That atarashii gakko performance was so unique to first take but so representative of the group. It stands out as a favorite but Ano really grew on me over time.
Definitely Frederic Oddloop, I just love how they didn't went in to make a perfect performance, They went in to have a fking blast and shower the first take studios with their showmanship.
@@Kushunjpop Wait till you watch the BABYMETAL Monochrome performance. That one’s truly a one-off. Black studio, no headphones, no warming up, no words, only singing.
I've been listening to J-pop for about 16 years, with 97% of the songs in my playlist being Japanese. So, when he says, "incredibly neglective of international audience," it feels very relatable.
what i love the most is the thumbnail. gosh, the photography art really are excellent and easy to eyes. i do love the music, but what captivate my eye first is the thumbnail
I can't say it's underrated, but all of Avu chan's (Queen Bee) first take never ceases to blow me away. Her aura while performing live is unlike anyone else I've seen. My top pick would definitely be her singing "BL", it's so different compared to the normal ver and I love it waayyyy moreee
@@saito853 IIRC Avu-chan goes by they/them but does not mind if people refer to them by she/her. To avoid this mess though, I always refer to the name Avu-chan instead of pronouns lmao. Someone can fact check me in case I remembered incorrectly.
I adore Avu-chan’s performances. The stage presence is just unmatched imo, and it’s incredible impressive how effortlessly can Avu-chan just sing these hard as hell songs.
That's so cool! I had no idea. TFT is what first introduced me to Atarashii Gakko. Thank you for educating us on the channel's story. It reminds me a little of "MTV Unplugged." For international or younger viewers, MTV was a TV network devoted to just showing music videos, that started back in the 80's. As they expanded their programming, one of their most popular shows was "Unplugged," where they would bring in acts that relied a lot on electronic enhancement (like, say, guitar distortion pedals) to do acoustic versions of their famous songs. It felt very intimate and "stripped down." You do good voiceover work. Your voice is calm and soothing but clear and informative. Like a nature documentary voiceover. I love your metaphor of the acts as gladiators in a coliseum with only music as their weapon.
I could be wrong but is that where Nirvana performed Smells like teen spirit acoustic version? Thank you for the kind words😭 Voice over is definitely my most self-conscious part.
same here, I'm not really a fan of metal songs / babymetal in general, but oh boy she has such power in her voice... I was left speechless watching it the first time
Awesome video, didn't know they made "The Home Take" even though I was watching The First Take occasionally since 2020. My favorite performance on the first take is Shout Baby by Ryokuoushoku Shakai. The raw emotion you feel in that video (and the incredible lyrics) literally brought tears to my eyes.
"music videos were usually exclusive to japanese viewers or available on DVDs" THIS. this was the problem with JPOP, i mostly know JPOP from anime (go figure) but when i want to listen more i can't because their copyrights SUCK back then i can't watch Laruku or listen to their songs on youtube, now they're all available. back then i have to use VPN to watch Angela Aki's MV but now i don't have to. some artists' MVs are only available as short version cos god forbid you ever listen to the whole song (japanese music industries be like "who does that??" 🙄) thankfully now it's gotten a lot better in part because of TFT. damn, even Utada Hikaru updated her MVs to 4K now
@@SetsunaTheFandom Japan and Japanese society as whole has that phenomenon throughout history where they prefer the old ways and are stubborn to accept new ideas, cultures and technologies of ever changing outside world until a sudden and violent event force them to adapt and accept those. Events like the arrival of US commodore Matthew Perry, WW2 and the atomic bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, the financial crisis of 1990s, 2011 tsunami and Fukushima Nuclear disaster and the latest Covid -19.
The first one I saw was Masayuki Suzuki and Airi Suzuki’s TFT for Daddy! Daddy! Do!, the second Kaguya-sama OP. Watching the unforced chemistry between the artists was a lot of fun. However, other videos like Babymetal’s Monochrome, Sesame Street’s Sukiyaki, and Avril Lavigne’s Complicated, showed me both how broad and how deep they could go. I still need to and check some of the ones you cite as seminal.
Daddy daddy do was amazing. I also like kokoro odoru. Loved the song since the MAD AMV days with all those Oto MAD videos for this song. Note the rapper forgot 1 line. I couldnt tell what line it was.
I love how much effort Sony makes to help their artists, and young artists especially. The First Take is a proof of that, and following that is the "Plusonica" channel. Giving teenagers and young adults the opportunity to get known, and also get experience and learn many things, is a huge help. Lilas Ikuta was a member of Plusonica in the past too!
Bruh, my fave is LiSAx Uru's collab. That actually changed something in me that I can't explain in words. A perfect balance between hot and cold feeling vocals, and truly encapsulates the essence of THE FIRST TAKE.
As a musician and listener, myself, I appreciate what The First Take has done to go beyond J-Music's borders... and the ripple effect is felt, even now. More and more Japanese music artists have made their material available to the world, at large, leading to yet wider appreciation of their music. Add in artists' performances from their neighboring countries and elsewhere to the mix, and you get a colorful mix which can drag anything from the beginner listeners to the hardcore fans. Cheers, TFT. 🥂
Thanks so much for introducing me to The First Take! Have no idea why the youtube algorithm didn't show me their videos. Looking forward to you building your channel.
Suisei’s Stellar Stellar was that song that really hit me with how much it can elevate the artists’ innate talent. While her original music video is good, I just love her first take, where the music is subtle and exists to only elevate her singing. And did she sing!
