A very famous song in Japanese music history; everyone knows this song. Inoue Yousui is a great singer who can truly be called a "classic"; many of his songs are worth the listen. His most famous song is "Yume no Naka e," and it reeks of typical 70s pop elements -- cheesy back-up singers included. Nonetheless, the song is a very simple yet catchy tune; it's very carefree and easy to get stuck in your head. A number of artists have covered this; anime fans may recognize it as the ED to the popular Gainax series Kareshi to Kanojo no Jijou.

This is the hit that rocketed Southern All Stars to immense popularity and fame. A rock band that has been going strong since the 70s, anything they release is guaranteed to wipe out any competition on the charts, as their music is popular with all ages. "Itoshi no Ellie" was a song that is now in the Japanese music hall of fame, and ironically, few people know that it is a cover of the Ray Charles song, "Ellie My Sweet." While musically in pales in comparison to some other songs that SAS has done (in my opinion), it's a very tender and mellow love song. Kuwata Keisuke's scratchy voice induces a raw tone that's rather fitting for the semi-melancholy feel of the song, and it works well. A definite song that one should familiar with when delving into Japanese music.

OFF COURSE was a famous band during the 1970s, with vocalist Oda Kazumasa and keyboardist Suzuki Yasuhiro. After releasing several memorable songs, the two broke up in 1988; Oda Kazumasa went on to pursue an extremely successful solo career. "Sayonara" is a dramatic farewell song that switches from being optimistic to bittersweet. While Oda Kazumasa did his own solo version for his Jiko Best CD in 2001, the original carries much more depth to the song. Oda Kazumasa has a very unique voice that doesn't change no matter how old he gets; if you like what you hear, be sure to check out the many live covers he does (such as SMAP, Fukuyama Masaharu, and Mr.Children).

If you are familiar with the old, I-should-retire-pronto-but-haven't Matsuda Seiko of today, attempt to make her look younger in your mind (and sound younger, while we're at it). Back when Matsuda Seiko debuted in the 80s, she was a cute fresh face that ushered in the age of the idols. With a sweet, cute voice, Seiko is the creator of the "burikko" act that has become a staple of Japanese culture -- women who act girlishly cutesy. She was also the queen of scandals back in the day [which you can read more about here], but really, she was just an innocent teen when she started out. "Seifuku" is the b-side to her famous hit, "Akai Sweet Pea." This is idol pop of the 80s, free of Tsunku involvement -- cute and sweet, no strings. Er, rather, there's a neat bouncy string arrangement tossed into this pop concoction, but the melody is bound to wrap itself in your head. And she actually sounds CUTE in it -- no forced burikko singing act that she puts on as of recent years.

Anzenchitai was the back-up band for Inoue Yousui that went gold in the 80s. Formed in 1973 and originally known as "Invader," the group switched to the more interesting name of "Safety Zone" (Anzenchitai) and had a bit of member shuffling and mediocre songs before their song "Wine Red no Kokoro" hit #1 on the Oricon in 1984. Since then, the band was become very famous for traditionally their sad rock ballads, though they do have their share of more happier songs. The band is still active today, if to a lesser degree -- Tamaki Koji did do a solo stint for a while, and the band released a double A-single this past fall entitled Ame Nochi Hare / Chocolate. As their first hit, "Wine Red" is a sad rock ballad with all the depression and weariness without being draggy. Top it with Tamaki Koji's smooth voice and the song flows naturally.

Kome Kome CLUB was a very popular group from the 80s that consisted of 8 members. The only one that was truly "important," however, was lead singer Ishii "Carl Smokey" Tatsuya -- the entire group was basically K2C featuring Ishii Tatsuya. Naturally, the man himself embarked on a solo career not long after K2C broke up in 1997, but the group is forever a classic for their typical "feel-good" type of songs. "Kimi ga Iru Dake de" became very popular in 1992 after being the theme song to the drama series Sugao na Mama de, with K2C performing both the OP and an insert song [a ballad called "Aishiteru" -- one of my all-time favorites]. It ended up winning the group a Record Taishou the same year. Listen to it, and you'll see why it won.

Hirose Kohmi is often hailed as "the queen of winter pop ballads." That is, if TUBE is to summer songs, then Kohmi is your pick for the colder seasons, what with most of her releases being primed to the fall/winter range. She was the first Asian woman to pass an audition to train under Seth Riggs, the vocal coach of Michael Jackson, for three years. Though she announced a hiatus two years ago, Kohmi's work is still evident in her writing and composition for other artists (such as Shimatani Hitomi, MIKU, PaniCrew). "Romance no Kamisama" was a big hit in 1993 and made her a staple attraction. It's a very peppy, upbeat pop song with cute lyrics about falling in love with a guy after a blind date; there's something bright and cheery about this song that is surprisingly non-irritating. Add to the fact that Kohmi's got one of the more original voices in pop music and you've got yourself a deal.

