medorē #38 – Q2 Standouts (2026)
featuring Lil Summer, Bukkoro Momoka, diig (and more!)
Hey there, and welcome to another edition of the medorē!
For those who are unfamiliar: this is a segment here on omunibasu where we take a bunch of different songs from a variety of Japanese artists and have a bit of a discussion about each one of them. Very simple, and if you’ve ever seen a song roundup of any kind, that is exactly what the medorē entails (except it’s from some dumb bub like me).
In many cases, these posts end up revolving around a specific theme/topic whenever I put them together, which is the case with today’s iteration, as we’re continuing our quarterly roundups for 2026! Posting song roundups every week/month have always been a bit of big ask for me personally, so back in 2025, I figured I’d find a middle-ground to both keep active on the blog (and get up to speed with/showcase the music I’ve recently liked) while not burning out too quickly when it comes to writing. That’s, in essence, how the quarterly posts came to be.
Speaking of, Q2 (April, May and June) wrapped up a few weeks ago and I just wanted to bring up some of my favorites from the past three months. This one’s a tad bit late compared to previous renditions (mainly due to me being out-of-town earlier this month), and I will admit that I’m still in a bit of a ‘music listening rut’ lately and have been lagging behind with new albums/releases. But I think this roundup will still encompass a lot of what I’ve been digging, and if everyone reading ends up finding a brand new song/artist to check out from this list, that’d be sweet.
Let’s jump right in!
♫ 「Shiawase Flavor」 ARCANA PROJECT
Released: 2026.04.22
Only now am I realizing that I do not watch as much anime as I did before but there’s always a show or two that catches my eye every simulcasted season or so, with a recent example being the comfy cuisine-based Maid-san wa Taberu dake. And apart from it including things that strongly appealed to me (food appreciation and the lovely Ichinose Kana voicing its main character), I was surprised to see that the DEARSTAGE-produced vocal unit ARCANA PROJECT would be providing its ending theme song.
While this group has been around since 2020, this was the first time I’ve personally taken any interest in them; not only because of their involvement with this anime but with me still hanging onto my fandom of the now-disbanded rirunede, it was very cool to find out that former member Shidomi Yuuka ended up joining ARCANA PROJECT back in April 2025. And I’m a simple dude: I see Shidomin, I click. (also was interesting to find out that, like their name suggests, instead of taking on the usual image colors, every member of AP represents a specific tarot card… how unique!)
When it comes to anime theme songs, sure, catchiness and appeal is always important but oftentimes do they also perfectly embody the overall atmosphere of the show itself, as a way to help elevate the vision that the studio’s trying to go for. And I think what ARCANA PROJECT did with “Shiawase Flavor” is such a dang good instance of that kind of intent.
Like the title implies, this track certainly can put you in a great mood once you get a taste of it; whether it’s because of those sweet harmonies and fluttering flutes towards the beginning, or how much of a general laid-back and fluffy tone this entire song gives off. I, of course, adored the fittingly soft and higher-pitched vocals from all the idols (how they sounded in the live version was on-par with, or even better than, the studio one tbh), but I do think the composition deserves a ton of credit here, where the flutes, trumpets, xylophones, and even the vocal harmonies blend together so effortlessly, while also being able to individually shine when needed. It all builds a warm atmosphere, and when you throw in that repeated phrase of ‘mogu-mogu-gu’ (the Japanese onomatopoeia for eating or chewing), I think it’s a song that feels perfect for the world of MeiTabe, and only intensifies the withdrawals I’ve felt ever since the show ended.
…plus, I’ve really taken a liking to Yoshino Sakura recently, ngl. She is really pretty 😭
♫ 「Mebuku Toki」 yonige
Released: 2026.05.27
For those who follow the J-Music Exchange/Rate segment I do alongside my friend Leap250, you may remember that we recently celebrated its sixth anniversary back in May. And as part of the festivities, both of us did a re-review of previously discussed albums that we didn’t necessarily have high regards about at the time, in order to see if our thoughts have changed since then. On my end, this was a great opportunity to revisit a record that I’ve always had an issue with my initial rating of: the 2017-released girls by girls, by the all-female rock band yonige, of which I reviewed back in 2020.
You can check out my full thoughts if you’re interested (click here!), but one additional reason why I wanted to take another look at that album was because of yonige’s recent involvement (and debut) in an anime series that aired this past Spring, titled Kamiina Botan, Yoeru Sugata wa Yuri no Hana. And considering the heavy yuri themes in that show, re-reviewing an album that’s literally titled ‘girls like girls’ felt pretty appropriate.
