#jpop solo artist

[sug4rsweet]

ᯓ★ // ... Kaori Takahashi (Japanese: 高橋 かおり, Hepburn: Takahashi Kaori; born February 6, 1995), also known as Kimberley Ava Takahashi and mononymously known as Kaori, is a Japanese-American singer-songwriter, actress, producer, DJ, and fashion designer. Making her debut as a singer in 2011, she has gone on to be one of Japan's most popular singers. She is portrayed by Hirai Momo.

Kaori Takahashi was born on February 6, 1995 in Azabu-Juban, Tokyo, Japan as an only child. Born into a wealthy family, her father is Takahashi Hidehiko, a businessman. Her mother is Nakamura Mamiko, a singer-songwriter, socialite, designer, and former member of the eighties idol girl group Onyanko Club.

Takahashi's parents suddenly divorced in 2004, which caused her and her mother to move out of their wealthy neighborhood and into a small apartment in Yanaka, Tokyo. Takahashi and her mother would reside in Yanaka for two years until they moved into her maternal grandparents' home in rural Nakagawa, Nagano, Japan. They lived there briefly, moving to a larger townhouse apartment in Brooklyn shortly after.

After moving to the United States, Takahashi began acting and modeling as a way to support her mother. She attended an audition for Hannah Montana (2006) and secured a supporting role, and would continue working with Disney until 2010. Takahashi signed with Hollywood Records and released music under the label, but her debut album, scheduled for release in 2009, was shelved.

Takahashi attended high school in New York for a year, but moved to attend school in Tokyo in 2010. She would continue her modeling and acting career there, sending her mother a percentage of what she made.

Takahashi speaks Chinese fluently, as her mother studied it while in high school. She also speaks decent Spanish and French, the former of which she learned in high school, and the latter of which her mother also studied.

2005–2010: Career beginnings, stints with Disney, cancelled debut album

Shortly after moving to New York, Takahashi was scouted by IMG Models. She began modeling for magazines such as Seventeen and Elle Girl, for fashion brands such as Abercrombie & Fitch, and in commercials for the fashion doll brand Bratz.

Showing an interest in acting due to her love for actresses Lindsay Lohan, Angelina Jolie, and Lucy Liu, Takahashi began taking acting classes and auditioning for roles. Due to her inexperience, she didn't get many roles at first. However, she landed a small role in the television series Ugly Betty in 2005.

Around the same time, Takahashi's mother would spot a casting call in a newspaper for socialites Paris Hilton and Nicole Richie's reality show The Simple Life, calling for "eccentric families" on the East Coast that Hilton and Richie could live with. Seeing it as an opportunity for her daughter, Mamiko answered the call, and the Takahashi family was chosen by production. The family's episode aired in October 2005.

Takahashi would continue modeling following her role in Ugly Betty until she was convinced to audition for Disney's Hannah Montana. She scored a supporting role in the series, and she received critical acclaim once it premiered.

Following this, Takahashi would star in other TV shows such as the the sitcom Seven Street (2006), Law & Order: Criminal Intent, and in the film Cherrytree (2007). She also had a guest role in the show Wizards of Waverly Place (2007). In 2007, she began writing music and recording demos for Hannah Montana and other Disney productions, which included The Princess Protection Program (2008), 16 Wishes (2010), and Shake It Up (2010). Takahashi was also a cast member of The Mickey Mouse Club at this time, remaining on the show until 2008.

In 2008, she had a supporting role in the Emma Roberts-led film Wild Child. Afterwards, she had her first major film role in Lucky, playing the lead character Elizabeth "Lucky" Jones. The role garnered Takahashi a Kids' Choice Award nomination, as well as a Young Artist Award. In September, she was cast as Patrice in the Broadway production of the musical 13. Takahashi's popularity as an actress picked up, and as a result, Disney decided to push her as a singer, as well. Her debut single album, Kimberley, was released on October 9th, 2008. The album's lead single, "Girlfriend," debuted at No. 1 on Radio Disney. That same year, she also appeared in the music video for Miley Cyrus' "7 Things."

In early 2009, Takahashi starred in the television film Anything But, playing the rebellious Riley "Lee" Sawai. It garnered her first nominations at the Teen Choice and MTV Movie & TV Awards.

The same year, Takahashi was in talks with Disney to star in her own television series, but that would never come to fruition. She later confirmed that her debut album, titled Don't Tell, was set for release that year. However, months passed, and after the album's release faced multiple delays, news about it eventually stopped. By early 2010, Takahashi revealed that Don't Tell had been shelved and that she had moved back to Japan to continue school. Disney confirmed the news shortly afterwards.

The last two films Takahashi was in before resuming school was Talk Talk Talk and Superficial (both 2010), which both premiered in theaters to positive reviews. Takahashi contributed to the former’s soundtrack, which became her only album release in the States at the time. She also sang the track used in the opening credits of the latter and a track that appeared on the film’s soundtrack. Takahashi also appeared in a few episodes of the Nickelodeon TV show Victorious, which she also wrote music for.

2011–2015: Other acting roles, debut in Japan, rising popularity

After moving back to Tokyo, Takahashi moved into her maternal aunt and cousin's apartment. While in school, she continued to write music with the help of her mother, and recorded a few songs which would be posted to her Facebook page.

Takahashi would ease back into work through modeling, scoring jobs with Seventeen, Egg, Nylon Japan, Vivi, and S'Cawaii. She modeled for the clothing brands JSG and Fig & Viper, the former of which was founded by former model Kaoru Watanabe. Takahashi was also featured in various commercials, as well as in campaigns for cosmetics brands such as Dolly Wink and ColourPop. She also became an exclusive model for Egg, appearing on five separate covers.

