I don't have much for these two months (I got kicked in the ass with school concerns and my mental and physical health plumetted a lot, which was in part why this post was out late and I have pretty much no January releases) but I hope you enjoy the little things I have to say.
Please note that I refuse to review ANY song that I personally not like for any reason, I want this to be a highlight of the music I enjoy.
Mãos para cima! ~Te o Age na~ / Mellowcle
I was WAITING for a song like this to come out, and I'm so happy it was produced by Mellowcle.
If you don't know who Mellowcle is (considering how underrated they actually are), they are a producer that specializes primarily in pop styles (primarily K-pop) and good times with a cute garnish. They've uploaded their entry for Vocacolle 2025 Winter a day ago, so please support them!
Back to the song itself, this is very clearly a celebration of the Brazilian Miku phenomenon (I refuse to go on Twitter to link the pieces, but the artists' accounts are @erinartista and @doodlysheery on BlueSky) and Brazil in general, and you can tell it is. "Mãos para cima" uses hallmarks of Brazilian culture, music, Brazilian Portuguese lyrics, and has a Brazilian artist directly involved in the project. Melryn (@melrynarts) not only has beautifully made art, but made 3 animated segments specifically for the song. In the posts made after the song's release, you can see how intricately made it is and the effort that went into it. Not to mention that the was released shortly before Carnival of Brazil. Miku is also just really cute in here :)
Like the rest of Mellowcle's discography, "Mãos para cima" is filled with nothing but love all around to reaffirm Japan's love for the country, especially considering Brazil has the most Japanese immigrants out of any country. The Brazilian Miku phenomenon led way to more discussion of diversity in fandom, and the support Japanese Miku fans had for overseas fans and their designs has never reached it's peak quite like it did last year. Many Brazilians have expressed their love for the song and it's content in the comments and in other places online, and to think we've reached that point in fandom is heartwarming. I hope more songs can come out of appreciation for each other.
Shiranai mama de / yugica
Speaking of Vocacolle, we have a song by yugica, best known for their song "Caprice Cast" and their signature house-like chaotic EDM. Their unique electronic style is still as present as it is in their other tracks, but this feels a lot lighter in comparison to the hard-hitting bursts in a lot of their work. This isn't to say it doesn't become chaotic at all, the choruses make the (good) emptiness throughout the verses extremely worth it. I too want to bob my head with the girl in the MV and then go crazy when the instrumental break comes in.
The lyrics lean pretty hard into menhera, which is interesting for me to see a song with that topic in such insane EDM, or I just haven't listened to enough menhera songs. Who knows.
The MV by Cattleya intrigued me a lot, not just with the use of color but also tweening and impressive lip syncing. I got into animation communities during a time where tweening was a sign that you were "lazy", constant debates on if it counted as "real animation", basically making it clear that tweening wasn't something people would like. It will always impress me that the vocal synth community has leaned into the acceptance of tweening, probably influenced by the now widespread instance of animation memes alongside Live2D and related tech. MVs like this truly prove it has potential.
That is to say, please check this out!
Chou Shujinkou / PinocchioP
(meek voice) How can I make this about class.
Whether conscious or not, PinocchioP made a song that can very easy be read about class and the disparity between lower class vs higher class, including the concept of a class traitor, in addition to the power gained from those socioeconomic benefits... sort of. The song doesn't mention material wealth in any way, but does recognize class difference between the "small fries" and the "hero" as the hero slowly turns against their interests for their own gain. A lot of fantasy games seem to establish a feudalist environment with medieval Europe as it's setting or an inspiration of it's world, which is clearly was the true foundation of the song, but even if you ignore the real life historical implications of what feudalism did for laborers, including their own riots (and also me not knowing nearly enough about feudalism to put out an accurate analysis), the game metaphor slowly sinks into you and reflects how much worse it would've been if it weren't in the perspective of a game.
This song is not a "good guy turns evil" narrative, it does no favors from the start of the song until the end. It's a rags to riches story, but begins the second they are are in power and glory, and makes it clear that the leader does not have the people's interest, they no longer relate to them. The chorus goes harder on them, thus we know they're the bad person, but the peasants look onward at their glory unknown of what power actually does to them, while simultaneously getting people "out of the way" of that glory (may or may not be conspirators against them). The song quickly descends even more; surrounding themselves with people that agree with everything they see and do, murdering the peasants that worship or hate them equally because they view any minor concern as a threat, not giving a shit if the world is destroyed as long as they are the one with the power to do it and still live from it.
But the most impactful part, in my opinion, is that it is a continuous cycle. The ease of getting lost in the power, wealth, and benefits you have to having it abandon your goodwill, forgetting that you were once a peasant fighting for your fellow peasants. Then you die from that peasant, who no longer becomes a peasant, and it continues on.
I don't know if PinocchioP wrote the song with any real political intentions or people in mind, but as I currently live in a country with multiple real "Last Boss faking the position of a Super Superhero" people in government right now, it resonates a lot for me at the moment.
Chameleon / OmochiΩ
This is the first song I've heard by OmochiΩ, and boy am I so sad that it has so little views. There's so much potentials in this song, the feeling of wanting to be invisible, the beat so reminiscent of the high-energy melancholy so omniprescent in the scene, the illustration doesn't have much going on but by God does it have an impact on the viewer. This is an entirely self-produced song and video, and I'm so excited to see how they grow in the future.
Miku may sound familiar and it may be a worn sound for some, but I don't care, it gives off the exact feeling of mundane life but the horror that comes with living in this life. God I really enjoy this song, please check it out.
Honorable Mentions (songs not sung by Miku)
Queen of Venus / FLAVOR FOLEY (Adachi Rei)
I don't really have anything profound about the lyrics that someone hasn't already said in the comments besides "robot song cool :)" but I Will say that the censored version I listened to on VOCAVERSE was hilarious and I audibly chuckled whenever it happened. Tenn of VOCAVERSE fame if you somehow happen to read this please use that goofy sound effect forever please. Ok thank you/.
Queen (Girls Like Me) / Kiwwiraptor (Chis-A & LIEE)
If you like pop music for girlies and also sapphics this song is Definitely for you. Kiwwiraptor are a Filipino-American duo consisting of Kiwwi (of ironmouse fame) and julieraptor (of Chis-A fame) specializing in work with Chis-A (and julieraptor's UTAU LIEE REY). I'm very excited to see what they put out next.
the entire MACHINA MORI album / Various (Adachi Rei)
Just. just listen to the entire album please. you will literally ascend to a new realm of being. please god. i am begging on my knees. robots are so cool......(hi 0ts)
Oh most of my honorable mentions are english songs. what can i say except western producers are awesome
And that's it for this month! Hopefully I can get March-April out at a reasonable time with more songs to talk about.