Monday, February 28, 2011
ARASHI - Lotus's B-sides
The following songs serve as B-sides in ARASHI's 35th single Lotus which was released last week on 23rd Feb :
- ever
- Boom Boom (CD Only Track)
The A-side is currently being used as the theme song for the drama BARTENDER , starring Aiba Masaki .
Lotus has been described as an up-tempo dance number backed by an intensely catchy melody & an cutting-edge style .
Honestly before listening to ever , I kind of sense that it was going to be a ballad given the way how Lotus sounds like & turns out , I wasn't wrong on this .
ever is pretty & it does reminds me of My Girl & One Love to a certain extent except it's a lot more poppier & cheery sounding which plays a perfect contrast against Lotus quite well .
The 2nd B-side Boom Boom is exclusively found in the CD only pressing of Lotus & this song contains Sakurap .
Much as I was excited to know beforehand that Boom Boom would have the inclusion of Sakurap , I can't help but feel disappointed if not shortchanged when I finally got the chance to hear the song .
Boom Boom sounded like a slower version of some of the upbeat album tracks from the guys's Boku no Miteiru Fukei album & also , the Sakurap that's found in Boom Boom is barely audible as Sakurai's vocals were drenched a lot by a significant amount of autotune .
I frankly feel that Boom Boom had a lot more potential to sound great but somehow or another , this time round it didn't work in ARASHI's favour .
Lotus is ARASHI's 1st single release for 2011 . I enjoy listening to the A-side but this time round , the B-sides weren't as prominent/memorable as compared to the B-side songs found in their previous singles .
Then again , there's a purpose on why the guys slot ever & Boom Boom as B-sides songs which I can understand why this time round since both songs will not be available in their next album .
Whether if it's good or bad , it depends on how an individual look at it but for now , there're other past B-sides of ARASHI that I rather listen to & zooming my focus towards Lotus more than the B-sides tunes .
Sunday, February 27, 2011
Kobukuro - Blue Bird's B-sides
The following 2 songs serve as B-sides in Kobukuro's 20th single Blue Bird which was released on 16th Feb :
- Kimi he no Shuudaika (Theme Song To You)
- Love Letter (demo) (Limited Edition Track)
The A-side Blue Bird is an uplifting mid-tempo ballad which was selected to be used to promote the anime Bakuman .
The 1st B-side Kimi he no Shuudaika was being billed as a powerful ballad number . Promotion tie in's for the song including being chosen to be the 2010 Winter Tokyo Tower image song & the theme no. for Fuji TV's broadcast of the 2nd Annual elementary school jump rope tournament .
I like Kimi he no Shuudaika on 1st listen . Both Blue Bird & Kimi he no Shuudaika are uplifting inspiring songs but the difference between both songs can be separated , melody wise .
Kimi he no Shuudaika employs a slightly harder sound with drum beats being layered upon each other which's something that's absent in Blue Bird .
Still , Kimi he no Shuudaika is an inspiring track to listen , especially if you're down in the dumps .
The demo track for Love Letter is only found in the limited edition pressing of the single .
Even though it's only a demo no. , Love Letter is surprisingly quite long . About 3/4 of the song is sung by Kobuchi while the last min or so , the vocals of Kuroda sets in .
Love Letter can get a bit draggy for me to handle especially since the 1st 2 songs in the single are upbeat no.s . But in due time , I grew to appericate Love Letter & it does have an old school charm , given the fact that it's only a demo & not a proper song .
As such , there might be a chance for Love Letter to get some twerks being adapted/added to in the near future .
Kobukuro kicks off 2011 with this inspirational solid single Blue Bird . I honestly can say that I'm generally pleased with whatever releases they have put out & there's no deny the vocal harmonisation power of both Kobuchi & Kuroda when you put both of them together .
I have a feeling they will release another single before a new album drops , since it has been close to 2 years since their last album CALLING was released but whatever the case , I say bring it on , Kobukuro !
Aoyama Thelma - Zutto. (Much.)
CD
CD + DVD
Zutto. (Much.) is Aoyama Thelma's 12th single & it will be released next week on 2nd March .
Aoyama's new song is written specially for her close friend , model Kinoshita Yukina . Zutto. has been described as a tender ballad that expresses a newly-wedded bride's feelings towards her new husband .
The lyrics for Zutto. were rewritten by Aoyama 5 times & she worked on the song for 3 months straight , in order to give Kinoshita the perfect wedding gift .
A small wedding ceremony was held at Tokyo's Disney Resort last year on December 5th for the close friends & relatives of the newlyweds . Zutto. made its unofficial debut & brought tears to the eyes of everyone present .
In addition to appearing in the music video for Zutto. , Kinoshita is also on the single's cover which she is decked out in a beautiful wedding dress .
I think it's really thoughtful & sweet for Aoyama to do something like this for Kinoshita , especially when it's an intangible wedding gift which $ cannot put a price on , let alone for friendship .
Zutto. is Aoyama's 1st wedding inspired single & it's not as heavily wedding influenced as much as I was hoping for but still , considering the story/meaning behind Zutto. , the song speaks for itself .
I'm not sure if Zutto. can be a future wedding song that will be played in future weddings but it's a small stepping stone to start now .
LOLLIPOP serves as the B-side for the single .
Thursday, February 24, 2011
Namie Amuro - Wonder Woman Feat AI & Anna Tsuchiya
CD
CD + DVD
Wonder Woman is a new collaboration song found in Namie Amuro's 1st collaboration album Checkmate ! which will be released next month on 23rd March .
