1) It's Alright !
2) JAPANESE SPIRITS pile-up
THE TURTLES JAPAN is a special unit that makes up of members from flumpool's vocalist/guitarist Yamamura Ryuuta + guitarist Sakai Kazuki , WEAVER's vocalist/keyboardist Sugimoto Yuji + drummer Kawabe Toru & music producer Kameda Seiji whom worked extensively with Shiina Ringo during his tenure with Tokyo Jihen for 7 years .
The band was formed in July & will function as a band for a limited time . The group's concept is reflected in the video of It's Alright ! & jacket styling , in which they want to tear down borders & enjoy music freely .
Both songs in the single were written by Ryuuta , composed by Kazuki & arranged by Kameda .
It's Alright ! was picked to be used as the opening theme for CDTV in Oct & Nov + also as the ending theme song for MBS MUSICEDGE + Osaka style in Nov & Dec .
When I 1st found out about the formation of THE TURTLES JAPAN , I was intrigued especially given the way they were formed & I was curious to find out if their music will be different from what flumpool and/or WEAVER does .
Sound wise , It's Alright ! feels like elements that borrowed & combined from flumpool + WEAVER with futuristic beats thrown in for good measure . Even though Yuji sings & play keyboards in WEAVER , in THE TURTLES JAPAN he's only in charge of keyboards so that leaves Ryuuta to sing solely .
JAPANESE SPIRITS pile-up serves as the B-side of the single & it's such a fun song that contrasts the A-side quite well . I personally like JAPANESE SPIRITS pile-up so much until I find myself listening to it a lot more than It's Alright ! at times .
THE TURTLES JAPAN certainly made their presence felt with the release of their debut single It's Alright ! with it being an overall solid release . Even though they're a temporary unit , it doesn't stop the members from doing something different in each of their respective bands .
Their debut album will be released in Spring 2015 that will be supported by a short tour . More details will be announced together in due course but it's safe to assume that It's Alright ! will make the cut in the album .
CD
CD + DVD A
CD + DVD B
The duo's last single release was last Oct's Mada Namida ni Naranai Kanashimi ga / Koi wa Nioeto Chirinuruwo .
Written by renowned lyricist Matsui Goro , Kagi no Nai Hako is described as a light mid-tempo number that drifts in sorrow with an airy melancholy feel . Matsui Goro also wrote the lyrics for Mada Namida ni Naranai Kanashimi ga .
There're a total of 3 B-sides in the single in which the 1st 2 tracks No More Tears & blue new moon are available in the CD only of Kagi no Nai Hako .
No More Tears & blue new moon are equally good memorable upbeat songs but between both , I prefer No More Tears as it has an unusual melody & music style .
Kirameki ni Shisu is only available in the CD + DVD edition of Kagi no Nai Hako .
Written/composed by Dojima Kohei & arranged by CHOKKAKU , Kirameki ni Shisu reminds me of the duo's 27th single Secret Code to a certain extent as this song's lighthearted/fun which's quite a contrast to what the A-side offers .
After 17 years in the business , KinKi Kids shows no signs of slowing down & with the release of Kagi no Nai Hako getting #1 in the 1st week of release , this marked KinKi Kids's 34th consecutive chart-topping single since their debut single Glass no Shounen that was released in July 1997 .
As their latest single topped the Oricon chart again , KinKi Kids have improved their own record for "the number of consecutive chart-topping singles since debut" accolade , which is also on the Guinness World Records , in addition to "the most consecutive years with a chart-topping single" accolade .
Even though in recent time their releases have not been as much as before , KinKi Kids still are able to prove that they're 1 of the most respected seniors in Johnny's & Associates + with the release of Kagi no Nai Hako , it's evident as the overall quality of the single's solid , inclusive of the 3 B-sides that're able to stand up against the A-side .
KinKi Kids's 14th album M album will be released next month on 10th Dec & Kagi no Nai Hako will not be included in M album .
Play was released last week on 15th Nov & this song features Namie Amuro .
I'm Not Yours is Jolin's 1st composition & it's the 1st time for Namie to sing in Chinese .
