My take on the whole Minami thing

Okay.  So I decided to wait until the shit storm died down a bit before I posted my opinion.

I've thought about it a lot, and honestly, I'm really tired of the way these idol agencies treat the girls like objects instead of human beings.  I know that Japan is still a very patriarchal society, and there is nary a crack in the glass ceiling over there, but for some reason I thought that the issue would somehow go away after a certain amount of "scandals."

A woman staying at her boyfriend's house shouldn't be a scandal.  It's a very normal thing.  But then again, idols are not seen as normal women.  They're put on a pedestal.  They're supposed to be fantasy objects for their fans, specifically men.  They're not supposed to know anything about love or sex, but they're expected to sing about romantic relationships and pose scantily clad for magazines and photobooks.

There's just something not right about it.  I mean, no business is perfect, but as I'm growing up, seeing other women's rights taken away is infuriating.  We're treated as second class citizens everywhere, no matter what country we live in, no matter how "developed" that country is.

I think Mii-chan's situation has given me (and many, many others) a wake up call about the industry.  And I think that's precisely why she shaved her head.  No other AKB scandal has been this big because the idol in question didn't make such a big deal out of it.  My mother has this phrase:  "People pay attention to those who make the most noise."

Minami made some noise.  And that noise was heard around the world.  New sites that never gave a crap about idols before wrote up about Minami's story.  It's getting the whole world thinking, and it's putting the spotlight on the idol industry.

Well played Minami, well played.

I don't know how this will change the idol industry, or if it will at all, but it definitely struck a chord with me.  I love the girls so much, and I want to make them happy by supporting them (aka buying their merch), but I can't lie to myself anymore and think that the girls are being treated well, because they're not.  If they're not allowed to make their own decisions regarding their own personal lives, even after they've reached the age of adulthood, they aren't being treated like people.

I think I'm going to take a little break from idols for a while.  I'll probably still keep up with the news and support my fellow bloggers, but I think it's time for me to find out more about the different genres of Jpop, not just idols, so I can support some artists who aren't puppets of their management.

It's probably best for my growth as an artist as well, so for the next few months, I will not be posting about idols at all.

I've been a fan of idols for a good 4 or 5 years now, but the impact of the corruption of this industry is just hitting me now.  I guess taking more business classes and getting more involved with feminist causes back home has helped me see that.

In a way, it's heartbreaking, because idols have been such a huge part of my life ever since I started to get to know them, but it was a realization that I needed to have.

Thank you Mii-chan, and I hope that you one day find the courage to leave AKB48 and become a strong woman who can forge her own path.

Fans, y'all have the power to help out your idols.  You can do something by choosing what to do with your money.  Japan has seen an idol boom in the past few years, and while it's good business, I'm hoping y'all will think about how it affects the people.  If you're like me and don't know much about Jpop besides idols and Hikki, I challenge you to find some new artists and support them.  See how that impacts your life as well.

I look forward to hearing about your discoveries, and sharing some of mine with you as well.

Kaya <3

SETLIST TIME: Electrify YOU!

Hello everyone!

So today, I'm finally releasing the setlist for ElectroCute's debut concert, "Electrify YOU!"

It's so very exciting!  I do hope you like the songs we chose for this concert, and if you haven't already, be sure to give them a listen by clicking on the video I've provided. xP

1.  Koi wo Shichaimashita--Tanpopo

2.  Ganbaranakutemo Ee Nende--S/mileage

3.  Ai Like Hamburger--Idolm@ster
Hazel (lead), Kaya, Keiko

4.  Robokiss--W (Double You)
Hazel and Kaya

5.  Mr. Wonderboy--MAP
Mayu, Kaya, Keiko

6.  Heavy Rotation--AKB48

7.  Koi no Dance Site--Morning Musume
Keiko and Kaya

8.  Boogie Train '03--Fujimoto Miki
Kaya (with Mayu and Hazel as back up dancers)

9.  Our Steady Boy--YuiKaori
Mayu and Hazel

10.  Moonlight Night ~Tsuki yo no Ban da yo~--Morning Musume
Kaya, Mayu, Keiko

11.  Santa Baby--Eartha Kitt

12.  Mikan--Morning Musume
Keiko, Kaya, Mayu

13.  Baby Maniacs--Danceroid

14.  Let's Live--ElectroCute

Preview Coming soon!