Checkmate ! will include 4 new collaboration tracks in which Wonder Woman is 1 of them & it features the vocals of rapper AI & Anna Tsuchiya .
Wonder Woman has been selected to be used for promotion in the latest Coca Cola Zero's 'WILD HEALTH' ads featuring Namie herself .
I don't really listen to AI that much but I have been a fan of Anna Tsuchiya's material for quite sometime now & let alone , I love Anna's collaboration that she did with AI a while back ago in her music discography ie. Crazy World which was fantastic .
In the case of Wonder Woman , I was a bit skeptical on whether can all 3 ladies carry a tune together but thankfully my fears were unfounded when I gave Wonder Woman a listen .
I think it's great for all 3 talented ladies to come together & to sing a song like Wonder Woman . The only drawback I feel that Wonder Woman suffered is that I find the chorus to be a bit grating on my ears .
But other than that , Wonder Woman is 1 of those songs that screams out girl power which I adore .
Tuesday, February 22, 2011
Shota Shimizu - Forget-me-not
Forget-me-not is found as track #5 in Shota Shimizu's 3rd album COLORS which will be released next month on 9th March .
This song serves as the lead album promo track & Forget-me-not is a cover which was originally sung by Ozaki Yutaka .
Honestly , I generally prefer Shota to sing ballads as I feel it's more suited for his vocal range unlike really upbeat/uptempo R&B tracks & the same thing goes for Forget-me-not .
I don't know how the original by Ozaki Yutaka sounds like but for Shota's case , Forget-me-not is pretty good & also real touching as well .
Shota's vocals were also accompanied well by a simple & under-stated piano melody too .
Sunday, February 20, 2011
CD Review :: flumpool - Fantasia of Life Stripe
CD Regular
CD Limited ; comes with a bonus disc Fantezie muzicala de curcubeul vietii (Fantasia of Life Stripe - Bloody Remix -) & a 48 page booklet
1) Kimi ni Todoke (Reaching You)
2) two of us
3) reboot ~Akiramenai Uta~ (~Do Not Give Up Song~)
4) Snowy Nights Serenade ~Kokoro Made mo Tsunagitai~ (~I Want To Connect Even To Your Heart~)
5) Tokyo Aika (Elegy)
6) Music Surfer
7) Boku wa Koko ni Iru (I'm Here)
8) Kimi no Tame no 100 no Moshi mo (100 If's For You)
9) Kono Jidai wo Ikinuku Tame ni (For The Sake Of Surviving This Era)
10) Nagareboshi (Shooting Star)
11) Guilt
12) Shiori (Bookmark)
13) Vega ~Kako to Mirai no Hokkyokusei~ (The Polestar Of Past And Future)
14) Zanzou (After Image)
Fantasia of Life Stripe is flumpool's 2nd album & it was released last month on 26th Jan .
The quartet's 2nd album includes 3 singles in the CD tracklist .
Kimi ni Todoke (Reaching You) is flumpool's 5th single & it was used as the theme song of the movie which shares the same title as the song starring Miura Haruma .
Honestly I wasn't surprised that Kimi ni Todoke kick things off in Fantasia of Life Stripe since it's the most recent single before the album was released . It's still a good song to listen to .
two of us is the 1st album track & it was used as the theme song for Fuji TV's Ainori 2 from last Christmas onwards .
This song is 1 of 2 album tracks that receives a music video .
I don't like two of us on 1st listen but as time goes by , the song has grown on me quite a fair bit .
reboot ~Akiramenai Uta~ (~Do Not Give Up Song~) is the 1st A-side of flumpool's 4th single reboot ~Akiramenai Uta~ / Nagareboshi .
The song has an impressive grand introduction , that could sum up a glimpse of the band's mature songwriting & lyrics .
According to lead singer Ryuuta , 'Everything so far has been our chapter 1 & this new song is the beginning of our second chapter .
The word reboot means to start up again & it includes how I'd like us to overcome whatever hardships we have together .'
reboot ~Akiramenai Uta~ was used as the theme song for NTV's programmes providing coverage of the World Cup in South Africa last year , in support of the Japanese soccer team .
Snowy Nights Serenade ~Kokoro Made mo Tsunagitai~ (~I Want To Connect Even To Your Heart~) was used as last Dec's ending theme song for TV Asahi's Onegai ! Ranking & it's the 2nd album track to get a music video after two of us .
I reviewed Snowy Nights Serenade ~Kokoro Made mo Tsunagitai~ a while back ago but it was the Xmas ver. that I wrote my opinions about . As such naturally , I was wondering what was the difference between the Xmas ver. & album versions of Snowy Nights Serenade ~Kokoro Made mo Tsunagitai~ .
Melody wise , both share the same tune but there's a slight difference at the end of the album take of Snowy Nights Serenade ~Kokoro Made mo Tsunagitai~ , lyrically but other than that , both takes of the song are generally the same .
Still , Snowy Nights Serenade ~Kokoro Made mo Tsunagitai~ is pretty & it's nice that flumpool make such a nice song for their 1st Christmas inspired track .
Tokyo Aika (Elegy) is the next album track & I feel this can be considered 1 of my fave album tracks from the group .
I'm not sure why but I just like that angst driven feeling Tokyo Aika gives out & it's 1 song that has plenty of attitude attached to it .
Music Surfer follows after Tokyo Aika & ah I have vibes of Natsu (Summer) Dive when I 1st listen to Music Surfer .
It's not a bad thing since Natsu Dive is 1 of my fave flumpool singles even up to now .
Boku wa Koko ni Iru (I'm Here) is track #7 & I find the melody for Boku wa Koko ni Iru very pretty & charming .