After modeling for a while, Takahashi had a supporting role in the Japanese drama Switch Girl!! (2011). The drama made her popularity as an actress rise in Japan, and later that year, she scored another major film role.

Playing the lead in the film High School Debut, it would do immensely well, becoming one of the most popular teen films in Japan and skyrocketing Takahashi to star status. She was nominated for numerous awards in the country, most notably for the Best Newcomer awards at the Japan Academy Film Prize. Additionally, Takahashi also sang "Heart no Tonari Ni," the song used in the films opening credits, which would go on to chart highly in Japan. As a result, the record label Avex Trax would later contact her and offer her a recording contract.

Takahashi accepted, wanting to restart her music career. After nine months of development and recording, Takahashi released her debut single, "Treat Me (Akachan o Atsukatte)."

Meant to establish her "eccentric" image and technopop sound, "Treat Me" debuted at No. 4 on the Oricon charts, selling over 100,000 units. It fared moderately in the States, landing at No. 39 on the Billboard Hot 100. The single brought Takahashi back into the public consciousness, and it set the precedent for what would be her debut album.

2012–present: Debut album, expansion into other countries, superstar status

Finally, on February 17, 2012, Takahashi released her debut album, Kaori. It was massively successful, selling over 400,000 units and debuting at No. 2 on the Oricon albums chart. It also did well in the United States, garnering a placement of No. 70 on the Billboard 200. With sales of over a million, Kaori was one of the highest selling albums in Japan by the end of 2012. Takahashi's sophomore album, Sweet 18 (2013), would turn her into a teen idol in the country.

After releasing her second studio album, Takahashi released her debut Chinese album, K.T. (2013). Prior to its release, the single "I'm Not Yours" was released. It topped the Global Chinese Pop Chart, selling over 90,000 units in the country.

In 2020, Takahashi signed with JYP Entertainment and ventured into the Korean pop market with the single "I'm Not Cool" off of her extended play Spicy 'n Sweet. Both the single and album topped the Gaon charts, and Takahashi became the fastest female soloist to garner a first win after just four days. She would achieve a triple crown three weeks later.

With over 10 million albums sold in total, Takahashi is one of the highest-selling musical artists in Japan as of 2024. On September 6, 2024, she released her eighth studio album, CHECK IT!, alongside the single "ESCALATE."

The album sold over 2,500,000 units within its first week, and its projected to be the highest selling album in Japan by the end of the year.

Takahashi is a lesbian, of which she's been open about since her debut in 2012. She has stated that she has known she was into girls since she was in middle school, stating, "I guess I've always been this way. I naturally gravitated towards girls more, but I think it really clicked when I was around 11. I never clicked with boys in a romantic sense."

Since 2014, Takahashi has been dating singer and DJ Elizabeth "Liz" Ronson. The two were in a highly publicized relationship for six years, until they publicly split in 2020. They remained apart for three years, but rekindled their relationship in 2023. In September 2024, Takahashi and Ronson announced that they were engaged after seven years of dating. The two live together in Los Angeles and own a cat, Matcha.

At the age of nine, Takahashi was formally diagnosed with autism and attention deficit hyperactive disorder (ADHD). Since the start of her career, she has been very open about her experiences with both, and has been an advocate for other neurodivergent individuals.

In 2013, nine years after their publicized divorce, Takahashi's parents were remarried at a small ceremony in France. Takahashi acted as the maid of honor. The year prior, she had seen her father in person for the first time since 2004.

In 2014, Takahashi founded the fashion brand Jazzy. Targeted at mainly teen and young adult audiences, the brand was based around Takahashi's own individual aesthetic, as well as around the gyaru subculture. In 2016, Jazzy expanded into cosmetics and began housing Takahashi's first of two fragrances, Electric Pink. The brand, now worth over USD$400 million, is well-known for its eyewear, handbags, and accessories.

Takahashi began deejaying in 2014, following a surprise set at Tommorowland. Since then, she has done sets at Glastonbury, Coachella, and at the Governor's Ball in New York City.

In 2014, Takahashi became the face for Moschino's Toy 2 fragrance, but left the brand shortly after. In 2016, Takahashi was named the global ambassador for the Italian luxury fashion house Versace, which was teased in an Instagram post in April of that year. She became the face of the brand's Crystal Noir fragrance shortly after, and has remained with them since.

In 2016, she became the ambassador for SK-II, the largest luxury skincare company in Japan. A year later, Takahashi was chosen as the face of MAC Cosmetics, signing a USD$10 million contract with the brand. She was later featured in a pictorial for their Viva Glam lipstick line in Vogue Japan.

Takahashi has also been named the global ambassador of Bulgari in 2018, and Hermes the following year, and Marc Jacobs in 2022. In 2020, she became the model for Chum Churum, a soju brand founded in South Korea.

The following year, Takahashi was named the ambassador for South Korean eyewear brand Gentle Monster. In 2022, she partnered with the brand to create her own limited edition line of sunglasses. The line, called Kashi x Gentle Monster, was sold for six months.

