Greetings to all readers! I'm Silverfaye from the JaME English team.
At a time when K-pop dominates the vocal and dance scene worldwide, we have perhaps overlooked the equally talented artists Japan has to offer. In this article, I will introduce three of my favourite vocal and dance artists from the land of the rising sun.
Miura Daichi
Ever since I watched a PV of Miura Daichi a few years ago, I have always been on the lookout for his new releases. Regardless of whether his songs are fast or slow-paced, Daichi's clean, smooth and polished dance moves never fail to catch my eye. The subtle grace he possesses while dancing makes him stand out from the crowd. Coupled with his soulful singing, Daichi is an artist you don't want to miss out on.
My favourite dance by him is featured in the PV for his single Unlock, released on February 25th last year. The dance was jointly choreographed by Daichi, and up-and-coming dancer Koharu Sugawara.
Watch Daichi in action below:
A special choreography video with Koharu Sugawara was also released, so be sure to take a look at it as well.
EXILE
Another one of my favourite vocal and dance groups is EXILE, which currently consists of 19 male members. EXILE is one part of a larger group of artists known collectively as EXILE TRIBE. Unlike many other vocal and dance groups where all members take on dual roles as singer-dancers, EXILE consists mostly of performers who solely dance and a couple of vocalists who either just sing or, in some songs, dance as well to a small extent.
EXILE has released numerous PV's throughout their 15-year career, but the one that impresses me the most is 24karats STAY GOLD, which can be found on their 2010 album FANTASY. In the video, EXILE members dish out high-powered hip-hop to a catchy R&B tune.
You can watch the PV below:
Happiness
Out of all the female vocal and dance groups I've come across, Happiness wins the crown for me. Happiness is part of all-female group E-girls, who are also members of the EXILE TRIBE family. As with EXILE, Happiness members are also divided into dancers and vocalists.
The girls' ability to pull off demanding dance moves with just the right amount of sassiness makes them an instant winner. Coupled with highly polished videos that boast superior visuals and aptly-placed special effects, plus generous amounts of solo screen time that showcase each dancer's abilities, the videos of Happiness are always a delight to watch. To top it all off, Happiness isn't the least bit lacking in the vocal department.
Below is the short version of the PV for Juicy Love, the girls' sixth single that was released in May 2014:
Now that I've told you about my favourite vocal and dance groups, it's time for you to tell JaME who your top picks are. Let's get the ball rolling!
