CD
CD + DVD A
CD + DVD B
This single was released almost a year since the duo's previous single offering Aitai, Aitai, Aenai. .
The A-side was written by Sakamoto Maaya .
3 B-sides are included in Hikari no Kehai :
- Byouga (CD Only Track)
- Tuning (CD Only Track)
- Chiranai Hana (CD + DVD B Version Track)
Before KinKi Kids Concert Tour 2019-2020 ThanKs 2 YOU began , KinKi Kids brings their 41st single Hikari no Kehai . The simple & stirring ballad features lyrics written by Sakamoto Maaya .
Frankly before I heard Hikari no Kehai , I was lamenting that it was yet another ballad that KinKi Kids decided to release but luckily when I listened to it , it's different from Aitai, Aitai, Aenai. in a good way .
The B-sides in Hikari no Kehai also compliments the A-side too . Tuning is the only uptempo track while Byouga & Chiranai Hana were almost in the same mid tempo music zone as Hikari no Kehai .
In recent years KinKi Kids have not been musically active . Despite this , their music tends to be quite consistently good except for a brief period of time where they kept releasing ballads back to back .
They already proved in the past that they're able to handle both extremely uptempo songs & ballads relatively at ease and I sure hope their next single will be an uptempo catchy number .
For the record I don't mind a Bara to Taiyou part 2 .
CD
CD + DVD
CD + Blu-ray
1) DO ME
2) GET NAKED
3) STRIP
4) k,
5) Rich & Famous Feat Sean Paul
6) again
7) Merry Go Round
8) Eh Yo -re(CORD) edit-
9) GOLDFINGER 2019 (Go Hiromi)
10) Put Your Hands Up!!
11) Summer Time
12) OMG
13) SHUTOUT
14) Livin' La Vida Loca (Ricky Martin)
Koda's last 2 albums' releases were last year's AND & DNA .
re(CORD) includes the following 9 digital released songs which're indicated in bold in the tracklist above :
- Eh Yo ; Rugby World Cup 2019 HANAZONO official theme song
- Summer Time
- DO ME
- GOLDFINGER 2019
GOLDFINGER 2019 is a cover of Go Hiromi's GOLDFINGER'99 while for GOLDFINGER'99 , it's a Japanese cover of Ricky Martin's Livin' La Vida Loca
- Put Your Hands Up!!!
- OMG
- STRIP ; used to promote Tokai TV's drama Rika
- GET NAKED
- again
Short videos were made for STRIP & GET NAKED but both are not included in the DVD/Blu-ray of re(CORD) .
Videos made & are included in the DVD/Blu-ray of re(CORD) :
- k,
- again
- GOLDFINGER 2019
- Livin' La Vida Loca
Regarding the new material in re(CORD) that were not released digitally prior to the album , Rich & Famous features rapper Sean Paul for the 2nd time in Koda's discography .
Sean Paul was 1st featured in a Koda song ie. LOADED in 2014's Bon Voyage album . For Rich & Famous , it samples DNA's CHANCES ALL .
As for again , the video pays homage to 2 of Koda's past ballads videos ie. Ai no Uta & you's .
The 2 albums that Koda put out last year AND & DNA , I think they were pretty good especially DNA .
This time round unfortunately it doesn't apply to re(CORD) as for starters , I don't like all the songs that Koda released digitally prior to the album .
For the new material in re(CORD) that were not released digitally prior to the album , I like Merry Go Round the most as it's musically different for Koda in a good way .
The other 3 original tracks , I feel they're only ok for my liking . I like CHANCES ALL but I ironically do not like Rich & Famous .
As for k, , I think it's cute but it kind of feels out of place in re(CORD) while I outright ain't a fan of SHUTOUT .
Koda made short videos for GET NAKED & STRIP and it's real odd that for now no full versions of both videos have been uploaded online , likewise to be included in re(CORD) DVD/Blu-ray .
That I feel is a real shame cos I would have love to see a full music video of STRIP & it would have been great if Merry Go Round had a video made too .