The lyrics of I'm Not Yours are a mixture of both English + Chinese . With regards to her Chinese vocals Namie commented , "If the Taiwanese fans like it , I'll be happy ."
I was honestly surprised when I found out about this but in a way I also wasn't especially given the fact that Jolin Tsai is 1 of the most well known singers in the Chinese market , let alone her being known for her dance numbers .
I obviously don't listen to Chinese music but at the same time I'm curious to check out how I'm Not Yours sounds like .
I'm Not Yours is frankly almost 90% sung in English by both ladies while for the Chinese lyrics , it's not that much which I can understand as it was a 1st for Namie to sing in Chinese .
I don't think a lot of people knows this but for a Japanese to sing if not speak in Chinese , it's not an easy thing to do but for a Chinese to learn/speak Japanese , it's easier .
That said , I'm Not Yours is great + it's a really addictive catchy dance number . It's cool knowing that this's Jolin's 1st attempt in composing + also both of their vocals compliment each other quite well .
For Namie to sing in Chinese , it's tough but as this's her 1st time , it's a commendable effort as generally I was able to understand the words that Namie sung in Chinese even though I still have to refer to the lyrics to check .
Oddly if not ironically , Namie's English dictation in I'm Not Yours is quite good in which considering the circumstances , it's understood .
I'm Not Yours is definitely 1 of the most anticipated duets to have emerged in 2014 + for both the reign dancing queen in Taiwan to join forces with the queen of hip pop , you know you have a winner in the bag .
Hopefully this will not be the last time both ladies will collaborate with each other & frankly it will not surprise me should Jolin be featured in Namie's future Japanese material . With I'm Not Yours , anything is possible .
CD
CD + DVD
1) SNOW SMILE
2) Soba ni ...
3) DREAM -Jazzin'park A Long Autumn Night Remix-
4) SNOW SMILE –Instrumental-
Shota's 5th album ENCORE was released on 12th March & his last Winter inspired single was 2011's Fuyu ga Owaru Mae ni .
SNOW SMILE is a touching song that comes just as Winter is about to begin . It has a holiday theme & this upbeat festive sounding track deals with the love story of 2 young people as it can be seen in the music video .
There're 2 B-sides available in the single . The 1st 1 is something that's titled Soba ni ... . A mid tempo no. , Soba ni ... contrasts the uptempo A-side quite well .
DREAM -Jazzin'park A Long Autumn Night Remix- is the 2nd B-side & the original take of the song served as Shota's 15th single .
I enjoyed DREAM a lot & it's still a great track from Shota . As for the Jazzin'park A Long Autumn Night Remix , it's a pretty good remix that increases the enjoyment factor of DREAM while it still managed to retain most of the traits the original song offered .
After completing LIVE TOUR 2014 "ENCORE" , Shota Shimizu is back in the limelight with SNOW SMILE ! The young singer's latest single is a lovely Christmas song that marks his return to an R&B style after shifting to pop from his album ENCORE .
Shota has a pretty great fruitful 2014 + I enjoyed this year's releases of his as they showcased a lot of maturity/growth , likewise for SNOW SMILE which's overall a solid single .
Hopefully Shota will continue to release great material in 2015 which I'm sure it will be something that wouldn't be a problem for him to handle . Until then , please check out SNOW SMILE in order to enjoy an early Winter experience .
CD
CD + DVD
1) BRIGHTER DAY
2) SWEET KISSES
3) Still Lovin' You
4) BRIGHTER DAY Instrumental
5) SWEET KISSES Instrumental
6) Still Lovin' You Instrumental
Namie's latest single offering comes in about 10 months + since the release of her previous single TSUKI while her 1st ballad best album Ballada was released this year on 4th June .
Prior to the physical release of the single , BRIGHTER DAY was 1st released digitally on 5th Nov .
BRIGHTER DAY was picked to be used as the theme song for the 2nd season of the drama FIRST CLASS starring Sawajiri Erika .
The A-side is described as a song that opens with an impressive string instrument arrangement & transitions into a vocal performance by Namie on top of a strong beat . The song's lyrics contain a strong message for loved ones , "Sometimes you’re at a standstill , but let's follow the path you choose together" .
