New Jihen album: Dai Hakken [2011.06.29]

[BlueApple]

Why does it have to be about money? Why can't companies like Glico, Shisheido, etc just like the music that Ringo & Tokyo Jihen create and feel so inclined as to ask for a special song????

Either way. the tie-ins don't bother me at all.

[clakaz]

I don't respect Michelangelo. He is a huge sell out. All the contents of this art is a huge Catholic propaganda.

[Nimh]

On one level it's always about money, so it's hard not to be a little cynical.

I mean, in Ochanomizu yesterday I saw a big billboard for SMAP's new single, "Be Happy." It said "SMAP for Japan" and "You are not alone." Part of me thinks how nice it is to see pop artists "reaching out" to people in Japan at a time of crisis; another part of me can't get past the adroit salesmanship. Even if the single is purely for charity, the brains behind the billboard are trying to sell an album, not cure everybody's loneliness and misery.....

[Tokyo Jihad]

Originally Posted by Nimh

Shiina doesn't need the money. But maybe the rest of the band could use a few million, and they can't do it without her.

Should she tell the band "Hey, I'm stinking rich fellas, but I'm not going to lift a finger to help you get rich, because, you know, I HAVE INTEGRITY."

and yes, it IS about money. That's how that works. Company pays band for song. Song used in ad. Company (ideally) sells more product and makes more money.

[jackmanca]

Originally Posted by clakaz

I don't respect Michelangelo. He is a huge sell out. All the contents of this art is a huge Catholic propaganda.

But the comercial stuff necessarily makes the thing bad? If I really like something, it's independent if it's sellable or not. Michelangelo was a great artist (I'm an atheist) and I still think he was kick ass for his time... I don't see his works and think "oh, how great god is". Taking Dopamint! as an example, I don't hear it and think "oh, how great would be to have a glico now". And as someone said here, EMI has a lot of power, and maybe they can not say no to this deals, or like some other person said, maybe glico just loves their work and want to use their songs on the CM's...

[Nimh]

Yes, TJ, I'm kidding. Anyway, I wrote it with a smile.

"Selling out" is wrong when the music comes out crap. If the music's brilliant, "selling out" can seem like masterful manipulation----"yeah, they took the guy's money, he thought he was getting some bubblegum pablum but they said to hell with that and chiseled out this artistic gem instead." It all boils down to whether you like it or not, right?

[clakaz]

jackmanca, good reply

(i was being sarcastic, btw)

[justriiingo]

people still think the new stuff is not crap?

[jackmanca]

Yes, 'cause naturally people have different opinions...

[s3r3nity]

Originally Posted by kuro_neko

Or she has really changed.

I think it's pretty clear that she has changed from those days, whether for better or worse. Remember from the other thread where she seemed to be regretting her persona from back then? Hell, maybe she's doing this just as a smack in the face to herself from back then.

And yeah, besides the money, she perhaps may just want to stay relevant. I don't know what it's like in Japan, but it seems Kpop and the like are taking over a bit. She's gotta make sure that people remember her/Tokyo Jihen's name. Although that still comes down to money and sales in the end. Sigh. I don't know.

I'm not terribly happy about all the commercials/tie-ins either. If she went so long without needing them, it's pretty reasonable for people to be upset or at least bothered by the fact that she's starting now, especially considering (arguably) that the quality of the music is declining.

Is it at all possible that they'd discuss their recent commercials in an interview? Or would Japanese fans/magainze/etc not really notice or care as much as some of us seem to?