Jpop mp3s, lyrics, album reviews

2011 Maui Chrysanthemum Festival

Fri, 02 Dec 2011 04:10:23 GMT

This is the 3rd year I've been asked to make a Japanese pop (Jpop) mix to be played during the dinner of the Maui Chrysanthemum Festival. Last year I was told to make it R&B and not anything jumpy. This year, I was told to have R&B and some obon type of music. I added a couple of obon/ethnic-sounding music, PLUS a surprise for the last song. I hope they like the selection I made. Good luck to the girls!

Zipped download of all the songs
Link to individual songs

TRACKLIST:
01 SONOMI - Everyday
02 Jasmine - sad to say
03 Tohoshinki - Bolero
04 Sakai Noriko - Nori-P Ondo
05 the Indigo - Kimi no Melody
06 Matsushita Yuya - Naturally
07 SOULHEAD - Itsu Demo Kimi no Koto wo
08 Rin' - Fuhen
09 AAA - Get Chu!
10 Tawata Emi - Naturally
11 URATA NAOYA - anything about sex
12 Hamasaki Ayumi - sweet season
13 BENI - Anything Goes!!
14 Hitoto You - Morai Naki
15 DOUBLE - Tattoo
16 Nakashima Mika - Sakura Iro Mau Koro
17 MAX - Nirai Kanai

BONUS TRACK:
Sara Mari - Mirror Mirror ft. COMA-CHI

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01 SONOMI - Everyday*Everyday

SONOMI is one of my favorite artists. Her music is on the R&B side, but like all Jpop artists, she dabbles in different genres. "Everyday*Everyday" has a bit of reggae flavor to it. Kreva provides the intro and "On and on" lines. The PV for this song amuses me.

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02 Jasmine - sad to say

Jasmine is another R&B artist and I was blown away by her songs when I first heard them. Her debut album GOLD is impressive and her vocals are great. I hope she releases a new album soon even though her singles after this album are forgettable.

I added "sad to say" with a little bit of reluctance since she says "fucking sorrow" in one of the lines. I don't think anyone can hear it so too bad. Maybe they'll think it's some form of English-sounding Japanese.

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03 Tohoshinki - Bolero

This is one of the songs that my karaoke friend Stacey likes to sing and it grew on me. Tohoshinki is a Korean boyband who also released Japanese music. This is a slow dramatic ballad type.

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04 Sakai Noriko - Nori-P Ondo

I was asked to put some obon music into the mix, so here is the only obon song that I have in my possession. Thank goodness my friend Nadine provided a bunch of obon songs and Natsukawa Rimi songs for another mix I was asked to make.

"Nori-P Ondo" is a cutesy obon-sounding song. One of my faves from Sakai Noriko, who might be more well known for her Heaven's Coins (Hoshi no Kinka) Japanese drama, in which she sang the theme songs.

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05 the Indigo - Kimi no Melody

Even though this song might not fit well with this mix, I had to add another fave artist of mine, the Indigo. It's a mellow song with a relaxing sound. The performance is just an acoustic version of the original.

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06 Matsushita Yuya - Naturally

Matsushita Yuya is Japan's answer to those male Korean singers who can dance and sing. I heard about him a while back and had his album on my laptop but never really gave it a listen till just recently and I'm liking it. His stuff is R&B pop and quite good too.

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07 SOULHEAD - Itsu Demo Kimi no koto wo

Ah, another fave of mine is SOULHEAD. I love the melody and harmonization that the SOULHEAD sisters do in this song. They both have such lovely voices that it's almost unbelievable that one of them (TSUGUMI) is also the rapper of this duo.

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08 Rin' - Fuhen

Rin' is a jpop group who use traditional instruments, which they play themselves. All 3 girls sing as well. "Fuhen" is one of the songs of theirs that I like.

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09 AAA - Get Chu!

AAA is a pop group made up of guys and girls. Their music is quite catchy, especially since they put a hint of rap in some of their songs. "Get Chu!" is a fun, cutesy song but I love it a lot. They look like they're having fun in the PV.

