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While Prince had the number one song in America(and sadly, his final one), over in Japan, B'z continued their run with their fifth number 1 single, "Alone." This was number 1 for two consecutive weeks(weeks of November 11th and 18th) and it sold 686,000 copies, making it the tenth best-selling single of 1991: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TMGoEXZKfUY This song was used as the theme song for the drama, "Hotel Woman." It's also their only single to chart for two years on the yearly charts(it was the 56th best selling single of 1992). As for the song, it's a nice little rocker. "Cream" is much better but I like this. Also, here's a more recent live performance where they performed the song in a studio: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fhoHMNKa610

They should absolutely do that. But the GOP has shown that they don't care if you call them out on their hypocrisy. And even if they do that, the Democrats would most likely still lose seats in the midterms since generally, the party in the White House loses seats during that time. You saw what happened in Virginia and what almost happened in New Jersey. That being said, they should still fight and pressure Manchin and Sinema to get in line and pass something.

Yeah, I think I'm in the same boat on this. I'd rather have Xmas entries chart for the Hot 100 rather than sort of shunt them off to a Holiday chart. Otherwise, it won't be really accurate since people love these songs during this time.

True but this song also racks up lots of radio airplay too, so it's hitting from both sides.

This may be a Janet Jackson rip-off but damn it's a good one. This is a banger, even to this day. Real shame her career stalled after this(although she seems to be doing well today, so that's good).

While Karyn White had the number one song in America, over in Japan, singer-songwriter, actor, poet and human-rights advocate Tsuyoshi Nagabuchi had the number 1 song with "Shabontama." It was number 1 for one week(November 4th). This was his sixth number 1 single and it sold 759,000 copies, making it the eighth best-selling single of 1991: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ws7BBtXcXb4 Tsuyoshi made his musical debut in 1977. Before that, he was into popular Japanese folk singers at the time. He was part of a folk duo but that didn't last long and he also dropped out of college to focus on his musical career. He performed at late-night bars and used to get booed and have bottles thrown at him, which made him resilient. After a couple singles, he struck gold with the song, "Junko," which became his first number one song in 1980: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tb4bj3YaG6A After that, he started to experience more success throughout the 1980's. As mentioned before, he's also an actor and in 1991, he was the lead for the tv series, "Shabontama" which helped drive sales to the single itself as it was a popular tv show at the time. As for the song, I do enjoy it. Here's a live clip of him performing the song in 1992. Love how much the audience is into it: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zVRsmtHrsks Fun fact: Apparently, he hated his singing voice early on, so to change it, he would gargle on Shōchū(a type of spirit alcohol) and sang intentionally in a very coarse voice. His voice eventually became more hoarse and now it resembles Bob Dylan, who he respects. See, not everyone hates Dylan's voice! He'll be back in the column two more times.

According to Variety, it sounds like a lot of the cast and crew tested positive and there wasn't enough crew to properly supervise Charli's performance: https://variety.com/2021/tv/news/saturday-night-live-omicron-paul-redd-charli-xcx-1235137830/

I wish Stereogum had posted an article about this the other day because I would have really loved to read your thoughts on the whole thing(unless you want to say it now).

While they may have recorded songs that may have potentially been on the album, none of the people interviewed said that they saw any configuration of any kind for the album. So, unless Johnny Jewel kept the tracklist very close to his vest, it probably never existed. And seeing as how that near-death experience he claimed he had in Hawaii was made up, I believe it.

As someone who was born in the late 80's, I was young enough to remember Mariah Carey's hits, although I wasn't plugged in like someone who was older. However, I do remember Ariana back during her Nickelodeon days(never really watched her show or a lot of the live-action stuff on Nick. I was more of a Cartoon Network fan) and knew about her ability to mimic others. When she started her music career and was starting to get popular, I checked out her cover of "Emotions" and remember being blown away by someone who was able to cover it well, including the whistle notes. And yes, the comparison between Ariana and Mariah was everywhere back then, including the infamous interview where someone asked Mariah about it and she had the look of "you're comparing her to ME?" lmao. As for Ariana's voice, I think she's getting better over time. You should check out the live versions she did for some of her songs from her latest album, Positions. It's really good: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VronettmNRI

I love this song. Like, the responses from Dre and others were better but shout-out to Tim Dog for being so brazen to diss an entire city and coast. Also, I love how passionate he is when he rhymes "fighting over colors/all that gang shit is for dumb MOTHERFUCKERS."

I'm so happy that his estate put out his version on the Originals album back in 2019. I heard that Jay-Z lobbied for it's inclusion(since the rest of the songs on that album were from the 80's). I kinda wish he kept it for himself but I'm glad Martika sung it. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=efubwIE9Aaw

I like the song but man, you can tell that Aaliyah's vocals were probably taken from a poorly sourced tape.

Gotta agree with Abel on this one. I too would have tears streaming down my face if FKA twigs was pole dancing in front of me.

I dunno if Stereogum will post a separate article about this but Pitchfork posted an article today about whether or not Dear Tommy existed and the answer is "probably not." Really good article too.

