Aya Kamiki w TAKUYA – W-B-X ~W-Boiled Extreme~
November 23, 2009 at 9:14 am | In Aya Kamiki | Leave a CommentTags: collaborations, singles
The cover of the CD+DVD edition
W-B-X ~W-Boiled Extreme~ is Aya Kamiki’s 11th single and it was released on November 11, 2009. The single reached #8 on the Oricon Weekly Charts and sold 23,144 copies. The title track was used as the theme song for the TV show Kamen Rider Double. It’s also her first single on the avex trax label.
I think they both look good. Get over it!
♦ ♦ ♦
Okay, I admit that I didn’t take notice of Aya Kamiki until her switch from GIZA to avex trax but she is pretty awesome. The song Summer Memories turned me into a fan. This blog needs more cool rocker chicks anyway!
Kamiki collaborated with TAKUYA (former guitarist of the band JUDY & MARY) for W-B-X ~W-Boiled Extreme~, a sleek and energetic track that’s a lot of fun. For those who are not familiar with Kamiki’s voice, it’s quite strong and has good tone. It’s perfect for the genre she performs in, which is primarily upbeat rock. TAKUYA has some singing parts too but it seems more like “blurting” during the verses. At least they sound good together for the catchy chorus.
The 2nd track is a “jazz edit” of the A-side. I liked the music since it adds laid back brass instruments and a xylophone but unfortunately, it’s an instrumental. Oh well. I was informed that singles with a Kamen Rider tie-in include an instrumental track though.
Pros: I really enjoyed the main track. It’s a great collaboration too.
Cons: That jazz version would have been cooler with vocals.
BASICALLY…I’m looking forward to Kamiki’s first album with avex! It’s out in January.
Overall Rating
4 stars
Tracklisting
1. W-B-X ~W-Boiled Extreme~
2. W-B-X Hard Boiled Jazz Edit.
3. W-B-X ~W-Boiled Extreme~ instrumental
Yuna Ito – Let it Go
November 20, 2009 at 12:22 pm | In Yuna Ito | 2 CommentsTags: singles
The cover of the CD+DVD edition
Let it Go is Yuna Ito’s 14th single and it was released on November 11, 2009. The single reached #36 on the Oricon Weekly Charts and sold 2,858 copies. The title track was used as the theme song for the movie Tenshi no Koi.
WHOA, MISS ITO. ♥ Ignoring that text, the cover is hot.
♦ ♦ ♦
Yuna Ito isn’t exactly a stranger to the pop rock sound so I wasn’t all that surprised with Let it Go. I thought she’s done it brillantly with songs like JOURNEY and LOVE MACHINE GUN but this song is a little different from them since it’s more on the acoustic side. Ito worked with Koichi Tabo (former guitarist of Superfly) and fortunately, Let it Go isn’t filled with that 60s hippie crap (no offense lol). It’s just standard rock tinged pop but it works well with Ito’s voice. Her vocals are strong and she sounds very good during the chorus.
The B-side is your typical cute track. I didn’t really care for Happy Days but it’s not bad. It’s just that there’s nothing striking about the arrangement. I thought the music was too mellow to be interesting as well.
Pros: Let it Go is pretty good after a couple of listens.
Cons: Happy Days is pure cheese. Girl, bye!
BASICALLY…this single was both a hit and a miss.
Overall Rating
3½ stars
Tracklisting
1. Let it Go
2. Happy Days
3. Let it Go (instrumental)
4. Happy Days (instrumental)
BENI – KIRA☆KIRA☆
November 18, 2009 at 9:33 am | In BENI | 3 CommentsTags: singles
KIRA☆KIRA☆ is BENI’s 13th single and it was released on November 4, 2009. The single reached #94 on the Oricon Weekly Charts and sold 792 copies. The title track originally appeared on her latest album Bitter & Sweet.
It’s Bitter & Sweet ~The Christmas Edition~! XD
♦ ♦ ♦
Concerning this single…all I ask is WHYYYYYYYYYYY? Okay, I know why KIRA☆KIRA☆ was chosen to be a recut single (it was voted by fans) but still, I think it was a poor choice. That’s just my personal view though since I thought it was one of the weaker tracks on the Bitter & Sweet album. I don’t really remember it either, except for those English lines (you bring to me kira kira) and the catchy chorus.
