This is an archive from Klassic Note Web Reports
Friday, 31 December 2021The Klassic Note Song Awards 2021
Welcome to the Klassic Note Song Awards 2021!
I'm
I always say this every year but I will say it again, the results below do not fully represent the many songs I listen to for the year. Idolism may have really reigned over Klassic Note this year and it has become a recent trend thanks to VTubers, Apple Music Japan has only gotten better with more songs up on listen, and Collection Artists are barely and slowly climbing up the ranks, but regardless of what happened it was still a fulfilling year for Klassic Note. Many of the songs mentioned here will no doubt, be songs to remember and be a reference to newer songs ahead even if they may or may not be mentioned, is what I will enphasize here. A big thanks once again to all the artists who participated and continued to present their music through the Internet, and it really isn't Klassic Note without any of them. I try my best to give recognition to as many artists as I can every year, and as you will see, I hope through this yearly song awards I have given as much recognition to all of them as possible.
The results below will be split into six segments, with the first two covering statistics and analysis of the songs given this year and how they fare. Diagrams will be shown in some segments to give a better overall picture rather than just displaying tables of data. Finally, I'll conclude on with The Top 20 and an audio edit of them by yours truly, so to give you a better idea of what songs truly represent the year around in terms of general mood for the year when it comes to music around me.
(Results finalised on 31/12/2021)
[Note: For a detailed explanation of the results, hover/tap over the small text you see throughout the post, like the one above]
[Click here to skip to "The Top 20"]
STATISTICS
This year, I have given a total of 238 songs over the past 12 months. This year proved to be a revival of all planned releases from the past year, and I think many of them have delivered, but I think with the Internet it might have helped with exposure even more. It did not stop the momentum of giving new songs though, I am graciously giving more songs per release than ever.
Firstly, I break down the songs to who sings them and sort them by artist composition and gender, giving a good look into a usual heavy bias of female solo artists singing good songs, also known as the Vocal Styles Popularity Survey. For this year, Female Solo vocals have returned to the yearly average of 2.5 to 1 against Male Solo vocals, which shows a return of the strength of solo artists in these times due to the lack of new mainstream artists in my list for the year..
Then, we have the Song Integrity Survey. Initially taken as an experimental analysis in Klassic Note, now it is used as a guide to follow past years judgement criteria. As I give further detailed analysis to the many songs rated in the generic 4-star category, this is to attempt to give a better insight into how most of the songs are rated. It is also became the new benchmark in recent years in pushing to give more 5-star songs which were then based on early impression which is not possible now with maturity of song judgement bias. As you can see, there is higher tendency to give more 4-star songs as songs above average rank instead of promoting them to 5-stars.
Thirdly, we have the generic statistics of the songs of the year. These include language (for those with a vocalist), year of release (old songs can appear in the list as far as 2008 for this year), Anime songs (because when I say "sometimes" on Twitter I meant this) and B-side analysis for singles which is a direct representation of proving that songs which are good need not be their release's topic songs, and we should give more criticism and praise to songs not under intentional spotlight.
Last but not least, we have the Song Appetite Report. The chart represents how many songs I've given every month, and show peak and trough periods typically based on release month dependent on the music industry or periods of time where I just want to give more or less songs. I would say despite the difficulties and therefore delays in releasing new songs this particular year, many still were released in due time, and therefore did not miss much in terms of leaving an impression in Klassic Note, and I am thankful for that.
Then, we have the Song Integrity Survey. Initially taken as an experimental analysis in Klassic Note, now it is used as a guide to follow past years judgement criteria. As I give further detailed analysis to the many songs rated in the generic 4-star category, this is to attempt to give a better insight into how most of the songs are rated. It is also became the new benchmark in recent years in pushing to give more 5-star songs which were then based on early impression which is not possible now with maturity of song judgement bias. As you can see, there is higher tendency to give more 4-star songs as songs above average rank instead of promoting them to 5-stars.
