January is a tough month to be an artist- music fans are hot on their heels waiting for the next year-defining record, and it’s make or break for both music main stayers and up and coming acts alike as to whether or not they make their mark and set themselves up for the rest of the year, or get lost in the oncoming wave of new sounds.
This month has already played host to many top tier releases, but today we’re showcasing our pick for the 10 best Japanese songs of January 2022.
Hitsujibungaku – Hikaru Toki (光るとき)
Tokyo’s indie rock trio Hitsujibungaku released their punchy bittersweet single Hikaru Toki (When the Light Shines).
A track with a soaring melody and impassioned vocals, it’s as hopeful as it is dismal, but its sound is bound to stick with you even after just one listen.
In 2021 the song was used as the opening song for The Heike Story, an anime adaptation of Hideo Furukawa’s 2016 translation of The Tale of the Heike.
Hitsujibungaku
Hikaru Toki
MONDO GROSSO – IN THIS WORLD
From one of our most anticipated albums for 2022 so far, IN THIS WORLD is the first single from MONDO GROSSO’s upcoming LP BIG WORLD.
IN THS WORLD is a captivating and moving dance track with vocals by returning collaborator Hikari Mitsushima and piano by none other than Ryuichi Sakamoto. Along with its cinematic string backing and thumping EDM beat, it’s not only the best dance song we’ve heard this month, but it could be the best we hear all year.
MONDO GROSSO DROPS FIRST MUSIC VIDEO FROM NEW ALBUM ‘BIG WORLD’
MONDO GROSSO
BIG WORLD
CHAI – WHOLE (まるごと)
Over the years it’s been tricky to pin CHAI to one genre, but their new single WHOLE exudes more of the dance pop vibes that the band delivered on their 2021 LP WINK.
Produced by Scoobert Doobert, WHOLE was influenced by theme songs of 90’s Japanese TV dramas with lyrics inspired by their themes of universal and unconditional love.
It’s a funky dance banger with an addictive groove and enchanting vocals, the perfect way to kick off the year.
CHAI
WHOLE
Regal Lily – Planet Trash (惑星トラッシュ)
Regal Lily released their 2nd full length LP Living things as C this month along with a video for Planet Trash.
It explores the feeling of wanting to connect with someone and the sense of loneliness one can feel in day to day life. Bittersweet lyrics laced with Regal Lily’s heavy rock sound shift from perky choruses to verses that verge on melancholic.
REGAL LILY RELEASE 2ND FULL ALBUM ‘LIVING THINGS AS C’
Regal Lily
Living things as C
Release Date: 19/01/2022
Label: Sony Music Labels
Get at: CD Japan | Spotify
tamanaramen – glowing arcade
Electronic audio-visual sister duo Hana and Hikam have been releasing an ethereal mix of ambient, techno, and house since 2017.
Their latest single glowing arcade is a playful yet gentle electronic soundscape with a trance beat that feels like a nostalgic 90s revival tune whilst also being one of the freshest sounds of the month.
tamanaramen
glowing arcade
Odotte Bakari No Kuni – NIETZSCHE (ニーチェ)
Odotte Bakari No Kuni are a Kobe born rock unit that are taking the sounds of 1970s Japanese folk and interlacing them with western psychedelic, country, and a hint of 90s indie rock.
Their first release of the year NIETZSCHE was produced during their recent album release tour and first played in the encore of the last show, but it’s by no means a rush job.
A chill existential folk track that dabbles in the psychedelic with a Bowie-esque vocal delivery by frontman Koji. If the triumphant crescendo at the tail end doesn’t give you chills, we don’t know what will.
Odotte Bakari No Kuni
NIETZSCHE
Maharajan – Saki Ni Itte Hoshikatta (先に言って欲しかった)
Since coming onto the scene in 2019 Maharajan has steadily been producing some of the most stand-out dance rock and R&B tunes from Japan, but his new single Saki Ni Itte Hoshikatta sees him try his hand at an all-new sound.
Featuring OKAMOTO’S bassist Hama Okamoto, this new track is an alternative rock jam with surf rock verses and a heavy chorus that give off big Highly Evolved era The Vines vibes.
Despite the different approach for this single, Maharajan still packs the coolness and humour of his previous work into this song all while proving his capabilities as an artist to take his sound in new directions.
Maharajan
Saki Ni Itte Hoshikatta
Analogfish – Yakisoba
It’s nice to take a moment from time to time and appreciate the smaller pleasures in life, and Analogfish’s Yakisoba is a gentle reminder of that.
From their 2021 album SNS, Yakisoba is an easy listening rock track about the simple act of buying, cooking, and eating some good old fashioned yakisoba. There’s not much else to this song, but there’s joy in the simplicity of it all- just don’t put it on when you’re hungry.
Analogfish
SNS
CVLTE – hedonist.
Since everyone and their grandmothers have been talking about When We Were Young Festival we’ve been on a pop-punk kick, and Sapporo born CVLTE have been scratching that itch.
However their latest single hedonist. leans more into the pop side of the genre with brighter guitars and peppy drums- think The 1975 meets AS IT IS.
It has a level of pop cheese that brings back memories of listening to bands like Paramore and Fall Out Boy, and honestly, we f**k with it.
CVLTE
hedonist.
Schuwa Schuwa – Uzu
Dropping their first single since forming in 2019, Schuwa Schuwa, a contemporary hybrid pop music duo from Tokyo, are an up and coming act that’s worth keeping your eyes on in 2022.
Uzu is a funky pop tune interwoven with hip-hop loops backed by shimmering guitars. Inspired by romance manga Kowloon Generic Romance, the song reflects on introspection and the changing of ones emotions.
The duo, comprised of Kohei Watanabe and Teruko Konse, are a creative powerhouse that handle everything from music production and lyric writing, to directing music videos and artwork creation.
Schuwa Schuwa will drop their debut EP Are You Schuwa? this March.