WAHOO!  What a setlist, right!?
If you don't see any names under a song title, you can assume that all group members are performing that particular song.  ^--^  For the different grouping songs in this concert, I put the names of the girls who are performing those songs under the song title.  The duet and trio songs are a really fun way to show off the different personalities and strengths of each of the members, so the person who chose the song has their name written down first.

Anyway, please listen to these songs, and get some wotagei ready for the concert!

NMB48 HA! Short MV

Oooooo lookie what we have here!  An MV for NMB48's track on AKB48's newest single, Eien Pressure!  This song is titlted "HA!"  I'm super excited for this track, since it's something different than we've heard from the girls.  The song itself opens up with some pretty gnarly guitar riffs, and then leads into fast paced trumpets.  It reminds me of music from a spy movie or something (which ties in nicely with this MV).  It's always interesting to hear Japanese idol music with western influences, since you know it has taken inspiration from another place, but it's still so distinctly Japanese in the way the music is used, and having the sugary sweet idol voices over the music track.  The one thing I really appreciate though, is how guttural the "HA!'s" are.  These ladies are ready for battle!   I can't wait to hear the full song!

For the MV, it looks like they're going to have it be like a little mini movie, which is always fun to see.  The girls' acting may not be the best, but hey, we never watch mini-movie MV's for the acting, right?  XD  We watch to see the girls thrown into these crazy situations!  That's what's fun about it!  From watching the preview a few times, I think the story goes like this:

Sayanee is meeting with someone to find where Milky is, Milky meanwhile, has been kidnapped by a group of Yakuza (the reason why I'm not sure), and while she is trying to charm her way out of it with her idol girlishness, Sayanee gets a call from one of the baddies.  Sayanee gets her tough her act on, and she comes to Milky's rescue!  The Yakuza all have a very over the top Osaka dialect with a yankee accent thrown in, which I think is really cool to hear as someone outside of Japan.  I'm glad the group is embracing, and even poking fun at the culture and stereotypes from their area in their MVs.

As for the non-story parts of the MV, we see a really cool dance shot with the girls on a lit up party boat in the middle of Osaka, and some close up shots in front of a red curtain.  The girls are wearing some sexy one shoulder kimonos lined with leopard print and some crazy huge kanzashi.  It's interesting to see the mix of the yankee style with the traditional Japanese dress.

NMB48 just keeps getting better and better, and I'm excited for this single to come out!

I'm hoping to see SKE48's and HKT48's videos for this single soon as well, and of course the title track with AKB48.

48 Family fighting!

Sick Time Playlist

Okay, so I've been sick since Friday night, so I've been kinda down lately.  

SO.  

IT'S TIME FOR ANOTHER PLAYLIST!  Yippee Skippee!  

So, here are some songs that make me feel better while I'm stuck in bed.  

 Morning Musume--Shanimuni Paradise

So I'm currently listening to this song.  XDD  This song makes me feel so stupidly happy every time I listen to it.  The music has this awesome bouncy, skippy beat to it, and the girls sound so perky while singing!  Especially during the "yume ga aru--uuuuuu" parts.  I love that!  And I also love the staccato bit during "Shanimuni Let's Go Paradise."  So I posted a live version here because the dance doubles the happy!  It goes from stupidly happy to "ULTRA MEGA HYPER BRAVO HAPPINESS!"  The arm flapping and skirt swishing, and especially the knee wiggling make for a perfect combination of cheer-uppy-ness!  I know, that's not a word, but it describes the wonderfulness that is this song.  

ReniReni--Suspect A

ReniReni has been one of my favorite performers for just under two years now I believe.  She just came out with her new album "Hybrid Girl" at the beginning of this month.  She's known for her super "Moe Moe" performances around New York City with her maid cafe "Moe Moe Honey."  This song shows a new side of Reni, and boy do I like it!  This song is perfect for getting pumped up, and the electronic beats just want to make you get up and dance!  Her voice is very unique, and there's a lot of power behind it in this song, so even though I may not have a lot of strength while I'm sick, Reni helps me gain just a little more power with this song.  

Girl Next Door--DaDaPaRa

I don't really know much about Girl Next Door, but I love this song!  It's very uplifting.  Her voice is interesting to listen to, and the little harmonies and riffs behind her add this sort of ethereal sound to the song, even though it's very electronic.  I find that it has an interesting mix of sounds and that's what makes me like it so much.  

