Shiki Miyoshino Is Set To Make Her Debut

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Shiki Miyoshino, who is an American-born singer, is a member of the PRISM Project and has announced she will be making her major debut with Sony Music Labels Inc. Miyoshino is a virtual YouTuber who is also an occultic inugami born from the wandering souls of dog owners who have lost their passion. She is lively and cheerful and deeply loves music, horror, and, of course, dogs. Within the virtual talent industry, she is known as a songstress who captivates audiences worldwide with her beautiful singing voice “hanahaki” will be released on July 12..

Her first single, titled “hanahaki”, delves into the theme of “Hanahaki Syndrome,” a fictional disease in which an individual suffering from unrequited love coughs up flower petals. This marks the beginning of her journey as a messenger of the occult. The music is composed by the enigmatic US-based composer known as “GHOST,” who boasts a subscriber count of over 400,000.

BE:FIRST Wants Fans Around The World To Smile

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Dance and vocal group, BE:FIRST continues to share their love to their fans. With the recent release of 'Smile Again', the group has recently posted a video reel of each member saying 'You are Beautiful' in different languages. This includes English, Malay, Thai, Korean, Tagalog, Chinese and Vietnamese to name a few.

BE:FIRST dedicates 'Smile Again' and for the first time, this new social video reel to all overseas fans. Seven distinct vocals stand out in 'Smile Again', encapsulating fragility, determination, hope and acceptance that accompany a simple message in the song’s lyrics ‘You are so beautiful’. As part of Shiseido ANESSA’s Spring Summer 2023 in Japan and 8 other countries/regions in Asia, including Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, and Thailand, this is BE:FIRST's first love song to be released and shared to the world.

The music video for 'Smile Again' has surpassed over 9 million views on YouTube, as well as 16.3 million on TikTok with #saシャッター (smile again shutter) to date.

Music Corner Week 136: tonun

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tonun is a singer and songwriter out of Hiroshima Japan who had his first release, Last Love Magic” in October of 2020. tonun is inspired by Western artists and says John Mayer’s “Neon” was the spark that inspired him to begin writing and singing his own music. In 2021, tonun released three EPs over the course of the year. In 2022, he was selected for Spotify RADAR: Early Noise 2022. Spotify RADAR: Early Noise lets users pick artists who they feel are leaders in the global music industry and this feature is particularly popular in Japan. tonun signed on with Univeral Sigma in 2023 and released his first album, Intro, in June of 2023.

tonun has really rich, smokey vocals that he is able to utilize to great effect. I happened to stumble upon his new album and decided to check it out which led me to fall in love with his music. “Sugar Magic” is such a fun track that it is my personal favorite. I love the composition of “Sugar Magic” combined with his smoky cool vocals. I wind up listening to this song on repeat, but on tracks like “Blue Spring” tonun shows off his more chill side which is also well done.

tonun posts all of his latest news on his Twitter and official website. Lastly, be sure to check out his song “Sugar Magic” in the video below.

Gray's Ongaku Go For June 2023

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With Summer officially here and turning up the heat, it's that time of the month for June’s Ongaku Go! We at OTY would like our readers to know what was filling our ears for the past month. Each track is available across all digital music streaming platforms, with Apple Music featured on this site, along with our Spotify playlist here!

“All Mine” by iScream

So, I decided to check out the latest single by music corner alumni iScream. I really enjoyed my time with “All Mine”. It has a catchy beat, which is one of my biggest weaknesses. I like the way this song flows, and have a lot of fun with this track. Also, when we covered iScream I was going through a difficult time in my life, which allowed me to rediscover the group and I’ve been digging their album that dropped last year as well. 

Check out “All Mine” here and in the video below!

“Mask in Love” by Kenya Fujita

Kenya Fujita is a recent discovery I made, and I’ve got to say, I think this guy is going to go places. “Mask in Love” is done in more of the American 90’s style R&B which is a genre that really enjoy. “Mask in Love” is masterfully sung with finger-snapping, which acts as the percussion line for the song for the first verse. I’m going to be keeping a close eye on Kenya Fujita because I’m excited to see what he does next.

Check out “Mask in Love” here and in the video below!

