11. Ai wo Utaou
12. Okaeri
13. Anata to (ayaka x Kobukuro)
14. Yume wo Mikata ni
15. Koi Kogarete Mita Yume
16. Minna Sora no Shita
Disc 2
01. Yume no Kakera
02. Blue Days
03. Sky
04. Peace loving people
05. POWER OF MUSIC
06. Kon'ya mo Hoshi ni Dakarete...
07. Good Night Baby
08. Start to 0
09. Kimi ga Iru Kara
10. Arigatou.
11. Minna Sora no Shita
Ayaka's History makes it on here because its very likely that we're not seeing anything else from her for a pretty long time. (If ever again at all.) And its sad that she's got so much talent.
There are so many jewels on this album that I just can't name them all. My particular favorites are her collaborations with Kobukuro. Even though its a best album, this collection really shows off ayaka's power as a vocalist and a singer/songwriter. Is there anything that can be said for this album that hasn't been said already by other people? We know that ayaka is an accomplished artist. She's sold so many records to verify this fact.
For Number 7 I present to you, Spontania's album, Collaboration BEST!
2009.11.18 Release
01. Introduction
02. Be With Me feat. SEAMO
03. Onaji Sora Mitsumeteru Anata ni feat. AZU
04. Kimi no Subete ni feat. JUJU
05. Where Is The Love feat. Tawada Emi
06. Ima Demo Zutto feat. Ito Yuna
07. Interlude
08. Three is the Magic Number feat. COMA-CHI
09. Natsu Yume feat. Sotte Bosse
10. Another Story ("Story" Spontania Version) feat. ERY
11. Beep Beep feat. WISE
12. Kitto feat. Hashimoto Seiko
13. Yamakawa Kusaki feat. Micro
14. Beautiful feat. Harisenbon
Alright, who wasn't waiting for this when it was first released? My favorites that I'd heard before I listened to the album are Ima Demo Zutto (damn good song), Onaji Sora Mitsumeteru Anata ni, Kimi no Subete ni, and Another Story.
As I listened, the album took on the feel of a tape that you'd play with each half of the tape being a different feel to the album. Tracks 2 - 6 on this are known as the "Love Side" while Tracks 8 - 14 are known as the "Fun Side". Spontania is known for their collaborations with other artists. I think its pretty fitting too. Every single one of the collabs are very well done.
I'm still ashamed of myself for not being able to purchase it yet. (I'm sooo poor!)
For Number 6, I think you'll like. It's LOVE's (Nakamura Fukiko) album, Confetti Love Songs.
2009.01.14
01. Confetti
02. Odorei
03. Blue Finch
04. MABATAKI
05. Chinmoku no Scorpio
06. Devil's Cry
07. Don't Be Sorry
08. Anata wo Wasureru Sono Mae ni
09. Subarashiki Hibi
10. Noside
She's such a talented vocalist. A lot of people were slightly upset when Core of Soul broke up, but Nakamura continued on and eventually started releasing things under the stage name LOVE. Having gotten into jmusic just a few years ago, I'd never heard of Core of Soul. But I can agree with the legions of fans that swear by Nakamura Fukiko's talent. If you like a grass roots feel to your music definitely take a try out for LOVE. I don't think you can go wrong. :)
Wow! I'm halfway through! Here's my number 5 pick for 2009: Stereopony - Hydrangea ga Saiteru
2009.06.17 Release
01. Seishun ni, Sono Namida ga Hitsuyou da!
02. I do it
03. Komorebe no Journey
04. Namida no Mukou
05. Otome Gokoro Hey Hey Hey
06. Nakanaide
07. effective line
08. Sweet Blue
09. Tokai no Mori
10. Shiawase no Oka de Kurashitai
11. My Mistake
12. Hitohira no Hanabira
13. Aozora Very good days!!
Stereopony blasted onto the jmusic scene in late 2008 and has continually wow'd fans with their talent. If you watch popular anime such as, BLEACH then you may have heard their song Hitohiro no Hanabira. They've even collaborated with YUI!
