Beyond the Sea ~ The Style. Edition

Tracklisting
1. Planetarium (プラネタリウム)
2. drop.
3. Planetarium (Instrumental)
4. drop. (Instrumental)

This is Ai Otsuka’s 10th single and it was released on September 21, 2005. The single reached #1 on the Oricon Weekly Charts and sold 316,425 copies. The title track was used as an insert song for the drama Hana Yori Dango.

I really do think that Planetarium is one of the pinnacles of Ai Otsuka’s career. It is such an amazing and beautiful song that is also very heartfelt. It’s the perfect pop ballad but the music also uses some traditional elements like Celtic inspired woodwinds and quiet percussion. The song eventually gains momentum when the electric guitars come in but everything slows down for the bridge sequence. I love how the bridge ends with the sound of fireworks and transitions into the final chorus.

The B-side is the complete opposite of the previous track. While Planetarium was a sad and unrequited kind of song, drop. is extremely optimistic and sweet. Mostly comprising of electric guitars and acoustics, the music is very cheerful. Otsuka’s vocals are catchy and have a nice rhythm, making the overall melody of the song quite infectious. This is an excellent song and one of her best B-sides too.

Overall Rating

5 stars