Kana Nishino – Dear・・・ / MAYBE Review

January 8, 2010 at 5:20 pm · Filed under Kana Nishino ·Tagged , , , , , ,

Dear・・・ / MAYBE by Kana Nishino

1.) Dear・・・
2.) MAYBE
3.) Yours only, feat.WISE ～maison de m-flo～

Released: December 2nd, 2009 ~ Highest Chart Position: 7 ~ First Week Sales: 17,258 ~ Total Sales: 34,131

Dear・・・ / MAYBE is Kana’s 8th single release! Damn girl is really pumping out those songs <3 Both Dear・・・ and MAYBE were used in CM’s. While Yours only, feat.WISE ～maison de m-flo～ was originally featured on a m-flo tribute album (AND WHY THE HECK IS WISE ON IT AGAIN FFFFF).

Dear・・・, tbh, took some time to grow onto me. But when I finally started to actually listen to it more and more I fell in love with it. The chorus is powerful as hell, with the strong beats and Kana’s strong voice <33333 Although I have a problem with her singing Always Love You because she seems to say that in a lot of her songs. Anyway, the piano in this song is great. Love that piano. Love everything about this song actually. Specially when Kana sings in her lower register at the beginning of the song.

MAYBE is an upbeat R&B song o: Which is honestly a bit strange to hear from Kana haha. The beat is thumping and interesting. I specially like it in the verse because it’s cool sounding haha :33 Kana’s vocals are amazing in this song. Instead of doing that “Talking-Singing” like in candy, she really does have some smooth vocals. And I like how the English stands out. Like “Ex-girlfriends name” XD

Holy shit, 6 minute song. Anyway, the piano for Yours only, feat.WISE ～maison de m-flo～ is GORGEOUS. It really does draw in the listener. And for once WISE doesn’t introduce himself! Yay! I love that male voice singing after the chorus because he’s interesting (is it WISE? Didn’t sound like it). Kana’s voice is sooo pretty in this song to. She does bring a lot to this song <3

Dear・・・ / MAYBE was a really strong single by Kana! She never seems to do anything wrong ;D I enjoyed all the tracks, although they might take a few listens to really get into.

A+

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Chihiro Onitsuka – Beautiful Fighter Review

January 8, 2010 at 4:58 pm · Filed under Chihiro Onitsuka ·Tagged , , , ,

Beautiful Fighter by Chihiro Onitsuka

1.) Beautiful Fighter
2.) 嵐ヶ丘
3.) Beautiful Fighter (Inst.)
4.) 嵐ヶ丘 (Inst.)

Released: August 20th, 2003 ~ Highest Chart Position: 9 ~ First Week Sales: 21, 962 ~ Total Sales: 35, 561

Beautiful Fighter is Chihiro’s eight single release. Something interesting to note is that this song features no piano at all XD Just a random fact.

Beautiful Fighter reminds me of country music. Due to the guitar being prominent. Chihiro’s voice matches the instrumentation though. So that’s a good thing. The chorus is a bit catchy, with Chihiro singing “BEAUTIFUL FIGHTER” over and over XD This song is a nice listen. Although it’s not as interesting as ダイニングチキン from the last single <3

嵐ヶ丘 has a bit more variety of instruments being used. With drums and electric guitar it seems. Chihiro is singing with good confidence in her voice so the power is strong. I like that harmonica thing in the background (I think it’s a harmonica xD). This was also another nice song! I love that harmonica sound! Reminds me of Ireland.

Beautiful Fighter was another good single from Chihiro ;D While the A-side isn’t anything groundbreaking, it’s still a nice song. But the B-side is better. Since it has more variety and has that cool harmonica thing!