I agree with everyone who says that their debut album was really nothing more than a singles rehash. The album filler songs were slightly boring and the album carries on the same beat all the way through. But what makes this album stand out is the singles. They were just that good. I recommend this album this year because the singles are memorable in and of themselves and really stand out.
Next, I give you my number 4 pick this year: BoA - BEST&USA
Disc 1 ~Japan Best~
01. UNIVERSE feat. Crystal Kay & Verbal (m-flo)
02. DO THE MOTION
03. Eien
04. Nanairo no Ashita ~Brand New Beat~
05. Winter Love
06. Meri Kuri (Best & USA Version)
07. Sweet Impact
08. Dakishimeru
09. LOVE LETTER
10. Sparkling
11. KEY OF HEART
12. make a secret
13. Everlasting
14. LOSE YOUR MIND feat. Yutaka Fuurkawa from Doping Panda
15. Believe in LOVE feat. BoA (Acoustic Version)
16. VALENTI (Best & USA Version)
Disc 2 ~USA Debut Album~
01. I Did It For Love (featuring Sean Garrett)
02. Energetic
03. Did Ya
04. Look Who's Talking
05. Eat You Up
06. Obsessed
07. Touched
08. Scream
09. Girls On Top
10. Dress Off
11. Hypnotic Dancefloor
This album turned me into such a BoA fangirl. I know that there are people out there who weren't impressed by BoA's debut into the US market, but it was certainly without a doubt, a very good first step. Just like with any artist, with the right producer, promotion, and mastery of the English language they can make it in our market. The US Debut is a strong album with every song wanting to make you get out and dance. You know, this is a pretty damn good album to workout to.
The Japan Best part of the album is really great too. Its a mix of her best singles, including a really fun song with Crystal Kay and m-flo. It kinda works backwards and takes you through the major highlights of BoA's Japanese career. Definitely a fun thing to listen to.
Yay! We're on to my top 3 albums this year! For number 3 we've got: Fukuhara Miho - RAINBOW
2009.01.28 Release
01. CHANGE
02. ANYMORE
03. Lose Control
04. Yuki no Hikari
05. Everybody Needs Somebody
06. ON TOP OF THE WORLD
07. Himawari
08. LOVE ~winter song~ (album version)
09. Getting There
10. DREAMER
11. ICE & FIRE
12. Yasashii Aka
Oh, come on! You all know how much of a fangirl I am for this girl. She's got such talent and it shows. Most of her stuff showcases her very very gospel sounding voice. This girl can belt out anything with the best of them. Himawari was proof of that. (Even though my rendition of the song sucked... But then that's to be expected.) I had such a hard time not making this my number 1 album of the year. But the more I thought about it, the more it seemed that there's always something better out there.
For Number 2 I give you all MAY'S major debut album, DREAMING.
2009.01.14 Release
01. KISS ~Koi ni Ochite... Fuyu~
02. LOVE SONG ~ima nara ieru yo~
03. DESTINY ~for Dear...~ feat. CLIFF EDGE
04. THANK YOU feat. Jam (faith)
05. Teddy's story
06. Diggin' Diggin' Diggin'
07. NEW WORLD feat. DJ WATARAI
08. The Source feat. Clench & Blistah, EIGOCZANE, TWO-K
09. Daydream
10. take a break (Interlude)
11. Kozue
12. My Everything
13. Sparkling Girl
14. Dreaming of you (Interlude)
15. Sayonara, Arigatou
16. Brave Heart
MAY'S quickly won a spot in my heart. I'm still not sure exactly what makes this duo great. But they've got the right mix of talent that really reminds me of a more urban and r&b Do As Infinity. This is another one of those albums that you can just put on repeat and have play all day long. To me, it never gets too old. I love just going back and randomly discovering how good something can be. Especially when you've forgotten that the album existed in your collection in the first place.
My number 1 pick of the year? Well, let's see. That has to be none other than Do As Infinity's return to the jmusic world with their comeback album, ETERNAL FLAME.
