pop
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Victor Ferrer – “Morningstar” review
This review was paid for by Victor Ferrer. If you too want me to review your music, or any other release of your choosing, please place a commission here. Final verdict: 8/10 ★★★★☆ Artist spotlight Sunday! Artist spotlight Sunday! Dear everyone, behold Arizona-based singer-songwriter Victor Ferrer and his fresh new LP, “Morningstar.” Now I know what you… Read more
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Kaori Mochida – “qq” review
Final verdict: 9/10 ★★★★⋆˙⟡ 2025 has been a much promising year for music. I admit I am not one to routinely seek out new releases, but it appears to me that the popstar archetype is back in full force (see: Lady Gaga and her brilliant new album “Mayhem,” Sabrina Carpenter and Chappell Roan, both of which… Read more
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Seiko Matsuda – “North Wind” review
Final verdict: 8/10 ★★★★☆ It is that time of year again, folks – December, final round! There’s a lot of things to reminisce upon, many a blessing and equally many a lovely memory, but there are also quite a few regrets I exit the year bearing; I suppose everyone feels that way to some extent, way… Read more
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Amber Gomez – “I’m Not Black and Blue” review
Final verdict: 8/10 ★★★★☆ I’m not sure whether I’ve ever expressed this opinion out in the open, but man, I’m really not a fan of Taylor Swift. Questionable ethics aside, her music is… nothing to me, and that is her greatest sin in my humble opinion. To my ears, it is a big, meaty slab… Read more
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Maya Mendez – “Through and Through” review
Final verdict: 9/10 ★★★★⋆˙⟡ It’s been a while since I’ve last reviewed a nice, comfortable pop song, so here we go. The information my research provided me with is that Maya Mendez first hit the scene in February 2025 with the song “Have Your Fun” (which is a really pretty folk-pop tune, by the way! Check… Read more
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Yumi Matsutoya – “流線形 ’80” review
Final verdict: 8/10 ★★★★☆ Trust me when I tell you that I really wanted to kick this review off by cracking a joke about how this album is just outtakes from “紅雀” that failed to make the cut due to being too interesting for that project – but man, this is just not that. What this is,… Read more
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Yumi Matsutoya – “紅雀” review
Final verdict: 7/10 ★★★⋆˙⟡☆ You know, the pessimist in me craves something to complain about. And initially, this album would have been it – oh no, would you look at that, Yuming, THE Yuming, fell off! This album is BOOOO-RING! The demise of who was arguably the greatest figure in the 1970s Japanese music scene is upon us!… Read more
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Yumi Arai – “Cobalt Hour” review
Final verdict: 8/10 ★★★★☆ The stars have aligned once again; I am feeling capricious, hence I skipped my prose class today (being an English major is not for the weak), and what better way to spend my self-declared day off than to listen to Yuming, my most beloved of all? No, seriously. As time goes… Read more
1970s, 70s music, album review, blog, city pop, hell yeah, indie, japan, japanese music, jpop, music, Music review, pop, pop music, review, reviews, rock, rock music, writing -
Marina – “The Family Jewels” review
Final verdict: 9/10 ★★★★⋆˙⟡ Marina has long been one of my favorite artists – through the holy trinity that is her first few albums (the “The Family Jewels” – “Electra Heart” – “Froot” run) she has proven herself to be a greatly creative songwriter, a force to be reckoned with. Those sentiments aren’t quite in… Read more
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Lady Gaga – “Mayhem” review
Final verdict: 8/10 ★★★★☆ Say what you will about Lady Gaga – but one thing you absolutely cannot deny is that she’s an unlikely talent. A beast of a vocalist, a more-than-merely-competent pianist, and a reasonably trustworthy songwriter, complete with mind-blowing stage pyrotechnics. She’s what a popstar ought to be, the complete package. But well, let’s not… Read more
