Thursday, November 19, 2020

SixTONES 1st album, 1ST

 I was thinking we would be getting another single before an album, but nope, SixTONES will be ringing in the new year with their debut album, aptly named 1ST, coming out on January 6th, 2021. Like their singles it will come in two limited editions and a regular edition with different track listings for each version.

The first limited edition, or the Genseki Ban as it is being called, is the usual CD and DVD combo. The first 10 tracks on the album are the same as all the other editions, which includes the three title tracks from their singles so far. Then there are five more songs, all from their Junior era that are being released on CD for the first time. The songs are,  この星のHIKARI (Kono Hoshi no HIKARI),  BE CRAZY,  Laugh In the LIFE,  Rollin', and RAM-PAM-PAM. The DVD will have the music video for the album track ST, as well as the making of and solo angle versions of the MV.

The other limited edition is called the Neiro Ban and is also a CD and DVD combo. The exclusive songs on this version are three songs of two member units with the six members being paired off into duos. The DVD will have music videos for each unit song.

The regular edition is the usual CD only. It will have three tracks exclusive to it, two new songs and an album remix of the B-Side song Telephone. The first press version of the regular edition will come with a photo booklet and a sleeve for the CD.


Between December and January I am going to have very little extra disposable income outside of getting new releases. Especially releases like this where I plan on getting all the different editions. But I cannot pass up getting a version that has bonus music tracks. Plus there are Junior era tracks, and duets that are getting music videos! Sony Music Japan basically doled out a release that hit all my weaknesses. Thankfully I will have a little extra money coming in so while I cannot buy them all at once I should be able to have them all in only two orders.

That said the only Johnny's group I have to worry about announcing a new release soon will be Kis-My-Ft2, who are due a new single around now so I await that announcement soon.

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Thursday, November 12, 2020

NEWS closing out the year with at Triple A-side single

 Looks like NEWS will be starting their new era as a three member group as the year ends. The single is a triple A-side, Beautiful/Chinchaumakka/Canaria, and will be released on December 23rd.

The first limited edition, Type A, will be a CD and DVD combo. The CD will have all three A-side songs as well as a B-side that is exclusive to this edition. The DVD will have the music video for Beautiful as well as the making of footage.

The second limited edition, Type B, will be a CD and DVD combo. The CD will have all three A-side songs as well as a B-side that is exclusive to this edition. The DVD will have the music video for Chinchaumakka as well as the making of footage.

The regular edition is just the CD with the title tracks. For the B-side it looks to have a new version of Endless Summer. This version also has the karaoke tracks for the title tracks.

There is then a special edition that is only available for a limited time through the Johnny's Shop Online website. It will come with a tote bag that the members have produced themselves as well as a photo book.


With the release date I am going to considering getting this single as a Christmas present for myself. And I am going to have try to see about using a proxy service or something to get the special edition that is only available from the Johnny's Shop Online. So that will be an interesting experience. Either way I am super excited for this release.

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Wednesday, November 11, 2020

Hey! Say! JUMP getting fairytale Fab

 I just realized that it has been about a year since getting back into Johnny's as I recall Hey! Say! JUMP's album Parade being the first new release from the group that I picked up. Which of course means I should have been expecting their next album to be released before the end of the year. I was not though so it took me by surprise to have it announced to be released December 16th. 

This album carries a theme of fairy tales with most of the songs being inspired by a fairy tale. The title of the album is Fab! -Music speaks-. It will come in 3 editions, 2 limited and 1 regular edition. Both limited editions are CD and DVD combos. 

This first limited edition has 16 song tracks on the CD and then on the DVD it has the music video and making of footage for the album track Fab-ism. It will also come with a large sized 32-page photo booklet with lyrics.

The second limited edition has the same track listing for the CD as the first le. The DVD has two music videos for three of the songs on the album, Okami Seinen, Senya Ichiya and Naimono Nedari as well as making of footage for the Okami Seinen music video. It will have a 40-page photo booklet with lyrics.

The regular edition has a bonus track that is not included with either of the limited editions. The lyric booklet included can be folded out to become a poster.


There are previews up for some of the songs from the album already and I am really looking forward to it. It sounds like it is going to be another solid album from the group. 

Of course I am sadly not going to be able to get all the versions, there is just too much coming out for all the groups I am following to afford everything. It'll just be the regular edition for me as I want the bonus track.

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Thursday, November 5, 2020

Morning Musume didn't give completely give up on 2020 after all

 I swear I had been lamenting the fact that it looked like we would only be getting one CD release from Morning Musume this year before seeing that they announced they were going to squeeze in one final release for the year. The single is a double A-side single with the title tracks 

The limited editions are CD and DVD combos. The Type A LE has the music video of Jyunjyo Evidence and the making of footage for it while the Type B has the music video and making of footage for the other A-side, Gyusaretai Dakenanoni. The CDs for all versions have the same track listing of the title tracks and karaoke versions of them.

The special edition is a CD and DVD combo like the limited editions. The DVD will have the dance shot and close up versions of the music videos of both A-sides.


The regular editions will just be the CD. Each version will have a different CD jacket. The first press editions will come with a randomly selected trading card of either a member of Morning Musume '20 or a group card for a total of 15 different variations.

And a notable fact about the songs are that both are written by Tsunku. 


That all covered I am looking forward to a new single from the group. I wish Hello!Project would release more consistently for them, or just about any of their groups, but they do help me save money by releasing so little. But I am curious to what kind of Tsunku songs we are getting so hopefully we'll get previews soon.
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Sunday, November 1, 2020

J-Storm becomes a Youtube channel

Johnny's has finally decided that Arashi will not be the only group on their own music labels that can have their music videos on Youtube as they have opened a Youtube channel for the artists on their J-Storm and Johnny's Entertainment labels. 

So far they have a mix of music videos (shortened versions though) and concert performances, all of course for the latest releases of the artists featured. NEWS is the only noticeable absence, but I am certain that is because Johnny's does not want to put anything up when they were 4 members and do not have anything yet for the current 3 member line up.

I have to assume that with the record label being closed when Arashi goes on hiatus that this is how the J-Storm name lives on. And with Johnny's loving to recycle names and concepts it is pretty fitting to be used like this.

Not surprised these are not full versions of the music videos, though I do wish Johnny's was more upfront about that as they are all just listed as official music videos but obviously cut off near the end of the song. Or come up with another way to incentivize fans to by the DVDs with the music video than cutting the videos short. I honestly think Hello! Project had a great idea to put hardsubs of the Japanese lyrics and English translations on their music videos on Youtube so they not only force fans to get the DVDs to get the clean version but also helps make the videos more accessible to English language fans so they know what is being sung about, even with some of the questionable translations.

Either way I am glad to see Johnny's growing their digital foot print. And what is up still gives a good idea to whether or not someone will like a song. Plus they are not region locked. So still a nice step to becoming a bit more international that I am appreciating. 

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