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Comments
This is such a complicated framing device for a music video.
It's oddly gritty outside of the telenovela bits, but that might be on purpose.
Oh Japanese record labels scared of piracy~ (I think it's SME in this case?)
It's from the same composer as the eXceed 3rd soundtracks.
I didn't really know what to say about this, because I know K-pop is ridiculous with how the idols are treated (SHINee's agency is SM Town, who aren't known for being nice and considerate) but I am a fan. I've been back into it ever since MR.MR made their Japanese debut and Tohoshinki started on their comeback.
Every time it comes up on the news (which it has a weird amount) I sort of feel like crying, and I hope maybe things can get better for the idols left in the industry (especially those in older groups that feel like their fandoms abandon them once somebody hits 30).
I hope a longer version of the OP song exists. Mia Regina are almost impressive in their mediocrity.
oh wow this exists
1 - Francesco Gabbani - Magellano
Context: Title song his new album featuring his Eurovision 2017 song.
Lyrics: It's in Italian <_<
Music: A ridiculous tribal opening that always gets me going, paired with the really fun raspy vocals that make Gabbani Gabbani.
2 - Wincent Weiss - Regenbogen
Context: I honestly have no idea how I discovered Wincent Weiss, but he is amazing. From his first album.
Lyrics: In German <_<
Music: His vocals are so soft and great in the opening bits and then the synth music kicks in and it just danged kills me every time.
3 - Wincent Weiss - Frische Luft
Context: Again, from his first album.
Lyrics: In German~
Music: The first time I heard this song, it was the acoustic version on YouTube and I really loved it. When I finally bought his album, I listened to the normal version and it was still really good!
4 - Olivia Scriven as Maya Matlin - #NotOkay
Context: From Degrassi - Next Class, there's no official release but there is a cool version on YouTube.
Lyrics: A girl power anthem for the modern generation that confronts sexism and chauvinism head-on in a tongue-in-cheek manner. Pretty brilliant.
Music: The music is so synth it's almost disco and I love that.
5 - McKenzie Small and Julia Tomasone as Scarlett Dunn and Bianca Blackwell - The Other Girl
Context: From Backstage, a super plot relevant song. Also no official English release.
Lyrics: The lyrics are so different from what you usually find in English music. They're not simple, the rhymes are allowed to be awkward because it works, and they reflect the whole love triangle theme nicely. Plus, I can't not love a song with the lyrics "A dance girl".
Music: It's very stripped down, but not in an annoying way. Julia really shows off an amazing range.
6 - (Deep Breath) Alyssa Baker, Sarah Carmosino, Keara Graves, and Olivia Solo as... whoever they play - Live and Learn
Context: From The Lost & Found Music Studios, but was featured in an episode of The Next Step. I immediately became obsessed.
Lyrics: They're very simple. Just the usual things about being who you are and trying super hard, but they're fun to sing.
Music: It's so adorable I can't even handle it. From the vocals to the random electronic notes it hits, it kind of just hits a perfect [sports term] in digital music.
7 - Maranda Thomas and Jeni Ross as whoever they play - Original
Context: This one is a fairly new entry to my favorites list, and it's also from The Lost & Found Music Studios. Found on YouTube whilst looking up Lost * Found Music Studios music.
Lyrics: From the moment Jeni sang "Like Elvis Presley's style" in that valley girl tone I was hooked, but as you can probably tell they're very simplistic.
Music: I like the running guitars, but the vocal performance is what really sells this song.
8 - Club Mickey Mouse - Be OK
Context: Found on the DisneyMusicVEVO YT channel.
Lyrics: The lyrics are again, kind of generic, but I do really like them... at least until the rap part. The lyrics there are really dumb and nonsensical.
Music: I love the music in this song, I love the solos in this song, I even love the music during the rap bit. It's all very cutesy.
9 - Keke Palmer - Stand Out
Context: From the Nickelodeon movie Rags.
Lyrics: Oh my gosh there are way too many entries here where the lyrics are all just generic. I need to do better next year.
Music: I don't know why I can't stop freaking out whenever this comes on. I never actually liked it that much when it came out (there's a song called Love You, Hate You I preferred) but this year I can't stop belting out the opening lines at the top of my lungs.
10 - Aviva Mongillo - Hype
Context: Aviva Mongillo plays Alya on Backstage, and she does her own music now I guess.
Lyrics: The lyrics can be meaningful at times, but it is still a song about a girl who likes a boy who is so over the whole social media thing.
Music: Remember that emptiness trend from the last time I wrote one of these lists? This is like... smack dab in the middle of that trend. It's so barely instrumented that the music seems like a feature. Aviva's voice amazing, as always.
11 - Sophie Ellis-Bextor - Come With Us
Context: I was watching TV one day and it came on during an ad for her album.
Lyrics: This song has wonderful lyrics about a cult, or fashion, I'm not too sure.
Music: I love the neo-disco vibe of this song, and I'm kind of into neo-disco as a whole. Her vocals are also really breathy and brilliant and brit-pop-ey. Unfortunately, this is the only song by her I like.
12 - Timebelle - Apollo
Context: EUROVISION
Lyrics: These lyrics would be generic if it were not for the fact that it is about being in love with a Greek God.
Music: It's just such a sweet, melodious piano-based piece that breaks into a rich ballad type drum set, and Timebelle really know how to make that work.
