Luna's Ongaku Go for October 2023!

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As the leaves fall and Halloween has come, a brand new Ongaku Go has arrived. We at OTY 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 featured on this site, along with our Spotify playlist here!

“Ruby Eyes” by tommy heavenly6

With Halloween upon us, the month of October has been filled with thrills and chills. “Ruby Eyes” fit perfectly in my Halloween playlist with its fun lyrics and opening just screams scary movie opening music. tommy heavenly6 knows how to get into the spirit of Halloween and imbue it in her music; from the composition that consists of punk and pop rock style mixed with spooky sounds. “Ruby Eyes” talks about vampires and creatures that go bump in the night - what most people think of on Halloween and puts it into a memorable musical number that you can ‘scare-a-oke’ too all October long.

Check out “Ruby Eyes” here and the music video below!



“F*ck You 2 My Ex” by MAY’S

MAY’S just released their newest album Unlocking at the end of September and it did not disappoint. It was difficult to choose a favorite song, however, seeing that “F*ck You 2 My Ex” was put on this album made me so happy. I loved this song on its initial release three years ago and never thought it’d get put on an album. Hearing it again solidified my love for this track with its straightforward and relatable lyrics, upbeat composition, and Maiko’s vocals. Despite the name, it’s a song that gives you power from within.

Check out “F*ck You 2 My Ex” by MAY’S here and the music video below.

“Spin Big” by BONNIE PINK

BONNIE PINK released her first studio album in 11 years, titled Infinity, and it’s been a treat to listen too. She starts it off right with uplifting track ‘Spin Big’. This song brings so much positivity in the lyrics with a feel good composition to match its endearing lyrics. The lyrics alone deliver a powerful message that hit your heart strings in a good way. BONNIE PINK utilizes both English and Japanese languages, switching between both flawlessly while still delivering a clear message. BONNIE PINK is an artist who knows her craft well and with tracks like ‘Spin Big’ you hear exactly that.

Check out ‘Spin Big’ here and the music video below!

“Swimming Pool” by Schuwa Schuwa

‘Swimming Pool’ caught my ear due to its unique composition and Teruko’s vocals. I love the electro pop sound this track brings, not to mention Schuwa Schuwa’s new mini album michikake has unique sounds in general. But Swimming Pool’s heavier beats in certain areas of the song bring out Teruko’s vocals. Kohei and Teruko make a great unit as you can hear many unique sounds in “Swimming Pool” that makes it an ear catching listen plus the lyrics also have a good message to it. “Swimming Pool” has the feel of a good end of summer track as it gives off a feeling of summer ending.

Check out “Swimming Pool” here and the music video below.

“Mirror Mirror” by Lisa Yamaguchi

Lisa Yamaguchi is back with a new digital single, “Mirror Mirror” and it is full of the R&B flavor that I adore. Lisa’s vocals are as smooth as ever laying her sultry vocals on this track with a catchy chorus and deep lyrics. The composition gives off that late 90s vibe that I love hearing, add Lisa’s sweet vocals on as the cherry on top and you have a silky smooth creation of a song. “Mirror Mirror” brings you back to the days of when R&B was all over the place and leaves you wanting more.

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

Luna's Ongaku Go For September 2023!

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With the fall leaves coming upon us, a brand new Ongaku Go has arrived. Following Ken we at OTY 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 featured on this site with our Spotify playlist here!

“Minor na Kiss” by Ai Otsuka

Ai Otsuka released her new EP marble on Sept 9th and it has been an absolute joy to listen too. “Minor na Kiss” is the lead track and a great way to start off this mini album. It has a catchy chorus, with a jazzy composition with it. Ai Otsuka’s vocals still hit that special spot for me, she still carries the cuteness of when she started her career, but you can hear how her voice has matured too. “Minor na Kiss” flows perfect on so many levels.

Check out “Minor na Kiss” by Ai Otsuka here and the music video below.

“Epilogue” by Ms.Ooja

“Epilogue” displays so much soul and emotion from Ms.Ooja and you can feel it in your bones. Ms.Ooja shows off her sultry voice throughout “Epilogue” leading you on a an emotional ride listening to the lyrics. I can always count on Ms.Ooja to give me an amazing ballad that touches my soul and “Epilogue” is just that. The simple composition is very fitting as you concentrate on the vocals and lryics with the composition adding the complimentary feel to it.

Check out “Epilogue” by Ms.Ooja here and the video below.

“Living My Life” by milet

I was excited for milet’s new album, 5am that release last month and I was not disappointed. “Living My Life” is one of the tracks on there and I fell right in love. The lyrics, vocal usage, composition, and how the versus’ flowed. Even though this may seem like a typical milet song, something about the chorus is catchy and resonating. milet’s vocal’s also seem a bit lighter and not as powerful in “Living My Life”, which fits well with the tone of the song very well.

Check out “Living My Life” here and the music video below.

