Let’s do a thing, shall we? Goodness knows that not a ton of other stuff is going on.

I was driving home the other night, enjoying satellite radio (one of the finest investments I’ve ever made, though my package depressingly does not include a J-anything channel), when a song that I’ve heard a few hundred times now came on. I’d never thought much about it other than “oh there’s that song again,” but something about my mood or the air or whatever made me notice something about the song.

Here:

I don’t know if anybody else feels that way, but I had this weird realization that I was almost listening to an idol song.

Hear me out:

• Song depends almost entirely on a hook? Check.
• Song features completely unnecessary harsh vocals? Check.
• Song is clearly written for angtsy teens? Uh, true, but maybe not a great example.
• Song is so simplistically written as to be 90 percent chorus? Check.

Also, for what it’s worth, I thought that the instrumentation’s aural simplicity was right up there with a lot of idol, but that implies that I don’t respect Arch Enemy as musicians — I do — so I’m not making it a real point.

But listen, man, tell me that you couldn’t hear idols doing that song; maybe not with the all-in growl treatment, though. Hell, what separates a power anthem like that from a lot of what Babymetal does?* And not just because there’s a version of “Ijime,Dame,Zettai” with Christopher Amott on guitar.

So regardless of whether you think I’m crazy(er than usual), hook me up: What “mainstream” songs do you hear in your home market that make you think of something that idols could do?

*Have you heard Yuimetal’s screams? Girl can go