Unique for her prominent use of ukeleles in her music, Tsuji Ayano's latest song is a cover of Yamashita Tatsuro's original "Parade," a cheerful, upbeat slightly bluesy tune. True to her style, the song features ukelele as her backdrop along with brass instruments to mimic the original. The original is by far better, but Ayano brings something very cute to the tune with her slightly husky voice and the arrangement. She's had better, but this is a very cute cover. Pick this one up AND the original if you can find it.

In an age where young idol singers dance circles around cutesy idol pop songs, Hayashi Asuca is an astounding exception. This petite 15-year old has a deep, powerhouse voice well-suited to her folk pop songs, crossing boundaries of age and vocal strength; it's hard not to envision a thirty-something year old belting this out. Asuca shows her new mature side with her single, which is a simple, plaintive winter ballad that showcases her vocals with a piano backdrop.

RAG FAIR gears up for the holidays! A six man a cappella group complete with their own "voice percussionist," RAG FAIR's trademark a cappella songs all are cute, chipper, and are just FUN to listen to. Although the group has dabbled in instrumental tracks for their past few singles, their holiday song, "Shiroi Tenshi ga Oritekuru," shifts back to their 100% a cappella arrangement and gives the song a simple, clean wintery feel to the midtempo beats; the chorus is quite catchy and sticks in your head after a while. Perfect for the holidays.

Virtually unknown by the masses, Okuda Miwako debuted in 2000 with "Shizuku," which became the ending theme song to the popular drama GTO. She ended up releasing her second single, "tsu-ki," shortly after, but disappeared from the music scene…until this year. Miwako is yet another one of the rocker chicks, with stylistic similarities to particularly Yano Maki, as well as a bit of a Yaida Hitomi influence in there as well. "Aozora no Hate" is a moody rock song that's right in the vein of Yano Maki's songs, but Miwako has a sweeter, higher voice that complements the song nicely. She's garnering even more attention as this is the theme song to the popular drama, "Yankee Boku ni Kaeru."

This is the third of rock trio Porno Graffiti's consecutive "rush release" singles, and unlike the past two songs, the latest song is a medium-tempo, fairly sweet song. A simple, low-key arrangement allows Akihito to carry the song purely on his voice; there's even a slightly wintery, holiday feel to the song that adds a touch of sentimentality or nostalgia. While it pales in comparison to their stellar previous single, "Melissa," the group has cranked out another song that should please fans.

Don't let their name fool you: these girls are anything but country, except that they're all Hokkaido natives. A group with a rocky roster history, this is the second single featuring the original three Country girls (with new girl Miuna added this year) and with two Morning Musume guests, Konno Asami and Fujimoto Miki. Gone are the days of sugary peppy tunes (no doubt tailored for previous MoMusu guest artist Ishikawa Rika), and now that we have Miki's stronger voice to front the group, their latest release opts for a more serious topic and mainstream R&B sound, ditching the candy pop. Though the music and lyrics are quite cliché (a girl is saddened by seeing her older ex with another girl), there's a certain ring to it that really grows on you after a few listens.

One of Japan's most treasured and long-appreciated rock band, Mr.Children, hits the 2003 music scene late, but full-force with a double A-side single. "Tenohira" is the first of the double A-side, with a very traditional Misuchiru melodically aggressive rock song, closely resembling the styles used for past singles like "Kimi ga Suki," "Dakishimetai," and "Kuchibue." If the group has disappointed you, then this single will do no better for you. On the other hand, if you're part of the [large!] majority that embraces Mr.Children, here's another song to add to your Misuchiru repertoire.

Arguably the most popular Morning Musume alumni and one of Hello! Project's popular idols, Goto Maki's solo career can be summed up in one word perfectly: diverse. You have Nakazawa Yuko tackling the contemporary mature pop songs, Matsuura Aya handling the cutesy idol pop songs... and then you have "Gocchin," who originally went the R&B-pop path, then veered into a course that steered her into a variety of genres and images for every single: a French song cover, children's songs, dance pop songs, you name it. Her latest song, "Genshoku GAL Hade ni Ikube!" is strangely a summery song, and is a completely good reflection of classic HelloPro pop songs with its cuteness and a dash of wackiness that guarantees to get stuck in your head with its sugary, tropical beat.