Thirdly, we have the generic statistics of the songs of the year. These include language (for those with a vocalist), year of release (old songs can appear in the list as far as 2008 for this year), Anime songs (because when I say "sometimes" on Twitter I meant this) and B-side analysis for singles which is a direct representation of proving that songs which are good need not be their release's topic songs, and we should give more criticism and praise to songs not under intentional spotlight.
Last but not least, we have the Song Appetite Report. The chart represents how many songs I've given every month, and show peak and trough periods typically based on release month dependent on the music industry or periods of time where I just want to give more or less songs. I would say despite the difficulties and therefore delays in releasing new songs this particular year, many still were released in due time, and therefore did not miss much in terms of leaving an impression in Klassic Note, and I am thankful for that.
This is how the new songs fared this year:
VERDICT: Female Solo is the most popular vocal style in the songs of 2021.
Female Solo to Male Solo Ratio: 1.634
Female Solo to Male Solo Ratio: 1.634
VERDICT: 4 Stars is the most common rating in Klassic Note 2021.
AVERAGE: 4.038/5
VERDICT: Japanese is the most popular language in songs of 2021.
VERDICT: 2021 is the most common year of release in songs of 2021.
VERDICT: Anime songs are taking 5.21% of 2021 songs, mostly on character songs.
*Alternative Girls is the most dominating Game of 2021. (not included in Anime)
VERDICT: 19 out of 49 singles in 2021 are considered besides A-side.
In comparison 5 of all singles released are in Klassic Note Review 2021.
SONG OF THE DAY
Every day is unique as it is special; it will set us in a mood to drive our everyday lives. From waking up and going to sleep, there's always a different melody that will pop up in my mind from listening to the huge amount of songs within and outside of this year. I would confidently say that my mood for the year could be summarised with the songs I'm listening to every day.
I don't know how I could get half a dozen songs in competition but congratulations to Azuna Riko for being most memorable as Song of the Year 2021! (And 5 other songs of course)
TOP SONGS TO START THE DAY
TOP SONGS TO END THE DAY
RELEASE RANKINGS
Now we shall talk about the singles and albums reviewed over the year. Many releases did perform well this year, and I think many of them have done way better in making sure I don't just give the one song which has a music video. Many artists are still going for the one good album bomb to settle the year's limitations for exposure, or dragging it with digital singles throughout the year since last year such that it gets enough spotlight on the Internet's headlines to make their final release for the year, of which many have concluded and through early next year. Regardless of their approach, I will still give them due attention, but with best albums back, we have to give them praise while still remembering the long awaited albums and surprising singles I have given throughout this year.
Congratulations to Kitri for a late entry of an Anime theme song single and Toyosaki Aki for best revival album, of Klassic Note 2021 respectively!
Top 10 Singles
Top 10 Albums
COMMENDATIONS
In Klassic Note there are Awards; And then, there are Commendations. Commendations are thing that are worth mentioning but not necessarily in competition since it can be unique in circumstance. That, or I want to credit them all so it won't be an award. Many listed may be repeats, but this is the place where I give proper recognition to those who stood out amongst the others. Congrats to LuckLife for coming back with a music video to remember, though its album release is late in the year, the video itself makes of many emotions one would not normally... see. As you can see, this easily shows the power of music videos which are all the more important at a time like this where the Internet is the best place to promote new songs.
AWARDS
One of the most important things that built the foundation of the Song Awards are of course, the Awards themselves. They have also been the toughest to decide every year besides the Top 20, which shows how much thought is put into figuring out the distinct feels of all the songs I give for the year, and how important they are compared to all of the others above. As with previous years, it has always been a challenge to get the right songs to fit the Awards and what they should represent, and as much as I try I still hardly feel for some of the songs which are worthy of the titles. Regardless, I have made my decision, so here are the results.
Congratulations to No Buses for clearing the awards with THE ARTIST (JAPANESE CATEGORY) and THE CONTRIBUTOR! Trust me, they might be new here but I can't give another award for newcomer so THE NEWCOMER award goes to VTuber and singer Hoshimachi Suisei! THE IDOLISM and THE LIVELY has two winners each this year because it's just impossible to give these awards this year seeing how I have listed three times the nominees than usual total to two dozen songs just for them, so I'm making this exception.