“Beautiful Mess” by NAQT VANE

The first time I heard “Beautiful Mess”, I fell in love with it for the lyrics. Its such a relatable track that I felt connected to it instantly. Harukaze’s voice is the perfect fit and hits on all levels, not to mention you hear more of her vocal range in certain parts as well. Hiroyuki Sawano and Harukaze make a perfect duo when creating music and “Beautiful Mess” is one of the many examples of that.

Check out “Beautiful Mess” by NAQT VANE here and the music video below!

“Summer Time Cinderella” by Ryokuoushoku Shakai

Even though summer has offiicially ended, most of September still felt like summer here and was the perfect time to enjoy “Summer Time Cinderella”. I love the refreshing sound Ryokuoushoku Shakai brings to my summer playlist. This track is more rock and pop, which I needed the unique feel added in. I love how you hear really hear the piano in certain parts which makes the compoistion stand out. I’ve been enjoying “Summer Time Cinderella” on those nice cool summer nights where I can soak in the melodies and lyrics of this fun track.

Check out “Summer Time Cinderella” by Ryokuoushoku Shakai here and the music video below.

Music Corner Week 140: Sincere

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Sincere is a singer-songwriter whom started off lip syncing in the car to her favorite artists. Sincere has a soulful yet delicate voice that stands out and pulls the listener in, which shows in her sytle of music that has a heavy focus on R&B and Soul. She made her debut in 2021 with the digital single ‘Reminder’ but it wasn’t until her 5th single, ‘I’ll be’ until she started gaining momentum. “I’ll be” was selected for ‘NACK’S MONTHLY POWER PLAY’ by listeners and later chosen to be the ending theme for Abema Prime in December. From there on, Sincere skyrocketed to several playlists on amazon prime and Spotify. Due to Sincere’s powerful voice, mixture of Japanese and English, and soulful style, she has garnished much attention not only in Japan but overseas as well.

“Lucky feat. VivaOla” was the first track I heard by Sincere and fell in love with her smooth voice, relaxed composition, and relatable lyrics. From hearing “Lucky”, I instantly submerged myself in her first digital EP, Time and discovered the track “You’re Always Right”, which incorporates all English, plus the composition is a bit more on the mid tempo side. Tracks like “Keeps Beating” and “Are you” showcase an upbeat, poppy yet soulful style in the composition and are a great showcase of Sincere’s vocal range. Sincere’s newest tracks “Water Me” gives off a more R&B-funky vibe while “Our Way” brings a more poppy cute feel but you still feel the soul in it due to the way Sincere carries her voice.

Currently, Sincere has three EP’s, the newest When was that just release on Sept 27, 2023, Just Living (2023), and Time (2022); Nine digital singles with her most recent being “Our Way”. Check out her official website, X, Instagram, and her latest music video below “Our Way”.

Luna's Ongaku Go for August 2023!

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As the hot summer months of August pass us by, that means it’s this months Ongaku Go! We at OTY 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 featured on this site along with our Spotify playlist here!

“TURN IT UP” feat. Candee & ZOT on the WAVE by LANA

LANA originally caught my ear with her track L7 Blues. With the release of her debut EP, 19, “TURN IT UP” became a favorite listen for August. Not to mention, LANA’s appearance at Summer Sonic 2023 added to my addiction. “TURN IT UP” is a heavy hip-hop/R&B track that features a mixture of LANA’s vocals and rap, plus two featured guests, Candee & ZOT on the WAVE, who add the cherry on top for this hot song. The composition fits with LANA’s style and also has that modern sound, plus both the chorus and verses are catchy. My only issue with this is the use of auto-tune by LANA, which isn’t needed, as she has powerful vocal skills.

Check out “TURN IT UP” feat. Candee & ZOT on the WAVE by LANA here and the music video below!

“Summer Dive” by FAKY

Summer is my favorite time of year due to all the fresh sounds that come out and FAKY’s “Summer Dive” is just what I needed in time for it to get sizzling. “Summer Dive” starts out with piano followed by FAKY’s vocals chiming in, giving this track a refreshing feeling for those hot days. The first verse is a little slow but once you get to the chorus, the beat picks up along with the girls’ harmonies. From there, it keeps a consistent upbeat feeling. “Summer Dive” is a track you can dance to, relax in the pool to, karaoke to, or just enjoy as it has a fun, playful vibe that puts you in a good mood. The composition can be odd at certain points in the song, but FAKY knows how to make it work to their benefit so you don’t get taken out of the song. Having Taku Takahashi of m-flo as the producer on this track explains why this song is such a banger.

Check out “Summer Dive” by FAKY here and the music video below!

