Saturday, June 30, 2012

Hilcrhyme - Hotaru (Firefly)

Cover for both CD & CD + DVD's



1) Hotaru (Firefly)
2) LIFE IS GOOD
3) Hotaru -KARAOKE ver.-


Hotaru (Firefly) is Hilcrhyme's 10th single & it was released on 27th June .

The duo's latest single offering was released on the same day as their Hilcrhyme RISING TOUR 2012 DVD .

Their 1st single release after putting out Best of Hilcrhyme this year on 25th April , Hotaru is a really beautiful ballad which I adore on 1st listen .

Honestly , their last few singles were somehow a bit lacklustre for me but thankfully , I have no qualms when comes to Hotaru as it comes across as a sincere earnest no. which's lovely .

The only B-side in the single , LIFE IS GOOD is a feel good mid tempo track which's piano driven & it also includes a pretty familiar melody that has been sampled . The result gives LIFE IS GOOD being a class of its own which's able to hold against Hotaru pretty well .

Reaching the landmark 10th single release , Hilcrhyme managed to accomplish this milestone by releasing their latest single offering Hotaru .

I was a bit worried on whether will they continue to release music after they released Best of Hilcrhyme in April but thankfully , my fears were squashed when they announced they were releasing Hotaru soon after that .

Hotaru is a really heartfelt touching single & once again , the duo have crafted quality music & I'm sure this's not the last I'll be seeing of the guys & I can't wait to see what they have up next in store for everyone .



Friday, June 29, 2012

KAT-TUN - TO THE LIMIT

CD



CD + DVD






TO THE LIMIT is KAT-TUN's 18th single & it was released on 27th June .

The group's 1st release of the year after releasing their 6th album CHAIN on 22nd Feb , the main A-side contains the message , "Don't be complacent & satisfied with your present state , grab your future & dreams while bravely facing difficulties ."

The rock beat number with their passionate message will rouse fans's heart .

There're 3 B-sides included in the single , with the 1st 2 songs exclusively found in the CD pressing of TO THE LIMIT .

The 1st B-side is something titled Sorezore no Sora (Each Sky) & this's a really pleasant sounding mid tempo ballad which plays a great contrast against the A-side .

The 2nd B-side SPIRIT was used in two forms of promotion in the form of being used as the image song for the Nippon Professional Baseball television relay system's Dramatic Game 1844 & also for NTV's news & sports program Going ! Sports & News .

SPIRIT is described as a song which's about the importance of bonding with friends & going forward towards a dream .

Exclusively found in the CD + DVD pressing of the single , WALKING IN THE LIGHT is the final B-side .

I think out of the 3 B-sides , WALKING IN THE LIGHT is probably my fave outta the lot as something about this song is unusual sounding & it's also charming too .

KAT-TUN decided to challenge themselves with a new genre to conquer . Their latest single is a heavy-rock song that talks about the members being unsatisfied with the usual "status-quo" . Thus, they go ahead in pushing to the limits of grasping their dreams & conquering their future .

In the spirit of the song's theme , this heavy rock tune provides each member their own rap section in the song , marking some members' 1st attempt at rapping . Hear how KAT-TUN tackles this major musical challenge in to the limit !



Wednesday, June 27, 2012

CD Review :: Namie Amuro - Uncontrolled

CD



CD + DVD



1) In The Spotlight (TOKYO)
2) NAKED
3) GO ROUND ('N ROUND N'ROUND)
4) Sit ! Stay ! Wait ! Down !
5) Hot Girls
6) Break It (AL Ver.)
7) Get Myself Back
8) Love Story
9) Let's Go
10) SINGING "YEAH-OH"
11) Fight Together
12) ONLY YOU
13) Tempest



Uncontrolled is Namie Amuro's 9th album & it's released officially today on 27th June .

All singles ie. 3 double A-side's & a triple A-side are included in Uncontrolled with the exception of the B-side tracks Higher & arigatou (thank the world for LOVE ... gift song for 2011) which're taken from Sit ! Stay ! Wait ! Down ! / Love Story .

In addition , GO ROUND ('N ROUND 'N ROUND) & SINGING "YEAH-OH are English cover versions of her songs from Go Round / YEAH-OH .

The release of Uncontrolled comes nearly 3 years since the release of Namie's previous studio album PAST < FUTURE & in this album , there're a total of 4 new songs in which all of them have music videos .

