Wednesday, April 30, 2008

CD Review :: Ashlee Simpson - Bittersweet World



Tracklist :

1) Outta My Head (Ay Ya Ya)
2) Boys
3) Rule Breaker
4) No Time For Tears
5) Little Miss Obsessive Feat Plain White T's Tom Higgenson
6) Ragdoll
7) Bittersweet World
8) What I`ve Become
9) Hot Stuff Feat Izza Kizza
10) Murder
11) Never Dream Alone




Bittersweet World is Ashlee Simpson's 3rd album . This new release's Ashlee's 1st album since 2005's I Am Me .

So far , 2 singles have been released from Bittersweet World prior to the release of the album . Unlike the way the Japanese music market works , the US market works differently in that artistes tend to release singles before & after an album's released in a bid way to drum up more sales .

Whereas for the Japanese market , artistes usually have the tendency to release singles before an album's released & you seldom hear cases where singles are put out after an album has been dropped . There have been exceptions but that's usually not the case .

I actually have been a long fan of this girl since she debuted on the scene with 2004's Autobiography & compared to her older (in)famous sister Jessica Simpson , I actually prefer Ashlee's material much much more than Jessica & I have Ashlee's 1st 2 albums so it's only natural for me to be thrilled to find out that she's back with new material in the form of Bittersweet World .

If you know how her 1st 2 albums sounds like , Bittersweet World is totally different & makes quite a dramatic shift from the trademark pop/rock sound that she was famous for in the beginning .

I guess longtime fans of Ashlee were shocked when she dropped the 1st single from the record , Outta My Head (Ay Ya Ya) as the style of the song was a 360 degree turn for Ashlee as it's in the hip pop genre .

Needless to say , Outta My Head (Ay Ya Ya) tanked quite badly & I suspect it's the shift in musical direction which possibly alienated many of her fans . What a shame as the song's real catchy & it's something unique coming from Ashlee .

If Outta My Head (Ay Ya Ya) doesn't sit well with you , then probably longtime fans will like the 1st official single from the album / 2nd single from the album even more in the form of Little Miss Obsessive which features vocals from Plain White T's Tom Higgenson .

Little Miss Obsessive still manages to maintain her trademark pop/rock sound & this's 1 of my current fave songs at the moment . I like the way that Ashlee & Tom's vocals compliment each other quite well .

If you still long for Ashlee's pop/rock songs , you still get a couple of them like No Time For Tears & What I've Become which has a more edgier hard rock sound to it which I adore .

Otherwise , the rest of the tracks are mainly in the hip pop , electropop , punk pop genres . I personally think that all the tracks are well defined & are unique from each other & that they don't sound samey & the same which's a good thing .

Stand out tracks include Boys , Rule Breaker , Ragdoll & Hot Stuff in which Hot Stuff has a music hook which sounds strangely similar to Justin Timberlake's SexyBack .

Murder which feats vocals from Izza Kizza is my 2nd fave song on the album . I like the melody of the song which's really catchy & you can thank music maestro Timbaland for that .

The title track of the album's not bad but for some reason , it's not as strong as I thought it will be . It's only until I gave it a few more listens & I find it to be a decent one now .

The song that did not sit with me is Never Dream Alone which's ironically the last song on the album . While I do like the melody of the song which's basically a stripped down piano & cello tune , I find Ashlee's vocals a bit flat in Never Dream Alone . Not to mention I find that Never Dream Alone doesn't really have a head or tail to it .

Overall , I can say musically , Ashlee Simpson has grown since her 1st 2 offerings . If people are going to think that Bittersweet World is going to sound the same as her earlier works , they will be sorely disappointed .

About 75% - 80% of the album contains non pop/rock tunes & instead they're replaced with a fresh , funky blended sound of hip pop , electropop , punk pop .

With producers such as Timbaland , King Logan , Jerome Harmon , N*E*R*D's Chad Hugo & etc manning the production & sound to Bittersweet World , you definitely can't go wrong with this album especially when you have Timbaland & Chad Hugo onboard .

Bittersweet World is a fun record & you can definitely tell that Ashlee wants nothing but to just let loose in this latest offering .

Bottomline is , the album's not meant to be taken seriously & don't really expect a masterpiece offering coming from Ashlee . However if you listen to it with an open mind , you will bound to be surprised with Bittersweet World .



ARASHI - Kitto Daijoubu (Surely Okay)

CD Only Cover :




CD + DVD Cover :





Kitto Daijoubu (Surely Okay) is ARASHI's 16th single . It was released on 17th May '06 . Its peak position was no.1 on the Oricon singles chart & it sold 202,645 copies in 2006 making it the 45th most single of the year .

The reason why I'm blogging about Kitto Daijoubu (Surely Okay) at this point in time is partially due to Ken Hirai . Because you see , Ken talked about his obsession with this song during Ken's Bar '06 Winter , a segment in one of his on-stage performances which led me to wonder as to why Ken liked this song very much .

When Ken saw the PV of Kitto Daijoubu (Surely Okay) , he was so tempted to sing along and do the motions . But he says that it might have ruined his image LOL .

& after I heard Kitto Daijoubu (Surely Okay) & not to mention saw the PV to it , I can see why Ken Hirai was obsessed with that song . It's insanely catchy & it's such a fun summer song to dance & sing along to .

& unlike Tackey & Tsubasa , ARASHI's dance moves are pretty complicated to mimic :O . Thank goodness Ken Hirai decided NOT to follow suit as his dance moves or lack of it , is nothing to shout about .