“BAKU BAKU” BY PSYCHIC FEVER from EXILE TRIBE

PSYCHIC FEVER is one of the latest groups from EXILE TRIBE. This is the second time this year they have made my Ongaku Go. I loved their “ForEVER” release in March, but recently they released PSYCHIC FILE 1. While I’m enjoying the entire album, the leading track is “BAKU BAKU” and I’ve been jamming to this awesome song on repeat. There is something fun about this song, plus it keeps getting stuck in my head. “ForEVER” was a fantastic ballad but “BAKU BAKU” is that upbeat music that I have a weak spot for. I’m turning into a big fan of these guys, and can’t wait to see what they do next.

Check out “BAKU BAKU” here and in the video below!

“zOne” by Akira Takano

I added Akira Takano to my favorite artists' lists on Apple Music, and I was greeted this past month with his latest single “zOne”. I’ve been having a ton of fun with this release being a dance-heavy track. I’ve been surprised by how much I’m really enjoying this release. The song, while being a bit of a slower beat, is a lot of fun and this has been a go-to for me all month. I’ve been feeling the zone with this one.

Check out “zOne” here and in the video below!

“Start Over” by THE BEAT GARDEN

THE BEAT GARDEN has dropped their latest album, Bell, and I’ve been enjoying my time with this album. The lead track has left a deep impression on me. I really like the melody of this song, which has some amazing vocals, plus a great composition. My favorite part of the song is the bridge, which builds to this amazing crescendo and sounds amazing. Overall, Bell is a great release and this has been so much fun getting to enjoy this group again.

Check out “Start Over” here and in the video below!

Gray's Ongaku Go For May 2023

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Picking up after Ken and Luna, we’re down another month in 2023 and we at Ongaku to You would like our readers to know what has been filling our ears for the past month. Each track is available across all digital music streaming platforms with Apple Music being featured on this site.

“topaz” by M!LK

I fell in love with this song the first time I heard it. It’s really what I’ve been searching for from them, something that focuses a bit more on their vocals, and this nails it. I love the melody of this track, but most importantly their vocals here are near perfect and I’m here for it. This has quickly become my favorite song by them and I’m excited about what they have in store for fans next.

Check out “topaz” here and in the video below!

“Maybe In Love” by FANTASTICS from EXILE TRIBE

I’ve been a huge fan of these guys since they debuted, but “Maybe In Love” might just be their best song to date. I love what they have done with this track. Their vocals are just on point, and the melody is very moving. There is no maybe when it comes to my love for this number, and I can’t wait to see what they do next.

Check out “Maybe In Love” here and in the video below!

“Lady” by Kenshi Yonezu

Kenshi Yonezu is such a wild card in the Japanese music industry, and predicting what he does next is beyond impossible. My personal history with Yonezu is pretty well documented on the podcast, but I’ve always given him the credit of being an amazing composer, and with “Lady” it really just shines through. There are very few people who could put together a song like this, plus the trumpets give it that extra flair to put it over the top. The piano is also one of the stars of this track. Only a genius could picture all the moving parts of this song and make them come together in such a great way. Yonezu may be hit-and-miss with me, but, when he does hit, he scores a critical blow.

Check out “Lady” here and in the video below!

"Hito wa Yume wo Nido Miru" by Nogizaka46

I feel like Nogizaka46 is really starting to make a good comeback. Personally, I’ve enjoyed the past few releases that Nogizaka46 has put out. When I first heard this song, I felt like it overstays its welcome, which is still true, but I’m starting to soften on that criticism the more I listen to this track. The beats per minute on this song keep up this nice pace that is like going for a jog on a sunny afternoon, even if this release is almost six minutes long. I’m enjoying this good streak they are on and I’m getting excited to see what they do next.

Check out “Hito wa Yume wo Nido Miru” here and in the video below!

“Dandelion” by Da-iCE

I wanted to finish my list on a song that for me when I heard it felt like a pallet cleanser. “Dandelion” is an excellent mid-tempo song by Da-iCE that leans on their vocals, which is what I live for. I’ve had so much fun with “Dandelion”. It reminded me of why I fell in love with Da-iCE in the first place. Their latest album is fantastic and this is probably the first of many off that album.

Check out “Dandelion” here and in the video below!