A

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Ayumi Hamasaki – talkin’ 2 myself Review

January 8, 2010 at 4:49 pm · Filed under Ayumi Hamasaki ·Tagged , , , ,

talkin’ 2 myself by Ayumi Hamasaki

1.) talkin’ 2 myself “Original mix”
2.) decision “Original mix”
3.) fated “Orchestra version”
4.) talkin’ 2 myself “Original mix -Instrumental-”
5.) decision “Original mix -Instrumental-”

Released: September 19th, 2007 ~ Highest Chart Position: #1 ~ First Week Sales: 70, 325 ~ Total Sales: 108, 347

talkin’ 2 myself is Ayu’s 42nd Single and the last single in her GUILTY era (excluding the digital release of Together When…). The first week sales for this single were Ayu’s lowest for a single ever since LOVE～Destiny～ being released way back in 1999. And it sold nearly 40,000 less then what glitter / fated’s weekly sales were.

talkin’ 2 myself “Original mix” is one of those aggressive Ayu rock songs. Although I don’t think this has those pop influences that most of her rock songs have. Ayu’s vocals are actually pretty nice in this song, although she ends the last chorus with this really nasty note. The instrumentation is rocky and is entertaining to listen to. I like the strings in this song. They make the song sound intense. Not a bad song actually.

decision “Original mix” is a watered down version of talkin’ 2 myself it seems. It follows the same structure, really. Only difference is that the guitar riffs are obviously different. I never really liked this B-side. Just could never have it on replay or anything.

fated “Orchestra version” is gorgeous <3 A much better version of fated tbh. Her voice from that song just fits classical instruments better. The background vocalists could have been eliminated from this version though. They’re really distracting. But other than that, pretty violins are pretty and give off a sad vibe <333

ahh this single was nice. Minus decision, what a boring B-side. Ayu’s rockier side is a lot better than Summer Song / Typical Rock Ballad. Good job Ayu :3

B+

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Top 10: Album Tracks [Part 3 of 4]

January 3, 2010 at 4:58 pm · Filed under *Special Stuff ·Tagged , , , ,

A-Sides
B-Sides
Album Tracks
CD Artwork

Almost done with this Best of 2009 stuff! Yay! Anyway, onto album tracks that I liked from 2009~

10.) 真昼の月 by ikimono-gakari

This song is GORGEOUS. Although it’s at #10 since I’ve only listened to this song twice XD HEY It’s pretty.

9.) Cinderella Story by Thelma Aoyama

I chose this song since Thelma pulled it off with flying colors. The emotions were there and the instrumentation was pretty sounding. I also watched a live where Aoyama started to cry while singing the song, it struck a cord with me.

8.) Plastic Baby by Ayaka Ikio

Plastic Baby was such a hot track off of her GOSSIP album. Her Engrish made it sexy, and the aggressive instrumentation made it even sexier. Hawt hawt hawt song.

7.) Kiss and Music by Perfume

I’ll admit, I HATED this track when I first heard it. But as I started to listen to it over and over I fell for it. It’s catchy, and the instrumentation is so quirky. Very fun track.

6.) Seirios by RURUTIA

When I first read the review for this album over at Lost Wing, I was overwhelmed by how amazing this track was. The beginning is all strange and stuff. But when you get to the chorus it’s an EXPLOSION of amazing orchestral + electronic sounds. RURUTIA’s whispering vocals also added to it, she sings with a lot of power IMO. An amazing song. Too bad the album didn’t do well =/

5.) FIRST TIMER feat.DOBERMAN INC by Namie Amuro

FIRST TIMER feat.DOBERMAN INC is a hot track. I do admit I didn’t like it at first, but then on the 2nd listen I fell for it. It’s so messy and clunked up <33 DOBERMAN INC isn’t so bad in this song either. Amazing track.

4.) candy by Kana Nishino

LOL! This song is such a guilty pleasure. The song is catchy and it’s adorable. I just love how Kana sings in this song XD RIGHT OR LEFT, I REALLY CAN’T DECIDE

3.) ストーリーテラー by Chihiro Onitsuka

I love this track. Chihiro’s voice is confident and strong, and the chorus is catchy “HEY! STORYTELLAR” XD Nice and relaxing to listen to.

2.) This is not a love song by Koda Kumi

Right when I read the title I fell in love with it. Koda Kumi’s vocals are smooth, and the chorus is catchy. The bass in this song however, ORGASMIC. It’s really strong XD

1.) Beautiful World by BENI

Who hasn’t heard this song? BENI’s voice is powerful, the instrumentation is powerful, and that random guy in the background wasn’t annoying! He was actually powerful to. BENI deserves the title for best Album Track, because Beautiful World is too damn good.

Well, that’s it for album tracks ;D I’ll finish CD Artwork’s and then I’ll be done with this stuff yayaya.

