It is about that time! After delays upon delays for extenuating circumstances (Mainly my laziness) I have finally given the peeps what they are looking for! So after a long wait, it is time for the…
Chachi Video Awards Nominee Special!
After the success of the last two years it is time for year three which will be bigger and better than the last two combined! Begin the hyperbole! Let’s get started with the category for the most visually intensive videos…
Breakthrough Video of the Year
Seamo feat Ayuze Kozue – Honey
Usher – Moving Mountains
T-Pain feat. Lil Wayne – I Can’t Believe It
Namie Amuro – New Look
Asian Kung Fu Generation – After Dark
Gnarles Barkley – Run
Crystal Kay – Shining
Linkin Park – Leave Out All The Rest
Yeah, you see a T-Pain video in there. Suprisingly I liked that video a lot and the song was tolerable. Nice to see AKFG nominated for a video after the success of “After Dark” in 2007 but the big leader has to be Gnarles Barkley. That video was quite interesting and Justin Timberlake didn’t even fuck it up for me. Next, we have a category I really didn’t want to have but I put it in because….someone needs to tell these people they fucking suck….
Worst Video of the Year
G-Unit – Rider Pt. 2
Nana Tanimura – Jungle Dance
LL Cool J. feat. The Dream – Baby
Bi (Rain) – Any Dream
Lil Wayne feat. Static Major – Lollipop
Katy Perry – I Kissed A Girl
Nelly feat. Fergie – Party People
Leah Dizon - Vanilla
Leah Dizon and G-Unit are back! I hated those videos and don’t even get me started on my distain for that Katy Perry song. Just ass on wax. Now the surprise is Rain but man….that video made NO SENSE. Even his hotness couldn’t save it. But don’t discount the suck of Lil Wayne on the ironically titled “Lollipop” because that was a shitty video and an even shittier song. Way to live up to the hype. Next is arguably the category with the most fall off from last year….
Best Pop Video of the Year
Colbie Calliat - Realize
NLT – He Said, She Said
Paramore – That’s What You Get
James Morrison – You Give Me Something
Nelly Furtado – In God’s Hands
RBD – Inalcanzable
New Kids On The Block – Summertime
Lady GaGa – Just Dance
After the battle last year (Maroon 5, Nelly Furtado, RBD) this year’s nominees for Best Pop Video show how poor a year that pop music had. This looks like Paramore’s to lose but they are more rock than pop so look out for the returning NKOTB and RBD to make some moves. Next, we have arguably the toughest category this year….
Best J-Pop Video of the Year
Yui – Laugh Away
Hearts Grow – Sora
YA-KYIM – Super Looper
Namie Amuro – New Look
Bennie K – Monochrome
Foxxi MisQ – X.B.F.
Toshinobu Kobuta feat. Misia - Flying Easy Loving Crazy
NaNa – Show Girl
Man, this was a kick ass year for J-Pop! All but one (Yui, who had a rough year) of these videos hit number one in 2008 or late 2007 which shows that it may have been the dominant musical medium on the Countdown this year. YA-KYIM looks to be the front-runner in this category but TK & Misia had the longest stay on the Countdown in 2008 while Hearts Grow have been burning it up in the later months. And then there is Bennie K…seven weeks on top with one of my favorite videos and songs ever. EVER! This will be good! Now, we have the return of my favorite type of music…
Best K-Pop Video of the Year
Hyori Lee – U-Go-Girl
SHINee – Replay
Wonder Girls – So Hot
Tae Yang – Prayer
Uhm Jung Hwa – D.I.S.C.O.
Big Bang – Haru Haru
Girls Generation (SNSD) – Kissing You
Jewelry – Everyone SHHH!
Yes, K-Pop has returned! With only Rain putting in work all of 2007, K-Pop ruled in 2008! Hyori Lee made a triumphant comeback while Wonder Girls proved they could be up there with the best of them. A surprise could be Uhm Jung Hwa with “D.I.S.C.O.” which may be the most danceable song of the year. Big Bang was their same old self and SHINee really shocked the hell out of me with ”Replay” because it was quite catchy. Now for the rockingest category to ever rock the rock….
