A-to-J Connections' Favorite Songs of 2021!

1/1/2022

It's time for A-to-J's favorite, and arguably only, yearly tradition, our "Favorite Song" article! Past readers may know what we're doing but for those new, several A-to-J members pick their favorite song of the previous year and let you know why you should check them out! We have a pretty nice cross-section again this year across different genres and these articles always prove to be an eclectic mix. 2021 was by no means an easy year for us at A-to-J Connections, but that's quite possibly the case for many others. We hope that that we can put all the negative behind us and move confidently into 2022, whatever it may hold. Putting the year behind us doesn't mean we have to leave behind all the awesome music we heard along the way though! So sit back, relax, and check out our favorite songs of 2021 and maybe discover some new artists and/or music too! Here's to a rocking 2022 and beyond!

Manuel - General Manager / Editor-In-Chief

I had a lot of choices to go with for my favorite song of 2021 and after also nearly choosing a song from Arcane I settled on Namewee's "Hang Out & Play Now!" which also features R-Chord and several other Taiwanese online personalities in its high energy MV. This was definitely something of a last minute choice for me as I only checked out this song right to make sure that Namewee wouldn't top my fav song list again this year, and well... he did!

There's quite a bit of political commentary going on in this video (a lot of which is covered in this article) but at the heart of this song is a hopeful message longing for a return to a non-pandemic world and all the fun of travel and partying without the fear of the Big C. Unfortunately, that world feels even further away than it did at the end of 2020. Anyway, this song is riff-filled and guitar-shredding all along the way and the trade off between Namewee and R-Chord (who I hadn't heard much about before) was great. That chorus though, I defy anyone to listen to this song and not be singing along by the end. It's even subtitled so everyone can easily enjoy it regardless if you know Chinese or not. It's just something of a perfect song really.

As always, I hope everyone stays safe and healthy and I too look forward to an end to this pandemic, whenever that may be. A-to-J Connections has been hitting up a lot of events again recently and will continue into 2022 (see you all at ALA 2022!) and we can't wait to get to travel the way we used to before 2020. We really want to "Hang Out & Play Now!" with everybody!

I wonder if Namewee will top my list in 2022 too? Probably!

Namewee (Ft. R-Chord) - "Hang Out & Play Now!"

Ivan: Photographer / Correspondent

My choice for the best song of 2021 is "Akeboshi" (明け星, lit. "Morning Star") by LiSA which served as the theme song for the anime "Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba" (Season 2). The song charted no. 1 on the Oricon Singles Chart when it was released on October 18, 2021.

Lisa who also did the theme song "Homura" (炎, Flame) for the movie "Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba – The Movie: Mugen Train" the first non -Hollywood film to hit no. 1 worldwide. The songs really bring out the emotions felt during the series. LiSA continues to excel as the premier anime theme song creator.

LiSA - Akeboshi

Janette: Manga/Anime Project Leader / Staff Writer

Continuing in Hikki supremacy, I once again am proud to pick one of their songs for our year end review. This year, it’s their smash hit "One Last Kiss", known as the theme song for the long awaited and finally released "EVANGELION: 3.0 + 1.0 THRICE UPON A TIME". The song’s digital version release March 10 and was so hotly anticipated that it hit #1 in 33 regions and countries across various platforms, including iTunes #1 spots in Japan, Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macau. The associated EP saw international demand, resulting in worldwide pressings and even peaking at #13 on Billboard’s US vinyl chart in September.

The track strikes a nostalgic melancholy, as the narrator describes a relationship nearing its end. Fans of Eva have interpreted it as being from various characters to others, but honestly it could also be Hideaki Anno and us, knowing that the true end of Evangelion is here. Sad that it’s over, but forever lasting in our memories.

Anno also directed the video, showing Hikaru Utada through various parts of London where they now live. The song is available on streaming services, as well as available for purchase digitally and the One Last Kiss EP physically through various retailers around the world.

Utada Hikaru - One Last Kiss

Pleiades: Streaming Host

I’ve lost months, paychecks, and friends over League of Legends. That said, I don’t know what’s worse—the amount of money I sunk into Fizz skins back in the day or the # of times I’ve played this song on repeat. I tried so, SO hard to ignore Arcane. It wasn’t untiI I caught hype from homies in non weeb/vidya related discords that I made the poor choice to give it a watch for feces and heehees. One black-out later, I’d wound up binging whole damn thing.