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Top 10: B-Sides [Part 2 of 4]

January 3, 2010 at 4:35 pm · Filed under *Special Stuff ·Tagged , , , , , ,

A-Side
B-Side
Album Tracks
CD Artwork

~WELCOME~ to the 2nd part of my 4 part thing. This time it is TOP 10 B-SIDES of 2009~!

10.) Happy Days by Yuna Ito

I know not many people enjoyed this B-side, but I thought it was a cute B-side xD Happy Days has that cute instrumentation with Yuna’s strong vocals. But there wasn’t much about it that could have made it chart higher on this ~countdown~

9.) BREAKDOWN by Stephanie

BREAKDOWN is one of those ~STEPHANIE ROCK SONGS~. I liked it a lot though. Her voice matched the guitars and stuff. I like the end where she belts though xD

8.) deviswitch by school food punishment

This B-side was the only song by sfp that I enjoy so far xD I have only heard like, 7 songs by them though. This B-side had a nice driving rock sound to it and the lead singer matches it.

7.) 23:30 by Perfume

LOLSHUTUP. I liked this B-side XD Even if it was a slow lounge around song hehehe. It was soothing, relaxing, and a nice change for Perfume

6.) TOXIC by MEG

BERRY BERRY GOOD I LIKE CHOCOLATE! That’s all I shall say <3

5.) 失恋モード feat.WISE by Kana Nishino

I don’t know why I liked this B-side! It was so nice to hear. WISE was actually decent in this song to. And Kana’s voice in the chorus was heavenly <333

4.) Smells Like Teen Spirit – MiChi

MiChi did this song justice. Her voice was nice, the arrangement was nice, and I enjoyed all of it ;D Especially the bridge. That instrumental break was so fierce! Kurt Cobain would be proud.

3.) The Boy Is Mine feat.Tynisha Keli

I also enjoyed this cover XD Both BENI and Tynisha pulled this song off with no trouble. They both had that “DON’T BE GOING NEAR MAH MAN” tone, and it was a lot of fun to hear their own version of this classic ;D

2.) It’s So Hard To Say Goodbye To Yesterday by Angela Aki

It’s So Hard To Say Goodbye To Yesterday (holy shit what a title) was another one of my favorites last year (and strangely the third cover on this list). Angela’s voice was just so damn amazing in this song. Specially near the end when she starts belting like crazy XD

1.) Memory (feat. DAISHI DANCE) by Mika Nakashima

Memory (feat. DAISHI DANCE) was the BEST B-side (and probably song) of last year for me. Everything about the song is great. DAISHI DANCE really outdid themselves when they made this song for Mika. I love it <3

And that’s it for B-sides. Took me quite a while to figure out what to fill out the list with xD (Since Memory was the only B-side that crossed my mind). Album Tracks are next <3

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Top 10: A-Sides [Part 1 of 4]

January 1, 2010 at 7:40 pm · Filed under *Special Stuff ·Tagged , ,

A-Sides
B-Sides
Album Tracks
CD Artwork

~WELCOME~ to the TOP 10 of 2009 (I know I’m late on this shit shhhh). This entry will fill you in on what I thought were the top A-sides of this year.

10.) Dr. by Namie Amuro

I disliked this song when I first heard the preview for it. But then the actual single came out and I was able to hear the song in it’s ~HQ~ glory and fell in love with it. Namie’s vocals matched the beat so well, and the chorus is insanely catchy (even though the English is HILARIOUS). The instrumentation is also fabulous. I love the classical piece that her arranger sampled.

9.) again by YUI

again was YUI’s first single after her ~hiatus~. And it’s an amazing rock song. YUI may not have the strongest vocals in the world, but she made the song a lot of fun to listen to. The chorus is fun with the fast-paced singing and the driving guitars.

8.) trust you by Yuna Ito

trust you was a strong R&B ballad by Yuna. I loved the vocals because they were really powerful. I loved the piano in this song the most though. Also, the simple words “I love you, I trust you” made the chorus catchy. Surprising for a ballad tbh

7.) BALLAD by Ayumi Hamasaki

BALLAD was the better A-side on the “You were… / BALLAD” single. It is very Epic Asian sounding, and works well with Ayu’s voice. Her voice does bug me a bit in the verses because she makes these breathy stops for some reason. But this song is srsly amazing. Minus the stupid ass PV.