Arashi is an idol group made up of 5 guys and are headed under the Johnny's Jrs. family, famous for its collection of Japan's top boy bands. Arashi is the group with a slightly harder, 'hardcore' edge -- or at least they try, with their multitude of rap songs. And of course, the group still has time to release singles with their classic feel-good melodic pop songs that reflect to their debut. "Hadashi no Mirai" is reflective of just that chipper, upbeat song -- it's an uptempo rock-pop song, a bit of a contrast from their last single release, which was a ballad (the way the entire rock-pop thing is arranged almost sounds like something Kuwata Keisuke would sing for the summer, actually). I imagined this as a promo song for Coca Cola commercials, and whadda ya know: it's actually true! :O Catchy and a pretty impressive release from the guys, seeing as how good the song is.

Heartsdales is the one of the top female rap acts in the Japanese music act, although they've been activity-less for quite a few months. "CANDY POP" is their first single in quite some time and features the rap trio SOUL'd OUT, who recently scored a big hit with their "Flyte Tyme" song this summer. Made up of sisters Jewel and Rum, the songs have progressed from hip-hop from their first single to peppy pop songs peppered with rap -- in fact, this may be the Heartsdales song that's exceptionally very poppy and it's the only Heartsdales song where "cute" sums up the song perfectly. And like every other Heartsdales song, this is no exception: more than half of the song is in English, so it's very easy to understand for you non-speakers. SOUL'd OUT adds a much more fun aspect to the song instead of a Verbal addition, and while the song is a bit odd coming from these girls, it's embarrassingly catchy.

Rock singer Yaida Hitomi's latest single takes a cue from her last single, "Kodoku na Cowboy," and repeats the bleak and bitter-sounding sad melodies that sounds like it belongs in a Western. The intro is a throwback and a sort of tribute to old country-based rock songs; there's also even an enka influence in the song's melodies and the way that Hitomi chooses to sing certain phrases. As for the title, Jenga is a reference to the popular game where there is a stack of wooden blocks and you need to pull one wooden block out without toppling the tower over -- Hitomi creatively inserts that in, "I'm going to collapse like Jenga." If you enjoyed her last single, this one should appeal to you.

r.o.r/s (reflection of renaissance/sound; pronounced "Rores," like ROORESU) is a new duo unit made up by singers Okui Masami and Yonekura Chihiro, both famous for doing countless numbers of songs for anime series. "Candy Lie" is their debut single, and unlike Makkun's usual upbeat pop songs or Chihiro's guitar-driven rock-pop songs, the song is an uptempo, dance number with a catchy chorus. My only surprise was how these two managed to sound so similar in the song; singing separately, they have different tonal qualities in their voice, but as a unit, I almost thought it was sung completely by Makkun. r.o.r/s has another single coming up in October [called "Tattoo Kiss"], and their debut is no disappointment, if a bit generic.

It was decided several months ago that Morning Musume was going to split the 15 girls into two groups of 8 and 7. Morning Musume Sakuragumi is one of the groups, chock full of perhaps the group's most popular members. Clad in pink and in outfits and hairstyles that resemble Grease in some twisted way, "Hare Nochi Ame Suki" is a sweet, melancholic ballad about being unable to let go of an unfaithful lover. Though Morning Musume or any of the Hello! Project idol groups are well-known for their ballad songs, this song may be the exception. Not a typical HelloPro song, the song has a more of a blend of a pop sound with a soft rock melody, and there's a very sweet-sounding falsetto part in the chorus. Though the vocals are dominanted heavily by both Ais (Kago and Takahashi), the song loses the childishness that comes with most MoMusu songs because with so many girls, and the impact of this song is much greater.

The full roster: Abe Natsumi, Yaguchi Mari, Yoshizawa Hitomi, Kago Ai, Takahashi Ai, Konno Asami, Niigaki Risa Kamei Eri

The second group from the MoMusu split was Morning Musume Otomegumi, which fans labeled as the underdog group (with the roster featuring some of the lesser-featured members in MoMusu) and leader Iida Kaori called "the group with the most mature members." In a big contrast from Sakuragumi's song, the group is a very uptempo and upbeat dramatic pop song that's very passionate and with a bit of a disco flavor. The biggest downside to the song are the cheesy unnecessary English vocals and English lyrics, but the rest of the song is catchy enough to get over it. Also, the vocals are spread almost equally among all the members, and all members get their chance to shine. Catchy, peppy, and again, it lacks MoMusu's usually childish style.