Tuesday, April 29, 2008

CD Review :: Ken Hirai - gaining through losing



Tracklist :

1) She is !
2) KISS OF LIFE
3) L'Amant (The Lover)
4) Miracles
5) TUG OF WAR
6) Merry-Go-Round Highway
7) TABOO
8) Sweet Pillow
9) LOVE OR LUST
10) World's End
11)
even if
12) Gaining Through Losing



gaining through losing is Ken Hirai's 4th album . The album was released way back in 4th July '01 . Its peak position was no.2 on the Oricon album chart & it sold 1,067,780 copies in 2001 , making it the 21st most sold album of the year .

4 singles & 2 B sides are included in the album prior to the release of gaining through losing .

The album starts things off with a groovy no. She is ! I like the way trumpets & the likes kicks things off nicely with quite a big bang of sorts .

Track 2's Ken's 13th single KISS OF LIFE which I like immediately on 1st listen . Can tell that it's a fan fave especially when he does this song during his Ken's Bar & live concerts where there're a lot of cheers coming from the crowd whenever he does this song live .

After KISS OF LIFE , it's followed by a non released song called L'Amant (The Lover) . I think the song title's french but in anycase , I only find this song a-ok . It's a nice uptempo no. & I remember he did this live at his gaining through losing live tour '01 at the budokan & that version sounds much much better than what you hear on the album !

Next in line's Miracles , which's Ken's 12th single . It's a ballad . When I 1st hear it in his Utabaka best album , I did not really like it . It was only until I hear a snippet or 2 when it was played at the CNN talkasia interview then I was like oh this song's good & turns out it's !

Track 5's the B side of Miracles , titled TUG OF WAR . I find this to be a weak B side & it's quite a filler track on the album . Not to mention , I can't find the words TUG OF WAR in the song :S . I think I have to give this song a few more listens before it registers in my head .

Up next it's the 1/2 way mark in the album with a strange song title Merry-Go-Round Highway . When I 1st saw this song's title , I was like huh , what's that ? but it turns to be 1 of my fave songs on the album .

I really like the music melody going on in Merry-Go-Round Highway & it's pretty catchy & it's not as cheesy as I thought it will be .

The next track's the B side of Ken's 10th single LOVE OR LUST called TABOO . The lyrics of TABOO are pretty interesting to say the least . But other than that , I'm feeling TABOO more than TUG OF WAR .

Track 8's Sweet Pillow . Yet another strange song title but I really like this well sweet no. . I would classify Sweet Pillow as a midtempo ballad of sorts . The lyrics are a bit cheesy though .

After Sweet Pillow , it's LOVE OR LUST . The song features vocals from DOUBLE & you can hear her vocals in the background quite clearly . While this's 1 of my fave A sides from Ken , I can't say the same for the PV .

I heard that it was filmed in Mexico & it's quite random & which idiot would wear a suit in the blazing heat in the desert ?? Not to mention it ain't helping matters that Ken fainted purposely or accidentally at the end of the PV . For that I have no idea .

Anyway , to pick up the pace , track 10 World's End is up next . Just like TUG OF WAR , I feel that World's End borderlines on the filler factor & I have to admit it does take sometime for me to familiarise with both songs . I'm sure in due time , I will remember how both songs sound like but you should hear the falsetto on World's End coming from Ken , it will make your hair stand literally .

Track 11 is even if which's Ken's 11th single . Now I have to confess , I hated the song when I 1st heard it on his Utabaka best album . I don't know why that's the case cos I personally think the song was quite boring & un-memorable but after watching live performances of even if from his Ken's Bar & live concerts , I adore this more than before .

Seems to me that even if is his preferred song for an encore . Ken did a piano encore of even if at his Ken's Bar '07 Winter & also at his live tour '01 gaining through losing at the budokan 7 years ago .

In fact 1 of the most memorable performances of even if that he did was his budokan concert & it was quite a touching live performance when I saw it on youtube & later on in his concert DVD .

Why ? because the poor dude was crying when he was singing the song ! in fact I never seen a guy who has cried so much in my life at all . The reason why that happened was because that was the last performance of the tour .

The guitar player was crying at the side of the stage . Ken saw that and all the memories of working with the band members came up and he realised that after that night , they had to say goodbye til the next tour . So he couldn't help but cried . It's quite heartbreaking .

He choked up 1/2 way throughout his performance but it was great to see the crowd cheering & clapping to spur him on to finish the song .

I think it's a great way to close the album with Gaining Through Losing . This's my fave song on the album . Even though it's the longest track in the disc clocking in at 6:15 mins but I adore this big time .

In case you're wondering why the melody sounds unusually familiar , because the melody's the same one as what you will hear on F4's debut single Meteor Rain . Basically both songs uses the same melody & I have a feeling that Ken was approached & asked whether can the melody be used for Meteor Rain .

Anyway I don't know the story behind Meteor Rain but that's just my assumption but the reason why I like Gaining Through Losing is because it's such a soaring uplifting no. & not to mention it's quite gospel influenced & the closing chorus of the song is just plain brillant .

Initially I was skeptical to give this album a listen because it was released 7 years ago & I thought the non released songs will sound outdated & all but my fears were squashed when I gave gaining through losing a shot .

The album's worth a listen & with fantastic A sides & non released songs such as Gaining Through Losing & Merry-Go-Round Highway , you know you can't go wrong in here .


