@J. CEE hi!
I don't have a lot of experience with J-pop in the grand scheme of things since I'm still getting into it myself, but I wanted to help out since sometimes it's a little scary being listed albums to hear, even though it IS much more about the albums than the singles unlike K-pop since Japanese albums are usually super cohesive.
It's usually good to start with the main female singers too for various reasons, so let me group them.
So there's Ayumi Hamasaki, and there's
M which is her second best selling single (and a lot of people prefer it over her best selling). M is a great song, a very classic sound, but if you want something more upbeat then something like
STEP you is a great stop. Ayumi's preferred style is rock and this gives you a little taster, with a really pop, fun, catchy chorus.
Mirrorcle World is a HUGE fan favourite so it's worth a mention, and I don't know what type of music you're into so it's worth throwing some of her recent EDM style in there like
XOXO. My final recommendation for Ayu would be
Sparkle which is oh SO good, and pretty much everyone loves it. I can't describe it, just get your life.
Koda Kumi (most western sites list her as Kumi Koda *sigh*) is someone I'm not OVERLY familiar with but I'm starting to get into her more.
Taboo is... legendary, voted a j-pop favourite a lot, and you'll probably love it instantly.
Pop Diva is a great follow up, it's fun and catchy with a similar sound. Self-promo here because
In the Air is my favourite song from Japonesque (whole album highly recommended) and that video sucks for the actual song but it's so amazing I'd rather have part of it here than not.
The PV for
Hotel on YT is also a short one but you hear the first verse and chorus of it and the rest sounds exactly the same, it's a great bop. Koda also has some beautiful ballads but my favourite (Koishikute) isn't on YT and I don't know her others well enough to recommend.
Now my bae Namie Amuro who's gonna make things really ****ing tough since she uploads jackshit to youtube fully. Even the site with her videos is sucking right now and not loading, so let me hop on the bandwagon of suggesting albums for her, since hers are really great. Past < Future is my favourite of hers I think, it's all pop with a lot of different production styles. FEEL was her EDM moment which came a year before Ayumi's, and she also did it way better - it's a great album. Uncontrolled and _genic are her other main pop albums if that's your thing, if you like R&B/hip hop sounds then check out her albums from Play and before. Best Fiction is her best of which is a great, great start, and BALLADA is a ballad compilation album which I adore beyond words, if you want some slower chilled material.
hiding this sldk