Single Review: U-KISS – “Tick Tack”

Tracklist:
1. Tick Tack
2. Coincidence
3.  Tick Tack (Instrumental)
4. Coincidence (Instrumental) 

This is U-KISS’s first Japanese single since debuting in Japan under Avex Trax records. It was released on December 14, 2011 and peaked at #5 on the Oricon Weekly Singles Chart.

I quite like this cover. The styling is nice, the color scheme matches the mood of the single and video, and it reminds me of something I’d see from one of Japan’s more popular boy bands, like Arashi or KAT-TUN. So it’s not bad.

~

I have to give it to U-KISS for bringing me my catchy jam of late 2011/early 2012. Tick Tack (pronounced ‘tick tock’ if you’re as confused as I was) is a fantastic, dark dance track, and I have to admit I wasn’t expecting something this good from U-KISS. For starters, this song has a lot of strong points, one of them being the high production value. The boys of U-KISS are all strong vocalists, and they really benefit from the quality of the instrumental. Second, I really enjoyed the repetition of the “Tonight I shall be…” phrase and all its variations, as it goes beyond the typical meaningless stock English phrases that plague K-Pop and J-Pop. The main drawback of this song would probably be the members’ pronunciation of the lyrics, which could use some work. This seems to be common in Korean groups debuting in Japan, so it’s not that big of a deal. I was actually able to understand most of the lyrics, it’s just that their accents were pretty noticeable. Thankfully, they seem to be working really hard at it, so their Japanese should be up to par in no time! Overall I think this is a great song, certainly perfect for their official Japanese debut.

I was pleasantly surprised by Coincidence because I wasn’t expecting the B-side of this single to be as good as the A-side. Similar to Tick Tack, this is an upbeat dance song with a strong chorus and high production value. Also similar to the title track, the boys’ accents are strong on this one, especially in the rap verses. People who don’t speak Japanese probably won’t be bothered by this, though. Honestly though, this song is so catchy that the accents don’t even change much.

Summary: I’ve always liked U-KISS, but I never really got around to reviewing their music. I figured this single was the perfect place to start, what with it marking their official debut in Japan. Honestly, I see a big improvement in the quality in U-KISS’s music from the early stage of their career to right now, and it pleases me. This single, short and sweet, contains two very quality tracks that showcases the talent of all the members and, I’m sure, will help them find success in this new chapter of their career.

Single Grade: A+

Recommended Tracks:
Tick Tack | Coincidence

Album Review: Girls’ Generation – “The Boys”

 Tracklist:
1. The Boys
2. Telepathy (텔레파시)
3. Say yes
4. Trick
5. How Great Is Your Love (봄날)
6. My J
7. OSCAR
8. Top Secret
9. Lazy Girl
10. Sunflower (제자리걸음)
11. Vitamin (비타민)
12. Mr. Taxi (Korean Ver.)
13. The Boys (English Ver.)

This is Girls’ Generation’s (or SNSD, as I’ll be referring to them for the rest of this review) fourth full-length studio album. It is also the group’s first Korean release since late 2010′s Hoot. It was released on October 19, 2011 and sold 227,994 copies within 12 days of its release (good job, girls!).

Album Review: Wonder Girls – “Wonder World”

Tracklist:
1. G.N.O
2. Be My Baby
3. Girls Girls
4. Me, in
5. Sweet Dreams
6. Stop!
7. Dear. Boy
8. 두고두고
9. SuperB
10. Act Cool (feat. San E)
11. Be My Baby (Ra.D Mix)
12. Nu Shoes

This is Wonder Girls’ first full-length album since 2007 and first Korean release since 2 Different Tears in 2010. It was released on November 7, 2011.

Video Review/Rookie Debut Analysis: AA – “미쳐서 그래 (So crazy)”

Hey, guys. So, I know I haven’t been keeping this blog up at all lately, and I really feel terrible for that. I miss this blog tremendously and wish I could dedicate more of my time to its upkeep (college applications, alas!). But I’ve decided to make it up to you by posting this play-by-play analysis of my favorite new K-Pop rookie group, Double A, and their debut single “미쳐서 그래 (So crazy)“.

So without further ado…

The Group

AA (pronounced and sometimes stylized as Double A) is a 5-member boy band managed by Wellmade Entertainment. Their debut single was released on November 3rd of this year and they had their debut stage the next day. If you’re interested in learning more on the individual members’ personal backgrounds, I highly recommend taking a look at this thread over at the 6theory Media Forums.

Woosang (far left in the picture) is the leader and arguably the member who’s been drawing the most buzz around the group. He’s very tall and has a look that’s been described as “exotic” and “flamboyant” (oh boy) by fans. Prior to joining the group, Woosang was a professional choreographer for stars like Super Junior. Rumor has it he choreographed the entire dance routine for their debut, which, if true, is mighty impressive. Based on what I see in the video, he seems to be the one who has his stage presence down pat. The camera loves him and – what do you know – he can sing! I’ll just come out and say it: Woosang is my bias in this group and I think he’s fantastic.

Aoora (middle) is actually the oldest member of the group, which I find fascinating because I would have thought he was the youngest if I didn’t know better. Aoora has one of the strongest voices in the group and holds up the song really well. My only issue with him is that his movements are a bit exaggerated. If he toned it down a little bit, he could very easily be the star of the group.

Kim Chi is the one with the craziest hair on center right. At first I was skeptical of Kim Chi because of his look (I mean COME ON), but I ended up really liking him because of his delivery on the pre-chorus. Next to Woosang, he also seems like he knows how to work his gestures and movement just right, so as to be compelling and eye-catching without seeming over the top, which makes him a great addition to the group. He’s also the “visual maknae” of the group, despite being slightly holder than Hoik.

