[Single] Namie Amuro – Baby Don’t Cry

~Tracklist~
1. Baby Don’t Cry
2. Nobody
3. Baby Don’t Cry (TV MIX)
4. Nobody (TV MIX)

~Single Review~
“Baby Don’t Cry” was released on January 24, 2007, and has peaked at number three on the Oricon chart, selling 144,081 copies in total, making the single the 48th best selling single of 2007. The song, “Baby Don’t Cry,” was used in the drama “Himitsu no Hanazono.” There has been a fair amount of buzz surrounding “Baby Don’t Cry,” as its pop edge reminds some old Namie fans of her older music; it’s no wonder it became it her best selling single since 2001’s “Say the Word.”

“Baby Don’t Cry” starts out with powerful percussion, mixes in snapping then allows the pop synths to flow in as the song progresses. The background talking of Namie throughout the song helps the atmosphere maintain a pretty pop sound, as well. “Baby Don’t Cry” is definitely R&B because of the prominent beats, but still features very poppy instrumentals, much poppier than in Namie Amuro’s other recent music. The song is best defined as hip-pop, the style Namie Amuro is best known for. The combination of her vocals and the background music in the chorus is the best part of this mid-tempo song, but nothing compares to the climax and the extro. The vocals accompany the music well with layering, becoming a mixture of pop sounds. “Baby Don’t Cry” is very different from anything Namie Amuro has done as of late, but that does not mean it is bad. It is oh so very good.

“Nobody” uses the same instrumentation as “White Light,” but different, softer vocals. The background music is slightly different, but still sounds the same. It’s a much softer version with some more engrish and a forced chorus, which really hurts the song. “Nobody” is not a good B-side in any respect. It doesn’t compare to “White Light,” and it’s not even close to being as good as “Baby Don’t Cry.”

Over all, “Baby Don’t Cry” started off 2007 in one of the best ways possible. This pop single was great and reintroduced many fans to Namie Amuro’s music, which gained popularity once more in 2007. One need look no further than the break-out success of the album “PLAY.”

92% A

[Album] Crystal Kay – ALL YOURS

~Tracklist~
01. konna ni chikaku de… (こんなに近くで…; So Close…)
02. Dream World
03. Anytime
04. anata no soba de (あなたのそばで; Next to You)
05. Cherish
06. STILL
07. Butterfly’s Garden
08. kitto eien ni (きっと永遠に; Surely Forever)
09. ESCALATOR
10. Sugar Rain
11. I WANNA BE
12. Lonely girl
13. Midnight Highway
14. Last Kiss

~Album Review~
Crystal Kay followed up her trio of 2007 singles with her first number one album (first number one anything, really) on June 20, 2007. In total, the album sold 136,841 copies, which made it the 83rd best selling album of 2007.

The album starts out well with the poppy “konna ni chikaku de….” The song was the strongest out of the singles for “ALL YOURS,” and it’s the strongest song on the album quite easily. It’s funky pop mixed with sleek violins and Kuri’s smooth voice make for a great song, albeit unexpected. Such energy makes a great opening for an album, but only when it can be maintained.

“Dream World” is the strongest album track on “ALL YOURS.” See a trend already? Kuri impresses the listener with her smooth sound early on alongside excellent production, but the album begins to slip as it continues onward. What makes “Dream World” so good? It’s different from anything Crystal Kay’s done. It’s guitar based, but still feels R&B with an island beat. In the end, it sounds summery and fun with a bit of passion. The chorus is catchy, fun and easy to sing along to. The extro is also nice with a bit of ad-libing. Over all, an impressive new song from Kay.

The momentum carried by the first two tracks is utterly lost with “Anytime.” Crystal Kay drops the ball – she started out superbly but descends back into mediocrity here. “Anytime” is mid-tempo R&B with keyboards; it doesn’t sound particularly special even if it sounds nice. “Anytime” can then easily fade out of memory, especially when placed after two powerhouse tracks.

