Latest J-Pop Releases [May 2025]

BLACK DOLLЯu-a

Яu-a 『BLACK DOLL』 Music Video

A unique world that weaves together a sound fusing diverse genres—dance, hyperpop, and R&B—with a captivating voice that grips listeners.

Released in May 2025 by rising female artist Яu-a, this track perfectly balances refined track-making with a catchy melodic line.

Produced by Taydex, the song intertwines funky beats and a memorable hook in exquisite harmony, skillfully blending elements of Japan’s kawaii culture with Western pop.

The music video marks her return to on-screen appearances, overflowing with a pink, her signature color, as the core visual theme.

With its rhythmic sound and delicate emotional expression, this release is highly recommended for fans of contemporary pop music.

Everyonechakura

Chakura – For Everyone (Official Music Video)

This song marks a new frontier for Chakra, a four-piece girls’ rock band from Hachioji, Tokyo.

It carries a message that stands with those who have faced life’s pains and setbacks—never forcing positivity, but instead offering a gentle push forward.

Released in May 2025, the track drew attention as an advance digital single from the album “Distorted Love, But Still,” and the film released on YouTube deeply moved many viewers.

With its striking guitar riff and a bittersweet, emotionally resonant melody, it feels like the birth of a new anthem.

hungertsukimi

hunger

The song released in May 2025 by Tsukimi, a gal rock band from Fukushima, captures the feeling of confronting an unfillable emptiness while turning away from it and escaping into a world of reverie, expressed through a powerful rock sound and delicate melodic lines.

After singing about female friendship in their previous single “Girls Band” in September 2023, and steadily building their track record with their 2022 EP “Men Are Momentary, Friends Are Forever,” which ranked No.

1 for nine consecutive weeks on Tower Records Shibuya’s “TawaKuru” chart, the group continues to rise.

This new track is perfect for those who resonate with inner loneliness and want to face their true feelings.

Like, dislikefantomu shiitaa

Phantom Theta “Like, Dislike” (OFFICIAL MUSIC VIDEO)

Phantom Theta is a five-member idol group that expresses a unique worldview rooted in retro horror.

This work, released in May 2025, is their first drama tie-in and serves as the opening theme for TV Tokyo’s Drama 24 series “Dear My Baby: Until I Control You.” Composed by Koharu of Charan-Po-Rantan, the song explores the theme of deranged love, fusing an addictive pop melody with unsettling sounds in exquisite balance.

In the music video directed by Nanene Suzuki, the distorted love-hate relationship between idols and fans is strikingly portrayed.

It’s a must-listen for those drawn to retro-horror-infused music and for anyone seeking fresh values beyond the conventional idol image.

springBurandē Senki

Spring

The chorus melody is catchy and emotional, creating a striking song where wistfulness and hope intertwine.

It’s included on BRANDY SENKI, the album released in May 2025 by Brandy Senki, a three-piece band from Osaka, and drew attention as the tie-in track for ahamo’s new-life campaign “To You Who Can’t Move Now.” The shifting of emotions alongside the changing seasons is expressed through a gritty guitar sound and a rhythmic bassline reminiscent of 1980s Japanese pop.

It’s a must-listen for anyone feeling the arrival of spring and ready to take a new step forward, and the music video directed by Australian creator Nathalie Scarlette is also a must-see.

monsterPorukadotto Sutingurei

MAMONO

Created as a tie-in with TV Asahi’s Friday Night Drama, this distinctive track was made entirely with English lyrics.

Its dope, stylish sound pairs perfectly with an ominous, dark atmosphere, marking new territory for the band.

Set for release in May 2025, the 10th anniversary of Polkadot Stingray’s formation, it features a weighty sonic texture that stands apart from their previously catchy pop-rock style.

It vividly captures the world of the co-produced Japan–Korea drama starring Kumiko Aso, resulting in an ambitious work that symbolizes the band’s new challenge.

As a tense track that adds color to a suspense production, it’s sure to be irresistible for listeners who love mysterious vibes and enigmatic twists.

MartianYorushika

Yorushika – Martian (OFFICIAL VIDEO)

A gem of a song that weaves literary lyricism with a translucent vocal tone to portray the fragility of youth and a yearning for ideals.

Slated for May 2025 as the opening theme for the TV anime The Little Citizens Series Season 2, this offering from Yorushika harmonizes n-buna’s delicate composition with suis’s expressively nuanced vocals.

True to the duo’s hallmark—literary lyrics and a pop yet philosophical worldview showcased in albums like ‘That’s Why I Gave Up on Music’ and ‘Plagiarism’—the song remains quintessentially them.

Centered around guitar-driven arrangements, the richly emotive sonic landscape shaped by suis’s singing makes it a perfect fit for listeners who resonate with hearts wavering between ideals and reality, or who appreciate finely wrought musical expression.