From left to right - CD + DVD A , CD + DVD B & CD Only
The duo's last single release was last Jan's Kawatta Katachi no Ishi while the last time they released a double A-side single was 10 years ago which was for their 17th single , Kokoro ni Yume wo Kimi ni wa Ai wo / Gira☆Gira .
KinKi Kids's latest double A-side offering centres on the theme "LOST LOVE" . Both A-sides lyrically involve the same theme which're expressed in uptempo like music settings .
The 1st A-side Mada Namida ni Naranai Kanashimi ga was written by Matsui Goro , composed by Oda Tetsuro & arranged by Kameda Seiji . while the 2nd A-side Koi wa Nioeto Chirinuruwo was written , composed & arranged by Yoshida Ken .
Personally I feel both A-sides are equally strong with each track being distinctly sound but between both songs , I prefer Koi wa Nioeto Chirinuruwo a lot more than Mada Namida ni Naranai Kanashimi ga with the 2nd A-side more stronger/oriental like sounding .
It took me quite a while to warm up to Mada Namida ni Naranai Kanashimi ga as I didn't liked the preview for the 1st A-side but it contrasts Koi wa Nioeto Chirinuruwo a lot in a good way .
There're 2 B-sides available in the single in which both songs are only found in the CD only pressing of Mada Namida ni Naranai Kanashimi ga / Koi wa Nioeto Chirinuruwo .
The 1st B-side Amemushi is the only ballad in the tracklist . This provides a good balance in the single seeing that both A-sides are upbeat so for something like Amemushi , it showcase what great vocal harmonisation both Koichi & Tsuyoshi have .
Ryusei is the 2nd B-side & it's an upbeat no. just like both Mada Namida ni Naranai Kanashimi ga & Koi wa Nioeto Chirinuruwo . Between both B-sides , I definitely prefer Ryusei a lot more with it being more catchy/memorable .
After being in the business for 16 years , KinKi Kids are still proof on why they're 1 of the most talented if not respected seniors in Johnny's & Associates . And with the release of their latest single offering , it's easy to see why they still have a lot of staying power as it's a real solid single overall .
With the release of Mada Namida ni Naranai Kanashimi ga / Koi wa Nioeto Chirinuruwo , it has further extended their Guinness Book of World Records given that every single they've released since their 1997 debut single Glass no Shounen debuted at #1 on Oricon .
This song was picked to be used as the theme song for Namie's collaboration with Gucci + Vogue Japan during the fashion event FASHION'S NIGHT OUT 2013 that took place last month on September 7th .
For me I 1st heard Ballerina in the ads of FASHION'S NIGHT OUT 2013 & I must say the preview was a real joy in hearing as it's very addictive if not futuristic sleek sounding .
Ballerina definitely can be a track that could have been included in Namie's album FEEL and just like Neonlight Lipstick , both songs are equally well produced & highly entertaining .
The only grouse I have on Ballerina is that it feels a bit short to me with it being under 3 mins but I guess sometimes good things should be kept short if not to a minimum .
It reminds to be seen if both Ballerina & Neonlight Lipstick will get physically released or would both songs be stayed in digital release mode just like what happened to Damage .
1) Kagero
Released less than a month since Saito's previous single Always , Kagero was 1st digitally 2 weeks ago on 2nd Oct .
And unlike Saito's previous singles , this time round only the A-side is included & no B-sides are present in Kagero .
This single is Saito's 3rd release of 2013 in celebrating his 20th anniversary in the music business .
Kagero was picked to be used as the theme song for the movie Isagiyoku Yawaku Kiyoku Yawaku . It is said to take its story from a new work by mangaka Ikuemi Ryou , who has enjoyed popularity in shoujo manga circles for over 30 years .
After accepting the offer to write the theme to the film , Saito found himself deeply moved by the story after reading both the original manga & the screenplay . He then wrote a piece that highlighted the fascinating elements of how the different characters relate to one another after losing something special to them , all the while fighting to get it back .
Isagiyoku Yawaku Kiyoku Yawaku is a love story about a couple who have both experienced the loss of someone special in their lives & how they weave the unique tapestry of their relationship .
Saito wrote Kagero around these concepts from the film combined with his own "image of summer , the feeling of thinking that one might be seeing an illusion , but possibly seeing reality at the same time ."
Honestly , I only find Kagero a-ok for my liking in that unlike One More Time & Always , it took me quite sometime to get used to Kagero as this song's a lot more slower sounding than Saito's usual works .
I don't think Kagero will be a fave Saito single of mine but it's 1 of those songs that's good to listen to if I just want to kick back & relax .
Saito's 16th & 17th albums Saito + Kazuyoshi will be released next week on the same day ie. on 23rd Oct in which Kagero is included as track #9 in 16th album Saito .
Nestle's Kit Kat started a campaign to celebrate its 40th anniversary in Japan . As such , ayaka was chosen as the campaign artist & wrote the song Arigatou no Wa .
Arigatou no Wa expresses one's feeling of gratitude toward people that are close to them . This is ayaka's 1st time writing a song with just Arigatou as its theme . As such , she asked fans through Twitter , "Who is the person you want to tell 'thank you' the most ?"
ayaka expressed her thoughts on the word 'thank you' , "I think the word 'thank you' is a magic word . The smile that appears when you say it & the joy you feel when it's said to you . There are moments when you wonder if you've done something for the other person & you become warmhearted . It's a word that I always treasure ."
