Idol Watch's Top 100 Idol Songs of 2023
Looking back at the year's favorites in idol from AMEFURASSHI, Sakurazaka46, HATE and TEARS and more
Hi! Welcome to the Best of 2023 edition of Idol Watch, a companion newsletter to This Side of Japan that’s all about idols! You can check out previous issues of Idol Watch from this year here: January & February / March & April / May & June / July & August
Has there been a year in idol that has made me feel more old as a fan than idol in 2023? The official dissolution of BiSH this summer personally felt like an end of an era, not the very least since WACK as a company have been very influential to my early days as a fan of idol music. And it’s telling from the company’s new stylistic direction with groups like ASP and ExWHYZ that the kind of grunge-punk they were pushing out back in the mid-2010s are no longer the new alternative in this current landscape.
Maybe it also says something about me and my experience with the scene this year that my pick as the Idol Song of the Year doesn’t point to the newest developments in idol music but rather indulges in cultural nostalgia. It’s a reflection of the recent past—well, if nearly two decades ago count as recent—disguised as a look into the far future, contemplating idol history and how it would be told generations down the line. The constant chase for the new can make idol feel ignorant about history, but this year was an appropriate time as an idol fan to really survey the changes since I first came into the scene.
Here are my 100 favorite idol songs of 2023. This year, I made a separate list for boy groups, which you can check out here; the same rule as the Kouhaku line-up applies for co-ed groups with female singers, so they will join the girl groups here. You can check out this list as a Spotify playlist here, and you can browse the simple text list here.
1) “Augmented Ojiichan” by Dempagumi.inc
From its incessantly loud dempa music to its high-speed line distribution between the idols, “Augmented Ojiichan” can understandably make those who don’t typically engage with idol music feel out of place. That said, this track also might be a rare case of an idol song where it’s potentially more jarring if you know exactly what it’s about because if Dempagumi.inc’s reflection on Akihabara here felt nostalgic to you, then congratulations: you are one of us, the augmented grandpas. The group imagine in the single how the citizens of the 22nd century will learn about their neighborhood of origin, a once-central hub for otaku everywhere. But that so-called distant future where Akiba is a site of ancient history might as well have already arrived if every other reference to a old meme here is treated as a relic of otaku culture nostalgia. While the lyrics scan completely foreign if you don’t catch the Easter eggs, it’s a surreal experience if you do comprehend them, especially when Dempagumi preface them as some kind of dead language from a bygone culture.
As more groups celebrate the longevity of idol as they enter a decade and more in the scene, Dempagumi take it one step further, contemplating about the preservation of their history for when they’re no longer here. Because while there are more attention placed on idol and oshikatsu these days, the cultural discussion of idol as a music scene and its history can always use more work. We can always use more context, especially from those who were there to live it firsthand. And at this moment in time, the best archivists who Dempagumi can trust to pass down their legacy are still their devoted fans, whose perspective they capture wonderfully in the extended bridge: “they weren’t angels who fell from skies / they looked up to the sky with us from rock bottom,” the idols sing in the voice of their now-elderly fans about their figures of worship, echoing their origins rooted in personal struggle that’s written out in their “W.W.D.” series. If idol is folk art as Dempagumi posits in “Augmented Ojiichan,” it’s these heartfelt commentaries that supports the lasting appeal behind idol, hopefully holds for the later generations down the road.
2) “Sakurazuki” by Sakurazaka46
As graduation fast approaches in “Sakurazuki,” Sakurazaka46 remain defensive about change. That said, the idols adjust their fatalistic view toward their own relationships as if to avoid the kind of deep regret that informs “Futari Saison,” their 2016 single as Keyakizaka and an antecedent to the impending separation informing this forlorn springtime ballad. “Like how there’s no flower that blooms forever, if we can’t stay like this / I thought of what could be the most beautiful way that it can wilt,” they sing in the chorus, vowing to not take time for granted before graduation inevitably drifts them apart from their significant other.
