CD
CD + DVD A
CD + DVD B
Released less than a month after the group's previous single My Resistance -Tashikana Mono- / Unmei Girl , Ki•Su•U•Ma•I ~KISS YOUR MIND~ / S.O.S (Smile On Smile) was released on the same day as the group's 2nd album Good Ikuze ! & YOSHIO -NEW MEMBER- DVD (an original short movie about YOSHIO , who joins the group as its 8th member) .
Despite this , Ki•Su•U•Ma•I ~KISS YOUR MIND~ / S.O.S (Smile On Smile) is not included in Good Ikuze ! .
The 1st A-side Ki•Su•U•Ma•I ~KISS YOUR MIND~ was picked to be used in the ads of Glico's KissMiNT & this's their 2nd single to be used to promote Glico's KissMiNT , the 1st being the group's 3rd single SHE ! HER ! HER ! .
I guess it's quite obvious if not evident that Ki•Su•U•Ma•I ~KISS YOUR MIND~ is the sequel song of sorts after it picked up from where SHE ! HER ! HER ! left as from the covers & video that accompanied the song , it already says a lot .
That said , just like SHE ! HER ! HER ! , I found Ki•Su•U•Ma•I ~KISS YOUR MIND~ to be quite cheesy in the beginning as already the opening of the song is quite tacky but I suppose it's in line with the song title .
Thankfully the rest of Ki•Su•U•Ma•I ~KISS YOUR MIND~ is much better than the introduction . If you ignore that aspect , Ki•Su•U•Ma•I ~KISS YOUR MIND~ is a rather fun sounding upbeat no. & a lot more in your face as compared to SHE ! HER ! HER ! .
The 2nd A-side S.O.S (Smile On Smile) was used in the ads of DHC Medicated Acne Control .
Both A-sides are definitely different & in the case of S.O.S (Smile On Smile) , it takes on a more cutesy side , something that the guys never done before until now .
I thought Unmei Girl was unusually peppy by Kis-My-Ft2 standards but I think S.O.S (Smile On Smile) takes the cake as for this song , it sounds like something they might do pre debut .
Also not sure if this's a concidence or not but my 1st impression when I heard S.O.S (Smile On Smile) was that it gives me the feeling of going into space & sure enough , the video (towards the conclusion) does pay homage to it which's sorta freaky a little bit .
keep on smile is the only B-side in the single . Only available in the CD only pressing of Ki•Su•U•Ma•I ~KISS YOUR MIND~ / S.O.S (Smile On Smile) , it was picked to be used as the new theme song for Kis-My-Ft2's own show , Moshimo Tours that's aired on Fuji TV .
I can understand why keep on smile is slotted in as a B-side track because that's that about it & this's quite a standard Johnny's no. . It doesn't have that X factor unlike both A-sides even though it's pleasant sounding . But other than that , I don't really find anything special with regards to keep on smile .
Just like their seniors KAT-TUN , Kis-My-Ft2 is attempting to conquer the top spot in Oricon's charts under its singles , albums & DVD categories within this week with 3 different releases , with 1 of them being their latest single offering Ki•Su•U•Ma•I ~KISS YOUR MIND~ / S.O.S (Smile On Smile) .
I definitely was shocked when I found out just how fast they chose to release Ki•Su•U•Ma•I ~KISS YOUR MIND~ / S.O.S (Smile On Smile) so soon right after My Resistance -Tashikana Mono- / Unmei Girl .
Call it as a way of marketing but I think it's rather sly (or rather smart) that Ki•Su•U•Ma•I ~KISS YOUR MIND~ / S.O.S (Smile On Smile) is not included in Good Ikuze ! as I'm sure if that were to happen , sales might be affected somewhat but it will still sell at the end of the day .
With that said on Ki•Su•U•Ma•I ~KISS YOUR MIND~ / S.O.S (Smile On Smile) , Kis-My-Ft2 definitely pushed music boundaries this time round with both A-sides sounding nothing like what they used to do in the past . Some will like it , some will not so ultimately it depends on where a listener stands upon listening to Ki•Su•U•Ma•I ~KISS YOUR MIND~ / S.O.S (Smile On Smile) .
As for myself , I'm somewhere in between .
