Tuesday, April 30, 2013

Kuriyama Chiaki - Toyosu☆Luciferin

1) Toyosu☆Luciferin
2) Hodokenai , Bokura wa Zettai.
3) Roulette de Kuchizuke wo (A Kiss At Roulette)

Toyosu☆Luciferin is Kuriyama Chiaki's 6th single & it was released last week on 24th April .

This's Kuriyama's 1st release since the re-release of her debut album CIRCUS last Jan . Her last single release was 2011's Tsukiyo no Shouzou (Portrait Of The Moonlit Night) .

Toyosu☆Luciferin was written by former Midori vocalist Goto Mariko while it was composed , arranged & produced by 9mm Parabellum Bullet guitarist's Taki Yoshimitsu . The song is described as having a beautiful melody , a heavy-metal sound & lyrics full of fantasy .

Promotion wise , Toyosu☆Luciferin was used to promote in the ads of IP Dicknin .

There're 2 B-sides in the single . The 1st 1 is something that's titled Hodokenai , Bokura wa Zettai. .

Hodokenai , Bokura wa Zettai. is a string rock-flavoured number . Just like the A-side , this track was also composed , arranged & produced by 9mm Parabellum Bullet guitarist's Taki Yoshimitsu .

On the other hand , the 2nd B-side Roulette de Kuchizuke wo (A Kiss At Roulette) is actually the 1st track found in both the normal & re-release editions of CIRCUS . In this track , everyone in 9mm Parabellum Bullet had a hand in producing this song for Kuriyama .

I'm not very sure why Roulette de Kuchizuke wo is included in Toyosu☆Luciferin especially since it was already included twice in both the normal & re-release editions of CIRCUS . But with that said , Roulette de Kuchizuke wo is still considered as 1 of my fave album tracks in CIRCUS so this's something I don't mind .

Kuriyama Chiaki collaborates with rock band 9mm Parabellum Bullet for her comeback single the form of Toyosu☆Luciferin & frankly , I definitely miss not having any new material from her & the fact that I got into her quite late (around the time when the re-release of CIRCUS was released) , it felt a bit out of place for me .

But it's definitely great for her to come back with new material & Toyosu☆Luciferin is a pretty solid single overall . It's not something that's mainstream rock but once in a while , being non mainstream while releasing a rock tune ain't a bad thing anyway .

I just hope I don't need to wait for another 2 more years for her to release something new once more as I feel Kuriyama Chiaki is 1 really under-rated but yet talented lady so I keep my eyes on the lookout on this .


Saturday, April 27, 2013

BENI - Satsuki Ame (Early Summer Rain)

CD

CD + DVD

1) Satsuki Ame (Early Summer Rain)
2) Run・Away
3) Satsuki Ame (instrumental)
4) Run・Away (instrumental)

Satsuki Ame (Early Summer Rain) is BENI's 15th single which was released on 24th April .

Originally supposed to get released on 17th April , Satsuki Ame comes in 1 year 3 months since the release of BENI's previous single Eien ni (Eternity) .

Eien ni was the only original material BENI released last year , after the unexpected success she attained upon the release of COVERS & COVERS 2 . At that time prior to this , BENI was supposed to release a double A-side single last year on 23rd May but subsequently , that was scrapped in favour of COVERS & COVERS 2 .

Satsuki Ame is described as an intimate , mid-tempo ballad with lyrics written by BENI & features pianist Satoru Shionoya . This is also the 1st single BENI wrote & composed independently .

Serves as this month's theme song for the news variety show Sukkiri !! , Satsuki Ame is also BENI's 1st single under Universal to get released in CD & CD + DVD's unlike her past singles where they were released only 1 standard CD only edition .

Regarding Satsuki Ame , BENI stated , "It shows the feelings of a woman who is set on carrying through with things she has decided on no matter what happens ."

To coincide with this single's release , BENI underwent an image change with a haircut . She commented on her short hair , saying , "My head feels light . It's simple & comfortable . I think it matches my personality ." She continued , "As I'm starting new activities with an original song in 2013 , I wanted to change my hair to challenge myself with a fresh feeling ."

Run・Away serves as the B-side in the single & this was picked to be used as the campaign song for Coca Cola's Share a Coke and a Song .

