Beyond the Sea ~ The Style. Edition

The cover of the CD only edition

Sunrise / Sunset ~LOVE is ALL~ is Ayumi Hamasaki’s 46th single and it was released on August 12, 2009. The single reached #1 on the Oricon Weekly Charts and sold 90,713 copies. The first track was used as the theme song for the drama Dandy Daddy?.

There is something very off about both of the covers…oh wait, I got it. Ayu looks like a damn monkey. A badly photoshopped monkey.

♦ ♦ ♦

From the very beginning, this single made me think of Koda Kumi’s Yume no Uta / Futari de… since it features 2 songs that share the same basic melody but have vastly different arrangements and lyrics. Unlike the Kumi single, one song is an upbeat summer track while the other is a sweeping ballad.

It sounds like the electronic influences of Hamasaki’s last album NEXT LEVEL make an appearance in Sunrise ~LOVE is ALL~. Initially, I was expecting the song to be another “typical Ayu summer tune” but I was mildly surprised. The sparkling synth and beats make it a little different. I feel like the song was designed to get stuck in your head because the chorus is extremely catchy. There’s no denying that. It doesn’t help that Ayu’s minions are chanting “motto ooki na koe de, motto ooki na ai wo” at certain intervals as well. I surrender, okay? I really like it now. XD

Then we have the ballad Sunset ~LOVE is ALL~, which I thought was quite relaxing thanks to the flowing strings and piano. As you would expect, everything has been toned down to create a gentle and bubbly atmosphere. Personally, I prefer Sunrise by a longshot though.

Also on the single is a giant mash up mix that includes 5 songs. fairyland, arguably the most unique of these songs, appears first and it’s followed by glitter and BLUE BIRD. This portion of the mash up is the most interesting because those songs blend into each other so well. That’s how eerily similar they are. It ends with Greatful days and July 1st, 2 older songs that I never really cared for. Sure, it’s a nice bonus on the single, but it really just proves that all of Hamasaki’s summer themed tracks sound the same.

Pros: I thought this single was fun. Predictable at times, but fun.
Cons: Apart from the awful covers, the mash up mix is just an 8 minute song. What’s next; a winter ballad mash up? (Actually, I would like that. LOL)

BASICALLY…motto ooki na koe de, motto ooki na ai wo =D

Overall Rating

4 stars

Tracklisting

1. Sunrise ~LOVE is ALL~ (Original mix)
2. Sunset ~LOVE is ALL ~ (Original mix)
3. “fairyland-glitter-BLUE BIRD-Greatful days-July 1st” Mega-Mash-Up-Mix
4. Sunrise ~LOVE is ALL~ (Original mix -Instrumental-)
5. Sunset ~LOVE is ALL~ (Original mix -Instrumental-)

Tracklisting
1. Rule (Original mix)
2. Sparkle (Original mix)
3. Rule (80kidz’s “No More Rule” mix)
4. Rule (Remo-con “tech dance” remix)
5. Rule (Original mix -Instrumental-)
6. Sparkle (Original mix -Instrumental-)

This is Ayumi Hamasaki’s 45th single and it was released on February 25, 2008. The single reached #1 on the Oricon Weekly Charts and sold 129,534 copies. The first track was used as the theme song for the movie Dragonball Evolution.

IMPORTANT NOTE: The tracklisting you see above is version A’s, but I will also cover the extra tracks that are included on versions B and C.

I got to admit that Rule is a pretty cool song after a couple of listens. It’s a rock oriented track but not like the more “serious” stuff that was on GUILTY. The music does have that edgy and hard-hitting sound to it, but the mood is less, how should I put it…DRAB. The entire song came off as a little awkward at first, especially with the strange verses that feature muffled vocals, but the chorus is definitely a highlight since it’s pretty catchy.

When someone asked me to describe Sparkle, I said “OMG HOT AND SLUTTY FIERCE POP ♥♥♥”. Putting my love for this song aside, it is honestly one of Hamasaki’s hottest and most eye-popping tracks in a long time. Even though I like Rule, this song totally blows it out of the water because of one big reason: it’s different. Hamasaki should do more electronic dance tracks like this because it works well with her voice and this type of music is better suited for her overall. I’m hoping that her new album NEXT LEVEL will feature similarly executed tracks.

