Best j-pop dance songs
Friday, September 28, 2012
Like all other industries, danceable songs are really popular in the j-pop industry as well. There are a lot of groups that do dance tracks and some of these songs (as well as their choreography) is brilliant. Here is a list of dance songs that I think are the best. Obviously, I have not heard every dance song, so feel free to comment with your favorites.
The songs are in no particular order of preference and are not rated.
1. Give me a shake by MAX- MAX is a group from Okinawa. The girls used to be part of Super Monkeys with Namie Amuro but are now a separate group. MAX has high-impact, powerful choreography and are nothing like the cardboard-cutout cutesy idols. Most of their songs are really well written. Give me a shake is one of their most popular songs and features really powerful vocals for a dance song. Its rhythm is easy to follow.
2. Feel so Right by MAX- This is another song by MAX. It also features great dance moves and has a strong beat. It features low parts which showcases MAX's vocals. It is a song that will get you addicted on first listen. It was the ending theme of captain tsubasa.
3. BODY FEELS EXIT by Namie Amuro- This was Namie's debut single and is still one of her most powerful singles. The vocals are a bit high pitches and nasal, especially compared to Namie's current vocals, but the song has a strong melody with a latin-like atmosphere. Namie has also done a lot of good dance tracks. UNUSUAL, a collaboration with Yamashita Tomoshisa as well as some other tracks on her CHECKMATE album are really good too.
4. Can't stop Falling in love by globe- Tetsuya is a famous dance music producer and his own band globe has a great wealth of good dance songs in its discography. Can't stop falling in love really stands out in my opinion because of its mellowness even though it is a dance track.
5. Beginner by AKB48- This is a techno-dance track by girl group AKB48. The dance moves are quite good and this song is different from what AKB48 usually does. It is quite unique for a dance song because it features comparatively girly vocals with multiple vocalists. I think Seifuku ga jama wo suru by AKB48 is also a good dance track, though it might sound a bit oldish.
6. Computer City by Perfume- Although perfume is an electropop group, their songs are seriously danceable. Polyrythm, Love the world and chocolate disco are some of their other tracks which are very good.
7. Realize by Nami Tamaki- This is a dance song with strong vocals. IIt was used as the ending for Gundam seed and has a somewhat 'superhero anime' feel. But it sounds mysterious in the chorus.
8. Angelus by Hitomi Shimatani- This is a latin-inspired song by Hitomi Shimatani. She usually does crossover songs with a strong dance element. Out of all her dance songs, Angelus stands out most because of the energy in the song. It starts with a brass intro and choppy verses accompanied by Hitomi's fluid vocals.
9. The boys by Girl's generation- This song is seriously addictive. The more you listen to it, the more addicted you will get. Girl's generation is a relatively new act in the j-pop scene and they are rapidly gaining popularity. The beats are strong and the girls' voice has enough attitude to pull such a song off smoothly. The dance moves are beautiful and will keep your eyes glued to the screen. A flawless track but it takes a few listens to stick on you.
10. TABOO by Koda Kumi- This is a club dance track by Koda Kumi. Her sandpaper like gruff vocals just take this song to another level. There are no high parts, but teh main highlight of this song is Koda Kumi's voice, which is perfectly suited for dance tracks. She has produced many other great dance tracks in her career like FREAKY, JUICY and SHAKE IT. SHAKE IT is a really good album track with arabian elements, so you may want to give it a try.
So that ends my list of teh best dance j-pop tracks. Hopefully, as I listen to more amazing dance songs, I will add them to this list or make another list.
The songs are in no particular order of preference and are not rated.
1. Give me a shake by MAX- MAX is a group from Okinawa. The girls used to be part of Super Monkeys with Namie Amuro but are now a separate group. MAX has high-impact, powerful choreography and are nothing like the cardboard-cutout cutesy idols. Most of their songs are really well written. Give me a shake is one of their most popular songs and features really powerful vocals for a dance song. Its rhythm is easy to follow.
2. Feel so Right by MAX- This is another song by MAX. It also features great dance moves and has a strong beat. It features low parts which showcases MAX's vocals. It is a song that will get you addicted on first listen. It was the ending theme of captain tsubasa.
3. BODY FEELS EXIT by Namie Amuro- This was Namie's debut single and is still one of her most powerful singles. The vocals are a bit high pitches and nasal, especially compared to Namie's current vocals, but the song has a strong melody with a latin-like atmosphere. Namie has also done a lot of good dance tracks. UNUSUAL, a collaboration with Yamashita Tomoshisa as well as some other tracks on her CHECKMATE album are really good too.
4. Can't stop Falling in love by globe- Tetsuya is a famous dance music producer and his own band globe has a great wealth of good dance songs in its discography. Can't stop falling in love really stands out in my opinion because of its mellowness even though it is a dance track.
5. Beginner by AKB48- This is a techno-dance track by girl group AKB48. The dance moves are quite good and this song is different from what AKB48 usually does. It is quite unique for a dance song because it features comparatively girly vocals with multiple vocalists. I think Seifuku ga jama wo suru by AKB48 is also a good dance track, though it might sound a bit oldish.
6. Computer City by Perfume- Although perfume is an electropop group, their songs are seriously danceable. Polyrythm, Love the world and chocolate disco are some of their other tracks which are very good.
7. Realize by Nami Tamaki- This is a dance song with strong vocals. IIt was used as the ending for Gundam seed and has a somewhat 'superhero anime' feel. But it sounds mysterious in the chorus.
8. Angelus by Hitomi Shimatani- This is a latin-inspired song by Hitomi Shimatani. She usually does crossover songs with a strong dance element. Out of all her dance songs, Angelus stands out most because of the energy in the song. It starts with a brass intro and choppy verses accompanied by Hitomi's fluid vocals.
9. The boys by Girl's generation- This song is seriously addictive. The more you listen to it, the more addicted you will get. Girl's generation is a relatively new act in the j-pop scene and they are rapidly gaining popularity. The beats are strong and the girls' voice has enough attitude to pull such a song off smoothly. The dance moves are beautiful and will keep your eyes glued to the screen. A flawless track but it takes a few listens to stick on you.
10. TABOO by Koda Kumi- This is a club dance track by Koda Kumi. Her sandpaper like gruff vocals just take this song to another level. There are no high parts, but teh main highlight of this song is Koda Kumi's voice, which is perfectly suited for dance tracks. She has produced many other great dance tracks in her career like FREAKY, JUICY and SHAKE IT. SHAKE IT is a really good album track with arabian elements, so you may want to give it a try.
So that ends my list of teh best dance j-pop tracks. Hopefully, as I listen to more amazing dance songs, I will add them to this list or make another list.