While Satsuki Ame is a mid tempo ballad , Run・Away presents a rather unusual music route BENI undertook as this sounds like a mix mash of different music genres all stringed into 1 . To be honest , Run・Away sounded & felt incomplete , it was like listening to a demo track before the finalised song's ready to be put in a CD .

Run・Away was strange to me on 1st listen . It has grown on me a fair bit but I wouldn't really consider it as a fave B-side of mine from BENI .

After a successful fruitful 2012 , BENI has returned with original material , starting with her latest single offering Satsuki Ame .

And it looks like she's not slowing things down as her 16th single is set to be released on 26th June . So far , nothing else has been said about the title on her next single but something tells me it wouldn't be long before more details get revealed on this .


Tuesday, April 23, 2013

Saito Kazuyoshi - One More Time

1) One More Time
2) Hello ! Everbody !
3) Shiawase Happy

One More Time is Saito Kazuyoshi's 41st single & it was released last week on 17th April .

Saito's 1st single release of 2013 , the previous single he released prior to One More Time was last May's Gekkou .

One More Time was picked to be used as the theme song for the 17th film instalment for the anime Detective Conan , which's titled Meitantei Conan Zekkai no Private Eye that opened in cinemas on 20th April .

Saito wrote One More Time with Meitantei Conan Zekkai no Private Eye's story plot in mind & he put his thoughts on paper that 'strong feelings can come true' . According to Saito , he accepted the offer so that he can brag to his child about it .

Saito always has a natural knack of coming up with great catchy songs that include great guitar riffs & hooks . No exception goes for One More Time , with the A-side being very addictive & memorable on 1st listen .

There're 2 B-sides in the single . Hello ! Everbody ! was picked to be used in the ads of Yoshinoya . Just like the A-side , Hello ! Everbody ! is another catchy song that's able to hold up to what One More Time is all about .

Shiawase Happy is the 2nd B-side & it shares the same title as HTB's special drama , with the song being used as the ending theme for the drama itself .

Unlike One More Time & Hello ! Everbody ! , Shiawase Happy has a folksy flair attached to it which surprised me on 1st listen as this's something Saito hasn't done before .

With that said , I found Shiawase Happy quite refreshing as this's a music style that he seldom does . It's a bit old fashioned if not rather dated sounding so it's understood if some people might not appreciate this song .

Celebrating his 20th anniversary in the business this coming Aug , Saito Kazuyoshi is back in fine form with the release of his latest single One More Time .

I've been listening to Saito's music for a few years now & I frankly can say that I still feel that he's 1 of the most talented if not respected male soloists around . To be in the music industry for the past 20 years & counting is no mean feat but Saito does this so seamlessly well for his case .

Here's to many more anniversaries coming from Saito Kazuyoshi !


Sunday, April 21, 2013

Miliyah Kato x Shota Shimizu - LOVE STORY

CD

CD + DVD

1) LOVE STORY
2) You're the only one for me
3) BELIEVE (3rd Productions 2 Step Remix)
4) LOVE STORY (Instrumental)

LOVE STORY is the 4th collaboration single released by Miliyah Kato x Shota Shimizu .

Released on 17th April , this marks the 4th time Miliyah & Shota physically released a joint single together :

- 2009's Love Forever (Miliyah Kato x Shota Shimizu)
- 2010's FOREVER LOVE (Shota Shimizu x Miliyah Kato)
- 2011's BELIEVE (Miliyah Kato x Shota Shimizu)

On Feb 27th , LOVE STORY was released through recochoku .

The A-side is a love song which samples Oda Kazumasa's best selling single Love Story wa Totsuzen ni . LOVE STORY was picked to be used in the ads of Coca Cola's Share a Coke and a Song & it's a modern funky R&B take on love .

There're 2 B-sides available in the single . You're the only one for me is a really nice mid tempo track that's guitar driven . Quite a contrast against LOVE STORY but this's something I really enjoy .

BELIEVE (3rd Productions 2 Step Remix) serves as the 2nd B-side & this's a remix of the previous joint single which they released 2 years ago .

