CD A
1) We are the QUEENS
2) æternal
3) WORDS
4) W
5) The way I am
CD B
1) The way I am
2) W
3) WORDS
4) æternal
5) We are the QUEENS
ayumi's last physical release was 2016's M(A)DE IN JAPAN .
For TROUBLE EP , the tracklist for both CD versions are reversed & switched .
2 songs that were already released digitally prior to TROUBLE are included in the new mini album . We are the QUEENS was 1st released digitally on 30th Sept 2016 & it was used to promote the smart phone game CLASH OF QUEENS , with ayumi starring in the ads herself .
While the 2nd song WORDS was 1st released digitally last year on 6th Sept & it was available for online purchase until last year on 30th Nov .
This's possibility the shortest ayumi related review I've written on my blog on a release of hers & for that , it's not a good thing especially since I've been her fan for a very long time .
This year is ayumi's 20th anniversary but yet for her to release a mini album , it hardly feels worth celebrating for especially since not many musicians are lucky to been around for 20 years & more .
Regarding the 3 new songs in TROUBLE , W is my least favourite as it's just noise while æternal + The way I am are pleasant sounding mid tempo tracks , they sound like something that ayumi has already done before .
Also I find nothing special about the TROUBLE covers as it looks like another typical magazine fashion shoot that ayumi has done countless times before . Even though the material is weak , at most the covers should have been something that emphasised her 20th anniversary & not this .
I thought ayumi's 10th & 15th anniversaries were non existent celebration wise but this year is the worst . I know ayumi's focus when comes to releasing music and/or making music videos ain't the same as before but this's still really bad .
For a 20th anniversary milestone , ayumi should go all out with a bang & not just focus on touring back to back non stop and only put out a sub par mini album . I would prefer she release another best album as she's long overdue to put out a new 1 since 2008's A COMPLETE ~ALL SINGLES~ .
Being her fan for a long time , it kind of saddens me to see ayumi to be a pale shadow of her former self as compared to when she 1st started out in the industry 20 years ago . In recent years it has been getting from bad to worst but at times , she still managed to pull out some nice surprises like M(A)DE IN JAPAN which I unexpectedly enjoyed a lot .
End of the day , ayumi still holds a place in my heart as she was the 1st Japanese artiste I started listening to when I began listening to Japanese music . Just that I hope TROUBLE is not the only new release she put out this year as if so , that's hardly worth it on every single level .
CD
CD + DVD A
CD + DVD B
This latest single offering was released 6 months + since Hey ! Say ! JUMP's previous single Mae wo Muke .
COSMIC☆HUMAN was chosen to be used to promote NTV's drama Tokyo Alien Bros , starring member Inoo Kei & A.B.C-Z.'s Totsuka Shota
The themes of humanity's weakness , strength , strangeness , difficulty & universal love paired with a melody line like a blue sky that goes on forever come together to create COSMIC☆HUMAN , a song that will help take a firm step forward into the future .
In addition , COSMIC☆HUMAN is the last single release to feature member Okamoto Keito who will temporarily leave Hey ! Say ! JUMP next month to pursue studies overseas .
A total of 5 B-sides are included in COSMIC☆HUMAN as follows :
- SWEET or HOT? (CD Only Track)
- Roulette (CD Only Track)
- Draw My Life ! (CD Only Track)
- Go My Way (CD + DVD A Track)
- Yancha na Hero (Hey ! Say ! 7) {CD + DVD B Track}
A video was made for Hey ! Say ! 7's Yancha na Hero which this track was picked to be used as the ending theme song for the Nintama Rantarou anime .
This year's the 25th anniversary of Nintama Rantarou & this coincides with the fact that all 4 of Hey ! Say ! 7 members were born in the same year when Nintama Rantarou 1st started airing .
Hey! Say! JUMP sings "everyone's song" in the group's 23rd single COSMIC☆HUMAN , the theme song of the Nippon TV drama Tokyo Alien Brothers starring Inoo Kei . The title song carries an encouraging message about not giving up & stepping towards a wonderful tomorrow .
I will not deny that my 1st impression on COSMIC☆HUMAN was not good as it sounded quite kiddish but eventually , the accompanied music video changed my perception on it .