THE TOP 20
Last but not least, we have the song rankings. Every year, I try my best to showcase Klassic Note in the most vibrant way possible, hopefully with a good balance of what I truly love and representation of what the year means for Klassic Note in 2021. And in these 20+ songs I recommend, many have left an impression, some I cannot miss putting them in just because, and others I think they are genuinely worth a mention. It was hard to come up with the list as usual, as there have been many dramatic changes to when I initially thought of this almost nearly a month ago, but now that the results are out, I'm not going to think too much into it and hope this is adequate to show what Klassic Note 2021 is in its true form. Without further ado, let's get to the Top 20!
Congratulations to FIVE NEW OLD for snatching the #1 song in Klassic Note! Competition has been fierce in giving first place this time around, but I settled with the band which impressed me the third year around. Their balance between using English and Japanese in their rock tunes are truly a unique combination!
Below is an audio preview with timestamps of The Top 20 of Klassic Note 2021, for your listening pleasure:
And that is all for Klassic Note this year; I hope you enjoyed looking at these results and giving them as listen as much as I did. If you're just here to give yourself a chance and listen to the above preview, I thank you for even giving me a chance to tell you how wonderful my music listening experience has been for the year. If you have given any of them a listen after this, even just one of them, it will already make me happy. Klassic Note has once again been another wonderful year in the making despite what happened to the world outside, and I'm proud to still be able to follow my passions every year and still have time and dedication to make all of this happen.
See you all next year for another year of Klassic Note!! We are dawning on 15 years real soon...
DISCLAIMER
#All content and results are subject to personal opinion, and please do not, in any other manner, attempt to copy or adapt it in any other purpose whatsoever. All data shall stay in this webpage and shall not be published, edited or shared anywhere else in this World Wide Web. If necessary, permissions are not required but all sharing must be linked and/or credited to this page. All audio in preview are copyright (c) respective owners.
AVERAGE: 4.038/5
| Language | English | Chinese | Japanese | All |
| Songs (%) | 7.6% | 0% | 92.4% | 237 Songs |
| Year of Release | 2015-2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | All |
| Songs (%) | 1.26% | 0.84% | 2.10% | 4.20% | 91.60% | 238 Tracks |
| Song Type | Anime Theme Song | Character/Insert Song | ||
| Songs (%) | 1.90% | 3.32% | ||
*Alternative Girls is the most dominating Game of 2021. (not included in Anime)
| Total Singles Released 2021 | 72 | ||
| Total Tracks | 1 | 2 | 3 or more |
| Singles | 23 | 25 | 24 |
| Total Considered in List | 5 | 14 | |
In comparison 5 of all singles released are in Klassic Note Review 2021.
SONG OF THE DAY
Every day is unique as it is special; it will set us in a mood to drive our everyday lives. From waking up and going to sleep, there's always a different melody that will pop up in my mind from listening to the huge amount of songs within and outside of this year. I would confidently say that my mood for the year could be summarised with the songs I'm listening to every day.
I don't know how I could get half a dozen songs in competition but congratulations to Azuna Riko for being most memorable as Song of the Year 2021! (And 5 other songs of course)
The first two tables below show what are the most popular songs I've listened for the year and for each month. The last two tables show the most popular songs to wake up and sleep to to give a different perspective as to how they potentially can feel if you start and end the day with maybe. Criteria are subject to conditions in sleeping habits, mood, and mostly due to songs I've listened recently during certain times of the day.
Starting from 2019, Song of the Day has been transformed into a rank-based system, where every mention pushes you up one rank so that rank sharing will make sense. The results shouldn't show much of a difference though, but it will more accurately reflect on the position of songs within.
