Ken's Ongaku Go For January 2024!

As the cool Winter breeze of January has passed us by, that means it’s time for this months Ongaku Go! We at OTY would like our readers to know what was filling our ears for the past month. Each track is available across all digital music streaming platforms, with Apple Music featured on this site, along with our Spotify playlist here!

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‘15 minutes’ by LIL LEAGUE

What?! An Exile Tribe song included on my Ongaku Go. What am I Gray? All joking aside, my time with LIL LEAGUE was very enjoyable and no more was that shown with the track “15 minutes. “Upon first listen, I had to do a double take to make sure I was listening to them as it was a complete shocker in both tone and composition. Relying more on their vocal strength, the boys show why they won the competition that brought them together in the first place. The range they show is out of this world and I hope that they will do more styles of tracks like this to break that dance image that Exile Tribe groups usually has. While I know this was an outlier for LIL LEAGUE, I do hope to come back to songs like this in the future.
Be sure to check out the music video below along with the track here!

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‘2MANYTIMES’ by SIRUP, CODY JON, And Taka Perry

What is an OG for me without a reference to SIRUP. However, this time he is not alone as he has the vocalists’ CODY JON and Taka Perry with him on the front. What amazing collaboration this is as it shows how great all three artist are as a vocalist. While not the most impressive from a composition standpoint, the simplicity helps it out overall with minor tweaks from the saxophone through out; the sax made it become a song that I had to absolutely put in my rotation. While I’m not too sure that I’ll listen to Jon or Perry all too much in the future, I am happy to have such a wonderful introduction to them in this track.

Check out the lyric video for ‘2MANYTIMES’ below along with the song here!

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‘Soulsoup’ by OFFICIAL HIGE DANDISM

Going a completely different way, we have OFFICIAL HIGE’s latest release of “Soulsoup” to bring that energy back to my rotation. While not the best track that I’ve enjoyed from the band they’ve done, they do a great job of bringing me in as the listener with this high energy composition, which I feel would bring anyone back jumping. While I do hope that they do have releases like these sparingly, it still go to hear that the group can still bring ‘it’ when be.

Be sure to check out the music video for ‘Soulsoup’ below along with the track here!

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‘Hug’ by IRI

It’s been a while since I had an IRI track on my list and I’m happy to be able to highlight this. “Hug” had featured what I had loved about IRI in the first place, that strong vocal presence that really dictates the mood and is not over-powered by the composition. The overall slow tempo style that this release did was something that I really needed especially with everything that was going on this month. While I should be listening to more IRI this year, if is anything like “HUG”, I’ll gladly be the front of the line.

Check out the music video for ‘Hug’ below along with the track here!

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‘Can You Keep A Secret’ by Hikaru Utada

I blame the Kohaku for this pick, as they did a segment about popular drama songs on our times, and it made me immediately think of Utada’s virtue in this with ‘Can You Keep A Secret’. OG Utada is something that had to be listened to by people who are just getting into Japanese music, and aside from the big hits like ‘Hikari’ and ‘Sanctuary’ the next track would be this one that I would personally introduce newbies to. While I do know Utada’s style has changed significantly from this era, it is still nice to go back and take that nice bit of old school hits.

Be sure to check out the music video for ‘Can You Keep A Secret’ below along the track here!

Ongaku to You 2023 Songs, Artist and New Artist of the Year!

2023 was a very interesting year for the Japanese music industry and we at Ongaku to You would like to praise the songs and artists that helped us traverse this amazing year. Each member broke down the year in three categories; Song of the Year, New Artist We Discovered in 2023, and lastly our Artist of the Year. We hope that 2024 will bring many surprises to the Japanese music industry like we received in 2023!

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Luna’s Song of the Year

“Karappo” by AYANE

As soon as Ken introduced me to “Karappo”, AYANE immediately came on my radar. "Karappo" easily became a leading track in the rotation on my playlist with its easy to follow lyrics, mid tempo R&B composition, and AYANE's sweet smooth vocals. AYANE has a voice has a reminiscence of Nishino Kana except a little more sultry vocal wise. "Karappo" stuck with me throughout the year despite releasing in February 2023, not just in my daily playlists but it is a track that I go out of my way to listen to when I want a chill R&B track with soothing vocals that flow off the tongue.

