[News] Namie Amuro – New Look/Rock Steady/What a Feelin’ CMs UPDATED

60s Themed CM – “New Look”

Watch a HQ version here.

70s Themed CM – “Rock Steady”

Watch a HQ version here.

~Single Information~
Teamed up with Vidal Sassoon hair products, Namie Amuro is releasing a triple A-side on March 12th featuring musical styles from various decades: the 60s, the 70s, and the 80s (source). “New Look” features 60s pop, sampling one the Supreme’s most memorable hits, “Baby Love,” which is also one of Namie Amuro’s personal favorites. The song was produced by T.Kura & michico and exemplifies the bubblegum pop of the 1960s with a message about following style trends (source).

The next A-side, “Rock Steady” features 70s dance music with samples from Aretha Franklin’s “Rock Steady.” The song is produced by Muro & michiko, known for their work on Namie Amuro’s own Suite Chic. According to sources, this song strove to emphasize not only the 1970s funky dance, but also the empowerment of women that occurred at that time(source).

The final A-side, “What a Feelin’,” has not had its CM released to the public, but is known to be 80s music sampling Irene Cara’s “What a Feeling” and produced by Osawa Shinichi and michico. This is Namie Amuro’s first time working with Osawa Shinichi, which has resulted in a sound that embodies what popular music in the 1980s were all about: electronic dance(source).

In each of these three songs, Namie Amuro is taking old hits and making them into new, relevant J-pop. Popular trends from these decades being modernized will also play into the fashion CMs, which borrow footage from each of the PVs for each of the songs.

The planning and execution of this campaign are enormous in scale; the shooting for the 60s’ “New Look” PV was confirmed to have occurred in June of 2007, which suggests this campaign has been in planning for over eight months (source). Additionally, early efforts by the Vissal Sassoon ad campaign are huge, with use of widespread commercials, billboards, and more. Considering the scope of this effort and the success of Amuro’s most recent album, “PLAY,” this single is poised to be a success.

~Track Listings~
CD only (3 songs)
1. NEW LOOK
2. ROCK STEADY
3. What a feelin’
Price: 1,260 yen
Item #: AVCD-31394

DVD (From CD+DVD Version)
1. NEW LOOK (MUSIC VIDEO)
2. ROCK STEADY (MUSIC VIDEO)
3. What a feelin’ (MUSIC VIDEO)
Price: 2,000 yen
Item #: AVCD-31393/B

Thanks to NATE for the info, and catslaughing for translating the news articles.

Namie Amuro’s Official Site
Vidal Sassoon’s Website

[Single] WaT – Yume no Tochuu / Tokimeki☆doobeedoo

「夢の途中」/e2「TOKIMEKI☆DooBeeDoo」- WaT

~Track Listing~
01. Yume no Tochuu (夢の途中)
02. Tokimeki☆doobeedoo by e2
03. Yume no Tochuu (夢の途中) (Instrument)
04 Tokimeki☆doobeedoo (Instrument)

~Single Review~
After releasing their own solo singles, the boys of WaT have gotten back together to release the rather unremarkable single, “Yume no Tochuu / Tokimeki☆doobeedoo.” The single has peaked at number two on the daily charts and should be able to make a top three position. But charting well doesn’t mean WaT’s latest is amazing.

“Yume no Tochuu” features violins, piano, guitar and a mild beat. WaT’s voices are high and sweet as ever in this mid-tempo song, but that only makes the verses drag. Their voices, along with the background music of the verses, is very insubstantial. The choruses easily solve this problem, using a wider variety of instruments besides piano and guitar, as well as through the accompaniment by background vocals. The song also features a good, endearing crescendo, but that doesn’t hide the fact that “Yume no Tochuu” sounds like mid-tempo pop all the way through that lacks real feeling.

“TOKIMEKI☆DooBeeDoo” starts out with a distinct 90s J-pop sound because of the questionable use of synthetic beat. This feeling persists through the verses, but is eliminated in the bridges and in the choruses, which add-in better effects to improve the song’s sound. “TOKIMEKI☆DooBeeDoo” is catchy, but over the top at times with its cute hooks and the use of “I love you.” Even poppier than “Yume no Tochuu,” “TOKIMEKI☆DooBeeDoo” is fast, juvenile pop with decent hooks, nothing else; considering WaT has done this style better in “Ready Go!,” “TOKIMEKI☆DooBeeDoo” cannot be recommended.

WaT is a capable duo, and perhaps both Eiji Wentz and Teppei Koike and are capable soloists as well. Here, however, they have not done well as they have creating a single that lacks their usual flair. Of course, the usual WaT sound and vocals are there, but “Yume no Tochuu / Tokimeki☆doobeedoo” lacks WaT’s usual polish. If this single is meant to foreshadow their next few singles, I’m quite afraid.

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