As they confront the fleeting nature of the seasons, the stubbornness inherent in Sakurazaka turns into a form of preservation to not let the purity of the moment fade away. “Even if I grow up, and my dreams and expectations don’t turn out as I’d want / only if I could have let it beautifully scatter like that,” goes a moving line in the song’s climax, and its view of growing up as a transition into the soul-crushing state that is adulthood makes it one of the most Sakurazaka lyrics. But seven years since “Futari Saison,” the group now take their own lesson to heart, cherishing what they got but also how they’ll remember it when it’s all gone.
3) “Done” by NMB48
No other idol group sounded more hollowed-out and hopeless this year than NMB48 in “Done.” The haunted production lay it heavy from the get go, with the bombastic string intro setting up the melodramatic music filled with martial, rapid-fire drums and one brooding bass line. The deafening sonic excess is only an attempt to match in scale the deep fatalism harbored by the idols, who sing in complete defeat: “This love / is already finished / everything is now in the past.” NMB give up the moment the song begins, and their call-outs to undo their mistakes ring even more futile when sang against music so devoid of warmth.
4) “Blaze” by ExWHYZ
By this year’s xANADU, the idol group formerly known as EMPiRE had fully grown into their new name of eXWHYZ and their more house-focused sound. The exuberance behind the album’s kicker track, “BLAZE,” stands as proof of their swaggering confidence. The buzzing electro bass line signals the change in personality from the jump, toughening up the sleekness of their previous efforts of xYZ. While the idols maintain a familiar, unfazed cool in the verses, they ratchet up their energy come the fierce chorus that doubles as a mission statement: “I gave today a name / so shall we start the finale? / All we do now is blaze up.” As EXWHYZ embrace their renewed sense of purpose in “BLAZE,” they move with discipline but also a rare invincibility allowed for a freshly debuted act, who has nothing but possibility ahead of them.
5) “Tenshi Ga Tooru” by Blueberry Soda
The solemn arrangement of “Tenshi Ga Tooru” echoes the stateliness behind classic Showa pop but also implies of the chastity assumed by the era’s early idols, and so it devastates when Blueberry Soda sing about their development of a crush as though they’ve regretfully lost their innocence. “If I could keep laughing as friends / I wouldn’t be at such a loss of words,” they sigh in deep resignation, like they’ve unwillingly crossed a forbidden line. While other idol songs might express infatuation as something electric, “Tenshi Ga Tooru” renders it as a silent tragedy.
6) “Love is love” by AMEFURASSHI
The garish dubstep wub blaring from AMEFURASSHI’s songs during their rookie days feels like a distant memory, especially after the classy ‘90s-house homage of “Love is love.” The single echoes R&B’s recent pivots to dance like Beyonce’s Renaissance, not only through the four adopting glossy, Robin S.-channeling deep-house as their new sound but also the hooks that fashion disco’s body-work metaphors as expression of pride and confidence. “I’m gonna work hard,” the group’s Moeka sings before Yuzuki takes it to the bridge; “be proud of yourself, love is free,” Hana insists as Aira soon dives in the titular diva-pop chorus. Inspired by the empowering glow of house, AMEFURASSHI lived out every word of “Love is love” as proven in their solid run of music throughout 2023.
7) “Tenshi Wa Dokoe” by Not Equal Me
If the rowdy EDM beat didn’t draw an obvious enough line separating “Tenshi Wa Dokoe” from the bubbly idol-pop of their past, Not Equal Me spell it out clearly in the lyrics how they’ve grown out of their older selves: “‘I am me, is that OK? / Sorry for coming off strong, I’m not trying to trick you,” the idols sing in the chorus, their insistent vocals sounding hardly apologetic. And they wave goodbye to their former innocence while they show off the rebellious, real Not Equal Me with loud confidence.
