2020 Music Edit: The Top 25 Digital Songs

With so many digital releases to enjoy and many new artists and groups to discover in the year gone by, it may be difficult to pinpoint exactly which song has become one of many favourites...

Are you ready to endure another Year End list from Okay! Musume Time?

It has been a long time coming everyone, but we finally made it to this point. Happy New Year. I hope you are all safe and well and celebrating in an appropriate manner~

After a heavy year that has taken a toll not only our mental wellbeing, but also our physical and financial well-beings, music has become a much needed solace for many of us. Whether we use it for escapism, relaxation or to simply help us keep calm, the music that has been delivered to us from around the world has been a much appreciated gift. For the Japanese music industry especially, the current state of the world became a topic of inspiration and allowed Idols and artists alike to create music that delivered hope for their fans and the people around them.

With live shows halted and an order to stay at home, it was no surprise to see digital tracks becoming a popular way to release music for many that would typically release their music physically, and whilst we could not hear every track that has been released, these digital songs have aided us in one way or another. So, for my first End of Year list for the year that was 2020, I will introduce my first 'Top Digital Songs' ranking and share with you all the songs that made my 2020 a little more bearable.

With well over 40+ songs to enjoy and many more that did not even clock onto my radar, I will take a look at the 25 Digital tracks that delighted me the most throughout 2020. As always, I have certain criteria that I go by when creating these kinds of lists, so without further ado:

⮞ The song was released by itself digitally

⮞ It can be a part of a single or album release later on

⮞ Replay factor

⮞ How invested I am in the song and the emotions I have tied to it

⮞ How memorable the song itself is

⮞ It can be as recent as December 2020

As always, my criteria is fairly basic and self-explanatory, but it's nice to keep it here as a refresher for myself when creating these types of lists.

Of course I hope that you all find something new or interesting to check out in this list, regardless of what is mentioned here, and I hope that this list allows you to think about your own favourites from 2020 when it comes to Digital music. For now though, it's time for this opinionated blogger to pass her own judgement on the Digital tracks of 2020 and share her favourites with you all. Are you ready to head into a brand new Year End list?

Welcome to The 2020 Music Edit: Digital Songs Edition. What will we tune into today?

Idols of Advent: Spending This Winter Holiday with You - Celebrating A 'Very Merry Happy Christmas' with Ogura Yui (Pic Spam Review)

Despite all that is going on in the world, we can still celebrate the winter holidays with our loved ones even when they are a screen away...

Before the bell tolls and the festivities begin despite the harsh realities of the world at present, let's take a look at a heartwarming and intimate celebration of the winter season. Yes, most of us will be taking the time to celebrate with family and friends either in-person or a screen away, but for some today will be about joy we share with our significant others, wherever they might be.

In todays Idols of Advent review we celebrate with the cute and charismatic Ogura Yui, who has gifted us with the wonderfully merry Very Merry Happy Christmas, which celebrates the close bonds of a couple in love as they prepare for their own holiday festivities. Though the holiday season is certainly different to ones that we have previously experienced, Yui will instill a sense of hope within us all that we can spend our days with our beloved ones again sometime soon.

Let's prepare for the day ahead and get ready to celebrate the most festive day of the year in Ogura Yui's sweet yet intimate Very Merry Happy Christmas. Are you ready to get into the winter spirit and celebrate with the ones you love?

Idols of Advent: The Tranquility of A Winter's Day - A Gentle 'Snow Flake Remind' by Jewel☆Neige (Pic Spam Review)

Despite the world being askew and the loss we feel from the disconnect and distance, let's come together in a moment of quiet and find the peace that we have all been craving since life was thrown off-balance for us all...

In a hectic and uncertain world it can become difficult to find time for yourself. Where peace feels fleeting and moments of solace are so few and far between, we must not forget that we need to take a moment and breathe. Of course our Idols are working hard to create a brighter world for us all, one where we can relax and forget about the news and strife that other people are putting us through right now.

In todays Idols of Advent review I want to allow these idols to give me that peace of mind I need and step back to take a moment of quiet and beauty this winter. Away from the bright lights and cold snow, I now look to Jewel☆Neige to deliver a reminder of the peace and tranquility a snow flake can bring, and the longing I hold for a relaxing winter day at home without the worries of the world weighing down my mind.

It's time to close the door on the world and find solace with Snow Flake Remind. Are you ready to remember the beauty of a quiet winter's day?

Idols of Advent: A Land of Winter and Heartbreak - The Loneliness of 'Tiamo' by T-ARA (Pic Spam Review)

Even though it looks beautiful from the outside, a world covered in snow is still cold and lonely when you are unable to be with the ones you love...