“anata no sobe de” is much better than “Anytime.” Nevertheless, the song sounds liek it could have been so much greater had Crystal Kay been up to the task vocally. The song touches greatness but loses it; the bridge asks for a great chorus by increasing the tempo, and then the chorus does nothing, failing to answer the call for a fast-paced anthem. It’s not bad, but not great.

The next song starts out less R&B and more in the vein of a ballad before becoming hard R&B. “Cherish” starts out quite well, but fails to climax well, creating run of the mill pop R&B that falls into the background. Kuri is capable of creating better songs, but just falls short here.

“STILL” is the Japanese version of “As One,” which was the B-side featured on the “kitto eien ni” single. Compared to “Cherish” the song sounds much sweeter, and feels fine because Kay at least goes places vocally here. It may not be special, but here, Kay doesn’t have to be, she still sounds great.

The next song, “Butterfly’s Garden,” is built around the sampling of a raindrop. Is that enough to make a song special? Not really, it’s actually quite irksome, despite a solid ending vocally. That beat also obscures the melody, which makes “Butterfly’s Garden” hard to remember and even harder to listen to more than once.

The other ballads on the album don’t compare to “kitto eien ni,” because Kay does not perform as well on any of them. Her producers need to get their stuff in order and give Kuri the mature sound that she can now handle. Despite not being anything special in the vocal department, Kuri sings “kitto eien ni” well, giving it her style and her own type of power. If only the other slow songs on the album had the same feeling…

The production on this album is a bit spotty and different from Kuri’s usual. Exploration is definitely positive, especially considering how young Crystal Kay is. “ESCALATOR” is definitely the result of exploration, and it does some things very well, while utterly screwing up on others. Despite having a strange sample and hard to find melody, the chorus is really, really catchy and great sounding. It sounds much better than the verses, and Crystal Kay finally begins to push her tempo a bit. If Kuri polishes her music, “ESCALATOR” can easily be a strong song in the future. As it is, it’s a mixed bag.

“Sugar Rain” sounds okay, but okay isn’t good enough. It’s synth R&B with a sweet hook (how appropriate), but it doesn’t have power.

“I WANNA BE” is better than “Sugar Rain,” probably because of the vocal layering. It’s catchy, dancier and better. Again, it has to be stressed that Kuri’s music doesn’t climax well, and “I WANNA BE” is no exception.

“Lonely Girl” sounds decent, but the strange mix of instruments are a bit too funky and sound too disparate. The main culprit is the beat; sans that stray, awkward sound, the song is fine.

By this point, the album has long since lost its initial momentum. All the tracks try to do something new, which is commendable, but most of them fail at doing it well, mainly because they lack energy. “Midnight Highway” is definitely another example of this, but “Last Kiss” appears to be a jazzy step in the right direction. It may not be special, but the song at least has energy, especially for a ballad. The vocals are great. “Last Kiss” definitely is the type of album track Kuri should be aiming for.

“ALL YOURS” makes it very evident that Crystal Kay still has a great deal of growing to do. Of course, the variety here is good, especially considering how well the album transitions amongst this diversity. Nevertheless, transitions aren’t enough to cover up the fact that a lot of the album doesn’t feel complete. Crystal Kay either needs superior production or to grow vocally; right now, she’s not where she needs to be. Some of her tracks are definite gems, such as “konna ni chikaku de…” and “Dream World,” while others feel just mediocre. The album probably should have spread the good tracks more evenly, but it’s not the end of the world nor is it the album’s foremost flaw. Crystal Kay needs to continue to mature in her music, and maybe then she gain greater success than she’s currently seeing. Right now, she’s putting out good R&B, but so often, she sounds capable of putting out so much more.

79% C+

[Single] Crystal Kay – anata no soba de

~Tracklist~
01. anata no soba de (あなたのそばで; Next to You)

~Single Review~
Crystal Kay released “anata no soba de” on May 16, 2007, and the single charted at 30 on the Oricon charts. This low position compared to her previous singles could be explained by the fact that this single is a stand alone single, a la Utada Hikaru’s “Be My Last.”