The lyrics of BRIGHTER DAY relates to Sawajiri's character in FIRST CLASS who goes through the very competitive industry of fashion & perseveres on to succeed in the career she has chosen .
A mid-tempo pop number with an inspiring message about moving ahead with courage , the producer of FIRST CLASS requested Namie to sing BRIGHTER DAY because , "she has always been active in the front lines since her debut . Moreover , Namie has the faith to carry through with her own style ."
SWEET KISSES is the 1st of 2 B-sides available in the single . In addition to the song having a music video , it was used in the ads of KOSE COSMEPORT's OLEO D'OR shampoo .
This's a fun upbeat B-side that contrasts BRIGHTER DAY quite well . Even though SWEET KISSES is under 3 mins , I enjoy the song very much & I couldn't help but hum along to it as it's catchy + memorable .
Still Lovin' You is the 2nd B-side found in BRIGHTER DAY & it was used in the ads of KOSE ESPRIQUE Eternal Baby-Skin makeup foundation that were aired on TV way back this year in Feb 22nd .
Just like SWEET KISSES , Still Lovin' You is another B-side that I like . I'm not so sure why it took so long for this track to get included in a single but nonetheless it's better late than never . In addition , Still Lovin' You sounds quite festive as well which's perfect as Winter is coming soon .
Namie Amuro wraps up a rather fruitful eventful 2014 with the release of her latest single BRIGHTER DAY .
I personally enjoy all the songs in BRIGHTER DAY although to me it's not an all rounder single unlike TSUKI . Despite this , Namie is proof on why she's still 1 of the most celebrated female solo artistes in the business .
Hopefully in 2015 , Namie will release a new album since she did not do so for this year . If not , another single release will be most welcome from the queen of hip pop .
This song was released about a month + after the duo's previous digital single 42.195km .
Twilight was picked to be used as the theme song for the movie Twilight Sasara Saya that stars Aragaki Yui & Oizumi Yo .
The movie is based on Kanou Tomoko's novel Sasara Saya & it tells a family love story of Saya (Aragaki Yui) , a woman who struggles with child-rearing in a town called Sasara & her deceased husband Yutaro (Oizumi Yo) , who borrows other people's bodies in order to support Saya .
Kobukuro wrote Twilight specially for the movie after reading the original novel . The song is described as a medium tempo number that was written from the perspective of Yutaro .
I did not like 42.195km that much but luckily Twilight is more or less the familiar style of music that Kobukuro is known for . While I feel Twilight will not be a fave Kobukuro song , you can't help but feel the amount of emotions being poured into it which I'm sure it will struck a chord with people .
CD
CD + DVD
INKT was formed last Nov & the band's lead vocalist is ex KAT-TUN member/rapper Tanaka Koki . No singles are included in INKT (the album) & all songs in the album were written by Tanaka .
INKT consists of :
Vocalist : KOKI
Guitarist : Kei
Keyboardist : kissy
Bassist : mACKAz
Drums : SASSY
mACKAz & SASSY used to be in now defunct band HIGH and MIGHTY COLOR .
On their official website INKT wrote , "We formed this band as we wanted to deliver music that only the 5 of us can create ."
2 songs Nobody Knows & Zutto were released exclusively via iTunes & the whole album was released digitally last month on 25th Oct .
Trigger & Zutto are the only 2 songs that received videos . However , Zutto is not included in the physical CD tracklist .
I was pleasantly surprised when I found out Tanaka was returning back to the spotlight especially since he's not part of Johnny's & Associates anymore .
So for him to come back in a rock band setting , it's interesting but at the same time no matter whether people will like it or not , Tanaka will always be associated with his past in KAT-TUN .
That said , both Trigger & Zutto are quite solid tracks . Trigger is a straight up no nonsense rock song while Zutto is a ballad . An additional highlight in Trigger is that traces of JOKER's rap can be heard in the song which is definitely a treat for Tanaka fans .
And the fact that Tanaka wrote the lyrics to all songs in INKT (the album) , it's a good personal effort .