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Luna’s New Artist of the Year

Sincere

Sincere completely caught me off guard with her track "Water" and her "Just Living EP", which both dropped in Spring 2023. She immediately captivated me with her resounding lyrics, her smooth vocals, and unique compositions. Sincere has had a phenomenal year with all her new releases from Digital Single to EPs and has kept up a good momentum of new tracks.

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Luna’s 2023 Artist of the Year

CREAM

With the release of CREAM's new album Chapters, I created a new 'CREAMIX' playlist that has been played so many times this year I can’t even count but Apple Replay obviously recognized them as my most played artist. Their new album 'Chapters' brought some fresh vibes with the hits, 'Game Over', 'Fridays', and 'Ready4Summer' being my favorites of this year. I have also been going back listening to my usual CREAM favorites that help me get through rough days. CREAM's music holds a special place in my heart and always makes me feel good. From Minami's smooth vocals to Staxx-T's fluid rap, I can never get enough CREAM and this year was no exception.

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Gray’s Song of the Year

“Soul Galaxy” by BRADIO

For me the reason why "Soul Galaxy" is my pick for my number one song of the year is not only because I love how bombastic and energetic this track is but also for the fact that it reignited my love and passion for BRADIO. Due to their newest release, it has made me realize that BRADIO has become one of my favorite all time bands. I love how this track comes together with it great composition which pulls the listener in, leaving them wanting more by the end. BRADIO shows they are still at the top of their game and "Soul Galaxy" is just one example of that.

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Gray’s New Artist of the Year

Kenya Fujita

Mask In Love has captivated me since I first heard it and its hard to believe that Fujita is still in his teens. I am looking forward to how amazing he is going to be once he refines his sound a bit more as he begins to establish himself as an artist. To me, it’s clear that Fujita is just getting started in the industry and I'm excited to watch as he grows as an artist.

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Gray’s 2023 Artist of the Year

BRADIO

The release of DANCE HALL MAGIC reignited my fire and passion for this amazing group. In my eyes, I have not seen any other group that does what BRADIO brings to the Japanese music industry. DANCE HALL MAGIC quickly became my album of the year despite its release later in the year and not to mention the many other albums that I have also loved this year. DANCE HALL MAGIC brought new fresh sounds from BRADIO which pushed all the other artists out, which is one of the many reasons why BRADIO is my artist for 2023. I am looking forward to what BRADIO will bring to the industry in the many years to come.

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Ken’s Song of the Year

“See You Again” by SIRUP

With the 2023 that I went through, there was only one song that can sum up this past year and that has to be 'See You Again' by SIRUP. Fresh off his Blue Blur EP that was released earlier in the year, upon first listen it was an instant add. To be honest it was difficult not to talk about this track in multiple Ongaku Go's as it would be in my rotation quite often. The simplistic composition really highlights SIRUP's vocals is one if the major keys that made me fell in love with this track. Not only the composition but the lyrics had resonated with me throughout the year plus the short but sweet length of the song that made me want to hit repeat on multiple occasions. It was given that 'See You Again' was going to be my Number 1 song of 2023.

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Ken’s New Artist of the Year

MISAMO

Now I know this would be a shocker for some people after my prior comments toward the genre in the past, however, if there is anything I learned in 2023 is that never say never. I will have to say that with just one release, the Japanese sub group of the TWICE, MISAMO is my newest artist of the year for 2023. Through their music and LE SSERAFIM, whom I would of loved to put on here as well but as we were introduced to them via the Kohaku last year, it put them out of the running. Both of these groups, had put me in my place and taught me to enjoy the genre overall. It wasn't until their song ‘Do Not Touch Me’ that had had finally understood why people had fell in love with them. While I do hope that other releases will come from the group in 2024, I can safelty say that without MISAMO I would not have changed my mind.

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Ken’s 2023 Artist of the Year

Kirinji

If there was one artist that checked off every box that defined what I love about Japanese music it would have to be Kirinji. What Takaki Horigome has done in this past year since the reinvention of what Kirinji was, is nothing more than sensational. It only took a handful of songs to put Kirinji into my artist of the year. Either it the track that I talked about that made my top 5, 'Nestling' or on my runner up song "Summer Ghost', Horigome just gets what makes music just so darn interesting. While a lot of bands try to replicate the genre and feel of music, Horigome makes sounds natural, like it is second nature to him. I hope that Horigome never stops evolving his style and just brings it to the next level in 2024 and beyond.

Gray's Ongaku Go For November 2023

As the autumn leaves of November have passed us by, that means it’s time for this month’s Ongaku Go! We at OTY would like our readers to know what has been filling our ears for the past month. Each track is available across all digital music streaming platforms, with Apple Music featured on this site, along with our Spotify playlist here!