In 2023, Takahashi partnered with Push! Color, a colored contact lens brand founded in Japan, to release her own line of colored lenses, called DEJA U. Four separate colors, ranging from light blue to hot pink to gray to yellow, were released in May.

format entirely inspired by @venusvity ! ★

[kpopmusic]

Ryosuke Yamada "SWITCH" [Official Music Video]

[nekolove]

kwon boa - one's own concert poster behind (september 2024)

[sparklypersonapoetry]

Fujii kaze japanese solo artist with rose

[hopkei]

Keito x FINEBOYS

[nxmuzluv]

THE FIRST SINGLE … ˗ˏˋ ꒰ ♡ ꒱ ˎˊ˗

“GIRLS DON’T CRY” is the debut single by CHOUKA AIKAWA. Released on April 5th, 2024, the song went on to top charts in various countries. Hailed as one of the best debuts of 2024, critics and fans alike fell in love with the song’s “girlish” and carefree production, and praised how Chouka stayed so true to her hyperfeminine, “princesscore” image. The song’s success as caused critics to name her as a pop girl on the rise.

TRACKLIST … ˗ˏˋ ꒰ ♡ ꒱ ˎˊ˗

GIRLS DON’T CRY ! LEAD SINGLE

CAKE ! B-SIDE

GIRLS DON’T CRY (SPED UP)

PHOTOCARDS … ˗ˏˋ ꒰ ♡ ꒱ ˎˊ˗

COMMERCIAL PERFORMANCE … ˗ˏˋ ꒰ ♡ ꒱ ˎˊ˗

Highly praised for its sound and how it fit Chouka’s style, “Girls Don’t Cry” was a resounding success. The music video’s teaser, which was released with no prior notice onto a completely new YouTube channel (“c.a.”) with no previous content (it was later turned into a channel for all of Chouka’s music related endeavors), garnered over 3.2 million views within its first twenty-four hours after Chouka posted it to her Twitter and Instagram accounts. The single’s title was revealed on both platforms an hour later, coinciding with the launch of her official website, which displayed the title alongside a countdown timer.

The song received over 400,000 pre-saves, and the title was trending on Twitter with over a million Tweets. Shortly before “Girls Don’t Cry” dropped, Chouka’s website was updated with the single’s cover, and she posted behind the scenes photos of her on its set, which received over two million likes within the first day.

Upon the song’s release, it was a smash hit. The music video garnered 32 million views within its first 24 hours, finding itself at #1 on YouTube’s trending page, and topping both the Spotify and Apple Music charts. It went on to become the second most streamed song on Spotify in regards to first day streams. “Girls Don’t Cry” topped charts in several countries, including Japan, South Korea, Australia, the United Kingdom, Italy, France, the Netherlands, New Zealand, and the Philippines (it also managed to remain atop the Oricon chart for seven weeks).

Surprisingly enough, “Girls Don’t Cry” would debut at #2 on the Billboard Hot 100 with sales of over 200,00 units, despite industry insiders predicting a Top 20 debut; probably due to the song’s immense popularity online. Unfortunately, it would never reach #1, falling to #7 after five weeks and staying there for two until falling off, but Rosettes were still happy to see that Chouka’s debut managed to get that high. In total, the single would sell over 850,000 units within its first week, cracking a million by the end of April.

Additionally, the song was also praised for its lyricism and feminist commentary on how women who are seen as “strong” or “smart” are not allowed to cry or display negative emotions and are expected to act as role models, while women who appear as if they have everything are told to “just deal with it” and that they have “nothing to be upset about.” Many Rosettes (and critics) were also surprised to find out that Chouka had written most of the lyrics, as she never expressed interest in songwriting before.

“Cake” was released as a single a month later, on May 3rd, 2024. Although the music video received over 11 million views within its first twenty-four hours, Rosettes were … a bit divided. It seemed like none of them could figure out whether they liked the song or not, with certain Tweets saying …

˗ˏˋ ꒰ ♡ ꒱ ˎˊ˗ “ y’all are just HATERS ! like y’all have truly forgotten what real pop music sounds like bc cake is a hit idc ! ”

˗ˏˋ ꒰ ♡ ꒱ ˎˊ˗ “ chouka girl with all due respect i think letting a major label get a hold of you was a mistake ”

˗ˏˋ ꒰ ♡ ꒱ ˎˊ˗ “ no bc this is girly girl music ! it’s cute it’s fun it’s bouncy and it’s so HER ! chouka bby get behind me PUT DOWN THE HATERADE NOWWWW !! ”

˗ˏˋ ꒰ ♡ ꒱ ˎˊ˗ “ #notmychouka girl why does this sound so EMPTY ??? republic needs to pay for their crimes bc ….. ”

Despite the confusion, “Cake” also went on to top charts. It also debuted atop the Apple Music chart, and came in second beneath “Girls Don’t Cry” on Spotify. It managed to debut at #6 on the Billboard Hot 100, although Rosettes were gunning for a higher placement (it was definitely because they couldn’t stop beefing with each other). The song remained on the chart for two weeks (managing to jump to #5 during its second), before completely falling off the Top Ten.

Luckily, more retrospective reviews shows that Rosettes have warmed up to “Cake,” saying that it fit the aesthetic of the lead single. Everyone loved the “sugar sweet” concept that Chouka had going on, and expressed pleasant surprise that her try at a music career was going so well.

STYLING … ˗ˏˋ ꒰ ♡ ꒱ ˎˊ˗

ERA HIGHLIGHTS … ˗ˏˋ ꒰ ♡ ꒱ ˎˊ˗

Definitely a fun era! Republic was truly pushing this single and girl, it showed. There were billboards playing her music video (Rosettes in New York even crowded around one when it first launched), ads plastered all across YouTube, “Girls Don’t Cry” was all over the radio, and it was the most popular song on TikTok for a good month.

The promotions were insane! Chouka was all over television this era. She was on the Kelly Clarkson Show (which was too cute! Like Kelly literally complimented her accent), she was on Jimmy Fallon, she was on GMA … like you truly could not escape her! She also had a photoshoot with Harper’s Bazaar and people ate it up! It was very Marie Antoinette themed with huge dresses, pastries, and of course, it was shot at a chateau in France!

