I, Boo the not-so-cuddly bear hereby confess that I attempted to perpetrate a great lie on the people of this our shared world wide web.

It is through somber reflection that I have decided to uncover my own lie before others notice my true nature. What heinous crime did I commit you ask? I was untrue to myself, and let it infect my work like a virus warping the very charts that make-up the foundation of our so-called "Year Enders".

In a final draft submitted to JoJo, December 2003, I listed Shiina Ringo's Karuki Zaamen Kuri no Hana as my favorite album. But I must be honest with myself. This year the only album I had on non-stop was Fujimoto Miki's debut effort Miki1. And I am ashamed to say I almost robbed her of the distinction because of my own foolish pride.

What are you insane? Maybe I am. It's a Tsunku album?! It only has 5 non-released tracks!? It's... it's NOT Shiina Ringo! I know. I know. A tiger doesn't know why it pimps Frosted Flakes... it just does. I love every song on that record, I've never heard Tsunku be more ON consistently. I now know how Yuji felt when he gave Matsuura Aya Album of the Year in 2001 for First Kiss. Will I be dragged to an island far away? Will the mobs of Ringo-ers swarm upon me when I set foot outside my house. I know not. What I do know is that Shiina Ringo made a fine record, but I like Mikitty's better.

As you can guess Shiina Ringo made my second favorite record of the year. It's busy, powerful, strangely feminist, and each song has a real heart that you could just eat up with a spoon. If the melodies weren't so damn delicious I could have escaped this album's clutches, but as is I'm its helpless prisoner ordering seconds and thirds

I did a lot of soul searching when thinking of the Single of the Year 2003.

I stuck with my earlier choice. Mr. Children Tenohira/Kurumi. It was late coming, but it was everything I'd waited for. Tenohira made me cheer. Kurumi made me cry. that's what it's all about isn't it?

Runner-up: Hitoto Yoh - Morainaki

Hitoto Yoh - Morainaki. It's seldom I get so into a song I start humming it before I sleep at night. The lyrics are weird, her singing is weird, her clothes are weird, and the way she moves when she sings this is a little... you guessed it, weird. I'm a sucker for weird. Who can resist that chorus 'Ee ii Aa' No one but the deaf, that's who.

Her lyrics are a tangled mess of broken words, misplaced punctuation and Chinese. Her songs range from the dreaded "iyashi-kei" to Edo styled Polka to Power Punk Pop. She's an artist, an actress and a decent singer. She's Hitoto Yoh, a name you'll likely have to ask someone how to pronounce if you see it in only Chinese Characters. She was an odd mix of weird and soothing this year and she tended to be the most daring pop singer out there. Her song Morainaki held over from last year to become one of this year's best hits, and she managed to completely alienate her budding fanbase with an ecclectic dance/techno/pop number called 'Kingyou Sukui'. I'd be really disappointed if she didn't keep things interesting in 2004.

What's being called "laid back" rapping, is almost an understatement. The girls who recall Puffy: the Early Years with their endearing dances and everygirl looks, often sound as if they are doped up on something and barely staying awake during their unaffected raps. But it works. It works like gangbusters. Propped up by Rip Slyme, let it never be said the girls don't have the skillz, they got mad skillz, and any attempt to mimmick them will likely prove fruitless. Their songs just keep getting better as evidenced by their awesome summer single "Giri Giri Surf Rider" and their winter themed song "Strawberry Chips". A sound that doesn't take itself too seriously, but never lets on, they have managed the almost impossible feat of bringing rap without all the lame posturing. Again, it'll be fun to see where Halcali go from here.

A quintissential collection of hits from Japan's most underrated pop acts. Plus you get Akko singing Chara's big break hit Swallowtail Butterfly ~Ai no Uta~!!

Ed's note: PV means Promotional Music Video Clip, like what is shown on MTV for example.

You can't spell 'Why God, Why?' without the HY. And boy was their song 11AM everywhere this year. No offense but what is this!? Mediocre singers, with a bad mix of 70's folk rock and 90's post Sugar Ray rock n' rap? I can't listen to them on the radio without fastforwarding. But I can't stop singing either...

Hello Project Goodbye Profits. It's been a slow and steady decline for Tsunku's once impressive fledgling talent agency. This year saw sales all across the board drop unilaterally. not mention that he took our beloved Mikitty out of a promising solo career (*see above) and stuffed in the already bloated current Mo-musu line-up. Ahhh but those live shows are still as crazy as ever, eh?

A Flower unlike any other wouldn't sell as much... Dreck. Honestly it's not a bad song, but SMAP is a blight on musicians everywhere. As if, the first version wasn't bad enough, the orchestral version showcases the SMAPsters at their bowling-shoe ugly best. Ouch. 2 Million people can't be wrong... can they?

How many K is this Imitation Gold? It's Mai K baby. Mai Kuraki shocked the world, or just the old folks gathered around the kotatsu during this year's Kohaku Utagassen, when she actually agreed to appear at the event. From a remote location of course. Her record label Giza continued to make progress against the Avex tides. Giza scored big with B'z Tak Matsumoto's Hit Parade series which featured covers of the hits of yesteryear by he and contemporary Giza artists.

Choo Choo Achoo... You couldn't sneeze this year without doing so on some R&B boy band. Exile with their cover of ZOO's Choo Choo Train, Soul'd Out with their Snoopy Scooby Doobies, Scoop on somebody with um... credit for writing some of Chemistry's songs.... and of course Chemistry themselves who seemed to be featured on every commercial and even released a song about the chocolate Chelsea... Chelsea.

Ayu Ready to Get Hikki'd? No. Ayu kept up her unenviable release schedule in addition to a grueling run on her own TV show, the construction of a beach house and a part-time job as a cyborg in a technological display. Well no, but she did win best jeanist this year. Her music was another story. Most of it was lame to the nth degree. But she had enough hits to make it a good year. Hikki on the other hand all but disappeared, leaving us one song Colors to remember her buy. So she got hitched... she's still the same Hikki. Oh wait... no she's not. She's UTADA QUEEN OF THE COSMOS. LOOK AT HER WILD HAIR THAT DEFIES OUR LAWS OF THE GRAVITY. You'll see what I mean, she's coming here in the 2 double 0 4's. They were all outshined by Nakashima Mika anyways, who tempered that sultry voice with form-fitting jazz.