CD
CD + Blu-ray
CD + 2 DVDs
1) Egao no Kiseki (Smile's Miracle)
2) Koi no Yokan (Love's Premonition)
3) signal
4) Namida no Yuugure (Twilight's Tears)
5) my little wish
6) all my life
7) Hatsuyuki (First Snow)
8) kotodama (The Power Of Language)
9) standing for you
10) My pace
11) mother
The trio's last album release was 2011's Agaruneku ! & in Life of Sound , their latest album includes 3 singles in which all of them were co-produced by ex Every Little Thing's Igarashi Mitsuru .
Aside from this , Igarashi Mitsuru co-arranged the whole album with the trio while all the album tracks were written by frontwoman/lead singer Chisa , unlike in the past where Chisa cowrote songs with Kenn Kato but not this time round .
Egao no Kiseki (Smile's Miracle) is the 1st album track & this's a rather nice peppy no. to start the ball rolling on what to expect in Life of Sound .
On the other hand , Koi no Yokan (Love's Premonition) is a bit more edgier sounding than Egao no Kiseki , although both songs still manage to maintain the classic electro pop sound that the band's known for .
signal is girl next door's 15th single & it has 3 promo tie in's in the form of :
＊Nippon TV's Sukkiri May '12 theme song
＊Nippon TV's Oto Ryūmon Tokusen Artist #015
＊Nippon TV's Poshure Department Store Shin'ya Mise May '12 opening theme
I remembered when signal was 1st released , I was stuck by how laidback if not chill sounding it was . At that time , I thought Igarashi Mitsuru was the 1 that composed it but I was surprised it's not the case .
Still , signal is something that doesn't go wrong with me , even up to now . There's definitely no fault in this summery driven no. .
Namida no Yuugure (Twilight's Tears) is perhaps 1 of my fave album tracks . Not sure why so but I supposed it's the way the song goes & I do happen to like the melody a great deal .
With a title like my little wish , it's expected that this song would be a ballad & turned out it's .
my little wish is the 1st album track that's a ballad . In this case , it's a nice 1 that's piano driven & heartfelt sounding .
all my life is girl next door's 16th single & it has 2 promo tie in's in the form of :
＊H.I.S.Overseas Wedding Honeymoon Campaign TV-CF Song
＊Nippon TV's Happy Music POWER PLAY
all my life is described as a wedding ballad that conveys the happy feelings of a woman as she gets ready for her wedding day . With it being the trio's 1st wedding inspired no. , it's still something I really like even up to now .
Hatsuyuki (First Snow) is another fave album track of mine & once again just like Namida no Yuugure , Hatsuyuki's strong point is its melody & it does have quite a good presence in holding itself rather well in Life of Sound .
I also like the last part of Hatsuyuki that consists of a rather strong electric guitar backing sound .
kotodama (The Power Of Language) is another 1 of those songs that's classic girl next door . It's neither good or bad but it does took me quite a while to remember how this song sounds like .
standing for you is girl next door's 17th single & it has 2 promo tie in's in the form of :
＊Nippon TV's Oto Ryūmon Feb '13 ending theme
＊Nippon TV's Happy Music POWER PLAY
standing for you is the most recent single included in Life of Sound prior to the album's release & just like the previous singles , no issues/complaints on this song , with it being a cheery upbeat peppy sounding no. .
My pace is the 2nd last album track & it's quite weird that it has almost the same melody opening as kotodama .
I had to do a double take upon hearing My pace in making sure I wasn't listening to the wrong song but luckily it's only the introduction that's quite similar sounding but other than that , My pace is a subtle aggressive sounding track .
mother is the finale album track in Life of Sound . It's the 2nd album ballad after my little wish .
For this song , it's not a full 100% ballad but it's a lot more mid tempo & slower than the other album tracks . I think this's a rather decent song in wrapping up Life of Sound .
Formed in 2008 , avex pop group girl next door is a post-millennial variation of the 90's electronic pop style that once dominated the J-pop world . Now Igarashi Mitsuru , the former producer of Every Little Thing , one of the most popular groups of that period , lends his talent to girl next door as the arranger of their 5th album Life of Sound .
With regards to the trio's latest album offering , it's frankly not easy to listen but overall , I feel it's a much better effort than what their last album Agaruneku ! had to offer .