And of course she had to promote in Japan! Chouka performed both “Girls Don’t Cry” and “Cake” on Music Station, and no one expected either song to have choreography. But the choreo was so cute, and especially for “Girls Don’t Cry!” Like you could truly tell that Chouka was having a blast, and everyone was so surprised at her stage presence because she’s literally a YouTuber. She also held a press conference in Tokyo, and she even got to visit a pop-up event held by Rosettes at a café in her hometown, Kyoto! It was the cutest thing to see her interacting with her fans, and she thanked them at least five times.

Chouka managed to squeeze in Korean promotions, as well! She performed both of her singles on M Countdown, Inkigayo, and The Show, and she was even on Weekly Idol! She held a small fansign for 200 fans who participated in the pre-order and received a “mystery ticket” with their album, and it was so cute! Chouka was cracking jokes with them and receiving SO many gifts (most of which were either pink or ridiculously expensive; she got a lot of bouquets, too!). Her Korean promos even saw the birth of her first fansite, Strawberry Sweet! She also appeared on the cover of Vogue Korea, and after that, Korean promotions ended unfortunately.

Side note, every performance of “Girls Don’t Cry” started with a costume change! It was usually Chouka tearing off a huge ball gown like skirt to reveal her shorter costume underneath, and her performance on M Countdown was literally her playing a princess getting ready for a ball. There was also a lot of ribbons, platform heels, and satin gloves used styling wise, and Chouka’s makeup was always so soft and pink!

Although she didn’t have enough songs to perform a full set, Chouka attended Coachella anyways and met a bunch of Rosettes! Jason (her fiancé) also tagged along, so fans got to meet him, too! Fashion girls were all over her festival looks too … being raised in Milan truly did wonders for her fashion sense.

Girl, the way the “#GirlsDontCryChallenge” blew up on TikTok is insane. The song had over a million videos underneath it by the start of June, and Chouka was doing it with celebs like Kelly, Tate McRae, Olivia Rodrigo, the members of Aespa, the members of Itzy, Rosé of BLACKPINK, Nayeon and Momo from TWICE, Yuju, the members of Viviz, and a few members of Stray Kids and NCT; among others! Chouka also did the challenge with Leeseo, Rei, and Wonyoung of IVE, and the way Dives and Rosettes were across every social media app absolutely freaking out that Chouka and Wonyoung were the same room was truly crazy.

Towards the end of promotions, a full length documentary covering the making of “Girls Don’t Cry,” the music videos, and the subsequent performances premiered on YouTube. It was a mix of professional camera shots and footage personally shot by Chouka herself, which was refreshing since Rosettes got to see a sillier side to her personality. The documentary garnered over 3 million views within the first twenty-four hours, and would end up at #5 on YouTube’s trending page.

At the end of promos, Chouka posted a long, heartfelt letter to her Instagram thanking fans for their support and expressing how surprised she was at the single’s success. She wrote, “I know that you guys have been waiting three years for me to try my hand at music, and words cannot express how happy I am that it was worth the wait. Over these last few months, you all have shown me so much love, and just thinking about it is moving me to tears as I write this! I promise that I’ll repay your support tenfold. You guys truly mean the world to me, and I wouldn’t be half the person I am today if it weren’t for you. You are truly my other half, even if I unfortunately don’t know you personally (don’t tell Jason I said that). I hope and pray that one day, I’ll be able to meet every single one of you from around the whole world in person, and tell you just how much you mean to me. Until next time, my loves. Ti amo sempre e per sempre. Ciao ciao. ♡”

Additionally, there was also a remix planned with PinkPantheress, but unfortunately, plans ended up falling through because Chouka simply … didn’t want to do it. However, Rosettes ended up finding out about the planned collab, and demand for it was huge. So the remix could happen in the future! Who knows.

All in all, this era was great. It truly showed how much untapped star power Chouka had, and the numbers proved it. It reinforced her “It girl” status, showing that no matter what industry she tried her hand at, she would still dominate. ˗ˏˋ ꒰ ♡ ꒱ ˎˊ˗

[chisaiyume]

Ayumi Hamasaki

Website – Twitter – YouTube – Instagram – Facebook -- TikTok

[akookminsupporter]

I'm from a country where mainstream media speaks basically nothing of Kpop. And the only two groups I've ever seen mentioned are BTS, multiple times over the years, and Blackpink a couple of times. That is all. Every single other group out there is viewed by our mainstream media as part of the niche that kpop is for people around here. And as such, every group other than the two above are nameless and faceless to regular people. That said, before BTS, there was only ONE specialized magazine, which was talking about all types of Asian originated music (Jpop, Kpop, Jrock...), but now you have way more. So mainstream is basically ignoring the very existence of Kpop except for BTS, but specialized magazines for young people have never talked about it more than they do now and have never been as big in numbers.

I don't know if that answers your question perfectly, but for me we're a state of "BTS has "made it" in terms of international popularity and outside of the niche they were from, but from 99% of the rest of the Kpop groups, I'd say : wait and see. Give it 10 more years and let's see where we stand, notably in terms of longevity. Multis used to tell us we were stupid for even thinking BTS would still exist as a group after they were over 25, then they used to tell us that each members would go do their own thing and that would break the group (actors, solo career, TV host...), then they used to tell us that military service would 100% bring the end of the group's success, and then they've been telling us that once the members get families, then it'll be all over (so I'm assuming that these things used to kill a group before... which yeah, no comment). But all I'm seeing is that it's still going to be near impossible to get a ticket to any BTS concert when they decide to tour again. So yeah, since BTS is *still* breaking the mold, I'm not sure we can ever say that any group issued from Kpop can even dream of ever achieving anything close to their success, but I'm sure that a few groups will still manage to achieve some relative "high" success in comparison to the rest of Kpop before BTS though.

