Lucky number 7 has come and gone, and the best way to say goodbye to the old and hello to the new is to do one last recollection.

Most Played-Out Song of 2007

Sure, there was plenty on the pop side (”Get Freaky!”) and even in enka (”Sen no Kaze ni Natte” anyone?), but there was one particular song that captured the ears and hearts of many, while others screamed “AGAIN!?” everytime it came on. I was the latter.

SoulJa - Koko ni Iru yo (feat. Aoyama Thelma)

Okay, so maybe it was bearable the first hundred times, but the catchy chorus sung by Aoyama Thelma slowly became more and more annoying as time went on, and SoulJa’s whisper-rapping didn’t help. But then Thelma released “Soba ni Iru ne” which just happened to feature SoulJa and have the same hook! Are you kidding me?

Best Holiday Song of 2007

Fresh new Japanese holiday songs were as scarce as a good-tasting fruit cake this year, but we still had a couple good ones. Among the many cover albums that came out this holiday season, Full of Harmony and Exile’s winter songs stood out the most, but since I have to pick one, it’s gotta be Exile.

Exile - I Believe

“Ima sugu ni dakishimete…” If that line didn’t get stuck in your head after hearing Exile’s R&B winter song, then I don’t know what will. “I Believe” had just enough winter and season references to count as a song for the holidays, but was centered more around love than anything else, making it suitable for the winter months after Christmas as well.

Breakthrough Artist of 2007

Many artists made their stake in the Japanese Urban music industry in 2007, but few did it like this woman. As much as I’d love to give this title to Foxxi MisQ, nobody did it like Thelma.

Aoyama Thelma

She went from being totally unknown to being one of R&B’s biggest names without even releasing an album. Starting with her collaboration with DS455, “Summer Paradise,” her catchy hooks and beautiful voice pushed just about any song with her in it to the top. After finally releasing her first single, “One Way,” she appeared on SoulJa’s “Koko ni Iru yo,” and then released her own re-hash of it, “Soba ni Iru ne.”

Comeback Artist of 2007

On the pop side, it’d be hard to not give this title to the Brilliant Green, but as far as urban music goes, ISSA was definitely in the running with his single “Chosen Soldier,” but after a three year lull, Japan’s Wu-Tang came back with a new album.

Nitro Microphone Underground

2007 was NMU’s year. A new album, entitled “Special Force,” was released in November, along with their own Nike Air Force Ones, and one of the best selling Hip-Hop DVDs of the year.
Hottest R&B Album of 2007

This is totally my opinion, but I think it’s hard to disagree with. Other R&B singers came out with good albums this year, including Juju, Kato Miliyah, and May J, but this girl’s great singles “Not Over” and ‘Next Door” were just precursors to the awesome album that she released in November.

Aria - The Jukebox

Combine a beautiful voice with solid production and almost as many collaborations as an M-Flo album, and you’ve got The Jukebox.
Hottest Hip-Hop/Rap Album of 2007

Well, there were a ton of awesome albums to choose from, including Dabo’s “Baby Mario World Vol.1,” Zeebra’s “World of Music,” NMU’s “Special Force,” and Kreva’s “Yoroshiku Onegaishimasu,” but none achieved the level of Hip-Hop greatness that this album did, in my opinion.

Big-O and DJ Watarai - Straight to Next Door

DJ Watarai and Big-O on every single track? It was clear that the album was going to be hot, and it received more hype and publicity than I have seen for a Hip-Hop album in a while. Throw in a couple NMU members, some other really good but not well known Japanese MCs, and the always enjoyable Lupe Fiasco, and you’ve got an album full of listening pleasure.

Male Artist that Owned 2007

I didn’t want to call it “the best” male artist of 2007, because that’s all about opinion, but there’s no denying this guy was in charge of the charts all year long.

Kreva

That’s right. His crossover R&B/Hip-Hop/Pop vibe took the oricon charts by storm this year, with a ton of singles that broke through the top 50 and a couple that claimed spots in the top 10. With his first mix album in March and his third full solo album in September, Kreva was on fire all year long.

Female Artist that Owned 2007

This woman went from topping the charts with her candy pop to doing the same thing with her stylish “Hip-Pop,” of which she is definitely the queen. In almost every store I walked into while in Tokyo, they were playing either Koda Kumi, or this girl’s new album. Who else could it be?

Amuro Namie

“Baby Don’t Cry,” “Can’t Sleep, Can’t Eat, I’m Sick,” “Funky Town,” and “Hide & Seek” claimed top spots on the charts all year long, while other tracks from her new album, “PLAY,” were used all over the place, including in the Japanese versions of the movie “Sin City” and the TV series “Prison Break.” Not only is she the queen of Hip-Pop, she’s the queen of 2007.

I hope you enjoyed my recap of 2007, and let’s all hope 2008 is as good to the Japanese Urban Music community as ‘07 was! If you’ve got comments, questions, or maybe want to add/replace some of my choices, just leave a comment!