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10 Tawata Emi - Naturally

Tawata Emi is another artist that I had laying around in my ipod. When I randomly listened to her album, I was blown away. I loved her smooth sultry vocals and her music is R&B jazz, which is a welcome change from all the upbeat songs/artists out there.

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11 URATA NAOYA - anything about sex

URATA NAOYA is one of the AAA guys (the blonde one with the white shirt & sideways black cap in the "Get Chu!" PV) and I absolutely love his debut album. His songs are mostly pop R&B compared to the strictly pop sound of AAA. It's too bad that more of his songs wasn't released as a single. "anything about sex" is, as its title suggests, sexy.

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12 Hamasaki Ayumi - sweet season

Since I added the other 3 Jpop queens in last year's mix (Amuro Namie, Koda Kumi, and Utada Hikaru), I figured I should add Ayu to this mix. Well not really. I just listened to songs that were already in iTunes and thought that "sweet season" was a nice song. It surprised me that this was released as a single since it seems like a filler track. What's up with Ayu's white kids in the PV btw?

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13 BENI - Anything Goes!!

Arashiro Beni. Those two words together scare me because of the atrocious music she used to have. BUT get rid of the "Arashiro" and capitalize BENI and her songs are quite catchy and good. "Anything Goes!!" is on the poppy side but I like it a lot. For those who dislike her old music, I recommend trying out her BENI albums. Her latest album Fortune made me change my mind about her and made me eat the arashitty I was spouting before.

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14 Hitoto You - Morai Naki

Hitoto You's debut song. I love the ethnic sound with a reggae beat and her voice is lovely.

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15 DOUBLE - Tattoo

I cannot make a mix without DOUBLE especially since she released a new album this year called WOMAN. "Tattoo" is more on the mellow side. I wish I could've added "Lips" but I don't think that would've worked in this mix.

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16 Nakashima Mika - Sakura Iro Mau Koro

Nakashima Mika is either a hit or miss with me. "Sakura Iro Mau Koro" is definitely a hit. It's one of the songs we sing at karaoke so I decided to make a quick add to this mix. It's a beautiful ballad and Mika's vocals are lovely.

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17 MAX - Nirai Kanai

Okinawan music with a techno twist. I think this is a great song for the end of a mix but I'm not sure if this will work for the mix I was asked to make. You know what? I don't care. I love this song and it does have the traditional music feel to it, so I'm making up my own rules. :D

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BONUS TRACK:

Sara Mari - Mirror Mirror ft. COMA-CHI

I'm not really familiar with Sara Mari but I do remember hearing this "Mirror Mirror" song and liking it a few years ago. I decided that this song wouldn't really fit in with this mix since the chorus is a little "in your face" sounding. It was between this and the AAA song and the latter won. I decided to add this song as a bonus anyway.

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Chrysanthemum Ball 2010 mix

Mon, 22 Nov 2010 05:10:51 GMT

I was asked to make a Jpop mix to be played at the Maui Chrysanthemum Ball dinner. Last year, I had no idea what the age group was, so I made mostly an enka mix, but apparently the age of the people who were going to the dinner are in high school (plus their parents) so I guess that did not go well since I was now told to keep it on the R&B side, but not anything "jumpy."

While most of the songs are on the poppy R&B side (I don't think straight up R&B would suit this type of crowd), I did add some ballads to so it didn't sound too alike. I also enlisted in the help of my Jpop karaoke friend Stacey to get ideas for songs to add because I wanted some variety. If I'm asked to make another mix next year, I'm going to refer to the long list of songs that she gave me.

So here's the list of the songs in order of how I made the CD:

Download songs individually
Download songs in a batch

[Note: If you're already a Jpop fan, you probably have all of these songs. Sorry.]

~ Aoyama Thelma ft. Soulja - Soba ni iru kara
****Click to watch video****
Aoyama Thelma info

This is Aoyama Thelma's debut song and it was a really popular hit for her. Unfortunately, I don't think that anything she released after that was that great. She's pretty much a one-hit wonder in my book.

"Soba ni iru ne" is a medium-paced song with a nice piano melody. Soulja's mellow rap gives a little edge to it.

