Despite the ease of access that streaming has brought to the distribution of music, the volume that's released can make it a daunting task to find unique new stuff every week. In this recurring weekly feature we put together a short list of new songs from the past week that stand out amongst all the noise and deserve a spot in your rotation.
All songs featured in this recurring series can be found in our scrmbl selection 2026 playlist on YouTube, Apple Music or Spotify.
Ami Maeshima — “Megami Stay Gold!”
Ryo: For the lead single of her new album, Ami Maeshima calls on a rather exclusive tag team. Tsunku pens the lyrics while Shoichiro Hirata works on the arrangements—a well-familiar set-up for any Hello! Project fan out there. And the two hand her a lush funk record with a surprisingly modern touch. While the voice actress follows Tsunku’s infamous 16-beat vocal cadence, Soichiro adds hints of future-bass chops and Jersey-club-esque thumps in the bejeweled production. They might have succeeded in straying away from the H!P house sound in “Megami Stay Gold,” but they can’t help but provide Maeshima with a diva-like confidence also found from the company’s idols.
AprilBlue — “Virgin Noise”
Ryo: AprilBlue’s last-ever single stings from the grief from losing a great band but also from how it points to a new path forward for them had they kept trucking along. The band foregoes a bit of their trademark wall-of-noise lifted from shoegaze for the punchy and more straightforward pop-punk riffs to hit without much fuss. Their sparkling melodies shine, too, especially in the chorus, making good on their self-claimed title of “new J-Pop band.” There’s an alternate timeline where AprilBlue indulge in this more, where they clean up the fuzz for a more expanded pop-rock sound. Unfortunately, that’s not the one we live in.
DADARAY — “Meiyou”
Ryo: Say what you will about Enon Kawatani, but he somehow manages not to lose his touch no matter how long an absence he takes between any of his dozen bands. A case in point is the new DADARAY, their first single in eight months. He once again spins the cornerstones of twenty-something ennui—the lack of money, direction or motivation—into chilled-out jazz-rock. But of course, we got to also give the band some: leave it to singer REIS let the Chinese hooks come to life while living out this aimless lifestyle like a sweet fantasy.
Hakushi Hasegawa With HaHa And The Hairpins — "Suffocation Diary"
Patrick: Cataclysmic pop creator Hakushi Hasegawa has gradually grown more comfortable using their voice in songs, but the latest from the forthcoming Honest Feeling Album really puts the vocals up front. The usual pinballing sounds have been toned down in favor of something sweeter and more sparse, with a few dizzying touches buried in the mix serving almost as everyday texture (a voice, a dog barking). The focus falls on Hasegawa, voice layered and warped but still very much aimed directly at the listener, little in its way.
Swashi2 — "Diet Week"
Patrick: The topics tackled by Vocaloid producer Swashi2 lean towards the familiar, yet thanks to their woozy approach to sound. “Diet Week” is about eating (or...trying not to) along with cats, nothing too surreal there. Yet owing to the synth smudges, bouncy beat and the way Swashi2 turns digi-singing into something almost trance like it takes on the feel of a fever dream. It's a mark making them one of the most exciting young names in this corner of Japanese music.
Tempalay — “Hello, my name is...”
Patrick: A study in tension courtesy of a band that usually embraces something looser. Over six minutes, Tempalay lay down a groove and explore every angle of it, teasing explosion but mostly keeping it focused in order to see how they can play along its edge. For them, it's a chance to zonked-out samples repeating the song title, electronic swirls and at one point a guitar solo.
