Rock band SuG released their single, “Crazy Bunny Coaster“, on January 12th, and a day before its release, they held a special promotional event for the single.
Just a little while ago, the PV for “Crazy Bunny Coaster” was revealed, and you can check it out below.
TV Asahi’s MUSIC STATION has announced their artist lineup for the January 28th episode, and it’s extremely promising with both foreign and domestic stars performing.
Check out the five artists below!
“What The Hell” – Avril Lavigne “ULTIMATE WHEELS” - KAT-TUN “LOL!” – Kuroki Meisa “Run Devil Run” – Shoujo Jidai “two of us” – flumpool
AKB48’s sub unit, Watarirouka Hashiritai 7 will be releasing “Valentine Kiss” on February 2nd. As we reported previously, “Valentine Kiss” is their 7th single, and is a cover song of Kokusho Sayuri from 1986. There will be 3 different editions for the single.
AKB48’s sub unit, Watarirouka Hashiritai 7 will be releasing “Valentine Kiss” on February 2nd. As we reported previously, “Valentine Kiss” is their 7th single, and is a cover song of Kokusho Sayuri from 1986. There will be 3 different editions for the single. Check out the full PV and the track lists for all editions.
Limited Edition A
-CD 1. Valentine Kiss 2. Somi Somi Rashira 3. Hatsukoi yo Konnichiwa (Sang by : Watanabe Mayu, Ohta Aika, Hirajima Natsumi, Iwasa Misaki) 4. Valentine Kiss (Instrumental) 5. Somi Somi Rashira (Instrumental) 6. Hatsukoi yo Konnichiwa (Instrumental) -DVD 1. Valentine Kiss Music Video 2. Yuuhi no Ijiwaru Music Video (starring Watanabe Mayu) 3. Valentine Kiss Dance Shot Version
Limited Edition B -CD 1. Valentine Kiss 2. Somi Somi Rashira 3. Pajama Drive (Sang by : Watanabe Mayu, Nakagawa Haruka, Kikuchi Ayaka, Komori Mika) 4. Valentine Kiss (Instrumental) 5. Somi Somi Rashira (Instrumental) 6. Pajama Drive (Instrumental) -DVD 1. Valentine Kiss Music Video 2. Yuuhi no Ijiwaru Music Video (starring Watanabe Mayu) 3. Valentine Kiss Making Video
Regular Edition -only CD 1. Valentine Kiss 2. Somi Somi Rashira 3. Yuuhi no Ijiwaru (Sang by : Watanabe Mayu) 4. Valentine Kiss (Instrumental) 5. Somi Somi Rashira (Instrumental) 6. Yuuhi no Ijiwaru (Instrumental)
AKB48 has just kicked off their 4-day live concert, “AKB48 Request Hour Set List Best 100 2011“, on January 20th at SHIBUYA-AX. The members held a press conference before the concert started, and to the reporters’ delight, they performed their upcoming song “Sakura no Ki ni Narou“!
At the press conference, member Itano Tomomi said, “This year will be the real challenge for AKB48.” Another member, Takahashi Minami, also said, “I hope we’ll be known by people in other countries as well.”
Check out the part of their performance for “Sakura no Ki ni Naoru”.
Singer IMALU announced on the 20th that she would be collaborating with… Spongebob Squarepants along with world famous fast food restaurant chain McDonald’s.
Beginning on the 21st, all Japanese McDonald’s will include Spongebob Squarepants toys in their Happy Meals for a limited time. The popular fast-food restaurant has also planned to carry out some special events in order to promote their first collaboration with Spongebob, including commemorative stationary, a mook (magazine-book) and a special “talk show “featuring singer IMALU held on January 20.
IMALU studied abroad in Canada for three years during her high school years and often watched television while she was there, becoming well-acquainted with the character Spongebob Squarepants from the eponymous American cartoon. IMALU responded when asked to explain Spongebob’s charm stating, “I’ve known the characters since I was child living overseas up until now as an adult, so I know them well. I love Spongebob, who has so many different facial expressions and is constantly happy!” She also commented with a smile, “Oddly enough, it wasn’t until now that I wanted to do this.”
