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!

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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?

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

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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

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*

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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

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!

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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)

The cover of the CD+calendar edition

Moshimo Negai ga… (もしも願いが・・・) is Nami Tamaki’s 18th single and it was released on October 14, 2009. The single reached #20 on the Oricon Weekly Charts and sold 3,408 copies. The title track was used as the theme song for the video game Valhalla Knights: Eldar Saga.

I like all of the covers but the CD+calendar edition’s is my favorite. Looking good, Nami! ♥

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I’m glad that Nami Tamaki’s music has been improving little by little since the label switch. It’s safe to say that Moshimo Negai ga… is her best A-side so far too. I’ve gotten over the fact that she’s not doing the dance oriented stuff anymore so I’m trying to approach her “new style” with an open mind now. As for this song, it has a nice production value that features a mid-tempo arrangement done with piano and light beats. There’s also some synth in the background as well.

The single includes 2 B-sides. The first one is Sukiya de ~Itoshii Hito e~ and it appears on all the editions. I thought this song was pretty good and it elaborates on the fluffy pop sound heard on some of the tracks from the Friends! single. I was a little turned off by the male vocals that show up during the chorus but they’re not too distracting.

The CD only edition has an exclusive track and it’s a cover of the song MAGIC (originally performed by Tina in 1999). It’s an upbeat track and has a lot of synth and beats. Like the first B-side, it has a polished sound that I thought was great.

Pros: Overall, her best Universal single yet.
Cons: Minor stuff. Don’t falter now, Nami!

BASICALLY…she’s off my shitlist! XD

Overall Rating

4 stars

Tracklisting

1. Moshimo Negai ga… (もしも願いが・・・)
2. Sukiya de ~Itoshii Hito e~ (好きやで～愛しい人へ～)
3. MAGIC [CD only]
    Moshimo Negai ga… (Instrumental) [CD+calendar & CD+DVD]

The cover of the CD only edition

Emotions is Thelma Aoyama’s 2nd studio album and it was released on September 9, 2009. The album reached #11 on the Oricon Weekly Charts and sold 29,851 copies.

Thelma has such classy covers (minus ONE WAY lol). I’m liking the 3D effect going on too.

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Keep in mind that FIVE singles were released prior to this album but only TWO of them actually appear on it. The first three singles Nando mo, Mamoritai Mono, and Daikkirai Demo Arigatou are on LOVE! ~THELMA LOVESONG COLLECTION~ which was released earlier this year. Honestly, that ”album” was a total gimmick and just another excuse to put her huge hit song Soba ni Iru ne on another CD. Okay, I’m done ranting. XD

But I digress since those first 3 singles wouldn’t have fit that well into Emotions anyway. When things come down to it, Thelma Aoyama’s official sophomore effort is a lot better than her debut album DIARY. I thought that album was okay and I only liked a couple tracks off it. Even though I wasn’t really impressed with her debut, it still showed that Aoyama had a lot of potential so I kept my eye on her. It wasn’t until she released Todoketai… feat KEN THE 390, the first single off Emotions, that I really began to like her. It just got better with the next single Wasurenai yo, which was very good as well.

So the singles were pretty amazing (Todoketai… feat. KEN THE 390 is definitely my favorite track on the album) but how about the new material? Well…some are good while others are pretty forgettable. I have seen varying opinions concerning the new tracks but for me, the ones that stood out the most were the following:

• I’m Sorry, one of the more upbeat songs on the album. The chorus is catchy and Thelma’s vocals are stronger here.
• Aoyama’s cover of the popular m-flo song come again (retitled WANNA COME AGAIN). It also features VERBAL. I liked her version more than the original since it sounds less boring and has nice synth.
• I have a soft spot for LOOK. It’s very catchy and has a prominent R&B vibe compared to other tracks.
• The sentimental ballad Cinderella Story. It’s a very nice way to end the album and the song itself is very personal to Aoyama. When you think about it, her sudden rise to fame is like a “Cinderella story”.

As for the remaining tracks…they’re nice but extremely ordinary. It’s like they all have the basic pop song formula but with an extra beat or something. I didn’t see that much effort put into them besides Aoyama’s appealing vocals.

Pros: A big step up from DIARY. I could actually listen to all of Emotions in one setting!
Cons: There are typical songs that sound under-produced (the mid-tempo tracks mainly).

BASICALLY…even with its faults, I get “good emotions” from this album.

Overall Rating

4 stars

Tracklisting

1. Intro
2. Wasurenai yo (忘れないよ)
3. Happiness
4. Futari no Yakusoku no Hi (二人の約束の日)
5. I’m Sorry
6. KEEP ON
7. Sunao ni Naru Nakute (素直になれなくて)
8. Todoketai… feat. KEN THE 390 (届けたい・・・ feat. KEN THE 390)
9. Baby, I love you
10. LOOK
11. WANNA COME AGAIN feat. VERBAL (m-flo)
12. Cinderella Story

Note: My favorite tracks are highlighted in blue!