To be honest , I don't really like the original take of BELIEVE that much but it surprised me that for this case , BELIEVE (3rd Productions 2 Step Remix) is pretty good & somewhat better sounding than BELIEVE . All in all , this's not bad really .

One of the most successful recent collaborations in the Japanese pop scene , Miliyah Kato & Shota Shimizu are back together for their latest collaboration single , LOVE STORY .

Frankly it did surprised me that both of them have reunited once again to release another joint single but just like their previous offerings , LOVE STORY is solid & this time round , I feel that the B-sides are much more stronger than the A-side counterpart .

I will not be surprised if their next music move will be that they will release a joint album . Should that materialised , it will be something I definitely will look forward to .


Thursday, April 18, 2013

CD Review :: Kis-My-Ft2 - Good Ikuze !

CD

2 CDs

CD + DVD

Disc 1

1) "2nd" Overture
2) Black & White
3) WANNA BEEEE !!!
4) Unmei (Fate) Girl

5) Strawberry Dance
6) xLunaSx (FUJIGAYA TAISUKE)
7) Forza ! (TAMAMORI YUTA with YOKOO WATARU / MIYATA TOSHIYA / NIKAIDO TAKASHI / SENGA KENTO)
8) Shake It Up
9) Chance Chance Baybee (YOKOO WATARU / MIYATA TOSHIYA / NIKAIDO TAKASHI / SENGA KENTO)
10) Give me ... (KITAYAMA HIROMITSU)
11) Ai no Beat -Album mix-
12) My Resistance -Tashikana Mono-

13) Mother Moon
14) JET ! SET !! GO !!! (CD Only Track)
15) Catch Love (CD Only Track)

Disc 2 (Only included in the 2 CDs edition titled Kis-My-Zero 3)

1) TRY AGAIN
2) SHOOTING STARS
3) Kaizoku (Pirate)
4) Think u x. (FUJIGAYA TAISUKE)
5) Brand New Season
6) ROCK U (KITAYAMA HIROMITSU)
7) My Love
8) Rocking Party (KITAYAMA HIROMITSU / FUJIGAYA TAISUKE / TAMAMORI YUTA)
9) Kis-My-LAND

Good Ikuze ! is Kis-My-Ft2's 2nd album & it was released last month on 27th March .

Released a year after their debut album Kis-My-1st , Good Ikuze ! was released on the same day as their 7th single Ki•Su•U•Ma•I ~KISS YOUR MIND~ / S.O.S (Smile On Smile) [this single is not included in the album] & YOSHIO -NEW MEMBER- DVD (an original short movie about YOSHIO , who joins the group as its 8th member) .

All 3 separate releases topped each of the respective Oricon charts in the 1st week , making Kis-My-Ft2 the 3rd artiste to accomplish such a feat . The 1st 2 artistes that achieved this was ayumi hamasaki in Oct 2000 & their seniors KAT-TUN in April 2006 & now with Kis-My-Ft2 being the 3rd artiste , after 7 years .

3 singles are included in Good Ikuze ! ; 2 double A-side's & 1 single A-side . Just like Kis-My-1st , Good Izuke ! was released in 3 editions with the CD only edition contained 15 tracks in which 2 are bonus songs available only in this edition .

For the 2CDs edition , the 2nd disc is titled Kis-My-Zero 3 which includes 9 tracks that the group have been performing in concerts before their official debut in 2011 . The reason on why this disc is not named Kis-My-Zero 2 is because this was included as a bonus disc in the limited edition 2 DVDs + CD of Kis-My-MiNT Tour at Tokyo Dome 2012.4.8 .

Because of the way Good Ikuze ! is structured , I will be reviewing each disc separately on its own .

Disc 1 (Good Ikuze !)

After the introduction "2nd" Overture , Kis-My-1st dives straight into the 1st album track which's titled Black & White .

Black & White is a mean sounding aggressively driven no. . While not as aggressive if not catchy as what I was hoping for , what I liked about the song was the way it builds up slowly before it explodes/gives off a angsty driven music vibe .

WANNA BEEEE !!! is the 1st A-side of Kis-My-Ft2's 4th single WANNA BEEEE !!! / Shake It Up . This song served as the main theme no. of the TV drama series Beginners ! which 2 of the members , Fujigaya Taisuke & Kitayama Hiromitsu starred in .

