Music Corner Week 51: ACE Collection

ACE Collection is a four-member rock band that got started in December of 2017 on YouTube doing covers of popular songs. To this day, their most popular video is their cover of Ed Sheeran’s “Shape of You” which has garnered over four-million views. It also happens to be the very first song that they ever put up on YouTube. Their first single was their song “Anger” which dropped on December 12 of 2018. Since then they’ve dropped three albums and six singles. 

Tatsuya leads ACE Collection as the main vocalist, but he also plays a wide variety of instruments including guitar, percussion, piano, bass, electronic, and beatbox. Tatsuya has soft but powerful vocals that really shine through in “Yakusoku No Shiori,” a ballad on their latest album Love. LIKI is the main guitarist for the group and has a deep knowledge of songs that are used in various anime. Kanade is the bassist and really likes hardcore emo and has been touring Japan since he was a teenager which gives him the most practical experience of the group. Lastly, RIKU is the drummer of the group and participated in the solo project of X JAPAN/Toshi, gaining experience in metal, jazz, fusion, and EDM.

ACE Collection performs a great range of songs, from high energy songs like “Red Wind Labyrinth” and “Haikei, Kimiwa” to great ballads like their song “Yakusoku No Shiori”. All three songs can be found below for everyone to check out. Their website is a great place to go to stay up to date with the group’s activities along with their Twitter page. Their official YouTube page sees a lot of updates with new performances and their latest songs. 

Music Corner 50: I Saw You Yesterday

I Saw You Yesterday is a four-member pop-rock band that formed back in 2015. Inspired by US indies sound and style, the band hits a cord to alternative bands of the ’90s and made accessible to the generation that didn’t grow up with it. With this concept in mind, a majority of their tracks are fully sung in English and have the feel and style of that iconic indies feeling of the late 90’s through the early 00’s. This style makes them relatable to both the domestic and international market. 

A lot of that feeling comes from lead vocalist and guitarist Hidemasa Shimoda’s unique vocal style that lures the listeners to everything that this band has to offer. Their tracks “Wonder” and “White Out” are the perfect examples as listeners are lost in that majestic sound that the band’s composition and Shimoda’s vocals hit their signature and nail their trademark. While critics of the genre might call it noise, the band’s mastery of this composition and style for each track is a love letter to the indies while also an alternative style of the ’90s.

I Saw You Yesterday has released two albums. DOVE in 2017 and Calm days in 2019, with a plethora of digital singles and EPs across all streaming platforms, and their latest single “Float Away” being released a couple of weeks ago. Be sure to check out the band’s Official Website, their official Twitter and Instagram, along with their latest music video for their track “Wonder” below!

I Saw You Yesterday Stars

Hideshima Shimoda (Vocals, Guitar)

Kai Murakami (Guitar)

Kazushige Suzuki (Bass)

Yu Uchijyou (Drums)

Music Corner 49: KIRA

KIRA is a Japanese reggae-R&B vocalist, composer, and producer from Osaka. She got her start in the music industry singing at Macao Casino as the first Japanese vocalist to participate in the show and made an impression with her husky vocals, unique outfits, relatable lyrics, and African American inspired music style. In 2014, she made her major debut with the single “Nadeshiko Soul” which was written, composed, and produced by herself. The following year, she released her first full length album Listener Killer, that included a special remix of her first single “Nadeshiko Soul” and featured the popular reggae vocalist MINMI. This remix became a huge success and featured as a power play on over 16 radio stations nationwide. From there on, KIRA went on to release her first mini album titled SURVIVE in 2017 and her second studio album Naked in 2018. Naked went on to become number 1 on the iTunes Japan R&B charts. KIRA’s husky powerful vocals, mixture of Japanese and English, inspiring and relatable lyrics, and unique style captivate audiences.

