J-pop 30 Day Challenge ♡ Day Two
Day 02 ♡ Who's your ultimate favorite J-pop group (and/or solo artist)?
Writing the answer to this has proven itself to be a lot harder than it should be because I love this so-and-so group but I also love this so-and-so solo artist just as much. Who could I possibly choose as my ultimate favorite overall? So thank you past Airi - who came up with this new list months ago - for leaving in the and/or option. Now I have the perfect excuse to talk about both! w00t!
I have my favorite male groups and I have my favorite female groups. However, when I put them all together, I would have to say that Hey! Say! JUMP are my ultimate favorite group overall. I knew of them since approximately 2010-2011. So, almost a good eight years now. I will admit that, there was a good chunk of time where I had fallen out of love with them. I was extremely critical of them, quite negative. I just wasn't into the music they were releasing at the time, I couldn't get into it. In my head, I guess the reason was that I wanted them to do better. I wanted to see them step up their quality- drop the cutesy stuff, stop trying to force this bad boy image for some things. Some things just felt awkward with me. I really couldn't get into it.
However, for the past two years or so, I really fell back in love with them. I'm enjoying the music that they're putting out; I'm loving what I'm hearing so far. Some outfits can be pretty ridiculous but I'm also enjoying watching their latest concerts. Also, I've started watching a lot of their variety show Itadaki High Jump - which really showcases the members' personalities so well. You get to know them so much better. While in live performances, it's common to show them as these cookie cutter perfect idols. In the variety show, I get to see them act like idiots or being memes. It's fun and I love seeing this side of the group that's so close. It makes me feel warm and fuzzy.
From 2010 up until now, no matter how I feel, I could never really turn my back on JUMP. They were always within my line of sight. I kept up with their activities a lot more than what people would usually expect. They're my ultimate favorite group and I'm proud to say that. Honestly, they were one of the main few groups that really cemented my love for Japanese pop music and I would be grateful to them for that. They've been together for ten years and I'm really looking forward for what the group has in store in the future. They're gonna release a new single in August I believe, so I wonder how that'll go~
I've talked about my favorite group, and now I want to share my ultimate favorite solo artist. Honestly, judging from the title picture – it shouldn't really be hard to figure out who it is. I just can't believe that I slept on him for so long. My ultimate favorite solo artist would have to be, the one and only, Yonezu Kenshi. For a good chunk of people out there, they probably already seen his name already. For anime fans, you would have known him as the artist who sang Peace Sign for Boku no Hero Academia Season 2. For others, you probably knew him from the 2k17 hit song Uchiage Hanabi or his latest hit Lemon which was theme for the drama Unnatural.
For my social bubble of idol friends, they have no hecking clue who he is and have never listened to any songs from him - which is very sad. I guess that's what influenced me to never really know much of him. I was stuck in an idol bubble of music for so long anyways. However, that doesn't change just how much I love him and his music. I was started becoming interested in him when Uchiage Hanabi was released. While Koi was the song of 2016, that was Uchiage Hanabi for 2017. I didn't love the movie but the track was stunning in my opinion. And when I found out that Suda Masaki was collaborating with him, I was like- Yep, I need to listen to his new album.
And I did, I've never looked back ever since. I've been sucked into the black hole that was Yonezu Kenshi. I regret absolutely nothing.
I will admit that personally I do not know much about his personality, still being a new fan of him really. I don't know of him as long compared to other solo artists I listen to such as Nishino Kana or even MACO. I'm trying to know more about him. But just know that I really love his music. It feels fresh, like this is the kind of music I'm really getting into as of recently. I'm really looking forward to his future releases. With how Lemon has been dominated the digital charts lately (it's not going away, at all), I have a feeling that it might end up being the song of 2018. I don't know for sure, it's still too early to tell.
Before I end this post, I just want to share some honorable mentions. These are not my ultimate favorite groups and solo artists. However, I still love them and listen to them a lot. Check them out! From L to R: Da-iCE, Nishino Kana, ºC-ute, and Suda Masaki
Until my next post, jyaa ne~
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