Tower Records has decided on its recommended push items for May 2024.
Tower Recommend May lineup
◆ Tower Recommendation Lineup for May 2024※Order of the Japanese syllabary
・imase “mediocre”
Released Wednesday, May 15th
・GLASGOW – NOW I SAY
Released Wednesday, April 24th
・JIGDRESS “MINORENTROPY”
Released Wednesday, May 15th
・Tyla “Tyla” released on Friday, March 22nd
Tower Records Online “Tower Recommend” URL
https://tower.jp/site/series/tower-recomen
With the motto “Let’s create breakout items starting from the shelves!”, buyers at Tower Records stores across the country rely only on their own ears and intuition to pick out artists before they become popular with the public, regardless of whether they are foreign or Japanese or what genre they are, and then promote them in all stores for the popular project “Tower Recommends.”
This highly-recommended project, which began in 2006, sees buyers make serious presentations and votes each month to select items, which are then rolled out to all stores.
■ May Tower Recommendation Product Details※Order of the Japanese syllabary
①
imase “mediocrity”
Artist: imase
Title: Ordinary
Release date: Wednesday, May 15, 2024
Price Tower Records Limited Edition: 3,850 yen (tax included)
First limited edition (CD+Blu-ray): 4,950 yen (tax included)
First limited edition (CD+DVD): 4,400 yen (tax included)
Regular Edition: 2,750 yen (tax included)
Specifications Tower Records Limited Edition: CD + Goods
First limited edition: CD+Blu-ray/CD+DVD
Regular Edition: 1 CD
Label: Universal Music
Introduction
A 23-year-old new generation artist from Gifu, who made his major debut after only one year of music activities and became the first Japanese artist to win the “J-POP Favorite Artist” award at Korea’s largest K-POP award MMA and the J-POP category at the Korean award CCMA. This is his first full album, which includes 19 songs, including “NIGHT DANCER,” which won the Excellence Award at the 65th Japan Record Awards and has been played over 8 billion times, and “Utopia,” the theme song for the movie “SAND LAND.” The first limited edition includes footage of all 16 songs, including the first live performance held in 2022-2023, with audio commentary by imase and live support members. It comes with a Blu-ray / DVD containing a total of over 90 minutes of bonus footage, including making-of footage. The Tower Records limited edition comes with a limited edition “Original BONSAI Rubber Keychain” with a newly designed design.
Tower Recommendation Comments
Recommended by: Kobe store/Taduki, Shinjuku store/Ogino, AMU Plaza Hakata store/Hara, Sapporo Parco store/Nakanishi
This first album contains many songs that have been collaborated with imase, who has attracted attention both domestically and internationally, and it is no exaggeration to call it a best-of album.
This is sure to become a masterpiece filled with his charm.
GLASGOW “NOW I SAY”
②
Artist: GLASGOW
Title NOW I SAY
Release date: Wednesday, April 24, 2024
Price: 2,750 yen (tax included)
Specifications: 1 CD
Label VAP
Introduction
A Tokyo-based rock band consisting of Aratani (vo,g) and Eita Fujimoto (g). They started their activities in September 2018 and established their own label “whiteluck records” in December of the following year. In 2021, they won the grand prize in the “FESTIVAL OUT” audition project. In 2023, they released their 2nd EP “FOOLISH AS THEY MAY SEEM.”, which will be their first nationwide distribution album. This work, which will be their major debut and major 1st full album from VAP, contains a total of 13 songs, including “Resting Charge”, the ending theme of the TV anime “Holiday Warumono-san”, “SEABISCUIT”, the new ending theme of TV Saitama’s Urawa Reds support program “REDS TV GGR”, and a rearrangement of “Late Show”, which was only included on the demo album they produced when they were first formed.
Tower Recommendation Comments
Recommended by: Shibuya store/Sakurama Ikebukuro store/Kobayashi Urawa store/Kikuchi Koriyama store/Ando Ario Yao store/Miyamoto Naha store/Nakamoto LaLaport Tachikawa Tachihi store/Hiraoka Takasaki OPA store/Kaneko Kinshicho Parco store/Matsui Sapporo Parco store/Nakanishi Namba Parks store/Matsuda
While their music has a UK rock feel, it has been elevated to a pop sound, and once you hear it, you will want to listen to it over and over again. Their beautiful high-pitched voices with falsetto are also very attractive. The new songs have been rearranged and recorded under the current lineup, so both old and new fans can enjoy them!
JIGDRESS “MINORENTROPY”
③
Artist: JIGDRESS
Title: MINORENTROPY
Release date: Wednesday, May 15, 2024
Price: 3,300 yen (tax included)
Specifications: 1 CD
Label: 99’Scape Record
Introduction
Formed at the end of 2020, this rock band consists of Daiki Yamazaki (vocals/guitar), Iseno (guitar), Kazutaka Watanabe (bass), and Hayato Yamaguchi (dr). They are active in Tokyo, mainly in Shimokitazawa. Their appeal is their sound that follows the alternative style of the 90s, with sparkling guitars, energetic drums, a bass that supports it, and vocals that sometimes seem to roar. Both their solo and band-battle projects are always sold out, and they are a big topic in the live house scene. This is their first full album, which will be distributed nationwide for the first time, and contains a total of 12 songs, including 5 new songs and re-recorded songs from the self-distributed version.
Tower Recommendation Comments
Recommended by: Shibuya store/Nagaoka/Higashiura store/Sakurai/Namba Parks store/Goya
The album is characterized by sparkling guitars in a chaotic roaring sound reminiscent of 90’s indie. It is a compilation of several songs from past works and new songs, and is packed with all of JIGDRESS’s past works.
Tyla “Tyla”
④
Artist: Tyla
Title Tyla
Release date: Friday, March 22, 2024
Price CD: 2,690 yen (tax included)
LP: 4,090 yen (tax included)
Specifications: CD: 1 disc
LP (Translucent Orange and Red Vinyl): 1 disc
Label: FAX Records/Epic
Introduction
Born in 2002, she is currently 22 years old. She is an artist who grew up in Johannesburg, South Africa. Her sound is characterized by a skillful incorporation of pop, R&B, Afrobeats, and Amapiano, and her delicate and solid singing skills and graceful yet powerful dance performances are so well-crafted that it is hard to believe she is a new artist. Since her debut, she has steadily released songs and built a fan base, and her single “Water” released in 2023 has been streamed 640 million times as of February 2024, and was a huge hit in Japan with 6.3 million streams. She also won the “Best African Music Performance” award at the 66th Grammy Awards. She has also been confirmed to appear at Summer Sonic 2024. This is her debut album, which contains a total of 14 songs, including the hit song “Water”.
Tower Recommendation Comments
Recommended by: Shinjuku store/Kumagaya
22 years old, raised in Johannesburg, South Africa. His popularity has skyrocketed on TikTok. His album’s “Water” charted on the Billboard charts, making him the first South African solo artist to do so in 55 years since Hugh Masekela. He is a promising new artist who has been receiving rave reviews. He will also be appearing at Summer Sonic 2024 in Japan, and as a result, he has been released as an import album, but listeners have responded very quickly to his album, especially at large Tower stores, since it was first released.