~ Crystal Kay - Koi ni Ochitara
Crystal Kay info

Crystal Kay is a popular R&B pop singer. "Koi ni Ochitara" is a catchy pop song from the Japanese drama of the same title.

~ Utada Hikaru - Goodbye Happiness
Utada Hikaru info

"Goodbye Happiness" is the latest single from Jpop superstar Utada Hikaru. The song is pretty good, but what probably made me like it a lot is the video itself. It's cute, amusing, and is very much like a fan-made video, but directed & starred by the artist herself. There are many references to her previous videos (my favorite is the "Automatic" yellow chair part) and some other things (Kuma Chang mask!), so her fans will definitely get a kick out of this. Even if you aren't familiar with her, just watching this video will bring a smile to ones face.

~ SMAP - Lion Heart
SMAP info

SMAP is a boyband and "Lion Heart" is one of their famous songs. It's a ballad type.

~ MAX - Issho ni
****Click to watch video****
MAX info

MAX used to be part of Super Monkeys (with Amuro Namie), but when Amuro went solo, they formed MAX. This song is a Christmassy ballad type.

~ Ito Yuna ft. Micro (Def Tech) - Mahaloha
Ito Yuna info
Def Tech info

Ito Yuna was raised in Hawaii & one half of Def Tech lived in Hawaii as well. I guess this is why they collaborated to make "Mahaloha" (a combination of "mahalo" and "aloha"), a medium-paced song with an island feel & the video was shot on Oahu.

~ Double - Let It Go
Double info

Double is one of my favorite artists. She's more on the R&B side, with a lot of pop elements. "Let It Go" is one of her poppier songs, which is why I felt it suited this compilation.

~ Jamosa - MISSIN' YOU
Jamosa info
****Click to watch video****

A lot of Jamosa's songs are straight up R&B, but I wanted to find the most accessible song and "MISSIN' YOU" was it.

~ SOULHEAD - One More Time
SOULHEAD info

SOULHEAD is probably my favorite artist at the moment. They have a wide variety of songs ranging from rap, R&B, ballads, pop. The SOULHEAD sisters both have lovely singing voices and Tsugumi does a really great job at rapping. Because I've been listening to their music a ton recently, I felt that I had to add one of their songs to the mix. Though "One More Time" seems like the "jumpiest" song on this list, I had to add it because it seemed the most tame of their songs (excluding the ballads).

I also have to add that the version in the video where they have that Caribbean breakdown is not in the song download. The beat in the download is the same throughout.

~ BoA ft. Miura Daichi - Possibility
BoA info
Miura Daichi info

I was very impressed when I saw the live version of this song. Their harmonies and vocal qualities are excellent and the song itself is a great ballad. Miura Daichi is a fave male vocalist of mine; BoA, I'm not too fond of, but I really liked her in this song.

~ Koda Kumi - 1000 no Kotoba
Koda Kumi info

This song is from Final Fantasy X-2, so it seems popular. Too bad I can't find a performance of Kumi singing it.

~ Kato Miliyah - you go your way
Kato Miliyah info

Unfortunately, this song wasn't released as a single and I have no idea if there is concert footage of her performing this song. I had to add this song because it's one of my favorites by her and mellow AND catchy enough to be a great addition to this mix.

~ ISSA - Going down into you
Da Pump info

ISSA, the lead singer of Da Pump, had a solo album and it's one of my favorite Jpop albums. His voice and this song is just so damn sexy. It's just too bad that there is no video of him singing it.

~ Tohoshinki - Doushite Kimi wo Suki ni natte shimatta n daro?
Tohoshinki info

Tohoshinki/DBSK/TVXQ, or whatever they're called, are a Korean boyband, who broke into the Jpop market and succeeded. "Doushite" is the first song that I heard of theirs and I'm quite addicted to it. So addicted that I think I'll check out more of their songs.

"Doushite" is a sappy song about a guy who's in love with his friend but has to let his feelings go because she's getting married.

~ PUSHIM - anything for you
Pushim info

Yep, I had to add my "go to" reggae song for this mix. Very disappointed that I couldn't find the video for this song anymore. :(

~ Amuro Namie - The meaning of us
Amuro Namie info

Yes, the Queen of Hip-Pop also sings ballads, and this is one of the prettier ones that she has. Beautiful vocals and the song is great. Love the video too.