The cover of the CD+DVD edition

It’s all too much / Never say die is YUI’s 15th single and it was released on October 7, 2009. The single reached #1 on the Oricon Weekly Charts and sold 99,433 copies. Both songs were featured in the movie KAIJI. The first track is the theme song while the 2nd is an insert song.

OMG she cut her hair! And is she in a hotel room or something? Someone explain the random cards to me too.

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YUI’s been getting better and I thought her last single again was great. She kind of continues the progressive rock sound in It’s all too much which features prominent electric guitars. She includes other instruments like her trademark acoustics and piano but I noticed that the arrangement is much sharper than I have previously heard from her. It’s polished and sounds very neat. Overall, the song is well done.

The other track was a nice surprise. Never say die is really short but it definitely delivers the goods. The music is a lot more energetic here than in It’s all too much and I liked the constant riffs alongside the thumping drums. It’s a fun song and my favorite on the single.

Her upbeat songs usually make for better acoustic versions and I liked how again got reworked. She maintains the fast pace of the original but her vocals are toned down a considerable notch. This is an awesome acoustic version and one of her best.

Pros: The single includes 2 high quality songs. No complaining here.
Cons: It still left me wanting more, especially since Never say die is so short.

BASICALLY…I’m starting to like YUI again! =O

Overall Rating

4 stars

Tracklisting

1. It’s all too much
2. Never say die
3. again ~YUI Acoustic Version~
4. It’s all too much ~Instrumental~

UP TO YOU is MiChi’s major debut album and it was released on September 30, 2009. The album reached #4 on the Oricon Weekly Charts and sold 31,662 copies. It was preceded by 4 singles: PROMiSE, ChaNge the WoRLd, KiSS KiSS xxx, and YOU.

Oh my goodness…that is such a bad mugshot of her. D:

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1,2,3 get your ass on the floor
I’m bringing some madness on the way to your door
I don’t care what happens to me anymore
It’s the power of madness 

I am lazy so go to Jpop Stop for more info about MiChi. She is originally from London and made her major label debut in Japan with the single PROMiSE.

I wanna start things off by saying that I really enjoyed this album. It’s fun, full of energy, and quite fresh when compared to other J-pop releases this year. MiChi’s music is electronic and dance based for the most part but she mixes other stuff like rock and house. I want to divide my overview of the album into 3 sections since it has equal amounts of each category: A-sides, B-sides, and new tracks.

Everything was new to me but the A-sides are the strongest tracks on the album and showcase what MiChi is all about. All of them are extremely catchy and I really like the way she mixes Japanese and English lyrics. PROMiSE, ChaNge the WoRLd, and KiSS KiSS xxx are full of infectious hooks and melodies. The 4th and last single she released, YOU, stands out as the album’s only ballad and it is absolutely gorgeous. I love it so much. <3

Every original B-side from each single was included as well. Surprisingly, I thought most of them were pretty good. HEy GirL and Why oh Why (a new version of YOY) were my favorites since they are just as catchy as the upbeat A-sides. The only one that I didn’t like was One of a Kind because I thought it was annoying with its brazen electric guitars.

Finally, we have the new tracks. Technically, there’s only 4 of them since the first track is a short intro and the song UP TO YOU is a rearranged Japanese version of Fuck You and Your Money (a song from her indies album). Just listen to Fuck You and Your Money since it’s much better anyway. I did like RaiN thanks to its acoustic based sound and Something Missing was also quite good. There’s also Oh Oh… but it’s only worth mentioning because of the “I don’t give a shit what you think about me / Shut the fuck up right now“ lines which I found totally hilarious. As for Shibuya de Punch…I didn’t like it. Don’t believe the hype because it’s not that good.

As a whole, the album has a neat flow and I liked the overall theme that it had going on. MiChi definitely flaunts her personality in many of the songs and she likes to focus on the idea of being a true individual. Like she says in the opening track: What you’re gonna see is you’re gonna get cause what I hate the most is people faking it. However, she does show her sensitive side in YOU, which I thought was great. She’s not up in your face the entire time. XD

Pros: So many songs will be stuck in your head for days. They’re like crack. LOL
Cons: The new tracks aren’t up to snuff, especially Shibuya de Punch.

BASICALLY…I’vE gOT tHe MiChi MadNesS!

Overall Rating

 4½ stars

Tracklisting

1. MadNesS Vol.1
2. PROMiSE
3. ChaNge the WoRLd
4. Why oh Why
5. HEy GirL
6. KiSS KiSS xxx
7. RaiN
8. Oh Oh…
9. Something Missing
10. One of a Kind
11. WoNDeRLaND?
12. Shibuya de Punch
13. YOU
14. UP TO YOU

Note: My favorite tracks are highlighted in blue!