Im gonna be honest that while my absolute favorite song is going to be Omokage, I prefer to stream the first take version of Aimer's demon slayer op (sanka) because the big band version is so so gooood!!!! Also Ai Higuchi is INSAAAAANE (ps. I hear that piano Neko playing foreshadowing its appearance)
The First Take with Ano singing "Chu, Tayousei" put them on the map for me. A seemingly innocuous channel with a striking thumbnail on my for you page. Then the Suzuka meme from the Atarashii Gakko performance blew up and I dove head first into the First Take catalogue haha. I think it is impressive how diverse the talent they get for the channel is. It covers so many genres and acts not to promote artists to but to promote the art of music in all its many facets.
Agreed, anywhere else you might not get Ano or AG! type artists (before they blew up of course), but on THE FIRST TAKE, you can expect them to invite artists with all kinds of music styles.
hitsujibungaku more than words is the very first video I saw on the first take and I’ve been a fan of the band ever since. It was chilling, emotional and inspirational. I’m so glad that the algo served it to me because it was just what I needed at the time. Great video, I really learned a lot!
The few first one I saw was LiSA's Gurenge, Yoasobi Yoru ni kakeru, and ZTMY Byoushin wo Kamu. The First Take brought me to my most favorite artist now ZUTOMAYO.
I always said this will always say this "NOBODY IN THIS WORLD DO IT BETTER THAN 80S ROCK, JAZZ AND JPOP FOR MUSIC COLORS" and thanks to my interest in those 3 and also thanks to youtube's algorithm i was there on the first take's First ever vid and first ever viral video. I was there.
One thing that cemented TFT for me was when Hoshimachi Suisei appeared for the first time, making her the first virtual/vtuber to ever appear on the channel. I remember there was one comment that said "I don't know much about vtubers, whether they're real humans behind the avatar or not, I just know I love this person's singing a lot." And I think that perfectly captures TFT's goal; just a mic and a person singing.
I'm so happy that you gave shout-out to Aimyon and Plusonica. I think not a lot of people actually know that Ikura was a part of Plusonica. Thanks for your great video ❤
What i love about The First Take is it's all about music pure raw talent, they artist can perform their songs howevee they like with that one take and they having fun with it to show off their talent in singing it was awesome
This channel shows the whole world the talent of Japan in music, not only being on anime music, is far away a channel that needs our support, I ❤ TFT CHANNEL😊, like a singer, i really love this, me can sing on Sp/En/Jp, for that reasons and more... VIVA THE FIRST TAKE CHANNEL
I first watched "The First Take" earlier this year, having not heard of it before that, lead there becasue ofa K-Pop group, and then another, and then another. A rabbit hole I am glad that found me.
My favorite The First Take performance is with Little Glee Monster and Pentatonix singing "Dear My Friend." You can totally see the difference between the two groups, and I found it interesting how they made it work with both groups recording in two different locations.
this could very well be the video that will put you out there! love your work man. I've been following the first take since the beginning of the channel. feels a bit proud when I can recommend one-stop place for a bit of everything to anyone who just started to get into J-pop
I love this video. Been listening to everything Japanese music for a while now and THE FIRST TAKE is really the best thing that has happened to making this type of music accessible to everyone. I've been a THE FIRST TAKE subscriber since day one as a Sony shill but now it been the best it has ever been. I absolutely love that they have artists play 2 songs every time (Their most popular and their most recent that they're promoting) which really makes every appearance an instant classic.
Thanks for this informative video. My favorites are ATARASHII GAKKO 's OTONABLUE followed by SB19's GENTO & MAPA. Honestly, I didn't know TFT until I became an avid fan of AG! (thru their successful Coachella performance). Now, I check it from time to time.
I remember stumbling upon THE FIRST TAKE on a whim and subscribed to them when they only had 200K subs. It's become one of my favorite channels on here and have introduced me to many of my favorite Japanese artists like Yuuri and Yoasobi.
I totally agree with this, I knew it that its gonna be a game changer. back then I have to wait on ANIMAX to watch the live performance of my favorite JPOP Band. Now All I can say is INTERNET is truly POWERFUL.
honored to be subscribing in on the ground floor. great video essay. ive been listening to jpop since i was entranced by every fma OP back in the mid 2000s and still love AKFG. Hope they do Rewrite on TFT someday, my all time favorite jrock song.
This channel feels like a hidden gem. I am looking forward to seeing more from here . As a person who doesn't speak Japanese its really hard to find info about some artists. I hope you would make more videos about many other artists.
this is actually a very cool idea and it makes me sad that I haven’t heard of them before. I always like J-Pop and it is how I noticed how they have a very minimal presence on youtube, which is where I mostly discover music. Even jpop bands from Johnny’s are hardly on youtube, and when you find their music on YT, it’s always the short version. It’s only recently that they have started uploading the whole versions of their idols’ songs and some of their idols even run a YT channel. I am glad that they are now more open in introducing their music and artists to international Audiences. It also wasn’t a surprise that Sony owns the channel since Sony is very protective of their music. This also applies to their variety shows. A lot of them get copywrite strike by the production or station. One Jpop group I used to follow have a variety show and some of their episodes were actually on YT until they all disappeared because of Copywrite and were never seen again. It seems to me that Japanese entertainment find satisfaction in just being known in their country.
