Berryz Koubou - Yuke Yuke Monkey Dance [17th Single]

blackmager of Stereo Love has a review for Berryz Koubou’s Yuke Yuke Monkey Dance. For better or worse, blackmager appropriately sums up the single, claiming that “Yuke Yuke Money Dance is sillier than the title itself.” The only downside that blackmager finds is that the song is too long.

The Rules Of Asian Pop

Recommended Reading. Stereo Love celebrates 20k views and it’s a mighty feat to go that far in such little time, a congratulations is more than necessary. But his main article is a feat in itself; SL goes deep into the world of Asian pop, explaining the “rules” of how to be successful in the world of pop in Asia. He applies his rules on current artists within the pop world, for men/boys and women/little girls. It’s something I haven’t seen from SL and it’s wonderful to see another side of him critiquing on music.

Obviously, people who are the “Pinnacle of Morality” shouldn’t dwell near the world of Asian pop.

My Love, Kanon Wakeshima Part 2

blackmager is delighted with finding a Wakeshima Kanon interview on the CD Japan site - thanks to Raid - but is surprised Kanon can’t do it standing up. Play her instrument, that is. I mean, the cello. Get your mind out of the gutter. I’ll stay, but you get out.

C-ute - Namida No Iro [5th Major Single]

When blackmager decided to start reviewing Hello! Project on Stereo Love, I noticed that a few people had left comments to the tune of “Why?” Why would you review H!P when there is plenty of good music out there?

I don’t care what people review. I just like reading honest reviews.

In this review of Namida No Iro, blackmager is very honest, coming right out and saying that he does not like the way H!P girls are singing. It appears that blackmager is more frustrated with how the girls are instructed to sing rather than whether or not it is possible (at all) for any of them to sing. blackmager notes that the single may take some time getting used to. I’m assuming, based on the high rating for Namida no Iro, that this has happened for blackmager.

I like that IW covers both the rabid fans of H!P as well as those - while they may not explicity say so - who don’t care about H!P. I also like that there is a middle ground. And to speak on that, I think blackmager is in an interesting position. Basically, he can speak to both sides. The few reviews that blackmager has done on H!P have highlighted this. On the one hand, it is refreshing to see a H!P review that isn’t rooted in whether or not Sugaya Risako’s hair looks good (which is an important topic for discussion, so do not get discouraged if you have planned to write that review!). On the other, it is nice to see a non-H!P focused blogger putting H!P alongside other reviews of pop music.

Polyrhythm

Before he gets to his review of “Polyrhythm,” josh012595 goes over his story of how he got introduced to Perfume, which was initially through Beyond The Sea and Stereo Love. I get kick out of how all the review blogs on wordpress.com end up tied up into each other. He then gives a very positive review to “Polyrhythm” - specifically the b-side “SEVENTH HEAVEN.

I Can’t Believe I’ve Sunken This Low T_T

My apologies for that title. blackmager’s words, not mine! In any case, blackmager announces he too has now given in to the charm of H!P and will be reviewing some of their recent releases in the future. I like how he admits when hearing Morning Musume and Berryz Koubou for the first time, he “almost felt nauseous” and “almost felt like throwing up” (respectively), which is funny because that’s exactly how it went with me, too!

Ayumi Hamasaki - GUILTY [9th Album]

blackmager reviews Hamasaki Ayumi’s album GUILTY. blackmager prefers the darker tracks of GUILTY instead of the sad or happy ones. I liked the description of the song glitter, as blackmager says it is “another one of those tracks where you wonder why the f— they even made it to the album because of how it didn’t blend in well with the other tracks.” It’s definitely true… lots of albums have one of those and it can sometimes ruin the experience.

Perfume - Fan Service (Sweet) [9th Single]

blackmager finds this “Chocolate Disco” more simplistic than the single that followed it, “Polyrhythm”, but still enjoyable. However, “Twinkle Snow Powdery Snow” doesn’t fare as well.