Japanese Pop - Tumblr Posts
Let's talk about EXILE
Laughter and good art are probably in my top ten best things about the human experience. It's not hard to make me laugh, and a lot of things make art “good”/enjoyable for me, so I have a pretty nice time.
I started listening to EXILE after I first heard their song "Together" on the jdrama HOTMAN. The music video was surprising because it featured the two singers surrounded by the four backup dancers, who turned out to be permanent members of the group.
This was so different from acts I'd seen before, like Chemistry with its two singers, or Morning Musume with its large rotating roster of singer/dancers, or even w-inds. with its backup dancers who were also backup singers/rappers. It had a chaotic vibe that appealed to me, but also showed the dancers respect for their contributions to performances.
A couple years later, a genius came up with the idea to have EXILE, a jr&b group comprised largely of dancers, to collaborate with GLAY, a progressive rock band. The song was cool and apparently sold super well, but the music video was so silly.
On the left, you see one of EXILE's singers dancing between two of GLAY's guitarists, while three of EXILE's dancers dance in a circle around them. On the right, all four members of GLAY and all six members of EXILE stand lined up against a wall, looking tough(?). So unnecessary. It was ART. I loved it.
When Atsushi, my preferred singer (sorry, Shun!) went solo, I followed his career and forgot about EXILE for a while. I looked them up again recently and discovered that at their highest enrollment, they had seventeen members, and as of 2022, they had fourteen, with still just two listed as "vocal" on their official website.
This is my favorite live performance of “song for you.” It’s apparently Shun’s (black hat) last performance with the group before he withdraws for his solo activities. Atsushi loses composure briefly at the end, and Shun checks in with him to make sure he’s okay. Meanwhile, the song they’re singing is reassuring the listener that they’re not alone during whatever ordeal they’re experiencing and it’ll be okay. What a beautiful moment between people who care about each other.
Cue the dancers doing body rolls in the foreground. ART. 🤣
I LOVE THIS GROUP SO MUCH.
「When did your heart stop loving me? 壊れそうだよ 息をしてる心に ふれてほしいのに Why did my heart cry loving me? 張り裂けそうに 愛がナイフのようなんだ SO 渇いたTrue Heart」
"When did your heart stop loving me? my breathing heart seems broken despite craving your touch Why did my heart cry loving me? a love ready to burst is like a knife so thirsty for a true heart"
I LOVE “FIRST LOVE”
Utada released the single when she was 16. She wrote and sang this beautiful song about love and heartbreak and. I have never gotten over it.
Ken Hirai brings more mellow wistfulness to it. Also, I just love him.
Keisuke Kuwata from Southern All Stars brings more nostalgic sorrow to it. Great singer, great band. Listen to “Tsunami.”
I’m just obsessed.
Edit: See? I just opened an episode of Music Station and they're obsessed, too.