I think it’s worth pointing out that “Mebuku Toki” also marks yonige’s second stint under a major label (Sony Music Japan), following a period of operating as an indie group again. And while I certainly don’t have enough context with how this band has evolved over the years, as well as knowing how artists tend to drastically change their sound when they go major (and the fans’ opinions on that)… at least to me, this still feels like a yonige song. Their initial, louder pop-punk sound that many resonated with may have faded a bit here, but in that review of girls like girls, I couldn’t help but to appreciate how much the band showed that they can be way more than that and really started to hone in on expressing emotion on a deeper level.
And in my opinion, that’s exactly what we see in “Mebuku Toki”. Especially when considering that Arisa and Gokkin took a lot of inspiration from the story and characters of Kamiina Botan when creating this track, it’s a gorgeously somber expression of an ever-changing relationship that even reflects a lot of what yonige was writing about in the past. While yonige ‘admits’, via an interview with Ongaku Natalie, that they did take catchiness and ‘streamer-friendly’ song structures into account… the duo does a great job finding a good balance where it still shows off the charms that made them likable in the first place, at least in my eyes.
Also, kinda related: the Kamiina Botan anime (and original manga) happened to feature some cool album parodies of a bunch of European artists in an episode, like Radiohead, Talking Heads, Aphex Twin, Pink Floyd, etc. Pretty neat!
♫ 「(no title)」 THE TIVA
Released: 2026.04.08
And considering that alt-rock music has taken much of my Spotify listening history as of late, it kind of makes sense that a band like THE TIVA happened to land on my lap. Obviously if you’re not oblivious like me, you may have seen Leap shout them out once in his frequent alt-rock playlists that he posts on Twitter/X, but in my case, better late than never.
One thing you’ve seen me mention many times on the blog (and even later in this post) is my appreciation for multi-cultural/lingual artists. The way these talented people often intertwine Japanese with another language (whether it be English, Korean, Chinese, etc) just never fails to impress me… which is why I got a little confused when looking into who THE TIVA is as a band (lol). On their official Spotify page, they claim that they’re from Canada, but after some digging, it seems to be more on a spiritual level rather than literal since a lot of the artists they love and look up to actually do come from the Great White North (and because of that, they eventually considered themselves as honorary Canadians). In any case, THE TIVA does take that imagery seriously, particularly in the lyrical department where the majority of their songs have been written and performed in full English.
But to my surprise, the band injects a bit more of their native tongue in their recent album release, titled goodbye and say hi., with a personal stand-out track being “(no title)”. While admittedly simple-sounding with the usual guitar/bass/drum combo, THE TIVA does a phenomenal job conveying a strong somber, melancholic feeling through the low-energy strumming or even that ever-so-faint bass that still manages to glide through the track. And within the more climatic chorus, it continues to express a gloomy state, especially as vocalist Akechi Maya maintains that same, almost monotone demeanor. It’s a track that’s real easy on the ears, and with it dealing with wanting to take the next step in a relationship, it can possibly have you feeling sentimental and reminiscing about precious moments.
It is also peculiar that “(no title)” ends up feeling like two songs in one, since just as we thought it was over, that short pause around the 02:40 mark then leads us to a very brief-yet-soothing guitar instrumental. Whether you look at this specific part as integral to the whole song, or if you consider it more like an intermission-type deal… just hearing the rawness of the guitar picking and the slightly chills-worthy reverb can give us a moment to really take a breather and appreciate an example of simplicity.
♫ 「Danshari」 Bukkoro Momoka
Released: 2026.05.27
One of my favorite music-related moments was from 2022, when it was the first time I really began to widen my tastes and sought-out to discover a bunch of random artists/songs throughout that year. And among those, Kinoshita Momoka and her song from the year prior, “Ecchi na Koto”, was definitely on repeat. I adored its easy-going & slightly retro nature, its sweet groove and catchiness, and how it exuded a real nice mild cuteness… it’s a great song. So much so that when I recently stumbled upon an artist named Bukkoro Momoka, I was genuinely shocked that it was the same person who wrote and performed that track from 2021.