Unmei (Fate) Girl is the 2nd A-side in Kis-My-Ft2's 6th single My Resistance -Tashikana Mono- / Unmei Girl . This was used in the ads of retail store Seven & i's "Valentine Fair" Valentine's Day campaign that all the guys appeared in .

Strawberry Dance is the 2nd album track / 2nd group song . Frankly , I find this song really boring on 1st listen . It took me a while to remember if not get used to how it goes . After a while , it wasn't as bad as what I thought but I don't think this will be a fave album track of mine .

The next track xLunaSx is sung by the rapper of the group ie. Fujigaya Taisuke .

Just like his previous solo Love meee in Kis-My-1st , xLunaSx is good stuff that has a heavy dance & synth influence which I'm sure this song will allows Fujigaya to showcase his dancing skills should he performed this onstage during their tour . No further complaints about xLunaSx .

Forza ! is handled by 5 guys , whom are Tamamori Yuta which he has backing vocals coming from Yokoo Wataru , Miyata Toshiya , Nikaido Takashi & Senga Kento .

To me , I think Forza ! is such a fun song & the moment I 1st heard it , I was thinking to myself this would make a perfect great song to be used in football matches as the music influences going on in Forza ! is extremely high/evident . I feel it's 1 of the standout tracks in Good Izuke ! , despite it not being a group effort song .

Shake It Up is the 2nd A-side of Kis-My-Ft2's 4th single WANNA BEEEE !!! / Shake It Up . This served as the intro theme no. of the TV drama series Shiritsu Bakaleya Koukou which member Miyata Toshiya made an appearance in .

I think out of the singles included in Good Izuke ! , Shake It Up is 1 of my faves . It's not that I dislike WANNA BEEEE !!! but Shake It Up is 1 of those songs that refuse to get out of my head & it took me quite a while before this ridiculously catchy song managed to leave my mind , without going on loop numerous times . Yes it's that addictive .

The next song Chance Chance Baybee is handled by 4 guys whom are Yokoo Wataru , Miyata Toshiya , Nikaido Takashi & Senga Kento .

Honestly , I think the 4 of them are really under-rated in the group as most of the attention spotlight tend to focus on the other 3 members which I feel it's a bit unfair as I think the 4 of them can sing as evident in Chance Chance Baybee . On the flipside , this's a bit cheesy sounding but it's 1 of those songs that put you in a good mood should you listen to it .

Give me ... is sung by the leader/main lead singer Kitayama Hiromitsu .

Unlike his previous solo 『Sanagi』 in Kis-My-1st , for this case , Give me ... is a ballad which surprised me but Kitayama handled this song really well . In fact I think this time round , both his & Fujigaya's solos are much more better if not mature sounding .

Ai no Beat is Kis-My-Ft2's 5th single & in Good Izuke ! , an album mix has been given to the song . As such , both Ai no Beat -Dance ver.- & Ai no Beat -Rock ver.- are not included in the album .

Maybe it's just me but I somehow feel that Ai no Beat -Album mix- sounds really off key as overall with it not sounding just as good (if not catchy/memorable) as both the dance & rock versions of Ai no Beat .

Also to make things worst , I think the melody surrounding the album mix of Ai no Beat contains a mixture of music influences from the dance & rock versions of the song which results in this rather off the mark sounding no. . I wouldn't lie that this's actually the 1st song I straight away listen when I downloaded Good Izuke ! but unfortunately , this missed the mark for me .

My Resistance -Tashikana Mono- is the 1st A-side of Kis-My-Ft2's 6th single My Resistance -Tashikana Mono- / Unmei Girl which this was used as the theme no. in the drama Nobunaga no Chef starring member Tamamori Yuta .

The last single included in Good Izuke ! , this's 1 of my fave recent singles to emerge from the guys as it's such an anguish driven ballad & it's still a great track even up to now .

Mother Moon is the only album track that's a ballad . While not as good as Kis-My-1st's Good night , I still think this song's not bad although it's a bit too slow sounding for my liking .

The next 2 songs are only available in the CD only pressing of Good Ikuze ! .