T-ara--Roly Poly

This song will ALWAYS be one of my top jams.  Ever since it came out over a year ago, I've been addicted.  It makes me happy whether I'm playing it in my car, in my room, with friends, or just through headphones.  I grew up on Disco music since my mom listened to it a lot, so the disco beat in this song makes my ears happy.  And the catchy "Roly Poly Roly Roly Poly" in the chorus is something you can easily sing along with.  The intro and end of the song especially make me want to get funky.  

Morning Musume--Onna Gokoro to Nanto Kara

This is one of those calming happy songs.  It gives you a sense of contentment when you listen to it I think.  It's good for relaxing too.  It has one of my favorite sounds:  the twinkle sounds.  Any Jpop song that has them I usually like, and this song is full of 'em!  The girls blend well vocally on this song, so that is another thing that makes it pleasant to listen to.  

AKB48 Team B (Well, former Team B)--Yobisute Fantasy

I have listened to this song on repeat on many occasions.  It's just so...happy!  I can't find really any other words to describe it.  It's a cute and happy song done simply, and done well.  Great job AKB!

AKB48--Heavy Rotation

"I WANT YOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOU I NEED YOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOU I LOVE YOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOU."  No wonder this song makes me happy. XDDD  How can you not be happy listening to this song?  The girls just love you so much!  This song is my ultimate "moe" guilty pleasure, and no lie, I watch the PV a lot.  It's just so cute and happy and sweet!  This song never fails to bring up my mood.  

Anyway, I'm gonna cap this off at seven songs.  And it seems the list went from "making me feel better" to "making me feel happy."  But being happy makes you feel better, right?  So I guess it all works out.  I feel much better after listening to all of these songs anyway.  Super happy!  I hope you feel happy after listening to this playlist too!

Let me know what songs make you happy too, I'd love to hear them!

AKB48--UZA

AW SHIT YOU GUYS.

AKB just made me eat my words from my last post, 'cause UZA is THE SHIT.

Like

My

Mind

Is

BLOWN.

IS THIS REALLY AKB48?!

This is something totally different than what they've done before, and I LOVE IT.

I mean, just look at all the stuff they have in this PV:

Ballerinas

Steampunk Army girls

Harley Quinn Jack in the Box

Victorian ladies with flirty fans

Complex dance formations and choreography

Dude....this is like a Geek's dream right here!

It's like a Halloween themed Geek Convention exploded.

THIS IS SO COOL.  

I especially love the smoke effects with some of the dance moves, like Yukirin in the jack in the box.  OOOOO and Jurina as the ringmaster!  That was super sexy and cool!  AND DID ANYONE SEE YUKO'S PERFECT TURN OUT IN FIFTH POSITION?  I'm so envious! XDD  

You can tell the girls worked super hard on this PV, and it certainly paid off!  

I'm so glad that FINALLY there is something different, and the fact that the song and the video actually fit together!

The song itself has some electronic flavor to it, which seems to be the trend nowadays.  And it also has the girls singing in a lower range than usual, which is really refreshing to hear.  

Now watch the video before it gets taken down!

Jpop Morning Playlist

After a long night of drinking and partying, studying and reading, or just staying up until 5am with your friends, sometimes you need a little pick-me-up, right?

Okay, so maybe I was out too late last night, (don't worry, I didn't get drunk XD), but it was totally fun!  

So as well as eating something, I believe some music is required to get you back into a normal human state.

So!

Here is my recommended Jpop morning playlist!

1..  Morning Musume--Zero Kara Hajimaru Seishun

This song has a nice, soft, piano intro to ease you out of bed in the morning, and Masaki's voice is very sweet and pretty, so it won't be a rude awakening.  The whole song feels sort of dream-like, so it's a good one while you're still not quite yourself yet.

2.  Perfume--Kasuka na Kaori

This is a good song to listen to in the morning, since it has a calming instrumental and a medium tempo.  It's also a happy sounding song, so it's a good way to start thinking positively for the day.  It makes me think of morning sunshine on a good day. ^--^

3.  Yasai Sisters--AKB48

Breakfast time!  Have some vegetables in the morning!  And they're so happy to see you! x3  And Tomato Acchan even says "Ohayo!" in the beginning of the song!  This song is so super cute and it just makes you want to sway along with it.  Treat your body and your ears right with "Yasai Sisters!"

