Hello everyone, it’s me Ali here ready to make another Kpop list, but this one will be a bit different. Since I don’t listen to many Kpop rock bands, I’ve decided to include some of my favorite rock bands from Japan. Why? Because… I was running out of ideas honestly… 😅 I promise this will be fun! It’s all cool because these are rock bands that I still listen to and rock hard on. So here is my Top 5 J/K-rock bands of all time. Let’s start!
5. N.Flying
We already got to talk a little bit about N.Flying at the last post I did when I reviewed their latest album, which I still listen to and enjoy for the most part (esp Oh, really, Flower Fantasy & I’m Gonna). Trust me if you haven’t read that post and listen to it, you should go ahead and do it once you finish with this blog post. Please do! Anyways, the other day I discovered that I had in fact listened to N.Flying way back when they made their official debut with Awesome. It’s a really well… awesome track lol I mean it. Back then, Hweseung, the guy with the purple/pink hair I was talking about in the other post that has an amazing voice, he wasn’t still around in the group. But the song is still pretty cool, and I still jam to it. Rooftop is also a song I’ve enjoyed listening before but I didn’t knew it was theirs. I really love the vibe of that song a lot. N.Flying is definitely a band I am growing into more and more, and you should to if you haven’t already. Here are some MVs:
4. One Ok Rock
World renowned Japanese rock band One Ok Rock is a band I use to listen to a lot during my early years of college. I still listen to them sometimes but not as often as I use to in my more “emo” days. One of my favorite songs from them is Etcetera. I just think it’s a very beautifully written song and is sang so passionately. I think the first time I ever listened & watch a music video from them was with The Beginning. I have friends that listen to them and got me to become a fan with that song. Since then they have made more cool songs I enjoy listening with friends and chill around like I Was King, We Are and Stand Up Fit In. Honestly, there are so many songs I like but those are just a few. Here are some MVs:
3. FT ISLAND
Ok so… despite everything that has happened with them, which I highly disapprove all the stuff that those two former members did & were exposed of last year, FT Island‘s music is one of my favorite Korean rock bands of all time. I hope that can live in the same sentence and I hope I’m not alone there. For the purpose of this list, I’ll include them because I really like their music and it takes me back to when I started listening to Kpop way back in High School. I first knew about them thanks to the drama Hongki was in, “You’re Beautiful”, and one of their songs Promise. After that, I Wish came out and it was one of my favorite songs at that time. Didn’t listen much of them till Pray & Take Me Now happened, and those two songs are my absolute favorite FT Island songs. They seemed to have gotten better through time. I really hope they can somehow continue as a band because they were so good in the past. Here are some MVs:
2. The Gazette
The Gazette is probably the best J-Rock band out there today. For 18 years, every single & album they come out is a masterpiece after another masterpiece. The perfectly embody the art of visual kei, which is a Japanese popular term for artist that were heavy makeup and flamboyant outfits and can be have an androgynous aesthetic. I first heard of them through friends, just like with One Ok Rock, and I listened to Suicide Circus and The Invisible Wall, and I was immediately hooked. It’s a lot heavier in sound, so depending on your taste, you may or may not like them as immediately as I did. Dogma in my opinion is such a killer album, I love it forreal! You should give them a try if you haven’t listen to them yet. I understand it may not be 100% suitable for everyone but at least give their music a test drive, and check if it’s for you or not. Here are some MVs:
Ali's Kpop Blog 