Top 20 J-Pop Songs of 2013

Part of the reason for my long absence is due to the fact that J-Pop this year isn't really that eventful, especially when the biggest news you've heard all year is about ayumi hamasaki getting engaged yet again. Especially for someone who mostly follows only female soloists, the year just gets worse for all my big booty hoes.

The yearly charts are once again dominated by Akihabara Krazy Bitches 48 and the album of the year is yet another Arashi album. At least Namie's album is the highest selling solo album of the year again despite coming in at #6, and J-hoe Shiho managed to break into the Top 10, but other than that, 2013 is basically the carbon copy of 2012 in terms of rankings which is BOOORINGGGGGG

Meanwhile, here is, yet again, my completely biased list of the Top 20 J-Pop Songs of 2013 before we usher in 2014, which, mark my words, will probably end up being just like 2013, which was just like 2012. I still question the order I should've ranked the 20 songs until today, but if it's any consolation, I may or may not have been under the influence while compiling this list.

[Album Review] JASMINE - Complexxx

"They got me while I was trying to hang my clothes up on this pole, dammit"

JASMINE was like a breath of fresh air when she first debuted. GOLD was definitely serving some hot R&B realness and sold better than most of her J-Urban peers. The last female solo R&B singer to impress me was Aoyama Thelma, and the only ONE WAY bitch is heading towards now is down six feet under with her career. Complexxx shows JASMINE's move of evolving her sound, with this sophomore effort attempting to mesh together classic R&B with the ubiquitous electropop music today. For an album that kept us waiting 3 years for, there definitely leaves much, much more to be desired, which is ironic for an album titled Complexxx when some songs are just basiccc.

[CD Packaging] Superfly - Superfly BEST (2CD+DVD First Press)

I've always loved J-ho Shiho's use of cardboard paper (or whatever material that is) in her album packagings, and this one is no exception. I even love the smell of it. I can smell it all day, but that's just being weird.



The whole thing is also reaaaally thick as well

Le contents - the booklet and digipak containing the discs





Pretty standard but I'm liking the art direction of the album a lot, what with the collage and all which actually shows some effort.

[CD Packaging] Perfume - LEVEL3 (CD+DVD)

I was hoping to actually get the version with the red jewel case but I'm just glad I didn't get the ugliest one (i.e. yellow case lol ewwewewewewe)

I quite like the way the album is packaged, with the jewel case only using clear plastic films inside without really trying too hard to be different *cough*kanyewest*cough*





The booklet itself is separate and behind the jewel case, both of which are housed in the slipcase. The jewel case is the slightly thicker kind, too.





The insert for the front cover yielded a little surprise as well! Pretty cool, but I was immediately drowning in regret as I would discover that my floor was actually a little dusty, thus leaving some particles glued onto the sheets. Oopsie.

[New Release] Perfume - LEVEL3

CD+DVD | CD Only

Y'all bitches are biased as hell. When Nocchi used to have bangs and switched to her current centre-parting style nobody gave two shits. Kashiyuka takes away her bangs and everyone goes apeshit?!?! Okay, at least Kashiyuka looks amazeballs, but Nocchi's hair during the GAME era was FLAWLESS imo. Now she just looks like an onigiri. Poor Nocchi is always pushed to the side. Look at the regular edition cover - you can't even see her! Screw artistic camera angles. She is werkin' her body like her dear life depends on it. A~chan isn't even trying. If Nocchi is reading this, just know I always got your back gurl. Oh wait, I just remembered this post is about their upcoming album. Ok.

[New Release] Superfly - Superfly BEST

What's J-hoe Shiho gotta do when you've been in the industry longer than Aoyama Thelma's relevance? Release dat best album, of course. What I like about Superfly's management is that they are always clear in their vision. Force was announced about a year before its release. This best album was already planned before Curtis Mayfield even thought about Super Fly.

Maroka Uchiyama's "reBORN" makes ayumi hamasaki's voice sound like gold

For those who didn't know, Maroka Uchiyama, also known as MARO, also known as ayumi hotmesssaki's ex-dancer, also probably more infamously known as that guy ayumi hotmesssaki fucked for 2 seconds before dumping him, recently released his latest single "reBORN". 

You might have also been wondering where I've been for the past few days. Long story short, I heard the song and had to go to the A&E from bleeding ears.

You've been warned: