The Definition Of 2019: The Best Of Music Master List

Finalising the defining sounds of 2019, it's time to take a look at the Master List of music that engulfed my year gone by. Though it doesn't seem like I listened to that much, let's take our time to appreciate the individual songs we have enjoyed over the last 365 days.

It's time to dedicate myself to Idols, music and more. Are you ready to experience the Master List?

2019 comes back in another music-heavy list, one that includes my favourites from the year gone by. Though I have not listened to a lot of these throughout, there were many I remembered enjoying a great deal, and many that I wanted to note as favourites. So, through this desire to share the songs that I enjoyed the most, I created what I like to call The Master List, a list that is made up of 70 individual tracks, all of which brought me some form of enjoyment in the year that was 2019.

A little on the excessive side - because when I have ever not been excessive? - this entire list will showcase some of my favourite songs, with the ones at the bottom being those I listened to a lot less, and the ones at the top being the tracks I have been obsessed with throughout 2019.

And to top it all off will be my #1 spot, the song that brought the most joy, had the most plays and also holds the most meaning to me. This is the song that is my Definition of 2019, a song that holds great importance to me as a listener and saw me through the shit storm that was last year. Out of all the songs, this is the one that I consider my favourite. Whether you consider it good or bad, that doesn't matter, because the importance of a song is not defined by analytics; it is defined by how important it is to the individual, and no one else.

So without further ado, I present to you The Definition Of 2019: The Best Of Music Master list.

What songs will you find in here, and which ones did you enjoy that made it onto the list? Read on to find out~

The Definition Of 2019: The Best Of Debut and Graduation Songs

Continuing the start of our 2020 with our ranks from 2019, it's time to take a look at the debut and graduation songs that swept us away and appreciate what our Idols have given us in terms of their greetings and farewells.

Sometimes it can get emotional, but with every end there is a new beginning. Once again we will define our 2019 in music. Are you ready to say hello to the Idols of the Reiwa era, and goodbye to those from the Heisei period?

Returning to my 2019 rank lists, I thought that this year it would be a good idea to dedicate some time to the debut and graduation songs from the year gone by. With a fair few departures that have rocked both mine and many others' fandoms, I didn't just want to acknowledge these songs flippantly on my full list of favourites from 2019. Likewise, I wanted to celebrate the few Idol group debuts I knew of properly, and showcase groups that you may have overlooked or simply not heard of.

It isn't a massive list, but I had a lot of fun re-discovering a few gems from the year gone by and reliving the fun that was hearing some of these songs over and over again. I also shed a few tears when it came to the graduation tracks, because this is me, and I am a crybaby.

Anyways, behold the list that is made up of Debut and Graduation songs. For the Idols we will get to know and those we must say goodbye to, let's pay a proper amount of respect to each and every group here.

It's time to define 2019 in song once more. Who will you discover, and which Idols will you grieve over in the process? It's time to find in The Definition of 2019: The Best Of Debut and Graduation Songs (According to Chiima).

It's time to check out some Idol music...~

The Definition Of 2019: The Best Of Singles & Albums

☆★☆★ And A Happy New Year! ☆★☆★

With 2020 now in our grasp, it's time to look back at the year that was and reminisce about the music that we loved.

It's time to define 2019 in music. Have you picked your your favourites as well?

Though I typically do my Year End posts at the end of the year, I decided that this time around I would have a change of pace and begin 2020 by getting all nostalgic and reminiscing over the music of 2019. 

That, and I had no time. With work and life getting busy during the festive period, I have had little time to spare for my blog, writing of any form or even visiting family. It's hectic, but it must be done, however i would never abandon this list - I love writing them, and I love the challenge that a Best Of list brings me. You never know what you're going to consider your favourite until the last moment, and you never truly consider which songs have leaped in ranks since you first heard them, or which ones will fall below the number you initially thought they would stop at.

Anyways... another year, another list. I hope that this one proves just as interesting as past Top Tier of the Year lists that I have created, and I hope you find some singles you yourself loved, as well as those that you you haven't heard of before and hope to check out.

It's time to define 2019 with music, pass our judgements and choose our favourites. Of course we won't all agree on what was good, what wasn't... but that's the fun of these lists. So, let's take a lot at what I've picked for my personal favourites and head into the post.

Welcome to The Definition of 2019: The Best Of Singles & Albums (According to Chiima). I hope you enjoy the music I share with you all today~

An Interview with Miura Ayme at Hyper Japan Festival 2019 (July 14th 2019, Sunday)

The following Interview was conducted at Hyper Japan Festival 2019 at the Kensington Olympia Exhibition Centre in London, England.

Acting as a representative of Selective Hearing, I would like to thank Miura Ayme and his translator for giving us their time and answering our questions. I would also like to extend my thanks to the Hyper Japan Team for for making the event itself happen, and I would finally like to extend my thanks towards both Mischa and one of Hyper Japan's own translators for making the opportunity to interview Miura Ayme a reality, and for helping to translate the more difficult questions and answers. Without any of these people this interview would not have happened, so thank you.

*This interview has been cross-posted from Selective Hearing, of which you can find HERE. Though the differences are not that great, I feel as if this interview is a little more raw in its edited form as opposed to Selective Hearing's more precise, tidier version. I have also included some questions / answers that were cut from the SH version.



With its 10th Anniversary weekend underway from July 12th until July 14th 2019, Hyper Japan Festival 2019 opened its doors to fans of Japanese anime, manga, food, film, music, travel and fashion in Kensington, London. With two floors to fill at the Kensington Olympia Exhibition Centre, Hyper Japan currently stands as the UK's biggest Japanese Culture convention.

What makes the event itself unique is not its copious amounts of anime, manga, plushies, food and cosplayers, however, but its use of the Hyper Live Stage. Set at one end of the Exhibition Centre, the stage acts as a platform for various performances, cosplay parades and talks throughout the weekend. Yet through the course of Hyper japan's decade-long run, the stage has since become a symbol of opportunity for Japanese artists, groups and performers who aim to make their stage debut in the UK regardless of how big or small they might be.

This year for their 10th Anniversary, Hyper Japan welcomed Visual Kei soloist Miura Ayme back to a bigger stage, two years after his first appearance at the event. Though the singer initially started out on the Hyper Live Street Stage - set on a square patch of cloth on the floor within the Exhibition Centre - 2019 marked a triumphant return for the singer as he stepped out onto the stage to a crowd of excited fans and listeners.



With activities for his solo project beginning on March 21st 2018, Miura Ayme - more commonly known as Ayme (pronunciation: I'm) - is a Visual Kei artist and cosplayer with a penchant for military style jackets. With a music style that leans more towards the rock and synth infused sound, Ayme has been steadily releasing original songs since his re-debut as a solo performer, starting with the track Kamisama Nante. Prior to his solo project, Ayme stood as the vocalist for Visual Kei band, Ecthelion under the stage name Miu. After leaving the group in order to walk down his own path, Ayme continued to perform and make a name for himself within the Western fan community, and made appearances at conventions such as JAPANicon in Poland (2017), JAPAN EXPO in France (2018), and Ani-mode in Taiwan (2019), as well as his first appearance at Hyper Japan Festival in 2017.

Now cutting a sharp figure on the coveted Hyper Live Stage this July, it became clear that Ayme had made it his mission to impress all who watched. Charismatic and stylish, Ayme enraptured his audience with powerful stances, a flare in his step and a moving voice that filled the Exhibition Centre during his Saturday and Sunday performance slots. Undeniably talented, watching Ayme take over the stage and make it his own was an experience in and of itself, and with every smile and each excited step, it became clear that being a performer was Miura's calling, and the happiness he delivered to his listeners only made this realisation a cold-hard fact.

With his final performance on the Sunday, Ayme held one last meet and greet with his fans before joining Selective Hearing for a one-on-one interview to discuss performing at Hyper Japan, music, style and a promise made back in July 2017.

Diving Into The Catch Of The Day! - A Look at 'Jūnin to iro / Kingyo no Uta' by BANZAI JAPAN (Single Review)

*I am but a human, and though I try to check my errors and mistakes, I skip a few from time to time. So if you care to be so kind, please point out the errors of my post. I will be forever grateful. Thank you in advance~

It's time for the catch of a day, and with my reborn interest in reviewing music - not music videos, shock freakin' horror - today I have managed to fish out a little bit of BANZAI JAPAN from the sea for everyone to check out with me!

In their major debut single, BANZAI JAPAN introduce the world to their interesting mix of traditional sounds meet EDM and modern pop, but with this small collection of fun, interesting sounds, will BANZAI JAPAN successfully fish you out of the water and sink a catchy music hook into you, or will you be left flailing for something far more worthwhile?

In one of their biggest leaps since the groups first overseas performances in both France and England in 2018, BANZAI JAPAN are now taking a further step forward with their major debut single, Jūnin to iro / Kingyo no uta, a colourful release that will dazzle their current fans whilst reeling in a few new ones.

And hey, with a cover like Type A has, who wouldn't be intrigued by this group and what they have to offer? It's so entertaining and strange to look at that it seems quite... catchy, if you will. Ahem

Well, it isn't just BANZAI JAPAN's imagery that catches ones attention. From how they dress to the way they sound, there is no denying that BANZAI JAPAN as a group are quite intriguing as a whole. Maybe my own bias is showing here, but in terms of their sound and style, I find the group to be rather vibrant and refreshing, and though their schtick might not be the most original out there, this group has a goal that fans can appreciate, and in turn I appreciate their efforts as both individuals and a group.

