June 28, 2008
Sorry I haven’t been writing many reviews lately. I have had so much school work. Three assignments and half-yearlies! So sorry about this, but reviews should be back up soon!
Cya soon!
In the meantime I leave you with Kuma-Chan XD!
June 4, 2008
Tracklist
Wish is Yuna Ito’s second album. It peaked at #3 on the Oricon weekly charts and sold almost 100,000 copies. It charted for a total of six weeks.
“Power of Love” is a refreshing song that opens the album. It is not nearly as energetic of lively as “WORKAHOLIC”, but still a catchy song. It does start to speed up. The English placed throughout is a nice touch, and the good thing about the English is that it’s actually understandable! Yuna’s vocals are delightful too. A good song to start the album, although it can get boring towards the end, making this song just above average.
Rating: B+
“alone again” starts with an acoustic guitar being strummed, then Yuna’s sharp vocals enter the scene. This song is a peaceful one, almost like a lullaby. Violins and other strings are added later. A nice relaxing song.
Rating: A-
“Anata ga Iru Kagiri ~A WORLD TO BELIEVE IN~” is a duet with Céline Dion. At the beginning I was wondering how this would work, because their vocals are so different from each other. Céline’s are deep and thick and Yuna’s are quite high. However I was soon swept away, with the beautiful strings and even the odd electric guitar here and there. Wow, this is definitely a memorable song. Céline’s and Yuna’s vocals blend so well together. I love it when they just scream out the lyrics together. I would have to say, this is without doubt Yuna’s best ballad.
Rating: A+
Many people have complained about “Urban Mermaid’s” stupid English lyrics, and I have to admit they are quite random, but who cares. This song is full of life! Yuna belts out the chorus so well, her vocals are improving. The constant backbeat is really effective, and the strings are just great. A great song!
Rating: A
“HEARTBEAT” opens with some techno-pop beats. Yuna’s vocals here are soft, and relatively good. It has a strong accompany line, however this song just sounds average, there’s nothing really special about this song. Although I like the “Ah’s” added through.
Rating: B
“Colorful” is the B-side to the “Urban Mermaid” single. I really like it. The stereo techno beats added throughout are really cool, and it makes the song vivid. It does get repetitive, but, the danceable beats hide it somewhat.
Rating: A
The techno piano at the beginning is quite effective; however this song just drags on. I do like Yuna’s vocals, and the soft beats added throughout. I thought this song would’ve been better if it was half the time.
Rating: B-
Yay, “Mahaloha” one of my favourite Yuna singles. This Hawaiian inspired pop song is fantastic. It features Micro from Def Tech. He’s okay, I guess, but Yuna is the main attraction here. I love how she weaves between English in Japanese, and the lyrics are really sweet.
Rating: A+
Here we are the best song on the album. “A Long Walk” is Yuna’s most experimental work to date. The lyrics are minimal, mainly Yuna just going “aaah” and lots of English lyrics. The distorted beats are amazing, and work really well with Yuna’s voice. The beats are very repetitive, but they’re so unique that it doesn’t matter one iota. Yuna please release more songs like this!
Rating: A+
“Moon Rabbit” is just above mediocre song, nothing really special here, except perhaps the name. Yuna’s vocals are slightly distorted, which adds a ghostly atmosphere. This song is a good listen, but not something I would put on repeat.
Rating: B+
I love the fast paced opening of “I’m Here”. The strings totally suit this song. Yuna vocals are very aggressive, as is the feel of this song. We’re not used to Yuna being this aggressive, but man it’s good! The violins follow Yuna’s voice, which makes a unique feeling. A great effort from Yuna.
Rating: A+
“Wish” starts off with a slow, soft piano and some little “shimmers”. Yuna’s vocals are at their peak here. There is minimal arrangement, but that suits this song. It’s a decent ballad, but not as good as the ballad’s on here previous album “HEART”. I just wish there was more to this song.
Rating: B
“Tokyo Days” is a fun loveable pop song, but lacks originality. This upbeat song has a lot of synth beats. The choir behind her vocals is quite clever, but this song isn’t very memorable.