The same thing goes for Hey ! Say ! 7's Yancha na Hero as well , I'm also not so keen on the song when I 1st heard it either but just like COSMIC☆HUMAN , the video was surprisingly very entertaining even though Yancha na Hero is a B-side .
B-sides wise , out of the lot , I really enjoy Draw My Life ! & Go My Way tremendously . SWEET or HOT? & Roulette are not bad upbeat tracks but I prefer Draw My Life ! & Go My Way a lot more .
Hey ! Say ! JUMP's 6th album SENSE or LOVE was released last week on 22nd Aug . COSMIC☆HUMAN is excluded from the album and I will review SENSE or LOVE in due time .
On that note , wishing all the best of luck to Okamoto Keito & hope to see him back in Hey ! Say ! JUMP soon !
CD
CD + DVD High School Baseball Version
CD + DVD
This single was released 5 months + since ARASHI's previous single Find The Answer .
Natsu Hayate was used as the theme song for TV Asahi's broadcast of the 100th Japanese High School Baseball Championship .
The song was written + composed by Yuzu's Kitagawa Yujin . Natsu Hayate portrays a Summer-like & dazzling storm that blows through .
Natsu Hayate was created as part of a special ARASHI x Yuzu collaboration & brings a lot of excitement to this year's 100th Summer Koshien tournament + the fierce high school baseball battles therein .
On Natsu Hayate , member Aiba Masaki who serves as the special navigator for the Netto Koshien commented , "The lyrics apply to high school baseball , so I hope it becomes a song that will strike the hearts of players as well as those who love high school baseball ."
On providing Natsu Hayate to ARASHI , Kitagawa stated , "I am very honoured & happy ." Then he talked about the song remarking , "I wanted this song to push the backs of the baseball players as well as Aiba & many people who work hard everyday ."
The sublime harmony of ARASHI x Yuzu takes the freshness & brightness of Summer , places it on top of a melody that's sure to energise and turns it into a fight song celebrating all the high schoolers out there doing their best- and all the feelings riding on the fleeting moments of the Summer - to their fullest .
4 B-sides are made available in all 3 versions of Natsu Hayate as follows :
- Midsummer Night's Lover (CD Only Track)
- Sparkle (CD Only Track)
- Natsu Hayate (Net to Buraban ver.) {CD + DVD High School Baseball Track} ; this's instrumental
- After the rain (CD + DVD Track)
ARASHI's 55th single Natsu Hayate is a support song for Japan's 100th National High School Baseball Championship ; Summer Koshien . The Netto Koshien theme song has a refreshing and energetic melody written + composed by Yuzu's Kitagawa Yujin . Cheer on the young players of Japan's most beloved annual sports event with Natsu Hayate !
2018 surprisingly has been 1 of ARASHI's less musically active years in recent times as I frankly thought they might provide theme songs for the various movies + dramas the members starred in but strangely that did not happen .
Nonetheless , Natsu Hayate has Summer written all over it and I feel that Yuzu's Kitagawa Yujin did a great job creating it + in the process , added in another great song to ARASHI's ever growing singles discography .
Also it's unusual for ARASHI to create 2 different videos based on a single A-side and for this to happen to Natsu Hayate , it's rare as 1 has a school drama theme (quite similar to their past drama theme videos such as Aozora Pedal & My Girl) while the 2nd video has ARASHI dancing with a group of high school band members with another group of high school dancers dancing in it separately .
B-sides wise , they're not bad but I like After the rain out of the lot as it's a bit different from what ARASHI does . Midsummer Night's Lover & Sparkle are ok but not that great .
2019 is ARASHI's 20th anniversary & since they've already announced ARASHI Anniversary Tour 5x20 that will kick off in this November , for once I hope they will not release a new album this year and I prefer if they release another best album once more to celebrate their impending milestone .
CD
CD + DVD A
CD + DVD B
KEN☆Tackey is a new unit that consists of V6's Miyake Ken & Takizawa Hideaki . The duo's name is pronounced as Kentucky .
Gyakuten Lovers was used in the ads of KFC Japan starring KEN☆Tackey themselves . KEN☆Tackey was formed in support of Takizawa's annual stage play Takizawa Kabuki .