Sunday, April 27, 2008

abingdon boys school JAPAN TOUR 2008 DVD Tracklisting Details

Tracklisting :

1. ReBirth + ReVerse
2. As One
3. HOWLING
4. DOWN TO YOU
5. NERVOUS BREAKDOWN
6. Via Dolorosa
7. DESIRE
8. BLADE CHORD
9. Desert Rose
10. Nephilim
11. LOST REASON feat MICRO from HOME MADE Kazoku
12. stay away
13. Frea@K $HoW
14. INNOCENT SORROW
15. DRESS
16. Sweetest Coma Again
17. ATHENA


1 of my fave bands of all time abingdon boys school is going to release their 1st concert DVD titled abingdon boys school JAPAN TOUR 2008 on 16th July '08 , Wed in Japan & they have released the tracklisting of the DVD .

The DVD footage was recorded during their performance at Zepp TOKYO on Feb 29th '08 performance at Zepp TOKYO .

This's just amazing . How often do you get a band who performs all the songs from their self titled debut album + all the B sides that were included in the 4 singles that they have released so far in their career & not to mention their own take on Luna Sea's Sweetest Coma Again !!

The only thing that's missing is the DVD cover , regular & 1st press limited editions wise but I have a feeling that it might be a simple one carrying the band's symbol in anycase , all the more to look forward to get my hands on the DVD once it's released in Japan on 16th July , woo hoo !

I'm sure an OS press will be released for this as I really want to get a copy of it . Fingers crossed on that !

Saturday, April 26, 2008

ayaka - Okaeri (Welcome Home)





Okaeri (Welcome Home) is ayaka's 9th single . It's going to be released on 14th May , Wed in Japan . Okaeri (Welcome Home) will be used as the theme song for the dodrama Zettai Kareshi .

To be honest , I didn't expect that ayaka will be back so soon with a new single as her last single Te wo Tsunagou + Ai wo Utaou (Let's Hold Hands / Let's Sing Love) was released a mere 2 months ago .

Okaeri (Welcome Home) is another great uptempo song coming from this talented singer/songwriter . The melody's so captivating & it's such a nice song you can't help but drawn into it immediately .

ayaka's scheduled to drop her 2nd album titled Sing to the Sky on 25th June '08 , Wed & I can't wait for that to happen !


Thursday, April 24, 2008

CD Review :: Yuna Ito - HEART

CD Only Cover :



CD + DVD Cover :




Tracklist :

1) WORKAHOLIC
2) ENDLESS STORY
3) losin'
4) Know-how
5) Precious
6) Tender is the Night
7) Fragile
8) Nobody Knows
9) Faith
10) Stay for Love
11) Truth
13) Perfume
14) Precious -wedding extended ver.- (Bonus Track)



HEART is Yuna Ito's debut album . Its release date was on 24th Jan '07 . HEART debuted at no.1 on the Oricon albums chart & it sold a total of 523,715 copies in Japan making it the 14th most sold album of the year .

5 singles & a B side are included in HEART , prior to the release of the album .

Starter track WORKAHOLIC start things off pretty nicely & compared to Power of Love which's track 1 of Yuna's 2nd album WISH , WORKAHOLIC is more catchier than the latter .

Track 2's the song that started it all for Yuna , ENDLESS STORY . She released this song under the name REIRA starring YUNA ITO as she played Serizawa Reira in the flim adaption of the manga NANA .

She sang ENDLESS STORY for the 1st NANA movie which led to her big break in the music business in Japan .

Not many people knows this but ENDLESS STORY is a cover of Dawn Ann Thomas's If I'm Not In Love With You .

It's easy to see why ENDLESS STORY is 1 heck of a great power ballad . Yuna's vocals are spot on in here & the melody of the song will drawn onto you the moment you hear it & it's all the work of H∧L who arranged the song .

Despite the fact that ENDLESS STORY did not secure the no.1 spot in the weekly chart , it managed to sold more copies than Mika Nakashima's GLAMOROUS SKY in the long run .

Track 3 is Yuna's 4th single losin' . The lyrics doesn't seem to make sense & it sounded a bit silly for my liking but I do like the melody of the song . It's the kinda song that you would probably listen to on a lazy afternoon .

Next in line's a non released single , Know-how . I like this track the moment I 1st heard it as it's quite laid back & chilled . Kinda like a song that you will hear playing in a lounge .

Track 5 is Yuna's 3rd single Precious & it's another great sweeping ballad from her . You can definitely tell that ballads are her strength , given the fact that she has a great voice to pull them off pretty easily without a sweat .

The PV for Precious was shot in New Zealand & she looked really pretty in there .

Another ballad titled Tender is the Night follows suit & I know some people doesn't like this as the music sounds terribly outdated but it's 1 of my fave songs on the album , for a non released single .

I'm a sucker for saxaphone theme music that's why I adore this a lot .

The next 2 songs in line are 2 upbeat no.s . Fraglie kick things off with quite a punchy violin opening but somehow along the way , it got pretty lost which's quite a shame as it definitely had the potential to be a pretty decent no. .

The same thing goes for Nobody Knows . I just feel that it's there for the sake of being there , you know a filler in the album .

Luckily things were picked up much sooner than you think with Faith which's 1/2 of Yuna's 2nd single & her 1st double A side . Pureyes is sorely missing from the album in which I think she should have included it as it's a great upbeat no .

Faith is a ballad & unlike her other ballads , I found this pretty depressing . Must be the way the song was being arranged or something & the PV is ain't helping matters too .

Track 11 Stay for Love is the B side found in losin' . The music of Stay for Love is almost in the same vein as losin' except Stay for Love is more edgier & poppier than losin' . This one , I like .