Despite winter being a wonderful time of the year for some, it can be the cause of much heartache for others. Winter can create a lonely world for people and whilst I would like to reflect on the happiness that this season brings me, I also want to look at a music video that deals with heartbreak and this ever-growing sense of being lost in a world that is as cold and lonely as her heart feels in that moment.

Of course where there is darkness there is light, and whilst you may feel lost and alone in this world right now, there will be a path for you to follow until you find the warmth you so desire. So with all that in mind, today we will look at T-ARA's Tiamo and fall into a world of loneliness and snow where the key to your escape lies in the understanding of your emotions.

It is time to fall into a wintry world of cold beauty and quiet sadness, but don't worry; I have every bit of faith that you will find your way out and come back to a world of love and warmth...

Idols of Advent: Beneath A Starry Winter Sky with You - The Beauty of a 'secret star' by amatsuuni (Pic Spam Review)

Even when we are apart we are still connected by the sky and the stars that will eventually guide us to each other. Though the world is a dark and scary place right now, please let the shining stars in the winter's night sky lead you to happiness...

Though the world is still at an odd place our Idols continue to work hard and create fun, memorable content for us all in a bid to escape from the trials of the world around us. Of course we can not always escape our own reality, but when it is time to relax and lose ourselves a little the comfort of an idol or musicians music is always there to spirit us away to a sparkling world unlike any other.

In the case of anisong singer and coverist amatsuuni, we will be taken to the sky to experience the magic of the stars on a chilly winter's eve. Though it may not be the festive, wintery music video you imagined you would be watching, amatsuuni has the ability to transport you far from the loneliness of this world to create an enchanting experience for her viewers and listeners.

It's time to step away from the world and fall into the beauty of a starry night sky during the winter. Want to join me for a walk and see if we can stumble upon some magic?

Idols of Advent: Once Upon A Winter Story - An Enchanting 'Winter Story' by LABOUM (Pic Spam Review)

Though we are in a time of uncertainty and feel at odds with the world, let's come together and find comfort in the form of festive music videos that will bring back our beautiful winter memories...

With the winter season well and truly upon us and the world still in an uncertain and strange place, it feels like now is the right time to bring some positivity and light to the world in the form of some beautiful winter music videos. Sure, it won't ease the situation in any way but I think that having some form of normality for my blog in the form of my favourite Idols of Advent series will at least give myself - and hopefully everyone who reads this - a little bit of seasonal spirit despite the circumstances of the world.

So now that I have a bit of extra time on my hands, as well as a desire to finally review this beautiful music video that I have been eyeing up for around two years now, I think it's time to open this years series Winter series with LABOUM's own Winter Story. It's a fairy tale world where the members of LABOUM come together to experience the magic of the snow, so let yourselves be enchanted as you enter the world and experience the warmth and delight that Winter Story has created.

It's time to step through the mirror and escape the woes of the world. Are you ready to experience a magical world this winter?

An Idols Fighting Spirit - An Interview with Satanic Punish

I would like to start this post by thanking Satanic Punish manager and producer, Fudou Gantetsu, for reaching out to me in regards to this interview and for allowing me to promote the group and its members. I would also like to thank both members of Satanic Punish for taking time out of their work schedule to answer these questions and for the opportunity to share their answers with everyone who reads this post. Furthermore, I would like to thank Fudou for permitting the use of photo's from both the official website and Twitter account for the group. Full credit will be given for each photo used.

I would also like to extend my thanks to translator Janjan, who aided me with some of the more difficult parts of the interview, as well as Tom Jeffery's and Just Panda for proof-reading this post.

L: Webshiki.  |  R: Himeno Usagi

(Photo courtesy of @SatanicPunish)

Based in Tokyo, Japan, Satanic Punish came together in June of 2019 as a metal-idol group that sing about the absurdities of the world and the evil that surrounds us. Paired with a band sound that involves heavy and powerful melodies in each song, every release that this group delivers is heavier than the last thanks to the recent inclusion of 'death vocals' in songs such as Pray For Satan and their up-coming single, Alpha Omega -ΑΩ-.

Comprised of two members - Leader Webshiki. and songstress Himeno Usagi - Satanic Punish strives to better themselves as singers whilst also making a name for themselves both as underground idols and within the overseas Japanese music fandom. With their energetic live performances and brutal lyrics that set them apart from the rest, Satanic Punish are ready to punish the sinners of the world and drill their message into the depths of your soul.

Now almost a year after the groups rebirth back in February this year, Satanic Punish stand stronger than ever despite the initial struggles of 2020, and will enter the new year with a powerful sound and a bond made of steel that only these two members could create. So with the end of the year in mind and a desire to understand the members a little more both on and off the stage, I have been given the chance to interview the members of Satanic Punish in order to get to know the girls behind the music a little more.