When asked about her memories of the worldwide fast-food chain, IMALU mentioned that she often went to McDonald’s as a child and while living in Canada. “When I was little, I got really excited when we went through the drive-through. I wanted to order from inside the car,” she recalled. IMALU also appeared delighted by the special Happy Meal toys. “I’m so excited! They’re super cute! The toy that talks using Spongebob’s voice is gonna entertain all the little kids,” she exclaimed, failing to contain her excitement about the toy she held in her hand.
The singer will make a special appearance in the Spongebob mook and will also promote the collaboration through exclusive McDonald’s events nationwide.
As tokyohive reported last month, four member visual-kei band, Plastic Tree’s vocalist Arimura Ryutaro was diagnosed with Guillain-Barre syndrome, and was taking break for treatment. On January 20th, their agency announced the good news that Arimura is now fully recovered from the illness mainly because of the early detection and treatment. Arimura will make a comeback on Plastic Tree’s nation tour (21 stages) starting on March 14th at Akasaka BLITZ.
There was also another announcement that they will be releasing a new album, “ammonite” which is set to be released on April 6th.
Another new CM for NINTENDO 3DS starring the Arashi members has been released! The previous CMs were to show the reactions of the members while they were playing the NINTENDO 3DS for the first time, but for the newest versions, the members are asked, “Please explain in plain words how NINTENDO 3DS is for people watching this.”
“Queen of Hip-Pop” Amuro Namie has just announced that she will be releasing her first ever collaboration album!
Although Amuro has been collaborating with artists such as AI, DJ ZEEBRA, m-flo, ravex and DOUBLE since 2003, the popular singer has yet to release her own compilation album with these tracks, which often don’t make it onto her own physical releases.
The still untitled collaboration best album will hit stores on March 23rd and will come in CD-DVD and CD-only versions, featuring nine of Amuro’s previous collaborations and four brand-new tunes for fans to look forward to. The DVD itself will contain six music videos.
Keep checking tokyohive for more on this upcoming release!
Popular actress, Takei Emi (17) has been chosen to be a CM model for SHISEIDO’s cosmetics brand, “MAQuillAGE.”
Sophisticated and entrancing, Takei Emi is all ready to break hearts with the aid of her secret weapon, SHISEIDO’s “Rouge Enamel Glamour“. Although she’s already quite confident, a final swipe of this lipstick helps to seal the deal.
SHISEIDO also enlisted the star power of singer Shiina Ringo to endorse the foundation, “Lighting White Powderly UV”. Though Ringo’s concept is more luminescent, Takei’s is more ‘grounded’ in terms of appealing to city-life glamor.
Takei Emi’s CM will start airing on January 21st, and Ringo’s will be broadcasted on February 20th.
Ikimonogakari announced on their official website that a special version of their song “Arigatou” will be performed at the 83rd Select High School Baseball Convention!
The event, hosted by newspaper company Mainichi and the Japan High School Baseball Federation, will feature the Ikimonogakari tune as the opening song. A police band will perform a version arranged by Sakai Itaru as the players parade into the stadium during the opening ceremony.
The band recently went on a short hiatus after promoting four singles and a best-of album during the year of 2011, but it appears that they continue to remain as popular as ever.
Songstress Shiina Ringo is the new spokesmodel for Shiseido’s “MAQUILLAGE” cosmetics line. The company also picked up her band’s new single, “Onna no ko wa dare demo” to be the CM’s theme song.
The CM will go on-air on February 21st and the Tokyo Jihen frontwoman will be advertising MAQUILLAGE’s base make-up, “Lighting White Powdery UV”. To really capture that ‘white’ essence for their CM, it was reportedly shot in White Sands, New Mexico.
Meanwhile, Tokyo Jihen’s upcoming single is a double A-side with “Sora ga Natteiru“. It will be released on February 23rd, and will be the band’s first single of 2011.
HIROKO, the vocalist from hip-hop duo mihimaru GT, has just come off the release of her first solo single “GIRLZ UP ~stand up for yourself~“, but she’s already announced that she’ll be releasing another single on March 9th.