8) “Hito Wa Yume Wo Nido Miru” by Nogizaka46
In the lush, stately ballad of “Hito Wa Yume Wo Nido Miru,” Nogizaka46 give us permission to do what once might have felt out of our imagination: believe in the future as something that actually lies ahead of us. Life can begin again, and we can now resume whatever got put on hold. It’s an idea they are allowing themselves to believe in as well as they struggle to find the motivation to begin their seemingly pointless days, recollected in perhaps the most blunt and bleakest opening verses this year. And their decision to ultimately look forward to new beginnings as something not only on offer but well deserved moved me to hold this single closely. “Don’t you want to dream again,” the idols sing in the chorus. “The one you gave up on long ago thinking it’d never come true?” They inquire as though they already assume the answer is a resounding “yes.”
9) “Idol Nankaja Nakattara” by AKB48
As AKB48 flesh out the self-referential scenario driving “Idol Nankaja Nakattara”—the “idols you can meet” whose lore is so entrenched in the so-called “love ban” fall in love with a fan—they don’t lean into the narrative than they cannonball into it. The idols draw out the scandalous, but they also let a pang of melancholy linger from the implications, best outlined in the chorus: “If I had a bit more courage / didn’t care to throw it all away / I could’ve jumped off the stage / and be a normal girl.”
10) “Merit Demerit” by .BPM
After letting flashy Eurobeat pump up their recent run of singles, .BPM embrace New Jack Swing in “Merit Demerit.” As the sharp dance-pop production sheds the meme-y silliness left behind “Dancin’ Chicken,” the idols are also free from distraction to tackle the subject of romancing as seriously as they have always done. They wrestle with their own knotty feelings, giving a good fight against their insecurities as heard from their punchy vocals. Inspired by a fresh sound, .BPM places front and center an exciting, new side to their personality as an idol group.
11) “KiSS KiSS KiSS” by KiSS KiSS
The Gang Parade subunit don’t seduce as much as they force themselves onto you in “KiSS KiSS KiSS.” As if they didn’t sound incessant enough in the smooching chorus through its sheer repetition, the bullying techno beat intensifies the pressure as though they’re hounding you to give into the playground taunt.
12) “AGAIN AND AGAIN” by meme tokyo
The dial of the rave beat driving “AGAIN AND AGAIN” is turned to evil mode with the relentless production powered by a clobbering of gabber drums as well as an equally brain-numbing electro bass line. Meme tokyo take up the challenge as they pass rapid, boastful bars to each other among the madness, their ambitions fueling the exuberance behind the gushy-sweet chorus that embraces a lust for life.
13) “Lemon” by airattic
Coming after the group trying to capture the ephemeral into bittersweet shoegaze, airattic’s summertime emo-rock anthem surges with electricity. The idols sound ready to get lost in the excitement of the now, but they catch themselves in time to document the moment spent in the company of another.
14) “EDOME” by TEAM SHACHI
In their reunion with Enon Kawatani, TEAM SHACHI delve in flamboyant jazz-pop that follows the classic style of the Gesu No Kiwami Otome frontman. As the brass band and the scrawled guitars fill every inch of space in the stuffy music, the crashing drums and pianos dramatically descend like a downward spiral exhibited by the self-obsessed narrator breaking down in the center of it all.
15) “Super Full Flat” by CUBELIC
CUBELIC’s bite-sized electro-disco grabs at many great influences from the talk-box funk-fever of Dance Man to the fuzzy yet glittered electro-pop found in JPN-era Perfume. Tacked with an embellishments of carbonated pops and fizzes, this new production adds a sleek finish without killing the fun.
16) “ARRIVAL POINT” by HATE and TEARS
HATE and TEARS strut along with a big arsenal of noise in “ARRIVAL POINT.” Out-performing their previous single in volume, the busy, sputtering breakcore production inspires the group to show off more boastful claims via its empowered chorus: “The sound of hate / bang, bang, gonna destroy it.”
17) “Kitsunebi Love Story” by Aishu TO Momentum
Aishu TO Momentum tries in “Kitsunebi Love Story” to revitalize a withering flame of a relationship hanging by a thread. While they sort out their feelings by their lonesome, the head-strong pop-punk riffs help keep the fire alight.