Especially the opening where it has this really unique sound which's able to separate itself from the other album tracks out of the lot which's cool .
Kimi no Tame no 100 no Moshi mo (100 If's For You) is quite a standard song from flumpool . I like the song title but I'm not feeling that much love for this no. as much as I want to appericate it .
Likewise for Kono Jidai wo Ikinuku Tame ni (For The Sake Of Surviving This Era) , another song that has a nice title . Kono Jidai wo Ikinuku Tame ni is slightly better if not much more memorable than Kimi no Tame no 100 no Moshi mo .
Nagareboshi is the 2nd A-side of flumpool's 4th single reboot ~Akiramenai Uta~ / Nagareboshi .
The 2nd A-side was described as a song which's likened to a chance meeting with the shooting of live encounters with fans that support the band on a regular basis .
Guilt is the 3rd last album track in Fantasia of Life Stripe .
The opening for Guilt is quite subtle but after a while , an angsty rather feeling gets unleashed from within which I enjoy .
Shiori (Bookmark) follows after Guilt . I'm quite neutral over Shiori in that I neither like or dislike the song .
I feel there's something lacking about Shiori though .
Vega ~Kako to Mirai no Hokkyokusei~ (The Polestar Of Past And Future) is the last album track in Fantasia of Life Stripe .
Other than Music Surfer & Tokyo Aika , I feel that Vega ~Kako to Mirai no Hokkyokusei~ is 1 of the standout tracks as it has a lot of spunk & I enjoy listening to it from the start til the end .
I suppose sometimes good things are worth waiting for & I guess Vega ~Kako to Mirai no Hokkyokusei~ fits the bill very well .
Zanzou (After Image) is flumpool's 3rd single & it was used as the theme song used in the 2nd season of Bloody Monday starring Miura Haruma .
Other than being the earliest single included in Fantasia of Life Stripe , it's also the final song found in the album .
Zanzou is quite a fitting ending for the album & I wasn't surprised it's slotted way at the back , which I feel it's only right to conclude the album with Zanzou .
Concidentally or not , the tracklist for Fantasia of Life Stripe starts & ends with flumpool's most recent & earliest single release & each single release has a promo tie in associated with Miura Haruma .
Overall , much as I dislike to say this but flumpool somehow has fallen into the 2nd album music syndrome especially for their latest album release Fantasia of Life Stripe .
It was a bit difficult for me to listen to Fantasia of Life Stripe , especially since quite a lot of the album tracks sounded really samey if not un-memorable which's a big pity because I do enjoy listening to their older works & let alone , their 1st mini album Unreal was a real gem .
I realised that their material in recent times are not as good/prominent as before in the sense that from reboot ~Akiramenai Uta~ / Nagareboshi onwards , flumpool's music started to go off key & I wasn't able to detect any unique/distinct traits , unlike in the case of Hoshi ni Negai wo (Wish Upon A Star) & also MW ~Dear Mr. & Ms. Picaresque~ / Natsu Dive which are both fantastic singles in their own respective right .
Also , I wasn't impressed with a lot of album tracks found in Fantasia of Life Stripe as they either sound similar to something that flumpool used to do , if not rather un-inspiring .
Still , I haven't give up on flumpool because I feel that they're a really talented so band hopefully in their next single/album release , they will prove me wrong & escape the dreaded music rut .
But I guess for now , I'm going back to listen to their older works for the time being to enjoy for nostaglic reasons .
Saturday, February 19, 2011
Tegomass - Aoi (Blue) Bench's B-sides
The following songs serve as B-sides in Tegomass's 5th single Aoi (Blue) Bench which was released 3 days ago 16th Feb :
- Aoi (Blue) Bench (Acoustic ver.)
- Sotsugyo (Graduation) Album
The A-side is a cover song of the male duo Sasuke whom disbanded in 2009 & Aoi Bench was selected to be used as an ending theme song for Onegai ! Ranking from Feb onwards .
Both B-sides are only found in the CD only pressing of the single .
Acoustic songs are some of my fave music tracks & the same thing applies to the acoustic version of Aoi Bench .
I frankly thought it was going to be a standard acoustic no. but I was proven wrong after I heard it . There're subtle little touches like Orchestra sounds & also an acoustic guitar which gives raise to this enjoyable acoustic take of Aoi Bench .
In fact compared against the original take of Aoi Bench against the acoustic , the acoustic kind of put the original to shame in quite a lot of ways & I feel both Tegoshi & Masuda's vocals are displayed at an even more prominent state in Aoi Bench (Acoustic ver.) .
Sotsugyo Album is the 2nd B-side & this's another solid no. that I like . It's a ballad but it's just Tegoshi & Masuda singing alongside with a piano which's simplicity at its best .
My only grouse for Sotsugyo Album is that it's a bit too short . It would have been better if the song's extended by a few more seconds or so .
Aoi Bench is a really enjoyable single that Tegomass released & I think out of the signles that the duo has released so far in their career , this probably has to be my fave as it displays a really mature side of the guys .
Tegoshi & Masuda are not known to be 2 of the best singers from NEWS for nothing , so I wasn't surprised that I enjoy their duo's works quite a fair bit .
Hopefully it wouldn't be long before a new single if not a 2nd album will get a release from this talented duo .
Thursday, February 17, 2011
Akanishi Jin - Eternal
CD Regular
CD Limited
CD + DVD
Eternal is Akanishi Jin's debut solo single & it will be released next month on 2nd March .
Akanishi Jin was the former 2nd co-lead vocalist of KAT-TUN before he made his departure from the group last year to pursue a solo career & Eternal is his 1st release via Warner Music Japan .