Koshi Inaba's 'Hane' for me. I had just discovered B'z a few months earlier. The acoustic guitar combined perfectly with his incredible voice 🙏🙏 P.S. - thanks for the video. Nicely covered the topic.
I started watching the first take before it became popular and I was really happy to see it blow up into the western culture and show many people what raw music talent ones can really show
I always enjoy the banter and how the artists loosen up before they start singing. It shows they are just normal people, but when they start singing they are transformed into gods.
I found The First Take channel through my UA-cam's homepage promoting their first video 3-4 days after its released. Immediately, I can already see the huge impact once a globally known mucisian make their appearence, and then that Gurenge performance from LiSA happened, and I was right. Speaking of performances, I'm not sure I can say Rei Yasuda's Not The End underrated, but it surely become one of the best discoveries in that channel. That song always made it to my Spotify's top 10 most played song for the last 3 years. LiSA's unlasting is also great.
after enjoying all the music and performances in TFT probably the one that blew me off was CHiCO with Honeyworks singing the Ao Haru Ride OP with her face reveal and all. ive been following her music ever since 2014 and seeing her on TFT made me cry :')
I arrived to the channel with Gurenge but I still cry as LiSA did each time I watch the full video of Homura. Another memorable one was the KanaBoon mistake haha so adorable. I love the format of the channel and is amazing to get to know many artists by it. I can also recomment NPR tiny desk videos 👍🏼✨
my fav is actually ikuta lila's home take. the first time I've heard of yoasobi and her beautiful voice. edit: I also found some songs that I didn't know or have forgotten after years not listening to them. The first take is such a blessing. Especially when I was struggling with my bachelor's thesis at that time.
Another recent episode that adds credibility to it really being the only take happened when WANDS were performing "sekai ga owaru made wa" (a song from "Slam Dunk" anime) a couple of months ago. If you know the song, you can hear the guitarist playing a wrong note in the very last bar of the small intro solo
It seems like The First Take took some inspiration from The Colors Show while still adding their own twist with the one take concept. I really like both channels and the familiar set up made me more willing to watch The First Take’s channel when they first started. I really like being able to discover new artists through both shows and have been a long time fan of Japanese music.
Fantastic video! Love it, I can't believe you only have 419 subs (420 now 😊) Also, some extra information for those that want it. I have heard light pitch correction on some singers on THE FIRST TAKE. Don't get me wrong I'm not attempting to drag them, I love their content and pitch correction is industry standard (pitch correction or more is even used live commonly) but don't go thinking that just because it's supposedly one take that they don't do any editing in post.
Thanks! Yea there's no proof as to agreeing or denying those rumors but either way I don't think it's major enough to take away our appreciation for one take.
@@Kushunjpop Definitely, I wasn't trying to make anyone dislike THE FIRST TAKE. Additionally, this is not necessarily proof but adding to the credibility of what I was saying. I have been mixing and producing music for over seven years in both studio and live sound recording settings. As well as studied a bachelor in composition and music technology at university for four years. Either way, the point that I was making was that just because they might do it in one take doesn't mean they don't edit in post. I think it's really common for labels to advertise their music as a live and raw when oftentimes that music is heavily edited, cut, processed, pitch corrected, overdubbed and comped, in a "live" style. I have seen this negatively affect the expectations of listeners and musicians as they have a misinformed idea of what live vocals should sound like because of this. For listeners, it creates unrealistic expectations of smaller artists to be able to perform as perfectly as the bigger artists that they have seen live or heard "live" recordings of. This can lead to the misconception that these artists are worse at what they do than bigger artists and create disappointment. For musicians this raises the barrier of entry and also make them disappointed in themselves because it isn't as clean and perfect as the "live" versions that they have heard. And so while I think it's fine to be using pitch correction and performance enhancing post production and editing techniques, I think that it's also important to not be mislead about what performances were edited in this way so that expectations can be set accordingly in order to encourage a healthier music community globally. Sorry for the essay 😅
No I appreciate the thorough explanation🙇♂️ Honestly I don't think a "moderate" amount of editing is bad, not only does it benefit the artists but also the listeners as well. Sure, authenticity is gold nowadays but the dread I felt when my favorite artist underperformed when my friends were watching still haunts me til this day😅
Please listen to Def Tech. It’s not that underrated, but as a bilingual kid growing up in Japan, their music was super impactful, and being able to hear their music performed on the first take was beautiful.
I remember when I first saw the channel few years ago delighted that I can get to hear some of my fav artists singing with their talent. Think the first video I saw was Kataomai by Aimer
Now we can even listen to japanese songs on UA-cam Music, posted by the original musicians. I love Co shu nie but I wasn't able to find the full versions of their songs until recently.
My favourite will forever be Dry Flower, and I became obsessed with Yuuri's music for the next 2 years. He also did colabs with Takaya Kawasaki, Tani Yuuki and Nari who are also really talented singers. I heavily recommend the duet of Kimi no Tame no Kimi no Uta, those two are made for duets
I love watching THE FIRST TAKE and listening to new artists even though I don't listen to that much J-POP. I wish there would be something like this for my country's music scene (T-POP/Thailand) ~ so many talented artists yet many undiscovered.