My top 10 for 2021(could still change if some late release comes out between now and the end of the year): 1. Tyler The Creator - Call Me If You Get Lost 2. Little Simz - Sometimes I Might Be Introvert 3. Lloyd Banks - The Course of the Inevitable 4. Vince Staples - Vince Staples 5. Maxo Kream - WEIGHT OF THE WORLD 6. Mick Jenkins - Elephant In The Room 7. Dave - We're All Alone In This Together 8. Ka - A Martyr's Reward 9. JPEGMAFIA - LP! 10. Young Thug - Punk

Patiently waiting for the Alf revival with NFT's.

From the K-Pop side, my two favorite songs were Pixy's "Bewitched" and SF9's "Tear Drop." "Bewitched" sounds like something that could have been on Starboy. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3U0uQVlR5Rs https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z0Je7eSXA5s

Out of TWICE's singles this year, my favorite is still "Alcohol Free" followed by their Japanese singles "Perfect World" and "Doughnut." "Scientist" is cool but I liked the other songs on their album more.

Speaking of Utada Hikaru, have you listened to her new song, "Kimini Muchuu?" It's also produced by A.G. Cook and they're 2 for 2 so far: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5YKBgBMynbI Utada also announced her 8th studio album is coming out digitally next month and the physical release in February.

Appreciate all the work you did for "The Week in Pop" columns, Chris. I always looked forward to your articles each week. I know Rachel will continue the legacy.

My favorite version of the song is the 12'' Dub version. I love the breakdown in the middle of the song. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wwhfl1Ie1TI

"Waiting Room" is an absolute bop. Love how Gwen and Prince trade off verses with each other. The song was originally planned for Return of Saturn but when they sent the song over to Prince, he completely reworked the track, so much so that it didn't fit that album anymore.

Will always be here for someone linking a song from Three 6's Mystic Stylez album. One of the best horrorcore rap albums out there. Those beats are still eerie and scary to this day.

*TDrummy standing outside the local Wal-Mart in 1991, holding a sign that says "Please stop buying the new Bryan Adams single"* Random man: *sees sign* "Oh! I was only going to buy a shirt but I might as well get the new Bryan Adams song too while I'm in there, thanks for the reminder!" TDrummy: "NOOOOOOO!!!!!"

"Gett Off" rules. I loved Prince's take on New Jack Swing and the song still bumps to this day. Plus, I love the remix EP/maxi-single that came with it(which is one of the few maxi-singles you can currently stream from his catalog right now).

I dunno about obscurity. I still hear it from time to time.

The second number 1 song of this column is "Say Yes" by duo Chage and Aska. The song was number 1 for 13 consecutive weeks, making it the longest running number 1 for 1991. It sold 2,504,000 copies, which made it the second best selling single of 1991(it was only 38,000 copies away from taking the top spot). https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q9qAyt0G-jM The duo got their start in 1979 and during the 1980's, they had varying levels of success. What really broke them through to the mainstream was this song. The main reason for the breakthrough is that it was selected as the theme song for the tv drama, "101st Marriage Proposal," which was a very popular show at the time. As mentioned in previous columns, songs being tied to "trendy dramas" were the rage at the time and if the show was a hit, then the song would also be a hit as well. I haven't seen the show but from what I read, it's about a guy who's really unlucky with love until he meets a cellist on his 101st prearranged date. I should also mention that the song itself is known as a "wedding song," which means it's endured beyond the show as well. As for the song, it's alright but I like the previous number one more. The next entry won't be for a little while. Bonus Beat: Debbie Gibson covered "Say Yes" on her 2010 Japan-only cover album. Here's her take: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=COtfS4Iy59Y

While Bryan Adams was ruling America, over in Japan, there were two number one singles during that period. One was number 1 for one week while the other was number 1 for 13 consecutive weeks. The first song is "Donna Toki Mo" by singer-songwriter Noriyuki Makihara. It was number 1 for one week(July 29th), sold 1,164,000 copies and was the 4th best selling single of 1991. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b88pxLpMZKk Noriyuki made his musical debut in 1990 after performing on a televised song competition program. This is his first number 1 song and it's the one that most people know him for. The song was also featured in the movie, "No Worries on the Recruit Front" which was about students struggling to find a job at the end of college in Japan during the end of the 80's. Here's a clip from the movie that uses the song: https://youtu.be/yZtyBbCmLAM?t=198 As for the song, I love it. At first it starts off like it's going to be kind of a slow song but then once the chorus kicks, it puts. Also, the chorus is really an earworm. Hearing it again, it's already stuck in my head. Noriyuki would have two more number 1 singles, so he'll be back. He's also involved in a song that became one of the biggest selling songs in Japan in the 2000s as well.

Not sure which song it is, but in 1982, they released 3 singles and one of them peaked at number 2("Chako no Kaigan Monogatari") but they got their first number 1 song in 1989 with "Sayonara Baby." Their biggest hit didn't happen until 2000.