JET ! SET !! GO !!! is a really catchy fun song . On the other hand , Catch Love is interesting as it has such a cool futuristic sounding melody . I definitely prefer Catch Love over JET ! SET !! GO !!! in this case .

Disc 2 (Kis-My-Zero 3)

Only available in the 2CDs edition , Kis-My-Zero 3 includes 9 songs that Kis-My-Ft2 have been performing in concerts before their official debut .

TRY AGAIN is the 1st song in Kis-My-Zero 3 & this's a typical Johnny's sounding upbeat track .

Likewise , the same thing goes for the next track SHOOTING STARS . The shortest track in the 2nd disc , I actually somewhat prefer SHOOTING STARS over TRY AGAIN a little bit .

The next track Kaizoku (Pirate) is 1 of the edgier sounding tracks in Kis-My-Zero 3 & this song reminds me a lot of their seniors KAT-TUN a significant deal with Kaizoku having almost the same type of music influence KAT-TUN does as well .

With that said , Kaizoku is something that I enjoy quite a fair bit & I don't mind to listen to it on a constant basis .

Think u x. is a solo song & this's sung by Fujigaya .

Unlike xLunaSx in Good Izuke ! , Think u x. has a surprisingly seductive dance feeling with auto synth & cool beats thrown in for good measures , making Think u x. 1 of the standout tracks in Kis-My-Zero 3 even though it's not a group effort song .

Brand New Season follows after xLunaSx & this's quite a peppy no. to say the least . It has almost the same kind of happy go lucky vibe that TRY AGAIN gives off , not that it's a bad thing .

ROCK U is the 2nd solo song available in Kis-My-Zero 3 & this track is sung by Kitayama .

It surprised me that ROCK U is under 3 mins long but despite this , it's yet an equally strong solo track , much like Good Izuke !'s Give me ... . Both tracks showcased Kitayama's musical versatility & he definitely can put off both ballads & uptempo tracks very seamlessly .

My Love is the only group ballad in Kis-My-Zero 3 . Unlike Good Izuke !'s Mother Moon , My Love is a lot more simplified & more enduring .

Rocking Party is the 2nd last track & this song's handled by Kitayama , Fujigaya & Tamamori .

With a song title like this , naturally it's expected that Rocking Party is something that's perfect to plug it loud & proud in a club & this's also another fave track of mine found in Kis-My-Zero 3 .

My fave part of Rocking Party is the way the song builds up slowly into an aggresive sounding no. .

Kis-My-LAND is the final song in Kis-My-Zero 3 & I think they picked an interesting song to conclude the 2nd disc in Good Izuke ! .

As for this song , while it sounds quite cheesy in the beginning , it slowly changed into a more circus mood which definitely surprised me & this kept things interesting prior to wrapping things up in Kis-My-Zero 3 .

Kis-My-Ft2 scored a triple #1 crown when their latest album Good Ikuze ! , 7th single Ki•Su•U•Ma•I ~KISS YOUR MIND~ / S.O.S (Smile On Smile) & YOSHIO -NEW MEMBER- DVD topped each of the respective Oricon charts within the 1st week of release .

Honestly speaking , Good Ikuze ! is not an easy album to listen to , be it for the album itself and/or Kis-My-Zero 3 . No doubt that the guys displayed a considerable amount of maturity but this time round , the songs are not as mainstream as what their debut album Kis-My-1st had to offer .

For starters , I had to take quite a lot more time than usual to try my best to remember how the new songs sound like . Perhaps maybe because this time round the singles included in Good Izuke ! are much more stronger/memorable/better , that probably caused the album tracks in Good Izuke ! to suffer quite a fair bit .

With that said , Good Izuke ! is not a bad album , it's actually rather enjoyable . It's just that prior to experience in enjoying it from start to finish in a seamless way , it's best to be prepared in advance to give Good Izuke ! a few more listens than the norm before you can decide if this's a justifiable follow up to Kis-My-1st or not .


Sunday, April 14, 2013

ayumi hamasaki - Tell All

Tell All is a song that's sung by ayumi hamasaki which was released on 8th Apr , exactly 15 years since the release of her debut single Poker Face .

This song was released on the same day as ayumi hamasaki COUNTDOWN LIVE 2012-2013 A ~WAKE UP~ DVD/Blu-ray .