This has always felt like Sony Music Japan 2nd real attempt with the international market with their artists- their first attempt was in the early 2000’s with Pop Japan Tv which was a fun entertaining show (Aired on AZN/International Channel in the states) This format is suited very well for the new generation of fans being introduced to Jpop & a nice reminder to us grizzled vets of this beautiful genre
A good, thorough view of the channel. The only obvious thing you did not touch on (and a big clue to the Sony connection) is, of course, the use of Sony reference headphones. (Don't ask me the model number). I check The First Take every week for the new videos and watch any that I'm vaguely interested in. The only three that I come back to include AINA THE END's Orchestra, and Chanmina's Bijin (I love the original MV, but it's nice to have a version of the song without the 1 minute dramatic scene in the middle). My top, however, now is Angela Aki highlighting her return to the industry with Tegami-Haikei Juugo No Kimi E. 😭😭😭
Hahaha yes I was going to mention the headphones but it was so obvious I just edited it out😂 Those are some really memorable episodes for sure! Would've loved to see other BiSH members performing, but I'm glad we got this version of Orchestra as well. And yes Angela Aki's appearance might be the most shocking one throughout the channel.
The monitoring headphones are the MDR-CD900ST (not to be confused with the MDR-7506 (blue label) and MDR-V6 (black label)) and it's used in many many Japanese recording studios
My first The First Take was Creepy Nuts doing Daten as I was obsessed with Call of the Night. My favorite has to be Asian Kung-Fu Generation doing Haruka Kanata mostly because of that heartfelt speech they give in the beginning.
What are your favourite performances from THE FIRST TAKE? I'm currently obsessed with WEDNESDAY CAMPANELLA's Buckingham.
That atarashii gakko performance was so unique to first take but so representative of the group. It stands out as a favorite but Ano really grew on me over time.
Definitely Frederic Oddloop, I just love how they didn't went in to make a perfect performance, They went in to have a fking blast and shower the first take studios with their showmanship.
My favorites are ATARASHII GAKKO 's OTONABLUE and GENTO by SB19.
Hitsujibungaku’s “Aimai De Iiyo” is sublime.
yama - 春を告げる
The First Take is all about real talent. The white background is the perfect canvas in which really talented people can shine
Really well said! And that makes giving Aimer a darkened room even more special.
@@Kushunjpop Wait till you watch the BABYMETAL Monochrome performance. That one’s truly a one-off. Black studio, no headphones, no warming up, no words, only singing.
It shows raw talent. No autotune, no lip sync, no grandiose dance that camoflage their singing talent
It was the Sony group's opportunity first.
Good they opened to any artists and it became a huge catalogue of the Japanese music industory.
Yes! Music truly is the ultimate focus of the production crew.
I've been listening to J-pop for about 16 years, with 97% of the songs in my playlist being Japanese. So, when he says, "incredibly neglective of international audience," it feels very relatable.
what i love the most is the thumbnail. gosh, the photography art really are excellent and easy to eyes. i do love the music, but what captivate my eye first is the thumbnail
It's a music channel but somehow the artists all became incredibly photogenic.
@@Kushunjpop it is, they are all stunning
I can't say it's underrated, but all of Avu chan's (Queen Bee) first take never ceases to blow me away. Her aura while performing live is unlike anyone else I've seen. My top pick would definitely be her singing "BL", it's so different compared to the normal ver and I love it waayyyy moreee
TFT really has given us a lot of different versions of our favorite songs
Isn't Avu-chan they/them instead of she/her?
@@saito853 It's inconsistent, anyways it really matters not.
@@saito853 IIRC Avu-chan goes by they/them but does not mind if people refer to them by she/her. To avoid this mess though, I always refer to the name Avu-chan instead of pronouns lmao. Someone can fact check me in case I remembered incorrectly.
I adore Avu-chan’s performances. The stage presence is just unmatched imo, and it’s incredible impressive how effortlessly can Avu-chan just sing these hard as hell songs.
That's so cool! I had no idea. TFT is what first introduced me to Atarashii Gakko. Thank you for educating us on the channel's story. It reminds me a little of "MTV Unplugged." For international or younger viewers, MTV was a TV network devoted to just showing music videos, that started back in the 80's. As they expanded their programming, one of their most popular shows was "Unplugged," where they would bring in acts that relied a lot on electronic enhancement (like, say, guitar distortion pedals) to do acoustic versions of their famous songs. It felt very intimate and "stripped down."
You do good voiceover work. Your voice is calm and soothing but clear and informative. Like a nature documentary voiceover. I love your metaphor of the acts as gladiators in a coliseum with only music as their weapon.
I could be wrong but is that where Nirvana performed Smells like teen spirit acoustic version?
Thank you for the kind words😭 Voice over is definitely my most self-conscious part.
@@Kushunjpop Yes it is! That's the most famous episode. Nice to know it hasn't gotten lost to the sands of time
@@Kushunjpopyou’re doing a great job😊👍
I wouldn't be this deep in Jpop without this channel, thank you The First Take :)
You missed one other important thing, the revenue the channel was bringing into Sony during covid was astronomical, this was told by insiders.
It's certainly a boost especially with their abysmal ps5 lauch but it's not too relevant to the theme of this video. Still, thanks for the note!
BAYBYMETAL's monochrome piano version is just an amazing .Tears to my eyes every time.
same here, I'm not really a fan of metal songs / babymetal in general, but oh boy she has such power in her voice... I was left speechless watching it the first time
Awesome video, didn't know they made "The Home Take" even though I was watching The First Take occasionally since 2020. My favorite performance on the first take is Shout Baby by Ryokuoushoku Shakai. The raw emotion you feel in that video (and the incredible lyrics) literally brought tears to my eyes.
