Hello Arama Japan readers and welcome to this week’s installment of #1 Song Review! Last week saw B’z beat out Sexy Zone and Hoshino Gen to take the top spot. This week we are doing something a bit different. We have 2 new contenders this week. Since one of the songs swept Oricon, Recochoku, and iTunes, we are combining it with the following week since that act would be part of that week’s post anyway. 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!

For the week of 7/8 – 7/14, Sandaime J Soul Brothers’ Summer Madness topped Oricon, Recochoku, and iTunes. This is the first time this has happened since the week of 6/25/14 – 7/1/14 when their song “R.Y.U.S.E.I.” did the same thing. Because of this we are combining this week and the following week where “Summer Madness” also topped Recochoku and iTunes.

Oricon #1: NMB48 – Durian Shonen (Recochoku #18 / iTunes #18)

Ronald: I think everyone knows how I feel about these girl group songs by now. I’m just not a fan of cheery, happy music. There’s just something god awfully juvenile about it that doesn’t appeal to me. This song isn’t that different. It’s happy, but not is a SUPER cheesy way, like a lot of these songs are. The constant cheers throughout the song are grating. I get that they’re trying to be upbeat, but there are better ways to show it than acting like a bunch of cheerleaders. 2.5/10

Thomas: This is probably the first idol song about equality that I’ve listened to. While the song is catchy, I think it can get on your nerves real quick. I’m not sure what they intended to do with the cheering though. It’s just too much. Even without it, the song would have had a “feel good” mood. The song’s lyrics are pretty weak. Even in the 48 groups, there are songs with clever lyrics; this is not one of them.
2.5/10

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Recochoku #1 / iTunes #1: Sandaime J Soul Brothers – Summer Madness (Oricon #10)

Ronald: I initially didn’t like this song. I found it too much of a R.Y.U.S.E.I. clone, similar to their song O.R.I.O.N. The lack of a real chorus bothered me. It’s just a synth with the song’s title repeated over and over again in a autotuned voice. I normally don’t like EDM songs, but this one has grown on me in spite of everything. It’s a really fun, upbeat summery song. I do wish it had a real chorus though. But the verses on this are really nice. They have a good melody. As everyone knows by now, I like a combination of harder and softer elements in songs, and this one has that. 7/10

Thomas: Sandaime J Soul Brothers’ songs are always either a big yay (J.S.B. Dream) or nay (Eeny, meeny, miny, moe!) for me. For this particular song, I cannot really decide which. “Summer Madness” is similar to R.Y.U.S.E.I. (which I enjoyed a lot) in many ways, but for me, it doesn’t work as well. I really liked the lyrics, though. 6/10

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Ronald’s Rank:

1. Recochoku #1 / iTunes #1: Sandaime J Soul Brothers – Summer Madness

2. Oricon #1: NMB48 – Durian Shonen

Thomas’ Rank:

1. Recochoku #1 / iTunes #1: Sandaime J Soul Brothers – Summer Madness

2. Oricon #1: NMB48 – Durian Shonen