Despite what has happened , it's heartening to see that Tanaka is back as when he left KAT-TUN , I wondered would he leave the music business for good as frankly during the time he spent in KAT-TUN , he was the 1 that stood out a lot , be it on the music and/or non music front .
I wish Tanaka & his new group INKT all the best in their future endeavours and something tells me this will not be the last I'll be seeing of INKT .
CD
CD + DVD
1) Zero-G
2) Wonderful
3) Tell me why
4) Asterisk
5) Imaging Crazy (Ohno Satoshi's solo)
6) GUTS !
7) Disco Star (Aiba Masaki's solo)
8) Daremo Shiranai
9) TRAP
10) STAY GOLD (Matsumoto Jun's solo)
11) Bittersweet
12) Merry Christmas (Ninomiya Kazunari's solo)
13) Kimi no Yume o Mite Ita
14) One Step
15) Hey Yeah ! (Sakurai Sho's solo)
16) Hope in the darkness
17) Take Off !!!!! (CD Only Track)
The group's latest album offering comes in almost a year since the release of their previous album LOVE .
THE DIGITALIAN includes 3 singles , 8 new album tracks , 5 solos & a bonus track Take Off !!!!! that's only available in the CD only edition .
In THE DIGITALIAN , ARASHI embraced a new sound for this new album , adding plenty of EDM & electronica elements into the tracks .
Kicking things off in THE DIGITALIAN is the album opening track titled Zero-G .
Zero-G is also the only album track that gets a video . It's a strong memorable track that sets the tone on what to expect in the later further tracks found in THE DIGITALIAN .
I wouldn't really want to compare Zero-G against LOVE's P・A・R・A・D・O・X as both songs are completely different but I would say that Zero-G do deserve to get a video .
In keeping up with the EDM electronica theme of THE DIGITALIAN , the next 3 songs after Zero-G are also in the same vibe as well . Wonderful is an ok song in which I feel it's 1 of the weaker links in the album as it doesn't really stand out that much .
Tell me why & Asterisk are 2 tracks back to back that have the inclusion of Sakurap which's always a plus point in ARASHI's songs . Tell me why is the closest you can get for a ballad in the album while for Asterisk , it's a seriously fast paced upbeat number that hits the right notes .
Imaging Crazy is the 1st solo track in THE DIGITALIAN & this song is sung by the group leader Ohno Satoshi .
Ohno's solos consistently have been good all the while but surprisingly this time round I feel that his latest solo offering is the weakest if not my least fave in the album .
It's not that Imaging Crazy is bad and/or boring but something about this song lacks character especially when I compare it with the other members' solos . The song overall is ok but coming from Ohno , I guess I couldn't help but feel a bit disappointed over it .
GUTS ! is ARASHI's 43rd single . It was picked to be used as the theme song for the drama Yowakutemo Katemasu ~Aoshi Sensei to Heppoko Koukou Kyuji no Yabou starring member Ninomiya Kazunari .
Described as an encouragement song to spur you on to pursue your dreams & hopes , GUTS ! is something that will inspire anyone's youthful spirit , regardless of age .
Disco Star is the 2nd solo track in THE DIGITALIAN & this song is sung by Aiba Masaki .
Just like LOVE's Yozora e no Tegami , Disco Star is another stellar no. that Aiba delivered . While Yozora e no Tegami is a ballad , Disco Star is a full on dance number which's super fun to boot .
1 thing about Aiba is that even though he's quite limited in the vocals department , he's able to pick solos that utilised his vocals' strength and/or showcase his jovial personality as evident in Disco Star in which I enjoyed it tremendously .
Hence out of the 5 solos available in the album , Disco Star is my fave out of the lot .
Daremo Shiranai is ARASHI's 44th single & it was the last single released before THE DIGITALIAN .
This song served as the main theme no. for the drama Shinigami Kun starring member/leader Ohno Satoshi & it's described as a high-energy pop number with a gothic flavour .
TRAP is the 5th album track & honestly if not for Zero-G getting a video , I rather TRAP gets it instead because it's a very interesting no. + it's 1 of those songs that's in your face with plenty of attitude to boot .