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“Sundadokei” by White Jam

This is the latest single by White Jam, and it is not only really good but also made me realize how much I’ve missed these guys’ songs. This has been a pretty quiet year for White Jam, but this song shows they are still working very hard in the industry.

Check out “Sundadokei” here and in the video below!

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“WHITE SNOW” by IVVY

A winter song by a boy group is going to be pretty much what you expect from them. Even though this is pretty standard fair for this time of year, I enjoyed hearing these guys belt it out in this track. The whole thing comes together well. This is another group that has been pretty quiet this year, so it was nice to hear something from them.

Check out “WHITE SNOW” here and in the video below!

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“snow love” by tonun

This is a lovely seasonal track with a tonun magic touch. “snow love” has a nice upbeat rhythm to it with a nice hook. It’s quite the ditty and I’ve been really enjoying this one.

Check out “snow love” here and in the video below!

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“chiguhagulove” by lol

Gray liking an lol song is certainly nothing new, but still, I’ve got to be true to myself and put this song on the list. I enjoy the composition work on this, and it just has this lovely charm about it.

Check out “chiguhagulove” here and in the video below!

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“Better With You” by GENERATIONS from EXILE TRIBE (Ryuto Kazuhara)

While this was released on the latest GENERATIONS’ single, this is a solo track for Ryuto Kazuhara, and it features the best vocal performance I’ve heard all year. Falsetto on men is a bit trickier to hit, and a lot of male vocalists can’t do it well, but Kazuhara nails it here and has completely captivated me. This is easily one of the best songs I’ve heard all year, and I will be talking about it again at the end of the year.

Check out “Better With You” here and in the video below!

Luna's Ongaku Go for November 2023!

As the autumn leaves of November has passed us by, that means it’s time for this months Ongaku Go! We at OTY would like our readers to know what was filling our ears for the past month. Each track is available across all digital music streaming platforms, with Apple Music featured on this site, along with our Spotify playlist here!

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“Celebrate” by TWICE

When in Japan, I picked up TWICE’s Merry&Happy album and it re-sparked my interest in TWICE and got me to dive down the rabbit hole of listening to all of TWICE’s music. Upon listening to TWICE’s album, Celebrate, which released last year, I became obsessed with the title track ‘Celebrate’, which made it into my rotation instantly. ‘Celebrate’ is a fun song that can work for the holiday season or feel good for your love and happiness. For me, it hit around my anniversary and just seemed to fit with its up beat composition, smooth vocals and harmonies, and its relatable lyrics. ‘Celebrate’ just puts me in a good mood, bringing a smile to my face, especially the chorus as it is super catchy - leaving you singing to it even after the song is over.

Check out ‘Celebrate’ here and the music video below!

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To The Stars by FAKY

FAKY recently announced that they will be disbanding and going their seperate ways in January 2024, which is disappointing but I wish them the best. FAKY is nonetheless disbanding with a bang as it’s been a good year musically for them. They just dropped their newest and probably last release, Departure, on November 10th, which contains one of my favorite tracks by them called ‘To The Stars’. Despite ‘To The Stars’ having a more up beat, dance like composition that gives off a reminesence of J Soul Brothers, the emotion I can hear in their vocals resonated with me. Upon listening to ‘To The Stars’, I can hear the power in their voices deliver a meaningful and emotional message that hits on all levels for me. ‘To The Stars’ instantly made it in my top 5 favorite FAKY tracks and is slowly moving its way up to the top.

Check out ‘To The Stars’ here and the audio video below.

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Our Way by Sincere

Sincere just released her newest EP titled When was that at the end of September, which was highly anticipated by myself and it did not disappoint. The track ‘Our Way’ easily pushed its way into my usual rotation. ‘Our Way’ is a soulful yet playful track as you can easily hear Sincere’s soulful voice, but the composition is more on the poppy side giving that a fun easily listening song. The lyrics are easily relatable, its easy to sing-a-long too, and gives you a good feeling. It’s a song that really makes you want to celebrate what you have to be grateful for.

Check out ‘Our Way’ here and the music video below!