I’ve only known super surface level things about Momoka, like how she was once a part of the Osaka-based idol group NMB48, but having been able to dive a bit deeper into her extremely unique background (primarily thanks to a very informative post by Kanra from Beach City Life-in-Death, definitely go check it out!), it’s hard not to like her even more. How she embraced being an idol in her own, sometimes wild way despite initially having zero interest in it… it’s a perspective that feels refreshing, and I’m sure a lot of people admired the ‘rebel-like’ demeanor she had, especially in a fairly conservative and traditional system like the Akimoto Yasushi-sphere.
What’s even cooler is that ever since she moved on from her idol activities in 2017 and pursued a solo career of her own, it seems like Momoka has effortlessly translated her mentality and personality into creating music. “Danshari” (or “Declutter” in English) in particular has a very nice feel to it, taking on a cute, low-key dance-pop tune. The hi-hats, synths, drum loops never overstay their welcome, and they’re used in a way where it almost feels ‘dream-like’ and ends up being pretty catchy once you’ve listened to it a few times. Meanwhile, Momoka sings about the difficulties of moving on in a relationship, but still having an affection for them after everything that’s happened. Even though this song may feel a tad bit amateurish in a couple ways, the mellow mood and lyrical content feel very reflective of how earnest Momoka is as a person and feels like a solid expression of her own viewpoints and creativity.
“Danshari” also might have one of the funniest music videos I’ve ever seen, presenting us with a short film about Momoka’s beloved dog being ruthlessly stolen from her by a strange man, and the extensive kung-fu training she goes through before an epic final battle to get her companion back. As much as I don’t know a whole lot about her, even I can tell that this MV just exudes Momoka and the kind of humorous energy she has.
♫ 「Know Your Worth (feat. Skaai)」 Lil Summer
Released: 2026.04.01
Now we’re entering the section of today’s medore that I like to call… ‘w.a.u. boulevard’. And first up, we’re taking a stop at Lil Summer’s place to see what she’s been cooking recently.
In my eyes, Lil Summer has always been one of those artists who seem to truly embrace their stylistic influences, and strive to both do right by them and also express it in their own unique ways. The previous medorē saw me being impressed with how she emulated the overall tone and vibe of Sade’s 1998 classic “Keep Looking”, while giving it a modern and fresh coat of paint, thanks to her deeper vocals and the superb production from grooveman spot. Literal covers aside though, her talents with performing original R&B-focused music has been well-documented, through her own produced music to the many collaborations she’s done alongside beatmakers like TOSHIKI HAYASHI(%C), ROMderful, and 01sail.
To that point, there was a lot about “Know Your Worth” that just made me put it on repeat for a good couple weeks.
For starters, what a sick collaboration. Of course, you all know how much I love Kota Matsukawa and I’ve really admired how much he’s really honed-in on creating cool, slick, stylish and sometimes nostalgic-inducing R&B music, whether it’s from his many compositions for fellow w.a.u talent reina, or having provided stuff for other artists like MALIYA and Salasa. That is very much the case here where Matsukawa helps instantly establish a sleek ambience through a simple-yet-impactful drum loop and the synths bringing some serenity. All while the contrasting zip of the electric guitar solos in the chorus rounds everything out quite well.
But the main stars of this song, arguably, are the bars from both Lil Summer and US-born, Oita-raised rapper Skaai. While Lil Summer has dabbled in the usual R&B themes of love and romance in the past, I’ve recently enjoyed the way she often sings about self-confidence and how it relates to her aspirations with music. Here, she preaches the importance of being aware of and not letting anyone else determine your own worth, because frankly, there isn’t enough time to pay that any mind. And like I said before, a topic like this feels perfect for Lil Summer, considering her status as an up-and-coming indie artist and someone who’s got a lot of talent and potential to show.
Furthermore, I really, really enjoyed what Skaai brought to this one. I've admittedly always had a ‘meh’ attitude towards Skaai and the other features he’s been apart of (e.g., “My Village” with Wez Atlas, “Youth” alongside reina), but in “Know Your Worth”, something just quickly clicked for me this time around. His flow is insanely good, his personality is on full display, and I loved how he added his own input & attitude about being your authentic self. Plus, that sudden and unbelievably smooth synth that entered around the 02:03 mark… it’s a verse I couldn’t stop listening to, it’s so dang good. (on that note, would also suggest listening to Skaai’s album from last year!)
