A J-pop artist concern

[AsianBlossom]

Hi peoples! Um, I'm looking around at J-pop and J-rock artists for iTunes download, and I saw that someone had mentioned Ayumi Hamasaki on here saying that they already listened to her music and were looking for other clean artists, so I went to check out her songs on the anime lyrics dot com website. That's when I saw the cover for her latest CD, and, frankly, I'm a little shocked and surprised. Can anyone tell me what this is all about? Thank you.

Oh, and if you can also recommend some other clean artists (besides Puffy; I know they're good), that'd be great too. (And yes, I know Porno Graffitti is ridiculously clean, but my dad's going to be using his account to download, so...yeah.)

[beau99]

Eh... it's just artistic expression. Nothing more.

[ShiroiHikari]

I don't really like Ayumi, but that's just my personal opinion based on her music. >_>;

I highly recommend L'Arc-En-Ciel. The only song I can think of that isn't clean is Lover Boy, but other than that, it's all good. Also, try Gackt; just stay away from the song Vanilla. XD

[AsianBlossom]

Okay, thanks.

Um, artistic expression? O_o

[Callisto]

Are you talking about the A Jacket cover to her new album "Secret"? I don't see anything wrong with it. She's wearing a dress and nothing is showing but her back.

Jpop and Jrock? Hmm that's rather vague. Here's a list of clean artists I like that kinda fall into those categories (I guess, though some are visual/oshare kei)-

Aikawa Nanase
alice.nine
Asian Kung Fu Generation
AYA (although a couple of her songs are not, such as "Rabbi Doll")
Aya Matsuura
BoA* (Korean but sings in Japanese too)
Every Little Thing
Funta
Gackt (beware "Vanilla" and "Papa Lapped a Pap Lopped")
Haruko Momoi
anything from Hello!Project
HYDE
Judy and Mary
Kana
Kotoko
Közi
L'arc~en~Ciel
LM.C (aka Lovely Moco-chang)
Mean Machine
Mini Moni
Minmi
Miyavi (mostly...)
Morning Musume
Orange Range
Otsuka Ai
Plastic Tree
Psycho le Cemu
Round Table
Shena Ringo
T.M. Revolution
the pillows
The Seatbelts
TWO-MIX
Utada Hikaru (but NOT her American album "Exodus")
W (double you)

This list is probably outdated, I just copied it from my LJ interests. If you have any questions, just ask. I can show examples if need be.

[EricTheFred]

If you like Ayumi, you may also like Suara. Similar styles, except Ayumi rocks out a little more. Suara has one of the best voices around, IMHO, and as best as I can tell (my Japanese is pretty basic) she keeps the lyrics clean.

There are several jackets to 'Secret', and I wasn't sure which one you meant. I didnt' see anything too troublesome when I searched around. Go to Yesasia.com to see both jackets. You can clearly see the dress she's wearing in the "B" version.

My other theory is the tattoo bothers you?

Anyway, L'arc-en-ciel's latest cover would bother me before this one did (but it doesn't. The naked girl on the cover is fully covering herself, and her pose isn't suggestive in any way.)

[AsianBlossom]

Actually, the CD was called something like "A Ballads". I just realized that maybe the list of CD covers on the website might be from oldest to newest instead of the other way around, meaning that "Secret" might be the newest one.

Tattoos (unless they're clearly evil symbols or something) don't really bother me too much. I personally wouldn't get one, but seeing them on a person doesn't really bother me.

And to Callisto: O.O wowwee, that's a lot of suggestions! Domo arigatou gozaimash'ta! I'm sure to find something in there.

[Godly Paladin]

Reccing L'Arc-En-Ciel is funny because they were nuked for drug use back when Kenshin was coming stateside - hence you don't hear the Fourth Avenue Cafe on the CN version.

[beau99]

Reccing L'Arc-En-Ciel is funny because they were nuked for drug use back when Kenshin was coming stateside - hence you don't hear the Fourth Avenue Cafe on the CN version.

Actually, only one member (Sakura) used drugs, and he was fired from the band for it.

[ilikegir33]

I recommend L'Arc En Ciel, Gackt (beware Vanilla), Utada Hikaru (just don't listen to Exodus), FLOW, Orange Range, Boom Boom Satellites, some of Peelander-Z's songs, Polysics, and Morning Musume.

[EricTheFred]

My curiosity had to be satisfied, so I chased this particular cover down. Both women in the picture are in fact Ayumi. The note on the album stated that "The superstar expressed that the idea comes from her need to console herself and her wish to cure her past self." Hard to say whether this is sincere, or a weak excuse to get some Yuri flavor into the picture.