Hi, Anon. How’ve you been?

 Yeah, I agree with you. In my country, some K-pop groups have performed, and the press hasn’t reported on it—I only found out through social media, which I think says a lot.

I’ve noticed how BTS has become almost interchangeable with the term “K-pop.” Many people immediately think of BTS when K-pop is mentioned. You see it everywhere: in the press, across social media, and even in casual conversations. It’s not something I’ve noticed with other groups—not even with BP.

BTS stands out in so many ways, both within the K-pop industry and beyond. But if we’re talking specifically about the KPOP industry, I think they’ve shattered a lot of the norms and expectations around how long a group can stay relevant and successful. From what I’ve read, they’ve redefined what longevity looks like in K-pop. Most groups tend to peak early and fade out over time, but BTS is still at the top after more than a decade. They’ve not only maintained their influence but expanded it, which is almost unheard of.

Another thing that sets them apart is their solo careers. It’s rare for every single member of a group—especially a group as large as BTS—to have such incredible success individually. With BTS, all seven of them have proven themselves as solo artists and their debuts have been successful and I think this isn’t just unusual in K-pop; it’s rare in the music industry as a whole.

Something that definitely sets BTS apart is ARMY. Sure, other groups have big fandoms, but none are on the same level as ARMY. It’s not just about the numbers, though those are undeniably huge—it’s about how organised and strategic they are. Beyond the usual streaming and voting campaigns, ARMY knows how to play the game and adapt when the rules change. I don’t see that same level of adaptability or cohesiveness in other fandoms.

What’s even more interesting is that ARMY isn’t just about supporting the group—they’ve created a community that operates almost like its own ecosystem. Whether it’s charity projects, trending hashtags, or defending BTS online, they’re always active, always mobilised. It’s one of the reasons BTS has been able to achieve what they have. Their fandom isn’t just along for the ride; they’re actively shaping the journey. And thanks to that, the fandom has become just as famous as BTS.

Tickets for their future concerts will definitely be hard to get, especially for the first one they hold. The fandom keeps growing every day, even though the group has been on pause for a while. That’s impressive as well.

I think we can conclude that no other K-pop group is on BTS's level. Many of them have been successful to a certain extent, and surely many will manage to break barriers outside of South Korea, but I don’t think they’ll reach the level BTS is at.

What will also be interesting to see is what BTS will do when they return. What kind of music will they create? Will it reflect their personal growth and experiences during their time apart, or will it stay closer to the sound and themes that first brought them worldwide recognition? It’ll also be fascinating to observe how their solo projects influence—or perhaps don’t influence—their group dynamics and future releases.

Another intriguing aspect will be how the K-pop industry and the global music scene react to their comeback. Most importantly, it’ll be worth watching how their fandom, embraces them after this pause.

BTS’s return has the potential to be a pivotal moment—not just for the group, but for the industry and their fans—and it’s exciting to imagine how it will all unfold.

The least I expect is that the new songs they’ll surely release will be longer than three and a half minutes.

[heyaheiya]

Meet Cute

(Katsuki x reader)

(y/n uses she/her pronouns)

This is mostly the result of me listening to too much kpop+jpop whilst reading fics.

As a teenager, katsuki didn't understand the hype around idols. Sure, they were pretty, but all he could see was how fake it all seemed. When he went out and was surrounded by all the flashy posters and loud ads playing of yet another idol group with the same faces, it pissed him off.

That was until one night whilst studying, katsuki's phone started playing a song he'd never heard before. He listened to it all the way through, then looked up the artist, only to find out it was by an idol group. (He gaslit himself into thinking he didn't even like the song in the first place.)

He ended up falling down the idol rabbit hole and became obsessed with the group that caused it. After a long night on his laptop, he had researched everything he felt he needed to know about the group; the members, every album they had released, appearances on variety shows, photoshoots, etc. By the end of it, he had found himself obsessing over one specific member. You.

As a newly debuted hero, he was constantly invited to these massive celebrity events. At this point, he'd become a massive fan of the group, and luckily, you had been the most successful member, constantly doing solo work. All of which was playing in Katsuki's mind nonstop.

(But he'd never admit it to anyone. Once Denki had made a joke about him being a closet fan boy, and he had a fit at anyone who even snickered at it.)

He was currently at a red carpet event, and whilst answering a few questions from reporters, he heard a voice he had only ever heard on TV. His head whipped around so fast, in the clip that made it to screen, you could hear a reporter startle and ask if he were okay.

Behind him, there you stood, all dolled up and an extravagant gown that made his designer suit look cheap. He almost got on his knees and kissed the ground you walked on.

But due to his rbf, when you met his eyes, you thought he was about to yell at you. You flinched so violently, you almost fell over, grabbing onto one of your member's shoulder. Katsuki mentally scolded himself all night.

Later that night, he found you standing next to him, and he took his chance.

"You're y/n, right?" He asked, as if he didn't already know.

"Yeah," you think to yourself for a second, "I'm sorry, do you have a problem with me? You've been giving me death glares all night.."

He wanted to die. Not only had you caught him looking at you every chance he got, but his stupid face already got you, his celebrity crush idol (pun intended), to not like him.