Singles wise , all the 3 included in Life of Sound are good . For the album tracks , I feel that not of them have a strong unique music indentity , which was something that their 3rd album Destination was able to accomplish extremely well .
As a result , in more than 1 occasion , I had to relisten to Life of Sound's album tracks quite a few times before I eventually remember how they sound like .
I don't know if it's because all this while they only relied on 1 person (which's the group's keyboardist/composer Daisuke Suzuki) to compose almost all their discography from start til end but in the near future , I would like to see the trio get external composers to work on their material , to keep things afresh & alive as it's dangerous to rely solely on 1 person's composing efforts to keep things going on .
Life of Sound is no Destination (I still consider this as my most fave if not their best album offering of the trio) but at least it's a musical step up or 2 from Agaruneku ! .
CD Regular
CD Limited
CD + DVD A
CD + DVD B
Yamapi's 1st release of 2013 , Ke.Sera.Sera is described as a jazzy uptempo pop number & it was chosen to be used as the theme song for the late-night drama Shinryochuu -in the Room- , a school drama starring SMAP's Inagaki Goro .
Shinryochuu -in the Room- started airing on NTV 2 months ago on Jan 12th . SMAP's Inagaki Goro plays a psychiatrist who solves various problems that the students & teachers are going through . The drama also starred Sakai Miki , Asano Yuko , Takada Sho (Johnny’s Jr.) , Sanada Yuma (noon boyz) , Nozawa Yuki (noon boyz) , Tanaka Izuki (Johnny’s Jr.) & Senga Kento (Kis-My-Ft2) .
Ke.Sera.Sera was produced by passepied . Ogoda Natsuki (Vocals) was in charge of the lyrics & Narita Haneda (Keyboards) was in charge of the melody .
I must say Ke.Sera.Sera is extremely catchy on 1st listen & this's not mainstream stuff that a Johnny would do but Yamapi did it very well .
Even though I was slightly turned off how cheesy Ke.Sera.Sera sounded like at 1st , sooner or later , I began to really like the song & I haven't recall in a very long time just how much I enjoy something from Yamapi .
Not that Ai , Texas & LOVE CHASE were bad but these 2 past singles took quite a while for me to warm up to , unlike Ke.Sera.Sera .
There're 2 B-sides available in the single . The 1st 1 is something titled Soba ni Oideyo .
Soba ni Oideyo is such a sweet enduring no. which's a big contrast against Ke.Sera.Sera . This B-side presents a really nice laidback chilled out vibe that's very much guitar driven .
Beating is the 2nd B-side & this's only found in the CD only regular edition of the single .
For this song , the opening is somewhat a bit piano driven but in due time , Beating morphed into something that's very dance driven with a lot of synch thrown in for good measures .
Beating is no Ke.Sera.Sera but I feel that they're both equally strong memorable tracks , songs that I would definitely hear in a club or if a party was about to be thrown .
Yamashita Tomohisa kicked off 2013 with this swinging solid single in the form of Ke.Sera.Sera & this's 1 single that I couldn't stop listening to lately on a frequent basis .
Ever since Yamapi switched record labels to Warner Music Japan last Jan , his solo stuff has become less mainstream which no doubt affected his record sales & Oricon chart ranking positions . But on the upside of things , this allows him to have more creative freedom in his music .
Ke.Sera.Sera is proof of that & that goes for his 2nd album Ero as well . But Ke.Sera.Sera has the whole complete package , something that was really lacking in Yamapi for a long time .
From the video to the cover artwork to the songs themselves , Ke.Sera.Sera has managed to nail all 3 aspects with ease . Definitely a single worth checking for & very highly recommended as well .
CD
CD + DVD A
CD + DVD B
1) omg !
2) Supernova
3) BING♂
4) Sexy.Honey.Bunny !
5) Maybe
6) only dreaming
7) D.I.S.
8) Exotic・Trip
9) Bari Bari BUDDY !
10) Otona (Adult) Guyz
11) ROCK YOUR SOUL
12) Senko Hanabi (Sparkler)
13) Shinai Naru Kimi e (Dear To You)
14) kEEP oN.
15) orz ...
