Hello, Arama! Japan readers and welcome to this week’s installment of #1 Song Review! Last week saw Seiko Matsuda defeat EXILE THE SECOND and RADWIMPS. RADWIMPS is back again this week, facing off against a newcomer. Find out what various staff members thought of the songs that topped the physical and digital charts this week and share your thoughts on them too!

Oricon #1: iKON – DUMB & DUMBER (not in the Recochoku or iTunes top 50)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mMtuhnKxoaM

Ronald: This song truly lives up to it’s name. I feel disgusted after listening to this. A bit numb, as if I’ve lost a part of my brain. It’s obnoxious, noisy garbage that someone either has to be intoxicated to enjoy or they just have to be really thirsty for the twinks who are on the track. Any song that references “Shots” is an automatic “no” in my book (it’s the anthem of douches). I feel like I’ve heard “DUMB & DUMBER” several times before, courtesy of iKON’s senior group Big Bang (is G-Dragon on this?). I think Big Bang is a horrible group that just tries to make Korean carbon copies of trendy Western songs so why would I want to listen to a knockoff of a knockoff? In sounding so much like Big Bang, I see no identity from iKon. How can you be an icon if you are completely devoid of an identity of your own? Honestly, they’re probably not meant to have an identity of their own. They’re just a group that was put together to keep the money coming in since Big Bang is about to reach their expiration date (if you’re 30 in KPop, you might as well be dead). I often say that LDH is just KPop in Japanese, but I don’t think they’re this gross… yet. I’d take Arashi’s sometimes embarrassing dad pop or Sexy Zone’s dated duds over this any day. 0/10

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Recochoku #1 / iTunes #1: RADWIMPS – Zen Zen Zense (movie ver.) (not released physically)

Ronald: Same review as before: I’m not really feeling this. It’s OK, but it’s just that: OK. This could’ve been made by a bunch of other bands. There’s nothing really special here that is grabbing me and making me pay attention. Frankly, I’m bored by this song. 5/10

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Ronald’s Rank:

1. Recochoku #1 / iTunes #1: RADWIMPS – Zen Zen Zense (movie ver.)

2. Oricon #1: iKON – DUMB & DUMBER

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