Monday, July 30, 2012
Koda Kumi - Whatchu Waitin' On ?
CD
CD + DVD
Whatchu Waitin' On ? is a new song taken from Beach Mix , which's Koda Kumi's 5th overall physical release remix album .
Beach Mix will be released this coming Wed on 1st Aug & Koda was quoted as saying , "This is what I am able to do at this time & I want my fans to enjoy it & have the best summer this year ! That’s why I created this !"
In the tracklist , Whatchu Waitin' On ? is found as track #1 in Beach Mix .
I'm not a very big remix fan but I have to say with regards to Whatchu Waitin' On ? , it's definitely something that I wasn't expecting from Koda if not for it being unusual for this to be included as a new song in a remix album too .
With regards to Whatchu Waitin' On ? , it's either a song that you might like or dislike but I wouldn't deny that it's 1 of those songs that's perfect to spin during summer .
Whatchu Waitin' On ? is not my fave Koda summer song but to say that it's downright catchy if not entertaining is an understatement .
Friday, July 27, 2012
JASMINE - Best Partner
1) Best Partner
2) B*TCH*S
3) Touch me on the Beach
4) Best Partner [Instrumental] Best Partner is JASMINE's 8th single & it was released on 25th July .
Released almost a year since her last single ONLY YOU , Best Partner originally supposed to be released under a different song title ie. My Precious .
I must admit , I was worried when JASMINE disappeared from the limelight after she released ONLY YOU last July but it's definitely great to have her back especially since she's a very talented lady .
Perhaps no surprises , Best Partner is worth the 1 year wait & in this case , it's an inspiring mid tempo track . It does have ballad traces of her previous singles such as sad to say & DREAMIN' to a certain extent but Best Partner is able to stand out on its own , thanks to the way JASMINE delivered it in such an emotional manner .
There're 2 B-sides in the single which the 1st one is something titled B*TCH*S .
To say B*TCH*S contrasts Best Partner well be it title & then some , is an understatement & B*TCH*S provides plenty of tongue in cheek humour that goes along with it .
Likewise , the same thing goes for Touch me on the Beach . I had no idea what to expect from Touch me on the Beach but between B*TCH*S & Touch me on the Beach , I prefer the latter more as it's simply a downright catchy R&B tune that's hands down very addictive .
Touch me on the Beach packs plenty of punch & I was immediately hooked onto the song on 1st listen .
After close to a year of absence , JASMINE returns back with this really enjoyable & all rounder comeback single in the form of Best Partner .
Among all the other R&B singers out there , I think JASMINE stands out as she's someone that's unique & I haven't come across anyone else besides her that released such R&B driven songs .
It's definitely great for her to be back & she couldn't have done it better in the form of her latest single offering Best Partner .
Kanjani∞ - ER
CD
CD + DVD A
CD + DVD B
1) ER
2) Ame Nochi Hare (Rain And Sunny)
3) ∞ Ranger (CD Only Track)
4) ER (Original Karaoke) (CD Only Track)
5) Ame Nochi Hare (Original Karaoke) (CD Only Track)
6) ∞ Ranger (Original Karaoke) (CD Only Track)
ER is Kanjani∞'s 21st single & it was released on 25th July .
Released barely a month since the group's previous single Ai Deshita. (Was Love.) , ER was selected to be used to promote the movie Eight Ranger , starring all members in the group which the movie will premiere theatrically in Japan on 28th July .
In addition , this's the group's 1st single that's released under the name Eight Ranger .
I wasn't expecting another single from the guys so soon especially since Ai Deshita. is still something I enjoy from them but with regards to ER , it takes back to what the group's best known for which's crazy over the top songs .
Except in this case , ER is surprisingly a lot more mellower than their other hyperactive sounding tracks . I'm not sure why this's so but there's something about ER that I don't really like that much .
There're 2 B-sides in the single , the 1st one is something titled Ame Nochi Hare (Rain And Sunny) .
Described as a ballad number which's also featured in the Eight Ranger's movie soundtrack , Ame Nochi Hare plays a great contrast against ER & I think this song alone has the potential to be an A-side worthy no. .
Exclusively available in the CD only pressing of ER , ∞ Ranger is the 2nd B-side track .
∞ Ranger is a well-known song Kanjani∞ tends to perform frequently at their concerts & needless to say , it's quite an amusing no. that showcase what the group does best .
