pop music musings
 
In between adventures with teaching English, food, avoiding obnoxious gaijin, and just plain commuting to work everyday, there's always one thing about Japan that never bores me: it's popular music.

Pop music here in Japan, (or J-Pop as it's affectionately known) is a multi-million dollar industry, with a business model that makes American music companies drool.

Can you imagine CD singles priced at $12 that contain only 2 songs?
Can you imagine a steady stream of CD singles released every week?
Can you imagine CD albums priced at an average of $26 to $39?
Can you imagine every commercial, sporting event, or show on TV having music "borrowed" from a current popular artist? (with the name of the artist and the song shown in small letters at the bottom for your consumer pleasure)

All of these things are reality here in Japan and the Japanese pop music industry is quite a beast.  My friend Mel once made the observation that the average lifespan of a pop song here in Japan is ridiculously short compared to pop music in America.  Back home in America, you might hear the same damn song for 6 months of the radio... here in Japan, so many new songs are released at a constant rate that even the most popular songs only last in regular rotation for about 3 months (there are exceptions, but those are for the really popular songs).

Insane, eh?

 
.:.

 
Though Ayumi Hamasaki is probably the most popular J-Pop singer in Japan, I don't really consider myself much of a fan.  Whole research papers could probably be written about her influence on Japanese womens' fashion, though... a pretty telling sign of a pop star's influence domination is that almost every girl in Japan wants to look like her.

Did I mention that Japan freely uses the term Idol to describe pop singers?  Yes, even before "American Idol" was blitzing American airwaves, it was a common term here.  (for more discussions of idol-age, I refer to Dave's entry.)

Other "idols" of note:  Amuro Namie (jailbait), Hikaru Utada (beautiful voice, writes own songs), Nakashima Mika (great voice too), Misia (another great voice, huge range), Aya (more jailbait)Koda Kumi (often missing clothing)

Oh, and don't even get me started on Morning Musume... a whole group of jailbait. (translation: Morning Daughter)

 
.:.

 
Enough rambling.  Just chill and listen to some Tommy Heavenly 6. (right-click save as).  She's like a Japanese Lisa Loeb... we all know that girls with librarian glasses are meccha kawaii (really cute), eh? 

I like the lyrics of this song...   (borrowed from here)

"Hey My Friend" by Tommy Heavenly 6

furitsudzuita nagai ame ga agaru
I have waited long time... yeah
iradachi wo kakushite 
(The long, continuous rain stops 
I have waited long time... yeah 
I hide my irritation)

kyou mo nibui zutsuu no you ni hibiku
Noisy sound out of my head phone
BEDDO ni nagetsukete 
(Even today, the noisy sound out of my head phones 
echoes like a sharp headache  & I fling myself into bed)

hikizuru you ni arukidasu ashita e to
kon'ya mo utsushidasu inori no silhouette 
(I begin to walk to tomorrow like I'm dragging myself 
Tonight also, there's a silhouette of a prayer that's projected out)

Hey my friend
naze darou anata no koe ga kikoeru
Hello myself
kakureteta hikari ga mieta ki ga shita  ah 

(Hey my friend 
I wonder why I can hear your voice 
Hello myself 
I felt that I could see the hidden light, ah)

surechigai  miushinau to mou wakaranai
I lose my way without you
deguchi ga mienakute 
(I didn't know that I passed it by and lost sight of it 
I lose my way without you 
The exit isn't visible)

nantonaku nakisou ni naru no
I don't know where my heart is...
sunao ni narenakute 
(Somehow I get teary 
I dont know where my heart is... 
I can't be straight-forward)

owaranai yume ya genjitsu ga dou toka
saegiru mono ni torawarete ita kedo 
(The endless dreams, reality, etc. 
I was caught up with the interruptions)

Hey my friend
tsumadzukanai ikikata nado nai kara
Baby i think...
kazaru dake no PURAIDO nara iranaiah
woo... 
(Hey my friend 
we stumble over life, so 
Baby i think... 
If it's just a flashy pride, I don't need it 
ah woo...)

aoi sora wa soko ni aru no?
where are you babe?
I lose my way without you
kono kiri ga haretara... 
(Is the blue sky there? 
where are you babe? 
I lose my way without you 
When this fog clears...)

kawaru nanka ni mune wo odorasete itai
subete ga detarame ni mieru kono sekai de 
(I want to make my heart dance because of something that changes 
Everything in this world appears to be in chaos)

Hey my friend
naze darou anata no koe ga kikoeru
Hello my self
michibikareru you ni mieta mirai ga aru no
dakedo  fumihazusu michi ga chikaku ni aru nara
need my friend
anata ga kidzuita toki ni wa oshiete 
(Hey my friend 
I wonder why I can hear your voice 
Hello myself 
In order to be guided, there's a future that's visible 
But, if a stray path is close by, 
hey my friend 
tell me when you realize it)


posted by G at 6:51 AM   |

in?scrip?tion (n-skrip-shun)n.
1. The act or an instance of inscribing.
2. Something, such as the wording on a coin, medal, monument, or seal, that is inscribed.
3. A short, signed message in a book or on a photograph given as a gift.
4. The usually informal dedication of an artistic work.
5. Jeremiah 31:33