Speaking of, Hoik (far right) is the youngest of the group and also one of the vocalists. His vocals are pretty solid but he has that “quintessential throaty K-Pop guy” voice. I think this held me back slightly from fully enjoying his performance, but since he’s so young I’m going to give him the benefit of the doubt. My other problem with Hoik is his facial expressions… or lack thereof. Throughout the entire video, he has the same expression. The whole time. The guy doesn’t know how to use his face yet. But again, he’s got plenty of time to learn.

Last but not least is Juwon (center left), second oldest and main rapper (I’m guessing). Juwon was a model before his debut with AA, so it should come as no surprise that he’s handsome and takes great pictures. I worry about his stage presence as well, though. He’s a good rapper and knows how to behave in front of a camera, but he seems a little awkward in his solo shots, so I think he may need some time to warm up to the idea of being on video. Overall though, I like him.

As a group, I feel that AA have a lot of things going for them. Several of their members have extensive professional and educational backgrounds (Aoora studied dance at Seoul National University!) and you can tell that they’ve all honed their craft to some degree. They also are all active on Twitter, which is great for the social networking/promotion aspect of the group. This may be a little premature, but I can see AA being very successful in the future.

The Video

By all accounts, this is a pretty standard K-Pop video. It features the group on a number of different but equally flashy, elaborate sets, with a pretty equal distribution of group shots and close-up/solo shots. The video really shines in the seamless editing from the black/red set to the white one – the result is a really striking visual that only contributes to the group’s aesthetic. I also really like the shaky camera effect toward the end of the video. You don’t see that in many videos and it gave a nice feel to the close-ups.

One thing I feel I must address in regard to this video is the choreography. Now, if you are at all familiar with this group, I’m sure you’ve seen some of the words that have been used to describe their dancing and, really, their entire image (“feminine,” “gay,” and other simple-minded things). Let me say that not only is equating femininity in men with homosexuality an immature and dangerous thought process, it’s also pretty damn stupid when you think about it in the context of K-Pop. In general, Korean fans of male groups tend to demand at least some measure of femininity from their idols because it makes them more accessible and less threatening, and as such it has little to do with their actual or perceived sexual identity. So don’t go around saying that Korean girls like to swoon over a bunch of gay dudes, because it’s really not the case.

As far as my opinion, I find the choreography really interesting and shrewd. Not only does it immediately catch everyone’s attention (“A guy group doing hip rolls and pelvic thrusts! Oh my!“), it’s also just really hot. I’ve read from multiple sources that the leader, Woosang (more on him later), choreographed the entire routine. If that’s true, congrats to him on coming up with undoubtedly THE sexiest dance I’ve seen in K-Pop for months.

The Song

Like the video, I had pretty dubious expectations of this song when it was first sent to me by my friend Chris over at Wanna Play?. In terms of composition, the song is fairly run-of-the-mill, starting with the simple piano line at the beginning and leading to the ambient synths in the verse and chorus. The thing that really makes this song stand out is the vocals. Aoora, Hoik and Kim Chi really deliver on their respective lines, and Woosang’s bridge is simply beautiful. I’m less in love with the rap verses, simply because none of the members really seem like rappers to me. Woosang, for example, takes the “I’m going to spit out as many words as possible and put equal emphasis on each one” approach, and Aoora’s rap consists mainly of stock English phrases. Juwon’s short verse suffers the same shortcoming, but he seems to have a slightly better grasp on the technique.

This song has a pretty outstanding melody, which is definitely my favorite part. The chorus is very catchy and easy to sing, and the members’ different verses are all catchy in their own right as well. Honestly, simple though it may be, this might just be my favorite K-Pop song in a while.

Overall

For a while, I was feeling kind of disenchanted with K-Pop. None of the rookie groups coming out were doing anything for me and I felt as though my days as a true K-Pop fan were coming to an end. Now, with the comebacks of Girls’ Generation, Wonder Girls, and the debut of AA, I feel like I have something to be excited about with K-Pop again. Honest to goodness, I really love this group and can’t wait to see their future endeavors. AA hwaiting!

Album Review: BoA – “HURRICANE VENUS”

Tracklist:
1. GAME
2. HURRICANE VENUS
3. Dangerous
4. 옆 사람 (Stand By)
5. M.E.P. (My Electric Piano)
6. Let Me
7. 한별 (Implode)
8. Adrenaline
9. 하루하루 (Ordinary Day)
10. Don’t Know What To Say
11. 로망스 (Romance)

This is BoA’s sixth studio album and long-awaited comeback to the Korean music scene after a five year absence (mostly doing things in Japan and a foray into the U.S.). The album was released on August 5, 2010.

I love the new, high-fashion, edgy BoA. She’s back!

~

As far as opening tracks go, GAME is kind of a disappointment, but then again it isn’t. Here, we have an interesting stylistic mix: a bit of electro, some jazzy elements (electric guitar, brass instruments) and BoA’s curiously Auto-Tuned vocals. It’s certainly not boring, and BoA sounds pretty confident on her vocal parts. However, the song’s major drawback is its lack of a hook (or at least a strong one), which means it’s not as catchy as it could be. This is especially disappointing because SM usually gives their artists really excellent opening tracks. It’s sort of a shame. Not a terrible track, but I was hoping for something more.

HURRICANE VENUS makes up for anything and everything GAME lacked. With a strong vocal performance, tremendous production values and a chorus that really does sound like a hurricane, this song is the total package. Although the random English line (you know the one – “electronic manic supersonic bionic energy“) is kind of silly when you really think about it, in the context of this heavily dance-influenced song, it doesn’t detract from the overall sound at all. I could basically write a novel on why this song is great, but I’ll conclude by saying that I can scarcely think of a K-Pop song catchier than this from the year 2010. And if there is one, it’s probably from SM anyway.

Keeping with the trend of hard dance tracks, Dangerous is shamelessly sexy and seriously fierce. Despite being less than 3 minutes long, this song manages to pack in a lot of sound, most notably its thumping beat and dark stuttering synth line. BoA’s vocals are a bit doctored, but nothing too drastic considering the tone of the song. The only real negative to this song is probably its repetitiveness, but since it’s on the shorter side, this is easier to forgive.

