October 19, 2019

Kanjani8 inspires fans with their friendship through new single!

October 19, 2019/ Ken

Popular Johnny’s group Kanjani8 announced that they will releasing a brand new single, “友よ”(“Tomoyo”), November 27. This will be the latest single from the group since “crystal” back in March and the latest since Ryo Nishikido’s departure in September. Not much is known about the single except that it will be released with three editions: a CD-only standard edition, a CD + DVD limited edition, and a CD + T-shirt special edition. Both the limited edition and special edition will drop with two tracks and the limited edition will also include the music clip and making-of for “Tomoyo”. The special edition will include a T-shirt of the group’s latest cross country tour BOY. Not to be out done by the other editions, the standard edition will boast an additional track along with the instrumental versions for all three tracks. Pre-order all the editions—along with a fourth bundle edition—for “Tomoyo” in the links below.

Track listing:

Kanjani8「Tomoyo」

Limited edition

01. 友よ

02. Untitled track A

DVD

・「友よ」 Music Clip ＆ Making

Standard edition

01. 友よ

02. Untitled track A

03. Untitled track B

04. 友よ（Instrumental ）

05. Untitled track A（Instrumental）

06. Untitled track B（Instrumental）

Special edition

01. 友よ

02. Untitled track A

※Cross-country Tour “BOY”T-Shirt

October 19, 2019

Aina Suzuki announces debut album

October 19, 2019/ Gray

Voice actress and singer Aina Suzuki revealed she will be dropping her debut album January 22 of next year. It will be titled ring A ring. Suzuki is probably best known for being the voice of Mari Ohara in popular idol anime Love! Live! Sunshine!!. ring A ring will be Aina Suzuki’s first music release that will not be affiliated with Aqours, the idol group featured in Love! Live! Sunshine!!. The album is being released in three editions total: a standard edition which will be CD-only, a limited edition which will come with a Blu-ray, and a super limited edition which will come not only with a bonus Blu-ray but also a photo book with some extra goodies as well. While the full track listing has yet to be revealed there will be a total of ten tracks on the CD. Pre-order links are up and will be posted below.

Standard Edition

Limited Edition

Super Limited Edition

Aya Uchida brings excitement to fans with new album!

October 19, 2019/ Ken

Popular voice actress-turned-vocalist Aya Uchida announced that she will be releasing a brand new album, Ephemera, November 28. This will be Uchida’s latest album release since ICECREAM GIRL back in September of 2017 and will be her fourth album overall. Meant as the bookend for her fifth anniversary in the music industry, Ephemera will include latest singles “Sign” and “Candy Flavor”. Not much else is known about the album except that it will drop with two editions, a CD-only edition and a CD + Blu-ray edition. Uchida also announced two anniversary lives which will take place next March in the fabled Omiya Sonic City Hall. Fans will be able to purchase tickets via lottery system with the chance to enter through buying Ephemera. Check out Ucihda’s latest music video “Sign” along with the pre-order links for the album below!

Standard edition

Limited edition

NMB48 says goodbye to latest member

October 18, 2019/ Gray

Mega idol group NMB48 revealed their twenty-second single which will be titled “Hatsukoi Shijo Shugi” and dropped November 6. This single will be special as it will be Yuuri Ota’s final song as a member of NMB48, as she announced her graduation back on September fourth. Appropriately enough, Miru Shiroma will be serving as the center for this new tune. “Hatsukoi Shijo Shugi” is being released in three editions total and all will come with a CD and DVD. These editions, titled Types A, B, and C, will feature their own unique covers and tracks. A full track listing will be posted below along with pre-orders and the music video for “Hatsukoi Shijo Shugi” so you can already get hyped for the new release.

Type A

Type B

Type C

NMB48 “Hatsukoi Shijo Shugi”

Type A

1 初恋至上主義

2 全力グローイングアップ / 難波鉄砲隊其之八

3 タイトル未定 / Team N

4 初恋至上主義 (off vocal ver.)

5 全力グローイングアップ (off vocal ver.) / 難波鉄砲隊其之八

6 タイトル未定 (off vocal ver.) / Team N

DVD

1 初恋至上主義 (ミュージックビデオ)

2 初恋至上主義 (ミュージックビデオダンシングバージョン)

3 Acting tough (ミュージックビデオ) / 太田夢莉

4 Acting tough (ミュージックビデオメイキング) / 太田夢莉

Type B

1 初恋至上主義

2 全力グローイングアップ / 難波鉄砲隊其之八

3 タイトル未定 / Team M

4 初恋至上主義 (off vocal ver.)

5 全力グローイングアップ (off vocal ver.)／難波鉄砲隊其之八

6 タイトル未定 (off vocal ver.) / Team M

DVD

1 初恋至上主義 (ミュージックビデオ)

2 初恋至上主義 (ミュージックビデオダンシングバージョン)

3 全力グローイングアップ (ミュージックビデオ) / 難波鉄砲隊其之八

4 全力グローイングアップ (ミュージックビデオ) / 難波鉄砲隊其之八

Type C

DISC 1

1 初恋至上主義

2 全力グローイングアップ / 難波鉄砲隊其之八

3 タイトル未定 / Team BII

4 初恋至上主義 (off vocal ver.)

5 全力グローイングアップ (off vocal ver.) / 難波鉄砲隊其之八

6 タイトル未定 (off vocal ver.) / Team BII

DISC 2

1 初恋至上主義 (ミュージックビデオ)

2 初恋至上主義 (ミュージックビデオダンシングバージョン)

3 やさしさの稲妻 (ミュージックビデオ) / だんさぶる!

4 初恋至上主義 (ミュージックビデオメイキング)

Type A

Type B

Type C

Music Corner Week 26: FREDERIC

October 18, 2019/ Ken

FREDERIC is a four-member pop rock band formed by the Mihara twins back in 2007. Flaunting their theme of highly addictive composition and melodies, FREDERIC hopes to be that next hot topic in the music industry that listeners won’t forget. The band breaks the mold on several occasions by having whimsical and repeating rhythms skillfully composed by vocalist and guitarist Kenji. A typical composition of theirs, at first glance, might come off as from just the same old pop rock band fans of the genre are used to hearing; however, it makes their song not something that can be looked at with such a straight-forward approach. Their music videos also take the same approach, as they are both creatively and dynamically shot that they could attract even the strongest of haters of the genre.

FREDERIC’s tracks “odd loop” and “Sukiraism” are perfect examples of the whimsical factor the band exudes. Whether it be Kenji’s higher vocal range or the mesh that drummer Takeru Takahashi and guitarist Ryuji Akagashira have with Kenji and brother bassist Koji, they make it impossible to at least admire the high pace composition they weave together. Their latest track “VISION”, while not as mesmerizingly rhythmic as earlier songs in their discography, still has that allure of said earlier tracks. Even if they decide to make a more dramatic change, they will still reveal the soul that made them great.

FREDERIC had several singles under their belt before they made their major label debut with A-Sketch in 2014: “Only Wonder” (2016) and “かなしいうれしい” (“Kanashi Ureshi”) (2017). The same could be said about their mini-albums, with two released during their indie days and four with A-Sketch from 2014 to 2017. The band also dropped two albums simply titled FREDERHYTHM and FREDERHYTHM 2 in 2016 and 2019 respectively.

Check out their music video for “VISION” along with the aforementioned single. Also visit FREDERIC’s official website and Twitter!

FREDERIC stars:

Ryuji Akagashira (guitar)

Koji Mihara (bass)

Kenji Mihara (vocals & guitar)

Takeru Takahashi (drums)

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