Best J-Rock Video of the Year
FLOW – WORLD END
L’Arc~en~Ciel – DRINK IT DOWN
Nightmare – Lost In Blue
BACK-ON – Sands Of Time
KELUN – CHU-BURA
Maximum The Hormon – Tsume Tsume Tsume
HIGH AND MIGHTY COLOR – HOT LIMIT
Stance Punks – I Want To Be
Pretty stiff competition! KELUN, HIGH AND MIGHTY COLOR and FLOW seem to be the front runners but don’t count out The Arc. With no Aqua Timez in their way, they could be able to take this category for the first time this year. Look out for Stance Punks, too. That song made “Soul Eater” tolerable. Now we have the first of two big returns….
Best R&B Video of the Year
Tae Yang – Look At Me
NaNa – Show Girl
John Legend feat Andre 3000 – Green Light
Alicia Keys – Like You’ll Never See Me Again
Toshinobu Kobuta feat. Misia - Flying Easy Loving Crazy
Usher feat Young Jeezy – Love In This Club
Foxxi MisQ – X.B.F.
Robin Thicke – Magic
R&B IS BACK! We have another rematch as Alicia Keys and John Legend are both nominated with two of the biggest videos of 2008! However, there could be a shocker as Toshinbou Kobuta and Foxxi MisQ both took the top this year and are serious threats. And then there was the return of Usher! Let’s not count out the returning Robin Thicke OR the dominance that NaNa showed in January and February. Tight race once again! Now it is time to get your boogie on….
Best Dance Video of the Year
Hyori Lee – U-Go-Girl
Chris Brown – Forever
NaNa – Show Girl
Foxxi MisQ – X.B.F.
Usher feat Young Jeezy – Love In This Club
Wonder Girls – So Hot
Tae Yang - Prayer
May J. – Do Tha, Do Tha
Very interesting category this year with no Rain or J-Tim. However, I have to say that this looks like the Wonder Girls category to lose. I mean, just put in “so hot dance” in YouTube and you will see what I mean. Usher and Chris Brown have a shot but not a very good one. Damn it, those girls are going to be the death of me. Now, let us have more rock….
Best Rock Video of the Year
Asian Kung Fu Generation – After Dark
Paramore – That’s What You Get
Kelun – CHU-BURA
L`Arc~en~Ciel – DRINK IT DOWN
HIGH AND MIGHTY COLOR – HOT LIMIT
BACK-ON – Sands Of Time
UVERworld – Roots
Abingdon Boys School – BLADE CHORD
Yeesh, seems like the J-Rock category all over again. J-Rock was the only REAL rock in 2008 but Paramore did make a break out this year. They seem to be the frontrunners but HAMC’s breakup could put them as a winner as a last hurrah. KELUN has a claim to stake in this as well so this looks to be hotly contested! Now, HIP HOP IS BACK….
Best Hip-Hop Video of the Year
Kanye West feat Chris Martin – Homecoming
Young Jeezy feat Kanye West – Put On
T.I. – No Matter What
Snoop Dogg – Sexual Seduction
Game feat Keisha Cole – Game’s Pain
CRS (Kanye West, Lupe Fiasco & Pharrell Williams) feat Thom Yorke – Us Placers
Lil’ Wayne feat Static Major - Lollipop
Fonzworth Bentley feat Kanye West & Andre 3000 – Everybody (Don’t Stop)
Okay, so there is a lot of Kanye here (four nominations) but say what you will about him the man can deliver when it counts. This may be the most difficult category to choose this year because all of these songs showed how hip hop has returned on both coasts and all styles. CRS looks to be the frontrunner but don’t count out Young Jeezy. As far as I am concerned….as shocking as it sounds….Young Jeezy created a classic with “Put On”. Now we are onto the anime….
