Several digitally 4k remastered Hikaru Utada music videos will be published the next weeks beginning from today.

just learned that utada hikaru's team has been reuploading their MVs on youtube at 4k... who else smiled

Hikaru Utada- “Gold -Mata Au Hi Made-"

二時間だけのバカンス　渚の手前でランデブー 足りないくらいでいいんです 楽しみは少しずつ

https://youtu.be/u-8R5n54toE?si=7jFRFNIvx9iYOkAU

Utada Hikaru released the 4K upgrade of the Hikari MV and I just thought Kairi would look cute in that hairstyle~

Hikaru Utada's single "Naniirodemonai Hana" is now available!

The MV will also be released soon.

oh my god Hikki is uploading all of their old MVs in 4K

I have LONGED to see traveling and Sakura Drops in better quality for y e a r s 🙏

They got me for a moment I was so excited I watched Wait and See then saw all the others on their channel, did not notice the "upcoming" at all. Then I tried to play traveling... lololol Utada is so funny they only made "Wait and See" available for now... get it

i need to post something so here are some song recs :)

ミラレルミラー - Namitape: honestly namitape is terribly underrated, they have this retro/shynth style mixed with vocaloid which is something i haven’t seen much, but i love, just listen to them pls

2. Labios rotos - Zoé: this is the kind of music that makes me glad i know how to speak spanish, the lyrics are so fucking cute <<33 and it has a very dreamy and calm yet emotional melody, is just perfect, and THE LAST PART when the singer says “amor, amor, amor, amor” and there’s the smoll bell sounds there is just heavenly (btw im linking the video where i found the song, which is as beautiful as the music and the reason i watched umibe no etranger lol)

3. arabesque - lily chou-chou: lily chou-chou’s music is awesome and it only gets me more excited to watch the movie, but this one is my personal favorite out of all of them, just note that whenever you decide to listen to it, please take time to actually listen to it and allow yourself to feel the music, you wont regret it

4. backlight - ado: fucking badass, my favorite in the one piece album along with new genesis, its so fulled of rage you tense up and scream along it, it also has a catchy melody and finally, ado’s vocals are god tier (as always ✨)

5. tamed-dashed - enhypen: this feels like the kind of song you blast in your car while driving at full speed or you dance to like if you were in a club (even if you’re just in your room cuz ur lonely lol), immaculate vibes, absolute banger

6. one last kiss - hikaru utada: if i once thought beautiful world was the best nge song, it was because i didn’t know this existed. i dont think i have enough words to describe it, is melancholic but at the same time it gives you a sense of hope (specially one you check the lyrics), if something you always enjoy softly and i love it (if you check this out i’d recomend listening to the rest of the nge songs, they’re all bangers)

7. sweet dream - c!naH: and finally…one song of alien stage because is a must have lol, this is my favorite out of the songs of alnst, the retro vibe, the dreaminess, the mv, the slight melancholy…all i need to say is that i love the song and bonus points bc sua is my favorite chatacter and this is the closest thing to a character song we have from her

and this is all! pls tell me where can i find more songs like this ones (i have a VERY soft spot for dreamy songs) and, idk, im missing more so i’ll consider a pt2, have a nice day :)

August's Monthly Music Post

Actually released in August (or late july lol):

"Memory Lane" De De Mouse & Maeshima Soshi. This is a song that belongs on an infinite lofi study playlist.

"Beautiful (2023 Edit)" AG Cook. ADHD-ass song.

"Do The Dance" SiM. JRock does screamo-y, punky ska? It's all English, for the foreign language cowards. You'll find yourself singing along to the WOOOAHHHS if you give it a chance!

"Sorry (Won't Cut It)" Bibio. Need to relax after that song worked you up? This psychedelic slowburn might just be what you need! This song wants to rock you in its arms, hoping you won't leave it behind. If you want something purely instrumental and more mellow, also try out "Sunbursting."

The song came out in June but the MV came out in August so it counts! "On My Mama" Victoria Monet is actually pretty good follow up to Bibio. They're cousins once removed--slick, slower but still hits hard, and just so enticing. Listen to the rest of her album, I really love "Alright," "Cadillac," & "I'm The One."

"Alien Love Call" Turnstile. The reimagined version! The raw edge of the original is sawed off but it's another transcendent slowburn for this month. Love the horn infusion. The ending of this song reminds me a lot of "Strangers" by Raj Ramaaya, from Wolf's Rain. The songs aren't similar beyond that but just had to shout out a beautiful, BEAUTIFUL song.

"Honor of Love" Wagakkiband. This is a band grown from vocaloid origins but instead of leaning into the synthetic roots, they use a lot of traditional Japanese instruments and vocal techniques and add a rockier edge with guitar and drums.

“Picture” Hyo. Generic dance kpop. You know I’m here for it.

“Don’t Wanna Go Back” Jihyo & Heize. Less generic kpop, not mind blowing though. I do think this mini is the best music from Twice is a while. It’s pretty and I love a duet with two women :3

"Nembutsu" Alpacas. More Jrock but there's so little singing in this song, the language shouldn't be a barrier. God, this song feels like driving through the desert and as you open your mouth to scream, dust and sand and ghosts crawl inside and the scream that comes out is older than any living thing around you. If you listen to only one track off this list, let it be this one. I haven't finished listening to the rest of the album, but it's good so far!