In The Spotlight (TOKYO) is the 1st of 4 new songs & it's also the 1st of 3 full English tracks , new material wise .

I actually saw the video preview for In The Spotlight (TOKYO) way before I saw/heard the full version & the result gives you this really catchy if not very heavily club driven no. which I'm not surprised this's slotted as the 1st song in the tracklist , with it being very memorable/strong sounding .

Perhaps to conceal the fact that In The Spotlight (TOKYO) is a full English track , a strong infectious dancey melody & also somewhat repetitive lyrics have been utilised .

NAKED is the 1st A-side of Namie's 35th single NAKED / Fight Together / Tempest . This was used as the theme song to the Kose ad for ESPRIQUE which Namie was seen in the ads herself & it's composed by Osawa Shinichi with lyrics provided by m-flo's VERBAL .

The song has been described as a very Namie song , meaning it's a dance-able tune .

As mentioned earlier on , GO ROUND ('N ROUND 'N ROUND) is the English cover of Go Round which this song used as the Kose's ESPRIQUE PRECIOUS commercial no. .

Go Round is the 1st A-side of Namie's 37th single Go Round / YEAH-OH .

In the case of GO ROUND ('N ROUND 'N ROUND) , hearing this at 1st was really strange for me as it's basically Namie covering her own song in English . The melody & all is still the same but somehow , I feel GO ROUND ('N ROUND 'N ROUND) does not flow very well , lyrics wise .

As a result , I felt a bit awkward listening to GO ROUND ('N ROUND 'N ROUND) but I do admit at least it's something different Namie decided to try but unfortunately for this , this didn't really make the mark for me .

Sit ! Stay ! Wait ! Down ! is the 1st A-side of Namie's 36th single Sit ! Stay ! Wait ! Down ! / Love Story .

Described as a dance song which was used as the theme no. in the drama Watashi ga Renai Dekinai Riyuu , it's produced by T.Kura & michico . The R&B production team otherwise known as Giant Swing , hasn't worked with Namie since PAST < FUTURE .

Producer Nakano Toshitaka explained his reason for choosing Namie to sing for the drama in that , “When I was planning the main character for Watashi ga Renai Dekinai Riyuu , I thought that Namie was the only one who could sing the theme song .

Namie is charismatic to young women & has an impact on their lifestyle , so I wanted her to give them courage . She has written the song after reading the script , so I expected it to be a support song for women that involves sadness & power .”

Meanwhile , Namie expressed , “This time , I am very honoured to receive this offer to provide the theme song for Watashi ga Renai Dekinai Riyuu . Sit ! Stay ! Wait ! Down ! overlaps scenes from the drama , so I hope viewers could relate to it even more . "

Hot Girls is the 2nd album track & the 2nd of 3 new full English no.s .

I think out of the 4 new songs , Hot Girls is probably the weakest sounding & also I didn't like that it was a bit too short for my liking & the lyrics for this song ain't helping either with it being a bit over repetitive .

No doubt that Hot Girls is well a hot track but considering there're other stronger songs in Uncontrolled , I can skip this & select others to enjoy .

Break It is the 1st A-side of Namie's 34th single Break It / Get Myself Back .

This song was used in the ads of Coca-Cola Zero in which Namie's the spokeswoman for & you also can see her in the ads too & it's the 2nd time her song has been used to promote Coca-Cola Zero after WILD .

Described as a rock influenced dance no. , Break It has been given an alternate version in Uncontrolled & I must say , this version sounds a lot more awesome than the original .

I remembered I really disliked the original version of Break It quite a fair bit with it sounding an awful lot like Super Junior's Sorry Sorry but for Break It (AL Ver.) , even though traces of the original melody is still evident , it has been replaced with something much more futuristic & gritty sounding .

And speaking of Break It / Get Myself Back , the 2nd A-side follows right after Break It (AL Ver.) & this mid tempo ballad is a good contrast against the 1st A-side .

Love Story is the 2nd A-side in Namie's 36th single Sit ! Stay ! Wait ! Down ! / Love Story .

Described as an adult ballad , while Sit ! Stay ! Wait ! Down ! was used as the opening track for Watashi ga Renai Dekinai Riyuu , Love Story served as the ending theme song to the drama .

The song's about how Namie has grown up & moved on from the love she left behind .

Let's Go is the 3rd new album track & this's 1 really catchy no. . Extremely infectious with plenty of attitude , Let's Go is the perfect song to spin in a club & the video accompanying the song just takes things to a whole new level .