The A-side is an elegant ballad that will touch the hearts of swooning fans everywhere .
In an interview , Akanishi revealed that he wrote this song 4 years ago to celebrate his parents' wedding anniversary or birthdays of his relatives .
When asked about the reason why he decided to release Eternal as his debut solo single , he replied that it was a present for the fans . Apparently there were a lot of fans , who asked for Eternal to get released since he played it live for quite a while .
Akanishi's not my fave member in KAT-TUN but still , I will not deny that he still has 1 of the best voices in Johnny's & Associates . Also , I enjoy the stuff that he did with LANDS too .
Eternal is a very pretty ballad which I feel it's good enough to rival a fan fave ie. care & considering the meaning behind Eternal , I think it's really thoughtful for Akanishi to write this song in line with his friend's marriage which's something $ can't buy at a time when comes to something like this .
Murasaki (Purple) serves as the B-side in Eternal & for this , Murasaki is considered a fan fave which Akanishi has been performing in concerts from 2004 until now .
Sunday, February 13, 2011
GIRL NEXT DOOR - Silent Scream
Silent Scream is GIRL NEXT DOOR's 11th single & it will be released next month on 30th March .
The original release date for the single was 2nd March & then 16th March but now it has been pushed back again to 30th March .
GIRL NEXT DOOR described Silent Scream as 'A single that fans have been demanding . Anyone who hears the song will be able to feel the story through the magnificent sound and lyrics that will draw people in' .
Silent Scream will serve as the opening theme for NTV's Happy Music program thoughtout the month of Feb & then the ending theme song for 'Yoasobi Mishimai' from Feb through March .
Silent Scream sounds like a cross mix of Orion & also a bit of Freedom . I also can detect a bit of sa・ku・ra in the song too .
It's not a bad thing since I really like those songs that I singled out & Silent Scream is quite harder & edgier than their other works which's great & not to mention , it's catchy & memorable as well .
The following songs serve as B-sides in Silent Scream :
- fallin' angel
- Orion (Gold Remix)
- Destination Digest
Thursday, February 10, 2011
Suga Shikao - Yakusoku (Promise)
CD Regular
CD Limited Release
CD Limited Pressing (Until End Of March)
Yakusoku (Promise) is Suga Shikao's 28th single & it will be released on 23rd Feb .
Suga's latest single release is his 1st release in celebration of Suga's 15th anniversary in the music business .
Aside from that , Yakusoku has been selected to be used as the opening theme song for the anime Tegamibachi REVERSE .
Honestly , with a title like Yakusoku , I was expecting a ballad but I was really surprised when I heard that it's actually a funky soulful no. .
Then again , with Suga's distinct vocals & interesting music genres that he incorporate in his songs , I'm not surprised that Yakusoku is another unique & flashed out funky song & it basically stamps Suga's name all over the place .
The following songs serve as B-sides in Yakusoku :
- Uchu (Space) (「JAPAN-UK circuit 2010」 in London)
- 19 Sai (Age)(「JAPAN-UK circuit 2010」 in London)
Both songs will not be reviewed .
Wednesday, February 09, 2011
Kobukuro - Blue Bird
Cover for both CD & CD + DVD's editions
Blue Bird is Kobukuro's 20th single & it will be released next week on 16th Feb .
The duo's brand new single has been selected to be used to promote the anime Bakuman .
Kobukuro always has a natural flair for creating inspirational uplifting folk rock songs & the same thing can be said for Blue Bird .
When I heard Blue Bird , I was really impressed just how positive it sounds while it did not mirror other similar songs that Kobukuro has crafted in their discography .
1 of Kuroda & Kobuchi's strongest points is that their vocal harmonisation is really powerful & their vocals gel very well when you put both of them together in a duo like Kobukuro .
The following songs serve as B-sides in Blue Bird :
- Kimi he no Shuudaika (Theme Song To You)
- Love Letter (demo) (Limited Edition Track)
Kimi he no Shuudaika has already being billed as a powerful ballad number & promotion tie in's for Kimi he no Shuudaika include being selected as the 2010 Winter Tokyo Tower image song & the theme no. for Fuji TV's broadcast of the 2nd Annual elementary school jump rope tournament .
Tuesday, February 08, 2011
Matsushita Yuya - Paradise's B-sides
The following songs serve as B-sides in Matsushita Yuya's 7th single Paradise which was released last week on 2nd Feb :
- Kimi no Koe (Your Voice)
- Loving Loved (CD Only Regular Edition Track)
- Secret Love Feat BRIGHT , SHUN (CD Only Limited Edition & CD + DVD's Track)
Paradise was selected to be used as the theme song for the drama Quartet which Matsushita starred in & Quartet's his 1st TV drama role .
I did not know what to expect when I 1st heard Kimi no Koe . I thought the song might be a ballad but I was 1/2 right on that .
Kimi no Koe is a mid tempo ballad which reminded me of LAST SNOW's Close to you to a certain extent but it's definitely a memorable track just like Paradise .
Only found in the CD only regular edition pressing of the single , it's Loving Loved .
Wow on 1st listen , Loving Loved reminded me of a cross between EXILE's Lovers Again & also Matsushita's Koe ni Naranakute (Not Become A Voice) feat Sista a significant deal .
It's not a bad thing since after all , Jin Nakamura's the 1 that's responsible for composing everything found in Matsushita's discography & you can hear just emotionally vulnerable Matsushita comes across in Loving Loved too .
The last B-side Secret Love is only found in the CD only limited edition & CD + DVD pressings of Paradise & for this , it features the vocals of 2 artistes , gospeller/pop girl quartet BRIGHT & SHUN .