~ Double ft. Shimizu Shota - Oyasumi no Kiss ~Good Night My Love~
****Click to watch video****
Double info
Shimizu Shota info

Another Double song, but it's a collabo with Shimizu Shota, so it's fine. The video is pretty amusing because Shota looks very young, which makes Double look like a cougar.

Karaoke (May 23 & June 12, 2009)

Sun, 21 Jun 2009 21:26:10 GMT

Karaoke (May 23, 2009)
Click to see the rest of the songs we sang

Download songs individually:
http://www.corichan.com/karaoke2009.05.23

On Megaupload
http://www.megaupload.com/?d=7O2RWLMX

realize - melody. (cori)
Theme from Dragon Zakura. Cute & upbeat.

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Man & Woman - My Little Lover (c)
One of the first Jpop groups I heard of. Their first album is the best!

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All My Loving - Fukuyama Masaharu (Saburo)
A fun, upbeat Masha song. Saburo rocked this!

(Thanks to Saburo for the song)

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You're My Treasure ~Tooi Yakusoku - CoCo (c)
Cute idol group.

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Wait & See ~Risk~ - Utada Hikaru (c)
I hated this song at first, but the PV was pretty awesome and made me like the song. Too bad I was feeling a bit off when I sang it because I know fucked up with this song. :(

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Watashi no Aoi Tori - Sakurada Junko (groink & Kayo-chan)
This song is absolutely adorable. It plays in my mind off and on because it's so addicting.

(Thanks to Saburo for the song)

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Hidamari no Uta - Le Couple (K)
From Hitotsu Yane no Shita 2. Le Couple's famous song. I heard of this song way before I heard of the drama.

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Shiosai no Melody - Takada Mizue (c)
This was the first Jpop song I heard back in the 80s when I was growing up and I loved it so. My dad used to play this all the time and sometimes when they played this song or the instrumental on the radio, my brother & I listened to the few opening notes and if there were no vocals, that was the "junk" version.

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Morning Coffee - Morning Musume (c&S)
My first Morning Musume song. Saburo & I did an awesome job with this song! Can't wait to do more H!P related songs in the future! :D

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Karaoke (June 12, 2009)
Click to see the rest of the songs we sang

Download songs individually:
http://www.corichan.com/karaoke2009.06.12

On Megaupload
http://www.megaupload.com/?d=ZU6Z6RC0

Message - Fukuyama Masaharu (S)
Kayo-chan & I wanted Saburo to sing this song since March, but he forgot to put this in the mix then & we were kicked out of the karaoke place in May, so this was the first time he could sing it. Well worth the wait. :D

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You Are My Starship - Princess Princess (c)
My first & favorite Princess Princess song. I remember downloading it from Starship Boy, an old mp3 site in the 90's. I love the tribal beats and it's just a catchy song overall.

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Sakura Mankai - Morning Musume Sakuragumi (c)
THE most beautiful Morning Musume-related song I've ever heard. When I first watched the PV, I was mesmerized by it and the song and I was glad that I learned to sing it. I hope I did a good job.

(Thanks to Saburo for the song)

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Saboten no Hana - Tulip (g)
Theme from the Hitotsu Yane no Shita drama.

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LOVE & PEACE - TOKIO (z)
Theme from the drama Love & Peace. zdorama was great!

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Brand New Aria!!! - Asuka (c)
The canned music sounded awful and because of it, my performance was forgettable and I didn't like it at all. I guess I know now never sing R&B songs. This was really too bad because I wanted to sing this song the most since I thought I sounded pretty good while practicing it. :(

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Anata Dake wo ~Summer Heartbreak - Southern All Stars (g)
Ah, the theme song from a great drama (up until the last episode), "Itsuka Mata Aeru." I liked this song before I watched the drama.

(Thanks to Saburo for the song)

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Mahaloha - Ito Yuna & Micro of Def Tech (c&S)
Cute, but cheesy song. It has the "Hawaii" thing, so I wanted to sing it. Plus I thought the lyrics were cute & it's a nice duet song.