Fast approaching the 8th anniversary since the group debuted in 2004 , Kanjani∞ released 2 singles back to back within last & this month .
In the case of their latest single offering ER , they've taken on their super sentai super hero alter ego Kanjani Sentai 8 Ranger in delivering this quirky & spunky release .
Sunday, July 22, 2012
NEWS - Chankapana
CD Regular
CD Limited for each NEWS member
4CDs + DVD boxset
Chankapana is NEWS's 14th single & it was released on 18th July .
The 1st release for the brand new now quartet , the A-side is described as a love song .
Except for the 4 NEWS solo songs which serve as B-sides that will not be reviewed , the A-side & only group B-side will be reviewed .
In the case of Chankapana , it literally means "dear or beloved" . It's a woman's exotic name that is the source of beautiful pop songs of love between men & women .
A danceable tune with a catchy hook , Chankapana is downright addictive in a good way & I'm sure many other NEWS fans will agree with me that it has been way too long since NEWS last released something new , especially after the departure of their 2 former members , Yamashita Tomohisa & Ryo Nishikido .
The gap between the group's last single Fighting Man & Chankapana is close to a 2 years wait but suffice to say , the wait is extremely worth it & despite underlying fears if NEWS can survive now as a quartet , look no further than giving Chankapana a listen .
Available in the regular edition of the single , Full Swing is the only B-side that's sung together as a group but this's another solid track .
Full Swing can be come across as positive sounding & I feel there's quite a bit of summer influences here which's the perfect track to listen to during this season . It's able to pass itself off as a potential A-side no. alongside with Chankapana that's for sure .
In June 2012 , NEWS began their long-awaited comeback as a quartet with the release of NEWS Best , their first compilation album . A month later , the Johnny's group has unleashed Chankapana ! The group's first original work in over 20 months , Chankapana is an upbeat love song about treasuring the person you love .
It has been a long wait but welcome back NEWS , you've been sorely missed by everyone & thank you for coming back with a bang in the form of the downright insanely catchy Chankapana & I'm sure this's the start of nothing but future great things that will befall on the now quartet .
Monday, July 16, 2012
flumpool - Because ... I am
CD
CD + DVD
1) Because ... I am
2) Summertime Blues
3) Summer DIVE 2012 ~into the Blue~
4) Because ... I am (Instrumental)
Because ... I am is flumpool's 9th single & it was released on 11th July .
Sharing the same title as the band's current nationwide tour , it was created after lead singer Ryuta sincerely confronted himself .
Described as a dynamic rock number with powerful lyrics , Because ... I am is an expressive song that conveys a lot about the four members of the band , which is why they named their tour after it .
Selected to be used in the ads of au AQUOSPHONE CL IS17SH & NTV's morning news show Sukkiri ! , Because ... I am was originally slated for release on July 4th but due to certain circumstances with production , the release date has been pushed back to July 11th .
There're 2 B-sides in the single . The 1st B-side is something titled Summertime Blues .
Summertime Blues is a mid tempo ballad that plays a good contrast against the highly energetic sounding A-side . It's a bit mellow for my liking but it's something worth checking out nonetheless .
Summer DIVE 2012 ~into the Blue~ is the 2nd B-side & when I 1st heard this B-side , I was really surprised as this can be described as a remake/remix of the group's 2009 single Natsu (Summer) Dive .
Natsu Dive is the 2nd A-side of flumpool's 2nd single MW ~Dear Mr. & Ms. Picaresque~ / Natsu Dive & in the case of Summer DIVE 2012 ~into the Blue~ , a drastic different melody has been utilised & also they thrown in autotune for good measure too .
I never heard autotune being used in any of flumpool's songs before but it's a good place to start with Summer DIVE 2012 ~into the Blue~ & I do enjoy this updated version of Natsu Dive quite a fair bit too .
flumpool kicked off 2012 with this pretty solid single in the form of Because ... I am . There was a period of time where I felt their releases were very stagnant but luckily they still got it when comes to their singles .
I'm quite sure their next step will be to release a new album since with the inclusive of Because ... I am , they've already released 3 singles prior so it wouldn't surprise me if I will be right on this as it has been already close to 1 1/2 year since they released their 2nd album Fantasia of Life Stripe .
Friday, July 06, 2012
Yamashita Tomohisa - LOVE CHASE
CD Regular
CD Limited A
CD + DVD
LOVE CHASE is Yamashita Tomohisa's 6th single & it was released on 4th July .