Out of the 3 B-sides in Paradise , Secret Love is probably my fave outta the lot simply because the melody of the song is insanely catchy & instantly grabs my attention when I 1st heard it .
Also , Secret Love is a song that I'm not able to compare against Matsushita's other songs in his discography & it's just something different that he has tackled in here which's fantastic .
I thought having 2 artistes to get featured on a song might clash with Matsushita's vocals but surprisingly , BRIGHT & SHUN's vocals were able to compliment each other well .
Matsushita Yuya kicked off 2011 with this another enjoyable memorable single , Paradise .
I have followed his music career from almost his single debut ie. from his 2nd single LAST SNOW onwards til now & to me , it's great that as each single he releases , Matsushita just keeps getting better , musically & then some .
So far , I haven't been disappointed on what he has to offer & I can't wait to see what else Matsushita has up his sleeves for 2011 !
KAT-TUN - ULTIMATE WHEELS's B-sides
The following 3 songs serve as B-sides in KAT-TUN's 14th single ULTIMATE WHEELS which was released last week on 2nd Feb
- Yoake Made (Until Dawn) (CD Only Regular Edition Track)
- MAKE-OR-BREAK (CD Only Limited Edition Track)
- TWO (CD + DVD Track)
ULTIMATE WHEELS was selected to be used in the ads of Suzuki's SOLIO which the guys are the spokesperson for the company .
Looking ahead to the future , ULTIMATE WHEELS is about the bond between the members & working together as a group .
Due to sheer marketing tactics , each B-side are found in different pressing of ULTIMATE WHEELS .
Found in the CD only regular edition , it's Yoake Made . I honestly thought that it might be a ballad but I was surprised that it's a pop song .
Yoake Made is not as full pop as Going ! or Yorokobi no Uta (Song Of Joy) & like both singles , Yoake Made has the presence of JOKER rap lyrics included . An easy listening B-side but I will not consider it as a fave B-side song in ULTIMATE WHEELS .
MAKE-OR-BREAK is found in the CD only limited edition of the single & out of all the 3 B-sides , I think MAKE-OR-BREAK has to be my fave .
For me , what I like about MAKE-OR-BREAK is that the opening of the song kicks things off with beatboxing skills that's accompanied by a really catchy memorable melody .
Just like Yoake Made , MAKE-OR-BREAK also has JOKER rap lyrics & also the inclusion of autotune too . It's basically almost like the stripped down versions of THE D-MOTION & RIGHT NOW , except MAKE-OR-BREAK is a lot more toned down on the club beats & pop sounds come into place in MAKE-OR-BREAK .
Still , MAKE-OR-BREAK is 1 really solid B-side & I said earlier on I consider this as my fave B-side outta the 3 being offered in ULTIMATE WHEELS .
The last B-side to be reviewed on is called TWO , which's found in the CD + DVD edition of the single .
TWO sounds like the sequel to Going !'s SMILE . Other than the fact both tracks are only found in CD + DVD's of each respective single of KAT-TUN , both songs are also in the same ballad department .
I honestly have no issues with KAT-TUN singing ballads which contrasts the tough looking images that they have & I love the harmonisation the guys have in them which takes place in TWO & let alone , it contrats ULTIMATE WHEELS very well .
KAT-TUN kicks off 2011 with their 2nd single as a 5 piece unit after the departure of Akanishi Jin & I have to say at the rate they're going , they have been growing stronger musically as evident with a fantastic A-side single like ULTIMATE WHEELS .
In terms of A-sides , I think ULTIMATE WHEELS is much stronger & solid while the B-sides offered in CHANGE UR WORLD are more prominent/memorable than what ULTIMATE WHEELS offers .
Then again it's a bit unfair to compare both B-sides's singles since ULTIMATE WHEELS doesn't contain any solo songs but at the end of the day , you have to applaude KAT-TUN for carrying on its group activities as a 5 member group & like ULTIMATE WHEELS suggests , the song's about the bond between the members & working together as a group .
KAT-TUN is said to be releasing their 15th single WHITE next month . Details are not confirmed yet at this point in time but for now , WHITE has been selected to be used in the latest ad for SOFINA WHITENING LOTION & it said to to have a very cool tune & lyrics which compliment each other well .
Monday, February 07, 2011
JASMINE - ONE's B-sides
The following songs serve as B-sides in JASMINE's 6th single which was released last week on 2nd Feb :
- dear my friend [MIGHTY CROWN REMIX]
- ONE [acoustic 2010/12/12 Live in the Dark ver.]
- Dreamin' [acoustic 2010/12/12 Live in the Dark ver.]
JASMINE's latest single ONE was selected to be used in the ads of Sony's Play You Walkman alongside with label mates YUI & Shota Shimizu .
The three singers went out to find an inspiring sound to use in a new song . YUI chose to head for Sweden , while Shota & JASMINE went to New York . All three artistes used the experiences from each of their journey to help create their new tracks .
JASMINE chose her theme to be reflective of words & sound , or how 1 must journey into themselves which gives rise to her latest single offering ONE .
Found as track #6 in JASMINE's debut album GOLD , it's dear my friend & in here , it has been given a remix called dear my friend [MIGHTY CROWN REMIX] .
Honestly , I don't really like dear my friend from GOLD but in terms of the [MIGHTY CROWN REMIX] of the song , I find it pretty cool & refreshing that it has been given an updated twist of things .