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OVER DRIVE - Judy and Mary (c&z)
My first JAM song and the one that made me fall in love with this band. Apparently zdorama loves this song too, so I told him that we should make it a duet and that was a lot of fun. I loved how we both did that little yelp in the middle of the guitar solo. :D It's too bad I can't find my copy of their live CD because that's the only time that she did that little yelp on a CD release.

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Anata no Tenshi ga Mieru kara - Sakai Noriko (c&g)
I wanted to sing this because it was Saburo's favorite Nori-p song. groink joined in, which was fun.

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Knockin' On Your Door - L-R (S&z)
Theme song from the Japanese drama "Bokura ni Ai wo."

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Daite Senorita - Yamashita Tomohisa (S)
Kurosagi!!! Another great performance by Saburo.

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Peach!! - Fukuyama Masaharu (z)
Ooh, Masha! This is one of the peppiest songs from him and zdorama was awesome as usual. I wish I sang "Squall" like Saburo suggested because it would've been nice to have more Masha-related songs that night.

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Seishun Amigo - Shuji & Akira (S&K)
Theme from the Japanese drama "Nobuta wo Produce."

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Anata ni Aitakute ~Missing You~ - Matsuda Seiko (g&c)
I wanted to sing this song from before. Never attempted to until groink told me to join in. Really pretty song with wistful lyrics.

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Love Love Love - Dreams Come True (c)
Hah! I guess in 1995, this was the #1 song, so I just had to sing it. I wonder why I never sang it before. This is also the theme song from the Japanese drama "Ai Shiteiru to Itte Kure."

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Together - EXILE (S&g)
I love Saburo & groink's duets.

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The Manpower - Morning Musume (S&c)
zdorama left before we sang this song, which was too bad because it was another fun performance. And I had fun doing all the shrieking towards the end. Another great Musume performance...I hope to do more in the future. :D

Yay, karaoke!!

Tue, 31 Mar 2009 20:59:00 GMT

I sang some karaoke for the first time on Saturday. Here are the some of the songs that we sang. The original entry with the entire song list is here: http://cocori.livejournal.com/252450.html

Files can be found here individually:
http://www.corichan.com/karaoke2009.03.28

On Megaupload
http://www.megaupload.com/?d=2L77YUHG

Songs I sang:

10,000 Maniacs - These Are Days (c)

When we switched to the English songs, I couldn't think of what to sing, but since I love 10,000 Maniacs, this was the one song that I pretty much knew and didn't need to practice for.

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Dreams Come True - Thank You (c)

My favorite DCT song and I pretty much memorized it back in the day. Lyrics are really sweet too.

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Hamasaki Ayumi & Tsunku - Love ~since 1999~ (S & c)

From the drama "Semi Double." Was also asked to learn this song for a duet. Good thing I pretty much knew how it went...

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Hirosue Ryoko - Daisuki! (c)

One of the big hits of 1997, I think. Hirosue Ryoko's voice is really cutesy when she sings and this is quite a perky song with sweet lyrics, written by Okamoto Mayo.

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Kimura Kaela - Magic Music (c)

Love this song and the cute lyrics. I felt the need to do a loud, energetic song and this fit the bill nicely.

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Kouda Kumi - Cutie Honey (c)

I just had to sing a Cummy song, so this one came to mind because it's sexy and fun. :)

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Matsumoto Eiko - Squall (c)

From the drama "(not so) Perfect Love." I love this song because it's a poppy R&B song with really sweet vocals. Sorry, but I like it better than the Masha version.

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Matsutouya Yumi - Manatsu no Yoru no Yume (g + c&S helping out without mics)　(♪Amore Amore♪)

From the drama "Dare ni mo Ienai" with Sano Shiro! Such a sexy song and such a creepy drama, haha.

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Moritaka Chisato - Watashi no Natsu (c)

I wanted to sing a different Chisato song, but since someone said that this was one of his fave songs and that no one sang it before, I might as well give it a try. I wish I did a better job with the high notes though. *sigh*

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Nakazawa Yuko & Takayama Gen - Odaiba Moonlight Serenade (S & cori)

I was asked to learn this song so I could duet with a friend. Not familiar with it at all. I just know that one of the ex-MoMusu girls. Modern enka-style song, but I really like it because it's easy to sing. Lyrics are interesting too.