Overall on whole , I don't like re(CORD) as much as I was hoping for . I suppose if I didn't listen to the digital released songs , my opinion towards re(CORD) would have been a lot more different .
re(CORD) has some songs that I like & others I do not like . That's the problem when artistes released albums on an annual basis .
But I know some Koda fans that likes re(CORD) . And music is subjective . For me when comes to Koda's past studio albums , I find that the albums that fans don't tend to like , I like them & vice versa .
With next year being Koda's 20th anniversary , I hope for once she will not release a new studio album & instead I think she should put out an all time best or another different kind of release to commemorate this landmark milestone .
Even though I don't like re(CORD) that much , I admire Koda as not everyone is able to do what she has done in releasing 5 studio albums within 3 years , that's no easy feat to do and for that , Koda deserves respect & admiration from me .
Here's to the start of Koda's 20th anniversary .
Kobukuro surprisingly has not been that musically active in 2019 & OsakaSOUL is the only new song that the duo put out this year .
Despite this , OsakaSOUL is a great uplifting track that has some musical resemblance to ONE TIMES ONE .
Prior to the digital release of the song , Kobukuro debuted OsakaSOUL for the 1st time at last month's Best Hits Kayousai and they closed off the music show with it which was so fitting .
Kobukuro was also not that musically active last year , hopefully next year that will be different but end of the day when comes to their music , it's quality over quantity .
After the release of ARASHI's 1st digital released song Turning Up last month , A-RA-SHI : Reborn is their 2nd song to follow suit , digital release wise .
A-RA-SHI : Reborn is a newly recorded version of ARASHI's debut single A.RA.SHI & this updated version is the 1st track that make up part of the Reborn series to usher in ARASHI's 21st anniversary .
As the saying goes , if it ain't broken why fix it and I think this applies to A-RA-SHI : Reborn .
When news initially was made known on A-RA-SHI : Reborn , I was quite excited & curious to hear the updated version as A.RA.SHI was released way back in 1999 so naturally vocals & all that , it will be all different .
However when I heard A-RA-SHI : Reborn , I was frankly quite disappointed as it's yet another heavily auto tune driven song just like Turning Up .
Also some of the lyrics in A-RA-SHI : Reborn have been changed which I don't know if it's a good or bad thing .
In this case , I no doubt still prefer A.RA.SHI a lot more & given that it's stated A-RA-SHI : Reborn is the 1st song of the Reborn series , I sure hope the subsequent newly recorded songs will not go the same music route as Turning Up & A-RA-SHI : Reborn .
I don't need 2 heavily auto tune driven songs back to back , let alone from ARASHI of all people & that's not what they're good in doing .
This song was written by Aoyama & it's based on her experience living with her boyfriend for the 1st time .
To say that 1LDK is very different from In This Place~2-ri no Kizuna is quite true . While In This Place~2-ri no Kizuna is more fun & upbeat , 1LDK is more laidback and rather serious sounding .
I didn't quite liked Aoyama's material she put out last year but this year's songs she released feels a lot more better to me .
Just like JASMINE , it's heartening to see Aoyama putting out music despite the subsequent music related hurdles she faced .
1) FALLIN' Feat 5lack
2) BLACK KITTY
3) STAR
4) MY SINGLE MOTHER
5) OH BOY Feat JAZEE MINOR
6) WANNA BE ME Feat MC TYSON & OZworld
7) COCOROZASHI Feat AK-69
8) ROAD
This latest release by JASMINE was made possible via crowdfunding .
4 songs that were released digitally prior to JASMINE2.0 EP are included in the release while the other 4 songs are new material .
After a 5 year hiatus , JASMINE is back with a new mini album JASMINE2.0 EP . This EP showcases her ability to perform multiple styles of R&B .
From classic 90's style R&B to Trap R&B , JASMINE2.0 EP showcases the full range of her skill set .