18) “2060nen Cherry Blossom No Tabi” by Qumali Depart
Tamaya 2060% blow up the group’s chief producer Sakurai Kenta’s kiddie instrument collection with his dempa-punk blast; the hooks are as meticulous scrambled as the chaotic production. But what’s hidden between the astro-themed lyrical absurdities is Qumali Depart’s earnest ambition to shoot for the moon and reach for the stars.
19) “Wazato Azato Expert” by Iginari Tohokusan
The hurly-burly synth-pop of “Wazato Azato Expert” colors in much of the ditzy personality that Iginari Tohokusan presents with a wink while the idols indulge in cloying, azatoi attempts to steal your heart. “Made your texts on ‘read’ late on purpose / won’t ya please notice me,” they confess in the chorus, scheming with a plot so dialed in on the SNS obsessions of today.
20) “Take me now” by Quubi
Quubi harness the singular strength of pop punk in “Take me now” to deliver a powerful dedication to the supporters who keep them afloat. The group weaponize the genre’s swift, charged riffs and rallying hooks that embrace the spirit of camaraderie to propel their unifying chorus: “I’m still standing Take me now / I reach out my hand and what’s ahead of it is where I belong.”
21) “Love Me Better” by iScream
Despite the collected cool assumed from the sultry R&B production, iScream can hardly hide their adoration for their significant other who makes them feel like their true selves.
22) “Rock ‘n’ Roll and Tiger Lily” by Shihatsu-machi Underground
Left in a state at “the edge of the cliff and rock ‘n’ roll,” the trio shout “I really don’t care” in their heartbroken rockabilly anthem to ended it all in a blaze of glory.
23) “I HATE U” by ASP
ASP caused a lot of ruckus this year, making noise in the form of buzzing industrial rock to helium-shot pop-punk. Yet it’s when they seem flat-out exhausted to muster a groan that cuts the deepest. While the lyrics of “I HATE U” is full of insults you’d love to shout back amid a heated argument, their resigned voices are shot by sheer defeat. It takes about two-thirds of the song in for the deflated punk guitars to wind up again, and the idols to let out one last cathartic scream.
24) “Time Machine” by mzsrz
The loud, blown-out emo riffs mesh with mzsrz’s bashful yet crystal-clear vocals and their familiar fatalistic lyrics, telegraphing the urgency that the idols are too shy to commit to on their behalf.
25) “Saisai” by et-And-
Summer festivities loosen up et-And- from their stoic R&B to indulge in a more playful synth-pop, especially in the bridge, where its rapidly delivered monologue displays an oddball sense of humor previously unseen from the group.
26) “Start” by Chemical X
Was there ever a chance that I was not going to like a pop-punk idol group named after a Powerpuff Girls reference?
27) “Kessen Spirit” by Takane No Nadeshiko
After a long streak of their almost cloyingly cutesy sound, the earnest pop-punk of “Kessen Spirit” stand out as a refreshing choice for Takane No Nadeshiko.
28) “Sono Saki Wa Exult” by Near Equal Joy
Even the most junior act in the =LOVE family gets edgy, adopting the pensive dance-pop reminiscent of the moodier Sakamichi tracks.
29) “Hoshikuzu No Yume” by Sukiiro Drop
As the dazzling piano chords skip around with abrupt steps, Sukiiro Drop sings fragment yet evocative details that dancing around the subject at hand, and the abstract scene sounds as wonderfully surreal as its cosmic lyrical references.
30) “eclipse” by INUWASI
Leaving heavy into the electronic side of their EDM-metal sound, INUWASI elevates dance beats into something that borders on the religious in “eclipse.” “This purpose is all for you!” The idols chant the refrain in unison as the music bubbles up into a rapturious techno rave echoing the fist-pumping music of the Mortal Kombat films. As the track enters its moshing breakdown, transcendence seems within grasp for INUWASI.