“anata no soba de” is mid-tempo R&B based off of a clapping rythym and keyboards coupled with vocal layering. Kuri’s vocals are smooth throughout the song, but the problem with the song is that it is capable of so much more. The chorus is capable of being so much more powerful than it is, especially considering how the bridge builds into the chorus. Instead, the chorus is slighter faster paced, poppier, and lighter. It’s well done R&B from Kay, but she could have easily made the song into an anthem by speeding it up instead of leaving it as mid-tempo.

80% B-

[Single] Crystal Kay – konna ni chikaku de…

~Tracklist~
01. konna ni chikaku de… (こんなに近くで…; So Close…)
02. FEEL
03. konna ni chikaku de… -KZ Future Disko Remix- (こんなに近くで…; So Close…)
04. FEEL -Singo.S Remix-
05. konna ni chikaku de… -Instrumental- (こんなに近くで…; So Close…)

~Single Review~
After the mild top twenty success of her last ballad oriented single, “kitto eien ni,” Kuri took a turn back towards the pop territory inhabited by “koi ni ochitara” (by and far her most successful single). “konna ni chikaku de…” sounds familiar and new all at once as it tries to play towards “koi ni ochitara’s” sound while being upbeat in order to capitalize upon its success. “konna ni chikaku de…” did not come close to recreating the karaoke magic of “koi ni ochitara” however, and only reached number fourteen its debut week, selling about 9,000 copies.

“konna ni chikaku de…” sounds most like “koi ni ochitara;” its keyboard based and supported by strings at times, which is a really odd combination. In the end though, despite not sounding quite normal, “konna ni chikaku de…” defies explanation and is good. It’s so funky with its synth and so smooth with Crystal Kay and the violins that the song becomes great, catchy pop that doesn’t sound quite like anything else out. Add in a catchy hook and strong choral vocals and “konna ni chikaku de…” is easily a fun tune a J-pop fan can jam to any day.

“FEEL” is a mid-tempo R&B song that seems to cater to Kuri’s R&B song as “konna ni chikaku de…” is not really the R&B she usually puts out. It’s smooth, sleek, but also sometimes cumbersome sounding. The choruses sound great, but the high notes sound a bit strained which is a problem, hurting this B-side.

The remixes are filler. “Konna ni Chikaku de”’s is on speed, and “FEEL”’s doesn’t sound good.

In the end, this is a single carried by a stellar A-side. Kuri sometimes falls into a rut of releasing mediocre crud, but here, she succeeds at releasing one of the pop gems she’s known for.

89% B+

[Single] Crystal Kay – kitto eien ni

~Tracklist~
1. kitto eien ni (きっと永遠に; Surely Forever)
2. As One
3. kitto eien ni -STUDIO APARTMENT REMIX-
4. As One -REMIX-
5. kitto eien ni -INSTRUMENTAL-

~Single Review~
“kitto eien ni” was released on January 17, 2007, and debuted at number 12 on the weekly charts, higher than the number 27 position of her last single, “Kirakuni / Together.” The song “kitto eien ni” was used as the ending theme to Boku wa Imouto ni Koi wo Suru (My Sister, My Love), a movie surrounding incestuous love that never should have been.

“kitto eien ni” is a strong song, the sort of ballad that Kuri’s been due to sing. It’s very smooth with the piano and soft beat backing Kay’s voice. The chorus is especially good, with powerful vocals, strings, and a stronger beat.. I especially like the ending. Perhaps the best part of this song is the growth that Crystal Kay emits; her earlier teen songs cannot compare to this song in the slightest. It’s a beautiful ballad, although in the end it feels like it lacks a little something.

“As One” is a true blue R&B ballad compared to the poppier “kitto eien ni.” It’s completely in English, as well, which suits Crystal Kay just fine. The only really negative thing to say about the mellow song is the lack of fullness in the chorus; it’s clearly not an A-side. It just feels like they could have put some background vocals in, or something. Otherwise, a strong B-side. It is not as good as the Japanese version, “STILL,” however, which was a digital release in Japan.

