Monthly Listening: April 2022

This month's round-up of great new Japanese releases from Fujii Kaze, Hitsujibungaku, lyrical school, and more

Hi! This is April’s Monthly Listening list, a quick rundown of new Japanese albums I checked out this month that I enjoyed. You can browse past Monthly Listenings in the archives.

Few weeks of my April was spent watching the 2019 TV series Kinou Nani Tabeta?, or What Did You Eat Yesterday? A film adaptation came out last November (it’s originally a manga) so I figured it’s perfect time to put it on after having it in my queue for so long. It initially felt jarring to see Hidetoshi Nishijima as an emotionally reserved, gay lawyer cooking for his boyfriend—an extremely opposite role in comparison to his appearance in Drive My Car, the most recent film of his that I saw last. But the relationship between him and his on-screen romantic partner, Seiyo Uchino’s Kenji, made for such a lovely watch. I can’t wait to see the movie, whenever it becomes available to me.

Maybe one of these days, I will share a watch list. Until then, here is my listening list for April. Here is this month’s Spotify playlist with the newsletter’s top 40 selection of new singles. Happy listening!

Queendom by Awich

rap / hip hop | ► “Link Up” ft. KEIJU, Yellow Bucks

sins by cinder-ella

metal / idol | ► “Pride”

circle by Crossnoesis

synth pop / idol | ► “muse”

LOVE ALL SERVE ALL by Fujii Kaze

pop / R&B | ► “Matsuri”

our hope by Hitsujibungaku

indie rock | ► “Hikarutoki”

Explode by JUBEE

hip hop / drum ‘n’ bass | ► “Mess” ft. HIYADAM

terzo by Juice=Juice

R&B / idol | ► “Hitori De Ikiraresoutte Sorettene, Homete Iruno?”

Opto4:Utae by Koh-Gaku

electronic / R&B | ► “Yubisaki”

L.S. by lyrical school

hip hop / idol | ► “The Light”

Adapt by sakanaction

rock / new wave | ► “Plateau”

Korekara by So Shibano

indie rock | ► “Ai Wo Oranaide”

Force to Forth by SUPER DRAGON

pop / idol | ► “love or like (Tokyo)” ft. Anatomy Rabbit

Lululu No Sonosaki by Towa Mafune

indie rock / folk | ►”Hajimaru”

fruitful days by Tomoyo Harada

pop | ► “Violet”

---

This Side of Japan has a Ko-Fi as a tip jar if you want to show appreciation. A subscription to This Side of Japan is free, and you don’t have to pay money to access any published content. I appreciate any form of support, but if you want to, you can buy a Coffee to show thanks.

Next issue of This Side of Japan is out in June. You can check out previous issues of the newsletter here.

Need to contact? You can find me on Twitter or reach me at thissideofjapan@gmail.com