“BLACK WINGS” by Koda Kumi

It’s obvious that “BLACK WINGS” would make my OG, given Koda Kumi is my Kuu-een, plus this track is absolutely fire. Koda Kumi is in her element with the hip-pop style. “BLACK WINGS” gives off a modern dance vibe with its composition. Koda Kumi combines her vocals with a little bit of light rap mixed in, giving it that hip-hop flare, but with a more pop sound. Both the verses and choruses have a catchiness that pulls you in, although it can be a bit repetitive at times. “BLACK WINGS” feels like a perfect follow-up to Koda Kumi’s mini album WINGS, released in January of this year.

Check out “BLACK WINGS” here and the music video below!

“Summer Ghost” by I Don’t Like Mondays.

“Summer Ghost” came out in July 2023 as a digital single, the perfect time for this summer and it does not disappoint. Despite the lyrics for “Summer Ghost” being a little on the depressing side, I love it as it is so relatable. IDLM knows how to play with your emotions, as this track feels very personal and pulls you in both lyrically and composition-wise. I enjoy the combination of English and Japanese in “Summer Ghost” and how well the band blended it together; it feels like a story despite being a bilingual song, the band executes it perfectly. Upon hearing and constantly listening to “Summer Ghost”, I am even more excited for IDLM’s upcoming album RUNWAY which releases on September 6th.

Check out “Summer Ghost” here and the lyric video below!

“Rendezvous” by Nissy

“Rendezvous” came out in early July, however, it has slid its way into my August playlist. Nissy’s smooth vocals, cute lyrics, and poppy composition made their way into my heart with this track. Nissy knows how to put out songs that make girls swoon and “Rendezvous” is just that. What I love about listening to this is it could easily be danced to with its poppy composition, but it can also be sat and listened to, as I cannot get enough of his sultry voice. Despite this not sounding summery at all, it is just what my playlist this month needed to stand out from just explicitly being summer tunes.

Check out “Rendezvous” by Nissy here and the music video below!

Luna's Ongaku Go For July 2023!

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With Summer currently sizzling on, it's that time of the month for July’s Ongaku Go! We at OTY 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 featured on this site, along with our Spotify playlist here!

“Summer Escape” by RIEHATA

As the title states “Summer Escape” lives up to its title, as it’s the perfect song for your ears to escape to in this heat. RIEHATA has smooth vocals that immediately get you hooked. The composition is a fun fresh beat that imbodies the summer feelings and the lyrics match with it to a T. The transition from English to Japanese is so flawless that you don’t even realize RIEHATA is switching. Whenver I heat “Summer Escape” I just want to groove and sway with the beat. It’s a great way to beat the heat.

Check out “Summer Escape” by RIEHATA here and the live choreography video below!

“Lonely Night” by 7co

I discovered 7co’s “Lonely Night” while browsing Apple Music and just fell in love with the upbeat composition that has a dance vibe. The lyrics and chorus also make “Lonely Night” an easy listen and relatable song that resonates with you. Despite hearing “Lonely Night” back in late May, it has made it heavily into my July rotation as it offers a fresh sound that helps cool the heat down in my mind. Nanako’s vocal’s make “Lonely Night” such a treat with her smooth sound mixed with RYUJA’s unique composition making this a memorable song for that summer night.

Check out “Lonely Night” here and the sound video below!

“Tequilla Sunrise” by Hiromi

With the release of Hiromi’s new digital single, “246”, it brought me back to listening to her discography and as its summer, “Tequilla Sunrise” has made it into my summer playlist. “Tequilla Sunrise” has a poppy R&B composition that gives off a beachy vibe. Hiromi’s vocals are smooth and sulty leaving you soaking it all in. “Tequilla Sunrise” makes me not only want to have the very summery drink, but sit out on a beach or a boat with a drink and enjoy the beauty of the season and this song.

Check out “Tequilla Sunrise” by Hiromi here and the music video below!

“Lovely Day, Lovely Place.” by HIRAIDAI

HIRAIDAI always releases amazing summer tracks and “Lovely Day, Lovely Place.” is one of those tracks. It not only has the summer vibe but that island feel HIRAIDAI is known for. The lyrics make you feel so good inside and the composition matches that good feeling with it’s poppy guitar sound. In some instances, “Lovely Day, Lovely Place” also gives you a little country vibe as well. On a hot summer day or a cool summer night, this track just makes envision you are in your happy place no matter where you are.

Check out “Lovely Day, Lovely Place” by HIRAIDAI here and the music video below!

“Ready4summer” by CREAM

CREAM dropped their new album Chapters back in at the end of June and its been one of my heavily rotated albums this month. The track “Ready4summer” has made it onto several playlists as tis the season. This is an absolute jam with its upbeat composition and lyrics that describe how this summer has been so far. “Ready4summer” might not have the catchiest of “Banana” chorus wise, but the versus’ are lit and easy to sing-a-long and rap with. Staxx-T’s rap is very chill in this and flows with Minami’s vocals flawlessly. It’s the perfect summer jam.

Check out “Ready4summer” by CREAM here and the video clip below!