I can’t say I agree with 옆사람 (Stand By) being placed right after Dangerous. I think I understand what they were trying to do, but the abrupt switch from electronic dance to sentimental ballad doesn’t contribute much to the overall flow. Moving on from that, however, I will admit that this song has grown on me considerably since I first heard it.  My initial impression, based on the synthesized keyboard of the first few seconds, was that this was a typical fluff ballad with not much else to offer. While that assumption was partially true – this is, indeed, a fluffy ballad – I do think BoA’s vocal performance balances out the cheesiness of the instrumentation. I normally wouldn’t be into this type of ballad, which is pretty typical K-Pop fare, but BoA made me like it.

I am a total sucker for M.E.P (My Electronic Piano). Seriously guys, I think this song is just the cutest thing and it makes me feel good to listen to it. It’s technically more uptempo compared to 옆 사람 (Stand By), but it’s not an all-out dance track. Instead, with some fanciful Owl City-style twinkles and BoA’s sugary vocals, the song leans more toward electronic pop. Whenever I listen to this song, I can’t get “I think you’re still in love with me” out of my head. Honestly, I think this is a really sweet song and I strongly recommend it.

Let Me is another song in the club dance style we’ve heard in GAME and Dangerous. Although this song has some catchy elements – the synth, the wordy verse, and parts of the chorus – on the whole, I felt it was lacking. There’s not much here but a bouncing club beat. And it’s not even that short (3 and a half minutes).

It’s a little hard for me to review 한별 (Implode) because I feel pretty strongly about it. Allow me to try, though. Implode is a 6 1/2 minute acoustic ballad, which may scare some people off, but hear me out. I think this song is absolutely beautiful for a number of reasons, one being the lyrics, which are heartbreaking (“‘Don’t leave me’/ Why were those words / So hard to say back then?“). BoA’s vocals are bare-bones and unembellished, which is actually a good thing for the simplicity of this song. But probably may favorite thing about Implode is the way it builds up. From verse to verse, more is added to the instrumentation, until they reach the stunning bridge where BoA’s voice and the synthetic background vocals reach an emotional apex. Basically, rather than praising this song to high heaven, I’ll just leave it at this by saying that I absolutely recommend this song with all my heart.

Adrenaline brings us back to upbeat dance as seems to be the theme of this album. Although it doesn’t touch on the level of excitement of HURRICANE VENUS, it’s much catchier and less obnoxious than Let Me. It’s also shorter, which means less time to get bored with it.

Our next song, 하루하루 (Ordinary Day), is a foray into simple R&B, which, surprisingly enough, hasn’t been done on this album yet. Because of this, it’s something of a breath of fresh air from the synthpop numbers and club bangers. This song really lives up to its title because it’s pretty laid-back, but it never dips into mundane territory. It’s a bit on the long side – 4 minutes 46 seconds – but it’s simple and catchy enough to justify its presence on the tracklist.

Don’t Know What To Say is the third ballad so far, but it’s not like the first two at all. Here, we have BoA against a lone piano, a strikingly minimalist setup that works just as well as its decked-out counterparts. It may seem a little odd that, on an album whose two other ballads literally pull out all the stops, a ballad where harmonies don’t even come in for a full minute could feel just as big, but the bare-bones arrangement has a genuine quality, an captivating honesty. Knowing that BoA probably nailed this track in one take is another thing that makes it really awesome. I’m not normally one to give this kind of praise, but as far as ballads go on this album, BoA’s 3 for 3, and that’s no small feat.

I find it a bit strange that a ballad was chosen to cap off the album – the same album that started with GAME, a funky synth-jazz number. But I suppose it does make sense on lyrical, narrative level. If GAME was BoA meeting with a potential suitor – the chase, if you will - 로망스 (Romance) is the full-fledged, accepting love that’s formed between them (“I wanna love you just the way you are“). In terms of the actual song, though, a 5-minute jazz ballad wasn’t exactly what I was expecting, but it’s mellow and nice, if a bit boring. Perhaps it’s an unconventional closing track, but it makes for relaxed listening anyway.

Summary: When BoA (or rather, her representation, the juggernaut talent agency SM Entertainment) announced her return to Korea after a felt-like-forever absence, expectations were high. She had, after all, been the reigning teenage queen of K-Pop for several years, and her fans were expecting no less than a full-fledged pickup from where she left off. HURRICANE VENUS accomplishes this in a roundabout way. Rather than asserting a cohesive artistic identity (which K-Pop artists seldom do anyway), the album comes off as a mixtape, a compilation of great songs from various genres. One wonders if this is SM’s way of saying, “Look at all the things she can still do! It’s like she never left! She’s still got it!” It’d be easy to call the album a scatterbrained, disorganized effort if the bast majority of the songs on it didn’t work so damn well. In this sense it’s typical SM, who won’t settle for anything less than the best for their artists. In the same vein, the album is quintessential K-Pop – a smattering of contemporary songs just daring enough to engage, but still comfortable and safe. But man, is it good.

Album Grade: A+
Recommended Tracks:
HURRICANE VENUS | M.E.P. (My Electric Piano) | 한별 (Implode) | Don’t Know What To Say 

Album Review: YUI – “Holidays in the Sun”

Tracklist:
1. to Mother
2. again
3. Parade
4. es.car
5. Shake My Heart
6. GLORIA
7. I do it
8. Please Stay With Me
9. Summer Song
10. Cinnamon
11. Driving Happy Life
12. It’s all too much
13. Kiss me

This is YUI’s fourth studio album, which was released on July 14, 2010. The album peaked at #1 on the Oricon Weekly Chart and has sold 184,952 copies.

She’s so pretty! The simplicity of this cover is what really gets me.