12 - Illinca and Alex Florea - Yodel It!
Context: EUROVISION
Lyrics: It's just a generic peppy song, but I think that's what made me fall in love with it?
Music: At some point, there is actually an orchestral build-up in this song and I have no idea why. The yodelling is nice, but Alex Florea's random "singing" is ridiculously endearing.
13 - McKenzie Small - Dynamite
Context: She plays Scarlett on Backstage, and now she sings other stuff.
Lyrics: My gosh if I say simple or basic one more time. They're fairly cheeky, but can be confusing at times (why would you tell somebody you're haunted if you wanted them to take you home?)
Music: I love the neo R&B style of this, it's just so fun and stylish and what I would think of as modern.
14 - Jack Savoretti - Start Living in the Moment
Context: From his new album, Sleep No More.
Lyrics: Again, very generic.
Music: I love this shift in style for him. It's not too big, we still have those rolling guitars and a drum circle to lift it up, but there's a bit of a computer-made sound to it for the first time in a Jack Savoretti song, and it works for him. His voice remains as brilliant as ever.
BONUS: Songs I Actually Don't Like That Much Anymore
-The Girl and The Dreamcatcher - Gladiator
Iunno, just fell out of love with the ticker noises.
-Sabrina Carpenter - On Purpose
That mad vocal mashup grew old.
-Crywolf, emalyn and Trevor Kaiwa - Whisper (Acapella)
I'm just over Crywolf as a whole.
-Coldplay - Ink
I just kind of stopped listening to this?
-Stevie Nicks - Planets of the Universe
Yeah I don't know, I should probably listen to it more.
-Leona Lewis - Whatever It Takes
I haven't even thought about Leona Lewis outside of FFXIII in forever.
I love this particular flavor of sadness
Also, album cover art.
Here's one of the good albums:
But in a good way.
Other thoughts; I'm not sure if I listened to more than one song, the drums are nice and big.
the edginess is amusing
even though it does not actually specify anything about text messages making people's body parts explode
I should actually go watch this show.
Possibly my favourite English lyrics of all time.
Album I listened to the most: lecca - High Street
Artist(s) I listened to the most: lol
#2?: ChouCho
Artist(s) I should have maybe listened to but I just didn't: Kakihara Tetsuya, FLOW
Artist(s) I started following: WEBER, MAG!C☆PRINCE, Sasaki Sayaka, Void_Chords, Hirai Ken
Best New Songs:
Literally every lol song
Forever Dream by Risa (from Aikatsu Stars! Hoshi no Tsubasa)
Ready Steady Go-> by WEBER
Light by Tsujimura Yuki
ONE by Aimer
GARBAGE by lecca
Andante by ChouCho
STARDOM! by Sena, Rie, Miki and Kana from AIKATSU☆STARS!
Usubeni no Tsuki by ChouCho
Be the One by PANDORA feat. Beverly
Heart Signal by Hatano Wataru
Strike A Pose by Amuro Namie
Grand symphony by Sasaki Sayaka
Future Voyager by KUROFUNE (from DREAM FESTIVAL! R)
Songs that grew on me:
Happy☆Punch! by Sena from AIKATSU☆STARS! and Risa
Ame Dance by Tsujimura Yuki
Shine A Light by May'n
Oldies on Repeat (Pre 2017 releases)
Fantôme (album) by Utada Hikaru
Subarashiki Shin Sekai (song, easily found on YT) by Flair
So much Amuro Namie guys
Daisy and RENEGADE (both singles) by STEREO DIVE FOUNDATION
flyleaf (album) by ChouCho
GRADUATION ~Singles~ (best album) by Tamaki Nami
BEST -E- (best album) by Aoi Eir
26 a Go Go Go! (album) by FLOW
This is the One (English album) by Utada Hikaru
STARTLINE!/episode Solo by Sena, Rie from AIKATSU☆STARS!/Ruka, Nanase, Kana and Miho from AIKATSU☆STARS!
Release that was kind of just ???:
Tomo e (Single) - Kiyokiba Shunsuke
Tonokatsu Wave (Single) - Kakihara Tetsuya
Fighting Dreamers (Mini Album) - FLOW
INNOSENSE (Single) - FLOW
crossroads (Double album with confusing new song tracklist) - fripSide
Seriously Utada why were all your digital singles so unlistenable?
Where the heck were you this year?
STEREO DIVE FOUNDATION (R.O.N. had a busy composing year I know but come on)
KOTOKO (I know she loves her doujin eroge OPs but come aaaaawn)
hamasaki ayumi
How do you pick literally the one environment wolves don't live in?
don't you know that the jungle is the place where all manner of scary creatures like lions, tigers, bears, killer wasps, wolves, snakes, jaguars, panthers, cheetahs, and hyenas live?
i mean, it's common knowledge, like how polar bears and penguins live cold places with lots of icebergs and build igloos
Anyway, for some reason I just now had the Italian theme for Golion (i.e. Voltron) stuck in my head.
Apparently the French and Italian versions had distinct theme songs, different from the already-different English and Japanese versions.
Random Squenix thing sure has a nice theme song.
I mean, it puts me in the mood for exploring a world of bog standard fantasy aesthetic, which is all I really want from an RPG theme song.
I feel like I have to say that fripSide's black bullet is also one of their best songs now.