To commemorate her 15th anniversary , ayumi released Tell All as a gift for people who had bought all 5 of her consecutive monthly releases leading up to her 15th anniversary . In addition , people were also given an exclusive PC wallpaper that features a never-before-seen photo of her .

People with all 5 codes that're included inside her 5 consecutive releases were also allowed to enter in a lucky draw to win 5 various prizes . 10 winners will be given a pair of front-row tickets to ayumi's nationwide arena tour , 3 winners will be given a personal item from ayumi & 1 winner will be given a handwritten set of lyrics from ayumi . 2 TeamAyu members will be invited to sing in the chorus of a new song to be released later in the year , while 10 TeamAyu members will receive her autograph .

To say that Tell All is interesting is an understatement as this song comprises of many different layerings when comes to the melody as I can hear various influences from ayumi's past songs in Tell All itself .

Just like V6's kEEP oN. , Tell All is basically 1 song that has many different music sides attached to each other . I think my fave part of the song is the beginning as I really like the Oriental feeling going on .

The only grouse about Tell All is that sound consistency wise , it's not done in a smooth seamless manner when the melody shifted from 1 mood to the next . That aspect is a bit clunky which I feel it wasn't done properly as what I was hoping for but other than that , Tell All is solid & a perfect song in celebrating 15 years worth of many music & non music achievements that ayumi has accomplished up to this point in time .

Here's to many more anniversaries from ayumi hamasaki !


Friday, April 12, 2013

SID - Koi ni Ochite (Falling In Love)

CD

CD + DVD A

CD + DVD B

1) Koi ni Ochite (Falling In Love)
2) Zetsubou no Hata (Flag Of Despair)
3) Café de Bossa (Live from TOUR 2012 『M&W』 extra in Taiwan)

Koi ni Ochite (Falling In Love) is SID's 14th single & it was released 2 days ago on 10th April .

This single was released after the guys released their 1st best album SID 10th Anniversary BEST earlier on this year in 16th Jan .

Koi ni Ochite consists of a total of 3 songs in which all the tracks were written by vocalist Mao . The 2nd B-side Café de Bossa (Live from TOUR 2012 『M&W』 extra in Taiwan) will not be reviewed . This song was originally found as track #5 in the group's 3rd album M&W which the song was composed by drummer Yuya .

Composed by bassist Aki , Koi ni Ochite kind of reminds me of Café de Bossa which both songs have a smooth sounding Jazz meets Bossanova vibe .

Maybe because I like Café de Bossa , it didn't take me that long to really like Koi ni Ochite even though both songs were not composed by the same person but still , Koi ni Ochite is 1 of those songs that has a catchy swinging hip jazz image that I like .

Zetsubou no Hata (Flag Of Despair) is the 1st B-side & this song was composed by guitarist Shinji .

The A-side sees SID going the experimental music route . On the other hand , Zetsubou no Hata brings the group back to basics with this fuss free no nonsense mid tempo rock tune which goes to show that sometimes , if all else fails , just stick to what you do best .

Celebrating their 10th anniversary in the business this year , SID has launched 10 different projects (titled SID 10th Anniversary Projects 2013) which all of them will be released for the whole 2013 in order to mark this momentum milestone in the group & Koi ni Ochite is marked as project #4 in the schedule .

SID's 15th single is scheduled to be released in July . The title of their upcoming single & further more details will be confirmed in due time , with this release listed as project #5 in SID 10th Anniversary Projects 2013 .


Tuesday, April 09, 2013

Fukuyama Masaharu - Tanjoubi ni wa Masshiro na Yuri wo / Get the groove

CD

CD + DVD A

CD + DVD B

1) Tanjoubi ni wa Masshiro na Yuri wo (Pure White Lillies On Our Birthday)
2) Get the groove
3) Ai wa Kaze no Youni (from Fuyu no Daikanshasai Sono Juuni)
4) Good Job (from Fuyu no Daikanshasai Sono Juuni)
5) Tanjoubi ni wa Masshiro na Yuri wo (Original Karaoke)
6) Get the groove (Original Karaoke)

Tanjoubi ni wa Masshiro na Yuri wo (Pure White Lillies On Our Birthday) / Get the groove is Fukuyama Masaharu's 30th single & it wil be released tomorrow on 10th April .