~

The album opens with the soft piano rock piece to Mother, a pleasant surprise since I considered it to be one of the better singles YUI released during this era. While YUI’s strength normally lies in various shades of rock, this sort of sentimental fare really highlights her strength as a vocalist, in my opinion. YUI’s vibrato is more present and in control here than most of her rock songs, and her upper range really shines. Plus, it’s nice to hear her sing about something so special as her relationship with her mom. All things considered, I think this was a really good choice for an opening track.

Next up is again, my other favorite of YUI’s singles from this album. As one of those hard-hitting rock songs YUI does so well, it’s not hard to see that she’s right at home here. Even two years after having first heard this song, it still captivates me – the hushed, subdued verse, the unbelievably wordy pre-chorus, the soaring chorus and pre-chorus all join together to create an enthralling piece of music. If you have any doubt as to how great this song truly is, please give it a listen. I’m willing to bet you’ll be impressed.

Parade is next on our list, a much slower and more laid-back track that lives out the in the sun part of this album’s title. Although it’s fairly short, Parade is such a sunny and warm song that it’s hard to have any real grievances about it. YUI’s voice is soft and sweet and the breezy sound compliments her perfectly. One might say that this is a filler song, and while that’s probably true, it might also count as an example of how filler isn’t always a bad thing. You definitely won’t find me complaining, at least not in this case.

I think es.car (if you don’t understand this title, don’t worry, I don’t either) is a nice happy medium between YUI’s normal rock style and the new softer sound she’s been courting on this album. Fundamentally, this is a song about having a crush on someone, and the confusion that accompanies such feelings, and I think the uptempo rock instrumental fits this well. YUI’s vocals are solid, although I couldn’t help but notice that her voice gets a little screechy toward the end of the chorus. Not perfect, but well above average.

Soft, sentimental and sweet almost to a fault, Shake My Heart is exactly what I’m loving about YUI and this album. On this song, YUI really shows her romantic side and to tell you the truth, it’s not cheesy or silly at all. She even knows to put her pipes on cruise control for a song that’s on the gentler side, something that makes this track really nice. The title drop in the chorus, although not sung by YUI herself (it actually sounds kind of like a gospel choir-type group) deserves special mention for its catchiness. I think Shake My Heart is a perfect example of the style of this album and how great YUI can be when she takes a new direction.

GLORIA is an upbeat rock-ish number much in the style of the songs we’ve heard so far on, so it neither slips between the cracks nor sticks out like a sore thumb. With an exciting instrumental, above average vocal performance from YUI and a strange but catchy “yai-yai-yai” hook, this song settles nicely into the track listing, but doesn’t widen the scope of the album much. In other words, this is a good track, but not excellent.

Curiously enough, YUI originally wrote the song I do it for the Japanese girl band Stereopony, who released the song as a single. I’ve not heard Stereopony’s version, but I’m going to give them the benefit of the doubt and say they gave it a fair go. In any case, YUI tears into her performance here with a tenacity that makes it clear just whose song this is. This is the particular flavor of rock where YUI proves herself the most capable, and happily, her vocals remain in control pretty much the whole time. As the halfway point in the album’s track list, this song does an excellent job of keeping the listener energized and keeping their attention.

Please Stay With Me is probably the most melancholy song on the album so far, but to say that this is a bad thing would be the furthest thing from the truth. YUI’s voice is kept very soft during the verse only to reach a mezzo-forte in the chorus, so it’s not your typical loud YUI song. That said, her voice can get a bit breathy at times, but I think that’s just me being nitpicky. The instrumental, on the other hand, is truly gorgeous. I’m very happy with this song and I think it’s a favorite.

For all intents and purposes, Summer Song is exactly what it says on the tin. YUI, some guitars, and simple summer-themed lyrics are basically the point of this song, and although it works, it’s leaning more towards bland than fun. But eh. It could definitely be worse.

I was originally afraid Cinnamon would follow in the steps of its predecessor and be kinda boring, but it actually has a really interesting melody line and a fairly catchy chorus. YUI’s vocals are goodish but nothing extraordinary. I’d say this song is an improvement from Summer Song but still not as strong as the first half of the album. But it is pretty short, so that’s good.

Driving Happy Life is really cute! Honestly, I think this song is adorable and exactly what I liked about the first couple tracks on the album. YUI’s voice is light but never loses its control, and the lyrics are really sweet too (“Happy life, isn’t it nice? / I can go anywhere I want“). This is the type of song I’d want to drive to on a summer day at the beach – or, as we say in New Jersey, down the shore – and for that reason, I enjoyed listening to it a lot.

On the pop-rock spectrum, It’s all too much is situated snugly next to again, only more towards the pop end. It’s got the same prog-rock sound, but it’s not nearly as aggressive as its preceding single. I enjoyed that aspect of it, but I also felt that YUI’s vocals could have been a little stronger. They do, at times, get a little thing. I don’t really think this is the best song on the album, but certain parts of it, like the short bridge, are very nice.

For a couple seconds, I really thought Kiss me was going to be a cover of the song by Sixpence None the Richer, whom you may or may not be familiar with. Well, it wasn’t, but it did prove itself to be a really nice song in its own right. This may be the poppiest song on the entire album, but to be honest, I felt that using a lighter track to close the album was a shrewd move. Soft and sweet, I felt great about this album after having listened to this song.

Summary: Alright, listen close, because I’m going to be totally honest with you for a minute – I wasn’t really looking forward to reviewing this album. Not because I don’t like YUI. I was more afraid that this was going to be a collection of songs that sounded the same, and that I’d need to give my full attention to each one despite being bored senseless. Whoo, I could not have been more wrong. Not only do I now love this album, I believe that its relative “sameness” – the songs with similar sounds – actually contribute to the cohesiveness and flow, which were quite good. Although the softer, more mellow shade of rock YUI’s played with on this release are a bit of a departure from her normal style, the experimentation suits her fabulously. If she decides to do more like this, I can’t wait.