"Fall of the Leaves" Club Casualties. Does anyone remember the like... video game culture rave music from the mid-late 2000s? It's that... meets like... the synth indie music of the M-83's midnight city or like... safe and sound by capital cities. Like it's the UNZ UNZ of the former but aspires to the latter. This song isn't necessarily good but it is... intriguing.

Quick list of releases that I enjoyed but are from artists I mention a lot, so I feel like... you probably know what you're getting if you've followed my earlier posts:

"Metali!!" by Babymetal ft Tom Morello, "Needs" by Tinashe, "Rush (Big Freedia Remix)" Troye Sivan, "Elevator Eyes" Tove Lo, "Gold -Mata Au Hi Made- (Taku's Twice Upon a Time Remix)" Utada Hikaru, "Tik Tak Tok" Silica Gel & So!Yoon!, "Lemonade" BB Girls (uesd to be Brave Girls)

Also, I recognize a lack of English music this month... my bad

What jpop artists do you like? Lately ive been getting into some like perfume, and sheena ringo or even vintage ones like pink lady or candies. Ive also heard lots of good things about hikada utaru, but aparently she identifies as nonbinary now?! Does it make me petty not to want to listen to her just because of that? Like i expected better of Japan artists but i guess even they can be delulu like american artists...

Yeah, there's been a whole discourse with Hikaru Utada because she suddenly said she didn't want to be described with gendered pronouns such as "Ms." before her name (and instead use Mx. or something like that). It's interesting to note that Hikki is fluent in English, and there was hardly any chance that someone who only speaks Japanese get so nitpicky about pronouns. 'Ms' doesn't really exist in Japanese, and actually Japanese is a pretty non gendered language (even less than English). So it's really interesting how the linguistic influence of the West took a toll of her. This statement was clearly dedicated to her Western audience, the only that would consistently use pronouns to describe her. However, she never stated she wanted to he called "she/they/them" or whatever.

Music wise, I'm not really fond of her music. I really like her 'ULTRA BLUE' album (which is famous for "Passion" which was Kingdom Hearts 2 theme) and some songs here and there though. Hikki is famous for having Jpop most groundbreaking debut at only 16 years old with "Automatic" (this song aged like fine wine tbh) by 1)being one of the biggest selling record in Japan 2)shoving R&B element in her music which was very outstanding at that time. The fact that she wrote at such a young age (and still do) all her lyrics + is fluent in English gave her a very solid 'ace' aura, and die hard fans who still to this day will jump on your throat if you 'dare' criticize their queen lol I remember someone who said that even her most upbeat/positive songs (Keep tryin', COLORS, Traveling…) always had a sad & melancholic era, and I think that's the most accurate description of her music, maybe that's why I have a hard time listening to her albums bc they (beside 'ULTRA BLUE' and 'HEART STATION' which are imo her most lighthearted ones) have this very downer, softdoom vibe~

That being said, it would be ridiculous to not listen to her just bc she has pronouns anon lol It's pretty funny how some people are getting so cranky abt pronouns-having artists and boast about how refuse to entertain anything that they do....but will have issue to keep watching/listening to movies/music of predators, sex pest and convicted rapists lmao

I always got a weird vibe from Sheena Ringo and never got remotely interested in her music. The rumors about she being a closeted Japanese nationalist just bc of her NIPPON album era (where she had her audience wave Japanese imperial flags) are insane though lmao Hopefully those people have the same energy to call out Miley Cyrus for being an American Nationalist for her song "Party in the USA" where she dances before a giant American flag 🤡

I hardly listen to new Japanese artists anymore. I replied to an ask not too long ago where I professed my love for Ayumi Hamasaki (her 10 first year of career were pristine - she really should've retired at her 10 years Complete Singles best album momentum because everything after that has pretty much been trash tbh). Her album LOVEppears is probably my favorite album of all time 🥴

I'll never be over how cute she looks on "Fly High" MV (one of my favorite of her - those platform shoes + micro short + glittery sweatshirt combo will never get old / this MV is 23 years old and that outfit is still KICKIN #legendary)

Also pretty random because that's not a band that I'm checking like that, but THE ORAL CIGARETTES 'UNOFFICIAL' album is an absolute no skip banger. I hardly remember a Jrock album that got me hooked like that those last few years😳

I have so many other Japanese acts that I love it's really insane (I am more savvy of Japanese music that western one).

Soloist wise, I grew up in womanhood listening to Kana Nishino and her music is literally the soundtrack of my early 20s. We were born only a month apart and felt so connected to her and her songs. She truly has a special place in my heart. Her debut & sophomore albums 'LOVE one.' and 'to LOVE' got 20 years old me on a CHOKEHOLD! "Motto" got me crying all my tears off a dusty lmaoooo😭 it's insane how her songs matched with my life - we truly had a connection

Tomiko Van and Kana Nishino are Jpop best vocalists imo ELLEGARDEN (rip) and ART-SCHOOL are my favorite bands of all time. ASIAN KUNG FU GENERATION and UVERworld had a decent run in the 2000s. Perfume is still kicking.....but I don't really catch up with them anymore cause I've been trying to cut out secular music off my playlist