Asian Kung-Fu Generation is a Japanese alternative rock band formed in Yokohama in 1996. For its entire career, the band has consisted of vocalist Masafumi Gotoh, guitarist Kensuke Kita, bassist Takahiro Yamada, and drummer Kiyoshi Ijichi. Starting out as a college band, Asian Kung-Fu Generation released a series of independent EPs featuring lyrics mostly sung in English. In 2002, they released their major-label EP debut Hōkai Amplifier, from that point singing their lyrics in Japanese. The band's musical style is influenced by seminal Western alternative rock acts as well as their own local Japanese indie-rock and punk scene. Their songs incorporate various aspects of the genres, most typically expressing fast tempos and prominent power chord guitar riffs in addition to rhythmic groove and emotional lyrics. Despite the indie nature of their music, the band has enjoyed worldwide commercial success in addition to critical acclaim. Asian Kung-Fu Generation has been cited as one of the best, most balanced modern rock bands to emerge from Japan in the 2000s.
Exile is a 19-member Japanese boy band. Hiro is the group's leader, who debuted as a member of Zoo under For Life Music, but Exile have released their singles and albums under Avex Group's label Rhythm Zone. Hiro and Avex's president Max Matsuura came from the same high school. In 2003, the six original members of Exile founded the management and entertainment company LDH which has debuted many successful groups and soloists ever since. Exile is the representative group of the company.
Perfume is a Japanese pop girl group from Hiroshima Prefecture, Japan, consisting of Ayano Omoto ("Nocchi"), Yuka Kashino ("KASHIYUKA") and Ayaka Nishiwaki ("a-chan"). The group has been signed with Amuse, Inc. since 2003 and with Universal Music Group since 2012.
"Caramelldansen" is the first track from Swedish music group Caramell's second and final album Supergott released on November 16, 2001. It became an Internet meme in the mid-2000s after a sped-up version of the song was attached to a video loop from the Japanese visual novel Popotan, which went viral. This version of the song was officially released in 2006 to Sweden, and to Japan as "U-u-uma uma", the latter of which charted on Oricon. A virtual group called Caramella Girls was launched to promote the song, renditions in other languages, and other cover songs and original songs.
Coldrain are a Japanese rock band from Nagoya, Japan, who were formed in 2007. The band combines melodic singing with screams typical of the post-hardcore genre. Although the band is Japanese, all of their songs are written in English. The lineup consists of lead vocalist Masato Hayakawa, guitarists Ryo Yokochi (Y.K.C.) and Kazuya Sugiyama (Sugi), bassist Ryo Shimizu (RxYxO) and drummer Katsuma Minatani. Hayakawa has a Japanese father and an American mother and speaks both Japanese and English fluently.
"Headbangeeeeerrrrr!!!!!" is a single by the Japanese heavy metal band Babymetal. Released in Japan on July 4, 2012 in promotion for the album Sakura Gakuin 2012 Nendo: My Generation, the single serves as the third single from the debut album Babymetal. It is also the band's first solo audio release to be released commercially.
"Babymetal / Kiba of Akiba" is a joint single by Japanese heavy metal band Babymetal and otailish death pop band Kiba of Akiba. The single was first released in Japan on March 7, 2012 to promote the album Sakura Gakuin 2011 Nendo: Friends.
Babymetal is the debut studio album by Japanese heavy metal idol group Babymetal. It was first released on February 26, 2014, in Japan through BMD Fox Records, and was re-released on May 29, 2015, in Europe through earMusic, and June 16, 2015, in the United States through RED Associated Labels (RAL) and Sony Music Entertainment. Music from the album dates back to the origins of the band in 2010, and incorporates tracks from their earliest released singles, back when the band was a sub-unit of the Japanese idol group Sakura Gakuin.
"Miniskirt" is a song by South Korean girl group AOA, serving as the lead single for the group's fifth single album of the same name. Written and produced by Brave Brothers, it was released physically and digitally on January 16, 2014 by FNC Entertainment., member Youkyung didn’t participate in the single album release due to the restrictions reasons.
