Sorry, Asian pop music makes U.S. artists look lame
@Radicalpatriot (665)
United States
February 24, 2007 6:06pm CST
The more I look into Asian music, the more I see American music as being very weak in comparison. There just isn't any room for lameness. You only live once, so why choose weak music? Anyway, over the past few months I have researched this company called Up-Front Artists from Japan, which markets Hello! Project, an all-girls singing troupe that features one of the most sensational groups I have every heard or seen, Morning Musume, which is celebrating its 10th anniversary this year. Rather than explain further here, please check out more information at http://www.writingup.com/blog/Radicalpatriot and that site also includes several; sample videos and the latest news on this phenomenon.
1 person likes this
4 responses
@lilaclady (28206)
• Australia
25 Feb 07
I guess that is all a matter of personal tastes, myself I think Australian musis the best but then I am an Aussie so with no offence to anyone I guess it is just what your taste is....all music is good and plent of room for all because of the varied taste.....
@Radicalpatriot (665)
• United States
25 Feb 07
Being an Aussie you surely have heard of Morning Musume! They've gotten down as far as Hong Kong. No doubt other Aussies have heard of them. In New Zealand, Morning Musume is fairly well-known. One former member, Mako, is going to school there and is on hiatus from singing at present, and her every move is being covered by the Asian celebrity press. You owe it to yourself to check out Morning Musume, and I've prepared a tidy set of intro posts at http://www.writingup.com/blog/Radicalpatriot just for those who know nothing of these singers.
@kathy77 (7485)
• Australia
25 Feb 07
Yes that is for sure that we only iive once and so we had best listen to the best music out there, it is wonderful to have such a dedicated site to music such as this one, thank you for your discussion, but as for myself personally I love old time music, as I come from that generation and to each his own opinion.
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@Radicalpatriot (665)
• United States
25 Feb 07
Speaking of old-time music, there is one sensational Morning Musume song called "Mr. Moonlight" which is based on the big-band sound of the 1940s. It is sensational! And many of their other tunes tend to borrow from other musical styles and eras. Finally, their dances resemble, in many respects, some Broadway shows and the old Buzby-Berkley showgirls of the Depression era. The more you look into Morning Musume, the more you will like them!
@Phlamingho (7822)
• Denmark
25 Feb 07
Well the main thing you forget to think about is this. Everyone can listen to american music, I'm sure everyone can find at least one american band they like. It's not the same with asian music though. For people in the western world asian music is horrible. I'm sorry, but it's the truth, we can't stand it, guess it has something to do with cultural differences in the language :-)
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@Radicalpatriot (665)
• United States
25 Feb 07
Your thoughts were precisely what I was thinking only a few short months ago. Then YouTube came along and, presto, I surfed into a few Morning Musume songs and the rest, as they say, is history. Yes, most Asian pop music, especially that in the 1960s-90s, was horrible and remains so. But these singers with Hello! Project are phenomenal and they borrow heavily from Western rock, jazz and even hip-hip genres. The choreography is over the top. Nobody can match these people in the States. Period. As a former music/dance teacher, I can guarantee that! Give it a chance, and it will change your life.
@Debs_place (10520)
• United States
25 Feb 07
Music is a matter of taste and if you don't like American music, then don't listen to it.
And personally peoples choice in music is not that major a choice that it will affect your life.
I went to the link - they are a girls version of a boy's band and since most Americans don't understand Japanese, I don't think they will catch on here.
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@Radicalpatriot (665)
• United States
25 Feb 07
You make a legitimate point, but Morning Musume tends to intersperse English into the Japanese lyrics. Plus, any time you want a translation it is available online in many places. One of the really cool things to do is pull up a Morning Musume video, and lay the translation right next to it and follow along! Plus, some of the Hello! Project videos already have English subtitles. Musically, though, there's no way American groups can touch these J-pop tunes.
