Domingo 2 Jan 2011, 3h:44
1. 清竜人 301
Absolutely my favourite new discovery of the year. Now that my Japanese language skills are a bit better (nowhere near "good", just better than they were when I wasn't taking classes due to an overloaded class schedule), Ryujin is totally my emo music, as opposed to Panic! At the Disco (I am very much looking forward to the new P!ATD album whenever they decide to shit it out).
2. Ryohei 259
I listened through his album "Rat the Wolf" once, and put it aside. My initial impression was that it was alright, but kind of samey. Six months later, I had the urge to listen to "Amsterdam" again one day, and then I didn't put the album aside for about 2 or 3 months straight. Soon I got a little tired of Amsterdam, but I had a week-long obsessions with about half songs on the album. Then I went back and listened to ReListen and his cover albums, even Ryohei Yamamoto stuff, and yeah. That's how this happened.
3. 倖田來未 197 (#8 Last Year)
Gossip Candy's first three tracks, Lollipop, Inside Fishbowl & Outside Fishbowl, were all delicious. What were the last two tracks? I don't even remember…seriously. That was where Gossip Candy started and stopped for me. Her ballad single wasn't total crap either, and the cover album was fantastic. The upcoming Pop Diva looks amazing, so…I think I'm stuck on the Ku-chan train for life…I didn't do one of these in 2008, but she was one of my most listened artists in 2007. And 2006. In 2005, I counted my favourite singles of the year, and listed none from her, but I only REALLY got hooked when she did her 12 singles thing. Which started in 2005 (THANKS WIKIPEDIA). 2005 had A LOT of good songs though, looking at my entry for it, so I wouldn't include any of the 12 singles on that list…I really think it's a mix of her music and image that attracts me. Simply put, I think she's cool.
4. Double 185
I had my money down that she was retiring this year, so I had many nights just listening to old DOUBLE stuff. She is truly the Queen of J-R&B. Her or AI. Don't make me choose…
5. Kanye West 176
Fuck you if you hopped on the Kanye bandwagon after you heard his new album was "SOOO EPIC AND AMAZING". Just…fuck you. Especially if you were bashing him after the MTV incident. *switch to reasonable mode* I can understand separating the artist and their work and liking one but not the other, but I hope you can also understand that I like both aspects of Kanye (his ego is his charm) and seeing him get ripped apart and then praised by the same people is frustrating.
6. 久保田利伸 159
I really got into his three English albums, despite them all being really, really old in pop music years. Love Rain ~Koi no Ame~ is a total classic (Yes, I realize it was made to pretty much be an update of LA LA LA LOVE SONG).
7. Hanah 149
Totally classy artist. Probably the classiest music I listen to. I hope she works again in 2011, because her sales are shit, at least in terms of physical CDs. I realized that she was featured on LiL' Ai's (REMEMBER LIL' AI? ANYONE?) CD back in the day (or at least someone named Hanah was - her contribution is minimal, so I couldn't really tell), so after working so long she deserves a solo career.
8. Aria 144
I didn't like Music and the City at all on the first run through because the ordering of the tracks is really, really bad. Whoever decided to put all the dance tracks in a row and then all the slow jams in a row needs to be fired (if ARIA herself chose this, then she really needs to let someone else decide on track order). Each individual track has it's shining moment, but in the CD order they get all jumbled together with the similar surrounding and lose their sparkle. For anyone first listening to the album, take the first half and insert whatever tracks from the last half in between them. Honestly, I listened to the album a lot on my iPod (it was one of three albums on a new iPod during a trip to Toronto), but last.fm iPod scrobbling is a joke, so it's not really reflected…
9. 平井堅 143 (#6 Last Year)
I love this man. All the singles this year were great and his cover of Unchained Melody is so gorgeous. I hope we can get a new original album in 2011 with minimal previously heard material (which was the problem with Fakin' Pop from 2008 - only four new tracks? And you went and released one of those as a re-cut single? That still hurts man, three years later.)
**OFF-TOPIC** I read a rumor on a Japanese rumor website that in the wake of Ricky Martin that a Japanese artist "K" was planning to officially come out (my Japanese skills - going to good use). It's been awhile now so maybe he changed his mind, but I really hope that he does come out this year, because Japan totally needs a good gay role model, and why not Ken?