31) “Daiuchuu No Mugen Ai” by Yufu Terashima
It’s admittedly hard not to get nostalgic for a certain era of idol past with those credits: Shoichiro Hirata as the arranger, the great Tsunku for the lyrics. With those two at the helm, it doesn’t come as a surprise to hear Yufu Terashima basically turn in an Aya Matsuura single. The flashy Eurobeat-esque beat boom-booms, and the chorus wow-wow-wows, hardly granting space for any of the song’s underlining melancholy to show through.
32) “E-R-T-H-C-Na-H-Q-ka H-K-M-B-Ne-Z-Om” by BiS
Recite BiS’s hypnotic glam-punk spell—if you can memorize that long string of letters—and they promise you can see the world in a whole new way.
33) “JU-TAI” by kinopo
Massive traffic on the road leaves kinopo in fumes, though it’s hard to pick up on their frustration with such delightful funk cooking from the new-wave punk groove.
34) “See You Dake” by Up Up Girls (2)
Up Up Girls (2)’s regretful break-up central to this single truly feels irreversible as the swift, flashy rock tune zooms on ahead with no sign of looking back.
35) “Escape!!” by Finger Runs
The latest Aqbi group swaggers along a tense, acid-techno beat—they may be new yet they already sound so self-defined.
36) “GOD BLESS YOU!!” by Devil ANTHEM.
As if Devil ANTHEM wasn’t enjoying a great year already, they deliver the kind of idol single that I can’t resist: obnoxiously loud, with stomping gabber drums.
37) “Koe Dashite Iko-ze!!!” by SKE48 Team E
SKE48 Team E dedicated their stage performance to the call-and-response, or perhaps the yell in Japanese idol parlance, with Koi Dashite Iko-ze!! The voice from the crowd has been essential to the idol-show experience to the point space is intentionally left in idol songs for the fans to fill with their chants. For the audience, their voice is a vital way to participate; for the idols, the crowd’s chants are a validation of purpose as they step up on that stage. The chorus from the title track—“let’s raise our voices!”—resonates even more deeply when considering how idols and their fans have been robbed of the opportunity to simply shout at shows for a good few years. They can finally express themselves to the fullest again, so might as well scream and feel alive.
38) “Shittsui No Natsu” by Ringwanderung
For their summer anthem, Ringwanderung delivers a sleek jazz-pop that’s stylish as it is wistful.
39) “Kimagure Ni Maware” by The Grateful a MogAAAz
A rugged yet triumphant hard rock stretches as vast as the horizon while the Grateful a MogAAAz try to overcome their Sisyphean obstacles.
40) “One Choice” by Hinatazaka46
Hinatazaka46 blur the line between an oshi and the One and Only in this starry pop that bursts with feeling.
41) “Have a Nice Day” by TONAi BOUSHO
TONAi BOUSHOU let the bright, buzzing sound of pop-punk drive their cheerful anthem, and the sunny chorus cast away the gloom behind past hits from their home company WACK .
42) “Last Note Shika Shiranai” by =LOVE
=LOVE can’t escape the memory of an old flame in this solemn, tear-soaked ballad.
43) “Resize” by CYNHN
CYNHN’s ebullient synth-pop may be delicate on the surface, but it unveils a rather heated conflict between friends.
44) “Wake-Up Call ~Mezameru Toki~” by Morning Musume ‘23
Another year, another classic Morning Musume-ism about not bending to anyone else’s will in order to confidently live out your true self. This time, they borrow the retro, neon-lit synthwave propelling The Weeknd’s “Blinding Lights” to build their signature maximalist EDM-pop on top of it. It’s blown-up as it is kitchen-sink, especially as they bake in self-references to their past hits in the rap breakdown. The song’s histrionics becomes its own statement—how would you be so foolish to dare ask the idols to change their ways when they bring such an dominating personality so in tune with what they want?
45) “Motomeyo… Unmei No Tabibitozan” by BEYOOOOONDS
A pop-funk tune that sings in the language of math to find the solution for love as if it’s a word problem—can’t imagine a group other than BEYOOOOONDS pulling this off as fun and adorable as they do.