There weren't too many videos of it so easily missable. It's definitely one of my favourites!
Thank you for this! My favorite 1st Take performances are both from LiSA; Homura and Akeboshi!!!
LiSA made TFT
My favourite is yasashii suisei. It introduced me to TFT, and the way it was sung was so unique compared to the MTV.
"music videos were usually exclusive to japanese viewers or available on DVDs"
THIS. this was the problem with JPOP, i mostly know JPOP from anime (go figure) but when i want to listen more i can't because their copyrights SUCK
back then i can't watch Laruku or listen to their songs on youtube, now they're all available. back then i have to use VPN to watch Angela Aki's MV but now i don't have to. some artists' MVs are only available as short version cos god forbid you ever listen to the whole song (japanese music industries be like "who does that??" 🙄) thankfully now it's gotten a lot better in part because of TFT. damn, even Utada Hikaru updated her MVs to 4K now
I know it's a bad thing to say but low key thank you covid
Japan has been known to gatekeep their stuffs for some reason, but thank God they've learned their lesson now.
@@SetsunaTheFandom Japan and Japanese society as whole has that phenomenon throughout history where they prefer the old ways and are stubborn to accept new ideas, cultures and technologies of ever changing outside world until a sudden and violent event force them to adapt and accept those. Events like the arrival of US commodore Matthew Perry, WW2 and the atomic bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, the financial crisis of 1990s, 2011 tsunami and Fukushima Nuclear disaster and the latest Covid -19.
Yeah somehow their MV on UA-cam even gatekeep by region lock it's so hard to watch full MV of JPop
The first one I saw was Masayuki Suzuki and Airi Suzuki’s TFT for Daddy! Daddy! Do!, the second Kaguya-sama OP. Watching the unforced chemistry between the artists was a lot of fun. However, other videos like Babymetal’s Monochrome, Sesame Street’s Sukiyaki, and Avril Lavigne’s Complicated, showed me both how broad and how deep they could go.
I still need to and check some of the ones you cite as seminal.
Suzuki's stage presence is unmatched. Truly a channel that brings Japan to the world and the other way around as well.
Daddy daddy do was amazing.
I also like kokoro odoru. Loved the song since the MAD AMV days with all those Oto MAD videos for this song.
Note the rapper forgot 1 line. I couldnt tell what line it was.
I love how much effort Sony makes to help their artists, and young artists especially. The First Take is a proof of that, and following that is the "Plusonica" channel.
Giving teenagers and young adults the opportunity to get known, and also get experience and learn many things, is a huge help. Lilas Ikuta was a member of Plusonica in the past too!
They really know how to invest without too much interference
MY Favorite First take Performance was Suseis "Stellar Stellar" she got an amazing voice
Im still waiting for other vsingers to join First Take. Japan has a wealth of talented vsingers
Yeah, she absolutely killed that performance. It's almost like the performance called her fla-
@@softcatmonster and just like that, he's gone.
Bruh, my fave is LiSAx Uru's collab. That actually changed something in me that I can't explain in words. A perfect balance between hot and cold feeling vocals, and truly encapsulates the essence of THE FIRST TAKE.
One of the greatest duets for sure, plus Ayase as producer🙇♂️
the way it felt to me was like "summer breeze and winter air"... although it feels a little weird considering I live in tropical country 😅
I didn't know that THE FIRST TAKE is that influential to the J-pop scene. I really enjoyed this video, cheers 🙌
Yoasobi, - Yasashii Suisei, prolly a more bitter sweet version of the OR which encapsulates the pain / sad theme from the song
As a musician and listener, myself, I appreciate what The First Take has done to go beyond J-Music's borders... and the ripple effect is felt, even now. More and more Japanese music artists have made their material available to the world, at large, leading to yet wider appreciation of their music. Add in artists' performances from their neighboring countries and elsewhere to the mix, and you get a colorful mix which can drag anything from the beginner listeners to the hardcore fans. Cheers, TFT. 🥂
Beautifully said
Without FIRST TAKE, I would have never fell in love with new artists such as Milet or Yuuri. Been listening to JPop/rock for years!!
Thanks so much for introducing me to The First Take! Have no idea why the youtube algorithm didn't show me their videos. Looking forward to you building your channel.
How this video appeared before THE mighty FIRST TAKE is mind boggling, but please do check them out🙏
Suisei’s Stellar Stellar was that song that really hit me with how much it can elevate the artists’ innate talent. While her original music video is good, I just love her first take, where the music is subtle and exists to only elevate her singing. And did she sing!
Im gonna be honest that while my absolute favorite song is going to be Omokage, I prefer to stream the first take version of Aimer's demon slayer op (sanka) because the big band version is so so gooood!!!!
Also Ai Higuchi is INSAAAAANE
(ps. I hear that piano Neko playing foreshadowing its appearance)
I like seeing songs I like and new artists I've not heard before there.
The way LiSA’s homura make me cried so bad mannnn the raw emotion😭
The First Take with Ano singing "Chu, Tayousei" put them on the map for me. A seemingly innocuous channel with a striking thumbnail on my for you page. Then the Suzuka meme from the Atarashii Gakko performance blew up and I dove head first into the First Take catalogue haha.
I think it is impressive how diverse the talent they get for the channel is. It covers so many genres and acts not to promote artists to but to promote the art of music in all its many facets.