SINGING "YEAH-OH" is the English cover of YEAH-OH in which YEAH-OH is the 2nd A-side of Namie's 37th single Go Round / YEAH-OH .

Unlike GO ROUND ('N ROUND 'N ROUND) which didn't sit well with me , for some reason , SINGING "YEAH-OH" is something that I like . I'm not sure why but in terms of consistency , SINGING "YEAH-OH" is much better as compared to GO ROUND ('N ROUND 'N ROUND) which sounded a bit out of synch to me .

Fight Together is the 2nd A-side of Namie's 35th single NAKED / Fight Together / Tempest .

For this , Fight Together was used as the theme song in the anime ONE PIECE & it went on-air this year in April . Namie is said to be a big fan of ONE PIECE & unlike the other 2 A-sides , Fight Together did not get a music video .

The final new album track is something titled ONLY YOU & it's the last of 3 new English songs but this's actually the 1st song I've heard outta the lot .

Selected to be used as the theme song for the satellite broadcasted WOWOW’s European football program , which includes live broadcast for UEFA EURO 2012 matches , ONLY YOU is a refreshing medium up-tempo number with a catchy melody .

Namie mentioned , "From Uncontrolled , ONLY YOU has been picked up as the WOWOW’s European football theme song , so I'm honoured .”

Tempest is the last A-side of Namie's 35th single NAKED / Fight Together / Tempest & it's also the final track in the album .

This song was used as the theme no. for the NHK period drama of the same name which started airing last year on July 17th & it has been described as a touching ballad .

Debuting in 1992 alongside with the then group SUPER MONKEYS , this year marks the 20th anniversary of being in the music business for Namie Amuro & with the release of Uncontrolled , it's her 1st step of her 20th anniversary project .

Namie stated , "The album has been created to be enjoyed by everyone & to enhance their mood" .

I will not lie , when details were 1st announced with regards to Uncontrolled , I was taken back on how lazy the production was supposedly , especially since there're only 4 new songs in this album , unlike her previous albums which had more new material .

However as it turns out , things are not as bad as it seems as there're a few little touches her music team incorporated in Uncontrolled , ranging from giving Break It an album version & also doing English covers of both Go Round & YEAH-OH .

I wouldn't really consider Uncontrolled as my fave Namie album with PLAY being still tops but I wouldn't deny that this's an album that's really enjoyable from the start til the end & I suppose if you don't buy her singles , then it's good but I'm sure for those that do buy her singles , they will not be satisfied with this album for obvious reasons .

But all in all , for Namie Amuro to be still around making music for the past 20 years , it's no mean feat & she has really worked hard to get to where she's at currently .

Despite struggles she has faced be it in her personal life or music career , it's definitely great to see her bounce back in popularity in recent times & here's to even more anniversaries for her to celebrate in many more years to come .



Wednesday, June 20, 2012

BREAKERZ - Overwrite / Nounai (In The Brain) Survivor

CD



CD + DVD A



CD + DVD B



1) Overwrite
2) Nounai (In The Brain) Survivor
3) EMILY ~Acoustic Version~
4) Miss Mystery ~「Detective Conan」TV size~ (CD Only Track)




Overwrite / Nounai (In The Brain) Survivor is BREAKERZ's 13th single & it was released on 13th June .

Released 5 months + since their previous single Miss Mystery , Overwrite / Nounai Survivor is the group's overall 9th double A-side single release .

All lyrics in the single were written by frontman/lead singer DAIGO .

The 1st A-side Overwrite was used as the 42nd ending theme for the Detective Conan anime . Composed by guitarist AKIHIDE , it's described as a song that means renewal that combines gentleness and strength .

I wasn't impressed with what Overwrite had to offer in the beginning but now my apperication towards the song has grown significantly , especially in line with the lyrical content , which 1 can't help but feel geniune love towards this tender rock ballad .

On the other hand , the 2nd A-side Nounai Survivor was used as the theme song for the lifeaction drama STAND UP ! Vanguard starring DAIGO as the main lead .

Composed by guitarist SHINPEI , Nounai Survivor plays a great contrast against Overwrite with it being a highly charged up energetic no. .

At 1st , I thought Nounai Survivor might sound like a CLIMBER x CLIMBER part 2 since both songs were composed by SHINPEI & had quite similiar tie in's but I was proven really wrong when I heard Nounai Survivor .