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Onitsuka Chihiro - infection (c)

I remember when I first heard this song. I was so enraptured by it, I listened to it for a long time on repeat and just having chicken skin ("goosebumps" for the mainland people) because of the Oni's emotional and moving vocals and music. I think I did an ok job with this song because the vocals don't go too high. For those of you who have not heard this song, please download it and listen to it at least once. It doesn't matter if you understand Japanese or not, you definitely won't regret it.

Also wanted to mention that this was the theme from the drama "Hyoten 2001."

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Sakai Noriko - Namida Iro (c)

One of Nori-p's more serious songs and one of my favorites by her. Written by LUNA SEA's Kawamura Ryuichi.

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Sakai Noriko - Nori-p Ondo (g & c)

One of Nori-p's cute songs. Sounds like a bon odori type of song. I had so much fun singing this one with groink!

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Songs by my friends:

Fukuyama Masaharu - Heart (Sabu-chan)

From the drama "Meguriai." The drama was "eh," but I really like the song.

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Fukuyama Masaharu - Hello (S) (Mashaかっこいい!)

Upbeat Masha song that I love. And the monomane was up to par!

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Fukuyama Masaharu - Melody (S)

Another great Masha song.

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Fukuyama Masaharu - Sakurazaka (S)

One of Masha's biggest hits in the 2000's. Slow ballad type.

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Kiroro - Mou Sukoshi (K)

I think this was from a drama. Typical Kiroro ballad.

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LUNA SEA - STORM (S) (Omg the lyrics! Hahahahaha)

I requested my friend to sing this song, but I forgot how suggestive the lyrics were ("Do you like it rough?" and "Kiss me in the stormy") so I was a bit embarrassed, but amused at the same time. ;D Download this if you like awesome rock songs.

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Okamoto Mayo - Tomorrow (K)

Probably Mayo's greatest hit. Upbeat and inspirational.

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Sakai Noriko - Aoi Usagi (K)

From the popular drama series "Hoshi no Kinka" and one of Nori-p's best known songs.

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Sakai Noriko - Kagami no Dress (K)

From the drama "Zoku Hoshi no Kinka." Not as good as Aoi Usagi, but still well known.

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Tamaki Koji - Mr. Lonely (S)

From the drama "Konna Koi no Hanashi." I really loved that drama.

Song update (July 2008)

Sun, 13 Jul 2008 06:14:10 GMT

Hi! Everybody remember me? I'm that Jpop lyrics webmistress who is currently slacking on her site and also this journal. I blame the addiction that is Japanese and Korean dramas.

Recently, I have been inspired to update my music journal, the reason I will get to in a bit and hopefully I'll keep this up for a while. I'm going to post only a few songs at a time and they will probably won't be the latest singles or albums because there are many places that already do that. Instead, I wanted to focus on songs that I like or ones that I feel are noteworthy in some way or another and wanted to share with people. I also have to mention that I won't be as snarky as I was in the past unless I find something on my iPod to bash.

As usual, no requests for uploads because I don't have time for that. Also, no requests at all, please. I've been too busy to do anything these days.

~ Instructions on downloading: Right click, save as
~ Sorry for the names of the files. I didn't feel like zipping them, but maybe I should have just to save everyone the hassle of renaming them. Oh well, maybe next week.
~ If there are any downloading problems, please let me know
~ As usual, comments are appreciated. ^_^

So without further ado, I give you the songs:

Hirose Kohmi - Groovy! (DL)

As I wrote in my personal LJ, this is the song that made me want to start up this song journal again. I was driving home the other night and this song just happened to play on my iPod and I just got hit with so many memories of mp3 download sites like the one I got the original mp3 from. Those type of sites had descriptions of the songs and rated them too, instead of all the random download sites that upload stuff in bulk. I'm not saying that that's a bad thing, but I remember treasuring songs when there were only a few to download and you had time to appreciate them.