Agreed, anywhere else you might not get Ano or AG! type artists (before they blew up of course), but on THE FIRST TAKE, you can expect them to invite artists with all kinds of music styles.
in the same vein, the fact that they even managed to dip their toes with vtuber artists was something I never expected
hitsujibungaku more than words is the very first video I saw on the first take and I’ve been a fan of the band ever since. It was chilling, emotional and inspirational. I’m so glad that the algo served it to me because it was just what I needed at the time. Great video, I really learned a lot!
Theres a certain innocence they bring that just separates them from others.
The few first one I saw was LiSA's Gurenge, Yoasobi Yoru ni kakeru, and ZTMY Byoushin wo Kamu. The First Take brought me to my most favorite artist now ZUTOMAYO.
I was really surprised when Zutomayo went on THE FIRST TAKE, but man am I glad
I always said this will always say this "NOBODY IN THIS WORLD DO IT BETTER THAN 80S ROCK, JAZZ AND JPOP FOR MUSIC COLORS" and thanks to my interest in those 3 and also thanks to youtube's algorithm i was there on the first take's First ever vid and first ever viral video. I was there.
One thing that cemented TFT for me was when Hoshimachi Suisei appeared for the first time, making her the first virtual/vtuber to ever appear on the channel. I remember there was one comment that said "I don't know much about vtubers, whether they're real humans behind the avatar or not, I just know I love this person's singing a lot." And I think that perfectly captures TFT's goal; just a mic and a person singing.
I'm so happy that you gave shout-out to Aimyon and Plusonica. I think not a lot of people actually know that Ikura was a part of Plusonica. Thanks for your great video ❤
Maybe I'll make a video about all the great graduates from PLUSONICA one day👀
I still remember that because of the home take I know yoasobi. Good video,love it❤
The first song that brought me to the first take was Aimer - Kataomoi. Still my favorite song till now.
My brain just : "Neko ni natta nda you na kimi wa~"
What i love about The First Take is it's all about music pure raw talent, they artist can perform their songs howevee they like with that one take and they having fun with it to show off their talent in singing it was awesome
Discovered the channel through Milet’s performance of Inside You. Loved the concept and performances on the channel ever since.
This channel shows the whole world the talent of Japan in music, not only being on anime music, is far away a channel that needs our support, I ❤ TFT CHANNEL😊, like a singer, i really love this, me can sing on Sp/En/Jp, for that reasons and more... VIVA THE FIRST TAKE CHANNEL
I got to know the first take when the Cö Shu Nie - Asphyxia video came out, that piano performance is just insane perfect for me
Cö Shu Nie's profile fits the premise of THE FIRST TAKE really well.
I first watched "The First Take" earlier this year, having not heard of it before that, lead there becasue ofa K-Pop group, and then another, and then another. A rabbit hole I am glad that found me.
My favorite The First Take performance is with Little Glee Monster and Pentatonix singing "Dear My Friend." You can totally see the difference between the two groups, and I found it interesting how they made it work with both groups recording in two different locations.
this could very well be the video that will put you out there! love your work man.
I've been following the first take since the beginning of the channel. feels a bit proud when I can recommend one-stop place for a bit of everything to anyone who just started to get into J-pop
I love this video. Been listening to everything Japanese music for a while now and THE FIRST TAKE is really the best thing that has happened to making this type of music accessible to everyone. I've been a THE FIRST TAKE subscriber since day one as a Sony shill but now it been the best it has ever been. I absolutely love that they have artists play 2 songs every time (Their most popular and their most recent that they're promoting) which really makes every appearance an instant classic.
I've been listening to jpop since puffy amiyumi. First take is great and a joy to listen to.
Thank you for presentation, very useful for someone from the UK.
My favourite from first take, and how I found the channel was Babymetal : Monochrome.
BABYMETAL really plays a huge part of J-pop’s popularity internationally
Thanks for this informative video. My favorites are ATARASHII GAKKO 's OTONABLUE followed by SB19's GENTO & MAPA.
Honestly, I didn't know TFT until I became an avid fan of AG! (thru their successful Coachella performance). Now, I check it from time to time.
That's a great way of starting!
I remember stumbling upon THE FIRST TAKE on a whim and subscribed to them when they only had 200K subs. It's become one of my favorite channels on here and have introduced me to many of my favorite Japanese artists like Yuuri and Yoasobi.
I totally agree with this, I knew it that its gonna be a game changer. back then I have to wait on ANIMAX to watch the live performance of my favorite JPOP Band. Now All I can say is INTERNET is truly POWERFUL.
honored to be subscribing in on the ground floor. great video essay.
ive been listening to jpop since i was entranced by every fma OP back in the mid 2000s and still love AKFG. Hope they do Rewrite on TFT someday, my all time favorite jrock song.
Thank you! I'll try my best so hopefully one day you can brag about it😂
This channel feels like a hidden gem. I am looking forward to seeing more from here . As a person who doesn't speak Japanese its really hard to find info about some artists. I hope you would make more videos about many other artists.
Thank you! That's the plan so hope you stick around🙏
this is actually a very cool idea and it makes me sad that I haven’t heard of them before. I always like J-Pop and it is how I noticed how they have a very minimal presence on youtube, which is where I mostly discover music. Even jpop bands from Johnny’s are hardly on youtube, and when you find their music on YT, it’s always the short version. It’s only recently that they have started uploading the whole versions of their idols’ songs and some of their idols even run a YT channel. I am glad that they are now more open in introducing their music and artists to international Audiences.