The scene where "Snakes" by PVRIS & MIYAVI plays is absolutely - C R A C K E D -. After a long steady build up, it’s the first time you see main characters come into their mythic in-game depictions. Baggage be damned, by this point I saw so much of the characters’ struggles I stopped seeing them as toxic randos from the abyss of Wood 4 and more like actual legends.

MIYAVI might only be half of this collab but his musical DNA is all over it. Hard riffs riding a thin line between east and west vibes made me wonder how this was the only major track with his name on it. League’s always played to a hybrid demo (my guess is to have as wide appeal as possible), but I’d be lying if I said the entire sequence didn’t feel anime as FUCK in the best way.

Would it hit as hard if it wasn’t for Arcane’s story and animation? No clue—also, don’t want to imagine a world where that’s the case.

MIYAVI & PVRIS - Snakes

Rose: Staff Writer

My choice for song of the year 2021 is "Shounen Shojo" (少年少女) by GING NANG BOYZ (銀杏BOYZ), best known for being used as the opening theme for the anime Sonny Boy. 銀杏BOYZ have come a long way and changed a whole lot since the likes of I Don’t Wanna Die, but singer/songwriter Mineta Kazunobu (seemingly the only permanent member of the band these days) has proven that his penchant for good hooks is as true as ever. I haven’t seen Sonny Boy yet but a great theme is usually a good enough reason to check an anime out, especially when that theme is penned by such a legendary musician.

GING NANG BOYZ - Shounen Shojo

Snakz: Legacy Member / Streaming Host

The song I chose is ``Dear” by Aya EightPrince from her album “Dear”. It’s like BiS, but for normal people. I’m extremely biased because I listen to the same music over and over so the fact that my oshi from BiS 2nd and Gang Parade made a solo album, I knew I was going to like it instantly, and I did, and I hope you do too. She’s so cool and awesome and always likes my tweets.

Aya EightPrince - Dear

Warren: Streaming Host / Staff Writer

What can I say?! GALNERYUS continues to deliver another killer dose of their signature brand of Power Metal with "WHATEVER IT TAKES (Raise Our Hands!)". Everyone and I mean EVERYONE in GALNERYUS has out done themselves! Whatever It Takes is a prime example of how to beautifully weave raw heaviness with angelic melodies. Musicianship is here! Blistering guitar solos? Check! kickass keyboard solo? Check!! Badass f**king bass runs? Check!!! Masterful angelic vocals? CHECK!!! This song has it all. It’s full of twists and turns that make every minute an absolutely incredible listen. Trust me. This song is full of god damn fireworks. It has blown my mind and it will for damn sure blow your minds too so get up off your ass and take a listen to GALNERYUS now!

GALNERYUS - WHATEVER IT TAKES (Raise Our Hands!)

Winfield: Staff Writer

My favourite song for 2021 is "Teenage Solution" by Morning Musume ‘21, written by Tsunku. It is a part of their 70th single, "Teenage Solution / Yoshi Yoshi Shite Hoshii no / Beat no Wakusei" (Teenage Solution/よしよししてほしいの/ビートの惑星; Teenage Solution / I Want You To Tell Me It's Alright / Beat Planet) and was released on December 8. This also marks the last single for Sato Masaki as she graduated from the group on December 13 at the Nippon Budokan venue.

In my opinion this song is catchy and cool. Given the number of members in the group, I found that everyone has a chance to shine in the song and in the music video. Since it was Sato Masaki’s last single, she was a bit more prominent in the song, which I really like as she was my favourite member. I like how the MV was edited and the transitions between shots were clean. It really showed the creativity and adds to the overall listening if watching the MV.

Morning Musume '21 - Teenage Solution

Here we are once again at the end of another "Favorite Songs of The Year" article. We hope you enjoyed our individual favorite songs of 2021, and we also hope that everyone had the best year of music possible in these trying times that seem to stretch on and on. We're heading into 2022 and, knowing we said this last year too, we think it can only get better from here, hopefully in just about every way. We'll keep our fingers crossed on that, but might not hold our breath on just yet, hopefully the music will be good whatever the world throws at us next! Thanks again for letting us show you what we love and here's hoping that we can bring you more great content throughout 2022 and beyond!

-Manuel and the rest of the A-to-J Team!

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