At least the single includes some extra tracks. The remixes of Zutto Futari de and Koi Kogarete aren’t bad actually. They work in making two mid-tempo songs sound more interesting at least.
Pros: The remixes???
Cons: A weak release…and any other new track from the album would have made a better A-side (Beautiful World plz).
Overall Rating
3 stars
Tracklisting
1. KIRA☆KIRA☆
2. Zutto Futari de DJ HASEBE REMIX (ずっと二人で DJ HASEBE REMIX)
3. Koi Kogarete CLUB REMIX (恋焦がれて CLUB REMIX)
4. KIRA☆KIRA☆ (Instrumental)
Mika Nakashima – Nagareboshi
November 16, 2009 at 10:11 pm | In Mika Nakashima | 4 CommentsTags: singles
Nagareboshi (流れ星) is Mika Nakashima’s 30th single and it was released on November 4, 2009. The single reached #10 on the Oricon Weekly Charts and sold 10,539 copies.
I love it when Mika keeps it simple. This cover is classy and elegant!
♦ ♦ ♦
Mika Nakashima loves stars. It doesn’t matter what kind they are: wandering stars, invisible stars, winter stars, etc. SHE LOVES THEM! Ignore the fact that Nagareboshi is her 5th song about stars because it is gorgeous. Then again, so were those past songs (STARS, WILL, Mienai Hoshi, ORION). To me, this song sounded most similar to Mienai Hoshi because it has a minimal sound consisting of pretty piano and strings. The additional guitar riffs and percussion are a teensy bit reminiscent of ORION as well. Anyway, it’s an extremely pleasant song.
I was also quite pleased with the B-side. Nakashima and DAISHI DANCE were a match made in heaven when he remixed SAKURA ~Hanagasumi~ so it was great to see them working together again in Memory. You get more of that fantastic crossover sound here but with Nakashima singing in English. Her vocals are a little iffy at times due to her pronunciation but the music makes up for it. Even then, this is the best English singing I have heard from her.
Pros: What a lovely single!
Cons: Stars are neat and all but enough songs about them, OK? *side eye*
Overall Rating
4 stars
Tracklisting
1. Nagareboshi (流れ星)
2. Memory (feat. DAISHI DANCE)
3. Nagareboshi (Instrumental)
4. Memory (feat. DAISHI DANCE) (Instrumental)
alan – Swear
November 13, 2009 at 6:28 pm | In alan | 6 CommentsTags: singles
The cover of the CD+DVD edition
Swear is alan’s 11th single and it was released on November 4, 2009. The single reached #35 on the Oricon Weekly Charts and sold 2,910 copies.
The covers aren’t bad…but alan is wearing Stephanie’s short shorts. D:
♦ ♦ ♦
I’m all for alan coming out of her comfort zone (ballads ballads ballads!) but Swear doesn’t cut it. It’s a pretty bland attempt at an upbeat pop song in my opinion. Sure, it’s unique for her but even then, the song isn’t that great. The music sounds typical and uninteresting as well. I wasn’t feeling anything because nothing really happens. I thought previous upbeat tracks like BRAVE and even Kaze no Tegami were better.
I don’t feel the same way for the B-side though. At least Beauty has something going for it. While Swear was so orthodox and plain, this song actually has some flavor in it. The various beats and acoustics are pleasant. alan’s vocals don’t sound dead either. For me, this was the superior track.
Pros: Beauty stands out.
Cons: Swear is so BLAH. *dozes off*
BASICALLY…I’d rather have another ballad. =x
Overall Rating
3 stars
Tracklisting
1. Swear
2. Beauty
3. Swear (Instrumental)
4. Beauty (Instrumental)
Ami Suzuki – KISS KISS KISS / aishiteru…
November 11, 2009 at 7:25 pm | In Ami Suzuki | 6 CommentsTags: singles
The cover of the CD+DVD edition
KISS KISS KISS / aishiteru… is Ami Suzuki’s 31st single and it was released on October 28, 2009. The single reached #28 on the Oricon Weekly Charts and sold 2,448 copies.
IDGAF what anyone says. Ami looks HOT. ♥ The other cover is great too.