STAY GOLD is the 3rd solo track in THE DIGITALIAN & this song is sung by Matsumoto Jun .
In addition , MatsuJun had a hand in cowriting STAY GOLD with Macoto56 .
MatsuJun's solos have always been rather inconsistent as his solos could be good or just plain weird/bad . Luckily that's not the case for STAY GOLD .
STAY GOLD is surprisingly not bad & it's also quite a catchy upbeat no. . Both the opening & closing of the song are quite interesting + also props to MatsuJun for co-writing it too .
Bittersweet is ARASHI's 42nd single & it's the last single included in THE DIGITALIAN .
The song was picked to be used as the theme no. for the TV series Shitsuren Chocolatier starring member Matsumoto Jun . Shitsuren Chocolatier is a live-action drama adaptation of Mizushiro Setona's popular manga of the same name .
Merry Christmas is the 4th solo track in THE DIGITALIAN & this song is sung by Ninomiya Kazunari .
For this song , Nino cowrote it with Ogawa Takashi while Nino himself composed it & co-arranged it with ha-j .
With a song title like Merry Christmas , it's no surprises it's quite fitting given that Christmas is coming real soon + it's a fun festive no. coming from Nino .
1 thing from Nino's solos that I like is the personal input that he does , be it when comes to writing , composing or both . Merry Christmas might not be his strongest solo but you can't help but feel appreciated of his efforts upon hearing it .
Kimi no Yume o Mite Ita & One Step are the next 2 album tracks . Just like Wonderful , I find Kimi no Yume o Mite Ita to be on the weak side as I find it quite unmemorable on 1st listen while for One Step , it's a cute enduring no. that's quite crowd friendly .
Hey Yeah ! is the 5th/last solo track in THE DIGITALIAN & this song is handled by Sakurai Sho .
A Sakurai solo would feel incomplete without Sakurap & this's where Hey Yeah ! comes in .
I enjoyed Sakurai's previous solo sugar and salt in LOVE . While sugar and salt is a ballad , Hey Yeah ! is a fuss free fun upbeat no. which's catchy + memorable .
Sakurai's solos can be inconsistent from time to time but luckily that's not the case for Hey Yeah ! which showcases what he does best , be it when comes to singing and/or rapping without going over the top .
Hope in the darkness is the final track in the album (for the CD + DVD edition) + it's a great fitting no. in concluding THE DIGITALIAN .
The song started off in a rather haunting mood but slowly Hope in the darkness is able to lure in listeners as the dynamics of the no. is interesting & frankly I can't think of any other song more suitable than this to wrap things up .
Take Off !!!!! is exclusively available in the CD only edition of THE DIGITALIAN . For this song , the lyrics were written by Sakurai .
This's 1 song that's not meant to be taken seriously as Take Off !!!!! is quite an amusing no. . From rapping coming from all 5 members to random singing to Sakurai speaking English in the background , it's 1 of those songs that's all over the place .
Celebrating their 15th anniversary in the business + in line with their upcoming 5 major domes tour ARASHI LIVE TOUR 2014 THE DIGITALIAN that will start next week on 14th Nov , 1 of Japan's most formidable group ARASHI has released their latest album THE DIGITALIAN .
I have to be honest when I 1st heard that THE DIGITALIAN was going to include a lot of EDM , I was skeptical as it could whine up to be good or bad but luckily the overall effort ain't that bad even though on 1st listen , I thought it was not as good as LOVE .
Some of the songs in THE DIGITALIAN take a much longer time for me to remember since the tracks all utilise EDM unlike LOVE where most of the tracks have their own unique identity .
That said , THE DIGITALIAN is overall not a bad album , there're still quite a few good tracks worth enjoying & except for Bittersweet , the other 2 singles are still solid .
The latest solos included in THE DIGITALIAN are also quite top notch & another thing I want to bring up is that sound consistency wise , THE DIGITALIAN flows quite well from start til end .
It takes a lot for ARASHI to able to sustain themselves in the business for 15 years & counting as compared to their early days , not a lot of people cared about them + say what you want to say about them but there's no deny that they really worked their way up to get to where they're & not a lot of artistes are able to enjoy a 2nd surge of popularity like them .