The group's last album release was 2010's READY ? , Oh ! My ! Goodness ! includes 5 singles ie. 3 single A-sides & 2 double A-sides . With regards to the 2 double A-side singles , only the 1st A-side in each double A-side offering is included .
In addition , 2 album tracks Supernova & Otona (Adult) Guyz received music videos .
After the opening track omg ! , the album dives straight into Supernova , which's the 1st of 2 album songs that received a music video .
Honestly , I love Supernova the very moment I 1st heard it as it's a very catchy song . A lot of fast paced punchy beats , I can understand why this track among the other album songs received a music video as it really deserves to .
In fact , Supernova is 1 of my fave album tracks in Oh ! My ! Goodness ! .
BING♂ is the 2nd album track . Not a song that I would consider it as my fave as I find it a bit cheesy for my liking but I think it's overall ok . It has almost the same music style as Supernova but surprisingly somewhat a bit more laidback .
Sexy.Honey.Bunny ! is the 1st A-side in V6's 38th single Sexy.Honey.Bunny ! / Takaranoishi . The 2nd A-side Takaranoishi (Treasure Stone) is not included in the album .
This song was selected to be used as the theme no. for the 3rd season of Shin Keishichou Sousa Ichi-ka 9-gakari that starred member Inohara Yoshihiko .
I remembered when Sexy.Honey.Bunny ! was released alongside with Takaranoishi , I really disliked it as it sounded really cheesy despite the fact that it was a music style that V6 never tackled at that point of release .
I'm ok with it now , it's just that even up to now , I still prefer Takaranoishi a lot more over Sexy.Honey.Bunny ! & it's definitely a pity not to see it in the tracklist of Oh ! My ! Goodness ! .
Maybe is the 3rd album track & on 1st listen , it sounded like a simple straightforward acoustic guitar driven song but soon after , it gets mixed with quite a heavy dosage of autotune .
I don't mind autotune in songs but I just thought that without it , Maybe would have sounded a lot more better in this case .
only dreaming is the 1st A-side in V6's 37th single only dreaming / Catch . The 2nd A-side Catch is not included in the album .
This song was selected to be used in the 5th season of Asahi TV's drama Shin Keishicho Sosa Ikka 9 Gakari drama which starred member Inohara Yoshihiko .
Precious songs of the group were also used in Inohara's drama , which include Good day !! (2006) , Jasmine (2007) , Chou (2008) & GUILTY (2009) .
Unlike Sexy.Honey.Bunny ! , only dreaming is something I have no issues in seeing it in the tracklist because frankly speaking , Catch is pretty much forgettable to me & I can't even remember how it sounded like , even though by right only dreaming / Catch is a double A-side single .
The next 2 songs are album tracks . D.I.S. is probably the shortest song in the album but it's catchy stuff .
On the other hand , Exotic・Trip is interesting . I thought it was going to be something cheesy but I was surprised it has quite a hard sound & it's 1 of the rare songs in the album that has a serious vibe attached to it .
Bari Bari BUDDY ! is V6's 39th single . An energetic tune , the A-side was used in the ads of Eabara's "Ougon no Aji" in which V6's sub unit Coming Century starred in .
I remembered when Bari Bari BUDDY ! was 1st released , I was quite stunned just how random if not downright wacky it sounds but in a good way as it was & still 1 of their most random over the top songs V6 released in recent times .
But despite this , Bari Bari BUDDY ! did received some positive feedback from the general public & the dance moves that accompanied the song in the video were quite difficult to mimic to say the least .
Otona (Adult) Guyz is the 2nd album track that received a music video , the 1st was Supernova .
Unlike Supernova , Otona Guyz is only ok for my liking . It's neither good or bad even though it does sound quite cheesy . I would prefer another album track to have a music video but that's just me .
ROCK YOUR SOUL is V6's 41st single . This was selected to be used as the image song for the Hokuto Musou game .
Out of all the singles included in Oh ! My ! Goodness ! , ROCK YOUR SOUL is the only single that has a mean sounding in your face vibe & I guess this's to fit the whole theme for the Hokuto Musou game .
The next 2 album tracks are the only mid temp sounding no.s in Oh ! My ! Goodness ! but ironically , they're 2 of my fave tracks .