♦ ♦ ♦
The last single Reincarnation was crap (minus the Dub-I-Dub cover lol) so I didn’t know what to expect from Suzuki at this point. Fortunately, she stepped it up with this single! Both A-sides have their strong points but I definitely prefer one over the other. I’ll explain in a bit.
First of all, let’s go over KISS KISS KISS and its multiple versions. The Japanese version is track 1 and it’s an upbeat dance club number. I thought the music is good with its various synth and beats but what I liked the most about this song was the rhythm. The chorus is very catchy as well since it has a simple hook featuring English lyrics. Vocally, Suzuki sounds great and she isn’t all over the place like she was in Reincarnation.
The 2 extended versions of the song are the same except for the different languages of course. You know the drill with this stuff but I just have to mention the English version (track 4). Suzuki’s English is so hard to understand but there’s this line about sandwiches and sauce that is so funny. Look up the lyrics and see what I mean.
While KISS KISS KISS was good, I was extremely surprised with aishiteru…, a song that utilizes heavy synth riffs. It was produced by Tomoyuki Tanaka (he’s better known as Fantastic Plastic Machine) and in the end, I thought this track was just plain awesome. Once again, it has an infectious rhythm and Suzuki’s vocals are controlled. Here is a production that is done RIGHT! I love it. There’s also an extended version that appears as track 5.
Pros: aishiteru… is the star of the single but overall, everything is a HUGE improvement over Reincarnation.
Cons: I will never care for these extended versions. EVER.
BASICALLY…both A-sides are catchy as hell. Nice rebound, Ami.
Overall Rating
4 stars
Tracklisting
1. KISS KISS KISS (Japanese Version)
2. aishiteru…
3. KISS KISS KISS (Extended Japanese Version)
4. KISS KISS KISS (Extended English Version)
5. aishiteru… (extended)
JASMINE – No More
November 7, 2009 at 3:28 pm | In JASMINE | 4 CommentsTags: singles
No More is JASMINE’s 2nd single and it was released on October 28, 2009. The single reached #15 on the Oricon Weekly Charts and sold 5,287 copies.
Green hair + green clothes + green background = LMAOOOOOOOOOOOOO. What a disaster!
♦ ♦ ♦
JASMINE certainly made a splash in the Japanese R&B scene with her debut single sad to say and I was eager to hear more from her. Well, here we are with No More, a song that is just like sad to say. Seriously, the similarities are uncanny. It has the same musical structure and depressing atmosphere too. You know how popular the “somber R&B love song” is these days. ;D Even so, the song is good if you can get past that. I thought sad to say was better though.
At least she does something different for the B-sides. With a title like CLUBBIN’, what would you expect? Yes, a rock song is correct! XD
It’s definitely the surprise of the single and in all honestly, I liked it. Even though the arrangement is mostly electric guitars, she incorporates fast paced R&B styled vocals so it creates an interesting mix. Wrapping things up is what you want?, which also proves to be more intriguing than the A-side. This is because it doesn’t follow the same “boo hoo” formula.
Pros: A solid single…and CLUBBIN’ is hot! Get over it!
Cons: The A-side is the sequel to sad to say. It’s way too similar.
BASICALLY…stop crying and start clubbin’!
Overall Rating
3½ stars
Tracklisting
1. No More
2. CLUBBIN’
3. what you want?
BoA – BUMP BUMP! feat. VERBAL (m-flo)
November 6, 2009 at 10:05 am | In BoA | 5 CommentsTags: collaborations, singles
The cover of the CD+DVD edition
BUMP BUMP! feat. VERBAL (m-flo) is BoA’s 29th single and it was released on October 28, 2009. The single reached #8 on the Oricon Weekly Charts and sold 10,805 copies.
Sorry BoA. I’m not digging that “look”. This cover is okay but the other one is just plain awful. Stupid girl and her fish lips. </3
♦ ♦ ♦
What? BoA released an English album? *pretends it never happened* XD
ANYWAY, her last single in Japan was that awesome triple A-side (I still have Eien and UNIVERSE on repeat) so I was expecting great things from BUMP BUMP!. The song is still taking some time to fully sink in but I will say that it is pretty catchy and the music isn’t bad. Next to the beats, there is a prominent brass arrangement that I thought was nice. BoA’s vocals are good too and I liked VERBAL’s short rapping section.