Album Grade: A
Recommended Tracks:
Shake My Heart | to Mother | Please Stay With Me | again

Album Review: Kana Nishino – “to LOVE”

Tracklist:
1. Prologue ~What a nice~
2. Best Friend
3. Summer Girl feat. MINMI
4. Hey Boy
5. もっと… (Motto…; More…)
6. love & smile
7. このままで (Kono Mama de; Like This)
8. MAYBE
9. WRONG
10. Come On Yes Yes Oh Yeah!!
11. Dear…
12. 会いたくて会いたくて (Aitakute Aitakute; I Miss You, I Miss You)
13. You are the one
14. Epilogue ~to LOVE~

This is Kana Nishino’s second album, which was released on June 23, 2010. The album reached #1 on the Oricon Weekly Chart and sold 290,048 copies (those are AMAZING sales by the way).

This cover is really sweet. Kana looks like such a flower child.

~

What a nice surprise to see you wishing on a star.
The title seems random at first, but Prologue ~What a nice~ is a fittingly sweet intro. With cute lyrics and an atmospheric sound, this track allows the listener to get re-familiarized with the type of pop Kana specializes in, all the while setting the mood for the rest of the album. Cute, simple, if a bit forgettable – but it gets the job done.

Best Friend, basically, is a much improved-upon rendition of Kana’s typical upbeat pop songs. It’s a bright, sunny track, with optimistic lyrics and a really catchy beat. The truly great thing is that Kana shows off her range and it’s evident how much better she’s gotten since she debuted. Really good song to kick off the body of the album!

I’m undecided as to how I feel about Summer Girl feat. MINMI. On one hand, it’s got an interesting retro-pop sound that fits Kana’s voice, and both Kana and MINMI deliver really solid vocal performances here. On the other, the music itself is a bit on the obnoxious side, and as I listened to it I couldn’t get used to it for the life of me. I’m not sure if this song is a grower or if I just plain don’t like it, but one thing I know is that it’s kind of disappointing next to Best Friend.

Thankfully, I ended up loving Hey Boy. There’s nothing quite like a pop-rock track to cheer you up, is there? Hey Boy is extremely light-hearted, playful and flirty, and to be honest I think it suits Kana really well. I mean, you can only do so many weepy ballads, after all. I do feel as though if anyone else had done this song, I’d be annoyed by it, but Kana’s youthfulness really makes it enjoyable.

もっと．．． is one of those “missing you madly” songs Kana’s become famous for, and I’d say it’s one of the better ones as well. There is the slightest tinge of sadness in the music and vocals, but neither ever gets to the point of being weepy or annoying. The beat and synths prevent that. My one issue with this song is that Kana’s voice gets a little thin at times, as it is prone to, but those incidents were only occasional and didn’t detract from the song as a whole.

I feel bad saying that love & smile is boring, even though it is, just because it tries so hard. My guess is that it’s supposed to be a cute, feel-good song, but it goes a little too heavy on the sugar and ends up being viciously dull. And don’t even get me started on the children’s chorus (if it can be called that) that comes in towards the end. Long story short: lackluster track, feel free to skip.

このままで is another song that tries really hard, but doesn’t quite achieve its goal. A standard R&B ballad with a slovenly beat and typical keyboards, the problem with this track had very little to do with Kana herself. In fact, Kana holds up her vocals pretty well throughout. The fact is, this song is fundamentally snooze-inducing and nothing particularly special. It takes a key change to breathe life into this particular number. Anyway, if I seem like I’m being to hard on Kana, make no mistake – it’s not her this time. It’s everything else.

I must say that MAYBE is a refreshing pick-me-up after those two sub-par tracks. This electronic-influenced midtempo piece is an entertaining listen because of the juxtaposition between its unexpected verses and more conventional-sounding chorus. It’s a bit of a departure from the typical sugary pop Kana is known for, but it’s just left-of-center enough to be special, without crossing over into weirdness or obscurity. Overall, I’d say this is one of the stronger tracks on the album so far.

WRONG surprised me more than I was expecting it to. The verse begins pretty standard, with light feathery synths and a clapping beat, nicely supporting Kana’s confident vocals. Then comes the chorus, a rock-tinged tempest with a really catchy hook (“You got me, got me all wrong, wrong, wrong“). Aside from the fact that Kana’s vocal performance on this song is very strong, it’s also worth noting because of how atypical it is for genres to be blended like this, at least as far as Kana is concerned. Honestly, I really like this song and I think it’s going to find its way into some of my playlists from now on.

I can’t be the only one who read into the title of Come On Yes Yes Oh Yeah!!. I mean… come on. Needless to say I went into this song expecting something different from what I got – something more Koda Kumi-esque, I suppose. I was a bit thrown off by the beginning of this song, which is kind of reminiscent of reggaeton or 4minute-type hip hop, but this part of the song quickly melts away into the actual melody, a cute and fun dance track reminiscent of 90s pop and the B-side 今夜はPARTY UP. It’s light fare, with a danceable beat and catchy tune, and sometimes, that’s really all you need.

Initially, I was going to complain about the placement of Dear…, a sentimental winter ballad, right after Come On Yes Yes Oh Yeah!!, but because this song is so catchy in its own right, I really can’t bring myself to do it. The melody otf this song is sweet and very accessible, and in all truthfulness, Kana’s vocals are quite remarkable. Definitely recommended.

Sadly, I no longer find 会いたくて会いたくて as charming as I did when I first heard it. Although it is catchy and well-produced, I think it’s missing something. There really is no warmth in the instrumental or in Kana’s voice. I’m hoping that I’ll eventually grow to like this song again, but right now I’m just not feeling it.

You are the one actually came up one day on shuffle before I had heard it in the context of this album, and I was surprised at how much I liked it. It’s a simple song for the most part, but its powerful chorus is what did me in. Kana’s belting voice is put to great use here, and the cascading synths are just too euphoric to pass up. I’m not sure if this is exactly a standout track on the album, per se, but it is definitely a personal favorite.