Yamapi's new single comes about 5 months + since the release of his previous single Ai (Love) , Texas .
Selected to be used as the theme song for the manga-turned-anime Toriko , this's his 1st anime theme no. as a solo artist . He commented , "I am really looking forward to listening to LOVE CHASE with Toriko's animation ."
LOVE CHASE was produced by four-member band MONKEY MAJIK . Both Yamapi & MONKEY MAJIK composed the song together . Yamashita showed his satisfaction stating , "As the title suggests , the song has a speedy rhythm . It has been created as a song that perfectly fits with Toriko's story ."
MONKEY MAJIK's vocalist/guitarist Maynard Plant stated , "The song has been completed as a cool match with Yamashita-san . This is a cool upbeat song so I hope everybody will liven up listening to this song ! ”
There're 2 B-sides in the single . The 1st one is something titled Inside , Outside .
Inside , Outside is definitely very different from the main A-side with this song sounding quite laidback if not carefree . As a result , I couldn't help but feel relaxed upon hearing Inside , Outside
Only available in the CD regular pressing of LOVE CHASE , it's Kimi to Kaze to Mikazuki (You & The Wind & The Crescent Moon) .
Written by Yamapi , Kimi to Kaze to Mikazuki is quite a pleasant sounding track that's guitar driven & the fact that the lyrics is written by Yamapi himself , it's something worth taking notice of .
Yamashita Tomohisa's latest single LOVE CHASE marks a number of 1st's for the Johnny's star . Not only is it Yamapi's 1st anime theme song to be used to promote Toriko , it also marks his 1st collaboration with MONKEY MAJIK , who produces this pulsating & catchy dance song .
His 2nd solo album Ero will be released on 25th July but LOVE CHASE will not be included in the tracklist .
Sunday, July 01, 2012
SPYAIR - 0 GAME
Covers for both CD & CD + DVD's
1) 0 GAME
2) Rock'n Roll (CD Only Track)
3) MOVIN' ON (CD Only Track)
4) YOU 2 (CD Only Track)
0 GAME is SPYAIR's 7th single & it was released on 27th June .
Released 3 months + after the group's previous single My World , it was selected to be used in promotion for The Amazing Spider-Man 3D which was released in Japan cinemas yesterday on 30th June .
An original no. sung by SPYAIR which the film production company offered 0 GAME to be featured in the movie , the movie's staff for The Amazing Spider-Man give high praises for the song & stated that it's the perfect theme no. for the film .
To say that 0 GAME is awesome is an understatement & immediately when I 1st heard it , I was not surprised to find out it's yet another awesome gem coming from SPYAIR .
It's a bit hard to describe 0 GAME but all I can say's that it's in a whole new different league from My World but 0 GAME is something I feel it's great to be used to promote The Amazing Spider-Man & I can't think of any other song other than SPYAIR's to be used in such a blockbuster movie either besides them .
0 GAME has 3 B-sides in which all of them are available exclusively in the CD only of the single .
Rock'n Roll is the 1st B-side & this's an interesting no. which borrows quite a heavy influence from American rock bands as that was the impression I 1st get when I heard Rock'n Roll .
This's most definitely 1 of those songs that is perfect to crank up a notch in listening as Rock'n Roll is well very Rock & Roll driven .
MOVIN' ON is the 2nd B-side & this's actually the group's 1st digital single which was released this year on 1st Jan .
I was really happy to see MOVIN' ON in the tracklist as I remembered when this song was 1st released digitally , I was wondering if it might be included in a future single or album release but I'm more or less satisfied to see it being included in 0 GAME which I have no further complaints about .
Last but not least , YOU 2 is the final B-side & this's yet another catchy memorable no. SPYAIR delivered . Clocking in under 3 mins , YOU 2 is a pleasant sounding track which packs plenty of punch & sass coming from the group .
SPYAIR unleashed their 2nd single release of the year in the form of 0 GAME & once again , this's another single that I really enjoyed , with it being really solid .
In recent times , SPYAIR has become my 2nd fave Jrock band & it's easy to see why as the material that they have put out speaks volume . This's 1 group that has plenty of potential to succeed in many more years to come & their music is evident/proof on why I really like them a great deal .
I definitely look forward to see what else they have up their sleeves since they've never left my playlist ever since I came across their music but I'm sure the result will be nothing short of spectacular .