The remix of “AS ONE” may be worth a listen, but the remix of “kitto eien ni” is long, boring and does not fit the tone of song at all. In the end, the originals are definitely better than their remixes.

84% B

[Album] MISIA – Ascension

~Tracklist~
01. Color of Life
02. FUTURU FUNK
03. Remember Lady
04. TYO
05. Taiyou ga Kureta PRESENT (太陽がくれたプレゼント) Present from the sun
06. Stay in my Heart
07. Tsuki (月）Moon
08. SHININ’～虹色のリズム～ (SHININ’ ~Niji Iro no Rhythm~) SHININ’~Rainbow-colored rhythm~
09. Sura no Shiro　(砂の城）Sand Castle
10. Angel
11. LUV PARADE
12. We are the Music
13. SONG FOR YOU
14. Hoshi no Ginka　(星の銀貨）Silver star coin
15. SEA OF DREAMS

~Album Review~
“Ascension” is MISIA’s seventh original album, and it was released about three years after her last studio effort on February 7, 2007. In total, it sold 127,768 copies which meant it was the 91st best selling album of 2007. That’s a far fall from the sales of her earlier albums, but considering her sporadic release schedule and how much time has elapsed since her earlier albums, R&B songstress MISIA is doing just fine with “Ascension.”

The album starts out with the mellow “Color of Life.” It’s a mellow mid-tempo pop track with an excellent ending and final bridge. The chorus can be annoying depending on your view, although the breathy “Color of Life” in the background accompanies MISIA’s powerful vocals quite well. Either it will be repetitive or catchy. There is also the stylistic use of of French, which is sleek way to enhance the song’s modern lounge feel. “Color of Life” is a good way to start the album.

We continue a mid-tempo run, but with a deeper R&B edge on the next track, “FUTURU FUNK.” The chorus is notably repetitive, but the production on the track is well done. The distortion of voices is top notch, and the instrumentals are a definite nod to MISIA’s past work. Although the flow of the song is worse than “Royal Chocolate Flush’s”,hard R&B lovers will find this track both catchy and danceable. Once again, the ending is great at distinguishing this song.

The tempo of the album slows as “Remember Lady” flows onward; clapping accompanies the guitar as other instruments slowly come to the forefront of the song. This song is surprisingly good. Although it is a little on the slow side, it sounds very relaxed and lounge-esque, much like Color of Life. This means that song comes off extremely pleasant, sort of like a lullaby. The repetition of “remember lady” in the chorus contributes to that ambience quite well actually. Best described as a lullaby with a touch of R&B infused with MISIA, “Remember Lady” is a different type of ballad from MISIA.

“TYO” takes the tempo up another notch and the beat back into harder R&B territory. The distortion of MISIA’s vocals sound quite good, and the additional background vocals fit in well in the atmosphere of the song. The “la la la la” of the chorus and the “oh oh oh oh” are quite catchy alongside belting out “scream.” Over all, it’s all that MISIA should create on a strong R&B song. Although “TYO” is not as strong as some of MISIA’s singles, the track is great for an album track and quite distinct.

“Taiyou ga kureta” present is slightly slower tempo than the past track, and features much poppier (and maybe even tropical) instruments. Pretty much, the unobtrusive instruments give MISIA the opportunity to show off her voice on this track. I don’t think her voice really fits in here, but oh well. Most albums are bound to have a few duds. However, if you love MISIA’s voice (she can hit a whistle note quite well) or a smooth pop mood in a song, this may appeal to you. Considering the tempo an the mood, MISIA does fit into this song. This pacing is very her, as she can shine alongside it.

“Stay in my heart” is a bit slower and more traditional as a ballad. It starts out with some excellent English from MISIA. The lengthy piano introduction is drastically different from the rest of the song, as the poppier edge and fuller instrumentation come into play. Over all, it’s a fairly impressive track. It flows quite well throughout the song, the string section backing up MISIA sounds especally good. MISIA also ends it well on this song, getting some great emotion into her voice as this song winds down. This emotion is portrayed through a bit of a rasp in MISIA’s voice throughout the extro.

