I was originally going to migrate all my personal and music talk over to tumblr since I usally don't have much to say here anyway, but I like the interface and media features here at Vox. Who knows? Maybe that Dreamwidth everyone's clamoring over will prove to be a perfect fit?

A lot has happened since the last posts, namely the release of BoA and Utada's aforementioned US albums. My friend and I decided to officially break up with Utada after the Epic Failure that was This is The One. Bitch led us on with promises of good 90s pop (Distance?) and a return to the quirky attitude of her other English work (Exodus?) but no. It was just a garbled mess of thin vocals, Stargate beats, and forced pop culture allusions. Stop trying so hard.

On the other hand, BoA's album is just one summer dance song after another ("Girls on Top" notwithstanding. I never understood the appeal of the Korean version, and the English one is just silly). "Energetic" and "Hypnotic Dancefloor" are hot. Go check them out on Amazon or iTunes.

We've also got new music form Koda Kumi and my girl Ayu, with Bonnie Pink and Shiina Ringo (!!!) waiting in the wings. 2008 was a rough year for Koda Kumi what with her opening her big mouth and spending the rest of the year trying to make up for it with lame apology ballads. However, her latest original album Trick actually had some really good dance pop on it. Like, "BUT" good. She had me worried that the lead-in single "TABOO" would be the only slightly tolerable track on the album, but songs like "Hurry Up!" and "This Is Not A Love Song" easily exceeded all of my expectations. Of course, the album as a whole is kind of a hot mess (it wouldn't be a Koda Kumi album if it weren't), but the aforemented tracks along with "show girl" and "Driving" made it a worthwhile purchase for me (...from ebay).

Kuu also finally released her remix and collaboration collections that were originally listed by HMV HK right on the eve of her controversy last year. I don't have much interest in the remix CD, but I was anxious to get my hands on Out Works & Collaboration Best. It didn't disappoint, though I was somewhat surprised that her collaboration with her sister wasn't on it. I suppose it would be more fair and maximize profit for both artists if it wasn't put on the Kuu album? It doesn't really matter to me, what with my having zero interest in misono.

If Ayu's newest album NEXT LEVEL has one weak point, it's that -- like GUILTY -- its evident upon first listen that the direction of the album changed (or rather, was conceived) after the release of the first single. I suppose that's a hazard inherent of an industry that pushes for the constant release of singles. Too many times, albums after thrown together as afterthought with little rhyme or reason in regard to flow or concept. Fortunately, although "GREEN" and "Days" sound a little out of place, the rest of NEXT LEVEL flows wonderfully and is probably one of the most cohesive J-pop releases to come out in awhile. It shows great discretion in the use of interludes to keep the energy going, and the new album-only tracks are fantastic. I love "LOVE 'n' HATE" with its "Candy Shop"-esque beat. I'm so glad to be having fun with Ayu again after GUILTY.

However, it's a little perplexing that such a fun, western-friendly (what with its strong beats and frequent use of English) comes right when all of her music is removed from international iTunes. Perhaps perplexing isn't the right word for that... what was perplexing about all of this was that Rule/Sparkle -- the last single before NEXT LEVEL -- got a simultaneous international release on the eve of Avex's withdrawal from international iTunes. I hope more people get a chance to hear Ayu's new music soon...

FINAL FANTASY VII ADVENT CHILDREN COMPLETE 【通常版】 [Blu-ray]

On the non-J-pop front, there's of course the recent release of Advent Children Complete that I enjoyed very much. I already posted some prileminary thoughts about the changes on my LJ, though it was a friends-only entry, so I might post those here later... This post is already a whole lot of nothing.

I will say that the packaging was very nice. I hope the US version is remotely as nice. No more of that cheap-looking blue plastic? No?

BRING ON AMERICA

Although the late-election year is troubling once again. The official site is already much more user-friendly than Utada's and makes the objective clear. Best of luck to BoA in her US debut.

Check out the preview of her upcoming digital single "EAT YOU UP".

UMG plans a strong release schedule for the second half of 2008 with new albums from Black Eyed Peas, Pussycat Dolls, Paulina Rubio, Akon, The Killers, Bon Jovi, Keane, Fall Out Boy, Ne-Yo, Tokio Hotel, Hikaru Utada, Mylène Farmer and Florent Pagny.

Okay, maybe she will make the same mistake twice. At least we haven't heard anything about a 2008/early-2009 release for the US. She did moderately better in Europe, so this is right on target. Hopefully Utada's team will get a good US campaign for the second half of 2009.

I also hope this follows Exodus' lead and brings us something new and different (and, you know, fun). No more of this HEART STATION rut.

• Vivendi Report via Businesswire (a la Utada-Online)
  

TABOO

I'm torn. I like Kuu doing quasi-r&b/dance stuff -- certainly after that horrible "MOON CRYING" hole she dug herself into -- and I've forgiven her for her imitation of western artists in the past, but this is normally because I like her version better. The 30 second sample of "TABOO" sounds like it was ripped from Rihanna's Good Girl Gone Bad, an album already polished to perfection. I don't know if Koda Kumi is capable of carrying that torch. I hope she is; "BUT" is lonely at the top.

One thing in which I am confident is that the PV will be terrible. She hasn't had a good one in awhile, and this is just asking for a cheap imitation of Rihanna's "Disturbia" video.

Oh yeah: I was scanning the radio when I stumbled onto the chorus of Ne-Yo's "Closer", and the first thing I thought was that it sounded like a J-pop song. I haven't heard it much since, so this may be written off as little more than a knee-jerk reaction.

(I went on iTunes looking for "Closer" because the chorus was catchy, but ultimately decided against the purchase because of the slow opening... and the remixes didn't sound like they would save it. I never liked Ne-Yo because I don't like most r&b ballads, and that's all I could remember of him from the radio. Never disliked him, either. It just wasn't my cup of tea, I guess).