2009.09.30 Release
01. ETERNAL FLAME
02. Saigo no GAME
03. Perfect World
04. Namonaki Kakumei
05. Nighter
06. Feelin' The Light
07. MERA MERA
08. Piece Of Your Heart
09. Kitakaze
10. his hometown
11. Honoo
12. Umareyuku Monotachi e
I still stand by what I said in the review for the original post. The album I thought should've kicked a hell of a lot more ass than it did. But DAI gets the top spot this year, because the songs that are gold I keep coming back to and listening over and over and over again. And really, I don't believe that there is any perfect album out there. I cannot wait to see what DAI has to offer coming up in 2010. We certainly need more talent in the jmusic scene, even talent as old as DAI. (Not that that's a bad thing!)
I hope you enjoyed my best of 2009. I hope that 2010 brings just as much great jmusic for us to love to itty bitty bits and pieces. :)
So now I'm going to present to you guys my top 10 albums of the year. :D Enjoy!
First up, Coming in at number 10 this year is Fukui Mai's debut album, MY SONG FOR YOU.
2009.03.04 Release
01. Can Can
02. Peace Friend
03. Ai no Uta
04. Lucky
05. Plastic Girls
06. Koi no Yukue
07. Aoi e
08. I wanna be a Rock Roll Star
09. Hate Myself
10. Promise You
11. The Sound
12. My Song For You
I was really impressed with her. The fact that she was a brand new artist was also really intriguing. You could call her music a type of cross between pop and acoustic pop. She really takes the acoustic part serious too. I think you can hear an acoustic guitar in almost every song on this album. And it works. It works spectacularly well. (If she put out just a plain old acoustically done album, I'd probably buy it in a heartbeat.) The melodies just meld with her voice so well. Did I mention that? She's a very good vocalist, if a little flat sounding at times. But she's definitely great. One of the draws to her voice is that its a deeper voice than what you're traditionally used to in a Japanese pop vocalist. It's probably one of the more enjoyable albums that was released this year. I cannot wait to see what else Fukui has up her sleeve. I hope that we hear from her soon. This album was the last thing that she released this year apart from a couple digital releases, I think.
Next up, I have number 9 which is GReeeeN's third original album, Shio, Koshou.
2009.06.10 Release
01. Hikari
02. Kuchibue
03. Haruka
04. Ayumi
05. Itsumademo
06. Tabibito
07. Hallelujah!!!!
08. STORY
09. Setsuna
10. Fuyu no Aru Hi no Uta
11. Tobira
12. Sora e no Tegami
13. Fubo Uta
14. Kiseki
15. Untitled track 15
GReeeeN's third album. If you're already a fan, then you'll notice after a few tracks that this album is a lot more tame than their previous ones. But that's not a bad thing. If you had the same faster paced, hyped up music all the time then you're gonna get tired of it. So I was very pleased with that. I will say though that the Untitled bonus track kills my ears. If I wasn't a collector, I'd delete it.
For the new comers to this group, you can expect a very pop/rock album. If you like the harder stuff, then check out their previous albums. It's not much harder, but its still pretty good.
It's good to note that GReeeeN always at least meets the bar that they set with their debut single in 2007, Michi.
Now on to number 8 for this year! Ayaka's History!
2009.09.23 Release
Disc 1
01. I believe
02. melody
03. Real voice
04. Mikazuki
05. WINDING ROAD (ayaka x Kobukuro)
06. Jewelry day
07. CLAP & LOVE
08. Why
09. For today
10. Te wo Tsunagou
11. Ai wo Utaou
12. Okaeri
13. Anata to (ayaka x Kobukuro)
14. Yume wo Mikata ni
15. Koi Kogarete Mita Yume
16. Minna Sora no Shita
Disc 2
01. Yume no Kakera
02. Blue Days
03. Sky
04. Peace loving people
05. POWER OF MUSIC
06. Kon'ya mo Hoshi ni Dakarete...
07. Good Night Baby
08. Start to 0
09. Kimi ga Iru Kara
10. Arigatou.
11. Minna Sora no Shita
Ayaka's History makes it on here because its very likely that we're not seeing anything else from her for a pretty long time. (If ever again at all.) And its sad that she's got so much talent.