The B-side also features VERBAL. The slower paced IZM focuses more on the frequent beats and light synth. Also, this song has a stronger R&B sound and BoA showcases some high quality vocals. Once again, VERBAL’s rap is short…perhaps too short.
Pros: I thought both tracks were good and had a high production value.
Cons: Nothing really stood out though. Like I said, they will most likely grow on me.
BASICALLY…more R&B, BoA! It works well for you!
Overall Rating
3½ stars
Tracklisting
1. BUMP BUMP! feat. VERBAL (m-flo)
2. IZM feat. VERBAL (m-flo)
3. BUMP BUMP! feat. VERBAL (m-flo) INST
4. IZM feat. VERBAL (m-flo) INST
Kana Nishino – Motto…
October 29, 2009 at 2:48 pm | In Kana Nishino | 2 CommentsTags: singles
Motto… (もっと・・・) is Kana Nishino’s 7th single and it was released on October 21, 2009. The single reached #6 on the Oricon Weekly Charts and sold 28,416 copies.
OMG Where’s her hat!? *implodes*
♦ ♦ ♦
Kana Nishino continues her R&B streak with Motto…, a melancholy song that is along the same lines as Tookutemo feat. WISE and Kimi ni Aitaku Naru Kara. I gotta say that this song is very good and Nishino has never sounded better vocally. The piano has a pretty big role in the music and I just loved those short solo sections that lead into the chorus. Speaking of the chorus, it’s pretty catchy and features strong beats. This is an excellent A-side for sure!
When it comes to the B-sides…I thought they were okay. I’ve always been on and off with Nishino’s B-sides though (the only ones that I really like are Kirari and Shitsuren Mode feat. WISE). On this single, the first one is missing you, which is more of a ballad than the A-side. It’s nice but gets a little boring. Even so, it’s better than most of her previous B-sides. Then there’s Dear My Friends, the upbeat ”cute” song. I wasn’t really feeling it but at least the chorus is good.
Pros: Motto… is a great track and with enough listens, so is missing you.
Cons: Dear my friends, I wanna change. I won’t look back yesterday. =x
BASICALLY…I need more Kana, stat! I’m liking the direction she’s going.
Overall Rating
4 stars
Tracklisting
1. Motto… (もっと・・・)
2. missing you
3. Dear My Friends
Ken Hirai – Boku wa Kimi ni Koi wo Suru
October 27, 2009 at 7:19 pm | In Ken Hirai | 2 CommentsTags: singles
The cover of the CD+DVD edition
Boku wa Kimi ni Koi wo Suru (僕は君に恋をする) is Ken Hirai’s 31st single and it was released on October 21, 2009. The single reached #3 on the Oricon Weekly Charts and sold 30,034 copies. The title track was used as the theme song for the movie Boku no Hatsukoi wo Kimi ni Sasagu.
Heeeey, Ken-chan got an upgrade. He looks kind of tired and drugged up but it’s still an upgrade!
♦ ♦ ♦
I didn’t care for Hirai’s last single CANDY so I’m glad that he quickly rebounded with Boku wa Kimi ni Koi wo Suru. This is a first rate ballad that definitely trumps his recent ones like Canvas and Itsuka Hanareru Hi ga Kite mo. Featuring a calm string and percussion based arrangement, I thought the music was very pristine. I like that it keeps a nice pace so it never gets boring. When it comes to the vocals, Hirai does a good job too.
Out of the 2 B-sides, I liked Catch you more. It reminds me of Do it!! from his last single because of the R&B and synth influences it has. However, this song is better because it has a much sharper sound. It doesn’t come off as clunky either. Hitori Janai is nice too but I could have done without the children chanting in the background. I guess it adds character to the song since it has this ”cute” vibe to it.
Pros: The A-side is gorgeous.
Cons: Hitori Janai will take some more time to sink in.
BASICALLY…Ken’s music is better when he’s being serious. IJAF.
Overall Rating
4 stars
Tracklisting
1. Boku wa Kimi ni Koi wo Suru (僕は君に恋をする)
2. Hitori Janai (一人じゃない)
3. Catch you
4. Boku wa Kimi ni Koi wo Suru (less vocal)
Link Me, Bitch.
Blog at WordPress.com. | Theme: Pool by Borja Fernandez.
Entries and comments feeds.