She also commented about Arigatou no Wa , "'Thank you' can be seen from many perspectives , so I was distraught over how to write it . However , I felt that this word had the power to spread warm feelings ."
ayaka continued , "I thought about the person I wanted to say 'thank you' to the most . The person who immediately came to mind was my mother . That was the starting point of the lyrics ."
Known for her heartfelt piano driven songs , Arigatou no Wa is no exception in the latest addition to ayaka's discography & I think she did her best in trying to bring across the message she wants with Arigatou no Wa .
I personally think Arigatou no Wa is a sincere no. & that it came straight from ayaka's heart . Upon listening to this song , I can't help but feel somewhat emotionally attached to it .
This song was used in the ads of Kose's KOSE ESPRIQUE over the summer with Namie appearing in the ads herself .
To say that Neonlight Lipstick is a seriously addictive song is an understatement & I really love it the moment I 1st heard it as the song grabbed my attention instantly .
I think Neonlight Lipstick should have been included in Namie's album FEEL as it would have been a great addition to the album tracklist so I thought it's a bit unfortunate for the song to have released digitally , just like what happened with Damage .
It reminds to be seen if Neonlight Lipstick would get a physical CD release or whether would it stayed as a digital release , let alone on whether the song would receive a music video just like what Damage had .
But make no mistake , Neonlight Lipstick is awesome & a brilliant piece of highly charged up song that's flanked by lots of techno + dance beats all thrown in together for good measures .
CD
CD + DVD
1) Tsuyoku Hakanaku
2) Belief ~Haru wo Matsu Kimi e~ (flumpool×Mayday)
3) brilliant days
BONUS TRACK [Only included in the CD only edition of the single]
OLDIES but GOODIES-flumpool 5th year anniversary non-stop mix- ; which is a non-stop remix of the band's 20 songs
flumpool's latest single comes in about 3 months + since the release of their previous single Taisetsu na Mono wa Kimi Igai ni Miataranakute / Binetsu Refrain .
The release of Tsuyoku Hakanaku / Belief ~Haru wo Matsu Kimi e~ took place a day after the band's 5th anniversary which was on Oct 1st .
The 1st A-side Tsuyoku Hakanaku is described as a song that is said to present what's to come for flumpool .
It has been quite a while since the guys released an angsty driven no. with their last such no. was 2009's MW ~Dear Mr. & Ms. Picaresque~ so to hear this side of flumpool once more , it's great .
Tsuyoku Hakanaku took me a while to get used to as in general flumpool are not known for such a music style but once I get past that hurdle , the song's actually worth listening to .
The 2nd A-side Belief ~Haru wo Matsu Kimi e~ was picked to be used as the theme song for the movie Oshin & this song was released under the billing (flumpool×Mayday) .
flumpool & Taiwanese rockband Mayday has been deepening their friendship since performing together in Taiwan back in 2011 . For this collaboration , the film production staff of Oshin wanted them to come up with a song that crosses the border of the movie's theme "to live" .
Belief ~Haru wo Matsu Kimi e~ was written especially for Oshin . It's a ballad that is sung by both flumpool's lead singer/guitairst Ryuuta & Mayday's vocalist Ashin , making this 1st time for Ashin to have sung in Japanese .
In order to write Belief ~Haru wo Matsu Kimi e~ , Ryuuta read the movie's script of Oshin & in the process , he was deeply moved by the protagonist's will to live .
It doesn't get more cross country than Belief ~Haru wo Matsu Kimi e~ where 1 of Taiwan's most respected Rock band participates in this really heart felt emotional duet together with flumpool .
I guess after flumpool covered Mayday's OAOA & subsequently including it in the special Taiwan press edition of their 3rd album experience [with it being served as the B-side for Taisetsu na Mono wa Kimi Igai ni Miataranakute / Binetsu Refrain] , this is sort of a favour that Mayday returned back to them & surprisingly , Ashin sounded pretty natural singing in Japanese with his vocals complimented Ryuuta very well .
I hope this will not be the 1st & last time both bands collaborate together as I'm definitely open for more duets coming from them in the near future seeing that I really like Belief ~Haru wo Matsu Kimi e~ a lot .
brilliant days serves as the B-side in the single & following almost quite a similar music style to Tsuyoku Hakanaku , it's another song that's definitely well recommended .
For this , brilliant days sounds as though it's a sequel to Tsuyoku Hakanaku as both songs to me sound quite similar . Not that it's a bad thing I feel .
Recently celebrated their 5th anniversary in the business , flumpool most definitely has been on a music roll with the release of their 2nd single of the year , Tsuyoku Hakanaku / Belief ~Haru wo Matsu Kimi e~ .
Honestly as a fan of them for a really long time now , it has been great to see them grow musically since their Unreal days although I must admit there was a period of time when their music was really samey & I almost want to give up in supporting them but thank goodness that didn't materialised , especially after they've released experience which to me is something I considered as their musical comeback as I disliked Fantasia of Life Stripe .
That said , Tsuyoku Hakanaku / Belief ~Haru wo Matsu Kimi e~ is yet another solid release coming from flumpool & here's to many more anniversaries of them in many years to come !
