Gray's Ongaku Go For September 2023

As the chilly months of autumn and September pass us by, it’s this month’s Ongaku Go! We at OTY would like our readers to know what has been filling our ears for the past month. Each track is available across all digital music streaming platforms, with Apple Music featured on this site, along with our Spotify playlist here!

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“All I Ever Wanted” by BALLISTIK BOYZ from EXILE TRIBE

I have been listening to this song on repeat since it dropped, and it is my favorite song by the BALLISTIK BOYZ so far this year. The part I enjoy most is the rap, which, happily, is the most significant part of this song. Even the techno parts of this song work really well. Just a heads up, there is a little bit of auto-tuning in this release, but I think it complements the composition pretty well. I can't wait to see what these guys do next.

Check out “All I Ever Wanted” here and in the video below.

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“Amakyun” by Colorful Diamond

What a ton of fun I’ve had with this song. It is a stand-out debut for these guys. The spirit of this track is so light-hearted, and the hook really pulls the listener in. Colorful Diamond has officially landed in my sights, and I’m not going to take my eyes off them.

Check out “Amakyun” here and in the video below.

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“Utakata Dilemma (feat. SUKISHA)” by Three1989

Breaking from their typical style, they deliver this refreshing soul/R&B track that has been on repeat since I first heard it. I haven’t been keeping up with Three1989 like I probably should, but I’m so happy I found this shortly after it dropped. “Utakata Dilemma” is a wonderfully upbeat track that is very catchy. I know when we covered SUKISHA for Music Corner I had a bit of a time getting into his work, but I can tell how much my tastes have changed since then, so I really need to go back and listen to more of him.

Check out “Utakata Dilemma (feat. SUKISHA)” here and in the video below.

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“U&I” by 3House & Flower.far

3House is an artist I discovered back in July, and I’ve been really enjoying my time with his work. Fortunately for me, I didn’t have to wait long for him to drop this awesome song. This is more of a laid-back song, but there is this nice 90s R&B feel to it. I had never heard of Flower.far before this track, but she sounds incredible in it, and I need to go listen to more of her work.

Check out “U&I” here and in the video below.

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“RUN FOR YOU” by Ayumu Imazu

Ayumu Imazu has been one of my favorite artists that I have discovered this year, and I have Ken to thank for that. I’ve had Ayumu on repeat since I listened to him for Music Corner. He recently dropped his latest release, and it is fantastic. “RUN FOR YOU” has this fun, upbeat dance feel that gets the body up and moving.

Check out “RUN FOR YOU” here and in the video below.

THREE1989 reunite with trackmaker SUKISHA on new collab track, ‘Utakata Dilemma feat. SUKISHA’!

Utakata Dilemma feat. SUKISHA Jacket Cover

Three-member rock band THREE1989 – whose three members were each born in 1989 – have released their latest song, ‘Utakata Dilemma feat. SUKISHA’. The group’s name is simply pronounced “Three”.

The song is a long-awaited collaboration between THREE1989 and cowriter SUKISHA. SUKISHA was originally a support member of THREE1989, leading to this special collaboration between two artists who share a strong history together.

The song’s title means “Bubble Dilemma”, and the song is about feelings kept in a bubble, or bottled up inside. It combines a groove-laden track by SUKISHA with the mellow vibe of keyboardist Shimo and DJ Datch, along with the humor-filled vocals of Shohei. The result is a song that could only be made by two artists who share an especially close relationship, both as individual artists and as onetime bandmates. It’s a tropical, exotic dance tune.

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Comment from Shohei (vocals)

“The first time I met SUKISHA, I thought he was a musical genius. That was the first ever time I’d had a friend who made me feel ‘jealous’ over music! (Laughs.) Through our live performances, we have spent many great late nights together. I’m so happy that after all these years we have finally had the chance to collaborate! I hope that this song will soundtrack a ‘great late night’ for you as well. Cheers!”