After that , it's Yuna's 6th single Truth & it's her 2nd song to be performed under the name REIRA starring YUNA ITO . She performed the song in the 2nd NANA movie .

Although Truth wasn't able to match up to the same level of success that was attained by ENDLESS STORY , be it sales or chart position wise , I adore the song . The PV is fantastic & it was shot in Scotland & it's so scenic looking , it makes me want to visit Scotland in the near future .

The 2nd last track on the album's another ballad Perfume . It's a little on the blah side as initally I find that it has neither a head or a tail for starters but now after repeated spins on the song , I find it ok now .

Last but definitely not least , if you like the original version of Precious , then you probably will dig the -wedding extended ver.- of the song . Like the name of the remix suggest , the melody has the whole wedding vibe going on in there which's awesome . It's a bit longer than the original but I'm not complaining as it's such a great rearrangement for Precious . I can definitely see the Precious -wedding extended ver.- being played in weddings or probably engagement parties .

Before I wrap things up , I can safely say that in terms of songs wise , the A sides that Yuna released from the album are much stronger than the ones she released from WISH .

You can definitely tell that the A sides from HEART are great & the non released singles on the album seem to be overshadowed by the singles whereas for WISH , both the singles & non released singles were on par with each other .

Also , a more noticeable absent in HEART is the exclusion of Yuna's 4th single , the upbeat catchy no. stuck on you which I personally feel that she should have included in the album & so's Pureyes .

Fragile & Nobody Knows should have been axed & be replaced with the above tracks that were excluded instead as I don't really find the dancey tracks on HEART strong nor memorable as the ones you can find in WISH .

& like what I have said before , Yuna's strength lies in her ballads . She really should cut down in doing the upbeat dancey no.s which I feel are not really her thing . I rather she will be remembered for being a great ballad singer cos I think down the line , people will remember her for her great ballads in the form of ENDLESS STORY , Precious & Truth .


Monday, April 21, 2008

LIME May '08 Review Of Ken Hirai's FAKIN' POP





By Sheryl Teo

" J Pop R&B singer/songwriter Ken Hirai returns with his 7th solo album after 2004's successful release SENTIMENTALovers . Including popular pre-released singles such as the infectious track POP STAR & affecting ballad Elegy , this pleasurable album also offers other captivating numbers such as Kimi wa Su.te.ki♡ and soulful ballad Itsuka Hanareru Hi ga Kite mo . This is definitely an album worth the wait for Ken's fans .

Other highlights : Canvas , Pain , Shashin "

FAKIN' POP is placed in the "Can't Live Without" category .

LIME rates albums in the form of "Can't Live Without" , "Good Shit" , "Worth A Spin" , "Bargin Bin" and "Use As Frisbee" instead of the usual standard ratings you find in a magazine .

Sweet !

Saturday, April 19, 2008

Ken Hirai - Itsuka Hanareru Hi ga Kite mo (If Some Day a Day Comes Where I'm Separated from You)



Tracklisting :

1) Itsuka Hanareru Hi ga Kite mo (If Some Day a Day Comes Where I'm Separated from You)
2) Itsuka Hanareru Hi ga Kite mo (less vocal) (If Some Day a Day Comes Where I'm Separated from You)


Itsuka Hanareru Hi ga Kite mo (If Some Day a Day Comes Where I'm Separated from You) is Ken Hirai's 29th single & his 1st recut single . It's scheduled to be released in Japan next Wed on the 23rd .

The song can be found on Ken's latest album FAKIN' POP as track 12 . The song will be used as the theme song for the Japanese film Ano Sora wo Oboeteru , which stars Takenouchi Yutaka . The flim will be released in Japanese theatres on April 26 .

1st of all I was surprised when it was announced that this song which has a rather complicated sounding title will be released as a recut single from Ken's album as honestly when I 1st heard this song from him , it did not sit well with me as it's the longest track on the album & it kinda borderlines on the snooze factor as it clocks in at 6:34 mins on the album !

I would have preferred if Ken were to release Shashin or UPSET from the album as these 2 will make a bigger impact on radio & not to mention it's quite single material but I suppose since DefSTAR records sees an opportunity to cash in the fact that Itsuka Hanareru Hi ga Kite mo (If Some Day a Day Comes Where I'm Separated from You) is going to be used as the theme song for the movie Ano Sora wo Oboeteru that's why this happens !

Whether or not Itsuka Hanareru Hi ga Kite mo (If Some Day a Day Comes Where I'm Separated from You) is able to do well on the Oricon single chart next week reminds to be seen but I think it's going to be another top10 hit for Ken .

But I must say that the promo pics for Itsuka Hanareru Hi ga Kite mo (If Some Day a Day Comes Where I'm Separated from You) are very strong & they left a long lasting impression on me .











& oh before I forget , the PV for the song was just aired in Japan this morning ! It features actress Miyazawa Rie & I think lots of fangirls are gonna be JEALOUS with a capital J when they see this one .

But at least this time round , the scenes of Ken shot alongside with Miyazawa looks natural unlike the disaster in the form of fake star & it's PG rated :) & Ken still looks as dashing as always !


Friday, April 18, 2008

Professional Media Reviews Of Ken Hirai's FAKIN' POP





These're some professional media reviews of Ken Hirai's FAKIN' POP album .

