Gray's Onkagu Go For May 2021

Picking up after Ken and Luna with another month down from 2021, we at Ongaku to You would like our readers to know what was filling our ears for the past month. Each track is available across all digital music streaming platforms with Apple Music being featured on this site.

---

“Vivid Vice” by Who-ya Extended

At first I wasn’t too crazy about this song but since it served as the second opening to Jujutsu Kaisen. I got to be much more familiar with it over the course of the back half of the season and it really started to grow on me. The first take version is on YouTube and it’s really good as well.

Check out “Vivid Vice” here, and the music video below.

---

“Kirari” by Fujii Kaze

This was just a delight when it popped up on the Oricon. I’ve had it on repeat ever since. It is songs like this that got me into J-pop. I’m not too sure you would see a song like this do well in America which is really sad because this release is so well done with such a catchy tune. I’ve taken a liking to Fuji Kaze and I’ll definitely be talking about him again in the future.

Check out “Kirari” here, and the music video below.

---

“Ganbarenaiyo” by JUICE=JUICE

JUICE=JUICE is one of the more consistent idol groups that produce great songs and their latest release is no exception. Sadly “Downtown” has been added to Apple Music but “Ganbarenaiyo” was just as good and I’ve been listening to this on repeat since it dropped. It’s such a beautiful number that really shows off the vocals of the girls.

Check out “Ganbarenaiyo” here, and the music video below.

---

“Something New” by Johnny’s West

This song is so good it actually made me go out and purchase the single off CDJapan. I’ve never bought anything produced by Johnny’s before and that has been mostly due to the lack of money but this song was so good I just had to have it. It’s such a fun number that is does really well by the boys and Aimyon wrote the song in which it shows real well.

Sadly this song isn’t available on Apple Music but the music video is right below so check it out.

---

“Fushigi” by Gen Hoshino

Gen Hoshino can be a real hit and miss with me but this is a release I greatly enjoyed. It’s honestly out of my typical wheelhouse in how laid back the tune is. There is a funkiness to it that I find refreshing.

Check out “Fushigi” here, and the music video below.

J Storm Lauches YouTube Channel And Brings A Storm of Videos!

Record label J Storm consists of the labels J Storm, Johnny’s Entertainment Record, and INFINITY RECORDS and the famous artists Johnnys West, KinKi Kids, Hey! Say! JUMP, KAT-TUN, Arashi, and many more! J Storm has begun uploading music videos and live concert videos to their official YouTube Channel! The music video uploads so far currently consist of KinKi Kids “KANZAI BOYA”, Kanjani8 “Re:LIVE”, Hey! Say! JUMP “Your Song”, and Johnnys WEST “Shouko”. Live concert video of the track “DANGER” by KAT-TUN from their arena tour IGNITE and “BRAVE” by Arashi from their ARASHI Anniversary Tour 5x20 tour have been released so far. Make sure to subscribe to J Storm’s YouTube page for more music videos and live concert clips! Check out the latest music video “Your Song” by Hey! Say! JUMP below!

Tuneback Tuesday For the Third Week of February

Let’s turn back the hands of time and look back on the songs that made the Japanese music industry what it was on the Oricon Weekly Chart. This week we look back at the second week of February for both 2010 and 2015. Japanese pop vocalist aiko and Johnny’s boy group Johnny’s WEST reigned supreme with “Modorenai Ashita” and “Zundoku Paradise” respectively. But what exactly made these songs so great?

“『戻れない明日』” (“Modorenai Ashita”) - aiko

By 2010 aiko had already became a staple in the Japanese music industry. “Modorenai Ashita” was the twenty-sixth single that aiko released and was used for the drama Magerarenai Onna, a ten-episode mini-series which aired from January 13 to March 17 of 2010. In its first week it sold over 58,000 copies and was only released in one edition, a CD-only which included a total of four tracks. “Modorenai Ashita” opens up with a charming combination of piano and drums that swells as the keyboard joins them; the whole effect feels timeless and classic as the music fades when aiko starts singing. The experience is on full display here with her amazing vocals, lyrics, and melody which she wrote and composed. She absolutely proves how this song claimed the number one spot for the second week of February in 2010.

---

“『ズンドコ パラダイス』(Zundoku Paradise)” was Johnny’s WEST’s third single and the second single to reach number one on the Oricon charts, selling over 97,000 copies. The single originally came in three editions including a CD-only regular edition and a CD + DVD limited edition Type A which included a music video & making-of for the lead track “Zundoku Paradise”, and the CD + DVD limited edition Type B included a digest of Johnny’s WEST’s Debut Commemorative Event. The talented and famous CHOKKAKU, known for contributing to artists such as AKB48, Ueto Aya, Shibasaki Kou, etc. arranged two songs on this single, including the title track “Zundoku Paradise”. The amazing Takafumi Iwasaki wrote and composed the lead track while rising star AIMYON wrote the B-side track “Time goes by”. “Zundoku Paradise” starts off slowly then dives into a high energy beat with harmonious yet boisterous vocals. This track will lift your spirits and induce a jump in your step with its high spirited composition and arrangement. Each member has their own vocals in the verses that brings a variety of vocal capabilities while in the chorus they all come together, exhibiting an amazing unity. The high spirited energy from every member, the composition, and words made this song a chart-topper and left quite the impression on the industry.

Thanks for joining us in a look back and we and hope to see you next week!

Johnny's West takes the spike with new single!

Popular boys group Johnny’s West announced that they will be releasing a brand new single, “Big Shot!!”, October 9. This will be the latest single from the up-and-coming Johnny’s group since their hit “Ama no Chihare” back in April of this year and it will be the group’s thirteenth single overall. The track “Big Shot!!” was chosen to become the official match theme song for Fuji Television coverage of this year’s FIVB Volleyball Women’s World Cup, which Japan is being the host nation of.

Per the norm of latest Johnny’s releases, “Big Shot!!” will drop with three releases, a CD-only standard edition and two CD + DVD limited editions lovingly called Type A and Type B. Each edition will be released with two tracks total, with each B-side track being different among the editions. The limited edition Type A will be released with the music clip of “Big Shot!” along with the making-of while Type B will include footage from their five year anniversary event「5周ねんやねん♪よろしゅうねん♪」(5 Years Nenyanen♪Yoroshunen♪). Not to be outdone by the limited editions, the standard edition will include an additional B-side track totaling that edition’s tracks to three.

Pre-order all three editions along with an exclusive CDJapan Bundle edition set in the links below!

Standard edition

Limited edition Type A

Limited edition Type B

Bundled Edition 

Johnny’s WEST「Big Shot!!」

Limited edition Type A

CD

01. Big Shot!!

02. Untitled Track A

03. Big Shot!!（Original Karaoke）

04. Untitled Track A（Original Karaoke）

DVD

・Big Shot!! Music Clip & Making

Limited edition Type B

CD

01. Big Shot!!

02. Untitled Track B

03. Big Shot!!（Original Karaoke）

04. Untitled Track B（Original Karaoke）

DVD

・2019.4.23 CD Debut 5 year anniversary「 5 Years Nenyanen♪Yoroshunen♪」

Standard edition 

CD

01. Big Shot!!

02. Untitled Track C

03. Untitled Track D

04. Big Shot!!（Original Karaoke）

05. Untitled Track C（Original Karaoke）

06. Untitled Track D（Original Karaoke）