6.) Love Forever by Miliyah Kato×Shota Shimizu

Love Forever was an amazing collaboration between Miliyah and Shota. The song was a fun R&B piano song and both Miliyah and Shota sounded great together. Shota does some cute little rap sections while Miliyah does the ~DIVA~ parts. Amazing song anyway <33 I hope the Shota Shimizu×Miliyah Kato collab for FOREVER LOVE is decent.

5.) ラストメロディー by Chihiro Onitsuka

ラストメロディー is PERFECTION. Chihiro’s strong vocals + amazing arrangement = Happy Buce. The introduction was gorgeous, with that piano playing and drumming. I love the lyrics to this song to. They’re gorgeous as hell <3333 Chihiro did right with this song (although the cover lefts more to be desired…)

4.) 明日へのキズナ by HIMEKA

明日へのキズナ by emoHIMEKA was a really nice song. HIMEKA’s vocals were pretty strong and the arrangement had that ~TYPICAL~ anime sound that makes it nice. I’m excited for more releases by HIMEKA because she’s proving to be quite the artist

3.) 陽炎 by Chihiro Onitsuka

I know, I know. WHY DO I HAVE CHIHIRO ON HERE TWICE? Because she’s my goddess and is amazing so please stfu. Anyway, 陽炎 is a gorgeous ballad that clicked with me after the third listen. This song is strangely catchy, even though I don’t think it tries to be. The bridge was amazing because Chihiro belts it all out and I just love it <3

2.) KiSS KiSS xxx by MiChi

KiSS KiSS xxx was the song that made me a MiChi fan and will forever remain as one of my favorites. I love the lyrics, that contradict the more “pop-rock” atmosphere that this song brings out. MiChi’s voice and the catchy chorus and verses kept me listening. Great job MiChi! <3

1.) 君に会いたくなるから by Kana Nishino

I blame Lex for getting me into Kana. Because 君に会いたくなるから is really damn enjoyable. I just love how the song is catchy without trying to be, and Kana’s voice is really sad sounding ;3; Amazing overall song. I’ve had it on repeat for way too long.

That’s about it for this boring amazing Top 10 list ;D I’m gonna be workin’ on B-sides next. How fun.

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Ayumi Hamasaki – glitter / fated Review

December 31, 2009 at 9:46 am · Filed under Ayumi Hamasaki ·Tagged , , , , ,

glitter / fated by Ayumi Hamasaki

1.) glitter “original mix”
2.) fated “original mix”
3.) Secret “original mix”
4.) glitter “original mix -Instrumental-”
5.) fated “original mix -Instrumental-”

Released: July 18th, 2007 ~ Highest Chart Position: #1 ~ First Week Sales: 110,165 ~ Total Sales: 166,203

glitter / fated is Ayu’s 41st single and the start of her GUILTY era. glitter was used in a commercial for a Kiwi drink, while fated was used in a horror movie (which made me LOL so hard. It’s too pretty to be in a horror movie). Secret was included as a B-side since it was used as the theme song for a Chinese movie translated into Japanese called Confessions of Pain.

glitter “original mix” is the typical summer track as always. The only difference is that this one isn’t as catchy as BLUE BIRD or has the amazing deep lyrics of fairyland. glitter “original mix” is a lot darker than BLUE BIRD and fairyland instrumental wise however. It’s more aggressive sounding, but still keeping up with that pop sound. Ayu’s cute voice is just beyond annoying. It’s like Morning Musume singing her song HONEY. The instrumental break was REALLY long this time around. I hate those damn interludes in these summer songs. glitter “original mix” is boring, uninteresting, and a lame excuse for a summer song.

fated “original mix” is at least a bit better than glitter. The beginning of this song always amazes me because it’s soooo pretty. But the rest of the song sadly does not keep that sound. It’s still a pretty song though. Ayu’s voice is okay in it, it bothers me at times. No reason why really. But at least the emotion is present here. The bridge also has that really pretty sound I like in it! Amazing yes? <3

I disliked Secret from the original album. So the song appears in it’s original form here as well. The song is boring, there is nothing interesting in it. Ayu’s vocals are lackluster and a disappointment. Boring song is Boring.