It also wasn’t a surprise that Sony owns the channel since Sony is very protective of their music.
This also applies to their variety shows. A lot of them get copywrite strike by the production or station. One Jpop group I used to follow have a variety show and some of their episodes were actually on YT until they all disappeared because of Copywrite and were never seen again. It seems to me that Japanese entertainment find satisfaction in just being known in their country.
Koshi Inaba's 'Hane' for me. I had just discovered B'z a few months earlier. The acoustic guitar combined perfectly with his incredible voice 🙏🙏
P.S. - thanks for the video. Nicely covered the topic.
Great video. Thanks for the background and context.
I started watching the first take before it became popular and I was really happy to see it blow up into the western culture and show many people what raw music talent ones can really show
The First Take channel is one of many things that keep me sane during covid lockdown
I listen regulary to The First Take Version simply incredible and great video.
I always enjoy the banter and how the artists loosen up before they start singing. It shows they are just normal people, but when they start singing they are transformed into gods.
Been following since LiSA's Gurenge 🥰
And discovered so many artists and songs since then
That was a fun video! Without THE FIRST TAKE, I wouldn’t have discovered so many awesome Japanese artists or even listened to any J-POP songs!
I found The First Take channel through my UA-cam's homepage promoting their first video 3-4 days after its released. Immediately, I can already see the huge impact once a globally known mucisian make their appearence, and then that Gurenge performance from LiSA happened, and I was right.
Speaking of performances, I'm not sure I can say Rei Yasuda's Not The End underrated, but it surely become one of the best discoveries in that channel. That song always made it to my Spotify's top 10 most played song for the last 3 years. LiSA's unlasting is also great.
Yoasobi Home Take is the first video that I watched on that channel. I'm blessed
after enjoying all the music and performances in TFT probably the one that blew me off was CHiCO with Honeyworks singing the Ao Haru Ride OP with her face reveal and all. ive been following her music ever since 2014 and seeing her on TFT made me cry :')
CHiCO with Honeyworks and TFT feels like match made in heaven
The first take is most important thing in my life, every time i browse youtube on the others machine i open The first take😂
It has a special quality to it for sure
Pure talents, less filters.
the first video I saw on The First Take was Yoasobi's Gunjou. Ikura's voice and the choirs part from Plusonica were beautiful
I arrived to the channel with Gurenge but I still cry as LiSA did each time I watch the full video of Homura. Another memorable one was the KanaBoon mistake haha so adorable.
I love the format of the channel and is amazing to get to know many artists by it.
I can also recomment NPR tiny desk videos 👍🏼✨
my fav is actually ikuta lila's home take. the first time I've heard of yoasobi and her beautiful voice.
edit: I also found some songs that I didn't know or have forgotten after years not listening to them. The first take is such a blessing. Especially when I was struggling with my bachelor's thesis at that time.
Another recent episode that adds credibility to it really being the only take happened when WANDS were performing "sekai ga owaru made wa" (a song from "Slam Dunk" anime) a couple of months ago. If you know the song, you can hear the guitarist playing a wrong note in the very last bar of the small intro solo
Thanks for the note. I haven't listened to the song enough to notice, but definitely was pumped for them to go on the first take.
Wow! I thought this was made by a big channel. The video is very well done. Keep up the good work man.❤
Thank you!
It seems like The First Take took some inspiration from The Colors Show while still adding their own twist with the one take concept. I really like both channels and the familiar set up made me more willing to watch The First Take’s channel when they first started. I really like being able to discover new artists through both shows and have been a long time fan of Japanese music.
Nice overview. Thanks. I'm only familiar with a handful of artists featured on the channel but I didn't know they had that big of an impact.
I found my favorite band on here Hitsujibungaku! Thank you❤️
THE FIST TAKE become my new gateway to discover new japanese artists
Fantastic video! Love it, I can't believe you only have 419 subs (420 now 😊)
Also, some extra information for those that want it. I have heard light pitch correction on some singers on THE FIRST TAKE.
Don't get me wrong I'm not attempting to drag them, I love their content and pitch correction is industry standard (pitch correction or more is even used live commonly) but don't go thinking that just because it's supposedly one take that they don't do any editing in post.
Thanks! Yea there's no proof as to agreeing or denying those rumors but either way I don't think it's major enough to take away our appreciation for one take.
@@Kushunjpop Definitely, I wasn't trying to make anyone dislike THE FIRST TAKE.
Additionally, this is not necessarily proof but adding to the credibility of what I was saying. I have been mixing and producing music for over seven years in both studio and live sound recording settings. As well as studied a bachelor in composition and music technology at university for four years.
Either way, the point that I was making was that just because they might do it in one take doesn't mean they don't edit in post.
I think it's really common for labels to advertise their music as a live and raw when oftentimes that music is heavily edited, cut, processed, pitch corrected, overdubbed and comped, in a "live" style. I have seen this negatively affect the expectations of listeners and musicians as they have a misinformed idea of what live vocals should sound like because of this.
For listeners, it creates unrealistic expectations of smaller artists to be able to perform as perfectly as the bigger artists that they have seen live or heard "live" recordings of. This can lead to the misconception that these artists are worse at what they do than bigger artists and create disappointment.
For musicians this raises the barrier of entry and also make them disappointed in themselves because it isn't as clean and perfect as the "live" versions that they have heard.
