[Music Video] ayumi hamasaki's 2 latest short PVs

When I first watched the ever-lame short version PV for Song 4 u, I was expecting it to go down like this: with those god awful claws they have on their fingers, they'll be cutting the shit out of each other's faces. The 2 queens eventually go face-to-face and they have a final showdown a la Madonna's Die Another Day style and eventually one of them dies.

Reality: a lot of walking up to each other and simply staring at each other until one of them disappears into thin air (???).

And don't get your hopes up with the ever-promising "to be continued..." at the end, guys. Some people have seen the full PV already. Looking at the short PV is enough of a waste of everyone's time.

So does shit get real? No it does not. Spoiler alert: at the end, the queens walk up to each other, engage in an exhilarating stare battle and the screen FADES TO BLACK! Totally did not see that coming!

Ayu is so lazy with her PVs nowadays, it's easy to conclude that bitch doesn't even wanna try anymore.  Either that or she's not bringing avex enough dough to up her budget. It would have made the PV so much better if it were actually interspersed with a second setting. Even Ayu in her pyjamas sitting on a foldable chair while lip syncing over-dramatically (crying optional) filmed using a shitty 5MP smartphone camera would help.

That's not to say I totally hate the video, of course. I'd definitely watch this than see her in a gaudy flower dress walking around an alternate universe while being chased by some giant women, occasionally sitting on a chair with a giant pearl necklace wrapped around herself awkwardly. Sounds familiar?

I have nothing to say about Ayu in the Missing PV other than the fact that she's crying again with her pale-as-fuck skin walking through some field for the whole course of the video. I have to admit some of the shots are really pretty though. She probably likes her men in bed like how it shows in the PV - flying from one end to the other. throwing their back out doing continuous backflips.

Also throwing in the CM for LOVE because she's gonna need the promotion anyway. Avex, you're welcome:

Koda Ku*mmmmm*i goes back to the way she used to be

Koda Kums is back on Music Station to promote her latest single Go to the top and boy is she on FULL THROTTLE! She's scheduled for like, 3 other TV appearances now?! Talk about work ethic that some other people could have.

According to the interview she gained a whopping 15kg during her pregnancy and actually lost 13kg after giving birth. ALL WITHIN LIKE, 2 MONTHS? I need to know what she's eating / doing so I can jump into that as well. Probably from all the hot kinky rough sex her husband's been giving her.

I like how she fumbles in her dance moves at one point and just laughs it off. How cute! Her vocals and dance moves are definitely in top form. I'm so glad she's not a mess. Though I'm not exactly fond of her new hairstyle now that I've seen it in motion because I think it makes her face look fat. And it kinda makes her look old, like how the short hair did for Ayu.

The sales for this single are also on FIYAH! She's already outsold the total sales of her last 2 singles in only 3 days (Ok she's still one hundred short of Ai wo Tomenaide but you get the point). This may also just be her first #1 single in three good damn years. Good for her! This is probably one big comeback she didn't think she was gonna have.

(external link: http://www.yinyuetai.com/video/537751)

Going going to snatch them wigs, going going after Amuro

[New Song] Namie Amuro - Damage

I don't know what to think of Namie Amuro's Damage. It's like a worse version of Break It. I do think there is a nice melody to it but it just sounds like b-side material to me. Best case scenario, it just ends up on the soundtrack of whichever movie it's tied in to. Worst case scenario, it ends up being the main a-side of her next single. I trust Namie to make wise career choices and making this a main single song wouldn't be one. It does seem like a grower to me, but one thing I'm sure of is that it's not a strong song.  I think it's the arrangement which would help if it had sounded... fuller? Yea. What can I say, I'm a professional music critic.

I hope avex would wake up their stupid idea because I have a feeling that they're getting their heads in the clouds being all "Oh my god Namie is still relevant after 20 years" and might just send her into Koda Kumi mode anytime. Then again I'm sure Vision Factory won't allow this kind of shit to go down.

Koda MILFmi gets back into shape so fast, you'd think the baby was fake

Koda "Go to the 20kg mark" Kumi wastes absolutely no time in getting those titties out and showing everybody her still-stunningly-hot bod. I just don't get what these Japanese women do to keep themselves in such great shape. From today on I'm going to go on an all-Japanese diet. With Singaporean diets, it's a wonder if the mothers here could actually get themselves to just stop eating. It's a miracle if they'd bother to do some exercise instead of complaining about rude customer service sales reps.

In music-related news I'm not looking forward to the release of Go to the top. In fact I didn't even preorder the single; I'm just going to wait for CDJapan's winter sales in December to buy it. She'll be on Music Station next week so I'm excited to see her perform again, yipee.

[New Song] MISIA - DEEPNESS

Ooo I be so mysterious

For the LOOONGEST time ever I've been so BORED by what MISIA has been giving us for the past 2 years. I mean her last 2 studio albums were good, but it doesn't really hit you. And I've just had enough of all the ballads she's been giving us. She's literally had like, what, 7 bloody ballad singles in a row (I don't count digital singles because I am as outdated as Oricon)? Wouldn't even MISIA herself be bored with all that shit? I guess not.

But this time with DEEPNESS I am FINALLY impressed, and I can see this becoming a semi-big hit seeing how it's charting relatively well on the digital charts. I think I just have a really soft spot for those  beats and that it also provides a perfect respite from all the other shit songs she's been giving us, but I really think this is a great song. The single cover looks good too.