Also, before I get into the history part of this opening, can I just say a huge CONGRATULATIONS to BANZAI JAPAN for tapping that #1 Oricon spot on their first day? Cause damn girls, that was something I didn't expect. Kudos to you, and thanks for being such amazing sports and working so damn hard on your major debut. What a damn milestone.

Okay, celebrations aside, let's do some brief diggin':

Made up of 16-members, BANZAI JAPAN was originally formed in May of 2014 as a project which would promote the culture of Japan through music, dance and idols. Auditions began in a month later in June 2014, with the first initial members of the group being revealed between July and August respectively. In November 2014, the first three members - Shinkai Yuna, Minamo Mizu and Hanasaka Saya - held their first live performance. In December that year, BANZAI JAPAN held their first 'real' live performance as a group.

Over the years the group has seen members come and go thanks to the 'revolving door' system that most female Japanese idol groups have adopted, however BANZAI JAPAN's mission has stayed consistent. With a goal to promote Japan's vibrant culture and various prefectures, BANZAI JAPAN aim to scout Evangelists, girls from various prefectures who will promote their hometowns and its charms to their audience. With each member representing their individual prefectures, it has become BANZAI JAPAN's goal to recruit at least one girl from each of japan's 47 prefectures into the group so that they can share Japan's culture with the world. The group also has a sub-unit, ASHIGARU JAPAN, which includes both trainees and full-fledged BANZAI JAPAN members.

There are currently 11 prefectures being represented by an Evangelist, with a total of 21 prefectures being represented in the groups history.

In April 2018, BANZAI JAPAN won the Tokyo Candoll 2018 contest, which allowed the group to travel to France, where a selected amount of members were able to perform at Japan Expo Summer 2018. The group then went on to attend Hyper Japan Winter 2018 in the UK, with 7 members representing the group.

Since the groups inception, BANZAI JAPAN have released 4 singles and one full-length studio album, with Jūnin to iro / Kingyo no uta being the groups first double A-side. As of 2019, the group are under Victoria Beats, a sub-label under Nippon Columbia. BANZAI JAPAN is managed by Cospanic Entertainment, a company which aims to promote the group not only around Japan, but the world, with the official website offering both Japanese and English descriptions. Some members of BANZAI JAPAN also know a decent amount of English.

With an aim to visualise Japan's magnificent culture to the world, BANZAI JAPAN will entertain you with their music and dance performances, which includes a mix of traditional Japanese and modern-era styles, with fan-waving being a key aspect in the groups choreography. Fan participation in fan-waving and para-para is also heavily promoted by the group

And with that, it's time to hook ourselves a catch in the form of BANZAI JAPAN's Jūnin to iro / Kingyo no uta! Are you ready to take the bait and leap into the BANZAI JAPAN fandom? With their catchy music, mesmerising choreography and super sweet personalities, how can you not entertain the idea of being fished by any of them?

It's time to dive in! Shall we? ;)

The Indie, The Idol & The Infamous Live Overview: The London Side

*All images used have been credited to their original owners. Any photos used without credits are my own images

**Any mistakes present in the post, please do feel free to call me out on that shit. We all have things we gotta improve on, and I definitely need to improve on my Typos.

With idol lives becoming a more frequent phenomena within the UK music scene, it seemed like a no-brainer that Orion Live's next step would be to bring along some of Japan's most mesmirising underground performers, where they would show them off in three of the UK's leading music-savvy scenes.

(Promotional Image owned by OrionLive)

Presented by Orion Live and starting off in London on April 20th, heading over to Manchester on April 22nd and rounding things off in Birmingham on April 23rd, three underground solo idols -  DOUBLE AND (Saki), GARUDA (Sakimura Yuffie) and 14th Generation Toilet Hanako-san (Hanako) - embarked on an Easter-weekend and Bank Holiday tour, with Saki leading the way as the Headlining act of the Indie, Idol & Infamous live shows.

And in a surprise twist just days before the event itself, it was revealed that Rukatama of the group MELON BATAKE A GO GO, of which Yuffie is also a member of, would be joining the girls during the tour. Acting as a goods salesperson for the GARUDA stall, as well as a camera-person for all of Yuffie's live performances, Rukatama took the chance to travel to the UK, whilst also promoting herself and MELON BATAKE A GO GO to the foreign fans who had travelled to see these three girls perform on a brand new stage.

Travelling to three cities and performing at three different venues, the warm Bank holiday event proved to be a loud and messy event for all attendees as Saki, Yuffie and Hanako showcased their own unique performance style, their brand and - of course - their voices to a UK audience.