Miyake has appeared for 3 consecutive years in Takizawa Kabuki , which is now in its 13th year of running . On the 1st day of this year's show , it was announced that KEN☆Tackey would be making their debut this Summer .
Gyakuten Lovers has 4 B-sides in total . These 3 B-sides are only available in the CD only version :
- Ukiyo Adesugata Sakura ; used in Takizawa Kabuki 2016
- Aoki Hibi ; used in Takizawa Kabuki 2017
- LOVE ; used in Takizawa Kabuki 2016 & 2017
While Aishitemo is only found in both CD + DVD versions of Gyakuten Lovers . LOVE is the only B-side that didn't had a video made .
I think it was only a matter of time before Miyake Ken & Takizawa Hideaki joined forces and release something together as the songs both of them sang together in Takizawa Kabuki were received quite well from fans who attended the stageplay .
So in a way I wasn't that surprised with the formation of KEN☆Tackey but I thought the play pun in their unit name is cute especially it's pronounced as Kentucky .
Song wise , I feel that Gyakuten Lovers is a very typical happy go lucky Johnny ish type of song that's not meant to be taken seriously and for me , I actually like the B-side songs a lot more than the A-side especially the tracks that were used in past instalments of Takizawa Kabuki .
Out of all the B-sides , I like Ukiyo Adesugata Sakura the most as it has a great strong Oriental flair followed by Aoki Hibi which has a rather cool Enka sound . I wish Aoki Hibi would have stayed Enka throughout instead of just the introduction .
LOVE is not bad but it strangely has a Christmas flair to it . Aishitemo was specially created for Gyakuten Lovers release but I think it's the weak link in the single & the accompanied video didn't do much to elevate the song status .
Even though KEN☆Tackey made a surprisingly number of videos for Gyakuten Lovers , they sadly all look really low budget which's a shame but then again all the while avex trax for some reason has been stingy regarding the video budgets of both V6 + Tackey & Tsubasa and unfortunately this follows suit for KEN☆Tackey too .
All in all , KEN☆Tackey's debut single is quite good . I don't like all the songs in the single but it's nice to know that both Miyake & Takizawa sound good together vocally .
It reminds to be seen if KEN☆Tackey will put out another release in future or whether will Gyakuten Lovers be a 1 off release from them , only time will tell .
1) Atarimae
2) Good Luck
3) Ai Koshin
4) Loose Leaf [Remake]
5) Namida no Tane, Shiawase no Hana [Remake]
This release is Hilcrhyme's 1st release after the departure of DJ KATSU in March . Rapper/vocalist TOC will now continue on Hilcrhyme's activities by himself .
One Man EP was put out before Hilcrhyme LIVE 2018「One Man」will take place next month on 2nd Sept .
There're 5 tracks available in One Man EP inclusive of 2 newly re-recorded songs while the 1st 3 tracks are new material .
2 videos were made for Atarimae & Loose Leaf [Remake] but both videos are not included in One Man EP as no CD + DVD version was made .
The person who directed the Atarimae video is Ohno Toshitsugu who also directed Hilcrhyme's 4th single / 2010 release Daijoubu .
Good Luck is a rather angsty driven song while I find nothing special about Ai Koshin as it's neither good or bad for me .
As mentioned before , there're 2 newly re-recorded songs in One Man EP which're Loose Leaf (5th single) & Namida no Tane, Shiawase no Hana (22nd single) .
Personally while it was nice to hear 2 new updated versions of both Loose Leaf & Namida no Tane, Shiawase no Hana , I still feel the original sound better especially Loose Leaf as it was the 1st song I've heard of Hilcrhyme .
Even though Namida no Tane, Shiawase no Hana is Hilcrhyme's most recent single release , for it to have 2 different versions inclusive of what's found in One Man EP , it's quite surprising .
For me I don't like all the songs in One Man EP but it was still a relief for Hilcrhyme to release it after what happened to them the last few months which led to the departure of DJ KATSU .
At that time , I thought Hilcrhyme was a goner as their record label also suspended selling their releases be it in CD shops and also online .
So for TOC to decide to continue on & to name the mini album as One Man , it couldn't be any fitting than this .