Nounai Survivor is edgy , gritty & mean sounding without going over the top & I always look forward to hear SHINPEI's compositions & this's no exception .

Originally found as track #10 in the guys's 2nd album CRASH & BUILD , EMILY ~Acoustic Version~ serves as the 1st B-side of the single .

EMILY is 1 of the many songs I never expect BREAKERZ to make an acoustic no. but the result is sheer brillance .

Paying homage to the original , EMILY ~Acoustic Version~ is dark , creepy & quite depressing sounding but it's exactly what I like since I enjoyed the original so much but this acoustic mix just take things up a notch higher than ever .

Unlike Sekai wa Odoru ~Acoustic Version~ which did not sit that well with me , luckily AKIHIDE did a much better job in composing EMILY ~Acoustic Version~ since he was the 1 that also composed the original but for their latest acoustic offering , it's a definite home run .

Last but not least , Miss Mystery ~「Detective Conan」TV size~ is only found in the CD pressing of the single . I don't have anything else to add further except that this's basically a shorter version of Miss Mystery that's fitted specially to be used in the Detective Conan anime .

Fast approaching the band's 5th anniversary that will take place next month , BREAKERZ released their 2nd single of 2012 in the form of Overwrite / Nounai Survivor .

Overwrite / Nounai Survivor to me is an all rounder single . Unlike their previous release Miss Mystery (which I adore the A-side but I feel the B-sides are some of their weakest to date) , that luckily did not happen to Overwrite / Nounai Survivor .

I know of some artistes that have a tendency to release a lot of double A-side singles but to me BREAKERZ is 1 of the rare few that I actually encourage & do not mind because for their double A-side singles , they showcase 2 different type of styles & also image wise which even though it's much more difficult to do , at least they did it well most of the time .

But with that said , BREAKERZ is 1 artiste that I'm really proud to have been behind their back from their 2008 debut single until now & I've seen them grow musically & then some & for a fan like myself , I couldn't be more happier for them .

Happy 5th anniversary BREAKERZ !



Sunday, June 17, 2012

Kanjani∞ - Ai Deshita. (Was Love.)

CD

CD + DVD


1) Ai Deshita. (Was Love.)
2) Midarezake (Bloom Disorder) Romance
3) Merry Go Round (CD Only Track)
4) Rurarira (CD Only Track)
5) Ai Deshita. (Original Karaoke)
6) Midarezake Romance (Original Karaoke)
7) Merry Go Round (Original Karaoke)
8) Rurarira (Original Karaoke)

Ai Deshita. (Was Love.) is Kanjani∞'s 20th single & it was released on 13th June .

The group's 1st release of 2012 , the A-side was used as the theme song for the drama Papadol ! starring Ryo Nishikido .

The lyrics of Ai Deshita. talks about the love for people who give light to others's lonely & anxious daily lives .

Honestly , I really like Ai Deshita. when I 1st heard the radio rip of the song but the higher quality of the track speaks volume . I wasn't feeling that much love for their recent singles prior to Ai Deshita. but something about this track is just really enduring which's what I adore so much about it .

There're 3 B-sides found in the single , the 1st one is something titled Midarezake Romance .

Midarezake Romance is basically fun fun fun . Such a highly charged up song which plays a great contrast against the A-side . You definitely feel the adrenaline pumping upon listening to Midarezake Romance .

The next 2 B-sides are exclusively found in the CD pressing of the single .

Merry Go Round is a real charming no. . A lot more slower than the A-side , it also can come across as a little bit dreamy in a good way .

In the case of Rurarira , it's quite an angsty driven no. which's a big contrast against Ai Deshita. . Not as angsty sounding as some of the group's other songs but this's still worth a listen .

Fast approaching the group's 8th anniversary , Kanjani∞ makes quite a splash with their 20th single Ai Deshita. .

I really enjoy what the whole single has to offer & even though they have 3 B-sides included in the single , they frankly are all A-side worthy which I think it's great as this proves they ain't lazy when comes to the quality of what they have to offer .

Kanjani∞ has come a long way since their humble beginnings & congrats to them for reaching a single milestone in the form of their 20th single Ai Deshita. .