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What’s going on? by I Don’t Like Mondays & Celina Sharma

IDLMs. just dropped ‘What’s going on?’, a collaboration with Celina Sharma halfway through November and I am already obsessed. This track is the perfect easy listening song with a chill composition that oozes that old school R&B vibe with the perfect combination of vocals to accompany it. IDLMs. leader, Yu shows off his vocal prowess with smooth mellow vocals that match the composition and play to Celina Sharma’s style. The lyrics alone draw you in as anyone can relate to this track and feel it in their soul. ‘What’s going on?’ hits on a major level and gives you those feels you’ve been wanting.

Check out ‘Whats’s going on?’ here and the audio video below!

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NIGHTINGALE by NAQT VANE

When I was in Japan, I was lucky enough to get to see NAQT VANE perform live (and get to meet them). They are absolutely amazing live, with HARUKAZE’s beautiful vocals and Hiroyuki Sawano’s composition that works in tandem with HARUKAZE’s vocals, its the perfect match. ‘NIGHTINGALE’ is a alluring ballad that contains so much power musically, lyrically, and vocally that you feel it on every level. NAQT VANE is an artist that knows how to create a track that will stick with you and ‘NIGHTINGALE’ is another one of those. The other reason I believe ‘NIGHTINGALE’ really got me, it is stands out from all the other tracks they’ve done. NAQT VANE has done slower tracks, but not a ballad like this and it shows how well composed and sung this was.

Check out 'NIGHTINGALE’ here and the music video below!

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Ken's Ongaku Go for November 2023!

As the autumn leaves of November has passed us by, that means it’s time for this months Ongaku Go! We at OTY would like our readers to know what was filling our ears for the past month. Each track is available across all digital music streaming platforms, with Apple Music featured on this site, along with our Spotify playlist here!

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Godzilla -1.0 Godzilla Suite II by Naoki Sato

With the anticipation of the international release of Godzilla -1.0, I have been listening to the its entire soundtrack. While at the time I didn’t know in what context the songs were being played in, there was one thing for sure that was going to played, the iconic Godzilla theme song. Being titled “Godzilla Suite II’, the updated theme for this Godzilla was the most hype that I ever heard in a while. Naoki Sato’s spin on this version is a perfect example that even though a composer is doing an iconic theme that the public knows, they can still make it unique in their own way. While I can’t wait to see what Godzilla -1.0 has to offer, I hope that Sato will continue to be with the franchise  in the foreseeable future.

Check out Godzilla -1.0 Godzilla Suite II here and the music clip below.

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Tenchu (Shizuku Solo Ver.) by Polkadot Stingray

Now I was quite surprised by this release as Shizuku is an amazing vocalist in it of herself, her vocal mixed with the band as a whole is what makes it special. So when a ‘Solo’ version of the song ‘Tenchu’ was released, I urge to listen to it as soon as possible. While it is very good version of the track, Shizuku’s vocals really encapsulated me to put this in my rotation more then anything. While I do hope this doesn’t signify that Shizuku will be breaking off on her own, I know that she will do ok if she does.

Check out Tenchu (Shizuku Solo ver.) here and the music clip below!

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Encore by Yoasobi

After finding out from Apple Music that my number 1 Japanese song that I listened to was ‘Idol’, it had led me down a rabbit hole of listening to Yoasobi songs. Without a doubt, my favorite song that they have done was ‘Encore’, as it a very simplistic song in which Ikura’s vocals just take the front stage. While ‘Encore’ might not have a lot of their isms that they do as an artist, honestly, I think this is one type of songs that they should do more of. Although ‘Encore’ is an outlier for their discography, I’m hoping that they will once again do something similar in the future.

Check out “Encore” here and the music video below!

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The Wind is Permanent by Sho Kurashina

Kurashina is an artist that only came up from the past month or so and been absolutely loving, ‘The Wind is Permanent’ is one of there perfect reasons why I had fell in love with him. His very slow beat and laid back style is one of the things that I love about him and you can hear that it is the front and center with this release. While I do think the track ‘Kaze no Manako’ is a better showcase of his talents, I cannot deny my first addiction to Kurashina was this release.

Check out “The Wind is Permanent” here and the music clip below.

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Rouge feat. Taichi Mukai by LUCKY TAPES

To be honest if you were to asking me if I’d be loving tracks done by Mukai when we had first been introduced to him by Gray a couple years back, I’d be saying you are crazy. But here we are on having another track within that last couple of months that features Mukai. His vocals tied with LUCKY TAPES’ composition is just absolutely amazing and honestly couldn’t wait to listen to it again upon my rotations.

Check out “Rouge” feat. Taichi Miura here and the music video below.

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