4.  Hatsune Miku--La, La, Love You

I'm not a huge Vocaloid person, but I do listen casually, and I find this song really enjoyable!  This is good for when you're brushing your teeth or something, since it has a bit of bounce to it, so you can bounce along with the song while you're by the bathroom sink. x3

5.  Pinku Project ft. Yukapon--Magical Journey

Now that you've added some bounce into your morning, you can now listen to something a bit more up-beat and sugary without feeling rudely awakened.  This song is super cute and positive, and Yuka and Baby's voices aren't too overpowering for the morning, and the little twinkling sounds in the song will definitely brighten up your day before it really begins!  This is a good song for applying make-up by the way.

6.  Morning Musume--Genki Pika Pika

This song is like...a requirement for happy mornings!  It's all about being GENKI!  Which is how you want to feel in the morning, right?  It's time to get out of your morning slump and dance with the lovely girls of Momusu!

7.  AKB48 Undergirls--Boku dake no Value

This song is so uplifting!!  The lyrics are a big part of why I chose this song.  They talk about how you are the most valuable thing, so you can imagine the AKB48 girls love YOU the most, and that you are their most valued person, etc.  And the hook to the chorus has a really great build with the instrumental, and the vocals just float effortlessly over it!  I apologize I couldn't find the actual PV, but this live version is good too.  This track was on the single "Beginner."

8.  S/mileage--Please Miniskirt Postwoman!

The beginning of the song with the harpsichord reminds me of some anime school thing, which is pretty much why I picked this song. XD  That and the fact that it's happy and cute.  So if you're bummed about school in the morning, listen to this and imagine you're in an anime wearing cute uniforms!

9.  Paletee--Hapi Hapi Morning

The maids will help you with your last preparations!  I think this is a great way to end the playlist since it has something from every song on the list.  The intro has a busy sort of feel with the dialogue (similar to the school feel of PMPW), it has the bounce of La, La, Love you and the catchiness of Yasai Sisters, the pep of Genki Pika Pika and Magical Journey, and the sunshine-y positiveness of Kasuka no Kaori and Boku Dake no Value!  And besides, what better way to end a morning than with MAIDS?!  I couldn't think of a better way!  Heck, the song even has "morning" in the title!

And then it's time for you to go out the door!

Did you like my playlist?  Is 9 songs enough?  I could go on forever really. XD

I hope you like my choices, and I hope this playlist brightens up your morning!  Let me know if I missed anything! xP

AKB48 Gingham Check

I shouldn't like this.

I really shouldn't like this. 

BUT I DO.

The song is so standard AKB48, we've all heard it before, so I don't understand why I'm not tired of it yet...

I guess it's because the girls do it so well.  It's the kind of sound they've been trained to sing, so it makes sense that they do it well.  I don't know.

I guess I was just expecting something different since it was the new senbatsu single.  Since we know the girls can do stuff like "RIVER" and "Beginner," I wanted to see them explore another new style of music.  

CAN YOU TELL I'M CONFLICTED!?

I guess I'll just shut up and enjoy the song and not worry about it.

Moving on to the video...which I cannot post here since the full version I watched got taken down.

But here's a quick preview from YouTube:

I feel like the director of this video took every single Japanese pop culture reference he could find (as well as a few American ones) and smooshed it into one video.  The result?

EPIC DERPINESS.

For those of you who know me personally, you know I love me some derp.  Any kind of derp.  IT MAKES ME REALLY FREAKING HAPPY, OKAY?

So I find that I enjoy this video A LOT.  Motor girls, Car girls, the ring, 1960's garb, cops, romance, sexy robbers (fuck yeah Mariko), and terrible acting.

Sure, it may be random, and yeah, it doesn't make sense.

But we're talking about JPOP here.  And IDOL MUSIC specifically.  It doesn't have to make sense!  Ahhh the beauty of idol videos.

This might be my favorite AKB48 PV actually, since it is so derpalicious.

I never thought I would find a PV that I liked more than Heavy Rotation...but you win Gingham Check, you win.

Remind me to do a top 5 AKB48 PV list soon...

I hope you enjoyed my rambling, and a new post about some different kind of music will be coming soon!