IT'S AI???????

Just now, California said:

IT'S AI???????

Welp

I really loved that one till I learned the vocals are AI ( ) so I wanna check out her albums.

Edited January 1Jan 1 by Curaga

my 9 was for the instrumental

16. CHANMINA - WORK HARD

Average: 5.95

Highest score: AMIT, California (10)

Lowest score: Curaga (3)

One of Chanmina's droplets from this year, slightly experimental. She even performed it at the FIRST TAKE. It worked for some, but most of you were pretty meh on it.

Curaga: Even that beat can't save this

illia: The verses go hard but I wish the production went even harder

conatus: Try a little harder, luv.

Kyle-x: Nice enough.

ended Nina idc

15. HANA - ROSE

Average: 6.09

Highest score: Kyle-x (9)

Lowest score: romiskes (2)

Isn't it ironic that Chanmina's own pet project outlasted her? Anyway, this is undoubtedly the biggest song here - Japan ate HANA up, and they want more helpings (Blue Jeans might actually be bigger, sorry to those who were asking for it). Even THE FIRST TAKE version of the song charted. Those survival show groups seem to have hit the jackpot. HANA's debut album is slated for February, and it could be a real event. As for Chanmina, well, I don't think she's losing sleep over them outpeaking her here and in real life.

illia: Hate hate HATEE the verses but the chorus is nice. If Blue Jeans was here instead, I'd give it a 10

conatus: Why are we shouting? Welcome back, Little Mix.

Kyle-x: Whew love the production.

Surprisingly too low

Anyway Blue Jeans ended

This was cute too

Edited January 1Jan 1 by illia

Dang, I thought that one was cute

Yeah, wasn't crazy about either of these. Not the worst, but by no means the best.

14. Ayumi Hamasaki - mimosa

Average: 6.18

Highest score: Kyle-x (10)

Lowest score: conatus (1.5)

Ayu's sole 2025 release and actually a bit of a hit for her, as it has sold over 38K copies and outcharted Kana Nishino. We cheered and clapped. As for the song itself, well, I liked it upon the release, but after revisiting it, I thought it lacked an oomph. I suppose it does have that classic feeling to it, though I'm also not going to get behind all of her classics.

mathekr: this is ayu's best release in a hot minute. this should be added to her pantheon of classics

illia: And prayers

conatus: Same old ****. Why is this over 5 minutes?

Kyle-x: Oh mother... we love you girl. So classique.

Edited January 1Jan 1 by Suilen

poor Kyle-x

Shocked about mimosa not getting much love here

Definitely lacks oomph, but I imagine it was meant to sound like an Ayumi throwback since she was walking down memory lane in the video

13. LANA - Summer Ride (feat. ¥ellow Bucks)

Average: 6.41

Highest score: Kyle-x (10)

Lowest score: California (2)

Another one of Chanmina's sons. You see, Chanmina is kinda the Nicki of j-rap if you remove all the bad things about Nicki (and that's a lot). I would compare LANA to someone like Doja. She has her share of pure pop tracks like Almost 20, and plenty of her tracks exist in the realm of pop rap. She's also quite successful. Lana had a solo song on her hands in 2025, Like a Flower, but I thought it was a snooze not unlike I hate this love song, so Summer Ride seemed like a better choice. As a notorious summer music hater, I thought that was cute, even with a man.

illia: Ear cleanse

conatus: Cute! Now let's write a bridge mama.

Kyle-x: I'm bopping!

I switched on that one; first time I was bopping, second time I couldn't hear it

12. Giga & TeddyLoid - ACT (feat. DAOKO)

Average: 6.90

Highest score: Curaga (9)

Lowest score: conatus (3)

One of the reasons (if not THE reason) we even know of Daoko is her collaboration with TeddyLoid for a certain anime short, which went extremely viral back in the day and which is difficult to find now. The song (all of its 3 parts) is still available, though. But yeah, regardless of whether people enjoyed the boobs more than the song, it put Daoko, an underground rapper then, on the map. They collaborated again two years later, but it (along with the rest of Daoko's career) was completely overshadowed by her Kenshi Yonezu collab for Fireworks. Almost a decade later, Daoko is still doing her thing. For some reason, she decided to revisit her origins and collaborated with TeddyLoid again. A throwback, if you will. Maybe an original song of hers would've been a better choice, but I had a feeling that some of you weren't particularly privy to what Daoko was doing years ago, so it didn't feel reductive.

Curaga: Love that bassline

conatus: Can't remember which Ayu song in the J-pop divas rate was the one I said "The maximalism circles back around to being boring" about (Maybe Mirrorcle World?) but it's the same kind of thing here.

Kyle-x: The beginning sounded like Love In the Ice by Tohoshinki for a minute ddd.

Kana above this?

11. ADO - Magic

Average: 7.00

Highest score: Curaga (10)

Lowest score: conatus (3.5)

ADO is definitely a force in the current j-pop landscape. No matter what she releases, it becomes at least a minor hit. She dropped a lot of stuff in 2025, including two covers of Showa classics: Akina's Jukkai (1984) and ANRI's CAT'S EYE. Both covers seemed pretty interesting to me, with her adding something to the originals. Her most successful droplet was arguably Magic, a song not tied-up with anything. I believe most of you appreciated the production, though you might need to get used to the vocals.

Curaga: This Sonic-ass instrumental LOVE it

mathekr: Ado stays reheating Reol's nachos but the material always come out good.

illia: Cute but I know she CAN do better than this

conatus: I'm overstimulated.

Kyle-x: Oh she's funky!

production ate

@conatus, you and that busted avi, come catch these hands

24 minutes ago, Suilen said:

14. Ayumi Hamasaki - mimosa

Average: 6.18

Highest score: Kyle-x (10)

Lowest score: conatus (1.5)

Ayu's sole 2025 release and actually a bit of a hit for her, as it has sold over 38K copies and outcharted Kana Nishino. We cheered and clapped. As for the song itself, well, I liked it upon the release, but after revisiting it, I thought it lacked an oomph. I suppose it does have that classic feeling to it, though I'm also not going to get behind all of her classics.

mathekr: this is ayu's best release in a hot minute. this should be added to her pantheon of classics

illia: And prayers

conatus: Same old ****. Why is this over 5 minutes?

Kyle-x: Oh mother... we love you girl. So classique.

the 1.5 making it so my 2 isn't there I see!

Same old boring generic zzzz though