♫ 「RUNNIN」 VivaOla & Thomas Ng
Released: 2026.05.29
VivaOla (born in Korea, raised in Japan) and Thomas Ng (originated from the United Kingdom and moved to Hong Kong at a young age) have had a lot of overlap over the years, as both were classmates during their time at Boston’s Berklee College of Music, to eventually releasing their first collaboration, titled “On My Side”, back in 2019. Just from listening to that song in particular, as well as their own individual endeavors with music, it’s easy to see how much these two friends have gelled with each other, considering both being aspiring, R&B-oriented singer-songwriters.
Because of that, it’s kinda crazy that it took six or so years for these dudes to get back in the studio together (at least, for an official release), as we were graced with “RUNNIN” this past May.
The main thing I admire about this song is its heavy sincerity shown on all fronts. It’s said that they wanted to go towards a bossa nova-y vibe with this track, which is a genre that VivaOla and Thomas don’t normally perform in their own careers (IIRC). But even then, their ability to implement a muffled, nylon-stringed, and somber-sounding guitar into the R&B-type beats they usually play with… it’s minimal with its composition and production (you can also hear a shaker and a few faint synths as well), but these two core elements intertwine with one another so damn well, it’s not even funny.
It’s also a treat to hear VivaOla and Thomas both lay down their mellow, almost insistent vocals, as they’re determined on only having eyes for this one love interest and wanting to make something happen with them. And also noticing the gorgeous harmonies scattered throughout the track… all in all, it’s an excellent collaborative effort from these two great talents, with it also expressing the maturity they’ve both developed ever since their earlier projects.
♫ 「HOSHIKUZU」 Julia Takada
Released: 2026.04.15
We end off our stroll through Kota Matsukawa’s constructed avenue with a real nice one, specifically by (at least, in my opinion) one of w.a.u’s rising stars.
Back in 2025, I gave a lot of praise to Japanese-American singer-songwriter Julia Takada and the music she released that year. “Lit me up like summer” and “Can we do it again?” both had a great presence in my heavy rotation, and the delicate nature and bluntness we heard from Takada and primary producer Ryuju Tanoue (from a musical and lyrical standpoint) made me very excited to see what kind of stuff she’d be up to in the upcoming year. My mind even wandered into ‘potential album release’ territory, if both of them had any interest in doing so…
Takada announced her first full album, titled Reverie, back in May (of which I somehow missed) and later released it in the first week of June. And to say that I thoroughly enjoyed it would be a bit of an understatement; it’s a beautiful, cohesive amalgamation of who Julia Takada is and her capabilities as an artist, and to also hear all of those great, previously released singles in one place made for a superb listening experience.
And out of all the 2026-released songs on Reverie, I thought it’d be nice to talk about “HOSHIKUZU”.
Like a lot of the other songs on this album, Takada likes to play around with the experiences and feelings that come with romance, often reminiscing about past memories and daydreaming of what could be or what could’ve been with a special someone. I’ve made a similar comment about other w.a.u.-related releases, but it’s almost as if we’re getting a clear glimpse into the thoughts going around Takada’s mind with how well she illustrates these emotions and events within her detailed, candid lyricism.
To echo Tokyo ON’s remarks about this album, “HOSHIKUZU” shows Takada (and/or the main character in this record) at their lowest, as they’re now dealing with the stinging aftermath of a break-up. Harsh thoughts of denial and the sudden lack of direction perfectly reflects how much this relationship meant to them, even equating their state of romance to the stars in the sky and how the shattering of their heart felt like an intense supernova.
Yet despite this overwhelming feeling of despair, Takada finds a glimmer of hope, vowing to gather up all that cosmic dust and mold it into a brand new form. It’s honestly a really fitting expression of accepting the zig-zags of life and getting into the right mindset to move forward. And even though the melancholy still remains (with her repeating the phrase ‘let it be’ and having overwhelming thoughts of loneliness), that slight optimism can go a long way since it pairs well with the following song, “Can we do it again?”, where she’s gained a bit of a refreshed drive for pursuing love.
♫ 「missing」 diig
Released: 2026.06.09
The alt-idol scene might still be something that I’m not too well versed in, but one of my earliest and most stand-out exposures to it involves the long-gone quartet of Maison book girl. Ever since I got the chance to review their 2018 album, yume, for the Exchange/Rate, it’s a record that I may have not fully understood when I first listened to it in 2023… but as time has gone by, it’s hard not to view its odd (and sometimes repetitive) nature to be a beautiful expression of creativity and one you can’t help but to be mesmerized by, thanks to the talents of both Bukuga and their music producer Sakurai Kenta. Even going back and listening to some of their earlier stuff helped me further understand what they were trying to achieve, making it even more unfortunate that I never got to experience Bukuga at the height of their careers.