ETERNAL FLAME is Do As Infinity’s 7th album and it was released on September 30, 2009. The album reached #9 on the Oricon Weekly Charts and sold 19,064 copies. It was preceded by the ∞1 single (2 songs were included).

For those morons who have been complaining about the cover just because “Tomiko and Ryo aren’t on it”…it’s called SYMBOLISM. Actually, it’s much more simple than that. *points at the album title*

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Put your hands on your beating chest
Feel the heat, they’re always with you

For being Do As Infinity’s “comeback album”, ETERNAL FLAME is very good. Even with their disbandment and 4 year absence, it’s their best album since 2002’s TRUE SONG. Let’s face it…minus the singles, the last 2 albums GATES OF HEAVEN and NEED YOUR LOVE (especially) were very lackluster. I have seen the criticisms surrounding ETERNAL FLAME and pretty much brushed them aside because they are stupid arguments brought about by butthurt veteran fans.

The biggest one that I have seen is “it’s not the same DAI anymore”. Well, OBVIOUSLY. This is a new and improved Do As Infinity without Dai Nagao (the main composer for all their songs prior to the disbandment). Tomiko Van and Ryo Owatari worked with different composers on this album and it shows. However, many of the songs on the album have the classic “DAI sound” but with a substantial upgrade. Honestly, before the disbandment, Dai Nagao’s compositions were getting stale and unoriginal.

The first half of the album is fantastic and contains some really high quality songs. Right from the beginning, the title track ETERNAL FLAME is quite epic and features completely English lyrics. It can be clunky at times, but still epic nonetheless. It moves onto higher octane tracks like Saigo no GAME and Perfect World. Along with the upbeat tracks, there is also a good amount of mellow songs. I thought Feelin’ The Light (another English track) and the mournful Nighter represented the best out of them. Piece Of Your Heart makes an appearance as the obligatory “cute song” (every DAI album has one) but I really liked it.

But…the album kind of goes downhill when the 2nd half comes around. I can’t remember Kitakaze, his hometown, or Honoo for the life of me. They’re not very memorable. Luckily, the album closes on an extremely good note with Umareyuku Monotachi e, which I thought made for a perfect finale. To make things even better, first pressings of the album come with a beautiful “10th anniversary version” of Tangerine Dream, the band’s debut single.

Pros: DAI is back and better than ever. Keep on burning that eternal flame!
Cons: I’m still iffy on tracks 9 through 11…and where the heck is Timeless?

BASICALLY…it feels like they never left. =)

Overall Rating

 4½ stars

Tracklisting

1. ETERNAL FLAME
2. Saigo no GAME (最後のGAME)
3. Perfect World
4. Namonaki Kakumei (名もなき革命)
5. Nighter (ナイター)
6. Feelin’ The Light
7. Meramera (メラメラ)
8. Piece Of Your Heart
9. Kitakaze (北風)
10. his hometown
11. Honoo (焔)
12. Umareyuku Monotachi e (生まれゆくものたちへ)
13. Tangerine Dream ~10th Anniversary~ [CD only first pressing]

Note: My favorite tracks are highlighted in blue!

The cover of the limited edtion (type C)

CANDY GIRL is Mika Nakashima’s 29th single and it was released on September 30, 2009. The single reached #4 on the Oricon Weekly Charts and sold 19,052 copies.

Mika is a unique and precious little snowflake! *eye roll* I guess if you want to complete the totally overdone and cliché ~circus theme~, you gotta look like a damn clown. First the Over Load cover and now this…way too much make up.

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To put it bluntly, CANDY GIRL has a cool and sleek jazzy sound that I think is pretty cool. The upbeat big band brass is great and gives the music a theatrical feel. While I did like the music, I was really put off by the constant and extremely repetitve background vocals. I know it’s common to hear them in her songs but this is just overkill. It doesn’t help that nearly half the song is performed by just background vocals. I’m not kidding when I say that. And YES, I’m sure the whole damn universe knows that it’s “like a circus” already.

As for the B-side, I liked it back when it was called Rocking Horse (a song from the MUSIC album lol). Seriously, SMILEY sounds like a pale imitation of that song, right down to the laugh at the very beginning. Nakashima’s vocals are off as well. Her voice is more shrilly than usual and it just bugged me. Once again, the music is good and is the best thing about the song.

Pros: The production value of both songs is commendable.
Cons: Everything else is ANNOYING. I have never disliked a Mika Nakashima single this much before.

BASICALLY…you’re better off just listening to the instrumentals.

Overall Rating

3 stars

Tracklisting

1. CANDY GIRL
2. SMILEY
3. CANDY GIRL (Instrumental)
4. SMILEY (Instrumental)