All versions of the single include 2 remixes of Rule but unfortunately, I didn’t really like either of them. The 80kidz’s “No More Rule” mix is filled with loud synth riffs that drown out the vocals with Hamasaki’s disembodied voice repeating “RULE RULE RULE” over and over in the background. Trust me bbz, it gets annoying after a while. The Remo-con “tech dance” remix is almost as annoying because of its constant, yet really messy beats as well.

That’s why you should ditch version A and check out versions B and C instead! I’ll start with the remixes of Days that appear on version B.

• The 8-bits of tears YMCK remix is insanely cute and I loved how YMCK changed the song into something that sounds like old school video game background music. I thought it was quite innovative and I’m definitely interested in hearing more remixes from them.
• You know that I love me some orchestral music so I was pleased to see Days get that treatment. The acoustic orchestra version is more interesting than original as far as I’m concerned. It’s quite beautiful too.

Finally, let’s look over the remixes of GREEN that are featured on version C.

• The CMJK Spring Storm mix is not bad and I liked that it’s not a complete mess compared to the Rule remixes. The electronic sound of the remix certainly gives the song a neurotic mood with its use of electronic guitar and deep synth riffs.
• The song also has an acoustic orchestra version and I thought the strings were interesting this time around. They are a little more hectic to match the arrangement but it’s all good.

Overall Rating

4½ stars

Tracklisting
Days / GREEN version
1. Days (Original mix)
2. GREEN (Original mix)
3. LOVE ~Destiny~ (10th Anniversary version)
4. Days (Original mix -Instrumental-)
5. GREEN (Original mix -Instrumental-)
6. LOVE ~Destiny~
    (10th Anniversary version -Instrumental-)

GREEN / Days version
1. GREEN (Original mix)
2. Days (Original mix)
3. TO BE (10th Anniversary version)
4. GREEN (Original mix -Instrumental-)
5. Days (Original mix -Instrumental-)
6. TO BE
    (10th Anniversary version -Instrumental-)

This is Ayumi Hamasaki’s 44th single and it was released on December 17, 2008. The single reached #1 on the Oricon Weekly Charts and sold 190,891 copies.

I swear there isn’t an Ayumi Hamasaki ballad that I DON’T like because I was instantly feeling Days on the first listen. The song is a typical pop ballad and even though there is nothing particularly special about it, I still think it’s quite nice. The music has a calm and pristine quality that’s perfect for the winter season as well. I enjoyed the chorus the most because it’s pretty catchy and Hamasaki’s vocals are great.

The other track is far more interesting in terms of overall presentation. GREEN is somewhat unique compared to Hamasaki’s recent rock oriented material and it’s refreshing. There is a prominent Oriental influence in the fast paced arrangement thanks to the use of Eastern styled acoustics and percussion. It was awesome to hear her perform something different and she sounded radiant while doing it. At first, I preferred Days, but this song has a been growing on me a lot and now I enjoy both songs equally.

Hooray for more 10th anniversary versions! This time, the songs were originally released back in 1999. Just like on her last single, depending on the version you got, there is a different tracklisting and 10th anniversary version. I’m glad to say that the new version of LOVE ~Destiny~, her 7th single, is superb. While I thought the original was nice, her vocals from back then really kept me from liking it. The song sounds much better with Hamasaki’s improved vocals and the revamped arrangement that features gorgeous strings.

TO BE, her 8th single, was one of the few early Hamasaki songs that I actually liked so I was glad to see it get touched up. As heard in the new version of LOVE ~Destiny~, her vocals are stronger so that’s a big plus. The music is pretty much the same though, minus some minor tweaks and so on.

Overall Rating

4½ stars

Tracklisting
YOU version
1. Mirrorcle World (Original mix)
2. Life (Original mix)
3. YOU (10th Anniversary version)
4. Mirrocle World (Original mix -Instrumental-)
5. Life (Original mix -Instrumental-)
6. YOU
    (10th Anniversary version -Instrumental-)

Depend on you version
1. Mirrorcle World (Original mix)
2. Life (Original mix)
3. Depend on you (10th Anniversary version)
4. Mirrorcle World (Original mix -Instrumental-)
5. Life (Original mix -Instrumental-)
6. Depend on you
    (10th Anniversary version -Instrumental-)

This is Ayumi Hamasaki’s 43rd single and it was released on April 8, 2008, exactly 10 years after her debut single poker face (it also commemorates her 10th anniversary as a major label artist). The single reached #1 on the Oricon Weekly Charts and sold 193,016 copies.