Epilogue ~to LOVE~ is essentially the same thing as Prologue ~What a nice~. Same melody, same lyrics, everything. It’s pretty, and it effectively brings the album full circle.

Summary: Kana Nishino is one of the biggest rising stars in J-Pop, and I’d be lying if I said the hype weren’t mostly true. All of the singles on this album are well crafted, catchy, and instantly likable songs, and many of the B-sides (WRONG, Hey Boy, You are the one) are worthy of such praise as well. But aside from just having a great production team behind her, I think one of the foremost appeals of Kana is her earnestness and sympathetic qualities. Is she a perfect singer? No, far from it. But she does try hard, and her heartrending vocals showcase this the most. This is a very solid sophomore album, and I feel no hesitation in saying that I’ve finally bought into the Kana Nishino hype.

Album Grade: A
Recommended Tracks:
Dear… | MAYBE | Best Friend | WRONG |  Hey Boy

Album Review: BENI – “Lovebox”

Tracklist:
1. Lovebox Intro
2. ユラユラ (Yura Yura; Wavering)
3. サイン (Sign)
4. 瞳とじて (Hitomi Tojite; Close Your Eyes)
5. ギミギミ♥ (Gimme Gimme ♥)
6. Girl’s Night feat. JAMOSA
7. a million jewels
8. 君じゃなきゃ (Kimi ja Nakya; If It’s Not You)
9. bye bye
10. MOVE
11. break the rules
12. he is mine
13.マイ・フレンド (My Friend)
14. Message
15. ずっと二人で unplugged version (Zutto Futari de; Together Always)

This is BENI’s second album under the Universal Japan label, which was released on June 2, 2010. The album reached #1 on the Oricon Weekly Chart (wow!) and has sold around 45,000 copies.

She’s seriously too pretty. I really like these covers by the way. They’re so soft and inviting.

~

The intro for BENI’s last album, BITTER & SWEET, was an unusual opener, and Lovebox Intro is similarly weird. It starts with what sounds like a carnival happening in the background, and then some twinkling keyboards with BENI singing. Things get considerably better from here, with some nice vocals and cute lyrics (“So open up your heart, it’s called the Lovebox“). I’m not entirely sure what BENI was trying to do with this intro, but it ended up pretty cute, so I can’t say I didn’t like it.

Back when I reviewed the single on which ユラユラ was featured, I distinctly remember finding this the weaker of the two A-sides. However, by no means does that mean that this is a bad song. The quick tempo and bright synths make it a good first full track for this album, so we’re not bogged down with a ballad right off the bat. I’m not ready to say that this is a standout track or anything, but it’s honestly rather good and appropriate for an opening song.

サイン is one of my favorite BENI songs, and there are a couple reasons for that. For one, it’s got a great instrumental, with a simple piano line, poignant-but-not-overwrought strings, and a pleasant beat. It’s pretty without trying too hard. Then there are the vocals; this is one of BENI’s few songs in which I feel her voice is spot-on the entire time. I sometimes feel she gets too breathy, but she seems to have kept that to a minimum here, and when she is breathy, it almost kind of fits. And third, BENI proves her ability as a songwriter with simple but elegant poetry (“I will not lose to anyone/ Even though I love you more than anyone else/ Don’t look away, notice me/ I’m sending you a sign right now“). It’s a classy and beautiful song, and my fondness for it is really strong.

The fourth track, 瞳とじて, is a simple, feminine R&B love song. It’s also pretty obvious filler. The biggest perks about it would probably be the pleasant melody and catchy chorus, so it’s not horrible or anything. It simply is not very remarkable. I actually found myself getting a little bored listening to it. So if you’re not a fan of this one, you’re not the only one.

I still love ギミギミ♥ every bit as much as I did when I first heard it. Every time I hear that beginning flourish of synth and BENI singing, “Gimme gimme your love, softly,” it’s an instant mood-lifter. Aside from the cute lyrics, definitely the best thing about this song is the total ear worm chorus. Seriously, give it a listen and I bet you’ll have it stuck in your head, big time. This is a really nicely done track, and I can see it standing out in the album’s track listing already.

Sometimes you just need a night out to forget about all the stuff that’s been getting you down. If that’s your situation, Girls’ Night feat. JAMOSA should suit your mood perfectly. I ended up enjoying this song a bit more than I thought I would, since I normally find this kind of song a bit cheesy (with a few exceptions). The music is upbeat and exciting, and the chorus with its call-and-response effect is catchy in a way you don’t really see coming. BENI sounds perfectly relaxed and comfortable with her part, and JAMOSA holds her own in her solo section. Fun song!

Next we have a million jewels, another R&B affair, and a nice one at that. Although I can’t say there’s anything oh-my-god-absolutely-spectacular about this song, BENI’s performance is quite beautiful, and the beat has plenty of swagger to go with the appropriately twinkling synths. It makes for a nice setup for the next track.

君じゃなきゃ is the second ballad on this album and it is a killer. BENI’s voice is so filled with longing throughout, it captivates you. The wintry feel of the song is really made clear through the small chimes in the chorus. I’m normally really picky about strings in ballad-type songs, since I feel like it’s easy for them to become too much, but the balance between the strings and everything else was virtually perfect. Overall, I just feel that this is a really beautiful song and I definitely recommend it.

Ah, bye bye. It’s so catchy and easy to sit back and enjoy. I’ll always think of this song as a song I can listen to when I’m in a relaxed mood, with its breezy synths and impassioned vocals. In reality, the lyrics are about lovers parting ways, so it’s not as cheerful as it may sound. However it’s no less of a pleasant song  for it.

MOVE is one of the more aggressive songs on the album and definitely one of my favorites as well. It begins with that “pew-pew-pew” sound that’s been used a lot lately, and kicks in with some synths and pretty decent bass. BENI’s vocals are appropriately taken up a notch and fit well with the song’s dance style, but do seem a bit tame at times. In terms of dance tunes, MOVE may not be your best bet if you’re looking for something heavy, but to a certain degree it is dancefloor-appropriate. Those looking for a light upbeat groove will find it here.