I've followed/supported Hilcrhyme for almost 10 years as it would be a pity if they stopped releasing music as they do have some great songs in their discography so I'm relieved to know that TOC is continuing on despite DJ KATSU's departure .
It reminds to be seen what will Hilcrhyme's next music move will be but regardless of the situation , I will still support them no matter what .
CD Regular
Tracklist
1) I Wanna Be...
2) Hold It, Buster ~Battle of Rap~
3) I Wanna Be... (inst.)
CD Limited
Tracklist
1) I Wanna Be...
2) Scramble
3) Genjyo Destruction
4) Sakura Mitsutsuki
5) Samurai Heart (Some Like It Hot!!)
6) I Wanna Be... [Anime Size]
This tracklist includes past songs SPYAIR used to promote Gintama related media
This's SPYAIR's 1st single release of 2018 and the A-side was used as the opening theme song for the Gintama.: Shirogane no Tamashii-hen 2 anime .
Hold It, Buster ~Battle of Rap~ serves as the B-side in I Wanna Be... and this song is a sequel to BRING IT ON ~Battle of Rap~ which features vocalist IKE & guitarist UZ rapping against each other again .
5 years after the Gintama : Enchousen opening theme Sakura Mitsutsuki , SPYAIR once again collaborates with the anime franchise for the band's latest single I Wanna Be... .
I really enjoyed SPYAIR's KINGDOM album that they released last Oct so I was waiting for them to finally release something new this year & in comes I Wanna Be... which's a pretty good empowering no. .
On the other hand , I don't quite like Hold It, Buster ~Battle of Rap~ as I still feel BRING IT ON ~Battle of Rap~ is better + more catchier . However it's quite fun to hear IKE rap battle against UZ once more .
I'm not expecting SPYAIR to release another new studio album anytime soon but hopefully I wouldn't need to wait so long for them to put out another single .
CD
CD + DVD A
CD + DVD B
The group's new single was released about 3 months + since their joint 7th album Yummy!! + special single You & Me .
In this case , You & Me is not counted as Kis-My-Ft2's 21st single .
The theme of Kis-My-Ft2's new single is 'just love songs' . All songs in LOVE have a wide variety of music genres ie. EDM , Pop , R&B & ballad .
There're 2 group tracks in LOVE . The main A-side L.O.V.E. was used in the ads promoting topical itch cream Unacool starring Kis-My-Ft2 themselves .
The next group track , B-side Because I Love You also had a video made & it was chosen to be used in the ads of Daiichi Kosho Company's LIVE DAM STADIUM .
Because I Love You is described as a love song about an immature love that took place during one's elementary school days . In the video , the members portray the song's world view with their emotional expressions & movements .
Aside from this , the CD only version of LOVE includes 3 sub unit songs which's similar to what Kis-My-Ft2 undertook in their 17th single Sha la la☆Summer Time .
The 3 sub unit pairings & song titles are :
- ConneXion (Fujigaya Taisuke , Senga Kento & Yokoo Wataru)
- Hoshi ni Negai wo (Tamamori Yuta & Miyata Toshiya)
- Happy Birthday (Kitayama Hiromitsu & Nikaido Takashi)
Each of 3 unit songs were written to focus on different kinds of 'love' .
There's definitely no stopping Kis-My-Ft2 from delivering even more new material in 2018 & in comes their latest single offering LOVE .
Kis-My-Ft2 to me hasn't lost their touch when comes to their single releases yet & I actually enjoy LOVE considerably .
Between both group tracks , I like Because I Love You a lot & I'm real glad that Kis-My-Ft2 made a video for it as it deserves it . Not to say that L.O.V.E. ain't good but Because I Love You is more grown up & sad sounding while it's always nice to see Kis-My-Ft2 roller skate in their videos which's what they did in L.O.V.E. .
As for the latest 3 sub unit pairing songs , they're all not bad but I like Tamamori & Miyata's duet the most out of the 3 with Hoshi ni Negai wo being a nice ballad
The other 2 songs are ok + Kitayama & Nikaido's duet is the shortest track in Kis-My-Ft2's discography & Happy Birthday is not even 2 minutes which surprised me at 1st .
Overall , LOVE offers something for everyone to enjoy & this release is worth checking out .