There are so many jewels on this album that I just can't name them all. My particular favorites are her collaborations with Kobukuro. Even though its a best album, this collection really shows off ayaka's power as a vocalist and a singer/songwriter. Is there anything that can be said for this album that hasn't been said already by other people? We know that ayaka is an accomplished artist. She's sold so many records to verify this fact.
For Number 7 I present to you, Spontania's album, Collaboration BEST!
2009.11.18 Release
01. Introduction
02. Be With Me feat. SEAMO
03. Onaji Sora Mitsumeteru Anata ni feat. AZU
04. Kimi no Subete ni feat. JUJU
05. Where Is The Love feat. Tawada Emi
06. Ima Demo Zutto feat. Ito Yuna
07. Interlude
08. Three is the Magic Number feat. COMA-CHI
09. Natsu Yume feat. Sotte Bosse
10. Another Story ("Story" Spontania Version) feat. ERY
11. Beep Beep feat. WISE
12. Kitto feat. Hashimoto Seiko
13. Yamakawa Kusaki feat. Micro
14. Beautiful feat. Harisenbon
Alright, who wasn't waiting for this when it was first released? My favorites that I'd heard before I listened to the album are Ima Demo Zutto (damn good song), Onaji Sora Mitsumeteru Anata ni, Kimi no Subete ni, and Another Story.
As I listened, the album took on the feel of a tape that you'd play with each half of the tape being a different feel to the album. Tracks 2 - 6 on this are known as the "Love Side" while Tracks 8 - 14 are known as the "Fun Side". Spontania is known for their collaborations with other artists. I think its pretty fitting too. Every single one of the collabs are very well done.
I'm still ashamed of myself for not being able to purchase it yet. (I'm sooo poor!)
For Number 6, I think you'll like. It's LOVE's (Nakamura Fukiko) album, Confetti Love Songs.
2009.01.14
01. Confetti
02. Odorei
03. Blue Finch
04. MABATAKI
05. Chinmoku no Scorpio
06. Devil's Cry
07. Don't Be Sorry
08. Anata wo Wasureru Sono Mae ni
09. Subarashiki Hibi
10. Noside
She's such a talented vocalist. A lot of people were slightly upset when Core of Soul broke up, but Nakamura continued on and eventually started releasing things under the stage name LOVE. Having gotten into jmusic just a few years ago, I'd never heard of Core of Soul. But I can agree with the legions of fans that swear by Nakamura Fukiko's talent. If you like a grass roots feel to your music definitely take a try out for LOVE. I don't think you can go wrong. :)
Wow! I'm halfway through! Here's my number 5 pick for 2009: Stereopony - Hydrangea ga Saiteru
2009.06.17 Release
01. Seishun ni, Sono Namida ga Hitsuyou da!
02. I do it
03. Komorebe no Journey
04. Namida no Mukou
05. Otome Gokoro Hey Hey Hey
06. Nakanaide
07. effective line
08. Sweet Blue
09. Tokai no Mori
10. Shiawase no Oka de Kurashitai
11. My Mistake
12. Hitohira no Hanabira
13. Aozora Very good days!!
Stereopony blasted onto the jmusic scene in late 2008 and has continually wow'd fans with their talent. If you watch popular anime such as, BLEACH then you may have heard their song Hitohiro no Hanabira. They've even collaborated with YUI!
I agree with everyone who says that their debut album was really nothing more than a singles rehash. The album filler songs were slightly boring and the album carries on the same beat all the way through. But what makes this album stand out is the singles. They were just that good. I recommend this album this year because the singles are memorable in and of themselves and really stand out.