If MOVE left you feeling dissatisfied, look no further, for break the rules is here to fix that. By far more aggressive and sexy than the previous track, break the rules makes excellent use of BENI’s naturally husky tone against dark bass. The whole song is really catchy, but the harmonies in the bridge deserve special mention. Definitely a strong track.

Gotta be honest, I’m not a huge fan of he is mine. It’s very standard R&B fare, and it does not go beyond that. BENI sounds lovely, but not even that can save this song from its sleepy sound. And what’s that weird noise that plays every five seconds? This is just a sub-par song, and I always skip it.

マイ・フレンド is a big step up, a sweet song about friendship. Since the theme of Lovebox is the various types of love that exist, it makes sense that there would be a song dedicated to platonic love between friends. It’s a bit on the long side, just short of five minutes, but the general pleasantness of the melody more or less make up for that.

The problem I have with Message is the same one I had with he is mine: it’s just boring. This really is no fault of BENI’s but she doesn’t exactly help either. So even though I didn’t enjoy this song much at all, I had to at least be grateful for the fact that it was much shorter than it could have been.

I’m just going to put this out there: ずっと二人で unplugged version is the single most beautiful song on this album, bar none. What it does is transform an already pretty song into a sweeping live track with bells and whistles stripped away, leaving nothing but strings, piano and BENI’s lovely voice. Granted she gets a little pitchy at times, but hey, she’s only human. I was quite pleased and impressed with the decision to make this song the album closer, since it did the job very well and left me with relatively good feelings about the album as a whole.

Summary: Well, first off, let it never be said that BENI hasn’t improved – she has, and nowhere is that more evident than on songs like 君じゃなきゃ and ずっと二人で unplugged version, two very lovely but simple ballads that show off her strengths as a songwriter and a vocalist. That said, however, this is not the kind of leaps-and-bounds improvement that hurls a singer like BENI into a whole new artistic plane. It’s more subtle, and requires a patient listener to sit through the dud tracks (瞳とじて, a million jewels, to name a couple) in order to get to the gems (サイン, bye bye). In short, this is a very accessible release, accommodating old listeners and welcoming new ones, but it is nowhere near perfect.

Album Grade: B+
Recommended Tracks:
ギミギミ♥ | 君じゃなきゃ | サイン | break the rules

Album Review: Matsushita Yuya – “I AM ME”

Tracklist:
1. INTRO
2. YOU
3. foolish foolish
4. INTERLUDE I
5. Mr. “Broken Heart”
6. LAST SNOW
7. 声にならなくて feat. Sista (Koe ni Naranakute; Can’t Say It)
8. Agitation
9. INTERLUDE II
10. ふたり (Futari; Two of Us)
11. 願いがかなら・・・-album version- (Negai ga Kanau nara; If My Wish Comes True)
12. Trust Me
13. first snow feat. Sista
14. その時までのサヨナラ (Sono Toki made no Sayonara; A Goodbye For Until Then)
15. INTERLUDE III
16. Hallucination
17. KISS ME
18. Honesty

This is Matsushita Yuya’s debut album, which was released on June 2, 2010. The album reached #15 on the Oricon Weekly Chart and sold 6,701 copies.

As a Broadway fan it warms my heart to see Yuya standing with Chicago and West Side Story in the background. If only I had known when he was in New York, I may have been able to see him! (A girl can dream, can’t she?)

~

The introduction for this album, INTRO (lol creative title), begins with some classical-sounding strings, which soon meet up with a gritty R&B beat and adlibbing from Yuya himself. The stylistic blend of this 34-second track is very interesting, but thankfully it’s not long enough for me to get bored of listening to it.

YOU comes right after, and the transition between the two tracks is damn near flawless. I am utterly in love with this song and its hard, sexy dance sound. Thankfully the lyrics are mostly in Japanese, but even the English parts (“What you gonna do tonight for somebody?“) and the rap are incredibly catchy. Great, energetic start to the album!

Does anyone else think the verse to foolish foolish sounds really similar to Ne-Yo’s So Sick? No? Let’s get on with the review, then. The thing I love most about this R&B quasi-ballad, aside from its immediate catchiness, is that Yuya is really in touch with his own voice here. He strikes an impressive balance with his vocals, equal parts smooth and emotional. It’s the mark of a talented singer, and with a hook as catchy as the one here, it makes for a winning combination.

The transition between INTERLUDE 1 and Mr. “Broken Heart” is truly exquisite, as the two songs use the same string element and the interlude acts as a brief introduction that helps the listener prep his or herself for the upcoming song. Mr. “Broken Heart” is a song much in the style of foolish foolish, with a distinct beat but also a laid-back feel. There are more awkward English phrases in the former than the latter, but they’re not so prominent that they detract from the song’s good points. I mean, yeah, “I am broken heart” isn’t very profound or grammatically correct, but I’ve heard worse and I’m sure you have too. So with this song, we have another winner.

LAST SNOW is the first true ballad of this album, and it doesn’t disappoint. Staying true to its title, this song has a very distinct “winter” feeling about it, and the billowing strings and piano help accentuate this. I found myself reasonably impressed with the buildup in the verses and bridge. Yuya’s voice handles ballad-type arrangements really well as well. All in all, this is a really well-executed song.

As much as I hoped there wouldn’t be a track that I didn’t like, there is: 声にならなくて feat. Sista. My reason for not caring for this song very much has little to do with Sista’s presence (I like the occasional featured artist) and more to do with Yuya’s performance. He doesn’t do much actual singing on this track; what he does do is this slow, rhythmic rapping in a low voice, and to be honest I think he sounds a little sketchy. The music itself isn’t anything bad, just nothing spectacular enough to compensate for Yuya’s creepy vocal. Ah, well. You can’t win ‘em all.

