CD
2 CDs + DVD and 2 CDs + Blu-ray
Main CD
1) SHOW TIME
2) Turning Up
3) I Can't Wait For Christmas
4) Whenever You Call
5) Itsuka Byoushin no Au Koro
6) IN THE SUMMER
7) Kite
8) BRAVE
9) Party Starters
10) Do you...?
11) The Music Never Ends
2nd bonus CD (only available in the 2 CDs + DVD & 2 CDs + Blu-ray versions)
1) Turning Up (R3HAB Remix)
2) A-RA-SHI : Reborn
3) a Day in Our Life : Reborn
4) One Love : Reborn
5) Love so sweet : Reborn
6) Face Down : Reborn
ARASHI's last studio album was 2017's [untitled] .
This is ARASHI was released on the same date as their debut single A.RA.SHI .
11 songs are included in the main CD inclusive of 2 physical single releases & 4 original songs that were released digitally prior to This is ARASHI .
The album's lead promo track is titled Do you… ? & it has a video made .
This is ARASHI represents a number of 1st's for ARASHI in that it's their 1st studio :
- to get Blu-ray version
- to include singles' videos in the DVD & Blu-ray
- to include prior digital released material , be it remixes and/or original songs
- since 2004 / 4th album Iza, Now not to include any solo or unit songs
On 3rd Nov , on the same day as their CD debut date , ARASHI brings their long-awaited 17th album . The album's title indicates that it contains songs simply that the group wants to deliver to listeners amid all the changes & challenges during the current ongoing COVID-19 pandemic .
To say This is ARASHI is 1 if not ARASHI's most unique album release to date , that's an understatement .
For starters , I have no issues towards the 2 physical release singles included in This is ARASHI ie. BRAVE & Kite as they're both still really fanastic songs .
I've been an ARASHI fan for a long time & the main issue I had with some of their past studio albums was that I felt they placed emphasis on quantity & not quantity , especially when comes to the album tracks .
I guess for their 'final' album release , for once they probably heeded advise & decided to place quality over quantity when comes to the reminding new songs in This is ARASHI .
The 5 new album tracks in This is ARASHI all have a very Western sound to them , almost in the same music vein as the 4 original songs they released digitally .
Luckily unlike the somewhat dislike I had towards the original songs that they released digitally , I surprisingly did not get the same feeling towards the new material in This is ARASHI .
If there's 1 thing about This is ARASHI is that it starts off & concludes both on positive high notes and my favourite album track is actually the last song The Music Never Ends .
With 2020 coming to an end soon which also signifies the group's impending indefinite hiatus , I guess ARASHI did not want to leave on a sad note but rather on a high positive setting which I think it's the right thing to do .
I don't like everything ARASHI released over the course of their long fulfilling career & let alone , This is ARASHI obviously will not be my most favourite ARASHI's studio album .
Despite this , there's no doubt that ARASHI worked extremely hard to get to where they're at & very few musicians are able to achieve what they've done be it individually or collectively as a group and either way that's not an easy thing to accomplish .
That said , me & alongside with many others awaits ARASHI's return in due time & when that eventually happens , I hope they will make a comeback with an epic bang .