On that note , happy 15th anniversary ARASHI + may there be many more anniversaries to come !
CD Regular
CD Limited
PURE LOVE BEST was originally supposed to get released on 17th Sept . However, due to circumstances with the production process , it was pushed back to Oct 29th .
Last Word was composed by Jin Nakamura in which he's known for working on EXILE & Matsushita Yuya's material . Last Word was 1st released digitally on 15th Oct prior to the physical CD release of PURE LOVE BEST .
On the other hand , Happy Dayz was picked to be used in the ads of select FAIRY while for I Love It , it was used in the ads of travel agency H.I.S.’s Akitabi Matsuri campaign .
I Love It was 1st released digitally on 8th Oct .
Generally I like all the 3 new songs available in PURE LOVE BEST as each song has a distinct identity but if I have to pick a fave , it will be Last Word as it's an emotional driven ballad & I definitely can feel Jin Nakamura's influences when I 1st heard the song .
Last Word allowed JASMINE's vocals to shine a significant deal which brings back to her older works such as Dreamin' .
For Happy Dayz , I think it's an ok upbeat song . It didn't wow me that much as I feel the music style is not something JASMINE would normally do as it's quite pop driven .
As for I Love It , I honestly like it a lot . Unlike Happy Dayz , I Love It is something I enjoy more as it's Gospel driven & I'm probably biased but there's just something about I Love It that I genuinely like a great deal .
In retrospect , I do feel that the 3 new songs in PURE LOVE BEST should have been released as a standalone single from JASMINE & that she shouldn't have included them in her 1st best album .
Releasing a best album can mean 1 thing or another , I just hope that JASMINE will still continue to make music despite releasing PURE LOVE BEST as she's still 1 of my fave female solo artistes & it will be a huge shame should this happen to her .
2 CDs
2 CDs + DVD
MUSE was released last month on 29th Oct in celebrating Miliyah's 10th anniversary in the music business .
DRIVE is found as track #4 in MUSE & for this song , it features JASMINE .
Honestly I don't know why it took so long for both JASMINE & Miliyah to collaborate with each other as frankly DRIVE is great . When I 1st heard it , I thought it has a lot of attitude & charisma , it's hard to find fault with it .
I'll be there with you is found as track #5 in MUSE & for this track , it features AI & Aoyama Thelma .
Prior to the physical release of MUSE , I'll be there with you was 1st released digitally last month on 15th Oct .
The track duration of I'll be there with you clocks in at a whopping 6 mins long , making this 1 of the longest songs I've chanced upon from Miliyah .
But despite this , I'll be there with you is actually 1 of the best collaborations I've heard of this year . 3 might feel overcrowded but who knew that all 3 ladies' vocals work together so seamlessly with each other .
On that note , happy 10th anniversary Miliyah + may there be many more anniversaries to come !
Promo wise , Fun Fun Christmas was picked to be used to promote Japanese home furnishing store Francfranc .
Fun Fun Christmas is part of 『Welcome To Precious Christmas presented by Francfranc』 V.A. (Produced by Ryosuke Imai) CD that was released today via iTunes .
The 『Welcome To Precious Christmas presented by Francfranc』 V.A. (Produced by Ryosuke Imai) CD itself have both an English & Japanese version of Fun Fun Christmas .
Christmas is approaching real soon & there couldn't be a fitter song than Fun Fun Christmas in celebrating this special occasion . It's 1 of those songs that will put anyone in a good mood + let alone , Fun Fun Christmas has a festive upbeat mood to accompany it .
I'm not so sure if Fun Fun Christmas will eventually be available as a BENI physical CD single and/or album but this shouldn't stop you from embracing Fun Fun Christmas while waiting for Christmas itself to come .
CD
CD + DVD
1) LUCIFER
2) The Magic of Halloween
3) Somebody Help Me 【New Take】
4) Taste My Skin 【New Take】
5) FROZEN ROSE 【New Take】
No singles are included in LUCIFER EP & Anna's previous mini album Sugar Palm EP was released this year on 11th March .