While their audience is young, there are plenty of adults who listen to them. You don't get numbers like this if you don't: https://twitter.com/billboardcharts/status/1466836325445873665

While EMF had the number one song in America, over in Japan, the rock band Southern All Stars had their second number one single with "Neo Bravo!!" It was number 1 for one week(July 22nd) and it sold 431,163 copies. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JGoraUtDbeE So, this is one of the biggest rock groups out of Japan. They got their start in 1977 and have been consistently popular since then. They have sold more than 47 million albums and singles in Japan alone. They almost started off as a novelty act, as they were known for performing in costumes for live performances. However, their third single, 1979's "Itoshi no Ellie" helped turn the tide against that image and people started to take them seriously after that. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ul-l10CEtqs The above song is notable that Ray Charles did a cover for it for an alcohol commerical in 1988. His cover was only released in Japan and it actually peaked at number 3. It also became the best selling single from a western artist in 1989. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yQPclhg0_Bc As for "Neo Bravo," I do like the song, although I probably wouldn't seek it out. As for the band, they have multiple number one singles, so we'll be seeing them many more times in this column.

"Does Weezy’s recent run of impressive features continue here?" The answer is a resounding "yes."

While Paula Abdul was enjoying a long run in America, over in Japan, in-between Kyoko Koizumi's run at number one, Tomoyasu Hotei(or Hotei for short) achieved his first number one single with the song, "Beat Emotion." It was number one for 1 week(July 8th). https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8hgyNcTTveg Looking up his career, the man has lived a very fulfilling life. Hotei started playing the guitar in middle school after seeing a poster of Marc Bolan and stole money from his mother's purse to buy a Stratocaster 14 years old. He was excelled from high school because he wore his hair long, which is a no-no in Japanese school. When confronted, he said "Jesus had long hair!" He got his musical start in the rock band Boøwy in 1982 and they became major stars in Japan. In 1988, the band broke up, even after they became the first male artists to have three number-one albums in a single year. In 1988, he started his solo career and "Beat Emotion" became his first number single. As for the song, it's very heavily rock but it has a nice groove to it. He would have another number one single to his name a couple years down the road. The other amazing thing about his career is that he has worked with a bunch of high-profile artists like David Bowie, Iggy Pop and The Rolling Stones(he also lives in London today with his family). He has also composed three tracks to the movie, Fear and Lothing in Las Vegas with Ray Cooper. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7AbIBOXqffU However, the song that most people would be familar with Hotei is "Battle Without Honor or Humanity." While it was originally intoduced in the 2000 Japanese film, New Battles Without Honor and Humanity, the song gained significant prominance when Quentin Tarantino used the song in Kill Bill Vol. 1. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gw5vAd5icAg Of course, the song would be used multiple times in many different films, TV shows, video games, commericals and sports stadiums. I'm sure he doesn't mind all the royalties he's getting, LOL. The next entry will feature a very popular band that will be making a debut in this column.

Wow, thank you for sharing that! I love hearing stories like this, which is why I wanted to start this column. Her first single is really good, it has that upbeat Kayōkyoku sound with a little hint of city pop to it.

Rude Boys not actually living up to their group name, lol.

While Extreme had the number one song in America, over in Japan, Japanese singer and actress Kyoko Koizumi had the number one song with "Anata ni aete yokatta." It was number one for 5 non-consecutive weeks(weeks of June 10-July 1 and then the week of July 15). This was her 11th and final number one single and it sold over 1,007,000 copies, helping it to be the 6th best selling single of 1991. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ja9HI4uRXzQ Kyoko Koizumi started her singing career in 1982 after she won the "Star Tanjo!" program. She got her first number one hit in 1984 and became one of the popular pop idol singers of the 1980's, going up against other singers like Akina Nakamori and Seiko Matsuda. The above song is her biggest hit. It also helped that the song was the opening song for a popular TV dramedy called "Daddy Naru-chan" which Kyoko played a role in. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZAqlOERBHiQ As for the song, it's very pleasant. It's not something I would seek out but if it was playing, I wouldn't turn it off. As mentioned earlier, this was her final number one single. She would continue to land more singles in the top 10 but starting from the mid 90's onward, she would focus more on acting than music.

Yeah, makes you wonder if we'll get another million seller anytime soon. Taylor seems to be the only one who could do it, but it would have to be with an original album, not a re-recording.

Maxwell doing the splits surprised me, didn't know he had it in him!

The other number one single during this period was "Love Train" by rock group TM Network. This was number one for one week(June 4th) and it sold 533,000 copies and was certified Platinum. This was their third number one single. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XRwjMOcLrGI The group was formed in 1983 and they have dabbled in genres like new wave, synthpop and progressive rock. They're probably one of the more well-known J-rock bands internationally as many of their songs have been used as either opening or ending songs for many anime series such as Gundam, City Hunter and Rurouni Kenshin. As for the song, I do really like it, it's really catchy. They will appear again as they would have a couple more number one songs.