Hello, Arama! Japan readers and welcome to this week’s installment of #1 Song Review! Last week saw Utada Hikaru defeat Sexy Zone and Bodan Shonen Dan. This week, we have three newcomers facing off against each other. Find out what Ronald thought of the songs that topped the singles charts this week and share your thoughts on them too!

Oricon #1 / Billboard Hot 100 #1: Morning Musume. ’18 – Are you Happy? (not in the Oricon Digital Singles top 20 / Billboard Download Songs #48 / not in the Billboard Streaming Songs top 100)

Ronald: This is very turn of the millenium gay club, which I am always fond of. It’s like… light Thunderpuss. I’m actually surprised at how good this is, since most of their material is quite dire. 7.5/10

___________

Oricon Digital Singles #1 / Billboard Download Songs #1: Southern All Stars – Tatakau Monotachi e Ai wo Komete (not released physically / Billboard Hot 100 #6 / not available for streaming)

Listen here

Ronald: I’m surprised by how much I like this. I normally find Southern All Stars’ material to be quite… pedestrian. This is a lot more lively. This has a nice almost-Latin sound to it. 7/10

___________

Billboard Streaming Songs #1: DA PUMP – U.S.A. (Oricon #18 / Billboard Hot 100 #5 / Oricon Digital Singles #4 / Billboard Download Songs #5)

Ronald: The eurobeat, the eurobeat, the eurobeat… I’m a bit of a sucker for it. It’s just so fun and nostalgic. It doesn’t take itself too seriously. It is what it is. 6.5/10

___________

Ronald’s Rank:

1. Oricon #1 / Billboard Hot 100 #1: Morning Musume. ’18 – Are you Happy?

2. Oricon Digital Singles #1 / Billboard Download Songs #1: Southern All Stars – Tatakau Monotachi e Ai wo Komete

3. Billboard Streaming Songs #1: DA PUMP – U.S.A.

___________