To say that it feels like forever since JASMINE last put out a proper somewhat album release is an understatement but JASMINE 2.0 EP was frankly worth the wait .
Out of the 4 new songs , STAR & MY SINGLE MOTHER are fantastic while the other 2 songs OH BOY & WANNA BE ME , I feel they would have been much better if they didn't feature anyone on them .
JASMINE herself has a great singing voice & she doesn't need other artistes to 'gate crash' her songs .
Other than that , the whole JASMINE 2.0 EP proves how musically versatile JASMINE is . It's real shame that just like Kanon Wakeshima , JASMINE also suffers the same music fate as her .
Luckily longtime fans who've supported JASMINE for a long time rallied behind her , if not JASMINE 2.0 EP wouldn't have materialised .
I don't know what the future will have in store for JASMINE in 2020 but despite the music related difficulties she has faced , she still creates music & that takes a lot of courage + determination in order to power through .
Ironically for a song to be titled SCREAM , it's surprisingly oddly mellow which I don't know if that's a good or bad thing .
But perhaps for a change , AKi decided to go the chilled out music route for SCREAM .
Seeing that AKi will be performing solo again next year , I would like him to release a full length solo album if not another mini album next .
CD
CD + DVD
1) #302
2) Kawaisou da yo ne (JUJU)
3) Todokanaikara (Kan Sano Remix) (CD Only & Fanclub Versions Track)
Ken's last single release was last Nov's half of me .
#302 was chosen to be used to promote the TBS drama 4 Funkan no Marigold & this is the 18th song that Ken has contributed to be used to promote TV dramas .
Prior to the physical CD single release , #302 was 1st released digitally on 25th Oct .
The DVD of #302 includes the video of Ite mo Tatte mo but the song itself is not included in the CD of the single .
Ken himself does not appear in the #302 video . The last video that he's not featured in the clip was 2017's Boku no Kokoro o Tsukutte yo
2 B-sides are included in #302 . The 1st B-side Kawaisou da yo ne is a self cover of JUJU which Ken provided the song to her which was included in JUJU's last year's album release , I .
The 2nd B-side is a Kan Sano Remix of Ken's 43rd single Todokanaikara . This track is only available in the CD & Fanclub Versions of the single .
And speaking of fanclub versions , #302 is Ken's 1st ever release to get a fanclub version .
It has been quite a long wait but Ken's latest single offering #302 is yet another solid 1 that I enjoy .
I'm not really a fan of Todokanaikara (Kan Sano Remix) but I do like the A-side & Ken's self cover of JUJU's Kawaisou da yo ne a lot as both songs showcase how vocally good Ken still is after all these years .
half of me was very simple with a piano backing melody & #302 is almost the same but for its melody , it has an acoustic guitar .
The only thing I'm not so keen about #302 is the last part of the song where the inclusion of violin strings can be heard . I thought that kind of spoilt #302 a bit .
And after hearing Ken's self cover of JUJU's Kawaisou da yo ne , I'm quite interested to hear JUJU's rendition of the song .
For Ken to wait so long to at last give an exclusive fanclub version of his release , I was real surprised on this announcement but it's better to be late than never .
2020 is Ken's 25th anniversary in the business & I sure hope he will be more musically active and I will not be surprised if he would release a new album next .
Including #302 , 5 singles would be Ken's next studio album . I for once hope it will not be another best album as Ken Hirai Singles Best Collection Utabaka 2 was released relatively too early .
I think Ken should have saved Ken Hirai Singles Best Collection Utabaka 2 for next year , that would have been more meaningful .
If not a new studio album , I think the next music release Ken should put out is a 4th Ken's Bar covers album . I would welcome that as opposed to a best album .
Regardless of what Ken will release next , here's looking forward to see what he plan to do to celebrate his 25th anniversary in the business next year .
CD
CD + DVD A
CD + DVD B
1) Miracle Wonder Magic
2) Fanfare!