Senko Hanabi (Sparkler) is as the song title implies , it's a really nice ballad that truly sparkles in the album . After a whole series of non stop back to back fast paced no.s , Senko Hanabi is such a great breath of fresh air & this song proves just how great V6 sounds together as a 6 member band .
Likewise , the same thing goes for Shinai Naru Kimi e (Dear To You) as it's an under-stated mid tempo track that has a really good calming effect . Perhaps it's no surprises that I enjoy both Senko Hanabi & Shinai Naru Kimi e a lot .
kEEP oN. is V6's 40th single & it was used as the theme song for the 7th season of Asahi TV's drama Shin Keishicho Sosa Ikka 9 Gakari that starred member Inohara Yoshihiko .
Described as an ambitious dance song that moves across multiple genres in 6 minutes , it's also the last single included in the album .
I remembered when kEEP oN. was 1st released , I was blown away just how unique it sounds as it basically felt as if it's 4-5 songs that have been mashed up to create kEEP oN. .
kEEP oN. is definitely still 1 of the group's most unique sounding if not entertaining/enjoyable single that's for sure .
orz ... is the final track in Oh ! My ! Goodness ! . With a time duration of 6:04 mins long , it's the longest track in the album & it's actually a hidden track of sorts .
The audio for orz ... starts at the 4:14 min mark , with each V6 member going oh my goodness just like the opening track omg ! .
After a wait of almost 3 years , V6 has finally released their 12th full-length album ! Oh ! My ! Goodness ! with it featuring 13 tracks , that includes singles only dreaming , Sexy.Honey.Bunny ! , Bari Bari BUDDY ! , kEEP oN. & ROCK YOUR SOUL . Also on the album is the 1st physical release of Supernova that was 1st unveiled during the group's 2011 live tour .
It's really hard to believe it has been 3 years since V6 last released READY ? & truth be told , I really got quite a big shock just how different if not very experimental Oh ! My ! Goodness ! was on 1st listen as both this album & READY ? are total polar opposites of each other , sound wise .
And for certain songs in Oh ! My ! Goodness ! , I disliked them on 1st listen as I found them quite tacky/cheesy even though in due time , most of the new material have grown on me quite a fair bit . I suppose due to the very experimental style V6 has chosen to do this time round , it does really made me go oh my goodness which ironically is a homage to their latest album title .
But with due respect , V6 has been around for a very long time & the fact that they're still releasing material for the past 18 years , it's no joke but what I would like to see in their next album will be something more stripped down & back to basics .
Oh ! My ! Goodness ! is not for everyone to enjoy as this's something that's really out of V6's musical comfort zone but if you want to take an out of this world music journey , then this might be the album for you to try .
CD
CD + DVD
1) Sakura Mitsutsuki
2) Turning Point
3) Sakura Mitsutsuki (inst.)
4) Turning Point (inst.)
This's the group's 1st single release of 2013 & also their 1st release as a quartet after the departure of DJ ENZEL☆ who left SPYAIR last year on 18th Dec to pursue his personal interests .
Sakura Mitsutsuki was picked to be used as the opening theme no. for the anime Gintama 2 months ago in Jan . The song has the theme cherry blossoms , moon , promise & centers around the guitars sound-wise .
The single was released on the same day as the group's 2nd DVD SPYAIR LIVE at Nippon Budokan 2012 & it's their 2nd single to be used to promote Gintama , the 1st being their 4th single Samurai Heart (Some Like It Hot !!) that was used as the ending theme no.
Turning Point serves as the B-side in the single . Playing against a good contrast with the A-side , Turning Point has a much harder sound attached to it .
SPYAIR generally includes really good solid B-sides & Turning Point is no exception . While it's not as heavily rock driven unlike Naked's STAR , it's still 1 of those kick ass head banging tracks to dig into .
After ending 2012 with their 1st Budokan concert & the departure of DJ ENZEL☆ , rock band SPYAIR has a brand new start in 2013 with Sakura Mitsutsuki .
To be honest , I was really bummed when ENZEL☆ left but on the other hand , it's heartening to know that the reminding members decide to solider on to do what they do best & with regards to Sakura Mitsutsuki , in reaching the 10th single milestone , it serves as a sorta landmark for the new quartet .
