2009/05/26

What's popular in Japan?: Music

Since I don't have anything to do at work again...
I'll write about popular things in Japan!

The most popular song in this week is...
I am xxx by Glay

Glay (グレイ) is a rock/pop band from Hakodate, Hokkaidō, Japan formed by guitarist Takuro and vocalist Teru during high school in 1988. Glay primarily composes songs in the rock and pop genres, but they have also composed songs using elements of different styles such as reggae and gospel. As of 2008, they had sold an estimated amount of 28 million records of forty-three singles and 23 million copies of fourteen albums about 37,8 million of which in Japan alone, according to Oricon charts.


Yes, they are popular. Now they look like this...

Before they looked like this...

This types of band is called "Visual-kei". Visual kei ("visual style") refers to a movement among Japanese musicians, that is characterized by the use of eccentric, sometimes flamboyant looks. This usually involves striking make-up, unusual hair styles and elaborate costumes, often, but not always, coupled with androgynous aesthetics. Some sources state that Visual Kei refers to a music genre, or to a sub-genre of J-rock (a term referring to Japanese rock in general), with its own particular sound, related to glam-rock, punk and metal. However other sources state that Visual Kei's unique clothing and make-up, fashion, and participation in the related sub-culture, is equally as important as the sound of the music itself in the use of the term.
If you go to Harajuku on Sundays, you see girls still dress like them.
Also, JUJU is pretty popular in Japanese music scene now. She is a Japanese singer song writer living in New York.
TVXQ is also popular. TVXQ (often stylized TVXQ!or TVfXQ), an acronym for Tong Vfang Xien Qi (東方神起), are a South Korean boy band quintet.
I don't really listen to J-pop or J-rock very much, so I don't really know what's popular. I just got these information from Wikipedia and Yahoo Japan. Japanese popular songs are sometimes pretty cheesy and catchy. That's why I don't listen to them.But Mongol 800 and Rip Slyme are cool! Mongol 800 is punk and Rip Slyme is hip-hop/pop. Some of my friends like Polysics. You should check their PVs!
Well, I should go and pretend that I'm working:P

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