KIRA’s reggae-R&B style fused with her vocals help create many memorable tracks. In her song “Carrier Bag”, you can hear her emotions come out in this powerful song that talks about packing up your dreams and going on a journey. In “SPACEY LOVE”, the upbeat techno-dancehall vibe in the chorus gets you hooked and pumped up. Whenever you hear this track, you can’t help but sing and dance to it. Her major debut song “Nadeshiko Soul”, along with many others such as “Listener Killer-Turn it up!”, “JEALOUSY”, and “Lucky Boy” all have a heavy reggae vibe and KIRA’s voice flows so perfectly. In her track “Bye Bye Boy”, you can hear husky vocals flow perfectly with the composition. The catchy chorus and composition easily get stuck in your head. In her ballads “Ice Cream Harmony” and “Honesty”, you can hear KIRA’s powerful voice on point. Her newest track "Lovin’ You” is a mid-tempo reggae-R&B fusion track that has a catchy chorus and easily relatable lyrics.

Currently KIRA has two stuido albums, one mini album, and seventeen digital singles. All of her albums are currently available for purchase on CDJapan. Several albums and singles are also available on digital platforms such as AppleMusic, Spotify, AmazonMusic, SoundCloud, iTunes, etc. Stay up-to-date with KIRA by following her official website, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube channel!

Music Corner 48: MaRuRi To Ryuga

MaRuRi To Ryuga is a co-ed music duo composed of the powerful vocalist MaRuRi and smooth vocalist Ryuga. MaRuRi and Ryuga came together in April of 2018 and are currently signed under EMI Records, subsidiary of Univeral Music Group. MaRuRi got started at a young age singing in the chorus and continued until her third year of high school. She gained a lot of popularity early by posting herself singing on her twitter account. Ryuga as a child was really into singing karaoke. In high school, Ryuga actually spent time studying in New York. Both singers were born in 1997. In the time they have been together they have released two EPs and three singles.

MaRuRi To Ryuga deliver powerhouse performances. The integrity of the duo solely rests on their strong vocal talent. Ryuga has gentle but well built vocals while MaRuRi carries a majestic presence in her voice. The two come together to create memorable experiences. Their ability to harmonize is expertly done and really elevates their songs. In the single “Hajimari No Uta”, the listener can really hear MaRuRi and Ryuga’s talent on display. The song starts with MaRuRi’s soft vocals on display before transitioning to her more powerful vocals. Ryuga’s mirrors MaRuRi in his approach and when they start to harmonize the whole song comes together in what feels like magic.

Visit the duo’s official website to stay up to date on all their latest news along with their Twitter account. All their music can be found on Apple Music and Spotify so be sure to check out their song “Hajimari No Uta” posted below. 

Music Corner 47: ADDICTION

ADDICTION is a five-member male idol group that formed back in 2014. Originally formed as a three-member unit, the group looked to break the norm of what it means to become a dance and rap unit in the Japanese music industry by venturing forth and giving fans a once in a lifetime experience with their own unique style. While not changing what it means to be a dance boy group in the already LDH/Johnny Entertainment-crowded market, ADDICTION’s lighthearted and overall happy-go-lucky style will have some fans comparing them to a K-pop style group, perfect for fans that just want that quick bite of pop goodness without being overbearing like other groups in the market. 

While each member has impressive vocals of their own, rapper Myuji shows off his skillful verbiage whenever he gets a chance. Tracks like “Party in the SKY” and “Come Back To Me” are just two examples of expertise in his craft. One of the most impressive things that ADDICTION brings to the table compared to other groups is that they are no one trick pony, bringing the very best out of each member. They can entice fans with a more happy-go-lucky emotional filled track like “Together” and “Rainbow” in one moment, but bring it fast and furious with tracks like “Destiny” and “Awakening” the next, making this a group very difficult to predict on what type of style they will do. 

Currently signed to UNIVERSAL MUSIC JAPAN starting in 2019, ADDICTION shows that they are not stopping anytime soon. They released two singles in 2015 and 2016 prior to their signage with UNIVERSAL. In 2019, “Further away/Destiny” released and “Who are you？/005” is set to release in June 2020. The boys also released two albums, TRIP (2016) and Party in the SKY (2019).  Be sure to check out their Official Site, Twitter, and Facebook page along with the pre-order link for “Who are you？/005” here, and music video for “Further Away” below!

ADDICTION stars 

Myuji Vocals/ Rapper

Asch Vocals /“Mood Maker”

K.B Vocal/ Lead Dancer

Joshua Vocals

Peace Vocals/ Dancer