But with that said , another solid single from 1 of my fave rock bands in which they never if not haven't disappoint me with what they've offered up to this point in time .
CD
CD + DVD
The duo's last single release was 2011's Aoi (Blue) Bench & the A-side is described as a R&B love song .
Produced by prolific music producer Matsuo Kiyoshi , Sayonara ni Sayonara is a mid-tempo ballad that enfolds a listener with a soft & happy atmosphere .
I think Sayonara ni Sayonara is very pleasant sounding but I don't think it's their best single offering to date . Nice is 1 thing as I still feel that Tegoshi & Masuda have the best vocals in NEWS but this time round , something about Sayonara ni Sayonara is just ok for me & it didn't made me go wow on 1st listen unlike their previous single offerings .
There're 2 B-sides in Sayonara ni Sayonara in which both are only included in CD only edition of the single .
Hitori Janai (Not Alone) is a nice peppy no. that contrats the A-side quite well & I like the melody of the song which's simply adorable .
On the other hand , Komorebi Memories is a lighthearted mid tempo tune that has a solid acoustic guitar backing . For this , I definitely can visualise myself listening to it if I want to relax at home .
After the 2011 releases of Aoi Bench & their 2nd album Tegomass no Mahou , Tegomass took a step back from their NEWS activities & released their latest single offering Sayonara ni Sayonara .
As what I've mentioned before , I don't think Sayonara ni Sayonara is the duo's best music effort to date . Overall , the single's typical Tegomass fare but this time round , there's something a bit lacking in their latest offering .
I'm not sure why so as usually I like what Tegomass has to offer but hopefully in their next release , they will do something that's out of their music comfort zone but then again , as always , the standout factor in their material is still the great harmonisation of vocals when you put Tegoshi & Masuda together .
CD
CD + DVD A
CD + DVD B
Their 1st single release for 2013 , this's the group's 1st double A-side single release in 4 years since 2009's Ashita no Kioku / Crazy Moon ~Kimi wa Muteki~ .
The 1st A-side Calling was picked to be used to promote the drama Last Hope , starring Aiba Masaki & it's described as a rock tune .
Calling has an impressive band sound with a somewhat nostalgic guitar phrase . The song talks about important themes such as equality , life & hopes .
Aiba commented about Calling - "It's a song that has catchy lyrics with the theme of hope . I don't get that many solo parts in ARASHI's songs but this time I want to sing with a fresh feeling . This is the beginning of our 30s . I was really happy when I was offered to participate in Last Hope . I want to do my best as a member of ARASHI & because we have a lot of people supporting us , I plan to enjoy it to the fullest . "
The 2nd A-side Breathless was picked to be used as the theme song for the movie Platina Data , starring Ninomiya Kazunari .
Described as an aggressive dance number , it's a mysterious song that's about the abyss in the human mind .
I have to say that while I find both A-sides equally fantastic if not very strong sounding , Breathless is my fave between the 2 as it reminded me of a mixture of Face Down & truth .
ARASHI doesn't release that many dark themed songs as singles but with regards to Breathless , they did it very well . Not that Calling isn't great but Breathless has that X factor going on in it , making it the more superior A-side in my opinion .
2 B-sides are included in Calling / Breathless in which both tracks are only included in the CD only pressing of the single .
Ōrai !! (Alright !!) is the 1st B-side & as the title suggests , it's a very fun upbeat song that's guitar driven . Having a balance/contrast against the 2 A-sides , Ōrai !! is 1 of those songs that keeps me very energetic/motivated in a good way , with it being quite fast paced .
full of love is the 2nd B-side & this's the only ballad in the single which perhaps is the perfect track in concluding Calling / Breathless , seeing that the 1st 3 above mentioned songs were not ballads , so something like full of love is there to wrap things up nicely .
ARASHI kicks off 2013 with their 1st double A-side single in nearly 4 years ! Calling is a positive guitar-driven tune about hope that serves as the theme song for the drama Last Hope . Meanwhile , Breathless is an aggressive dance number with a mysterious atmosphere .
It's hard to believe it took them almost close to 4 years in releasing another A-side single release but I must say for a 40th single release , this serves as a landmark milestone for the guys & I can't recall the last time that I really enjoyed an ARASHI single tremendously .
