Reviving this topic... can't believe I haven't posted here... I'm a huge Jpop fan. 13 GB and counting so far, plus stuff on CDs...
A few of my favorite artists would be:
Bonnie Pink - I just love her soulful style... her older soul stuff and her more recent pop-ish stuff. Plus writes a lot of her songs in English.
Favorite song: Tonight the NightOnitsuka Chihiro - l love this woman's voice, so expressive, as are her lyrics... and the piano and orchestral accompiament is so beautiful.
Favorite song: Infection - such a haunting, beautifully depressing song about being in love ^^;;Gackt - Ha... this guy's awesome. He's such a
pretty and
dainty looking guy and then he opens his mouth and this
deep, sexy voice comes out.
Of course, I love his songs, too.
Favorite song: seki reiL'arc~en~Ciel - They're classics. Who doesn't love them? I really like Hyde's solo stuff, too.
Favorite song: Driver's HighKawabe Chieco - So I usually don't go for the cutesy pop chicks, but I've followed Chieco-chan since she was in the Sailormoon Musicals, and she's really grown... her voice has become really strong, and I like listening to her whenever I'm in the mood for something cute and peppy.
Favorite song: brillianceRie Fu - I was listening to her in the car and my sister said she sounded like Japanese country. <__< Rie Fu has a nice easy acoustic style, and I like her lyrics lots (she writes a lot of English, too). Plus she paints her own album covers!
Favorite song: Somebody's World or Life is Like a BoatLADYBUG - A new group, and WAY underapprieciated. They have such a beautiful, harmonic rock sound. I can listen to their CD over and over in the car.
Favorite song: FLASH or Koe or Ame (can't decide!)Orange Range - These guys are awesome. I don't even know what to classify them as. Their songs are always unique, and Iove when they throw in crazy or funny stuff. ^^
Favorite song: michishirube ~a road home~m-flo - Okay, this is all my friend's fault. I'm not a rap person, but m-flo is cool, and I like the way they've been doing all kinds of collabs with famous artists recently.
Favorite song: Dopamine (awesome video!)Utada Hikaru - Sometimes I love her and I hate her. o_O Her voice isn't the strongest, but she's got some great songs. Despite what a lot of people think, her English CD is really starting to grow on me and I like it.
Favorite song: First Love or Kremlin DuskSweetS - Super-cute girl group, and unlike Morning Musume, they can actually sing.
Favorite song: Lolita*Strawberry in SummerOther artists I like are - Core of Soul, Janne D'arc, Takui, Crystal Kay, Bump of Chicken, Love Pyschedelico, Spitz, Do As Infinity, Katayama Sayuri, Tsubaki, Sowelu, DOUBLE, w-inds, Takahashi Mariko, Okui Masami, Auichi Rina, Ogata Megumi.... and probably more. ^___^;;
and now, as I've made a long enough post...............