I-weekly magazine ::

新专辑中, 他一反常态, 唱了出道以来流行味最浓的 "POP STAR", 小露动感的一面. 然而浪漫, 忧郁, 抒情风格, 才是他的拿手好戏. 日剧 <<蜜蜂幸运草>> 主题曲 "Canvas" 有校园的清新感, 献给已故父亲的 <<写真>> 是另一首听了令人揪心的作品.

有时不变胜于万变
3.5 / 5

Rough Translation
In this new album, he changes his usual style by singing the most "pop" and catchy song since he becomes a singer, which is "POP STAR" , showing off a little of his active side of him. However, romantic, melancholy, lyrical style is still his best trump card. The main theme of the JDrama .

"Canvas" has a school days kind of refreshing feeling, and the song <> dedicated to his deceased father is another heart-wrenching piece of work.

Sometimes not changing still wins over ever-changing
3.5 / 5

The Strait Times's Life section , 18th April '08 ::

By Samuel Lee

"If the concept of 'pre-sales' in the film industry could be appiled to J-pop , Ken Hirai's 7th & latest full length outing would stand up as a successful case study .

12 of the album's 13 tracks were apparently commissioned as theme songs for movies , anime or TV commericals - this meant that the bulk of the financing & budget for the production & marketing of the album would largely have been taken care of way before its release .

Such is the clout these days of the Eurasian-looking Osaka-born Japanese R&B pop icon , who produced it & wrote 11 o the tunes . Some naysayers have mistakenly & unfairly alleged that the 36 year old has thrown R&B out of the window in favour of bubblegum pop .

On the whole , FAKIN' POP is decidely more playful (as evinced by cuts like POP STAR & Twenty ! Twenty ! Twenty !) & banks on its swoonsome balladry (Canvas , Upset & Utsukushii Hito) . But it's hardly of the bubblegum variety .

His erstwhile soulful vibe is still very much in evidence on tracks like UPSET & fake star .

What's more , Kimi wa su.te.ki hears him dabbling in Pharrell Williams's N*E*R*D-esque funk & while he may not quite come off as a Japanese Justin Timberlake , you have to hand it to Hirai for a pretty decent try .

After 6 albums & a retrospective anthology , can you fault him for wanting & trying to change ? "

Tuesday, April 08, 2008

Tackey & Tsubasa - Yume Monogatari (Fantastic Story)

Regular Edition :



Limited Edition :





Yume Monogatari (Fantastic Story) is Tackey & Tsubasa's 2nd single . It was released on 12th Nov '03 & it was the duo's 1st no.1 single on the Oricon single chart .

The song was used in the Olympus "Camedia" CM .

I don't know why I strangely deleted Yume Monogatari (Fantastic Story) from my playlist initially . Aside from Venus which I'm currently & seriously addicted to at the moment , Yume Monogatari (Fantastic Story) is another great song that I've been spinning non stop .

I was watching some Johnny & Associates show from veoh.com where some of the Johnny juniors were performing a snippet of Yume Monogatari (Fantastic Story) which let me to give the song a shot to listen to it once more .

I'm just glad that I decided to as I really like Yume Monogatari (Fantastic Story) now & it definitely deserved to be their 1st no.1 hit .


Sunday, April 06, 2008

Tackey & Tsubasa - Venus

Regular Edition :



Limited Edition :



CD + DVD Edition :





Venus is Tackey & Tsubasa's 6th single . The single was released on 18th Jan '06 & this's their best selling single to date , clearing about 301,192 physical units .

The duo's signed under the talent agency Johnny & Associates & unlike their fellow Johnny's counterparts , their works are produced by Avex Trax .

I only recently started to get myself familiar with the 2 T's works & Venus was the 1st song my younger sister played for me to listen & it's easy to see why Venus's such a damn catchy & great song . Not to mention it's a no brainer as to why so far Venus's their highest selling single since Tackey & Tsubasa made their debut 5 years ago with their 1st single To be , To be , Ten made To be .

The thing that drew me to Venus's the tune . It's insanely catchy , with the Spanish tango influenece going on in there & this song has been stuck in my head for the past few days already .

They have other good songs as well such as Serenade , x ~Dame~ + Crazy Rainbow & their latest single SAMURAI's a not bad rock driven influence no. .



Blog Personnel









Karen Pang

# 10th Jan

# #1 BREAKERZ fan in Singapore since 2008 debut single ♥

# My music blog consists of JPop/Rock singles & albums reviews that I put my heart , efforts & soul into writing them as I'm disgusted with the way that JPop/Rock music is being treated/written/reviewed in Singapore so to the local media (yes you TEENS , Teenage Magazine & The Strait Times) , screw you all . I basically can write better JPop/Rock reviews , period

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Upcoming New JPop/JRock Releases