Rating: B
“MY HEART WILL GO ON” is sung entirely in English and is a cover of the Titanic theme song, originally sung by Céline Dion. Yuna has some pretty big shoes to fill, as this is possibly one of the most famous English songs. Yuna must have realised, because she showcases her best vocals. Her vocals are fuller then most of her other songs. Once again the choir is added, but isn’t as prominent. Wow, Yuna has done an excellent job, and I confess; this song is better then the original!!! Well done Yuna
Rating A+
“WISH” is a major improvement from “HEART”. Her vocals are stronger and she is experimenting with various styles. I must say that before I listened to this album, I didn’t have high expectations at all, but now I am looking forward, very much so to her next album. Well done!
Standout Tracks: あなたがいる限り, Mahaloha, A Long Walk, I’m Here, MY HEART WILL GO ON.
Overall: A-
June 3, 2008
Tracklist:
Kanon Wakeshima is new to the Japanese Pop industry. This is her debut single reaching #22 on the
Oricon Weekly charts. She is cellist, and the cello is a prominent instrument in her music. She’s worth the listen.
“Still Doll” starts off with deep cello chords, and a nice bass line, and then the glockenspiel is added. Wow, what a great way to start a song. Finally after a patient wait Kanon’s vocals enter the scene, and wow they’re good. There not as strong of Chihiro’s and Utada’s, ect. But they’re still great. They sound somewhat like a softer version of “KOKIA’s” vocals. There quite soothing actually. The accompaniment is relatively straight-forward, but in this case simple is good.
Rating: A+
“Kuroi Torikago” or “Black Birdcage” is somewhat more dramatic. Once again the cello plays quite a big role. Along with the techo beats the cello sounds amazing. I just love string instruments like the violin and cello. Nothing on earth sounds like them. They’re fantastic. Later on a tad of piano is added along with some distorted vocals. This song is just as good as the A-side, if not better.
Rating: A+
I don’t get why they put “Still Doll (Music Box Version)” on here. It’s a short instrumental piece, and as the name says, it sounds exactly like one of those ballerina music box things you open and the little plastic statue twirls around. I mean honestly, Kanon your worth more then a plastic ballerina toy. Although having saying this, the song really reminds me of the “Marionette -Prelude-” on Ayumi Hamasaki’s album “GUILTY”. I liked it, but I just thought it was kinda weird being on a debut single.
Rating: B
Wow I’m so glad I found Kanon Wakeshima. Yes the CD cover may look a tad gothic, but her music is very gentle, I guess it is a tad creepy too. Her voice, along with her accompaniment is unique, which is a fabulous thing because more and more Japanese artists are starting to sounds the same. This single is definitely worth a listen, one of the best singles I’ve heard in a long time.
Overall: A+
May 31, 2008
I’m really excited today because I bought another Hikki album; HEART STATION!!! I bought it at Shinseido in Chatswood, for a great price, they even gave me a discount! It was a total success. I prefer to buy albums rather then to download them, as it gives credit to the artist! This means I now own three Utada Hikaru items, Exdous, HEART STATION and Utada Hikaru in Budokan. Thanks to Shinseido, keep up the great imports! 
Sorry too exciting not to share XD!
May 31, 2008
Tracklist:
This is Ai’s second and most popular single to date, with sales past the half-a-million mark. This is the single that really set her up for a music career.
Sakuranbo starts of with little “Ai’s” thoughtfully placed, nice teasing strings and then Ai’s powerful vocals! The strong rock-pop beats create a nice atmosphere. Ai’s vocals are at their best here; her vocals are cheery, along with the lyrics, which is something we’ve come to love from Ai.
Rating: A+
Click, Click, Click is what opens this gorgeous song, then, Whistle, then Ai’s vocals, yay! This song is fun and Ai’s vocals are once again at there strongest. While the beat and melody is relatively straight forward, it is fun and very effective, another great song from Ai.
Rating: A
This song is seen on Ai’s debut album “Love Punch”, except this time it’s without the synthesised beats making it feel genuine. This song really showcases off Ai’s precious vocals. The piano and guitar are perfect for this song. This song is also one of the few emotional songs from Ai.
Rating: A+
It’s not hard to see why さくらんぼ is Ai Otsuka’s most popular single. It shows a diverse and wonderful range of Ai. From the synth beats, to the beautiful piano in “桃ノ花ビラ”, to the hot CD cover, this single is fantastic. I ai this single XD!
Overall A+
May 30, 2008
Tracklist
Infection/LITTLE BEAT RIFLE a double A-side single and is Chihiro’s 5th single and reached #5 on the Oricon charts selling 172, 000 copies.