“Tsuki” is more of R&B ballad than anything we’ve yet seen on this album. MISIA does these quite well, and this song is no exception whatsoever. Of course, it would be nice to see MISIA travel to unseen territory on her seventh studio effort, but the notes MISIA hits are pretty impressive, the bridge and chorus are great, and the chorus is catchy to boot. Surprisingly, MISIA has more to show off as the song finished. The only complaint here is she’s done it before, and the climax is lacking, even if it is an R&B ballad.

“SHININ’~Nijiiro no rhythm~” is poppy and repetitive. Probably moreso than any of the other tracks. It sounds a bit like Color of Life, although MISIA’s voice is a lot more pronounced in this song, which is a great thing. It really propels this song to whole other level compared to Color of Life. When the background vocals support MISIA, she is able to really shine. Vocal layering is this song’s major component, and it really gives it its power.

“Suna no Shiro” is not very memorable, despite being a frenetically paced ballad. Perhaps the difference in between the speed of MISIA’s vocals and the instrumentals is the problem. The instrumentation sounds like it leaves her behind as she slowly sings. Nevertheless, the song sounds quite pleasant and urgent for a ballad. Again, great ending on this track.

“Angel” is a soft-spoken piano-based ballad. Here again we see MISIA playing to her strength, her ballads. The absence of Engrish in the song is a breath of fresh air, and the chorus is nice. Near the ending the real emotion enters into MISIA’s voice and she belts it out, hitting those high notes all the while. It’s pretty touching by that point of the song. Slow, but not lacking power, “Angel” is a great MISIA album track.

“LUV PARADE” is probably the best song on the album, alongside “SEA OF DREAMS.” It’s an upbeat pop/R&B track with orchestrated elements. It’s catchy, it’s fun, and just wonderful over all. Originally released in the summer, “LUV PARADE” is feels summery and upbeat; it has the pop combination of synth and more traditional violins typcal of MISIA, and a great catchy chorus. The only really negative aspect of the song is it sometimes feels as though it lacks a bit of polish. Still, the chorus is just so good with MISIA and the back-up vocals, and the keyboard… This song is a great summer track and the perfect opportunity to show off MISIA’s voice. If you were to choose any song to listen to on “Ascension,” this track would be the best choice. It has a distinct begginning, middle, and end, as well as vocal and instrumental strength. Plus “LUV PARADE” is good, fun J-pop.

“We are the Music” continues the same type of pop that “LUV PARADE” started, although this song sounds much more generic. Let’s take a second to examine the lyrics; yes, “life is a music” may fit the music motif of the song, but it should be “life is a musical.” Small flaws like this lyrically error cripple the song somewhat, although MISIA does a godly job covering it up with the violin supported pop instrumentation and background vocals. Besides a mismatch in MISIA and the music near the end, this song is a solid addition to the album that is sure to have some people loving it.

“SONG FOR YOU” is the last of the acoustic ballads on this album, a definite forte that MISIA plays to her benefit. Honestly, these ballads MISIA sings begin to meld into one and another, and “SONG FOR YOU” doesn’t feel very special in any way. Again, it just acts as the perfect opportunity for MISIA to show off her voice. At least the music in this song is different from all else we’ve seen on this album, but still, the track leaves something to be desired.

“Hoshi no ginka” is a funky mid-tempo R&B track with some brass action going on alongside the prominent beats and the keyboard. This song isn’t particularly catchy, although the ending is pretty strong, thankfully.

This album has to be evaluated with the bonus track, “SEA OF DREAMS” included, because frankly, it’s an excellent end to the album. It’s one of her strongest ballads on here, which is no surprise since it was the only one released as a single. That said, the song is probably worth a listen, especially if you like choral back-up. MISIA’s voice really shines here, although her English pronunciation does not. The background voices on “SEA OF DREAMS” sound different than usual too, which really make this song stand out. Add in a larger than life finale combining MISIA’s powerhouse vocals and a choir of voices, and you have an inspirational ballad that will have you “sailing free on a sea of dreams.”