# L'Arc-en-Ciel's 30th L'Anniversary LIVE DVD + Blu-ray , 270324 , Wed

# Saito Kazuyoshi's KAZUYOSHI SAITO 30th Anniversary Live 1993-2023 30 DVD + Blu-ray , 270324 , Wed

# B'z's B’z LIVE-GYM Pleasure 2023 -STARS- DVD + Blu-ray , 030424 , Wed

# Ichi no Mori Daigo's debut solo single Ichi no Mori Daigo Desu / Modotte Okure , 100424 , Wed

# Koda Kumi's 19th album UNICORN , 170424 , Wed

# GRANRODEO's guitarist's e-ZUKA debut solo album LET’S GET STARTED , 240424 , Wed

# Hilcrhyme's BEST 15 2009-2013 -The Beginning & Flying- , 290524

# GRANRODEO's vocalist's KISHOW debut solo album title tbc , July 2024

# BREAKERZ's 8th album title tbc , July 2024

# GRANRODEO's 35th single title tbc , Sept 2024





Album Reviews


# SPYAIR - Orange EP

# Hey ! Say ! JUMP - PULL UP!

# NEWS - NEWS EXPO

# Shota Shimizu - Insomnia

# ayaka - Funtale

# NEWS - Ongaku -2nd Movement- EP

# KAT-TUN - Fantasia

# ayumi hamasaki - Remember you

# Hilcrhyme - SELFISH

# Hey ! Say ! JUMP - FILMUSIC!

# NEWS - Ongaku

# B'z - Highway X

# Mika Nakashima - I

# KAT-TUN - Honey

# SID - Umibe

# flumpool - A Spring Breath

# GRANRODEO - Question

# Koda Kumi - heart

# ayaka - LOVE CIRCLE

# Aoyama Thelma - Scorpion Moon

# Hilcrhyme - FRONTIER

# V6 - STEP

# BREAKERZ - WITH YOU

# Shota Shimizu - HOPE

# Domoto Koichi - PLAYFUL

# Ken Hirai - Anata ni Narita Katta

# SPYAIR - UNITE

# GRANRODEO - Bokutachi no Gunzo EP

# YUI - NATURAL EP

# Fukuyama Masaharu - AKIRA

# Hey ! Say ! JUMP - Fab! -Music speaks.-

# Koda Kumi - angeL + monsteR [MY NAME IS...] EPs

# ARASHI - This is ARASHI

# Shota Shimizu - period EP

# JASMINE - S EP

# Beni Daniels - MADE IN LOVE EP

# Mika Nakashima - JOKER

# BENI - Y/our Song EP

# Hilcrhyme - THE MC

# JASMINE - M EP

# AKi - Collapsed Land

# Kis-My-Ft2 - To-y2

# flumpool - Real

# FLOWER FLOWER - Target

# NEWS - STORY

# Koda Kumi - re(CORD)

# JASMINE - JASMINE2.0 EP

# Hey ! Say ! JUMP - PARADE

# Kanon Wakeshima - odd sting & intrigue EP

# SID - Shonin Yokkyu

# KAT-TUN - IGNITE

# B'z - NEW LOVE

# GRANRODEO - FAB LOVE

# Kis-My-Ft2 - FREE HUGS!

# Matsushita Yuya - BLACK NEVERLAND

# NEWS - WORLDISTA

# Hilcrhyme - Hilcrhyme

# Yamashita Tomohisa - UNLEASHED

# BENI - CINEMATIC

# ayaka - 30 y/o

# GRANRODEO - M・S COWBOY no Gyakushuu EP

# Hey ! Say ! JUMP - SENSE or LOVE

# Koda Kumi - DNA

# Shota Shimizu - WHITE

# SID - Ichiban Sukina Basho EP

# Aoyama Thelma - HIGHSCHOOL GAL

# ayumi hamasaki - TROUBLE EP

# Hilcrhyme - One Man EP

# Kis-My-Ft2 - Yummy!!

# NEWS - EPCOTIA

# FLOWER FLOWER - Spotlight

# Koda Kumi - AND

# B'z - DINOSAUR

# ARASHI - 「untitled」

# BREAKERZ - X

# Aoyama Thelmas - 10TH DIARY

# SPYAIR - KINGDOM

# SID - NOMAD

# V6 - The ONES

# Shota Shimizu - FLY

# Ken Hirai - Utabaka Dake ni.

# Acid Black Cherry - Acid BLOOD Cherry

# Kis-My-Ft2 - MUSIC COLOSSEUM

# Mika Nakashima - TOUGH

# NEWS - NEVERLAND

# Koda Kumi - W FACE ~inside~ & W FACE ~outside~

# GRANRODEO - Karma to Labyrinth

# GRANRODEO - Pierrot Dancin'

# Hilcrhyme - SIDE BY SIDE

# Kanon Wakeshima - luminescence Q.E.D

# ARASHI - Are You Happy?

# Mao from SID - Maison de M EP

# Hey ! Say ! JUMP - DEAR.

# Ken Hirai - THE STILL LIFE

# BENI - Shiki Uta summer

# Kis-My-Ft2 - I SCREAM

# ayumi hamasaki - M(A)DE IN JAPAN

# MUSCLE ATTACK - HERCULES ROAD

# Aoyama Thelma - PINK TEARS EP

# Shota Shimizu - PROUD

# flumpool - EGG

# NEWS - QUARTETTO

# AKi - EPHEMERAL EP

# BENI - Undress

# SPYAIR - 4

# ARASHI - Japonism

# Aoyama Thelma - GRAY SMOKE EP

# ayumi hamasaki - sixxxxxx EP

# BREAKERZ - 0-ZERO-

# Domoto Koichi - Spiral

# Kis-My-Ft2 - KIS-MY-WORLD

# Hey ! Say ! JUMP - JUMPing CAR

# Namie Amuro - _genic

# ayaka - Rainbow Road

# THE TURTLES JAPAN - ELECTRONIC HUMANITY

# ayumi hamasaki - A ONE

# Hilcrhyme - REVIVAL

# MUSCLE ATTACK - ATTACK

# Koda Kumi - WALK OF MY LIFE

# B'z - EPIC DAY

# Acid Black Cherry - L

# Kanon Wakeshima - Tsukinami

# NEWS - White

# FLOWER FLOWER - Shiki EP

# AKi - ARISE

# FLOWER FLOWER - Mi

# ARASHI - THE DIGITALIAN

# Anna Tsuchiya - LUCIFER EP

# Yamashita Tomohisa - YOU

# Aoyama Thelma - Lonely Angel

# Yamashita Tomohisa - Asobi EP

# Kis-My-Ft2 - Kis-My-Journey

# ayumi hamasaki - Colours

# KAT-TUN - come Here

# Hey ! Say ! JUMP - smart

# Fukuyama Masaharu - HUMAN

# Miliyah Kato x Shota Shimizu - THE BEST

# JASMINE - Welcome to Jas Vegas

# SID - OUTSIDER

# Shota Shimizu - ENCORE

# Hilcrhyme - FIVE ZERO ONE

# DAIGO - DAIGOLD

# Koda Kumi - Bon Voyage

# Tegomass - Tegomass no Seishun

# MUSCLE ATTACK - MUSCLE

# KAT-TUN - Kusabi -kusabi- EP

# ARASHI - LOVE

# Yamashita Tomohisa - A NUDE

# Matsushita Yuya - #musicoverdose

# JASMINE - Complexxx

# SPYAIR - MILLION

# BENI - Red

# ON/OFF - DICE EP

# NEWS - NEWS

# Namie Amuro - FEEL

# AKIHIDE - Amber

# Kis-My-Ft2 - Good Ikuze !

# girl next door - Life of Sound

# V6 - Oh ! My ! Goodness !

# ayumi hamasaki - LOVE again

# Mika Nakashima - REAL

# flumpool - experience

# ayumi hamasaki - again EP

# Hilcrhyme - LIKE A NOVEL

# ayumi hamasaki - LOVE EP

# ARASHI - Popcorn

# Domoto Koichi - Gravity

# SPYAIR - Just Do It

# SID - M&W

# Yamashita Tomohisa - Ero

# Namie Amuro - Uncontrolled

# Hey ! Say ! JUMP - JUMP WORLD

# Kis-My-Ft2 - Kis-My-1st

# Acid Black Cherry - 『2012』

# Shota Shimizu - Naturally

# ayumi hamasaki - Party Queen

# Matsushita Yuya - 2U

# KAT-TUN - CHAIN

# Kuroki Meisa - UNLOCKED

# L'Arc~en~Ciel - BUTTERFLY

# ayaka - The beginning

# Koda Kumi - JAPONESQUE

# Kuriyama Chiaki - CIRCUS Deluxe Edition

# girl next door - Agaruneku !

# Hilcrhyme - RISING

# ON/OFF - Legend Of Twins II -Zoku Futago Densetsu-

# BENI - Fortune

# YUI - HOW CRAZY YOUR LOVE

# Saito Kazuyoshi - 45 STONES

# Tegomass - Tegomass no Mahou

# SPYAIR - Rockin' the World

# BREAKERZ - GO

# ayumi hamasaki - FIVE EP

# B'z - C'mon

# School Food Punishment - Prog-Roid

# ARASHI - Beautiful World

# Aoyama Thelma - WILL

# Ken Hirai - JAPANESE SINGER

# GIRL NEXT DOOR - Destination

# Tackey & Tsubasa - TRIP & TREASURE EP

# Shota Shimizu - COLORS

# Koda Kumi - Dejavu

# SID - dead stock

# flumpool - Fantasia of Life Stripe

# Yamashita Tomohisa - SUPERGOOD , SUPERBAD

# Kuroki Meisa - MAGAZINE

# ayumi hamasaki - Love songs

# BENI - Jewel

# Hilcrhyme - MESSAGE

# Saito Kazuyoshi - ARE YOU READY ?

# Mika Nakashima - STAR

# Kanjani∞ - 8UPPERS (Pacchi Uppers)

# GLAY - GLAY

# Anna Tsuchiya - RULE

# NEWS - LIVE

# JASMINE - GOLD

# Domoto Koichi - BPM

# Aoyama Thelma - LOVE ! 2

# Hilcrhyme - Recital

# ARASHI - Boku no Miteiru Fukei

# Kanon Wakeshima - Shoujo Shikake no Libretto ~LOLITAWORK LIBRETTO~

# YUI - HOLIDAYS IN THE SUN

# Hey ! Say ! JUMP - JUMP NO.1

# KAT-TUN - NO MORE PAIИ

# BENI - Lovebox

# Matsushita Yuya - I AM ME

# Acid Black Cherry - Q.E.D.

# Acid Black Cherry - BLACK LIST

# school food punishment - amp-reflection

# Tegomass - Tegomass no Ai EP

# BREAKERZ - B.R.Z ACOUSTIC EP

# ayumi hamasaki - Rock'n'Roll Circus

# V6 - READY ?

# DAIGO☆STARDUST - HELLO CRAZY GENTLEMAN

# DAIGO☆STARDUST - The space toy

# Shota Shimizu - Journey

# Koda Kumi - UNIVERSE

# NEVER LAND - Beautiful Days EP

# abingdon boys school - ABINGDON ROAD

# BENI - Bitter & Sweet

# GIRL NEXT DOOR - NEXT FUTURE

# LANDS - Olympos EP

# flumpool - What's flumpool !?

# Kuroki Meisa - ATTITUDE EP

# Yusuke - Ano .. Konnan Dekimashita Kedo.