[beau99]

Gackt (beware Vanilla), Utada Hikaru (just don't listen to Exodus).

"Vanilla" is a good song though...

As for Utada, I do agree. Not due to content or anything, but just because it's a terrible album.

[Mr. SmartyPants]

I'm particularly fond of:
M-Flo (Some VERY nice j-pop. I highly recommend them. Youtube some of them. XD Here's one of them)
Polysics (For their new-wave unconventional electronic style that they are famous for)
m.o.v.e. (For their wide variety of music that ranges from Rap to Epic Rock)
Some Utada Hikaru (Albeit I don't have much of her music. I do like "Traveling)
Asian Kung-Fu Generation (Sol-Fa is a great album).

That's pretty much all the J-Music I listen to. XD

[josh_manga]

Hiroki Kikuta!!!! Secret of Mana official game soundtrack, RARE!!! And i got one!!!
very repetitious, but also very cool at times, just wish it were separated into tracks, rather than being one long soundstream. Don't get me wrong, i rather enjoy Pink Floyd's track segues, but they at least have separate tracks!!! :-s

[AsianBlossom]

Whoa, thanks everyone!

And thank you, EricTheFred, for putting my "concern" mostly to rest. However, I agree that she might've been adding some "yuri" to the cover. But I wouldn't have guessed that both of them were her.

[beau99]

Hard to say whether this is sincere, or a weak excuse to get some Yuri flavor into the picture.

I'd say she's telling the truth. Yaoi/yuri are both considered immoral even by Japanese standards.

[AsianBlossom]

Even by Japanese standards? Really? o.o

Then you have to wonder why some like it. I guess that while you have a norm, you're going to have people who go against that norm.

Now! If only I can find a way to get a Japanese iTunes card...Ai Otsuka's 'Sakuranbo' is starting to drive me crazy, but in a good way.

EDIT: Actually, the American iTunes has Ai Otsuka. Cool.

[ilikegir33]

Also, I think that most of Guitar Wolf's stuff is OK, it's just really loud.

[beau99]

Even by Japanese standards? Really? o.o

Yeah. Japan is much more intolerant of homosexuality and related things than the USA. Surprised me when I found out, but it's true.

[AsianBlossom]

Wow. I mean, I knew that it was kind of like that, but I didn't realize they thought it was immoral. Now that makes me wonder why there's so much out there that is or references yaoi/yuri stuff. Geesh.

[EricTheFred]

Just like in the US, that which is considered immoral is often prime material for the entertainment industry. Judging typical Japanese attitudes by what Japanese TV serves up would be as accurate as judging American attitudes through the products of Hollywood. Which should tell you why so many foreigners believe Americans to be the most decadent people in the universe.

[minakichan]

If you're looking for some other great artists who might be just outside of the limelight, might I recommend:

JPOP:
Rie Fu - Pretty easy listening, clear voice, sings a lot of perfect English, also may be Christian. I'm not 100% sure on that. Her lyrics are nice, always clean and pretty fresh.
YUI - Her singing isn't always perfect, but her voice has this quality to it; some have described it as "haunting." It's very distinct.
Suga Shikao - His voice is... I guess the word would be "sexy?" It's very attractive. His songs aren't that clean-- 19sai has decent lyrics, but the PV is highly inappropriate.

JROCK:
abingdon boys school - They're a little goth-punky and I wouldn't call them clean, but TMR fronts them, so the sound is great.
UVERworld - TAKUYA's voice is cool, pretty distinct. I love their sound, and their music tends to be really good.

By the way, I would say that while Gackt's music might not be that bad, his... behavior is terrible. He's a player who is rumored to have illicit relationships with lots of fans, and some of the things he does in concerts are so bad that I really don't feel comfortable writing about them here. And lots of Jrockers-- esp. VK-- are not dissimilar.

[beau99]

By the way, I would say that while Gackt's music might not be that bad, his... behavior is terrible. He's a player who is rumored to have illicit relationships with lots of fans,

That's an incorrect rumor.

and some of the things he does in concerts are so bad that I really don't feel comfortable writing about them here. And lots of Jrockers-- esp. VK-- are not dissimilar.

That's a method of fanservice which the artists themselves don't actually like doing.

[minakichan]

That's a method of fanservice which the artists themselves don't actually like doing.

Even if they don't enjoy doing that, it doesn't make it any less bad. For example, prostitutes don't always enjoy their line of work, but that doesn't make it justified.

[AsianBlossom]

Thank you for the recommendations. I'll look into a few of those.

And yeah, I guess that's a reason that people would think that way about us.