The original take of dear my friend is somewhat a rather un-inspiring if not un-memorable no. but in here , it has been given an updated upbeat Reggae melody which I do like it , even though some people might scoff at this but I see (should I say hear ?) nothing wrong with it & this's 1 of the rare occasions where I feel the remix of a song sounds better than the original .
The next 2 B-sides are live acoustic songs that JASMINE sang/performed last year on 12th Dec in a Live in the Dark ver. concert with YUI & Shota Shimizu .
For starters , the live acoustic take of ONE is included in the single & my feeling's that it's the same preview snippet which you can hear being played in the ads of Sony's Play you walkman .
Regardless of which , the ONE [acoustic 2010/12/12 Live in the Dark ver.] is basically a fuss free & stripped down version of the A-side which allows JASMINE's vocals to be showcase at its finest form .
Likewise , the same thing happens to Dreamin' [acoustic 2010/12/12 Live in the Dark ver.] which's JASMINE's 5th single .
Dreamin' is 1 of my fave singles of JASMINE & it's no exception that I also equally enjoy the live acoustic take of the song & in here , she sounded really emotional & vulnerable .
Unlike the live acoustic take of ONE , the live acoustic take of Dreamin' takes on a more piano driven melody which's basically simplicity at its best .
ONE is the 1st proper single that I followed/listened to of JASMINE & I have to say , I'm so glad that I decided to listen to her material because she got the voice , talent & a unique dress sense going on in her & it's evident/proof on what she has to offer in her latest single ONE .
I'm excited to check out what else she has up her sleeves for 2011 but until then , I will be plugging ONE for the time being .
Sunday, February 06, 2011
CD Review :: Yamashita Tomohisa - SUPERGOOD , SUPERBAD
2CDs
2CDs + DVD
Disc 1 (SUPERGOOD)
1) Daite Senorita (Hold Me Dear Lady)
2) Hadakanbo (Naked Person) (Album ver.)
3) Tsuki to Taiyou no (Moon And Sun's) Rhapsody
4) Crazy You
5) Santa Maria
6) Dekiai (Doting) ROBOT
7) Tsumi to Batsu (Crime And Punishment)
8) Kuchizuke de Adios (Farewell Kiss)
9) Seishun Amigo (Youth Friend) (Shuuji to Akira)
10) Saigo no (The Last) Love Song
11) Aoi (Blue) (2CDs Track)
Disc 2 (SUPERBAD)
1) Theme of "SUPERBAD"
2) Tokyo Sinfonietta
3) PARTY DON'T STOP Feat DJ DASK
4) One in a million
5) Yours Baby
6) ONE GIRL
7) Loveless
8) Gomen ne (I'm Sorry)
9) Blood Diamond
10) Sleepwalking
11) Touch You (2CDs Track)
12) TOMO (2CDs Track)
13) Friday Night (2CDs Track)
14) MOLA (R-midwest REMIX) (2CDs Track) SUPERGOOD , SUPERBAD is NEWS's leader Yamashita Tomohisa's debut solo album & it was released last week on 26th Jan .
5 singles & a B-side are included in SUPERGOOD , SUPERBAD which's a duel CD compilation rolled into 1 package (be it if you purchase either the 2CDs or the 2CDs + DVD limited edition) .
The 1st disc SUPERGOOD includes songs that contains Japanese pop style while the 2nd disc SUPERBAD takes a stylistic approach closer to Western style music .
Because of the somewhat unique music structure surrounding Yamapi's debut solo album , I will review each disc separately on its own accord .
Disc 1 (SUPERGOOD)
1)
Daite Senorita (Hold Me Dear Lady)2)
Hadakanbo (Naked Person) (Album ver.)3) Tsuki to Taiyou no (Moon And Sun's) Rhapsody
4) Crazy You
5) Santa Maria
6) Dekiai (Doting) ROBOT
7) Tsumi to Batsu (Crime And Punishment)
8) Kuchizuke de Adios (Farewell Kiss)
9)
Seishun Amigo (Youth Friend) (Shuuji to Akira)10) Saigo no (The Last) Love Song
11) Aoi (Blue) (2CDs Track)
Daite Senorita (Hold Me Dear Lady) is Yamapi's debut solo single & it was used as the theme song for the drama Kurosagi , starring Yamapi himself .
I'm not surprised Daite Senorita is slotted as the very 1st track in SUPERGOOD since I mean it's Yamapi's very 1st single that he released as a solo artist & even though it has been close to 5 years since Daite Senorita was released , it's something that I'm not bored of even up to now .
I mean , what's there not to like about Daite Senorita with it being a straight forward no nonsense catchy no. ?
Hadakanbo (Naked Person) is Yamapi's 4th single & this was released a week before SUPERGOOD , SUPERBAD dropped .
In this context , Hadakanbo has been given an album mix which's a bit different from the single version in the sense that the album version of Hadakanbo , it's a lot more slower/mid tempo driven , unlike the single version where it has a lot more attitude & energy .
Still , I like both different takes of Hadakanbo a great deal & the strong Jazz influences being given out from Hadakanbo can be felt a significiant deal .
SUPERGOOD's 1st album track Tsuki to Taiyou no (Moon And Sun's) Rhapsody steps in after the album version of Hadakanbo & Tsuki to Taiyou no Rhapsody is real pretty even though I must admit on 1st listen , it doesn't sound like Yamapi to me in the sense that his vocals sounded unusually lower than the norm .
Crazy You is track #4 & on 1st listen , this song really reminded me of NEWS's EASY COME , EASY GO which's a B-side track taken from the group's 9th single SUMMER TIME .
Not that it's a bad thing but at least it's good to hear something that's on familiar music grounds & I think it's ok seeing that I enjoy listening to EASY COME , EASY GO so I have no issues with Crazy You .