glitter “original mix -Instrumental-” is so funny because the back track vocals are present in like, the whole song xD So monotone.

fated “original mix -Instrumental-” is pretty. But it’s boring. I still wish that instrumentation at the beginning was used more. It was so pretty sounding *.*

The single was overall good? I didn’t like glitter, I liked fated to some extent, and I dislike Secret. So I guess it’s not the best way to be starting a new era or as Ayu called it “The Third Chapter”

C+

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Chihiro Onitsuka – Sign Review

December 27, 2009 at 7:38 pm · Filed under Chihiro Onitsuka ·Tagged , , ,

Sign by Chihiro Onitsuka

1.) Sign
2.) ダイニングチキン
3.) Sign (inst.)

Released: May 21st, 2003 ~ Highest Chart Position: #4 ~ First Week Sales: 30,626 ~ Total Sales: 64,846

Sign is Chihiro’s 7th single. Sign was used in a TV CM. This single is her highest charting single, along with いい日旅立ち・西へ released 5 months after.

Sign is a gentle acoustic ballad. Chihiro’s voice is rich with power and emotion. Her voice just fills up the speakers, with the instruments providing a nice backdrop for her. Her voice in the chorus is heavenly. The melody just flows so perfectly with her voice. This is an overall relaxing song. It fits the mood of going on a car ride on a perfect summer day. It’s just so gentle and innocent sounding…I love it.

The next song has a title that amuses me xD ダイニングチキン (Dining Chicken). Anyway, the guitar the beginning was AMAZING. It sets up a melancholy atmosphere for this song. Chihiro’s voice is fragile in this song. It’s tender, and gives off a perfect mood. The piano interlude was really nice to hear. EMI seems to have the best piano players it seems. So this song is really nice. Even though I don’t find anything about it catchy, I still really liked it.

Sign (inst.) is a nice listen! Piano and guitar have never sounded better together! The bassline is a little bit distracting though (I never noticed it in the original mix…maybe I’m deaf xD)

Wow, I actually do really like this whole single. Chihiro can never do no wrong it seems. All the songs on here are nice, gentle, and seem to have a sad overtone to them all. Good job Chihiro! You never disappoint me.

A+

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Mika Nakashima – ひとり Review

December 25, 2009 at 7:28 am · Filed under Mika Nakashima ·Tagged , , , ,

ひとり by Mika Nakashima

1.) ひとり (single version)
2.) ひとり (album version)
3.) ひとり (endroll version)
4.) ひとり (instrumental)

Released: June 8th, 2005 ~ Highest Chart Position: #15 ~ Total Sales: 26,275

ひとり is Mika’s 15th single and her 1st re-cut single. ひとり is a track from her MUSIC album. The single version was used in a video game titled DRAG-ON DRAGOON 2.

ひとり (single version) is vastly different from the album counterpart. Instead of starting out with a faint piano, we get strings right away. I think I liked the piano better because it established a great atmosphere. But the strings are nice nonetheless xP But then the thing I dread the most comes in. It’s soft-rock instrumentation with a BASSLINE. WHY JESUS!?! WHY?!? Anyway, Yeah the instrumentation is really different. Reminds me a lot of 火の鳥. Mika’s voice from the original album version just don’t fit with the soft-rock stuff going on in the background =/

Thank goodness ひとり (album version) is here in it’s amazingly awesome originalness! You can go ahead to my MUSIC review to see what I said about this song ;D I wrote like a freaking paragraph just on it! Mika just did so well on this track, and I wish that this was the theme song for that video game. Rather than the single version D:

ひとり (endroll version) could have been released by itself and would have had me gasming! It’s just an orchestra of strings playing out the melody of ひとり. So you can probably assume how much I love this track ;) I love the part at around 2:20 however! It gets really dramatic and I just fell so hard for it XD This track is amazing. I guess I’m a stan when it comes to strings =P

ひとり (instrumental) is the instrumental for the single version. So you know that I do not like this instrumental xD I would have preferred the album version.