Fukuyama's 1st single release of 2013 , Tanjoubi ni wa Masshiro na Yuri wo / Get the groove comes about 6 months + since the release of his previous single Beautiful life / GAME .

Tanjoubi ni wa Masshiro na Yuri wo / Get the groove also includes 2 B-sides which're titled Ai wa Kaze no Youni & Good Job . Both songs were recorded from Fukuyama's live concert Fuyu no Daikanshasai Sono Juuni that was held last Dec .

Both Ai wa Kaze no Youni & Good Job are live recording tracks which will not be reviewed .

The 1st A-side Tanjoubi ni wa Masshiro na Yuri wo was picked to be used as the theme song for Uchino Masaaki's drama Tonbi .

Described as a heartwarming ballad , Fukuyama received a request from producer Ishimaru Akihiko to create "a song that will make 1 have feelings to return to their hometown ." As such , for the very 1st time , Fukuyama wrote a song with his parents in mind . He commented , "I've always wanted to turn my feelings towards my mother & father into something , so I did my best to write it without being embarrassed . Even though we're apart , I turned my expression of love into a song ."

Even the title is filled with appreciation for Fukuyama's mother as he sends her flowers every year on his birthday . Producer Ishimaru stated , "When I first heard Tanjoubi ni wa Masshiro na Yuri wo , the world that Fukuyama-san spins opened up before me . I was very happy that he made a straightforward song ."

Tonbi is based on a best-selling novel by Naoki Award winner Shigematsu Kiyoshi . It portrays a story about a man (Uchino) who raises his son (played by Sato Takeru) by himself after his wife passes away .

On the other hand , the 2nd A-side Get the groove was picked to be used in the ads of Asahi's Super Dry .

Described as a rock tune , Get the groove definitely contrasts Tanjoubi ni wa Masshiro na Yuri wo a great deal . I also noticed that the music similarities between Tanjoubi ni wa Masshiro na Yuri wo / Get the groove & Beautiful life / GAME are quite strong since both are double A-side's with almost the same type of music influences ie. 1 ballad & 1 upbeat rock song .

Not that it's a bad thing as personally I like both double A-side singles which's good & Fukuyama Masaharu definitely start things on the right note for 2013 with his latest single offering Tanjoubi ni wa Masshiro na Yuri wo / Get the groove .

Reaching the 30th single milestone release is definitely a landmark for him & I don't see why there's any reason Tanjoubi ni wa Masshiro na Yuri wo / Get the groove will not do well as I really like this single .

Now what's left for Fukuyama to do is to release a new album as it has been almost 4 years since the release of his previous album Zankyou so that will be most welcome for him to do so in his next music move .


Sunday, April 07, 2013

Suga Shikao - Aitai

Cover for both CD & CD + DVD's editions

1) Aitai (I Want To See You)
2) Boku wa Ukanai (I Do Not Float)
3) Shitakute Tamaranai (I'm Desperate)

Aitai (I Want To See You) is Suga Shikao's 29th single & it will be released this coming week on 10th April .

This's Suga's 1st single release in 2 years , the last single he released was 2011's Yakusoku (Promise) .

Aitai was picked to be used as the theme song for WOWOW's drama CLAMP Drama Holic xxxHOLiC which started airing 2 months ago on Feb 24th .

The main A-side was released as Suga's 6th digital single last month on March 6th . Aitai includes 2 B-sides which both of them will not be reviewed .

The promo photo for Aitai was shot by Ninagawa Mika & it's a fascinating image that synchronises with the world of xxxHOLiC .

Wow it's hard to believe it has been almost 2 years since Suga last released Yakusoku but at least he's finally back with something new !

Aitai do not sound like a typical Suga Shikao song as it's quite different from what he usually does . At 1st , I thought there was something wrong with the song , opening wise but turns out it's not the case .

I don't think Aitai will be a fave Suga song of mine but regardless of which , it's definitely good to have him back with his trademark shades & distinct voice still spot on .



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

# Kobukuro's compilation album ALL SEASONS BEST , 200324 , Wed

# SID's 27th single Omokage , 200324 , Wed

# 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