Agitation is another dance track, and I’m going to just say it this time: I think it’s kind of boring. I mean, I love Yuya and he does dance/R&B-style songs really well, but even I got tired of hearing him sing “Ah-gee-tay-shon! Ah-gee-tay-shon!” after a couple times. So yeah, I didn’t dig this song very much, but it’s nothing I can’t handle.

INTERLUDE 2, a beautiful but melancholy piano piece, leads into this album’s second ballad, ふたり, which I still love every bit as much as I did when I reviewing the Trust Me single. That said, rather than devote unnecessary time and space to a song I’ve established my love for, I’m just going to say that I love it because it’s beautiful, and as far as ballads go, that’s a really good thing.

I found 願いが叶うなら・・・-album version- to be a refreshing return to Yuya’s beloved R&B style. It’s got a nice beat, a great melody and the chorus is superbly catchy. Those harmonies in the beginning, during the English part, are awesome too. The chorus melody tends to get stuck in my head, and to be honest, I don’t think that’s a bad thing.

Ah, Trust Me. This is the first song of Yuya’s that I ever heard, and I loved it immediately. Now that I’m watching Durarara!!, the anime for which this song serves as the ending theme, I love it even more. Everything about it, too – the beat, the synths, the upbeat melody, Yuya’s voice and that awesome rap. The combination of these things is an offer that’s too good to pass up.

Okay, so, the thing about first snow feat. Sista. I really like how it incorporates the same melody from LAST SNOW, but here we go again with Yuya’s fucking creepy rapping. Can we just not and say we did? Thankfully, though, I really like the chorus to this song because Yuya and Sista sing it together in harmony, which turned out quite nicely. So even though I still think Yuya’s low-pitched rapping is sounds sleazy, I found this song just that much more tolerable than 声にならなくて.

Whoa, whoa, whoa. Hold the phone. A rock song? That’s right, folks. その時までのサヨナラ, rather than being another R&B affair, is a light, pop-tinged rock tune. Even though this is the first song of the genre on this album, Yuya handled it very well and he didn’t sound out of his element at all. I mean, it has a terrific melody, and it’s not like he was tackling hard rock or anything (that’d be a different story). I do find it humorous that he managed to fit a rap in there, though. Ah well. You can take the boy out of the R&B, but you can’t take the R&B out of the boy, I suppose.

The melodic INTERLUDE 3, with church bells heard in the distance, melds superbly into Hallucination, which was Yuya’s solo song in the second of the Black Butler musicals, in which he starred. In comparison to the other two ballads on this album, I ended up finding this one kind of slow and slightly less interesting. It’s quite lovely, don’t get me wrong, but it wasn’t as captivating ふたり and LAST SNOW. Still give it a listen, though. I wouldn’t pass this one up.

You know what genre we haven’t heard from Yuya yet? Disco. Oh, wait, I lied – we have KISS ME. I have to be honest: I loved the happy, bouncy feel of this song and the way Yuya sounded on his vocal. Even the way he sings “Come to me baby sweet my love” was just so cute. So, yeah. Good song.

Honesty has more of a pop feeling to it than the majority of the songs on this album, which I think make it an interesting choice for the last track. It’s bright and bouncy, and Yuya’s voice is pretty charming throughout. I didn’t find this to be the strongest closing track, but it got the job done sufficiently.

Summary: As far as debut albums go, Matsushita Yuya has done one hell of a good job. The amount of good songs on this album is really remarkable, plus the tracklisting (which was good to begin with) is given an extra boost by the 3 interludes, which help give the album amazing flow in terms of transitions. The fact that Yuya performs hot dance songs, laid-back R&B numbers, ballads, and rock songs with equal finesse is also very impressive. Basically, I can’t recommend this album enough. Even if the number of tracks (18, although four of them are interludes) seems intimidating, this is truly one of the best Japanese albums that’s come out recently, and you won’t regret investing time in it.

Album Grade: A+
Recommended Tracks:
Trust Me | foolish foolish | LAST SNOW | YOU | その時までのサヨナラ

Single Review: Kana Nishino – “会いたくて 会いたくて”

Tracklist:
1. 会いたくて 会いたくて (Aitakute Aitakute; I Miss You, I Miss You)
2. LOVE IS BLIND
3. Grab Bag

This is Kana Nishino’s 19th single, which was released on May 19, 2010. It reached #2 on the Oricon Weekly Chart.

Of all Kana’s blank-stare-fish-lipped covers… this one is the worst.

~

I really enjoyed Kana’s last single Best Friend, but 会いたくて 会いたくて has proven to me that Kana’s true strength lies in sad love songs. Despite the anguished, melancholic mood of this song, Kana keeps her vocals strong but never overbearing. That said, I enjoyed this song, but I can’t say I’m absolutely in love with it. The chorus gets a bit repetitive at times and that’s mainly what kept me from liking it as much as some of her other songs.

LOVE IS BLIND takes the opposite route. A trendy dance song with bouncy synths and simple lyrics, I found this track enjoyable simply by virtue of the fact that it was very catchy. It’s no masterpiece, but it has a cute hook and I’m a sucker for well-executed dance pop.

What in the name of hell is going on in Grab Bag? This song is hideous from start to finish. It begins with Kana trying to sound sexy in what sounds like English (but I can’t really tell because her accent is pretty bad), continues with the gross chorus and the random yelling in the background doesn’t improve the situation. Ugh. My God, Kana. What were you thinking?

Summary: Well, let’s start here – this single, on the whole, is very good, if a bit flawed. Kana Nishino handles her pop numbers with class, but she managed to sound very youthful and fresh even so, which is what makes songs like 会いたくて会いたくて and LOVE IS BLIND so pleasant to listen to. The main problem with this single is its second B-side, which is utterly atrocious in every sense of the word. However, not even the horridness of Grab Bag was enough to detract from the other two tracks, which are quite good.

Single Grade: B+
Recommended Tracks:
会いたくて 会いたくて | LOVE IS BLIND