10. MoNa a.k.a. Sad Girl 135
All her music releases this year (available internationally on iTunes, smart move) show amazing growth from her first couple of albums. I hope she makes a come back in the future - maybe 2 or 3 years from now - and blows everyone who thinks she's a joke away, because musically she's on the right track. I'll be waiting for her~
1. w-inds. – Addicted to Love 48
THIS IS THE BEST SONG OF THE YEAR. w-inds. have totally hit the mark for making the 14-year-old girls who loved them back in the day love them again as 22-year-old women.
2. 清竜人 – 痛いよ 32
So emo…I love it. Especially since I wasn't expecting anything when I started listening, I was completely blown away by the emotion in his delivery.
3. Ryohei – Amsterdam 30
A warm and romantic track. The perfect album closer (the actual last three tracks are bonus tracks).
4. Kanye West – Runaway (feat. Pusha T) 23
I don't listen to that much English music, and I'm sure that there's been a song thematically like this before, but personally I have never heard a song revel in douchebaggery quite like this. Since it's so blunt, it's a really moving song.
5. 清竜人 – ヘルプミーヘルプミーヘルプミー 22
Even more emo than Itai yo. This guy is so dramatic. But I really brings me back to my angsty teen years. Damn, I really feel like I understand this guy. This could be bad if I ever meet him somehow.
6. Kanye West – Lost in the World (feat. Bon Iver) 21
My favourite "album track" from the album (well, it's a single NOW, but I'm so used to the Japanese system of hearing all the intended singles before the album, so I'll call this an album track). It's a relief after an album of Kanye being all conflicted to hear such a hopeful and happy song.
7. andymori – CITY LIGHTS 20
My sort of regret of 2010 is when I saw andymori in Toronto I did not hit on the vocalist Sohei. His prettiness struck me and I couldn't even talk to him! I spoke with the drummer though, and…uh…he probably thinks I'm annoying. But a fun kind of annoying…yeah. Since the drummer quit, I am glad I chose to speak to him over Sohei. Because I spoke to a talented drummer and managed to appear semi-professional/not like an idiot fangirl. Anyway, THE SONG. When they performed it halfway through their set, the whole room exploded with energy. Definitely their best song. And the best drummer. Like, he was a monster. I've never seen such a drummer. It was really amazing.
8. Nelly – Hot in Herre 19
I KNOW, THIS WAS POPULAR LIKE 10 YEARS AGO, WHY DO I FAIL? It was in the Chris Rock movie "Head of State" (since I was on a Chris Rock movie kick - and yes, I also failed watching that movie while it was relevant), and I couldn't get it out of my head…his new single Just a Dream is hot too. And he worked with Double for his Japanese "Best-of" album, so I was unexpectedly into Nelly last year.
8. Kanye West – Devil in a New Dress 19
The version without Rick Ross. Yeah.
10. 山崎まさよし – 僕はここにいる 18
I totally thought this was about a lost lover, and I was all like BAAAW, then I watched the PV and *spoiler alert* IT'S ABOUT HIS DOG. I love dogs too, but I feel like my Japanese skills fail on multiple levels…especially since I read an English translation for the lyrics too… AND YES THIS SONG IS REALLY OLD TOO BUT I WAS 10 IN 1998 AND IN CANADA WITH NO INTERNET AT THE TIME, SO WHATEVER. And I like this better than "One more time, one more chance", the obvious choice.
10. 清竜人 – ワールド 18
Heeey, my BFF is not being a total emo on this song! But it's still kinda emo. Probably. Like I said, I think songs about dogs are romantic love songs (ABOUT PEOPLE), so my grasp on Japanese language is not to be trusted.
10. Kanye West – Who Will Survive in America 18
Remember how I typed that Lost in the World was hopeful and happy? This outro right after it still feels hopeful despite the pessimistic spoken word, but it's not happy. It feels like a challenge, a call to remain hopeful. But I don't always like to listen to it right at the end of Lost in the World. And I certainly never listened to it on it's own, so that's why it's not right with Lost in the World.