Hey guys! Sorry for the missed post on Friday. I wasn’t feeling well so I decided to take a weekend off of blogging. 🙂

15. DD Jump – Dancing Dolls

DD Jump did what I wish Morning Musume had done this year; it took the song Love Machine and added a new twist on it. The song sounds VERY different to Love Machine as we know it, but the basic elements are in there as they made it much more of a dance track, and made it a song to really fit Dancing Dolls while taking the original framework from Morning Musume. For updating a song from 1999 DD Jump sounds fresh and exciting. However, even if I didn’t already have a bit of a history with Love Machine, DD Jump is just a well-paced, fun and energetic song that always brings me up. All the members sound fantastic in it, with top notch vocals and rapping, and it’s just a well produced, well-made dance track that happens to have well-known origins.

14. Shuto Iten Keikaku – Team Syachihoko

So, much like last year, I loved just about everything that Team Syachihoko did this year. In terms of what I listen to on a regular basis, Syachi’s discography could easily be up top. So I’m narrowing it down to my top two Syachihoko songs of the year, though know I wish that I could put Summer Lover and Ai no Chikyuusai on this list.

I didn’t love Shuto Iten Keikaku at first listen. After the high energy fun of songs like The Stardust Bowling and Otome Juken Sensou, Shuto Iten Keikaku felt very different. However, after a couple of listens, I began to appreciate Shuto Iten Keikaku a lot more. It was written by hip hop performer SEAMO and that shows. Most idol songs throw in an occasional rap verse, and even idol songs that are mostly rap based still feel like idol songs. This feels a lot darker and heavier than most of those, and isn’t a sound I hear much from idol pop.

However, this is combined with some goofy lyrics, which are all about how Japan should change its capitol to Nagoya (where Syachihoko are from). It feels like far too serious of a song to have such silly lyrics, but that’s part of Team Syachihoko’s charm. They are a goofy group that happen to do a lot of interesting things in their music. It’s Team Syachihoko’s way of saying “yeah, this song isn’t idolly, but it’s still us.”

While it might take a couple of listens, this is one of the most interesting idol songs of the year and is one of my favorites.

13. Rappa Renshuuchuu – Watanabe Mayu

I know this has been mentioned before, but for using oreskaband this isn’t a very ska sounding song. Which is a shame, because I would love more ska-inspired idol music. However, WOW I really loved Rappa Renshuuchuu.

The song is pretty much a typical idol song. The melody reminds me of one of my favorite songs of last year, Avocado Janeeshi. However, where this song shines is in the fantastic instrumentation and arrangement. I love hearing so much brass as well as some piano and strings. As Watashi ga Iu Mae ni Dakishimenakya ne proved, there ought to be more variety in the instruments used in idol music, and this is another great example.

That’s not to say the melody fails in any way; this song is cute, sweet, and generally what I want from an idol song. However, the instrumentation is where Rappa Renshuuchuu shines brightest, and it’s something I wish more idol producers would take note of.

12. Walk My Way – Yokoyama Rurika

Idol vocals aren’t something I particularly care about in my favorites. One of my all-time favorite idols is Ishikawa Rika (though I personally love her voice). However, when there’s very strong idol vocals, that’s something I can appreciate. Yokoyama Rurika has fantastic vocals. Pair that with a song by Hyadain that is one of his more standard but still great songs, and you’ve got a winner. I don’t follow Idoling!!! much, but I’ve been missing out on a talent in Rurika. I just hope she continues more of her solo career, because she sounds so great in both of her singles. This is a case where a well-written song and some fantastic vocals go a long way to establishing a quality song.

11. Bokura no Eureka – NMB48

This is a song I know people criticized for hearing songs like this before, but I really love it. I think, again, part of it is the arrangement. The strings sound amazing here. But beyond that, there’s a really great feel to Eureka that I can’t really put my finger on; just everything combined makes me feel a bit melancholy. It’s a lovely song, and one that surprised me with how much I liked it, since I wasn’t too fond of most of what the 48 groups did in early 2013. This song is just wonderful, and one I’m glad relaunched my enthusiasm in the 48 groups after their less than stellar first quarter.