ARTICLES
My View of 2004 Japanese Music Scenario
After taking so long, here is my 2004 review. I have to say that my knowledge about Japanese music are usually limited to my favorite artists and genres, so, well, this is just my reading of the situation.
It was certainly a year where I got to meet pretty good artists, not always new ones. Yuko Nakazawa (ex-Momusu) who released some pretty neat singles; Rimi Natsukawa (I know she is really old now, but I just got to listen to her in '04), Ayaka Hirahara, Kyogo Kawaguchi, Ai Otsuka...
These three ones along with Hayami Kishimoto and Yoh Hitoto really shone last year. I would like to add three tight b and TiA as people who I truly adored. And Hitomi Shimatani, who did a quite neat job during said year, although she had been there all along.
As we are talking about debut and listening for the first time, we did have a Korean invasion in Japan coming with Winter Sonata, a drama showed in NHK that started in April. From then on, Japan opened for that country and now they are success. Ryu, the pioneer in that made such a success thanks to the soap. But there was Lee Soo Young, Sugar (who was there already, but I think they had this hit "Go the Distance" just then), Jewelry (releasing more than ever), Lee Jung Hyun (who got to appear at Kohaku Utagassen, a big year end event, along with Ryu and BoA). There were others that made a try like Jang Nara, S... And others that are rumored to try: Se7en, Bi...
And there was also China invasion, with more of Joshi Junnin, successes of Rie Fu (Life is Like a Boat, anyone?) amin...
Maybe 2005 will also be full of them? As the new came, some old groups were undone. m-flo lost Lisa in 2003 and following that Zone, Porno Graffitti and, as always, Morning Musume lost precious members this year.
Things did not go fine for Hello!Project. Precious members from its main group were graduated such as Ai Kago, Nozomi Tsuji (both forming W, which I personally thought as kind of ridiculous, but cute) and Natsumi Abe. This latter made a buzz when right before performing as Natsumi Nochiura (with Ayaya and Gocchin) scandals of her plagiarized poems got all over the Internet. Result: she is out for some months, right in the end/beginning of year which is when H!P girls usually release albums.
Maybe Tsunku would have better stuck to Gommatou.
But while some were separating, others were coming back together: who's better than L'Arc~en~Ciel to talk about? The group could get their fans back and fame with a good album that answered fans expectations. And Glay finally released new singles with more frequency (now I ask with that has anything to do with that good old rivalry between the bands... Anyway, I was really happy). I would like to add Garnet Crow to the list, as they were also kind of out in 2003 and also Love Psychedelico, for the same reason.
And there were the solos: Tomomi Kahala, Hiro, Hitomi, Sonim, Puffy... and Ami Suzuki gave us a date for hers!
While Koreans came to Japan, the country invaded the US! Great concerts were held all over the country like Nami Tamaki's, Koda Kumi's, Laruku's (said to be one of the best), Do As Infinity...
As I'm talking about success in America, let's not forget about the big fiasco Hikaru Utada, as UTADA gave us. After a year without releasing, she came up with a cute ballad single. We could see how her voice matured and so did her song. Not her style, many mistakes during the song, but Dareka no Negai ga Kanau Koro was a good piece.
Now, talk about Exodus album! She tried to japamericanize and the mix didn't taste good at all. I liked some songs but as a fan. I wouldn't love her as I do if that were her first album. The release happened without a good publicity and we saw her making a fool out of herself in radios, tvs and video. Everyone stopped and asked: where's hikki!?
But we did have a success: Puffy. The duo is making a buzz in New York buses with the poster of tehir new cartoon, broadcasted by Cartoon Network. It's Powerpuff Girls' style but it did work. Now we are waiting for it to go worldwide.
Now, there were so many deceptions in 2004... After hikki's new album we had our biggest idols Namie Amuro and Ayumi Hamasaki releasing singles all alike. We did have more of Mika Nakashima, 2002 big revelation. But a lot of boring songs altogether.
Even with that, ayu's new album is really good and i really hope the others' also to be. Plus, this is Japanese business, many go, three times more appear and so it goes.
A good year for music in spite of such tragedies as Niigata's earthquake.
Now let's wait for 2005!
Anita, 2004.01.24
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