Comment from SUKISHA

“It’s been several years since we first met in Sapporo, spending countless nights drinking together as we traveled and performed music – and now I have been able to create this song together with my close friends! Because I know THREE1989’s sound well, I wanted to bring out a new side of them, so I consciously thought about the arrangement to create a sound that was not typical of their music. The song then changed once the band added their essence, resulting in an interesting song that sounds fresh even to me. I hope you’ll give it a listen.”

Also, following on from THREE1989’s July single ‘Setogiwa Meets Girl’ and August’s ‘Senkou Loop’, this new single finally reveals the identity of the woman on the jacket photo, whose face had been mysteriously obscured until now. The model used in the jacket artwork for all three singles in this series is Asuka Kawatoko, a rising new-generation actress from Japan, and placing the three jackets side by side forms a cool triptych artwork.

From cowriting songs with music producers to releasing music in Dolby Atmos to hosting their own live project titled Mitsudomoe, THREE1989 will continue to take on new challenges in 2023. Don’t miss it.

Be sure to check out the streaming link for ‘Utakata Dilemma’ feat SUKISHA here!

Gray's Ongaku Go For September 2021

Picking up after Ken and Luna, we’re another month down in 2021, and 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.

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“All Me” by IVVY 

This song reminded me why I love these guys so much. It is such a fun and catchy melody that really gets me moving. The vocal work done here is also spectacular. This is another all-around great single by IVVY.

Check out “All Me” here and the music video below!

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“Kimi To Ireba” by Little Glee Monster

This is a lovely track and just shows how insanely talented these girls are. I do wish that they would commit to doing tracks fully acapella instead of doing only half. That being said, the composition in this number is indeed wonderful and complements the vocal work done here.

Check out “Kimi To Ireba” here and the video below!

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“Jasmine” by Gakuto Kajiwara

What really makes this track stand out is the jazz piano playing along with the trumpets which really gives this number an overall jazz feel without actually being jazz. At the end of the day to me, this is just a pop song, but the composition overall is done really well. Also, the vocals done by Kajiwara are just spectacular.

Check out “Jasmin” here and the music video below!

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“Can’t Keep It Cool” by Akira Takano

I frequently have this song stuck in my head and I love it so much. On a personal level, this song really just speaks to me. The composition of this track is done super well, and it compliments the vocal work done by Takano really well. This is a wonderful way to kick off his ENTER album.

Check out “Can’t Keep It Cool” here and the music video below!

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“Ajisai” by Three1989

Three1989 has had an incredible year with their debut album dropping earlier this year and they are not slowing down. They have also released three digital singles and an EP this year as well, and, personally, I think “Ajisai” is probably the best track they put out this year. It has this cool jazz feel about it that really pulls the listener in. 

Check out “Ajisai” here and the lyric video below!

Music Corner Week 91: Three1989

Three1989, more commonly known as THREE, is an ’80s soul-pop trio band that consists of Shimo (keyboardist), Shohey (Vocalist), and Datch (DJ). The name of the band comes from the fact that all three members were born in 1989. The group got its start in 2015 but released their first single “High Times” in October 2016. Three1989 released their first album in August of 2017, which was titled Time Line. Since then, they have released three albums with their latest album THE BEST THREE1989 -Don’t Forget Dancing- in January of this year. This album not only served as their major-label debut with Avex Entertainment but also as a sort of compilation album with it being a re-recording of their most popular songs. 

Three1989 has a really cool sound that brings you right back to the ‘80s and also adds a funky freshness to it. Shohey doesn’t have the widest vocal range but he knows how to play to their style, which accentuates the composition. In their latest single “Natsu Bouke” you hear their unique sound, which has that 80’s flair. “Ajisai”, which also dropped earlier this year, is a mid-tempo track while, ”She Is Moonlight” is slower tempo track that resembles a ballad in some segments. For example, the BPM is perfect and the keyboard in the background adds a nice unique feel to this track. When I’m listening to Three1989 I feel like I am taken back to the 80s, despite not growing up during that era, their music captures the essence of that time period perfectly.

Three1989 is currently signed under Avex Entertainment and they keep all their latest news on their official website. You can also follow their official Twitter account as it stays up to date on all their latest activities. Lastly, be sure to check out their song, “She Is Moonlight” posted in the video below.