Next, I give you my number 4 pick this year: BoA - BEST&USA
Disc 1 ~Japan Best~
01. UNIVERSE feat. Crystal Kay & Verbal (m-flo)
02. DO THE MOTION
03. Eien
04. Nanairo no Ashita ~Brand New Beat~
05. Winter Love
06. Meri Kuri (Best & USA Version)
07. Sweet Impact
08. Dakishimeru
09. LOVE LETTER
10. Sparkling
11. KEY OF HEART
12. make a secret
13. Everlasting
14. LOSE YOUR MIND feat. Yutaka Fuurkawa from Doping Panda
15. Believe in LOVE feat. BoA (Acoustic Version)
16. VALENTI (Best & USA Version)
Disc 2 ~USA Debut Album~
01. I Did It For Love (featuring Sean Garrett)
02. Energetic
03. Did Ya
04. Look Who's Talking
05. Eat You Up
06. Obsessed
07. Touched
08. Scream
09. Girls On Top
10. Dress Off
11. Hypnotic Dancefloor
This album turned me into such a BoA fangirl. I know that there are people out there who weren't impressed by BoA's debut into the US market, but it was certainly without a doubt, a very good first step. Just like with any artist, with the right producer, promotion, and mastery of the English language they can make it in our market. The US Debut is a strong album with every song wanting to make you get out and dance. You know, this is a pretty damn good album to workout to.
The Japan Best part of the album is really great too. Its a mix of her best singles, including a really fun song with Crystal Kay and m-flo. It kinda works backwards and takes you through the major highlights of BoA's Japanese career. Definitely a fun thing to listen to.
Yay! We're on to my top 3 albums this year! For number 3 we've got: Fukuhara Miho - RAINBOW
2009.01.28 Release
01. CHANGE
02. ANYMORE
03. Lose Control
04. Yuki no Hikari
05. Everybody Needs Somebody
06. ON TOP OF THE WORLD
07. Himawari
08. LOVE ~winter song~ (album version)
09. Getting There
10. DREAMER
11. ICE & FIRE
12. Yasashii Aka
Oh, come on! You all know how much of a fangirl I am for this girl. She's got such talent and it shows. Most of her stuff showcases her very very gospel sounding voice. This girl can belt out anything with the best of them. Himawari was proof of that. (Even though my rendition of the song sucked... But then that's to be expected.) I had such a hard time not making this my number 1 album of the year. But the more I thought about it, the more it seemed that there's always something better out there.
For Number 2 I give you all MAY'S major debut album, DREAMING.
2009.01.14 Release
01. KISS ~Koi ni Ochite... Fuyu~
02. LOVE SONG ~ima nara ieru yo~
03. DESTINY ~for Dear...~ feat. CLIFF EDGE
04. THANK YOU feat. Jam (faith)
05. Teddy's story
06. Diggin' Diggin' Diggin'
07. NEW WORLD feat. DJ WATARAI
08. The Source feat. Clench & Blistah, EIGOCZANE, TWO-K
09. Daydream
10. take a break (Interlude)
11. Kozue
12. My Everything
13. Sparkling Girl
14. Dreaming of you (Interlude)
15. Sayonara, Arigatou
16. Brave Heart
MAY'S quickly won a spot in my heart. I'm still not sure exactly what makes this duo great. But they've got the right mix of talent that really reminds me of a more urban and r&b Do As Infinity. This is another one of those albums that you can just put on repeat and have play all day long. To me, it never gets too old. I love just going back and randomly discovering how good something can be. Especially when you've forgotten that the album existed in your collection in the first place.
My number 1 pick of the year? Well, let's see. That has to be none other than Do As Infinity's return to the jmusic world with their comeback album, ETERNAL FLAME.
2009.09.30 Release
01. ETERNAL FLAME
02. Saigo no GAME
03. Perfect World
04. Namonaki Kakumei
05. Nighter
06. Feelin' The Light
07. MERA MERA
08. Piece Of Your Heart
09. Kitakaze
10. his hometown
11. Honoo
12. Umareyuku Monotachi e
I still stand by what I said in the review for the original post. The album I thought should've kicked a hell of a lot more ass than it did. But DAI gets the top spot this year, because the songs that are gold I keep coming back to and listening over and over and over again. And really, I don't believe that there is any perfect album out there. I cannot wait to see what DAI has to offer coming up in 2010. We certainly need more talent in the jmusic scene, even talent as old as DAI. (Not that that's a bad thing!)
I hope you enjoyed my best of 2009. I hope that 2010 brings just as much great jmusic for us to love to itty bitty bits and pieces. :)