This was his only chance to get you to like him, so what better way than-

"SOITHINKYOUREREALLYCOOLANDTALENTEDANDLOWKEYHOTLIKEYOULOOKREALLYGOODTONIGHT"

You burst into laughter.

"The explosion hero, Dynamight, just complimented me? I must be a pretty good idol then."

To him, it's an embarrassing memory that still haunts him years later. However, you keep telling him it's a 'meet-cute'. He doesn't know what that means, but he just accepts it.

[renm1nt]

Since I love both japanese BLs and jpop I have wonder how many jpop idols/japanese artists have acted i BLs for quite some time now. So here’s a list of jpop idols/japanese artists i j-bl. This list was so hard to make so apologies in advance if I missed anyone.

List of Jpop idols in BLs (updated as of June 2024)

2016- Kasa wo motanai aritachi wa (role: Maruta Keisuke) - Kato Shigeaki (NEWS)

2019 - Shujin-ko (role: Ikeda Yujiro) / 2024 - Love is better the second time around (role: Miyata Akihiro) - Hasegawa Makoto (the rampage from exile tribe)

2019 - His-Koisuru Tsumori Nante Nakatta (role: Igawa Shun) - Kusakawa Naoya (One n’ only)

2020 - Love stage (role: Sena Izumi) - Sugiyama Mahiroi (JUNON SUPERBOY ANOTHERS)

2020 - The corned mouse dream of cheese (role: Otomo Kyoichi) - Okura Tadayoshi (Kanjani8)

2021 - Given (role: Sato Mafuyu) - Sanari (solo)

2021 - Utsukushii kare (role: Kiyoi Sou) - Yagi Yusei (Fantastics from Exile Tribe)

2021 - Utsukushii kare (role: Koyama Kazuki) - Takano Akira (solo/ex-Dream5)

2021 - My love mix-up (role: Ida Kousuke)- Meguro Ren (Snow Man)

2021 - My love mix-up (role: Aoki Sota)- Michieda Shunsuke (Naniwa danshi)

2021 - Zettai BL ni Naru Sekai VS Zettai BL ni Naritakunai Otoko aka Zettai BL (role: Takimoto) - Kusachi Ryono (ENJIN)

2021 - Zettai BL (role: Usui) - Kondo Yohdi (solo)

2021 - Zettai BL (role: Ryouta) - Yabe Masaki (DISH//)

2021 - Zettai BL (role: Mayama) - Wada Hayate (Da-ICE)

2021 - Zettai BL (role: Toma) - Kobayashi Ryota (ex BOYS AND MEN)

2022 - Mr unlucky has no choice but to kiss (role: Shinomiya Naoya) - Sato Yusuke (lol)

2022 - Old fashion cupcake (role: Nozue) - Takeda Kouhei (ex PureBoys)

2022 - Minato shoji coin laundry (role: Minato Akira) / 2020 - Cherry magic (role: Rokkaku Yuta) - Kusakawa Takuya (Bullet train)

2022 -Amagi-kun and Takara-kun (role: Amagi Taichi) - Oriyama Nao (Shonen Ninja)

2022 - Amagi-kun and Takara-kun (role: Takara Shun)- Sato Arata (IMP.)

2022 - Candy color paradox (role: Onoe Satoshi) - Kimura Keito (Fantastics from Exile Tribe)

2022 - Candy color paradox (role: Kaburagi Motoharu) - Yamamaka Jyutaro (M!lk)

2023 - I cannot reach you (role; Ashiya Kakeru) - Haru Kasiwagi (Bullet train)

2023 - Tokyo in april is…(role: Ishihara Ren) / 2024 - Love is is better the second time around (role: Shiraishi Yuto) - Aloha Takamatsu (Bullet train)

2023 - Tokyo in april is… (role: young Takizawa Kazuma) - Takeno Sena (ICEx)

2023 - My personal weatherman (role: Tanada Yoh) - Atsuki Mashiko (Genic)

2023 - If it’s with you (role: Kaido Amane) - Okara Takato (Genin wa Jibun ni Aru.)

2023 - Takumi-kun series 6: nagai nagai monogatari no hajimari no asa (role: Hayama Takumi) - Morishita Shion (S/TEAM BLOOD)

2023 - One room angel (role: Takashina Takashi/Angel) - Nishimura Takuya (lil Kansai)

2024 - Sahara sensei to Toki-kun (role: Toki Kanade) - Hachimura Rintaro (Watwing)

2024 - I became the main lead of a BL drama (role: Akafuji Yuichiro) - Abe Alan (7ORDER)

2024 - Ossan no pants ga nandatte ii janai ka (role: Igarashi Daichi) - Nakajima Sota (Fantastics from Exile Tribe)

2024 - My strawberry film (role: Ichikawa Ryo) - Fukada Ryusei (Shonen Ninja)

2024 - My strawberry film (role: Toyama Hikaru) - Yabana Rei (7Men Samurai)

Note: Some of the jpop idols/jpop artists are not in BLs (movies/series centred around MxM romance) but are included because the have played gay roles.

[sug4rsweet]

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *. a thousand miles away …

characters: takahashi kaori, nakamura mamiko

genre: fluff, quite a bit of angst but i swear it’s not that bad BSNDJDN

warnings: none !

summary: following the opening show of her very first tour, an exhausted kaori calls her mother—who’s thousands of miles away in new york city—for much needed comfort.

word count: 1.1k

a/n: aaaahh my first fic for kaori ! i’ve been waiting to write this one so y’all could get to know her mom better, so i hope y’all enjoy !

kaori softly closed the door of her hotel room, and let out a heavy sigh. she ran her hands through her dyed hair and resisted the urge to slide down the door, her legs turning into jelly the second she was allowed to relax. kaori knew that touring would take a lot out of her, but she still wished she was a bit more prepared for it.

the girl was hungry and beyond sleepy, and all she wanted was room service and a warm bed. however, as she placed her bag down and haphazardly tied her hair up, kaori remembered what she’d been aching to do since the day began.