There are several songs on American charts right now that give me the Avex-produced vibe. It makes me wonder if -- on top of the seemingly-increased targeting of Asian Americans as consumers of luxury goods -- it's almost time for a J-pop invasion. Like, for real this time. 

Speaking of which, here's a quick pointer for Kingdom Hearts Utada Hikaru fans: no new US album this year. It's an important election year again; she's not going to make the same mistake twice.

I sign in to Vox for the first time in a month or so to find I have 3 messages (we have messages?), all of which were from accounts that were already deleted. This comes after I declined a friend request on Last.fm from an up-and-coming "gothic" and "dark alternative" band. Meanwhile, my recently played tracks are "2 Hearts" by Kylie Minogue, "VACATION" by Hoshimura Mai, and "Never Stop" by Hilary Duff. Strong work.

The release of Ayumi Hamasaki's latest boxset -- her first since the COMPLETE LIVE and COMPLETE CLIPS boxes in 2003 -- is nigh. This is an excellent -- hopefully -- release to celebrate her 10th Anniversary, though its announcement has put a glaring spotlight the rigid dichotomy between Japanese/East Asian and the western fans.

A COMPLETE ~ALL SINGLES~

浜崎あゆみ

★★★★★

The western fans that make up an overwhelming majority of her English-speaking online following seem to forget -- or just not understand -- that she is a real-live Japanese artist; she is a household name in her native Japan and much of the neighboring Asia. It's her target audience. The reason the announcement seemed so sudden to fans like us isn't because she was being "lazy" for her 10th Anniversary; it was because she spent her entire anniversary personally bringing her music to her core fans in the form of an enormous, nation-wide tour (one that will expand into Asia later next month).

A new boxset acts as a nice bookend for the promotional blitz that kicked off in Japan in April. And let us not forget that just because she has elbowed her way onto the public conscious doesn't mean everyone rushes out to buy every album she releases--or, in the case of many overseas "fans", pirating everything. By releasing a 3CD set for a mere 3800 yen (one out of her 10 studio albums would cost 2800 yen), Avex is giving the casual listener a chance to find out what Ayu's really all about (and make a quick buck in the process).

And for those of us that do buy everything, there's the DVD of unreleased footage and photobook of unreleased cover artwork, which -- judging by this post at AHS -- is truly unreleased artwork; even the covers of older singles are different from the one's featured in the COUNTDOWN LIVE 2000-2001 book. 

COMPLETE CLIP BOX

Granted, there are definitely things I would change about this. I would have prefered if the cover were similar to the COMPLETE CLIP box with the single gold A on a black background; something classy and understated that would speak volumes about her pop culture legacy. Any starlet worth her salt can take a pretty picture, but how many have branded themselves so well that their logo is instantly recognizable?

I also have my doubts that the photobook will be nearly as nice as the the hardcover, glossy, COUNTDOWN LIVE 2000-2001 book, but I'm excited to give it a chance.

手紙~拝啓 十五の君へ(初回生産限定盤)(DVD付)

Other than that, I'm really looking forward to Angela Aki's new single. I've been holding off in getting Namie Amuro's BEST FICTION and ayaka's second album in hopes that they'll get a US release in the next few months, and any other entertainment purchases will be put on hold  until Dissidia and all of its merchandising has been officiall unveiled.

Edit: So apparently Tofu Records folded? \0/

(unceremoniously x-posted from a private LJ entry to make my Vox feel like it has purpose)

I wish Safari would stop crashing. 

And what's up with this "pay $50 to upgrade Parallels so it'll actually work in Leopard" thing?

KISS

L'arc~en~ciel's latest is on iTunes.  I'm not the biggest fan of the band, but their albums are fun.  This isn't much different, and "Hurry Xmas" is, like, hysterical.

I was kind of worried that Sony (and its J-pop sub-label that will not be named) was holding back its artists in favor of exclusive distribution elsewhere -- why else would it pull Angela Aki before FFXII hit or sit on popular fluff-artists like Mika Nakashima? -- so this release is a pleasant surprise.  This iTunes release isn't issued by -- ugh -- Tofu Records.  I guess its still managed by the creme de la creme of village idiots.

I mean, really. The otaku =/= J-pop's only demographic in the west.  Yes, anime and video games are responsible for introducing many artists to listeners outside of Japan, but I'd wager that most people that are "otaku" enough to actually fall for its easy, breezy, wapanesy "marketing" wouldn't actually pay for its music.  They like the music because it's from Over There. Making it readily available Over Here kind of kills the allure for those shallow schmucks.

So why doesn't it just, I don't know, try to connect with Real Live music fans? 

Also: Emi Music, why haven't we gotten old Utada Hikaru singles (you know, the good ones?) like the UK iTunes, or, like, ANY Shiina Ringo?

In other news, Ayu's new Vivi shoot is haute.  I can't wait to get my hands on this issue!  She's been looking exceptionally beautiful lately.

Black Cherry

In the same vein as the last entry, did anyone get Koda Kumi's newest album?  Is it worth it?  I always get suckered into buying her stuff and end up sorely disappointed (Best ~second session~ was a joke), but... I was split between the singles this year; some I really liked and some I hated.  Which track on 4 hot wave does it reflect the most?

Ah, well.  I tried two of the album-only tracks from an mp3 rotation; both were catchy though nothing spectacular (then again, this is Koda Kumi).  I might end up picking up the Korean "Normal" version when it becomes available, anyway.  I already put a request in for it with iTunes, but I'm not holding my breath. 

Hope everyone had a happy holiday.

Dear Koda Kumi,

Are you a good witch or a bad witch?

Anxiously awaiting your reply,
Stacey Anne