The concept of LUCIFER EP was created with the image of the fallen angel Lucifer , showing both the good & evil sides of Anna .
Sharing the same name as the mini album , LUCIFIER (the song) is a rock tune that was picked to be used as the TV CM song for the survival horror game The Evil Within (known as Psycho Break in Japan) which was released in stores last month on 23rd Oct .
Lyrically LUCIFER (the song) is very much an ode to Lucifer itself/himself in which I don't plan to talk about it that much for obvious reasons but all I can say's that from the song to the video to the image Anna portrayed , she nailed it in every aspect & it was done well .
The Magic of Halloween is the 2nd new song in LUCIFER EP & it's described as a dark Halloween song .
Halloween recently concluded & seeing that LUCIFER EP was released a few days before 31st Oct , it kind of make sense for Anna to include a Halloween inspired rock song in the mini album .
The Magic of Halloween is 1 of those fun songs that's fitting to listen to during a particular occasion , in this case Halloween as frankly other than that , I don't think it's something I will listen to all year round .
The last 3 songs in LUCIFER EP are newly recorded versions that were originally included in Anna's 1st mini album Taste My Beat EP that was released on 24th Aug 2005 , namely :
- Somebody Help Me ; track #6 in Taste My Beat EP
- Taste My Skin ; track #2 in Taste My Beat EP
- FROZEN ROSE ; track #4 in Taste My Beat EP
What I did was that I listened to both the original & re-recorded versions for Somebody Help Me , Taste My Skin & FROZEN ROSE side by side together . Melody wise , the re-recorded versions utilised the same melodies as what the original songs had .
But the biggest most significance difference between the original & re-recorded versions for Somebody Help Me , Taste My Skin & FROZEN ROSE was Anna's vocals . It's quite surreal that way back in 2005 , Anna's vocals were quite husky if not hoarse . 9 years later , Anna's vocals now have improved a great deal in that she sounded more crystal clear & in tune with her vocals which's great .
Songs wise , the tracks Anna chose to re-record were some of my faves from Taste My Beat EP so it's not something I would complain so much about .
Anna Tsuchiya wraps up 2014 with the release of her 3rd mini album LUCIFER EP which's an early celebration of her impending 10th anniversary in the business .
I enjoyed the whole LUCIFER EP a great deal & it's quite evident that Anna put a lot of emphasis/care into making it , from the concept to the songs that're included in the mini album .
And to me the big highlight in LUCIFER EP is the 3 newly recorded tracks that Anna chose to re-record as being a long time fan of hers , that's something special if not sentimental to me .
It's hard to believe that Anna 1st debuted in the scene with her 1st mini album Taste My Beat EP 9 years ago & since then , she has established herself as not only a singer but also an accomplished model + actress .
Singers are lucky to last a few years in the music industry & not 10 years like Anna . 2015 is Anna's 10th anniversary in the business + I'm hoping that she will be planning a series of great things in celebrating this momentum milestone which's worth celebrating for .
CD
CD + DVD
Shibuya Junai Monogatari was released last month on 22nd Oct .
I miss you Feat Shota Shimizu is found as track #1 in Shibuya Junai Monogatari . It's 1 of 4 songs in the album that has a music video & before Shibuya Junai Monogatari was released physically , I miss you was 1st released digitally on 8th Oct .
When I 1st heard I miss you , I wasn't surprised that I immediately like it as it's such an endearing no. that has a rather sad undertone message . In fact this sounds like something what Shota might does on his own but in I miss you , he sounds great which I have no complaints about it .
On the other hand , Sore Demo Kimi ga Suki Feat JASMINE , SKY-HI & Kotobuki-kun is found as track #5 in Shibuya Junai Monogatari .
Compared to I miss you , Sore Demo Kimi ga Suki is handled by 3 artistes . JASMINE mainly does the singing while SKY-HI & Kotobuki-kun does the rapping in the song . 3 artistes might sound a bit overcrowded but surprisingly , the overall result turns out quite nicely with all 3 of them complimenting each other well .
Overall I enjoyed both songs from Shibuya Junai Monogatari & the 2 songs are highly worth checking out .