MTV Japan Video Music Awards

On May 30, 2009 Japan hosted their 8th annual MTV video music awards in Saitama, Japan. Some special live performances included musicians from across the world such as Ciara, Green Day, Katy Perry, Remioromen, 9mm Parabellum Bullet, and our favorite Boa and Sean Garret.

Across Asia, people have been anticipating for this moment for months and the time has finally come. Check out the nominees, and who made it to the top of the charts for 2009!

Video of the Year

Exile — “Ti Amo”
* Namie Amuro “New Look”
* Britney Spears “Womanizer”
* Coldplay “Viva la Vida”
* Southern All Stars “I Am Your Singer”

Best Pop Video

Katy perry — “I Kissed a Girl”
* Ikimonogakari — “Kimagure Romantic”
* Lily Allen “The Fear”
* Perfume “Dream Fighter”
* Rip Slyme “Taiyou to Bikini”

Best Group Video

Exile — “Ti Amo”
* Franz Ferdinand “Ulysses”
* Shonan no Kaze “Koishigure”
* The Killers “Human”
* TVXQ “Jumon: Mirotic”

Best Male Video

Kreva — “Akasatanahamayarawawon”
* Kanye West “Heartless”
* Motohiro Hata “Forever Song”
* Ne-Yo “Closer”
* Usher “Love in This Club feat. Young Jeezy”

Best Collaboration Video

Nelly and Fergie — “Party People”
* Madonna feat.Justin Timberlake & Timbaland “4 Minutes”
* Suchataraba + Kaela Kimura “Hey! Hey! Alright”
* T.I. feat.Rihanna “Live Your Life”
* Anna Tsuchiya feat.Ai “Crazy World”

Best Female Video

Namie Amuro — “New Look”
* Beyoncé “If I Were a Boy”
* Britney Spears “Womanizer”
* Hikaru Utada “Prisoner of Love”
* Thelma Aoyama “Nandomo”

Best New Artist Video

Kimaguren — “Life”
* Duffy “Mercy”
* Girl Next Door “Guzen no Kakuritsu”
* Katy Perry “I Kissed a Girl”
* Miho Fukuhara “Change”

Best Rock Video

Maximum the Hormone—”Tsume Tsume Tsume”
* Acidman “I stand free”
* Fall Out Boy “I Don’t Care”
* Franz Ferdinand “Ulysses”
* 9mm Parabellum Bullet “Living Dying Message”

Best Hip Hop Video

Teriyaki Boyz® — “Zock On! feat.Pharrell & Busta Rhymes”
* Kanye West “Heartless”
* Kreva “Akasatanahamayarawawon”
* Lil Wayne “Lollipop feat.STATIC”
* T.I. “Live Your Life feat. RIHANNA”

Best Reggae Video

Han-Kun — “HOTTER THAN HOT”
Kardinal Offishall “Dangerous feat. AKON”
* Mighty Jam Rock “U.P. STAR”
* Natty “Cold Town”
* Ryo the Skywalker “EVER GREEN”

Best Video from a Film

Remioromen — “Yume no Tsubomi” from “Kansen Retto”
* AI “Okuribito” from “Okuribito(Departures)”
* Jack White & Alicia Keys “Another Way to Die” from “Quantum of Solace”
* Madonna “4 Minutes feat. JUSTIN TIMBERLAKE & TIMBALAND” from “Get Smart”
* Monobright “Ano Toumeikan to Shonen” from “Afterschool”

Best Album of the Year

Mr.Children —”Supermarket Fantasy”
* Ayaka “Sing to the Sky”
* Coldplay “Viva La Vida or Death and All His Friends”
* Hikaru Utada “Heart Station”
* NE-YO “Year of the Gentleman”

Best Karaokee! Song

Kimaguren — “LIFE”
* Aqua Timez “Niji”
* Coldplay “Viva La Vida”
* Funky Monkey Babys “Kibou no Uta”
* Mariah Carey “Touch My Body”

Green Day.. on Japan Music Station?!

As Green Day walks into the room shouting, “We are number one!” in Japanese, you know something is up. Who hasn’t had their phase of Green Day, as the epidemic hit in 2004 with songs like “Boulevard of Broken Dreams”, “American Idiot”, or “Holiday”. Also, there is that song in 2005, where Utada Hirakaru mixed the sound track of “Boulevard of Broken Dreams” with “Passion”, from Kingdom Hearts II. I guess that is besides the point.. They are the world’s number one punk rock band and their CD’s are very popular around the world. Even in Japan, they have performed in Summer Sonic, and have reached the number one charts. And today, performing for wild fans in Japan, they showcase “Know Your Enemy” from their CD released on May 15, 2009 called 21st Century Breakdown. This song has already reached #1 in sales in 14 different countries. Haven’t heard it yet? The music starts at 5:30.. or if you already have, check out the man in the clown wig, crowd surfing at 7:55. I warned you.. Japanese people are crazzyyy

Perfume vs Morning Musume

Into techno-ish robotic moves?? Then Perfume are the girls for you! They performed for an audience at Yoyogi National Stadium for two days, starting on May 11, 2009. They showcased their 14 most popular songs, and promised a new album to be released on July 8, 2009. Their song “One Room Disco” reached #1 on the Oricon charts in April, and these group of girls have been continuing their long success.