3) Kemono to Bara
4) COSMIC☆HUMAN
5) Hana Ichi Monme
6) UTAGE Tonight
7) ｢I｣
8) Ai Dake ga Subete -What do you want?-
9) Zombie Step
10) Lucky-Unlucky
11) Love Equation
12) Ai no Yuu hi
13) CALL & PRAY
14) Parade ga Hajimaru
Only available in the CD only version :
15) ｢Puuta no Uta｣ ~Prologue Mini Drama Tsuki~
16) Parade wa Owaranai -Life is an Adventure-
Hey ! Say ! JUMP's previous studio album release was last Aug's SENSE or LOVE & PARADE is the group's 2nd album not to feature member Okamoto Keito .
The new album has 2 themes - dream & mystery . PARADE includes 3 singles & the group's 1st DVD exclusive single release .
The CD only version of PARADE include 2 bonus tracks , a group song Parade wa Owaranai -Life is an Adventure- & Puu no Uta that's a prologue mini drama audio that's narrated individually by each of the members except Okamoto .
PARADE's 2 lead album tracks are Kemono to Bara & Parade ga Hajimaru and both had videos made .
Kicking things off in PARADE is the album's 1st new track Miracle Wonder Magic .
For an album opening number , Miracle Wonder Magic is surprisingly not as catchy as what I thought it might be . Despite this , the song kind of more or less sets the tone on what to expect in the later parts of PARADE .
Fanfare! is Hey ! Say ! JUMP's 25th single & it was used to promote the TV Asahi drama Semi Otoko , starring member Yamada Ryosuke & V6's Miyake Ken .
The album's 1st lead promo track Kemono to Bara follows after Fanfare! .
When I 1st heard & saw Kemono to Bara , it gives off rather strong Halloween vibes & I guess it's no coincidence that PARADE was released a day before Halloween either .
To say Kemono to Bara is very different from last year's BANGER NIGHT , it's an understatement .
COSMIC☆HUMAN is Hey ! Say ! JUMP's 23rd single & it was used to promote NTV's drama Tokyo Alien Bros , starring member Inoo Kei & A.B.C-Z.'s Totsuka Shota .
The next 3 songs are album tracks & each of them have a different music style .
Hana Ichi Monme has a rather strong Enka flair while UTAGE Tonight is a fast paced upbeat song that has some Rock influences .
On the other hand , ｢I｣ is a really good slow number & this's the closet song that can be counted as a ballad in PARADE .
If Kemono to Bara & Parade ga Hajimaru didn't had videos made , I would love to see ｢I｣ had a video made instead as I like it a lot .
Ai Dake ga Subete -What do you want?- is Hey ! Say ! JUMP's 1st DVD single . The song promoted season 3 of the TV Asahi drama Kaseifu no Mitazono starring member Inoo Kei & TOKIO's Matsuoka (which he has done as the lead role since the 1st season of the drama) .
Zombie Step is the next album track & this song most certainly is Halloween inspired . Even before hearing it , I already had a feeling it would be suitable for Halloween .
This reminds me of JUMP WORLD's Boku wa Vampire and it's no surprises that Hey ! Say ! JUMP performed it at the current ongoing Hey! Say! JUMP LIVE TOUR 2019 - 2020 PARADE .
Lucky-Unlucky is the 1st A-side of Hey ! Say ! JUMP's 24th single Lucky-Unlucky / Oh! my darling & it was used as the theme song for the NTV drama Atama ni Kite mo Aho to wa Tatakau na! starring member Chinen Yuri .
Yamada's solo Oh! my darling is not included in PARADE .
The next 4 songs are album tracks in PARADE but they're some of my least favourite songs in the album .
Love Equation is quite cutesy sounding which I'm not a fan of while Ai no Yuu hi and CALL & PRAY are ok , I don't think they bring anything special to the table .
Concluding PARADE in the standard album tracklist is Parade ga Hajimaru which's the 2nd album song to have a video made after Kemono to Bara .
For a song to be titled Parade ga Hajimaru , it's a bit ironic it's the last track in PARADE .