Titled “Saigo no Koi“, the single’s producer is none other than Jeff Miyahara, who is well-known for his R&B work with artists like Spontania, Kato Miliyah, JASMINE, and Boyz II Men. “Saigo no Koi” will be a song about life after love, and holding onto your feelings.
As per usual, the release will be available in ‘CD regular’ and ‘limited edition DVD’ versions. The DVD limited edition will come with the PV for the title track, as well as a making-of featurette.
The premiere for “Byakuyako” was held on January 19th, and cast members Horikita Maki, Kora Kengo, and Funakoshi Eiichiro showed up to the greet the press. As we reported several times, Horikita is challenging an evil role in the movie for the first time.
At the premiere event, Horikita was asked by the host what kind of villainies she has done in the past. Horikita answered, “I can’t tell you the worst wrong I have done, but I will confesse my tenth worst one. I was quite terrible at drawing, so I asked my friend to draw it for me in art class. I even received a compliment for the picture.”
Listening her past villainy, Funakoshi, the king of suspense drama, said, “It’s quite bad for the tenth thing. I would like to know what you have done for the worst to the ninth.”
The official release of “Byakuyako” is scheduled to be on January 29th, and it will also be exhibited at the “61st Berlin International Film Festival.”
In order to commemorate the release of French Kiss’s second single, “If,” the members held a special event at a female junior high school!
The three uniform-clad members of the AKB48 sub-unit performed “If” and “Mae wo Muite’ru Kimi” from their upcoming single in front of 400 lucky girls, and appeared absolutely thrilled to be performing to such an estrogen-saturated audience. “It was so fun. I want to do an all-girls’ event every time we release a CD,” said Kawashigi Yuki, smiling from ear to ear.
The event, aptly titled “Minna de Koi, Hajimemasu!”, also gave the three singers a chance to talk about love – something often forbidden to idols.
During the discussion, the three girls talked about their dating prohibition and discussed their wildest dreams about love and romance. The students voiced various troubles for the girls to answer, including “when the person you’re thinking of is on the train to school with you” and “having a crush on a teacher,” and the AKB48 members shared their memories.
“There was a really attractive teacher at the school I went to, but he was married to the music teacher,” confessed Kuramochi Asuka, resulting in an uproar of noise among the students. However, they were very careful not to give the wrong impression. “Just fantasizing is no good,” Asuka reminded the girls. Takajo Aki also chipped in with a wry smile, “You’re our seniors at this. Our ideas of love might come up short.”
Sandara Park releases an angelic CF for “Nikon”
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Nikon Imaging Korea has just released a jaw-dropping commercial with 2NE1‘s
Sandara Park.
The idol shed her quirky style and emerged as a gorgeous woman w...
Rock band SuG released their single, “Crazy Bunny Coaster“, on January 12th, and a day before its release, they held a special promotional event for the single.
Singer IMALU announced on the 20th that she would be collaborating with… Spongebob Squarepants along with world famous fast food restaurant chain McDonald’s.
IMALU studied abroad in Canada for three years during her high school years and often watched television while she was there, becoming well-acquainted with the character Spongebob Squarepants from the eponymous American cartoon. IMALU responded when asked to explain Spongebob’s charm stating, “I’ve known the characters since I was child living overseas up until now as an adult, so I know them well. I love Spongebob, who has so many different facial expressions and is constantly happy!” She also commented with a smile, “Oddly enough, it wasn’t until now that I wanted to do this.”
Songstress Shiina Ringo is the new spokesmodel for Shiseido’s “MAQUILLAGE” cosmetics line. The company also picked up her band’s new single, “Onna no ko wa dare demo” to be the CM’s theme song.
The premiere for “Byakuyako” was held on January 19th, and cast members Horikita Maki, Kora Kengo, and Funakoshi Eiichiro showed up to the greet the press. As we reported several times, Horikita is challenging an evil role in the movie for the first time.
In order to commemorate the release of French Kiss’s second single, “If,” the members held a special event at a female junior high school!