“hey, siri.” kaori said, her voice low and heavy with exhaustion. “call mom.”

as her cellphone rang, kaori allowed herself to just think, taking much needed time to clear her mind. right now, her mother was off in new york, all alone in what used to be their apartment, working twelve hours, five days out of the week. of course, mamiko was a grown woman who could handle being alone, and she was definitely proud to see her daughter becoming so independent. but kaori was merely seventeen. she wasn’t an adult in japan or in the states. she wasn’t supposed to be independent right now. she missed her house, she missed her mother, and she didn’t want her to be alone. no matter how much she loved what she did.

kaori’s phone rang for a while longer, which caused her to look over at it in mild confusion. however, the moment she did, she heard a soft click.

it was her mom.

“hi, baby!” mamiko exclaimed. kaori relaxed the second she heard her mother’s voice. “how are you, sweetie?”

kaori smiled. “good.” she answered. “tired, but good.”

mamiko hummed. kaori heard shuffling in the background, as if her mother was trying to get comfortable. “so, how was your first concert? did you have fun?”

“i definitely did.” kaori answered with a sudden excitement in her voice, finally allowing herself to get comfortable on her end. “and you know what, mom? i can’t believe i sold out an arena made for ten thousand people. like, me. i did that.”

mamiko’s amused chuckle stopped kaori from rambling. “that you did, baby.” she said. “anything else?”

kaori hummed, trying to wrack her brain for something exciting other than ‘i started my tour.’ “well,” she began. “everything went well for the most part. nothing really happens on the first day, but i’m glad i got to… do that, at least. it’s not every day that you get to parapara with ten thousand of your fans.”

mamiko laughed, always endeared at her daughter’s sense of humor. “that sounds amazing, princess.” the woman said, the softest of smiles gracing her face. “i wish i could’ve been there to see it.”

kaori’s shoulders dropped. she took a breath, trying to push away the overwhelming feeling of sadness that had suddenly overtook her.

“i…” she started. her throat was tight. “i wish you were there, too, mom.”

the girl paused, attempting to swallow the lump in her throat. she was too late, however, as tears already started to sting at her hazel eyes. fuck. kaori didn’t want to cry. she was already so exhausted as it was.

but how could she not? her mother couldn’t even be there to see her first concert because she was in a completely different country. and what made it so much worse is that even though her father was in the same city as she was, he couldn’t see her, either. they weren’t even allowed in the same room. the thought alone made the tears fall from kaori’s eyes anyways. a sob escaped her lips, and even though she tried her best to muffle it, her mother still picked it up.

“i just…” kaori choked out, switching to english. a habit of hers whenever she got particularly emotional. “i just miss you so much, mom.”

mamiko’s face dropped at the sound of her daughter’s choked voice. “oh, baby…” she said, her voice falling to a soft whisper. “i know. i miss you, too, princess. with me in new york and you in tokyo, we’re both working so hard, right?”

kaori hummed, letting out a sound that was a cross between a sob and a choked laugh. “i want to go home.” she said, continuously wiping tears from her eyes. “i knew it would be hard, but i didn’t think it would be this hard.”

mamiko frowned. she knew how much kaori needed a hug, and her heart ached knowing that she couldn’t give one to her.

“listen, baby.” the older woman started. “you’re such a strong girl, okay? and this is only your first show. i know you’re not used to this yet, but you’ll get through it, alright princess? you have so many people around you that believe in you.”

kaori’s tears began to subside as she nodded in understanding. she must’ve forgotten the independent, hard working woman who raised her.

“and kaori-chan?” mamiko continued, switching back to japanese. “we both know how much you wanted this. don’t give up a day in.”

the girl in question began laughing. she was still a bit choked up, but leagues better than before. “you’re right.” kaori said, finally drying her eyes. “thank you, mom.”

mamiko smiled hearing the sadness subside from kaori’s voice. “you’re welcome, sweet pea.”

silence fell over mother and daughter for a while, minus kaori’s gradually decreasing sniffles. once again, the 17-year-old ran a hand through her hair, trying to smooth out her dyed locks in an effort to feel less disheveled.

“mom,” kaori suddenly said, breaking the momentary silence. her mother hummed. “you promise you’ll come to one of my concerts, right?”

mamiko nodded, although kaori couldn’t see it. “i promise, baby.” she responded. “i love you.”

it took everything in kaori to not burst into tears all over again. but she knew that if she couldn’t see her mother in person, then this phone call was the next best thing. “i love you too, mom.”

mamiko let out a breathy chuckle. “now, i have to go, sweetie. looks like my lunch break is over. unfortunately.”

kaori laughed. the first genuine laugh she let out since she called. “okay.” she said. “bye mom.”

“bye, princess.” mamiko replied. “don’t forget to call your dad, alright? tell him all about what happened today.”

kaori hummed, the smallest of smiles gracing her face. she held onto that promise like her life depended on it, already counting down the days until she could see her mother again. and, maybe—just maybe—her father, as well.

“i will.”

[kpopmusic]

インソムニア (INSOMNIA) – Eve Music Video

[the50-person]

ØMI (Tosaka Hiroomi 登坂広臣) - Purple Pill feat. SKY-HI

The song had been in production for 4-5 years, but Omi felt that it was incomplete if it was performed solo and shelved it. Omi and Sky-hi had been talking of collaboration for some time. Omi felt that Sky-hi could complete the song and thought that it was a good time take it out when they decided to collaborate.