This emotional song starts off with a soothing piano solo, which is a great start to the song, making it feel genuine. This ballad has powerful and wonderful alto vocals, which is why Chihiro Onitsuka without doubt is the best ballad singer/writer ever! Someway through the song Oni adds beautiful strings. English lyrics are scattered throughout, which is good for non-Japanese speaking people. The lyrics are just amazing, but they did face song controversy, this is one of Oni’s best songs!
Rating: A+
“LITTLE BEAT RIFLE” opens up with a cheery piano, and Oni’s fantastic vocals. The arrangement isn’t nearly as good as “Infection,” but Oni’s amazing voice is enough to satisfy anybody. The lyrics and atmosphere to the song are somewhat happier then “Infection” and it sends a nice message across. While I thought this song was amazing, the arrangement got on the boring side for me and it didn’t have to same emotional appeal as “Infection” has, but a very good try.
Rating: B+
Chihiro’s 5th single is great! “Infection” being the main attraction, but “LITTLE BEAT RIFLE” is still a great song! A strong single from the strongest voice in the Japanese music industry!
Overall: A
May 24, 2008
Tracklist:
1. Kissing You
2. Sparkling
3. Joyful Smile
4. Kissing You (Instrumental)
5. Sparkling (Instrumental)
6. Joyful Smile (Instrumental)
This is BoA’s 26th single and her first since the release of her Japanese album “The Face.”
“Kissing You,” opens with a somewhat distorted piano line and strings, which is really catchy. Then comes BoA’s vocals, which sound deeper then her vocals on “The Face.” This song has a constant beat throughout. Cute English lyrics are dotted throughout the song. A very cute song, but the annoying thing is that it gets very repetitive towards the end.
Rating: A
“Sparking” opens with slow vocals, piano and percussion, but then quickly changes to an upbeat techno song. Once again BoA incorporates cute English lyrics into this song, but BoA also has made this song very repetitive, and her vocals aren’t the strongest, but a decent try.
Rating: B+
Ah, finally, this is more like it! “Joyful Smile” is by far the best song on the single. Its chirpy vocals and lyrics really create a “happy as happy can be” atmosphere, like most of her songs. But be warned: This song is extremely catchy! About three quarters through the piece there is a thoughtful electronic instrumental solo, and a little while after there is distorted beats, which give a great effect. As in most of BoA’s songs great English vocals are added at appropriate times throughout the piece. A great song!
Rating: A+
“Joyful Smile” is the song that pretty much saved this single, but I really liked how this single sounded different from BoA’s previous works. BoA is a great singer, but I don’t think this was the best way to start a new era.
Rating: A-
May 24, 2008
Tracklist:
This is Utada Hikaru’s 5th Japanese studio album. This album has been a great success, selling almost
half a million copies in the first week, and reaching #1 on the Oricon weekly charts.
The opening to “Fight the Blues” is one of the best openings to an album, I’ve ever heard. The crisp strings create a calm atmosphere. Hikki’s vocals are at their best, they’re smooth and powerful. I mean what more could you ask for? I knew from the opening of this song, that this was going to be a fantastic album.
Rating: A+
Now we move onto Hikki’s most recent single before the release of “Heart Station” and coincidently, the song’s called “Heart Station.” This song has a strong synthesized feel to it, which makes it sound like a futuristic song. This song, while it has very powerful lyrics, it sounds relaxed and calm. The only bad thing is that it gets quite repetitive towards the end.
Rating: A
What a beautiful start to one of the best albums. “Beautiful World” has the same feel to “Heart Station,” with powerful lyrics, synthesized beats, and a relaxed feel. But, despite the songs name, this song isn’t really all that beautiful, for Hikki it’s not one of the best songs, but I still love this song.
Rating: A-
Arigatou, Hikki for the “Flavor of Life [Ballad Version]”. The opening line is so powerful that I got lost in the music even before the first verse. With its bittersweet lyrics, and powerful vocals, it’s easy to see why this is one of her most popular tracks. I think the Ballad Version was more appropriate then the Original Version on this album, as it creates a greater emotional appeal.
Rating: A+
“Stay Gold” opens with a strong piano line, and after about 10 seconds Utada’s relaxed vocals enters this amazing song. This is one of the best songs on the albums. This song is gold!