Starting from 2019, Song of the Day has been transformed into a rank-based system, where every mention pushes you up one rank so that rank sharing will make sense. The results shouldn't show much of a difference though, but it will more accurately reflect on the position of songs within.
| SONG OF THE YEAR 2021 | |
| Rank | Artist - Song Title |
| 7 | Azuna Riko - Chance! & Revenge! |
| YUKI - Baby Baby | |
| MaRuRi to Ryuga - Linaria | |
| Yukarisa - Mizuumi | |
| FIVE NEW OLD - Sleep in Till The Afternoon | |
| Amane Kanata - Tokusha Seizon Wonder-la-der!! | |
| 6 | Tokyo Jihen - Eien no Fuzai Shoumei |
| Fuchigami Mai - Hoshizora | |
| Touyama Nao - Zzz | |
| 5 | Murasaki Shion - Mage Of Violet |
| Sasaki Eri - Orchis | |
| vivid undress - Original Color | |
| Kachi Shirokusa, Shida Kuroha - Senryakuteki de Yosoku Funou na Love Comedy no Ending Kyoku | |
| Polkadot Stingray - Tokyo Mauve | |
| Takahashi Rie - Uutsu | |
| Hoshimachi Suisei - comet | |
| Yoru no Honki Dance - empty boy | |
| SONG(S) OF THE MONTH 2021 | ||
| 2021 | Artist - Song Title | Rank |
| Jan | Gotch - Eddie | 4 |
| Feb | Sasaki Eri - Orchis | 4 |
| Mar | Kouno Marika - Yume Mitai, Demo Yume Janai | 4 |
| Apr | FIVE NEW OLD - Sleep in Till The Afternoon MaRuRi to Ryuga - Linaria | 4 |
| May | Kachi Shirokusa, Shida Kuroha - Senryakuteki de Yosoku Funou na Love Comedy no Ending Kyoku | 4 |
| Jun | YUKI - Baby Baby | 4 |
| Jul | Tomita Miyu - Karisome Hoshimachi Suisei - Bluerose | 3 |
| Aug | Kitou Akari - V!Vace Ueda Reina - anemone | 3 |
| Sep | Amane Kanata - Tokusha Seizon Wonder-la-der!! | 5 |
| Oct | ORESAMA - CONTINEW WORLD | 3 |
| Nov | Kitri - Sympathy | 2 |
| Dec | yanaginagi - Shirishibi tacica - dear, deer | 2 |
TOP SONGS TO START THE DAY
| Rank | Song Title |
| 5 | YUKI - Baby Baby |
| Azuna Riko - Chance! & Revenge! | |
| Fuchigami Mai - Hoshizora | |
| Kachi Shirokusa, Shida Kuroha - Senryakuteki de Yosoku Funou na Love Comedy no Ending Kyoku | |
| 4 | a flood of circle - I'M ALIVE |
| MaRuRi to Ryuga - Linaria | |
| Bocchan, Alice - Mangetsu to Silhouette no Yoru | |
| Fuchigami Mai - Marionette Coup detat | |
| Yukarisa - Mizuumi | |
| FIVE NEW OLD - Sleep in Till The Afternoon | |
| Takahashi Rie - Uutsu | |
| Kouno Marika - Yume Mitai, Demo Yume Janai | |
| Hoshimachi Suisei - comet | |
| Yoru no Honki Dance - empty boy |
TOP SONGS TO END THE DAY
| Rank | Song Title |
| 4 | a flood of circle - Hoshikuzu no Record |
| Amane Kanata - Tokusha Seizon Wonder-la-der!! | |
| Polkadot Stingray - Tokyo Mauve |
RELEASE RANKINGS
Now we shall talk about the singles and albums reviewed over the year. Many releases did perform well this year, and I think many of them have done way better in making sure I don't just give the one song which has a music video. Many artists are still going for the one good album bomb to settle the year's limitations for exposure, or dragging it with digital singles throughout the year since last year such that it gets enough spotlight on the Internet's headlines to make their final release for the year, of which many have concluded and through early next year. Regardless of their approach, I will still give them due attention, but with best albums back, we have to give them praise while still remembering the long awaited albums and surprising singles I have given throughout this year.
In Klassic Note, top singles are determined by (1) whether they are in Klassic Note Review ie. all songs of the single have been given and is not digital only release and (2) how good they fare in impression, so ratings come to place. Details for giving these singles shall not be discussed further since there is The Klassic Note Review for your reference. Top albums are determined mostly by how many songs have been given in it, so best album have a natural advantage if I've been listening to the artist for years, and mini-albums tend to get an edge on these too but they have been put lower in priority to allow full length albums to shine.
