Sunday, August 26, 2007
CD Review :: Soundtrack Of High School Musical 2
Tracklist :
1) What Time Is It
2) Fabulous
3) Work This Out
4) You're The Music In Me
5) I Don't Dance
6) You Are The Music In Me (Sharpay Version)
7) Gotta Go My Own Way
8) Bet On It
9) Everyday
10) All For One
11) Humuhumunukunukuapua'a1 of the most anticipated sequel of a soundtrack/movie released in recent times , it's the soundtrack of High School Musical 2 .
Debuting at No.1 on the Billboard 200 chart , Amazon.com & iTunes Store , the album sold 615,000 copies which's the 2nd best 1st week sales of 2007 in US (just short of Linkin Park's Minutes to Midnight , which sold 623,000 copies in the 1st week) . The set also claims the biggest 1st week sales for a television soundtrack .
It's amazing sales wise as the 1st week sales of the 1st soundtrack was only 7,469 copies & it was released on Jan 10th '06 and debuted at No.133 on the Billboard 200 & it has since climbed all the way to No.1 & was the best selling album in US for 2006 .
& if you look at the 1st week sales for both soundtracks , it's a huge & stark difference in practically everything .
Movie wise , a total of 17.24 million viewers - almost 10 million more than saw the debut of High School Musical - tuned in to the August 17 broadcasts in US making it the highest rated basic cable broadcast of all time .
I'm a huge HSM fan & naturally expectations for the 2nd soundtrack & movie are higher after the unexpected huge success of the 1st soundtrack/movie which has since became a global phenomenon but I'm glad to say that both the movie & soundtrack of HSM 2 has exceeded my expectations !
& I honestly feel that the songs in the 2nd album are so much better than the 1st one as there's not a single bad song on the 2nd sountrack although some of the songs didn't grab me instantly but after watching the movie , I have no problem with that now !
Seriously all the songs are fanastic , there's something for everyone in here but if I were to pick just 1 song that I really like , it has to be Vanessa Anne Hudgens's emotional solo Gotta Go My Own Way . If you remember , she also did an emotional solo No. in the 1st movie called When There Was Me & You but I really like Gotta Go My Own Way in which Zac Efron sang a bit of the song with her unlike When There Was Me & You but Gotta Go My Own Way's highly recommended .
I also like the song that Ashley Tisdale & Lucas Grabeel did called Fabulous & I was actually hoping that they would do Humuhumunukunukuapua'a in the movie but I'm surprised that they didn't .
Humuhumunukunukuapua'a's a pretty comical song & it's pretty cheesy with funny lyrics & etc but it's a cute song if you look at it on whole & of course you cannot leave out the duets that Zac's character Troy Bolton & Vanessa's character Gabriella Montez did in the form of You're The Music In Me & Everyday .
Everyday didn't stuck in my head when I 1st heard it but after watching the movie where they performed this song at the Country Club , I really love it now & so's You're The Music In Me .
Just like in the 1st movie where you got the upbeat & ballad versions of What I've Been Looking For , you have the upbeat version of You're In The Music which Ashley's character Sharpay Evans did together with Zac's character Troy by force & honestly when I 1st heard the upbeat version of You're In The Music In Me , I got a shock as there's such a big difference between Zac & Vanessa's version as compared to Ashley's .
There's also a Zac solo No. in the form of Bet On It which I really like when I 1st heard it & compared with Get'cha Head In The Game which he did for the 1st movie & this one , I prefer Bet On It & unlike in the 1st movie , Zac did all the songs in the 2nd movie as Zac's voice was blended in together with Drew Seeley but this time , Zac confirmed that he sang for all the songs in the 2nd movie .
I don't know why his voice was blended in together with Drew but Zac can carry a tune !
Corbin Bleu & Lucas did a song together this time round in the form of I Don't Dance . I like that one & when they did this song in the movie , it's quite hilarious which you should check it out once the movie opens on Disney Channel in 2 Suns's time .
Last but not least , the whole cast of the movie come together to do 3 songs in the form of What Time Is It , Work This Out & the closing No. for the movie All For One .
What Time Is It was the 1st single to be released as a single from the movie & it debuted at No.6 in the Billboard Hot 100 single chart .
Now whenever I listen to the songs of High School Musical 2 , I can vision in my head where it takes place during the movie & I'm just glad that the 2nd movie/soundtrack has done so well , probably even better than expected since there was huge expectations to meet after the unexpected success of the 1st movie/soundtrack but glad to say that this time round , things are kicked up a notch or 2 higher than ever before .
Bring on the 3rd movie/soundtrack I say !
Saturday, August 25, 2007
ayaka - CLAP & LOVE / Why
Set to be released on 5th Sept , Wed , it's ayaka's 7th single CLAP & LOVE / Why . This's her 1st double A side single .
CLAP & LOVE is being used as the opening theme to the comedic J-Drama Jigoku no Sata mo Yome Shidai . Why will be used as the theme song to the game Crisis Core : Final Fantasy VII .
I like ayaka's material & I think this will do well although I think fans might not like CLAP & LOVE as it sounds a bit different from her usual material but I like it & so's Why's which's a ballad & ayaka's spourting a new look as evident in the music video of CLAP & LOVE which I say it's a nice new look for her !