And as much as I’m probably not be the best person to talk about this because of that very reason, to me, it does feel like the latest album from the 2024-debuted unit diig embodies a lot of what I’ve liked about Maison book girl’s music.
One big and obvious reason why is because, well, Sakurai Kenta works extensively with diig, serving as both their general producer and the primary composer of their music. And right off the rip, whether it’s the first track of this persona album or just from this one song, you can absolutely tell that this is his creation. While it might not be as overtly artsy or experimental as his previous endeavors, the pure spirit is still very much alive, as heard in some identical & nutty melodies or the usage of specific instruments. I’ve always been a fan of how Sakurai Kenta implements the acoustic guitar in his stuff; not only because of its sheer strength and presence in many tracks, but also the satisfying contrast it has alongside the other array of loud sounds and noises he likes to play with.
That said, I think that’s why I really enjoyed “missing” A LOT. The infectiously catchy acoustic guitar loops heard towards the beginning can reel you in immediately, and kinda has the potential to be a ‘neuron-activating’ moment for those who are familiar with how Sakurai Kenta usually makes music (hell, I believe that’ll be the case for Mbg fans in particular). With this song specifically, and again, it gives it an organic distinctiveness among the fast-paced digital percussion, keyboards and the sprinkling of random electronic effects (like that one blaring static noise heard around the 01:32 mark). It results in a very fascinating, nostalgic, and surprisingly light and lively track that’s made even better with diig’s playful and unified vocal performance. A real nice discovery (or re-discovery, in a way), for sure.
Bonus Tracks
Just like last time, this section will include some songs that just barely missed the mark when I organized this quarter’s roundup, but ones I still wanted to bring up in one way or another. I also added some very brief and roughly put thoughts about each one:
「Here We Run」 DayRe: ▸ Released: 2026.04.07
the recent seiyuu artist unit project from music ray’n has been going strong for a year now, having put out their second EP back in april. what i find super cool about this track is that their famed sister unit, trysail, had a big hand in its production (tenchan composing, nansu writing the lyrics, mocho coming up with the choreography). just a really neat collab between seniors and juniors
「Earl Gray」 Ako ▸ Released: 2026.05.20
it’s been a hot minute since i last mentioned ako on the medorē, but seeing her success over the past couple years has been nothing but amazing. her new album has been a fun listen, with “earl grey” being a stand-out due to it suddenly punching me with a daft punk-like guitar riff
「Succubus」 AQ ▸ Released: 2026.06.03
the kyoto-based alt-idol group (and their producer, IN-SHOWHA’s miu) put out yet another banger, and as a fellow fan pointed out, the succubus theming feels like a (less erotic) metaphor for the captivating, alluring and attractive qualities that idols can have through the perspective of their audience. also they cooked with the album art
「Breathe」 Super Climbing Club ▸ Released: 2026.06.03
thanks in part to ohashi trio, i’ve now discovered music that is peak ‘mountain climbing-core’ through the latest studio album from super tozan-bu. truly, a song like “breathe” (and much of the album) exudes that bright-and-early, natural atmosphere that makes you want to go out on a nice hike while listening to it
「Holy Night」 Trooper Salute ▸ Released: 2026.06.17
the buzz around trooper salute has been exceptionally loud, and for good reason, as they’ve put out a great debut album and what a good chunk of people would consider to be a serious contender for 2026’s AOTY. in my own experiences with the record, i really came to like “holy night”, especially with the guitar solos, vocal harmonizations, and that toy piano heard in the latter half. so good
Aaaaand that’s all I got for you today!
Once again, I apologize for posting this roundup at a much later date than usual, but I hope I made it up by giving y’all a nice selection of tracks to listen to. And based on how much I yapped today, I really enjoyed these songs and I’d be happy if others ended up sharing that appreciation with me.
And as always, I compiled every single track mentioned today in a Spotify playlist, for anyone’s convenience. Feel free to look through it, or even save it!
Last but not least: definitely let me know your thoughts in comments! Whether it’s about any of the songs I talked about, or some of the favorites you’ve come across this past quarter, I am all ears (and am always down to discover some new stuff).
Thanks for reading!! :D
-al