Wednesday, June 13, 2012

CD Review :: Hey ! Say ! JUMP - JUMP WORLD

CD



CD + DVD



1) Perfect Life
2) SUPER DELICATE
3) Tsunagu Te to Te (Connected Hands)
4) Boku wa (I'm A) Vampire
5) OVER
6) Hero
7) Magic Power
8) Hurry up !
9) Sam & Pinky
10) 「Arigatou」(Thank You) ~Sekai no Doko ni Itemo~ (Wherever I'm In The World)
11) Together forever
12) Snap (Hey ! Say ! BEST) (CD Only Track)
13) Hana Egao (Smile Flower) (Hey ! Say ! 7) (CD Only Track)
14) Single Medley - Second act (CD Only Track)
15) Spicy (Hey ! Say ! BEST) (CD + DVD Track)
16) Uta Utau (Hey ! Say ! 7) (CD + DVD Track)
17) Endless Dream (CD + DVD Track)


JUMP WORLD is Hey ! Say ! JUMP's 2nd album & it was released last week on 6th June .

The group's new album comes nearly 2 years since the release of their debut album JUMP NO.1 .

JUMP WORLD includes 4 singles & this's their 1st album that they released as a 9 member group following the departure of Morimoto Ryutaro .

All the songs in JUMP WORLD will be reviewed except for the 4 sub unit group songs .

The album kicked things off with the 1st album track in the form of Perfect Life .

Perfect Life is a very peppy cheery sounding no. with really big emphasis on trumpet & saxaphone . It might come across as a bit of a shock but this more or less sets the tone on what to roughly expect in later course of JUMP WORLD .

SUPER DELICATE is Hey ! Say ! JUMP's 9th single & this was used as the theme song for TV series Riso no Musuko starring Yamada Ryosuke & Nakajima Yuto .

The lyrics for SUPER DELICATE is written by scenario writer Nojima Shinji who also wrote the script for the drama as well .

Tsunagu Te to Te (Connected Hands) follows after SUPER DELICATE & for this song , I think it's 1 of the standout interesting tracks in JUMP WORLD simply because it has quite an unique Scottish feeling in line with the heavy reliance of bag pipes in the melody .

A bit strange but somehow or another , the group managed to make things work in their favour for Tsunagu Te to Te .

In the case of Boku wa (I'm A) Vampire , I thought this was another unusual song & paying homage to the song title , elements & traces of anything associated with halloween if not vampires can be heard very evidently in here .

Boku wa Vampire might come across as a bit cheesy for some but sometimes it's good not to take thing seriously .

OVER is the guys's 7th single . This song presents a positive message of encouragement to all their fans from the young pop group , reminding their fans to look forward to a brighter future .

The 4th album track , Hero is a super energetic no. that upon listening to it , 1 couldn't help but feel really charged up in energy & ready for the day to begin .

Magic Power is the group's 8th single & it was used as the theme song for the Japanese dub of the animated movie The Smurfs .

Yamada Ryosuke & Chinen Yuri did voice acting for the main cast . Yamada provided the voice for Clumsy while Chinen provided the voice for Brainy .

Magic Power was written along the theme of the movie & has a motown sound that will make people happy just by listening to it . Using The Smurfs's saying , "Even if we are small , we can do anything if we work together !" , as the theme , the song conveys a 'magic power' that is created by the bonds of friendship .

Hurry up ! is the next album track & this's 1 of my fave new songs in JUMP WORLD as it has a very grown up feeling . Unlike the 1st few album tracks where it tend to get a bit kiddy sounding , Hurry up ! is edgy , gritty & mean without going ove the top .

Definitely a standout track in JUMP WORLD that's worth checking out for .

In the case of the next album track Sam & Pinky , it sounds almost exactly like what Hero has to offer if not a typical standard Johnny's track . I wouldn't consider Sam & Pinky as a fave track of mine but it's something I don't mind listening to .

「Arigatou」(Thank You) ~Sekai no Doko ni Itemo~ (Wherever I'm In The World) is the group's 6th single & it's the oldest single included in JUMP WORLD .

Even though it has been nearly 2 years since 「Arigatou」~Sekai no Doko ni Itemo~ was released , I still like this upbeat dance song so I don't have any further comments to add on as this's still something that I like listening to .

The 2nd last album track , Together forever sounds something that might be suitable for Christmas as that was the 1st impression I had when I gave Together forever a listen .

Considering Together forever is the unofficial last track in JUMP WORLD , I think they couldn't have picked a better song than this in concluding things & let alone it's the only album track being considered as a ballad .

Jumping straight all the way to the last album track / group song , it's Endless Dream which's exclusively found in the CD + DVD pressing of JUMP WORLD .