ひとり was a nice re-release. The album version and endroll version would have been better by themselves though. I just did not enjoy the single version all too much =/ But yeah, album version and endroll version save this single for me xD <3

A-

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Mika Nakashima – MUSIC Review

December 25, 2009 at 7:07 am · Filed under Mika Nakashima ·Tagged , , , , , , , , ,

MUSIC by Mika Nakashima

1.) 桜色舞うころ
2.) 朧月夜～祈り
3.) 火の鳥
4.) 蜘蛛の糸
5.) Rocking Horse
6.) Carrot & Whip
7.) Shadows of you
8.) LEGEND
9.) ヘムロック
10.) SEVEN
11.) FAKE
12.) Fed up
13.) ひとり

Released: March 9th, 2005 ~ Highest Chart Position: #1 ~ First Week Sales: 231, 521 ~ Total Sales: 547, 148

MUSIC is Mika Nakashima’s third album. 4 singles were released beforehand along with a mini-album. SEVEN, 火の鳥, The title A-side to the 朧月夜～祈り EP, LEGEND (and all it’s B-sides) and finally 桜色舞うころ. ひとり was released after the album as a re-cut single (I’ll review that after this album, since I wanted to see if I could review a re-cut after an album. Since I have always reviewed re-cuts before an album xD). No other album tracks were used to promote anything since all the pre-released tracks took that job already xD

I think I’ve sadly grown fond of the bassline in 桜色舞うころ (That review for the single I made a week ago, I just forgot to put it up hehe). The instrumentation here truly shines, showing off that SONY loves Mika and the composers and arrangers at SONY deserve some props. Mika’s voice is tender, and carries the melody along nicely. A gorgeous way to open up this album.

Things just keep getting better! 朧月夜～祈り was released as it’s own Mini-Album and putting it on MUSIC was a smart choice. The choice of instruments and the careful playing of them all make a beautiful sound. It gives you a feeling of walking through a Japanese park with the snow just dancing around you. Mika’s voice isn’t as strong as I would have wanted it to be in the chorus, but she still pulls it off nicely. The ending does get a bit frantic near the end with the inclusion of electric guitars and the stirring of all the instruments. But this song is gorgeous from beginning to end.

The intro to 火の鳥 always throws me off! You think it’d be some sort of fast paced upbeat track. But it quickly turns into an ambient ballad. Parts of this song still remind me of STARS for some reason. I blame the instrumentation. Mika’s voice is still fabulous of course. I love her note jumps in the chorus, she pulls it off in a beautiful manner (unlike Ayumi in Moments *coughs*). All in all, a beautiful ballad that’s worth a listen :3

Wow, and I thought 火の鳥 was ambient. 蜘蛛の糸 is like being stuck in a dream…or a nightmare xD The song fits both of those for some reason IMO. The instrumentation is really…different. I don’t know how to explain it. Mika’s voice is great, but the faint choir in the background are amazing to! They give the song a creepy feeling. The chorus doesn’t exactly stick out too much, but Mika’s voice makes it interesting. And the choir to xD I seriously love how SONY gets the best background vocalists for Mika to work with. Anyway, 蜘蛛の糸 is a pretty nice ambient track. It sticks out in this album defiantly.

The laugh at the beginning of Rocking Horse always scares me! It’s so sudden, and being right after the ambient 蜘蛛の糸 doesn’t help! Anyway, Rocking Horse is the first upbeat track on this album and holy crap it is a ton of fun to listen to. Mika is having a ton of fun with her voice, and the instrumentation just makes it funner. The chorus is insanely catchy for some reason. The melody is unique in this song, I don’t recall hearing any other song with a flow like this song. The instrumentation mainly has this drum beat with saxophones once in a while. And this weird instrument I cannot describe at all. I love the whistles in the chorus, makes Mika’s vocals stand out xD The saxophone solo was amazing! That saxophone player did an excellent job! Anyawy, this is an amazing song.

Oh hey, it’s Carrot & Whip! Mika can’t have an album without the Reggae inspired track xP So Carrot & Whip takes that cake for us. Mika’s voice is smooth and she knows what she is doing with the instrumentation. The song has a very relaxing and tropical island feel to it. I can imagine just sitting on a beach, watching the waves crash in and the clouds scatter on by. It’s on the same level of 接吻, MY SUGAR CAT, and 永遠の詩 for me. It’s a great song (: Can’t get enough of it!