"Groovy!" is from the Cardcaptor Sakura anime, which I have never seen, but I had to get this song because of the description of this song on that initial download site. This song is a happy pop song (hey, it's from an anime, what do you expect?), and just a great song overall. Kohmi's vocals are top-notch, and while it does get a little high in some areas, it's still wonderful. Only complaint I have about this song is the ending where she sings "Yasashiku~~~ narimashou~~~~...," it just loses the momentum of the rest of the song and it slightly drags and leaves me with an empty feeling. Still, I highly-recommend this one.

Rating: 10/10

PUSHIM - anything for you (DL) (lyrics)

Whenever I tell someone that I listen to Japanese music, they give me a weird look. Then I explain that there is rock, pop, R&B, rap, reggae, etc. and they go, "Reggae??!!??" To that response, I always play this song by PUSHIM. The song is just an awesome mellow reggae song that you can just relax to. I recommend listening to it loud so you can feel the essence of it. Plus PUSHIM's rich, soulful voice just sounds great in this one and everyone just drops their jaws upon hearing this.

Rating: 10/10

Kimura Yoshino - SPEED UP LOVE (DL)

I remember watching Pop Jam or Hey!3 back in the 90's and remembered some actress singing a song on the program. Her voice was off-key and it was very cringe-worthy. At first, I thought it was Matsuyuki Yasuko, but then I remembered that her "Ai no Sekai" song was pretty decent.

Skip to a few years ago when I was ebaying. I came across Kimura Yoshino's greatest hits CD and since I love her in Japanese dramas, I just got it for the hell of it. Plus it was cheap. When I popped it in the CD player, I was overcome with THE awful voice. It was her!! Awesomeness. Out of about 12 songs, I could only tolerate 2 of them. This was one of the songs.

"SPEED UP LOVE" is a very Tetsuya Komuro-esque song. The music was written by Cozy Kubo, who is a TK collaborator, which explains it. The song is upbeat and fun and Yoshino's awful voice actually sounds tolerable in it. Reminds me a lot of hitomi.

Rating: 8/10

indigo blue - Magnolia (DL) (lyrics)

Whenever I'm feeling like crap, I really love listening to this song. The song sounds country-ish and the lyrics are all in English, but don't let that deter you from downloading it because it's a really great feel-good song and I love it so. So much, in fact, I remember replaying it over and over at one point. In fact, this is THE #1 played song on my iPod. Hmmm...I'm not sure what that says about me.

Anyway, the singer reminds me of Fayray with her sultry voice, yet indigo blue's songs are more on the acoustic pop side.

Rating: 10/10

G.RINA - Circus No Musume (Manaita No Koi Mix) (DL)

I couldn't decide between this song or "Your and my new watch," but since the latter is in English and I already have an English song on the post, I thought that I'd go with this one. This song is quite cute and playful and almost has an almost Hawaiian feel to it. With at least 2x the speed of a Hawaiian song. G.RINA's voice is really nice and complements the song well. I plan to add more of her songs in the future, so please check out my journal every week or so. :)

---------------

If I've added any of these songs in the past, please bear with me because I honestly can't remember what I had uploaded before.

I will only have these files up for a week or until my next update

Yay, song update! ^__^

Sun, 12 Nov 2006 21:44:19 GMT

I figured before the links get deleted and people get bored by the large gap between updates, I should just post what I already have. I am also planning to add some mini album reviews and downloads later on.

Comments are appreciated and actually are the incentive for me to update this journal, so please comment away! :)

I will not re-up the songs because I usually delete them from my computer as soon as I up them.

The songs:

Arashiro Beni - Surrender
BENNIE K - Joy Trip
BoA - Candle Lights
CHEMISTRY - Christmas Rose
Fayray - Hitori Yori Futari
Foxxi misQ - Tha F.Q's Style feat.JiN
Kamiki Aya - Nemutte ita Kimochi Nemutte ita Kokoro
m-flo loves Bonnie Pink - Love Song
melody. - Our Journey
misono - TOMORROW
My Little Lover - Inspiration
Salyu - Ikitai Tokoro
Salyu - Soukyokusen
Takahashi Hitomi - Ko.Mo.Re.Bi
Uemura Kana - Kami Hikouki
YA-KYIM - I'm proud I'm me
Yaida Hitomi - Tea-time