I can't wait for her to drop her next album and I hope it'll be really good because I feel like I'm already starting to lose her. With a voice like that she doesn't deserve to end up being like mihimaru GT.

Oopstada Hikaru takes a fall

Utada Hikaru has revealed that she has been hospitalized for 9 days after tearing the ligaments in her foot while on a hike.

The singer was taking part in the Kumano Kodo pilgrimage on September 26th when her foot became injured. Instead of stopping though, she kept on hiking for 3 days with the injury in order to finish the pilgrimage.

"Though I was troubled, I felt like I had to continue to pilgrimage...I do not regret it," she stated.

After completing the pilgrimage, the singer went to the hospital where she stay for 9 days to receive treatment. The muscle in the injured ankle was torn and the ligaments were damaged.

Despite the injuries, the singer has assured fans over twitter that she is fine.

(source: jpopasia)

Talk about an oopsie whoopsie! I'm so glad to hear that she's fine, and if I were her back there I would've headed by ass back home even at the tiniest slip. It's admirable for her to Keep Tryin'! Why am I so lame today (That's a double!)? Tips to those who want to make it in J-Pop: become successful, go on a hiatus then go take a hike. With a reason like "wanting to live like a normal person" going for a hike seems pretty weird, but we all know Hikki really is a bit out of her mind. 

Jokes aside I hope she rests well and maybe this troubling time could help her in her songwriting if you know what I mean. What? I'm sure I'm not the only one who wants her to save J-Pop from fading into oblivion. 

[New Release] ayumi hamasaki - LOVE

CD+DVD | CD

After being in one craphole of a photoshoot which ended up being the Party Queen photoshoot, ayumi "sad party queen" hamasaki redeems herself easily with this Love songs-cum-2003-ish-cum-that one picture from 2007 photoshoot for her upcoming EP LOVE. And I LOVE it (what an original pun)!

Although I wish that for once they'd actually be consistent with their text placement but nooooo they decided to L that shit. There's another extra unimportant edition just like FIVE to promote Tales of Xilia 2 but I didn't post the cover here because that is irrelevant. How can anyone, straight or gay, gamer or non-gamer, pick up that edition instead of any of the other 2 featuring the flawless queen on the cover? RIGHT?

Many people also noticed how in all of her mini albums' covers it's always a close up with a hand or two in the picture with her hair covering one of her eyes... ish. I know right?

Anyway I am still not impressed with this release yet because no matter how good the covers are, it doesn't cover (oh no I didn't!) the fact that this release is one hell of a mess that should've just been a single. I'm sorry but 3 songs, 5 remixes and 4 instrumentals do not make this shit a mini album.

If this were to be released as a single, 1) people like me wouldn't be complaining about how it should have been a 3-a single 2) people will be REJOICING because "it's like one of those old Ayu singles" 3) people won't be making articles on how "avex is not letting Ayu release singles anymore"

The ultimate horrors of horrors is how I don't think this release will even reach 100k in sales so the whole of AHS is going to go into absolute apeshit mode. Some will think it's the end of the world while they are being refuted by those who say that "it's just a mini-album guys her next studio album will sell 500k"

I can't help but feel so uncomfortable because this release is like those C-Pop artists where they'd be perpetually releasing compilation albums with a few new songs every now and then and that's exactly what Ayu is doing. For an OCD fuck like me, this is like tainting her own discography but ok I'm obviously just being overdramatic because I'm still gonna buy it anyway.

Song 4 u does sound promising and I've heard a small snippet of Missing and I love it too. I mean... I LOVE it (sorry I can't control myself). Melody, on the other hand, sounds like a piece of crap so I'll wait for the CD Rip to see how it goes. Song 4 u's PV better be NOTHING like progress'. I don't care if progress' PV fitted the lyrics because if I wanted to see scenery while listening to the song I would've gone to Google for that.

LOVE will be released on 8 November 2012.

CD Tracklist

1. Song 4 u (Original mix)
2. Missing (Original mix)
3. Melody (Original mix)
4. Song 4 u (Orchestra version)
5. You & Me (SHINICHI OSAWA remix)
6. You & Me (Remo-con rmx - Extended)
7. Missing (Dubscribe remix)
8. Melody (BROKEN HAZE remix)
9. Song 4 u (Original mix -Instrumental-)
10. Missing (Original mix -Instrumental-)
11. Melody (Original mix -Instrumental-)
12. You & Me (Original mix -Instrumental-)

DVD Tracklist

1. Song 4 u (video clip)
2. Missing (video clip)
3. Song 4 u (making clip)

[Music Video] Koda Kumi - Go to the top

Within months after popping out her new baby, Koda Kums is already releasing her next single Go to the top which is in all honesty quite average and I don't quite like it.

The PV is also meh but it's not like I'm expecting her to immediately go in front of the camera to twerk her ass but ok I'll take it either way. I like how they decided to "announce" an upcoming winter ballad single coming in December because 10 years later when we all watch this again we'll totally still think that there's a new single coming. Meanwhile all I see in the PV is boobs, boobs, and boobs. It's like that one anime I watched where everyone had really huge boobs that I think that pretty much ended up being the plot of the anime.

[Album Review] Superfly - Force

Bam 

We can all agree that there's no one quite like Superfly. She sure may not have revolutionized the stale-becoming J-Pop industry, but she undeniably holds her own with her unique and distinct rock and roll sound. 5 years into her successful career, Shiho shows no signs of backing down with her new album, Force. She show them bitches how it's done.