Shadows of you slow down the album after those two insanely upbeat and fun tracks. The song starts with only an acoustic guitar at first, but soon some finger snaps and (sadly) a bassline kick in. The song reminds me of mid-tempo R&B songs for some reason. Mika is fantastic, and the harmonization by the vocalists in the background bring her voice out. The song is a bit too slow for my liking, and I didn’t really find anything catchy out of this song. But it’s not a terrible song at all no.

LEGEND (which is missing the (Main) tag on here for some reason) is our next track! This was the song that made me a fan <3 So it holds a special place in my heart. The song begins with an ambient atmosphere that will draw the listener into. Mika’s voice is fragile, but after the first chorus the song picks up. It’s frantic and you feel like flying through clouds. The choir I absolutely just adore in this song though! They really outworked themselves. I love it when they sing the beginning of each chorus with Mika because they just stick out so nicely. This song is a gorgeous song. It’s addicting to listen to as well.

Of course, with Mika, You must contain that really long song xD ヘムロック is our long song of the album. Clocking at about 4 seconds off of 7 minutes. The song is one fun little jazz trip. I like the little jingle thing that plays over and over. I find myself tapping in sync with that thing. Mika’s voice sounds “cuter” in this song. But that must just be me thinking that. I like the chorus, it’s catchy without having any English to make it catchy. The instrumentation is my favorite part of this song, it’s just a jumbled up bundle of amazing fun! So even though ヘムロック is 7 minutes long, it’s 7 minutes of fun vocals with fun instrumentation. Which equals success in my book :3

SEVEN still startles me at times. The way it just starts out all of a sudden! Like Rocking Horse xD The instrumentation is funky, and I adore the piano that plays in the song at times. I like the “I Shout! I Shout! I Shout for You!” endings to the chorus, the way that Mika sings them makes me giggle. Although I wish the choir sang with her for that part. Would have made it stick out a bit more. The ad-libbing sections were done with ease from everyone (I still can’t do them : ( They’re too hard to sing). SEVEN is a pretty funky track ;D

FAKE just randomly comes up and slows down the album for us it seems! The jazzy lounge atom-sphere is shown without no troubles at all due to the instrumentation and Mika’s great tone of singing. The chorus could take a few listens to get used to since Mika kinda semi-belts and she goes off-pitch a few times. But she gets the point across emotionally. I don’t think anyone else can pull off this song other than Mika.

The introduction to Fed up is GORGEOUS. It’s piano with a cello, and cello’s have never sounded better (Kanon has nothing on this cello player!). Mika’s voice is a bit frantic and heartbreaking in this song. When the chorus rolls around, rock instrumentation suddenly blares out of nowhere. Letting Mika let out some angst inside her! The rock instrumentation sticks around after the 1st chorus, and honestly don’t make the 2nd chorus stick out because it plays right into it. But I still adore this song. The emotion in Mika’s voice alone makes me want to keep listening to it. The blend of orchestral sounds and rock was done well here, and the person who composed and arranged this deserves some applaud.

ひとり is everything I could ever want in a perfect ballad. The gorgeous piano playing that sets up the mood of solitude. The strings that give you a sense of no hope, and the vocals of an angel that give you the sense of loss. Mika did everything right in this song. The only thing that brings this song down just a few points is that Mika didn’t write the lyrics. Anyway, the song starts with a piano and Mika’s faint vocals to start off. After some time a bunch of fluttering strings enter the scene. The emotion in the chorus gives me goosebumps. Mika hits those notes with such ease that it’s amazing. I really like this song. The title translated in English is called “Alone”. And how Mika interpreted it was done spot-on! The best part? No stupid bassline! Yesss!

Favorite Tracks:
1.) LEGEND / ひとり / Rocking Horse [Tie]
2.) 朧月夜～祈り / Carrot & Whip / ヘムロック [Tie]
3.) Fed up / 桜色舞うころ

MUSIC was such an amazing album from beginning to start. From the gorgeous piano in 桜色舞うころ to the playful vocals in Rocking Horse. I’m sure that the listener will find at least one song that they’ll like. Everything is cohesive and an interlude wasn’t needed to help transition at all! All the songs have great arrangements in them, and the arrangers at SONY really did out-do themselves on here. It is sad to see it not sell as high as TRUE or LOVE. But it still sold well and hit #1, so that’s excellent within itself :) I love this album to bits.

A+

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