Purple Pill is about facing the current reality and chasing dreams with the theme of "representing Japan". Both of them are 37yo and from the same generation of artists, with similar career paths and interests. In Japan idols who sell themselves as a product =/= artists, artists sing, dance and rap at professional level and often focus on their specialty. They are both singer-songwriters and belong to top-level non-idol boy groups, with Omi being Sandaime J Soul Brothers' vocalist and Sky-hi being AAA's rapper, and they are now interested in producing next-generation artists (the chasing dreams part in the song). Omi focuses on girl groups and is the creative officer of LDH (his boy group belongs to this company) and president of his own record label and entertainment company CDL Entertainment. Sky-hi focuses on boy groups and is the president of his own management company BMSG. They often talk about how they want to change the status quo of Japan's entertainment industry and music world - Japan is very insular in entertainment and gatekeeps heavily (the current reality mentioned in the song). Omi has done things like producing songs that use a instrumental chorus i.e not singing the chorus, which is very uncommon in Japan, as well as mixing genres and aligning closer to future bass and future house contrary to more mainstream jpop sounds and the rest of LDH.

This is also Omi's solo comeback since 2022 and the beginning of a new project called The Fusion. New instagram and tiktok accounts have been created.

[hot-take-tournament]

(if like me you hadn't heard of ado until now, i linked one of her most famous songs under the cut so you can judge the take for yourself)

HOT TAKE TOURNAMENT

POST PRE PRELIMINARY #106

Submission 423

ado is widely overrated and i’m suprised so many vocaloid fans like her

she kinda falls into the mafumafu category of ‘technically great but i can’t stand their voice’. it feels like with every song i hear her sing she’s trying too hard to be fancy with her vocal techniques, which come off as less impressive and more grating. plus, without the vocaloid producers on her songs, they become instantly less memorable. and when her songs are produced by a vocaloid producer it feels less like her song and more like that producer’s song that she is covering; she adds little than what would be added if miku or another vocaloid was used in her place. this results in ado having very little musical identity to me as a solo artist and i don’t see why people would listen to her. if they like the songs produced by the vocaloid producers, they often have tracks significantly better than what they gave ado, and if they like her tracks not made by vocaloid producers then there’s so many other jpop artists to listen to

Pre-preliminaries will be used to determine what qualifies as a hot take. Propaganda is encouraged!

Also, remember to reblog your favourite polls for exposure! (exposure like when you’re exposed to the fact that the KISS Scooby Doo crossover does actually exist, scarring you for life)

[sinisxtea]

DOYOUNG ALBUM THOUGHTS

ok welcome to my album review rant today we're reviewing doyoung's album. it's a quite lengthy album too. tbh surprised at the amount of songs i actually enjoyed because ballards are usually a hit or miss for me, because i don't like hearing just straight vocals.

(im a doyoung stan i must stream yknow)

not going to review every song on the album bc i tuned out some of them... 😭

little light

upon first listen, i lowkey almost tuned it out, i'm sorry... but second time listening to it, since it is the title track, i'm paying more attention to it. the song is very j-pop coded?? in my opinion, the ballad-rock kinda vibe does fit doyoung and this was what i expected, but a teeny tiny part of me was hoping for a little bit more sm core style of music, with the experimental stuff, but this works too. havent watched the mv yet but i'll check it out soon, maybe look up the lyrics translation, cause songs have more meaning when you understand the lyrics too.

from little wave

tell me why it's giving mario kart... imagine listening to this while driving on rainbow road damn. no but this is such a car cruising driving song, and i pretty much liked it immediately upon first listen. the chorus is SO GOOD??? like doyoungs vocals shine on the whole album cause he's that talented but this one really demonstrates it i think. you can disagree with me lmfao idc. it's kinda giving 80s love ballad, and that's such a beautiful vibe of music i really like it a lot...

time machine

lowkey was a surprise to see mark and taeyeon featured on the album, but i actually really like this one. the vocals hard carried obviously, but mark + doyoung combo really hits hard lowkey they should do more stuff like this together. i'm a sucker for male-female vocal duets, so this one was so cute and sweet. i know why mark considers himself an "ARTIST" not a rapper lmfao. (also im waiting for mark's solo album...... SM PLEASE)

lost in california

THIS IS THE SONG I WILL BE REPLAYING OVER AND OVER THIS MONTH I THINK. hello it's so good why wasn't this the title track? it reminds me of "i don't think that i like her anymore" by charlie puth and that song hits hard. also the vibes are immaculate. seems way more sm core than ballad so obviously i prefer this lmfao... love the little harpsicord instrumental too that was so neat. sm pick ur title tracks better thanks.

rest

i got more appreciative of the song after the chorus came on, but it gives like jpop vibes?? jpop really has that hard metal/rock aspect, and this album has quite a few songs like that. all in all, this wasn't really a favorite favorite, but it definitely stood out to me because it wasn't a ballad lmfaooo. didn't add this one to my playlist but i do think it's pretty good.

dallas love field

this is so country coded guys...... and guess who actually listens to country? me anyways neat cause it's called dallas love field... but regardless i quite enjoyed this a lot, and seeing the country core vibes radiate off of this... like damn im gonna make doyoung cowboy edits soon just watch. (for legal reasons thats a joke im a doyoung stan don't come for me) the only weird part is the bridge, with all the voices chiming in, but other than that i like the phillips phillips vibes that remind me of my 2010s era.