I’ll get to the point. Mirror, the high octane introduction track on Ayumi Hamasaki’s latest album GUILTY got PIMPED! The full-length result is the stunning roller coaster ride known as Mirrorcle World. Opening with cinematic strings, the song slowly creeps into the distorted dial-tone sound that began the original Mirror. The song sounds even better than I remembered, especially during the very aggressive chorus where there are heavy bursts of electric guitar and drums. Many things have been added on to give the song a more epic feel. This ranges from its extended introduction to the really dramatic bridge and then some. With all the extra stuff that’s going on, Mirrocle World still manages to cleanly end the exact same way as the original did. Now THIS is how you make a recut single!

The only “new” track on the single is the B-side, a more mellow tune titled Life. The song is a pretty standard rockish track from Hamasaki and there’s nothing really incriminating about it. It’s actually quite underwhelming compared to her previous B-sides too. This is a nice song, but an unmemorable one at that.

The single was released with 2 different tracklistings and depending on the version, you get a different 10th anniversary version of a classic Hamasaki song from 1998. These versions are completely redone and feature new vocals. I’ll start with YOU, her 2nd single. Instead of the familiar synth loop that opens the original, it’s replaced with a prominent electric guitar. Despite sounding more “modern”, the 10th anniversary version doesn’t stray far from the original in terms of overall production.

The other song is her 5th single Depend on you. I found this 10th anniversary version to be better than the one of YOU because there are some really nice changes. It utilizes a nice pop rock sound with some electronic influences here and there. This becomes even more evident at the end where it features a synthed up guitar solo.

Overall Rating

4 stars

Tracklisting
1. talkin’ 2 myself “Original mix”
2. decision “Original mix”
3. fated “Orchestra version”
4. talkin’ 2 myself “Original mix -Instrumental-”
5. decision “Original mix -Instrumental-”

This is Ayumi Hamasaki’s 42nd single and it was released on September 19, 2007. The single reached #1 on the Oricon Weekly Charts and sold 110,628 copies.

talkin’ 2 myself is such a drastic improvement over Ayumi Hamasaki’s previous single glitter / fated. The song opens with blaring, quick electric guitar chords and low key strings that instantly set the dark and unsettling mood of this track. Hamasaki’s vocals lower pitched vocals blend in with the music quite nicely and it gives her voice extra power as well, especially during the fast paced chorus. When it comes to the composition, this is easily one of the best I have heard from her.

The B-side, decision, follows the same style as talkin’ 2 myself since it begins rather softly and then explodes into a rockish frenzy that quiets down when the first verse arrives. Once again, Hamasaki displays more powerful vocals during the chorus. The song’s structure and darker atmosphere is similar to that of the A-side.

The 3rd track is a beautifully orchestrated version of fated. This was definitely the better track on the glitter / fated single and to hear it performed by only a string section is amazing. The strings give the song a whole new level of emotion. This is much better than the original version in my opinion.

Overall Rating

4½ stars

Tracklisting
1. glitter “original mix”
2. fated “original mix”
3. Secret “original mix”
4. glitter “original mix -Instrumental-”
5. fated “original mix -Instrumental-”

This is Ayumi Hamasaki’s 41st single and it was released on July 18, 2007. The single reached #1 on the Oricon Weekly Charts and sold 166,203 copies. The 2nd track was used as the theme song for the Hideo Nakata movie Kaidan.

glitter is typical Ayumi Hamsaki, pure and simple. I can’t stress it enough. The song is basically a mish-mash of past ’summer’ type songs like fairyland and BLUE BIRD but not as good. You’d think that Hamasaki would try something new since this is the beginning of her ‘third chapter’ but noooooo. Despite all of this, the formula still works and the song is catchy and very upbeat.

fated is by far the more interesting of the 2 A-sides. The song is slower but it has dazzling electric guitar chords and strong percussion. The chorus is great and definitely the best part of this very dramatic song. If only the single was called ‘fated / glitter’ instead. XD

Track 3 is Secret, the ending track from the studio album of the same name. This song was included on the single because it was used as the theme song for the Japanese release of the Chinese movie Confession of Pain. It’s still a great song and if you haven’t listened to the album yet, this track might interest you.

Overall Rating 

3½ stars