I wasn't sold on Parade ga Hajimaru when I 1st heard it as I felt it sounded quite campy & cheesy . Luckily the video changed my opinions on the song for the better .
Hey ! Say ! JUMP has had an eventful year with their current ongoing 4 Dome tour Hey! Say! JUMP LIVE TOUR 2019 - 2020 PARADE , consecutive single releases & their 1st Taiwan concert in 7 years . Now , join the group's colourful new Parade of music !
PARADE conjures a bewitching world of dream & mystery with fantastic visuals and songs including the lead album promo tracks Kemono to Bara & Parade ga Hajimaru . The singles COSMIC☆HUMAN , Lucky-Unlucky , Ai Dake ga Subete -What do you want?- & Fanfare! are also part of the Parade .
Hey ! Say ! JUMP normally do not release albums on an annual basis and the last time that happened was 2014 & 2015 where they released smart and JUMPing CAR .
I still like smart but not JUMPing CAR as I consider it to be my least favourite album from the group .
So when it was announced PARADE would be released quite soon after SENSE or LOVE , I was a bit worried if the group's new album might follow the same fate as JUMPing CAR .
Luckily PARADE is no JUMPing CAR 2.0 but it's quite evident that I wasn't going to like it as much as SENSE or LOVE , let alone DEAR. .
The portion of PARADE that deducted a few points for me is the last part of the album , from Love Equation onwards as the material was quite borderline filler and they were probably slotted in at the last minute in order to fill the album's tracklist up .
Also while I would have love to see a ballad or 2 in PARADE , I think they would have sound out of place in the album .
Other than that , PARADE is quite enjoyable on whole . I suppose if Hey ! Say ! JUMP didn't cancel their annual Summer tour this year , PARADE might not have been released in the 1st place as the supporting tour will carry on until the new year .
Hopefully for Hey ! Say ! JUMP's next album release , it will feature the return of Okamoto , vocals wise & then some .
CD Regular
CD Limited
1) Itsumo no Fuukei
2) Auto-Reverse ~Saigo no Koi~
3) YOU BELONG TO ME
Only available in the CD Limited version
4) Shark (Naked)
Saito's new single release comes in 9 months+ since the release of his previous single Are .
Prior to the physical release , Itsumo no Fuukei was 1st released digitally on 6th Oct .
Itsumo no Fuukei was chosen to be used as the ending theme song for the TV anime Chibi Maruko-chan .
The late Sakura Momoko (who passed away last Aug & was the creator of Chibi Maruko-chan) wrote the lyrics of Itsumo no Fuukei hoping Saito will sing it . The composition & arrangement were done by Saito himself .
On Itsumo no Fuukei , Saito said , "The lyrics Sakura Momoko left behind really struck my heart . I will sing it very carefully ."
3 B-sides are available in Itsumo no Fuukei . The 1st B-side Auto-Reverse ~Saigo no Koi~ is a collaboration song with Takasaki Takuma's novel of the same name .
The 2nd B-side YOU BELONG TO ME is a Japanese cover of the ballad of the same title and it has been covered by many artists over the years including Jo Stafford & Eri Chiemi .
Only available in the CD Limited version of Itsumo no Fuukei is the last B-side Shark (Naked) .
Unlike Auto-Reverse ~Saigo no Koi~ & YOU BELONG TO ME , Shark (Naked) is an instrumental song that has a funk tempo melody .
Saito Kazuyoshi concludes 2019 with the release of his latest single offering Itsumo no Fuukei .
Itsumo no Fuukei is very different from Are as it's more cheery upbeat sounding & the fact that the lyrics was written by the late creator of Chibi Maruko-chan , that's saying something .
While the B-sides showcase a wide music range of genres that Saito was able to adapt to rather seamlessly as ever .
Saito's 20th album 202020 will be released on 29th Jan 2020 & Itsumo no Fuukei will be included in the album as track 11 .
While Auto-Reverse ~Saigo no Koi~ will also be included in 202020 as track 8 .