Congratulations to Kitri for a late entry of an Anime theme song single and Toyosaki Aki for best revival album, of Klassic Note 2021 respectively!
Top 10 Singles
| Rank | Name of Single | Contributing Artist(s) |
| 1 | Hikare Inochi | Minase Inori |
| 2 | Yume Mitai, Demo Yume Janai | Kouno Marika |
| 3 | Capy / Love, Massacre | Sisters In The Velvet |
| 4 | Bluerose / comet | Hoshimachi Suisei |
| 5 | Senryakuteki de Yosoku Funou na Love Comedy no Ending Song | Kachi Shirokusa, Shida Kuroha |
| 6 | Shumatsu Cinderella | Taketatsu Ayana |
| 7 | Shirishibi | yanaginagi |
| 8 | Haru no Tonari | Sasaki Eri |
| 9 | Anata ga Iru | wacci |
| 10 | LITMUS | Ryokuoushoku Shakai |
Top 10 Albums
| Rank | Name of Album | Contributing Artist(s) |
| 1 | caravan! | Toyosaki Aki |
| 2 | Sekirara | Polkadot Stingray |
| 3 | Meli-melo meli mellow | Taketatsu Ayana |
| 4 | Kaleidoscope | Kitou Akari |
| 5 | MaRuRi to Ryuga | MaRuRi to Ryuga |
| 6 | Simple is best | Teshima Aoi |
| 7 | Alternative Girls Best Memorial Collection | V.A. |
| 8 | 3 | SIX LOUNGE |
| 9 | No Buses | No Buses |
| 10 | Still Still Stellar | Hoshimachi Suisei |
COMMENDATIONS
In Klassic Note there are Awards; And then, there are Commendations. Commendations are thing that are worth mentioning but not necessarily in competition since it can be unique in circumstance. That, or I want to credit them all so it won't be an award. Many listed may be repeats, but this is the place where I give proper recognition to those who stood out amongst the others. Congrats to LuckLife for coming back with a music video to remember, though its album release is late in the year, the video itself makes of many emotions one would not normally... see. As you can see, this easily shows the power of music videos which are all the more important at a time like this where the Internet is the best place to promote new songs.
Commendations are given to songs which stand out on their own (eg. terrible English, same song title) known as Song Commendations, releases that I reviewed and/or are outstanding known as Release Commendations, artists which may or may not be singing this year also known as Artist Commendations, and honours for (promotional) music videos which excelled in impressions also known as Video Commendations.
Instead of giving them as awards, Klassic Note here compliments videos which stand out better than their music, sometimes better than not, in order to give better representation and thus impression to their audio listeners. And so, I commend and also criticise (a bit) on those, as you can see below too. Many of the music videos can be found online too, so be sure to check those out for yourself. I'll post the links to get you started.
Instead of giving them as awards, Klassic Note here compliments videos which stand out better than their music, sometimes better than not, in order to give better representation and thus impression to their audio listeners. And so, I commend and also criticise (a bit) on those, as you can see below too. Many of the music videos can be found online too, so be sure to check those out for yourself. I'll post the links to get you started.
