Tuesday 29 December 2015

Top Ten Tunes of Twenty-Fifteen

Twas four nights after Christmas, when all through the house
Not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse.
The hello project singles were stacked on the ikea furniture with care,
In hopes that a top-ten countdown post soon would be there.

The wota were nestled all snug in their beds,
While visions of glitter, feathers and platform boots danced in their heads.
And Riho in her tartan monstrosity, and I in my cap,
Had just settled our ears for a long winter’s nap.

Honourable Mentions

Nen ni wa Nen (Kobushi Factory)
New group Kobushi Factory's triple a-side this year was in fact very enjoyable, with this song being my favourite of the three. The vocals are really on point for a new group. However, it just got knocked out of my top ten with the release of the new Morning Musume single...

 
10. Koi Dorobou (Country Girls)
Now here is a song that really takes me back to my shoujo anime days. You could probably play this song over the ending of Tokyo Mew Mew and nobody would question it. Maybe I'm just being fazed by all the pink. Or the old-fashioned concept of a 'Love Thief'. It sounds like the kind of thing that The Ronettes might sing about. And I love that little repetitive bridge section at about 0.37. 


9. Gashinshoutan (Angerme)
Part of me wonders if I should have put this higher... It is a proper 'good-times' song with some solid work on the sax and trumpet, highlighted and forever drummed into my brain via an episode of 'Green Room'. The "gashinshoutan, gashinshoutan" backing vocals on the instrumental/dance break are also a nice touch. I love the little pastel outfits in the video and Murota Mizuki's voice is made for songs like this.  

8. Umaretate no Baby Love (Juice=Juice)
 This video is not the full song but you get the idea. I feel like both C-ute and Juice=Juice have been suffering a bit musically without Tsunku but luckily for Juice=Juice the charming vocals they deliver on tracks such as this pull them through. Going for those retro stylings again a la Koi Dorobou.

7. Tamerai Sumertime (Country Girls)
Starting to feel slightly like I am just writing a list of all the sixties-y tracks hello project put out this year. There is something slightly Beatles-y about this one. Strawberry Fields/Penny Lane kind of era. The video is adorable and I will always applaud non-boring idol mid-tempo numbers. 

6. Taiki Bansei (Angerme)
Okay, so I am sure many people are getting slightly fed up of this song but it has become somewhat of an anthem and I am sure we will be hearing it at Hello Project concerts for years to come. If I play this song around the house the family will be humming it for a good few hours. A less genius but more accessible Matenrou Show, if you will.

5. Sukatto My Heart (Morning Musume)
To be honest I'm not entirely sure why I like this song so much. Maybe after so much electronic musume (which I do love, to be clear) I was excited to hear something so 'Inspiration' style old school. Or maybe hearing non-stop Uptown Funk when I was working at some events in the summer messed with my brain. Either way I get far too into the 誰かのせいにはしたくない bit. 

4. Tsumetai Kaze to Kataomoi (Morning Musume)
This was love at first listen for me. Bit of a flashback to when I first started listening to Morning Musume is the lonely/wistful days of Nanchatte Renai.The vocals are probably some of the best I've heard from the current members. Anyone who moans about the current girls being bad singers compared past members should be pointed towards Mizuki, Riho, Masaki, Haruka and Sakura. I also feel like this is a much more traditional melody than usual from Tsunku, one that, at least should, please everyone.

3. Itooshikute Gomen ne (Country Girls)
Along with Taiki Bansei this is another song I see becoming a 'classic of 2015'. In twenty years when we are all complaining about the loss of flesh and blood idols to superidol robots we will look back on the glory days of Itooshikute Gomen ne with new perspective. For some reason this song seems to be, in my brain, the lovechild of a 1950s musical and an Onyanko Club song. Make of that what you will. My strange observations aside, this is a clever piece of songwriting and will stay stuck in your head for months. 

2. Seishun Kozou ga Naiteiru (Morning Musume)
This song is really everything I love about Tsunku's music. It packs it all in: chanting, strange pauses and rhythms, catchy chorus, odd old-fashioned lyrics etc etc. This song seemed to split opinions when it was first released but I hope more and more people have come round to its awesomeness. Also, as far as debut singles go, it's not quite 'Help Me' but it's certainly up there.

1. Ima Sugu Tobikomu Yuuki (Morning Musume)
Aaaannnndd, surprise! A non-Tsunku song for number one of 2015! This song has seriously made me consider starting up a #givetaiseimorework campaign. If the guy can write this and Sayonara Tomodachi ni wa Naritakunai no he must have a few more great songs in him. Anyway, I really love this melody and again, seeing on Green Room the effort that goes into recording the vocals (accents and rhythm mostly) made me appreciate it all the more. The Hello Project ballad we've been waiting for. Ima Koko kara can go suck....