On 1st listen , for some strange reason , Endless Dream reminds me of something that KinKi Kids might do as the vibes the song gave me said so otherwise but other than that , it's another good angsty driven no. that feels quite grown up in the right way too .

After close to a 2 years wait , Hey ! Say ! JUMP is finally back with their 2nd album offering in the form of JUMP WORLD .

Truth be told , I was quite disappointed with what JUMP WORLD had to offer at 1st because I didn't like that some of the album tracks were quite kiddy/childish sounding in the beginning but then I realised they were crafted this way to contrast against the rather grown up sounding singles .

Also oddly enough , the opposite happened for their debut album JUMP NO.1 where their singles were teeny booper hits while their album tracks are much more mature sounding .

With that said , Hey ! Say ! JUMP is definitely a group that has come far since their 2007 debut & despite the hurdles they've faced , I still feel this's 1 group that definitely can go far .

Let Hey ! Say ! JUMP show you the world with their latest album offering , in the form of JUMP WORLD .



Friday, June 08, 2012

ARASHI - Your Eyes

CD



CD + DVD






Your Eyes is ARASHI's 39th single & it was released on 6th June .

Released less than a month after the group's previous single Face Down , it was used to promote the drama Mikeneko Holmes no Suiri , starring Aiba Masaki .

After releasing 2 awesome uptempo no.s Wild At Heart & Face Down , ARASHI has decided to slow things down with this equally good no. in the form of Your Eyes .

In the case of Your Eyes , it's an emotional driven ballad which's quite different from the last single (which was Lotus) that the group provided the theme song for Aiba's Bartender drama .

There're 3 B-sides included in Your Eyes , with the 1st 2 that're found in the CD only pressing of the single .

voice is a mid-tempo feel-good song with a distinct flute solo while Hanabi (Fireworks) features an upbeat melodic beat with some elements of jazz into the mix .

Kimi ga Irukara (Because You're Here) is only found in the CD + DVD pressing of the single & it's a lively no. that describes one person's experience with a significant other which's the perfect song to listen to at this point in time during summer .

After the hyper energetic dance song Face Down , ARASHI delivers a more mellow & contemplative mid-tempo tune for their follow-up single Your Eyes .

I've been impressed with what ARASHI has been releasing this year . From Wild At Heart to Face Down & now Your Eyes , these're some of their most recent enjoyable material as there was a period of time where everything they released was really boring but I'm glad this year seems to have been much better for them musically .

It reminds to be seen what will be their next step will be but I think it's about time for a new album or they might release another single since their next single release will be them reaching the milestone 40th single landmark .



Monday, June 04, 2012

girl next door - signal

CD



CD + DVD A



CD + DVD B



1) signal
2) Precious Friend
3) Dadapara !! (JAPANATION Remix) (CD Only Track)
4) signal (Instrumental)
5) Precious Friend (Instrumental)



signal is girl next door's 15th single & it was released on 30th May .

Their 1st single release for 2012 , this time round , the trio has collaborated with Every Little Thing's former member Igarashi Mitsuru for the 1st time & the song was selected to be used as the theme song for NTV's morning news program Sukkiri !! last month .

I must say that I really like what signal has to offer as it presents a different sound for the group . Unlike their last 3 singles which somehow didn't really sit well with me , signal is different .

In this case , signal has a very breezy summery feeling & from what I understand , it does sound like something Every Little Thing might do but for me , it's a music change that I welcome .

There're 2 B-sides available in the single in which the JAPANATION Remix of their 12th single Dadapara !! will not be reviewed .

Precious Friend served as the ending theme song for the TV program Blosear & for this , it feels a lot more of the group's style . I've already liked the preview on what Precious Friend had to offer & hearing the full version of it , I'm satisfied with it .

After releasing their 1st best album SINGLE COLLECTION this year on 7th March , girl next door came back with a triumph music return in the form of their latest single offering signal .

It's heartening to note they're still releasing material after they've put out their 1st best album & honestly the songs available in their latest single are far more stronger if not better than what they've released in the 2nd 1/2 of last year & let alone their last album Agaruneku ! .

As a fan of them from their 2008 single debut til now , I'm still rooting for them & hopefully there will be many more music surprises coming their way in due time after putting out signal




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

# My LiveJournal

# My Twitter






♥ ♥ ♥ BREAKERZ ♥ ♥ ♥











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