| Title | Recipient |
| "The Artist (Non-Japanese)" | Middle Kids |
| "Single Order" | Kouno Marika - Yume Mitai, Demo Yume Janai |
| SCANDAL - eternal | |
| SCANDAL - Ivory | |
| Taketatsu Ayana - Shuumatsu Cinderella | |
| Kitri - Hikare Inochi | |
| "English Song of the Year" | Middle Kids - R U 4 Me? |
| "Abandoned A-side" | miwa - KANNA [Single] |
| Porno Graffitti - Theme Song [Single] | |
| "Full Web Single" | Sisters In The Velvet - Capy / Love, Massacre |
| Hoshimachi Suisei - Bluerose / comet | |
| "Lasting Tune" | Asakura Momo - Boku Dake ni Mieru Hoshi (2020) |
| Tsuki no Michikake - Hometown (2020) | |
| Yogee New Waves - Honey Pie (2019) | |
| Ueda Reina - Literature (2020) | |
| Numakura Manami - Minna de! (2020) | |
| Yoru no Honki Dance - SMILE SMILE (2020) | |
| yorushika - Shisouhan (2020) | |
| Iwasaki Ai - Taijuu no Uta (2020) | |
| Pyxis - Tokimeki Sensation! (2020) | |
| Co Shu Nie - Zettai Zetsumei (2020) | |
| "Music Worth Mentioning" | PHONO TONES - The Sky's The Limit |
| "Subjection" | Kaguranana - Kodou |
| "PV of the Year" | LuckLife - Akari |
| "Awesome PV" | MaRuRi to Ryuga - Linaria |
| "Impressive PV" | Azuna Riko - Chance! & Revenge! |
| "Fanservice PV" | Asakura Momo - Pinky Hook |
| "Great PV" | FIVE NEW OLD - Hallelujah |
| "Quirky PV" | No Buses - Cut My Nails |
| "Neglected PV" | Penthouse - Jukebox Driver |
| "Plain Boring PV" | Homecomings - Cakes |
| "Best Anime Theme Production" | Bocchan, Alice - Mangetsu to Silhouette no Yoru [Shinigami Bocchan to Kuro Maid OP] |
AWARDS
One of the most important things that built the foundation of the Song Awards are of course, the Awards themselves. They have also been the toughest to decide every year besides the Top 20, which shows how much thought is put into figuring out the distinct feels of all the songs I give for the year, and how important they are compared to all of the others above. As with previous years, it has always been a challenge to get the right songs to fit the Awards and what they should represent, and as much as I try I still hardly feel for some of the songs which are worthy of the titles. Regardless, I have made my decision, so here are the results.
Congratulations to No Buses for clearing the awards with THE ARTIST (JAPANESE CATEGORY) and THE CONTRIBUTOR! Trust me, they might be new here but I can't give another award for newcomer so THE NEWCOMER award goes to VTuber and singer Hoshimachi Suisei! THE IDOLISM and THE LIVELY has two winners each this year because it's just impossible to give these awards this year seeing how I have listed three times the nominees than usual total to two dozen songs just for them, so I'm making this exception.
The Award titles mean exactly unless stated otherwise, which are stated as follows:
- THE CHARASON represents all songs from the Anime and Game genres so to give more songs recognition on how good and/or diverse they are (CV refers to "Character Voice" ie. the actual voice actor behind the role)
- THE IDOLISM awards idol songs (sung by voice actress who became solo artists mostly) which have been on the rise and the award goes to the one with judgement possible to be independent of usual criteria eg. melody, music style
- THE INSPIRATIONAL awards songs which spark motivation and/or creativity for me, encouraging and pushing me along in life
- THE NUMBER ONE SONG OF THE YEAR is based on SONG OF THE DAY results, and the Award is presented to the best here
- THE SINGLE and THE ALBUM are based on RELEASE RANKINGS, and the award is presented to the best of each category here
| Award | Recipient |
| THE ARTIST 2021 (JAPANESE CATEGORY) | No Buses |
| THE NEWCOMER 2021 | Hoshimachi Suisei |
| THE CHARASON 2021 | Kachi Shirokusa, Shida Kuroha - Baby Monster |
| THE IDOLISM 2021 | Kouno Marika - I tie U Ueda Reina - scapesheep |
| THE EMOTIONAL 2021 | Kaguranana - Kodou |
| THE ROMANTIC 2021 | FIVE NEW OLD - Hallelujah |
| THE LIVELY 2021 | Takahashi Rie - Uutsu Azuna Riko - Chance! & Revenge! |
| THE INSPIRATION 2021 | Cocoro Auction - Together |
| THE LONGEST 2021 | Andou Yuuko - nontitle |
| THE SHORTEST 2021 | No Buses - Having a Headache |
| THE CONTRIBUTOR 2021 | No Buses |
| THE NUMBER ONE SONG OF 2021 | Azuna Riko - Chance! & Revenge! |
| THE ALBUM 2021 | Toyosaki Aki - caravan! |
| THE SINGLE 2021 | Kitri - Hikare Inochi |
THE TOP 20
Last but not least, we have the song rankings. Every year, I try my best to showcase Klassic Note in the most vibrant way possible, hopefully with a good balance of what I truly love and representation of what the year means for Klassic Note in 2021. And in these 20+ songs I recommend, many have left an impression, some I cannot miss putting them in just because, and others I think they are genuinely worth a mention. It was hard to come up with the list as usual, as there have been many dramatic changes to when I initially thought of this almost nearly a month ago, but now that the results are out, I'm not going to think too much into it and hope this is adequate to show what Klassic Note 2021 is in its true form. Without further ado, let's get to the Top 20!