And so while I think it's fine to be using pitch correction and performance enhancing post production and editing techniques, I think that it's also important to not be mislead about what performances were edited in this way so that expectations can be set accordingly in order to encourage a healthier music community globally.
Sorry for the essay 😅
No I appreciate the thorough explanation🙇♂️
Honestly I don't think a "moderate" amount of editing is bad, not only does it benefit the artists but also the listeners as well. Sure, authenticity is gold nowadays but the dread I felt when my favorite artist underperformed when my friends were watching still haunts me til this day😅
@@Kushunjpop Same same definitely, I see nothing wrong with editing either, just the potential way it can be 'advertised' and portrayed
Glad this was i my recommend. Never watched first take before but I’ll check it out now. And your channel too :)
Thank you! Getting someone who hasn't watched the first take to click on this video might be one of the greatest thing I've ever done😂
great job for this wonderful research you've shared.
Please listen to Def Tech. It’s not that underrated, but as a bilingual kid growing up in Japan, their music was super impactful, and being able to hear their music performed on the first take was beautiful.
Simply the fact that they're singing in perfect English and Japanese makes them so unique.
I remember when I first saw the channel few years ago delighted that I can get to hear some of my fav artists singing with their talent.
Think the first video I saw was Kataomai by Aimer
My favourite First Take is LiSA’s Homura. Her emotions really showed through her singing.
thanks first take, Thanks to you I can listen to pure music, and Japanese artists are becoming more open to overseas markets.
I'm grateful to The Frist Take because it was because of their version of asphyxia that i rediscovered my current favorite band, Cö shu Nie
Now we can even listen to japanese songs on UA-cam Music, posted by the original musicians. I love Co shu nie but I wasn't able to find the full versions of their songs until recently.
I love 1st take edition in spotify, not peefect recording but i can feel how the singer would play
Yes! I often prefer TFT versions.
Me gustó mucho este video. Suscrito ya estoy. ¡Feicitaciones! 😄
Thank you very much for this video ❤ It is very helpful
My favourite will forever be Dry Flower, and I became obsessed with Yuuri's music for the next 2 years. He also did colabs with Takaya Kawasaki, Tani Yuuki and Nari who are also really talented singers. I heavily recommend the duet of Kimi no Tame no Kimi no Uta, those two are made for duets
Oh I haven't heard of the duet version, thank you!
I love watching THE FIRST TAKE and listening to new artists even though I don't listen to that much J-POP. I wish there would be something like this for my country's music scene (T-POP/Thailand) ~ so many talented artists yet many undiscovered.
Yuuri is definitely one of the most underrated artist on the first take
Great coverage, thanks. 😊
i love the INTO THE NIGHT PIANO BACKGROUND MUSIC!!! IT FITS THE VIDEO❤❤
I actually like watching the live performances from LiSA and Aina the end because their vocals are so good.
I wish BiSH could've all appeared but that's the next best thing
@@Kushunjpop I agree, they have a really good discography.
素晴らしい！このような解説を待ってました！
ありがとう！
This has always felt like Sony Music Japan 2nd real attempt with the international market with their artists- their first attempt was in the early 2000’s with Pop Japan Tv which was a fun entertaining show
(Aired on AZN/International Channel in the states)
This format is suited very well for the new generation of fans being introduced to Jpop & a nice reminder to us grizzled vets of this beautiful genre
A good, thorough view of the channel. The only obvious thing you did not touch on (and a big clue to the Sony connection) is, of course, the use of Sony reference headphones. (Don't ask me the model number).
I check The First Take every week for the new videos and watch any that I'm vaguely interested in. The only three that I come back to include AINA THE END's Orchestra, and Chanmina's Bijin (I love the original MV, but it's nice to have a version of the song without the 1 minute dramatic scene in the middle). My top, however, now is Angela Aki highlighting her return to the industry with Tegami-Haikei Juugo No Kimi E. 😭😭😭
Hahaha yes I was going to mention the headphones but it was so obvious I just edited it out😂
Those are some really memorable episodes for sure! Would've loved to see other BiSH members performing, but I'm glad we got this version of Orchestra as well.
And yes Angela Aki's appearance might be the most shocking one throughout the channel.
The monitoring headphones are the MDR-CD900ST (not to be confused with the MDR-7506 (blue label) and MDR-V6 (black label)) and it's used in many many Japanese recording studios
I mean that c800g is a sony mic haha
@@Kushunjpop Heh - looks like the algorithm is landing you viewers. Well deserved! Let's get you across that first threshold of 1k subs soon!
i really want ado to appears in the first take. suisei can do it because she has a virtual avatar. i hope they can do something about it
I'm sure if she's down to it they could film it like her concert or Kohaku live where we see her silhouette👍
Zutomayo has performed at the first take, and also has an anonymous lead, ACAね. They've shown they can do it
One of my favorte YT chans, esp when i see artists tiat have followed for Decades... so awesome!
It really is a platform for whoever deserves it
Good video.
The First Take really opened JPop for me, their pick is a fresh air compared to listening services algorithm like YT Music.
My first The First Take was Creepy Nuts doing Daten as I was obsessed with Call of the Night.
My favorite has to be Asian Kung-Fu Generation doing Haruka Kanata mostly because of that heartfelt speech they give in the beginning.
Hey love these videos, I think ATARASHII GAKKO's Otona Blue or LiSA's Gurrenge might be my favorite