Over all, there are a few duds on this album, but most of the album tracks are at least solid, if not great additions to the album. This album has wide variety of musical stylings, plays well, has excellent vocals, and expresses so many different emotions in a plethora of ways. Compared to contemporary J-pop star releases of early 2007, MISIA did well at surpassing her other J-pop peers in music quality on her album. Although her singles do not always live up to the pop powerhouses, her album has. With that in mind, this album is above average and worth a listen. If you have never heard MISIA before, this may not be the place for you to start.. It may not be her best, or the best J-pop has to offer, but it’s a great new release for 2007. If you’re looking for the best songs on the album, those would be “LUV PARADE” and “SEA OF DREAMS.”

85% B

[News] Ayumi Hamasaki: J-pop Queen Loses Hearing in One Ear

According to Ayumi Hamasaki’s own blog entries, she has been diagnosed with permanent, irreparable damage to her left ear. Currently, she can still hear out of that ear, however, soon it shall be completely deaf. This means that she will be impaired in her singing abilities. Already, the effects of this impairment have been seen on popular J-pop year end shows, including Ayu’s own Countdown Live for 2007 into 2008. However, this damage to her left ear has been around for quite some time, ever since her Dome Tour in 2001, where she continued to perform despite hearing having hearing problems. This perseverance, although commendable and bold, has ultimately cost her hearing and jeopardized her performance capability.

Already, the support from the J-pop community has been massive. Ayumi Hamasaki originally revealed her left ear’s hearing loss on her blog, and on her blog she replied to her fans. She has given them hope, and in true Ayu spirit, she will continue onward and produce music for them. From a musical standpoint, Ayumi Hamasaki is still capable of creating quality music even with this problem; one need look no further than the digital release, “Together When…,” which was excellently done and performed well on the charts. Ayu even performed well on some shows, despite ragged vocals on others. We can only hope that Ayumi Hamasaki will continue to work through this problem and show us her strength in her music. We all wish her the best during this hard time.

————–

Here are the original blog posts from Ayu – they are both heartfelt and sincere (these are translated courtesy of HiruNoKaze of AHS).

” My frank resolution for this year.

The truth is, last year, I had an ear check-up, my diagnosis being that my left ear has completely lost all function and that there is no treatment.

Even so, I want to keep being a singer.

That’s why I’ll keep singing as long as this remaining right ear works, to its limit.

I won’t quit.

I won’t make excuses.

As a professional, I will sing the best songs for you*.

I don’t really like the word “ganbaru,” but…

I will ganbaru**!!!!! At all costs!!!!!!!!!

Until that day, someday…  “

————–

” No.205 January 5th, 2008 (Saturday) 1:13am

The volume of messages from you all is amazing, I decided to post again.*

“Mhmm” … “Hey,” … “Yea…”

I have always, as much as I can, meant to keep honestly conveying my own feelings with my own words. I think you all definitely understand this.

Yes…right, I believe.
That’s why…I write.
I write things I keep only in my heart, not even telling my beloved family members nor my staff.

Actually, no…strictly speaking, that’s not true.
I only told Mama (I mean Mika John).
That my left ear cannot hear anymore.

I thought of going to the hospital because I felt distinctly that something strange happened to my ear.
I thought it was the earphone monitors and told the people around me I wanted to switch to new ones.

Honestly, when the doctor told me that there is no treatment and that it’s too late, my mind went blank.
In my heart somewhere, I felt that if I just make the time necessary for surgery, my ear would be able to hear again.

But I was wrong.

I remember the doctor’s eyes even now.
They looked regretful and apologetic. As if to say I’m sorry there’s nothing we can do…

So, I laughed.

I didn’t know why, but I said “I thought so”, and laughed.
Surrounded by my beloved staff inside the hospital room, everything returned to silence.

But, please, I don’t want you to read this with pessimism.

I have accepted this reality.

And, I want you to understand somehow that I’m not despairing, but that the light of my hopes shines forth.

Because, you’ve told me that you will become my left ear.
You’ve told me that, so that I’ll be able to hear more and more, you’ll shout out for me.