Congratulations to FIVE NEW OLD for snatching the #1 song in Klassic Note! Competition has been fierce in giving first place this time around, but I settled with the band which impressed me the third year around. Their balance between using English and Japanese in their rock tunes are truly a unique combination!
In Klassic Note, The Top 20 will include certain conflicts in rank number as some of the songs have to share the same rank due to my lack of criteria to differentiate between them, but is also a ingenious method to show certain trends or similarity within topics and timeframes, to a smaller extent. So do not be surprised to see up to 25 songs every year on this supposedly "Top 20" list.
Below is an audio preview with timestamps of The Top 20 of Klassic Note 2021, for your listening pleasure:
[Click on any row on the table above to skip to that track!]
Literally the best part of Song Awards every year and it's probably the worst and took the most time into consideration since the start of the month, here are my thoughts about this year's Top 20 in detail as elaborated from above, as a summary:
- It was a rough time deciding the ranks this year, as in general the songs were less distinctive and my subjective opinions weakened as they become more objectively better, so to say. This means that songs are easier to give, but have less of an impression to be, making it hard to decide what is better.
- For example, No.1 rank was the hardest to give as nothing, unlike last year with RyokuShaka, gave me an impression of 2021, like in the form of "this is the song that represents this year" for me. I went with FIVE NEW OLD feeling that they deserved this first place seat by giving such a wonderful song overall, so compelling I can consider them to take first place. Ueda Reina and Azuna Riko are not exactly ready to be praised by Klassic Note in due time even if they are good in their way and may also represent this year more appropriately.
- The "idolism columns" as I would like to call them now, are in two sections respectively at No.7 and 10 ranks mainly due to the crazy influx of good songs from solo artists or idols, so I knew I had to give more than I expect considering a more generic mainstream list this year. Many of them are newcomers and Asakura Momo has once again hit the ranks since her album last year.
- The only worthy mention I have on the exception list of idolism this year specifically, will be for VTubers. These vocal-only artists are technically similar to solo artists with Japanese voice actresses, but specifically they do not possess the best singing skills out there, unless we talk about those who will take them seriously. Among them I have chosen to promote Hoshimachi Suisei, who has come a long way to getting her very first album produced, and I think this song is exceptionally of her style, so she made the ranks. That doesn't mean others like Tsunomaki Watame did not do well; I just chose to exclude them or else they will easily pollute this list.
- The newest songs to be in this Top 20 list are from LuckLife and a flood of circle albums released in December, and compelled me to skip giving their songs released earlier in the year which are a digital single and a mini-album respectively. They provide a good benchmark for simplicity yet familiarity in songs I treasure in a place filled with idolism.
- Other worth mentioning are the influx of indie bands I've given this year through recommendation from others I follow, from various avenues from ASIAN KUNG-FU GENERATION's vocalist Gotch (with Sister In The Velvet), to listening to Natsukawa Shiina hosted late night radio CultureZ (with Yoin), and even ones I've neglected (anewhite, No Buses), they have all gained enough attention from me to give them a listen. The results are impressive as I continue to live on recommendations of others, which will make me question my ability to explore and "search for different melody", but that is also something to say about listening to music these days with streaming and recommendation services on hand in the digital age.
See you all next year for another year of Klassic Note!! We are dawning on 15 years real soon...
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