Santa Maria follows after Crazy You & I think out of all the album tracks in SUPERGOOD , Santa Maria is a standout class no. on its own simply because it's downright infectious & very catchy .
I love the fact that the melody which accompanied Santa Maria grabs my attention on 1st listen & no surprises , each time Santa Maria comes on , I always enjoy listening to it as it's a guilt pleasure to do so .
Dekiai (Doting) ROBOT is the 4th album track in SUPERGOOD & honestly , I find this to be prety random . For starters , I wasn't able to catch hold of Yamapi singing Dekiai ROBOT in the song & perhaps because of this , it took me a while to catch hold of how Dekiai ROBOT sounds like .
Not really my fave album track in SUPERGOOD but Dekiai ROBOT is a decent standard Japanese pop song .
Tsumi to Batsu (Crime And Punishment) follows after Dekiai ROBOT & this has some attitude & bite . It's fast paced like Dekiai ROBOT but unlike the former , Tsumi to Batsu has a rather strong electric guitar backing which makes the song stands out on its own which's nice .
Kuchizuke de Adios (Farewell Kiss) is found as a B-side track in the CD + DVD edition of Yamapi's 3rd single One in a million & in here , it's found as track #8 in SUPERGOOD .
I was really happy to see Kuchizuke de Adios in the SUPERGOOD's tracklist because I honestly think out of all the B-sides & let alone A-side in One in a million , this's 1 song that I really enjoy since up to now , I still dislike One in a million .
As such , I don't have any complains when comes to Kuchizuke de Adios being included in SUPERGOOD as this's 1 keeper .
Seishun Amigo (Youth Friend) was released some 6 years ago on 2nd Nov 2005 & it was used as the drama theme song for Nobuta wo Produce .
Yamapi sang this song with KAT-TUN's Kamenashi Kazuya & released the single under the billing Shuuji to Akira which were the names of each of their role in the drama .
I did wrote earlier on that I was surprised to find Kuchizuke de Adios on SUPERGOOD's tracklist but after I saw Seishun Amigo being slotted after Kuchizuke de Adios , I was equally if not even more surprised with the inclusion of this song , since after all , it has been close to 6 years since Seishun Amigo was released & let alone , this's not counted as part of Yamapi's solo discography .
Then again , even though it has been close to 6 years since Seishun Amigo was released , this song's still a classic even up to now & it's 1 of those tracks that it will never gets old no matter how many times you listen to it .
Saigo no (The Last) Love Song is the 2nd last album track in SUPERGOOD & even before I listne to the song , I already somehow predicted that it's going to be a ballad which I'm right .
There're not a lot of album tracks in SUPERGOOD or SUPERBAD that falls under the ballad category so Saigo no Love Song is a refreshing change for once & it stoods out due to the simplicity nature & it's just Yamapi's vocals being backed up by a simple & under-stated piano melody .
Found only in the 2CDs edition of SUPERGOOD , SUPERBAD , it's a song that's called Aoi (Blue) & for this , Yamapi wrote & composed the song respectively .
Aoi is a pleasant mid tempo acoustic pop no. & it's 1 of those songs that's perfect to listen to if you're driving down the highway & I think it's a pretty good track to wrap up SUPERGOOD & kudos to Yamapi for having a hand in writing & composing Aoi on his own accord .
Disc 2 (SUPERBAD)
1) Theme of "SUPERBAD"
2) Tokyo Sinfonietta
3) PARTY DON'T STOP Feat DJ DASK
4)
One in a million 5) Yours Baby
6) ONE GIRL
7)
Loveless 8) Gomen ne (I'm Sorry)
9) Blood Diamond
10) Sleepwalking
11) Touch You (2CDs Track)
12) TOMO (2CDs Track)
13) Friday Night (2CDs Track)
14) MOLA (R-midwest REMIX) (2CDs Track)
After a rather dramatic sounding opening Theme of "SUPERBAD" , SUPERBAD dives straight into the 1st album track Tokyo Sinfonietta .
Tokyo Sinfonietta has a very grand orchestra sound while it's being combined with quite a generous dosage of autotune & synth .
It sounds like a music recipe for disaster if you combine all 3 music elements together but somehow or another , Yamapi's able to make things work in his own way & Tokyo Sinfonietta more or less sets the base on how the other album tracks in SUPERBAD sound like .
PARTY DON'T STOP follows after Tokyo Sinfonietta & for this song , the lyrics were written by Yamapi & it features DJ DASK .
Unlike Tokyo Sinfonietta , PARTY DON'T STOP has a much more stronger club sound & the melody is much more autotune/synth driven which I suspect this's to conceal Yamapi's English/Engrish dictation in PARTY DON'T STOP .
Then again , I wouldn't lie this's 1 great song to plug loud & proud if you're partying up a storm in a club .
One in a million is Yamapi's 3rd single & out of all the solo singles that he released in his solo discography , I still feel this's my least fave outta the lot because at the time when One in a million was released , I was unhappy that it's a really generic if not very heavily Americanised no. .
My dislike towards One in a million has somehow decreased a great deal & in this context , I'm not surprised it's slotted in SUPERBAD given that it fits the mood & atmosphere of the 2nd disc of Yamapi's debut solo album .
Yours Baby follows after One in a million & like most album tracks in SUPERBAD , it has the very strong club vibes attached to it alongside with English/Engrish lyrics .
Unlike the other SUPERBAD album tracks , the difference for Yours Baby is that I didn't detect any prominent autotune/synth which I suppose it's a good thing as sometimes , too much of a good thing can led to something bad .