Hey…

So, with my remaining right ear, I’m gonna do this.
I’m not at all straining myself.
To me, it’s my happiness.

Worrying is useless!!!!!!!!!!!

From here on, I going to keeping running forward like this~~~~~!!!
But, let’s keep running together~~~~~~!!!!!!

I want to show you my dreams.
Unending, unfading.
I want to show you that kind of dream.
That is my wish.

Thank you, everyone, everyone, everyone…
Thank you, Mama.
Thank you,

My beloved big sister.

Let’s do it, 10th year anniversary!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  “

[Single] Arashi – Love so sweet

~Tracklist~
1. Love So Sweet
2. Itsu Made Mo
3. Love So Sweet (instrumental)
4. Itsu Made Mo (instrumental
5. Fight Song (G no Arashi Theme Song) (First Pressing Bonus)

~Single Review~
Love so sweet was the theme song of Hana Yori Dango 2, rated most popular Japanese dorama of the year. The drama starred Jun of Arashi. Because of the drama’s popularity, “Love so sweet” went on to reach number one on the Oricon chart when it was released February 21, 2007, sell 429,832 copies in total, and become the fourth best selling single of 2007.

For many, “Love so sweet” can be immediately associated with the lighter moments of “Hana Yori Dango 2″, bringing up images of Tsukushi-chan and the finale. Because of that association, “Love so sweet” is an excellent song. As a stand alone track, however, it’s a mid-tempo pop track with above average vocals for a Johnny’s track. There’s use of harmonies in the chorus, but that isn’t really anything all that special, and the individual duets or solos sound quite strained at points. Of course, the fact that the song is insanely catchy bubblegum pop with excellent production helps cover that up, as does the hook “Love so sweet,” but for some reason, this song feels like it’s something important. Depth. It’s a great song for Johnny’s and Arashi lovers alike, but other people, you might want to be wary of this one.

“Itsu Made Mo” is an interesting B-side; it’s a synth based song with plenty of violins and trumpet and a beat backing Arashi up. It’s not as good as Love So Sweet, but the song is surprisingly good for a Johnny’s B-side. The crescendo near the end is a definite high point, as well as the double repetition of the choruses. The harmonies in this song are great. Over all, an excellent B-side with polish.

“Fight Song (G no Arashi Theme Song)” feels like just another song on the limited edition/first press in order to move units. It feels a bit like Ayu’s “Beautiful Fighters” without the synthetic interference in their voices and with booming instrumentation at points; that’s a downside considering the haphazard sounding nature of the crowd intermingling with the Arashi’s harmonies. I guess that fits as a fight song, but the harmonies on this song are not Arashi’s best, although it’s worth noting the individual parts are stronger than usual. And he chorus has the energy you’d expect from a fight song.

As one of the biggest singles of 2007, “Love So Sweet” had to be well-done pop. It was, and together with the biggest drama of the year, it achieved great success. Ringtone sales were high, as were physical sales. For Johnny’s Entertainment fans, boy’s band fans, and pop fans in general, “Love So Sweet” is a must listen.

88% B

[Special] A Look Back At 2007

First of all, I’m sorry about the lack of posts in the past week – I’ve been on vacation.  But now that it’s over, it’s time to ring in the new year. There are many upcoming releases from big artists, including the likes of YUI, Utada Hikaru, and Koda Kumi. However, first it would be prudent to look back at 20o7 in J-pop and see what made 2007 great.  I’ll be reviewing a variety of popular singles and albums here on “Hip-pop: Jammin’ on the Pacific Rim” from many artists.  I have personal favorites from 2007, but I shall let my reviews speak for themselves. Naming an album or single of the year is hard, especially when considering how genre oriented (or should I say skewed) some people are.  I’d be happy to post my thoughts on album / single of the year if requested, but for now,  I’ll be providing reviews for 2007.

I hope you enjoy the reviews. And thanks to everyone for the continued support. In a month – without downloads – we’ve reached 9,000 hits.  Hopefully the blog will only continue to grow.

I wish everyone the best for 2008.