# KinKi Kids - J album

# Namie Amuro - PAST < FUTURE

# BREAKERZ - FIGHTERZ

# alan - my life

# LOVE - LOVE.IT EP

# B'z - MAGIC

# Dew - PRESENT

# Saito Kazuyoshi - Tsuki ga Noboreba

# Aoyama Thelma - Emotions

# SID - hikari

# Kobukuro - CALLING

# Domoto Koichi - mirror

# Tegomass - Tegomass no Uta

# ON / OFF - Legend Of Twins I -Futago Densetsu-

# Fukuyama Masaharu - Zankyou

# Kanon Wakeshima - Shinshoku Dolce

# GReeeeN - Shio , Koshou -SALT & PEPPER-

# flumpool - Unreal EP

# Yuna Ito - DREAM

# Kanjani∞ - PUZZLE

# KAT-TUN - Break the Records -by you & for you-

# Kuroki Meisa - hellcat EP

# Kanjani∞ - KJ2 Zukkoke Daidassou

# ayumi hamasaki - NEXT LEVEL

# Utada Hikaru - DEEP RIVER

# Utada - This Is The One

# Kanjani∞ - KJ1 F·T·O

# ARASHI - Dream"A"Live

# Kanjani∞ - Kansha ni Eight EP

# alan - Voice of EARTH

# Aoyama Thelma - LOVE !

# Koda Kumi - TRICK

# Aoyama Thelma - DIARY

# YUI - I LOVED YESTERDAY

# YUI - CAN'T BUY MY LOVE

# BREAKERZ - BREAKERZ

# GIRL NEXT DOOR - GIRL NEXT DOOR

# GReeeeN - A , Domo. Ohisashiburi Desu

# YUI - FROM ME TO YOU

# GReeeeN - A , Domo. Hajimemashite

# BREAKERZ - CRASH & BUILD

# ai otsuka - LOVE LETTER

# Mika Nakashima - VOICE

# BREAKERZ - BIG BANG !

# NEWS - color

# Anna Tsuchiya - NUDY SHOW !

# Soundtrack Of High School Musical 3 : Senior Year

# L'Arc~en~Ciel - KISS

# BREAKERZ - Ao no Mirai EP

# ai otsuka - LOVE PUNCH

# ai otsuka - LOVE COOK

# ai otsuka - LOVE JAM

# KAT-TUN - cartoon KAT-TUN II You

# OLIVIA - Trinka Trinka EP

# NEWS - touch

# NEWS - pacific

# ARASHI - Iza , Now

# ARASHI - One

# NANA Triple Billing

# OLIVIA - The Cloudy Dreamer EP

# Anna Tsuchiya - strip me ?

# ARASHI - ARASHIC

# KAT-TUN - Best of KAT-TUN

# Anna Tsuchiya - Taste My Beat EP

# ARASHI - Time

# Electrico - We Satellites

# ayaka - Sing to the Sky

# ayaka - First Message

# KAT-TUN - KAT-TUN III -QUEEN OF PIRATES-

# Koda Kumi - BEST ~BOUNCE & LOVERS~

# Jesse McCartney - Departure

# The Veronicas - Hook Me Up

# Ken Hirai - LIFE is ...

# Ashlee Simpson - Bittersweet World

# Ken Hirai - gaining through losing

# Yuna Ito - HEART

# Utada Hikaru - HEART STATION

# Ken Hirai - FAKIN' POP

#
Yuna Ito - WISH

# Ken Hirai - SENTIMENTALovers

# Koda Kumi - Kingdom

# ayumi hamasaki - GUILTY

# ai otsuka - LOVE PiECE

# abingdon boys school - abingdon boys school

# ayumi hamasaki - I am ...

# ayumi hamasaki - RAINBOW

# The Great Spy Experiment - Flower Show Riots

# Koda Kumi - BEST ~second session~

# The Click Five - Modern Minds And Pastimes

# Soundtrack Of High School Musical 2

# Koda Kumi - Black Cherry

# Namie Amuro - PLAY

# Maroon 5 - It Wouldn't Be Soon Before Long

# ayumi hamasaki - Memorial address EP

# NANA starring Mika Nakashima - THE END

# Mika Nakashima - YES

# Jamie Michael - People Watching

# ayumi hamasaki - A BEST 2 -BLACK- & A BEST 2 -WHITE-

# ayumi hamasaki - (miss)understood

# ayumi hamasaki - Duty & MY STORY

# Muse - Blackholes And Relevations

# Utada Hikaru - ULTRA BLUE

# ayumi hamasaki - Secret

# Utada - Exodus

# Vanessa Hudgens - V

# The Veronicas - The Secret Life Of The Veronicas

# Jesse McCartney - Right Where You Want Me

# Maksim - Electrik

# McFly - Motion In The Ocean


Other Posts Worth Checking Out


# Fave Songs Of 2010

# Fave Singles Releases Of 2010

# Fave Albums Releases Of 2010

# Fave Songs Of 2009

# Fave Singles Releases Of 2009

# Fave Albums Releases For 2009

# The Best Music Releases For The 1st 1/2 Of 2009

# Fave New Acts Of 2008

# Fave Songs Of 2008

# Fave Singles Of 2008

# Fave Albums Of 2008

# The 1st Song I Heard From My Future JPop Acts

# The Best & The Worst Music Releases For The 1st 1/2 Of 2008

# Fave Albums Of 2007

# The Click Five - The Band Behind The Band Documentary

# 987 Control Songlist Set

# Hot Review Of Maksim's Electrik

# Lu Yong Find My Shoes Journey

# Eric Dill Of The Click Five Got Punk'd !


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Credits

designer - Chronicles

imageeditor - adobephotoshop

music - radioblogclub

image - fortminorwebsite