The full roster: Iida Kaori, Ishikawa Rika, Tsuji Nozomi, Ogawa Makoto, Fujimoto Miki, Michishige Sayumi, Tanaka Reina

It's been nearly a half year since Fukuyama Masaharu released a single, but he's still at the top of his game. Despite being in his early 30s, this actor/singer is still quite marketable on the bachelor field, being quite popular with the ladies [a watered down version in terms of popularity of, say, Kimura Takuya in terms of favorite males among ladies]. Last Fukuyama Masaharu was seen was on the drama scene opposite Matsushima Nanako earlier this year on Bijo ka Yajuu, and now he's back with a brand new album and single. "Niji" is a track off his triple A-side single, and the one without any commercial tie-in. True to his typical rock style, "Niji" is a light (but I hesitate to say "breezy," although it's has that feel) rock song with quite a melody. As a song after half a year, it's a bit generic for him, but if you like your feel-good rock songs, he's the man for you.

Matsumoto Tak makes up one half of the famous B'z rock duo -- the guitarist to Inaba Koshi's vocals. This is his first solo venture, and he chose a worthy person to lead the vocals -- ZARD, also known as the sweet-voiced, sweet-faced singer Sakai Izumi. Known for doing her refreshingly light pop songs that's reminiscent of early 90s pop, this latest is quite a change for ZARD. In fact, the entire song is a bit of a different style than which both of these artists usually dabble in. "Ihoujin" is actually a very famous folk song sung originally by Kubota Saki in the 70s/80s, and has been covered by a huge variety of artists, ranging from idol greats like Nakamori Akina to even voice actress hits like Kasahara Hiroko. This cover transforms this melancholy song into a completely different mood with its jarring guitar feature, making it almost seem angry, and there's parts of it that's almost reminiscent of a B-movie's theme [and in this case, it's a good thing]. Both artists leave a mark on this cover and is definitely one of the better versions of this song.

A former member of Morning Musume (and arguably the most popular), Goto Maki has carved quite a solo career -- each single she releases is always different from the one before, giving her music a lack of consistency stylistically, but always the anticipation of wondering what's next. "Daite yo! PLEASE GO ON" is, however, one of the best singles she's released in her solo career, in my opinion. The song is a very danceable pop tune that's pretty intense -- watching her perform it live really showcases her energy in her dancing. The song is almost has an in-your-face attitude with its intensity and is extremely catchy; Maki's vocals keep improving with each song. Fans of dance-pop music, this is a must check.

This ballad-based duo hit big with their debut single, "Asu e no Tobira," thanks partly to the fact that it was the theme song to the popular TV show Ainori. The group of vocalist Ai and pianist Nao returns for their second effort on the singles chart with yet another ballad. "Futatsuboshi" is yet another song that is just as low-key as the first one, a similar melody to the first one... why, gosh darnit, it sounds just like the first song. :P It seems they're attempting a repeated success of their first song with this ballad, but it's nowhere near as endearing as "Asu e no Tobira" -- or it could be that they've already done this.

MISIA has plugged yet another ballad in typical MISIA style featuring a string orchestra as her back-up. The song, however, has a much "happier" feel than the songs she's released recently -- the entire song rings of a hopeful theme in a vague sense. Truth to be told, the song is a bit of a let-down with its lack of memorability. Featuring more piano than her other songs, there are parts of this song that remind me distinctly of Koyanagi Yuki (y'know, the pop starlet who went from "doing-okay" to "just bad" when she made the transition to disco music) whereas no other MISIA song has made me think that... or it could just be me. :P If you enjoy classic MISIA ballads, there's no reason why you should skip on this, as it follows the same style.

The latest single from Ueto Aya is a double A-side single. "Kanshou" is the theme song to the latest Aya drama Hitonatsu no Papa e, offering a midtempo rock ballad from this actress/singer idol. Her discography of one album and several singles in the past year may have gained her popularity, but it seems to be the general consensus that her songs are too generic. "Kanshou" drifts away from her typical pop sound -- but that's how far it goes. It still retains the same synth melodies she had in her other singles, and the rock melody sounds recycled and reused from other songs. Disappointing, but the song is somewhat memorable, and the guitars are packed with attitude, even if they're toned down a bit volume-wise in the song, so the effect is lost. A mediocre attempt from a mediocre singer.

This is the second single from Moriyama Naotaro, the singer of the sleeper hit of the summer, "Sakura." With his music primarily centered on ballads that trigger the word "sweet" with their tranquil, slightly folk-like melodies, he doesn't disappoint from the formula with this release. "Natsu no Owari," which means "the end of summer," is a perfectly timed release for this season. With a slight traditional, enka-inspired feel to the arrangement, the ballad has a peaceful melody, which escalates into a falsetto style chorus that this singer has shown in his first single. If his first song didn't impress you, this may not either, but give it a try -- it's prettier than the first one on a different scale.