This is the snip of the concert that was performed earlier this month..

part 2

But have you ever wondered who would win a ping pong tournament between the Morning Musume group and Perfume? NO?.. me neither. However, several days after their tedious live performance, they whooped the butts of the nine Morning Musume girls. Perfume was on the show to help promote the new single for the MM girls, released on May 13th entitled “Shouganai Yume Oibito”. However, their outfit shows striking similarities to the Perfume group. Are they starting to lack creativity and originality too??

Kat-tun Day 4

Wow! So today is day 4 of the 8 day legendary performance held at the Tokyo Dome. They are half-way there!! There has been 55,000 fans all four nights, filling out every seat in the Tokyo Dome and NO PERFORMANCE IS THE SAME! Never in history has this kind of performance happened.. and fans or not, it is exciting to see their stamina lasting as each performance seems to be just as good as the last. When they were asked how they were feeling, they replied saying all they need are the fans that give them the energy they need to make it last each day..how sweet.

An act that remains the same is Nakamura, who has been bungee jumping for each performance. However, he claims to be VERY scared of heights.. and it was enough to make him pee his pants (from the looks on his face).

Also 200 members of Johnny’s Jr. Entertainment Industry have also been a part of this performance. They have been working just as hard for their “older brother”, Kat- tun, in the music industry.

Kamenashi is known for pulling stunts throughout the performance, but today was one that left the audience HORRIFIED. Kamenashi’s fall happens at 2:00 check it out!

haha.. ok so maybe I tried to fool you too.. He does fall, but it isn’t as tragic as it may look. After causing mental trauma to every Kamenashi fan in the audience, he reappearances wearing a kimono on the other side of the stage. How?! You might ask.. Well everybody knows the answer is that he’s just that magical .

Ayumi Sakai

Who is this newcomer? Well, she’s been around for quite awhile. Starting as a model in the fashion magazine “CanCam”, she disappeared for a while when she got married in 2006 but divorced in 2008. She has managed to pick her life back up as a singer, and released her album on May 13, 2009.

I don’t think her singing skills are very impressive.. but her manager accepted the promotion of her music and supported her passion to continue in the industry since he saw that her past life and experiences would make her who she is as an artist and help her as a singer. Will she make it far? You decide.

Miliyah and Shota Shimizu

Congratulations to Miliyah and Shota Shimizu! Their new song released on May 13th 2009 has made it to the top single song on the Oricon charts this week. Shota Shimizu is relatively new into the music industry, as he released his first album in February of 2008 and his song “Home” was ranked #5. By November, when he released his first album he was ranked #2. These 20 year old artists are very talented.. keep your eyes peeled for them as they are increasing their popularity as they work together to create a new wave or music with their powerful duo.

Kat-tun

Yesterday, May 15, 2009 was Kat-tun’s first performance at the Tokyo Dome. They are performing for 8 days straight, and the concert has been a great turn out from their hard core fans. Something special that they have incorporated was an epic performance by Kame as you can see him “flying” 120 meters across the stage..

Poor Kame says that he has burns all over his body!! girls are going crazier over him more than ever..

Big bang

On May 15, 2009 Big Bang held a press conference in Kyoto, Japan. Here, they talked about their favorite things about Japan, but the best part is at 3:30, where they show their “best smile” aka “Joon-sama” smile.

This is the famous face from the Korean drama “Winter’s Sonata” that started the obasan (older lady) Japanese obsession with Korean culture.

Exile

Congrats to EXILE’s “Ballad Best” for winning the Japan’s Gold Disc Award for artist of the year!! This album was released in December 2008 and their new album “J Soul Brothers” released in February 2009 has made it to number 1 on the Oricon charts!!

But ok along with praise comes time to critique.. what is up with the 1092424 back up dancers for exile? Personally, I think that this looks ridiculous, like watching old men do “ring around the rosie” while two men sing motionless. Even funnier, they ALL LOOK THE SAME! No joke, if you split them up, you can’t tell who is who.

Actually, I did say old men i take that back. Stop and freeze it at :27 and you will know what I’m talking about.

Don’t get me wrong, I love their music and voice but seeing their music video and performance made me almost embarrassed.

So this is last year when they had only 5 Dancers for the 2 Singers..

It already looks off-balanced. But nope. 5 hott guys were not good enough for those two lonesome men. Now, there are 12 Dancers averaging on 40 years old. ?!?!? right? Take a look..

Breakerz

April 08, 2009, Breakerz have released their new single “Everlasting Love/Bambino” and their live concert was held yesterday May 12, 2009.

So a quick background on Daigo-chan, part of the 3 member boy “rock” band. Not quite rock as they claim to be.. and sort of reminds me of the Gackt style of almost “emo” wanna be hardcore style (haha take a look at his leopard print leather jacket…) Anyways, he is the grandson of Japan’s Prime Minister!! I’d like to see singing at his family reunions..

One of their new songs is “Bambino”, however, it is said to be a copy cat of the Latin song “livin’ la vida loca”. Check it out.

vs.

Truth. the beginning sound oddly similar…