Thursday, August 23, 2007
Koda Kumi - Ai no Uta (Love Song)
CD Only Cover :
CD + DVD Cover :
Set to be released on 12th Sept , Wed , it's Koda Kumi's 38th single something called Ai no Uta which means Love Song in Japanese .
This's Koda's 3rd single which's set to be released next month after the release of the double A side single BUT/Aisho which peaked at No.2 & FREAKY which secured her 4th No.1 single after you , feel & the 2 story ballad Yume no Uta / Futari de... (Dream Song/2 of us...) .
It follows 2006's Yume no Uta as an autumn/wintertime love ballad . The B-side an upbeat No. called Come Over is the Sekai Judo 2007 theme song . Ai no Uta is described as a song about the fleeting sadness of love, and how fragile and precious love is .
Honestly when I 1st heard Ai no Uta , I didn't like the song & not to mention I initally find the CD & CD + DVD single covers of Ai no Uta a bit dodgy . It's like she's holding some sorta glass ornaments but after watching the music video of Ai no Uta , I understand why the glass ornaments are there .
At the beginning when I 1st listened to Ai no Uta , I thought that it's unusually bland for a Koda Kumi ballad as I really like her ballads in her Black Cherry album in the form of Yume no Uta , Candle Light , Unmei (Fate) & etc but I have to admit after listening to Ai no Uta a few more times & after watching the music video to it , I really like it now .
Too bad there wouldn't be a music video accompanying Come Over but as to whether can Ai no Uta can secure Koda's 5th No.1 single in the Oricon chart , hopefully that can become a reality .
Wednesday, August 08, 2007
Utada Hikaru - Beautiful World / Kiss & Cry
Scheduled to be released in 3 Wed's time it's Utada Hikaru's 19th Japanese single although this will be her 24th single that she has released overall & this time it's another double A side single in the form of Beautiful World / Kiss & Cry .
Beautiful World is an uptempo but sad song and it would served as the theme song for Rebuild of Evangelion , the major-tie in that had been rumoured for several weeks prior to this announcement .
While Kiss & Cry is an 'effervescent summer dance track' that sampled part of the bridge melody from Hotel Lobby which's Track 7 from her 2004 all-English Exodus album .
Kiss & Cry was featured in the 2007 Freedom Cup Noodles commerical the same tie-in of her first download-exclusive 2006 Japanese-language single This is Love .
There is a music video for Kiss & Cry , made up of screenshots of characters from FREEDOM lip-synching to the song .
The double A side contains a B-side , Fly Me To The Moon (In Other Words) -2007 Mix- would be used as a theme for the commerical trailers promoting Rebuild of Evangelion . The song, originally featured on the Distance single , Wait & See ~Risk~ was remastered with new background music for the tie-in.
Honestly between Beautiful World and Kiss & Cry , I prefer Beautiful World & I really like it the 1st time I heard it . For some reason/s , Kiss & Cry doesn't sit well with me as compared to Beautiful World & I saw the music video for Kiss & Cry & I don't like it as evident with many of her fans who echo the same sentiments cos this's probably the 1st music video that does not feature Utada at all .
But I think this double A side single would do well for Utada .
Saturday, August 04, 2007
Anna Tsuchiya - BUBBLE TRIP / sweet sweet song
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CD + DVD Cover :
The 6th single released by JPop/Rock singer Anna Tsuchiya . BUBBLE TRIP is described as a song that blends R&B and Rock , and is produced by KNS Productions (who had previously produced songs from Britney Spears's third and fourth albums). The song was used as in the Herbal Essences advertisment in Japan . The other A-side, sweet sweet song , was used as in an advertisement by Daiichikosho karaoke company Premium DAM .
This double A side single was released a few days ago , on Wed .
In case you know or don't know anything about Anna , she was born to a Russian-American father and Japanese mother . & it's hard to believe that she's already a mother to a 3 year old son called Sky . Somemore she's only 23 !
But just in case you somewhat find her name familiar , yes , she contributed songs to the manga animated series NANA alongside with fellow bilingual JPop/Rock singer Olivia Lufkin/OLIVIA .
While Olivia provided the singing vocals for Trapnest's Reira , for Anna's case , she provided the singing vocals for Black Stones's Nana & for Anna , her most successful single in her singing career so far has to be rose which peaked at No.6 on the Oricon singles chart & rose's a great song .
Just like Olivia , I came to know Anna though her works that she did for NANA & Anna's voice wasn't as bad as I thought it will be . The fact that she's bilingual in Eng & Japanese's an added bonus too .
& for her the songs that she did in conjunction with NANA , she's credited as ANNA TSUCHIYA inspi' NANA (BLACK STONES) / ANNA inspi' NANA (BLACK STONES) .
But anyway this time round , BUBBLE TRIP / sweet sweet song's actually the 1st single that she did post NANA which means that you wouldn't be able to find this double A side in the NANA BEST compliation unlike 3 singles that she has released beforehand , in the form of rose , Kuroi Namida (which means Black Tears in Japanese & it's a great ballad . In fact it's 1 of the rare ballads that she has done in NANA) & LUCY .
BUBBLE TRIP's quite different from the usual stuff that she does but still it's a fun song . I like sweet sweet song too but I felt that it's a bit too short . It should be longer a bit but it's still a good song . Anna's cool , I'm looking forward to more material from her in the near future !