46) “Firetruck” by SG5
A clanging of pots and pans is admittedly the complete opposite sound of what one might expect from a song by an idol supergroup assembled to promote the Sailor Moon franchise. But it makes for great subversion in an already-bombastic track that resembles a metallic-sour version of the girl-crush anthem. If anything, the negative space exaggerates the idols’ shameless indulgence of their thirst, starting from that bratty drawl behind the titular hook.
47) “moist” by Kanano Senritsu
Kanano Senritsu rides a slick, subdued dance-pop beat—well, subdued for Kenmochi Hidefumi anyway.
48) “Ikiteirutoiukoto” by sui sui
Sui sui search for what really give their life meaning as the pop-punk music gives them the energy they need to keep going.
49) “IDOL?” by akugi ft. ALL codomomental
A noisy goth-rap posse cut showcasing all of the idols in the Codomomental label.
50) “Paradise” by NiziU
After a series of bubbly dance-pop, NiziU take a moment to recollect in this solemn ballad dedicated to the irreplaceable relationships in their lives.
51) MIGMA SHELTER - “Tornado”
52) PIGGS - “YOU KNOW ME”
53) Marino Kai - “Umerareubekide Wa Nakatta”
54) Karen Na Ivory - “Haikei Rival”
55) lyrical school - “mada mada da!”
56) NONFIC! - “Tsuyokawa”
57) Appare! - “nanntokana-re fanfa-re”
58) BREAK TIME GIRLS - “Wooo!!!”
59) MAPA - “SUMMER SHOOTER”
60) Momoiro Clover Z - “Majoram Therapie”
61) Negicco - “Could It Be Magic?”
62) KIMITOWA - “Koijosho Chart Love”
63) MANACLE - “Sonzai Yokyu”
64) UtaGe! - “Sawage! UtaGation!”
65) Hoshikuma Minami - “Shinra Dark Pop”
66) Shiritsu Ebisu Chuugaku - “Summer Glitter”
67) GEKKAN PAM - “Kuyuriyuku”
68) Crossnoesis - “lost moment”
69) RAY - “kayoubi no ame”
70) Tsukiyo No Utae - “Shudan Hysteric”
71) Juice=Juice - “Pride Bright”
72) GANG PARADE - “Gangsta Vibes”
73) PANDAMIC - “OTONANI NATTARA”
74) PassCode - “SIREN”
75) onefive - “Justice Day”
76) Caress Van End - “Dive to Haze”
77) Niji No Conquistador - “Omoi Ga Tsumoru, Gozen 2ji”
78) Tsubaki Factory - “Demo… Iiyo”
79) Rilisreverse - “Kiseki”
80) SANDAL TELEPHONE - “BLACK DIAMOND”
81) Nao (Negicco) - “Nankai Mo Door Wo Tatakunda!”
82) situasion - “GOLDEN TIME”
83) Kasumisou To Stella - “persona”
84) Taiyo To Odore - “Ashita Tenki Ni Naranaide”
85) FAREWELL, My L.u.v. ft. Minami Yamazoe - “stargazing”
86) Mameshiba No Taigun - “MUST GO”
87) GENIC - “Flavor”
88) FRUITS ZIPPER - “CO-Kosei”
89) feelNEO - “i”
90) UNLAME - “I am I”
91) Schrodinger’s Dog - “Reincarnation”
92) My Best Friend - “Metamorphose”
93) CuteCool - “Pa la la”
94) Shingeki - “Reimei Janne de Arc”
95) Kyururin te Shitemite - “Twintail Wa 20saimade”
96) Peel the Apple - “Mecchachicchalove”
97) MOONCHILD - “Friends Are For”
98) NARLOW - “Konna Sekai Ni Narouto”
99) Cho Tokimeki Sendenbu - “Kawaii Memorial”
100) ATARASHII GAKKO! - “Tokyo Calling”
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