Best Video from An Anime
Asian Kung Fu Generation – After Dark (Bleach)
Hearts Grow – Sora (Tetsuwan Birdy Decode)
TM Revolution – Resonance (Soul Eater)
ON/OFF - Futatsu no Kodou to Akai Tsumi (Vampire Knight)
Megumi Hayashibara – Plenty of Grit (Slayers Revolutions)
Ikimono-Gakari – Blue Bird (Naruto: Shippuuden)
UVERworld – Geikido (D. Gray Man)
FLOW – WORLD END (Code Geass R2)
Oooohhhhhh, interesting year! Ikimono-Gakari and Hearts Grow look to be on top of this but ON/OFF had caught my attention, especially with everyone’s love of Vampire Knight. With all that said….TM REVOLUTION IS BACK, BITCHES! Yeah, this will be good. Now, it is time for the best team award….
Best Group Video of the Year
Kelun – CHU-BURA
Paramore – That’s What You Get
YA-KYIM – Super Looper
CRS (Kanye West, Lupe Fiasco & Pharrell Williams) feat Thom Yorke – Us Placers
Wonder Girls – So Hot
HIGH AND MIGHTY COLOR – HOT LIMIT
Bennie K – Monochrome
Hearts Grow – Sora
Well, this looks to be hard to choose as well. All these videos went to number one and make up almost HALF of the 52 weeks of the year with these 8 videos. Domination at its finest. All have a rightful claim but with seven weeks on top, Bennie K looks to be the leader right now. Don’t count out CRS, though. Now it is time for the fellas to get their due….
Best Male Video of the Year
Usher feat Young Jeezy – Love In This Club
Toshinobu Kobuta feat. Misia - Flying Easy Loving Crazy
Kanye West feat Chris Martin – Homecoming
Game feat Keisha Cole – Game’s Pain
John Legend feat Andre 3000 – Green Light
Fonzworth Bentley feat Kanye West & Andre 3000 – Everybody (Don’t Stop)
Young Jeezy feat Kanye West – Put On
T.I. – No Matter What
John Legend vs. TI? Usher vs. Fonzworth Bentley? Game vs. Young Jeezy?! Hell yeah, this is a category for your ass! Toshinobu looks to actually have the upper hand in this one due to how long his run was but every video on here has a chance to take this one. This was the year of the man….about fucking time. This time, ladies DIDN’T go first but here they are….
Best Female Video of the Year
Nelly Furtado – In God’s Hands
Alicia Keyes – Like You’ll Never See Me Again
May J. – Do Tha, Do Tha
Yui – Laugh Away
NaNa – Showgirl
Hyori Lee – U-Go-Girl
Erykah Badu - Honey
Yui – Namidairo
It was a rough year for the ladies after last year’s dominance (Nelly Furtado, Yui, Namie Amuro, NaNa and Alicia Keys all took up over 2/3rds of the chart time at number one) but they still had a great year on the Countdown. It looks like a tough category again but I will have to say that NaNa looks to have this one by a SLIM margin. Alicia Keys and May J both can lay claim to the award as well but we will have to see. Now it is time for the grand finale….
Best Video of the Year
Bennie K – Monochrome
CRS (Kanye West, Pharrell Williams & Lupe Fiasco) feat Thom York – Us Placers
NaNa – Movin On
Usher feat Young Jeezy – Love In This Club
YA-KYIM – Super Looper
Young Jeezy feat. Kanye West – Put On
Wonder Girls – So Hot
Paramore – That’s What You Get
Now on the top level, it looks like Bennie K has this on lockdown. However, just because UGK won last year because they had the most weeks on top doesn’t mean Bennie K can. There is a lot tougher competition this year as CRS, Usher, YA-KYIM and Young Jeezy all had more dominant runs. Wonder Girls totally broke through this year while Paramore finally cemented their names with great rock bands to chart. The dark horse is NaNa who barely missed out on last year’s video of the year award but with six weeks on top, she is hard to ignore. Damn, this is gonna be tough!
Well, the nominees are set and ready to go! There will be some pre-show awards to be given the morning of my final decision and just like last year the peeps are encouraged to give their input! The Chachi Video Awards will be given out on Sunday, November 2nd and I hope to see you all there! Until then, stay up!
Chachi Out!
