Tag: J-pop
'Rumors Fly Around 'Japanese Madonna' Namie Amuro Breaking Into the US Market, May Have Deal with Warner Music Group
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'J-Pop Visual Kei Band The Kiddie to Disband
Eight years after its formation, J-Pop’s Visual Kei band The Kiddie have decided to disband. The group will move forward with one last tour in March titled "yume wo hakobu ne" which can be translated as "Let's work on our dreams, OK?" The group's final live performance will be held March 31 at Zepp Tokyo. The Kiddie consist of five members: Yusa on vocals, Yuusei on lead guitar, Jun on rhythm guitar, Sorao on bass and Yuudai on drums. The band is known for their visual kei style, a movement among Japanese musicians that is characterized by the use of varying levels of makeup, elaborate hair styles and flamboyant costumes often, but not always, coupled with androgynous aesthetics. Though many believe visual kei refers to a music genre with sounds relating to glam rock, punk rock and heavy metal, it is possible for visual key to be used in various genres. But The Kiddie’s style is casual and straight-to-the-point, which distinguishes them from other young visual kei bands. -
'AKi of SID to Make Solo Debut
AKi, bassist for the Japanese visual kei rock band SID, has announced that he will be making his solo debut at the beginning of the year with an album release. The upcoming album, titled "ARISE," will be released Jan. 28 through Tower Records. AKi will hold his first solo concert Feb. 3 in Tokyo at the Tsutaya O-East. On Dec. 5, Danger Crue Records released a free digital single titled “Freak Show" from an unidentified rookie artist, which has now been revealed to have been AKi. "ARISE" will come with 11 tracks, one of which will be the already-released track “Freak Show." AKi wrote all of the album's lyrics, including the English ones. Glay's Toshi Nagai, The Mad Capsule Markets’s Motokatsu Miyagami, usagi's Takayuki Kato and MUCC's Miya will be featured as guest performers on the album.