I'm usually very critical of what ARASHI releases but Calling / Breathless really exceeded my expectations in more ways than other . Even their B-sides this time round are strong enough to stack up against what the 2 A-sides has to offer & it's saying something as their B-sides in recent times have not been as good if not forgettable .
But with that said , their fans have spoken & already with the extremely strong sales that Calling / Breathless has obtained at this point in time , action speaks louder than words .
1) Big Boys Cry
2) Beautiful
3) Big Boys Cry (Instrumental Version)
4) Beautiful (Instrumental Version)
Namie's 1st single release of 2013 , Big Boys Cry / Beautiful is released almost a year since her last single Go Round / YEAH-OH .
Also , Big Boys Cry / Beautiful is Namie's 1st single since 2005's White Light / Violet Sauce that's not released in a CD + DVD format .
The 1st A-side Big Boys Cry is described as a springlike pop dance no. & it was picked to be used as the theme song for the Kose ESPRIQUE TV ads which started airing at the end of last month .
On the other hand , the 2nd A-side Beautiful is a grand piano sounding ballad in which just like Big Boys Cry , it was also picked to be used as the theme song for the Kose ESPRIQUE TV ads too .
Unlike Big Boys Cry , Beautiful doesn't seem to have gotten a music video despite this being a double A-side single release of Namie .
I honestly like both A-sides equally & Big Boys Cry is a very refreshing spring influenced dance no. . Despite the title , I noticed that I enjoy listening to it & the song gets more catchier as each listen goes by .
I usually do not prefer Namie to do ballads for some weird odd reason but I must say Beautiful is well beautiful . Playing a great contrast against Big Boys Cry , Beautiful is simplicity at its best in that it's just Namie & a grand piano that back up her vocals & you couldn't get anymore simpler if not emotional sounding than this , which's what exactly Beautiful was able to accomplish well .
Namie Amuro kicked off 2013 with this solid single offering in the form of Big Boys Cry / Beautiful & after having a very fruitful 2012 with her celebrating 20 years of being in the business , I don't see why she will be slowing things down anytime soon .
For now , Big Boys Cry / Beautiful is a release worth checking out from the Queen Of Hip Pop !
CD
CD + DVD
1) standing for you
2) Kokuhaku (Confession)
3) standing for you (English Ver.)
4) standing for you (Instrumental)
5) Kokuhaku (Instrumental)
The trio's latest release comes about 5 months + since the release of their previous single all my life & standing for you was originally supposed to get released last year on 12th Dec .
standing for you was produced by ex Every Little Thing's Igarashi Mitsuru making this the 3rd single being produced by Igarashi Mitsuru , after signal & all my life .
Promotion tie in wise , standing for you was picked to be used to promote Nippon TV's Happy Music POWER PLAY & also used as the ending theme no. for Nippon TV's Oto Ryūmon last month . Honestly , I've been impressed with what Igarashi Mitsuru did for signal & all my life so it didn't surprise me that I enjoy standing for you .
In the case of standing for you , it's a very peppy & uplifting no. which really gets me into good spirits upon hearing it which I think it's great .
Kokuhaku (Confession) serves as the 1st of 2 B-sides in standing for you .
This song is a whopping 6 mins long which really shocked me on 1st listen but upon hearing it , I really like the contrast of Kokuhaku against standing for you , with Kokuhaku being a ballad .
The English version of standing for you serves as the 2nd B-side & it was quite weird for me to hear lead singer Chisa sing in English .
There's no big difference between the Japanese & English versions of standing for you other than the fact that Chisa was singing in English (or was it Engrish ?) . I found it quite hard to hear what Chisa was singing in standing for you (English Ver.) as her pronunciation's not that good .
I think standing for you (English Ver.) is a bit un-necessary as it sounds exactly the same as the A-side . I would prefer a remix or something else but standing for you (English Ver.) is something I can sit out of it even though I should give Chisa some credit in trying her best to tackle an English version of a song .
girl next door kick off 2013 with the release of their 17th single standing for you & in less than 2 weeks's time , they will release their 5th album Life of Sound on 13th March .
standing for you will be included in Life of Sound as track #9 .