ONE GIRL is track #6 & this's actually 1 of my fave album tracks in SUPERBAD as it's very catchy on 1st listen & even though there's still the issue of English/Engrish lyrics , it's actually a very enjoyable dancey song .
Loveless is Yamapi's 2nd single & this's the last single found in SUPERGOOD , SUPERBAD .
Even though it has been close to 2 years since Loveless was released , I still think this's a great ballad & I think Jin Nakamura did such a great job composing Loveless .
Gomen ne (I'm Sorry) follows after Loveless & just like Loveless , Gomen ne is a ballad but in this case , Gomen ne has a much more simplistic melody which's pretty much acoustic guitar driven .
I think it's a bit odd to slot Gomen ne in SUPERBAD instead of SUPERGOOD because most of the album tracks in SUPERBAD are very heavy club tunes & Gomen ne somehow or another sticks out like a sore thumb .
Then again , Gomen ne managed to stood out in a good way & I appericate just how simple & pleasant sounding it sounds .
Blood Diamond is track #9 & it's another club influenced no. . I realised that I enjoyed Blood Diamond quite a great deal .
Maybe because of the scratching disc beats which gives Blood Diamond an unique edge as compared to the other album tracks counterparts & let alone some unusual inclusion of a police car siren being thrown in for a good measure or 2 .
Sleepwalking is track #10 & I don't know if it's because of song title association but I actually find the song somewhat quite dreamy sounding for my liking .
Not that it's a bad thing but I don't really have any issues with Sleepwalking at the end of the day .
The next 4 tracks in SUPERBAD are only available in the 2CDs edition of SUPERGOOD , SUPERBAD .
Just like Sleepwalking , Touch You follows almost the same music pattern as the former except for Touch You , it's a straight out autotune/synth tune from the start all the way to end .
TOMO follows after Touch You & for this , the lyrics for TOMO was cowritten by Yamapi .
This's 1 unusual sounding track & probably 1 of the most unique no.s I heard in SUPERBAD . Already when the beginning of TOMO comes on , I know that somehow or another , I was going to hear something different from what the other album tracks in SUPERBAD offer & true enough , I wasn't disappointed .
Friday Night is the 2nd last album track in SUPERBAD & for this , the lyrics were written by Yamapi .
Just like TOMO , Friday Night is another track that has a distinct unique flair of its own , with the melody of the song that's distinct & exclusively available in Friday Night alone as I wasn't able to find other album tracks that shares this common music direction as what Friday Night has to offer .
The R-midwest REMIX of MOLA is the final track found in SUPERBAD & the original take of MOLA was found in NEWS's 3rd album colour .
In here , MOLA has been updated with a R-midwest REMIX which's the same remix that's found in the limited edition of NEWS's NEWS LIVE DIAMOND DVD .
Surprisingly , I'm quite alright with the R-midwest REMIX of MOLA . Besides fitting in with the whole vibe of SUPERBAD , it has a more updated if not futuristic take which's pretty cool & this's keeping in line with the other album tracks in SUPERBAD that more or less have the same style .
===
Truth be told , I was plesantly surprised how Yamapi was able to carry off not 1 but 2 discs on his own & the fact that both discs in his debut solo album have different styles , it can get tricky if it's not excuted well .
I was a bit skeptical to listen to SUPERGOOD , SUPERBAD especially SUPERBAD because I thought whether will it be painful for me to listen , given that I wasn't & still am not a fan of One in a million as I don't take it too kindly when JPop artistes suddenly begin to decide to fit into the whole Americanised westernised music route .
But after I heard the tracks in SUPERBAD , I was pretty blown away on the quality of the album tracks even though most of the songs I can barely hear Yamapi's English/Engrish dictation with the tunes being coated with a lot of club beats , autotune & synth .
I suppose if you don't pay that much attention to the lyrical aspect , then SUPERBAD is the perfect disc to spin in a club while the more conservative fans will stick to SUPERGOOD as for that aspect is what Yamapi does best when he's in solo mode .
The SUPERBAD side is more or less a music gamble for Yamapi which he took but it paid off I should say .
At the end of the day , there's something for everyone to enjoy in both discs in SUPERGOOD , SUPERBAD & I feel Yamapi should give himself a pat on the back for covering most music genres in most aspects on his own accord .
Thursday, February 03, 2011
Koda Kumi - Black Candy (POP DIVA's B-side)
Black Candy is found as the B-side track in Koda Kumi's 49th single POP DIVA , which was released yesterday on 2nd Feb .
An electro dance number , POP DIVA was selected to be used as the commerical theme song for Daiichikosho's LIVE DAM LIVE which Koda can be seen in the ads herself .
Wow on 1st listen , Black Candy is different from what POP DIVA has to offer & oddly enough , the 1st impression I had on Black Candy was that it really reminded me of JASMINE's CLUBBIN" to a certain extent since both songs have almost the same R&B meets Rock sound .
I haven't come across any other songs that Koda has done before in this manner but I do like Black Candy because there wasn't anything particular I nit pick the song unlike POP DIVA where I still feel the chorus stuck a nerve on me in a way or 2 .
Also , Black Candy is a really smooth sensual no. that contrasts the A-side too .
Koda Kumi starts off 2011 with this she-banging if not infectious catchy dance track POP DIVA . I still don't like the chorus that much but upbeat no.s are something that I enjoy coming from her & the video which accompanied the A-side is so far probably my fave of the year at this point in time , with it being so entertaining from the start til end .
Her 9th album Dejavu will be released on 2nd March & POP DIVA is included as track #2 in the tracklist .