Rating: A+
The strong brass opening of “Kiss & Cry” is inspiring, and then it moves into some strong bass and percussion beats, which are really catchy. The lyrics are pretty cute, and… interesting – “Mother on a diet,” for example. This song won’t fail to impress.
Rating: A+
“Gentle Beast Interlude” is Hikki’s most interesting and experimental interlude to date. With Arabian beats, and excerpts from “Heart Station’ added throughout. I think the “Gentle Beast” in the song title is referring to Hikki’s beloved teddy bear – Kuma Chan, but I could be wrong.
Rating: A+
The transition between “Gentle Beast Interlude” and “Celebrate” is smooth and very effective. This song reminds me of “One Night Magic” on her pervious album “Ultra Blue.” The English vocals placed strategically throughout the song, creates a nice touch, they are strong and meaning full. I love the line – “Just enjoy the art of life” and “I love the way you make me feel.” This is the type of song I can image being played in a nightclub.
Rating: A+
Ah, here we are the best song on the album. Every aspect of “Prisoner of Love” is fantastic and inspiring. This beautiful ballad has meaningful lyrics throughout the entire song. This mellow song is heartfelt and emotional. Along with “Keep Tryin’” this is probably Hikki’s best song to date.
Rating A+
Experimental pop beats are what opens the most controversial song on the album – テイク5 (Teiku/Take 5). This song is about death. These somewhat scary beats carry after the lyrics throughout the entire song. This song is unique and different from Hikki’s normal style both musically and lyrically. This song is very impressing, and one of the best songs on the album.
Rating: A+
This children song by the name of “Boku wa Kuma”, meaning “I am a bear, is once again referring to Utada’s bear named “Kuma Chan.” This song has a simple constant beat and, it is short, but adds a cute touch to the album.
Rating: A-
I love the beat of “虹色バス” or “Niji-iro BASU.” This fun song about striving for your dreams is plain fun and very entertaining. The English throughout the song is very thoughtful with phrases such as “Everybody feels the same.” This is a great song to wind down, and finish the official album track-listing on a happy note.
Rating: A+
The Flavor of Life pretty much sounds the same as the ballad version, but with less emotion, but the strong synthesized beats make up for that. Just like the ballad version the lyrics are inspiring and amazing. Rating: A+
Like all of Utada Hikaru’s albums, this album is amazing. Possibly her best album to date, but that’s a hard thing to deicide since all of her albums are the best! Compared to “Ultra Blue”, this album seems a lot more laidback. Hikki’s smooth vocals are at their best. All the songs have very nice and unique arrangements. Hikki has made this album a joy to listen too!
Standout Tracks: Fight the Blues, Flavor of Life [Ballad Version] Stay Gold, Kiss & Cry, Celebrate, Prisoner of Love, テイク, 虹色バス.
Overall: A+
May 23, 2008
Tracklist:
1. あなたのそばで
Hey baby, won’t you come a little bit closer! Wow, I love the opening line of this song, its so strong. Then the R&B feel just pounds in, it creates a great atmosphere to the song. Kay uses the phrase “anata no soba de” a lot throughout the song, which makes it feel like she really wants us near her, as the title name means “by your side.” The only down point for this song is that it gets very repetitive, and to me if something gets too repetitive it gets boring, but I really like this song.
Rating: A
Because this single only has one song, sales were pretty low, only managing to sell 4059 copies in the first week, but a good song from the Japanese R&B sensation.
Overall: A
May 23, 2008
Tracklist:
This is Utada’s 21st single. This single is a re-cut single, which is her second re-cut single. This single was released due to popular demand, and it’s easy to see why. This song is phenomenal! 
Prisoner of Love is a pop ballad and opens with strong English Vocals that are extremely catchy. When I first heard this song I just wanted to belt it out wherever I went. The beats are extremely strong. It has a strong string line, and mellow synth beats. The lyrics are the one of the best in a song I have heard, and they are extremely bittersweet. The English sprinkled throughout the song, creates an authentic feel to it. Hikki shows no sign of slowing down, as her singles keep getting better!Rating: A+
The “Quiet” version of this song obviously is quieter and creates a sadder feel to it. The vocals are just as strong, but it has a stronger piano line. It is relatively similar to the original song, but since there is less synth beats is makes it feel more genuine. Just as good as the original.
Rating: A+
Prisoner of Love, is a very strong ballad, the vocals are relaxed but at the same time very powerful. This bittersweet song is amazing!
Overall: A+
