On October 28, EXILE SHOKICHI will release his new single, “IGNITION.” The song serves as the theme song for the Japanese release of “The Transporter Refueled”, which opens in theaters on October 24. The single will come in a CD+DVD edition and a CD only edition
SHOKICHI recently released the music video for “IGNITION.” The clip for the funky tune features SHOKICHI as a transporter in an industrial area.
He also recently released the music video for “Anytime”, a B-side off of his previous single. The song features ELLY of Sandaime J Soul Brothers rapping under his “CRAZYBOY” moniker.
Check both videos out after the jump, along with the single’s covers and tracklist!
On October 7, NMB48 will release their new single, “Must be now.” It will come in 7 editions: 3 CD+DVD Limited Editions, 3 CD+DVD Regular Editions, and a CD only Theater Edition.
The girls recently released the music video for “Must be now.” The song is an upbeat dance number which features some dubstep. In the clip, NMB48 displays a more contemporary, less cutesy image to completely their electronic sound.
Check it out after the jump along with the single’s covers and tracklists.
The American site Buzzfeed and the American music magazine Rolling Stone both recently released lists that featured Japanese acts. Buzzfeed released a list titled “34 Non-American Musicians You Need To Add To Your Playlist”, while Rolling Stone’s was titled “50 Greatest Boy Band Songs of All Time.”
Of Perfume, Buzzfeed noted the group’s mixture of house music and bubblegum pop. They also made note of Perfume’s intensity.
hitomi is the mother of 2 children: a 6 year old girl and a 9 month old boy. She’s recently come under fire for her parenting skills, particularly her strictness with her daughter. A few days ago, hitomi and her family appeared on Nippon TV’s “Jinsei ga Kawaru Ippunkan no Fukaii Hanashi.” While she doted on her son, her daughter experienced different treatment. Viewers branded hitomi as a bad mother.
She took to her blog to clear the air. She expressed her love for her daughter, but said that sometimes the child can be unpleasant. hitomi defended herself by saying that the tv show only showed bits and pieces of her role as mother, and not the full picture.
We have footage from the show after the jump!
On September 23, Music Station aired its 30th anniversary special, Music Station Ultra Fes. The ratings for the Kanto region are now in!
The ratings from 12 PM – 5PM were 9.4%. They grew to 15% for the 5PM – 7PM period. This trend continued during the 7PM – 9:48 PM period, where the rating was 18.3%.
On September 23, Music Station aired a special episode titled Music Station Ultra Fes. This special was in celebration of Music Station’s 30th anniversary. The show started at noon and continued until 9:48 PM. It featured performances by the like Ayumi Hamasaki, Arashi, AKB48, X JAPAN, Perfume, Nishino Kana, L’Arc~en~Ciel, and Shiina Ringo. The show also featured rankings and archival footage. We know have videos of the entire show. Check them out after the jump!
Meiri Alaha is a new artist. The 22 year old Osaka-born, Okinawa-raised singer / dancer is a fan of 70s funk and R&B. She has training in Okinawan folk music and dance, the sanshin, and acting. She was also active in the street dance scene. After high school, she left Okinawa for Tokyo to become a singer / dancer. She then moved to Los Angeles for a stint for further training in singing and dancing. Upon returning to Tokyo, she went on auditions, which led her being picked up by Being, the home of acts such as B’z and BREAKERZ.
For the past few months, she’s been releasing music videos. She recently released the final in a series of 3 clips. It’s for a sexy, midtempo R&B number titled “CRAVE.” It can be seen after the jump along with her 2 previous music videos!
Nishino Kana continues her reign at the top of Recochoku for the second week in a row with “Torisetsu.”
The song also topped iTunes this week.