The CD Shop Awards is an annual set of music awards presented in Japan. It is sponsored by All-Japan CD Shop Clerks Union and awarded based on votes by CD shop clerks from all over Japan. It is referred to as a "music edition of Japan Booksellers' Award".
Femm-Isation is the debut studio album by Japanese musical duo Far East Mention Mannequins, who later adapted their name into FEMM. It was released as an independent digital album on October 1, 2014 by Maximum10 and Avex Music Creative Inc. After releasing a digital EP Astroboy in April 2014, Avex announced new material from the group. The album's production was handled by several music producers and songwriters, such as Dan Book, Alexei Misoul, Leah Haywood, Daniel James, Kevin Ross, Andreas Carlsson, and Dreamlab. It also features a guest appearance from FEMM's alter-egos; the managers Honey-B and W-Trouble. Performed in English language, Femm-Isation is primarily an electronic dance album with numerous elements of pop ballad, disco, and eurodance.
Japanese kawaii metal group Babymetal has released four studio albums, twelve live albums, one compilation album, ten video albums, one EP, thirteen singles, and eighteen music videos. Additionally, the group has released music and footage exclusively for the band's defunct fanclub Babymetal Apocalypse and current fanclub The One. As such, these are not included in the main count and are listed separately.
Live at Budokan: Red Night & Black Night Apocalypse is the third live video release by the Japanese heavy metal band Babymetal. It contains two concerts performed at Nippon Budokan shortly after the release of the band's eponymous debut album, and was released on January 7, 2015 in a standard edition and a limited-edition box set exclusively for "The One" fanclub members.
Genic is the twelfth and final studio album and final bilingual (English–Japanese) album by Japanese recording artist Namie Amuro. It was released on June 10, 2015 in three physical formats, and for digital consumption; additionally, it serves as the singer's final studio record since her retirement announcement for September 2018. The album was handled by Western producers, including David Guetta, Bardur Haberg, Joacim "Twin" Persson, Sophie, amongst others. Stylistically, Genic divides its sound between electronic dance music and R&B, and focuses on themes of self-empowerment, having fun, glamour and fashion.
"Doki Doki Morning" is a song by the Japanese heavy metal band Babymetal. The song was released in Japan as an independent DVD single on October 22, 2011, serving as the first single off the debut album Babymetal.
Frederic (フレデリック) is a Japanese rock band from Kobe formed in 2009. The band is signed to A-Sketch Music Label and has, as of 2015, released 4 EPs and multiple singles. In 2015, Frederic won the Kansai block local award at the 7th CD Shop Awards for their album oddloop. This album was released on September 24, 2014 and was also their debut at a major record label.
Depend on Me is the first Japanese studio album by South Korean boy band VIXX. It was released on January 27, 2016, under the labels of Jellyfish Entertainment and CJ Victor Entertainment. It features the single "Depend on Me" and previously released Japanese singles "Error" and "Can't Say".
Made Series is the fifth Japanese-language studio album by South Korean boy band Big Bang. The album was released in Japan through YGEX on February 3, 2016. The eleven tracks includes Japanese versions of three of the group's Korean hits and the original eight songs from 4 single albums released in 2015.
"Run" is a song recorded by South Korean boy band BTS as the lead single for their fourth extended play, The Most Beautiful Moment in Life, Pt. 2 (2015). The original Korean version was released by Big Hit Entertainment on November 30, 2015, in South Korea. The Japanese single version was released on March 15, 2016, under the Pony Canyon label.
"17-sai" is the debut single by Japanese singer Saori Minami. Written by Mieko Arima and Kyōhei Tsutsumi, the single was released by CBS Sony on June 1, 1971. Tsutsumi based the song on "Rose Garden" by Lynn Anderson when he learned it was Minami's favorite song. Arima, who was 40 years old at the time, surprised her close friends when she was able to express the feelings of a 17-year-old girl in the song's lyrics.