Artist: Arashiro Beni
Title: Surrender (Lyrics)
Singer, Genre: Female, pop
Comment: Many of you know that I absolutely ~~*love*~~ Beni's music</sarcasm>. And as a scarily, fanatical Beni fan (or is this Beni, herself?) has pointed this out, maybe this so-called love I have for her isn't justifiable, especially when I like a handful of songs by her. "Surrender" is one of these songs. Although it still is somewhat generic-sounding, I found it quite catchier than the title track of the single that it was from. And yes, I proclaim this iPod worthy. Then again, I have a 60gb so I can spare the space.
Click to buy

Artist: BENNIE K
Title: Joy Trip (Lyrics)
Singer, Genre: Female, country rap
Comment: Ok. BENNIE K is officially awful. This crappy country-sounding rap/weirdness just throws me off. It sounds like a screwed up western movie with the banjos and the piano playing. Hark, do I hear a harmonica too? And wtf @ the breakdown in the middle of the song. The only good thing I can say about this song is that it sounds like they're having fun.. God, please go back to the songs from your first 2 albums. Please. ;_;
Click to buy

Artist: BoA
Title: Candle Lights (Lyrics)
Singer, Genre: Female, ballad
Comment: I know that there are times when I can't stand BoA, but this song, although boring, isn't half bad. Not iPod worthy, but decent enough. Her voice is ok too.
Click to buy

Artist: CHEMISTRY
Title: Christmas Rose (Lyrics)
Singer, Genre: R&B ballad
Comment: This song is a light-hearted, medium-paced song and it's pretty good because the Xmas aspect (some chiming bells) isn't as obvious as with other songs. This makes me enjoy the song better because they don't throw that holiday in my face.
Click to buy

Artist: Fayray
Title: Hitori Yori Futari (Lyrics)
Singer, Genre: Female, ballad
Comment: Fayray's still churning out the ballads and this one is pretty.
Click to buy

Artist: Foxxi misQ
Title: Tha F.Q's Style feat.JiN (Lyrics)
Singer, Genre: female trio, pop R&B
Comment: This is a pretty catchy song even though it's on the poppy/generic disguised as R&B side. One of the girls sound a lot like Kouda Kumi and even though that sort of voice usually irritates me, I rather like it here. The JiN in this song is the Korean rapper, if I'm not mistaken. Click here to check out the PV for the song
Click to buy

Artist: Kamiki Aya
Title: Nemutte ita Kimochi Nemutte ita Kokoro (Lyrics)
Singer, Genre: Female, pop rock
Comment: While this song is medium-paced, it picks up during the chorus and has a kick to it, which I like. A nice change of pace from some of the other fluff I've added in this entry.
Click to buy

Artist: m-flo loves Bonnie Pink
Title: Love Song (Lyrics)
Singer, Genre: male/female, boring R&B-ish
Comment: This song honestly puts me to sleep. It's lazy and although I like mellow songs, this just sounds tedious. I think that m-flo should just disband and stop this "loves" project of theirs. Verbal just annoys and their music doesn't really do anything other than rehash stuff that has already been done better.
Click to buy

Artist: melody.
Title: Our Journey (Lyrics)
Singer, Genre: Female, ballad
Comment: I don't like the title track of this single, but the coupling song "Our Journey," which is sung in English, is soothing and sweet. It's a nice song to listen to when you want to relax and drift off to sleep.
Click to buy

Artist: misono
Title: TOMORROW (Lyrics)
Singer, Genre: Female, pop rock
Comment: misono was the lead singer of day after tomorrow and I have to keep on emphasizing that I love her solo work a LOT better than the generic-sounding dat stuff. After all the synthesized crap that dat did, misono's solo effort took a turn for the pop-rock side. "TOMORROW" is a remake of Okamoto Mayo's famous song.
Click to buy

Artist: My Little Lover
Title: Inspiration (Lyrics)
Singer, Genre: pop
Comment: MLL's one of the first artists that I was introduced to when I first started listening to Jpop. Over the years, their music started getting moody, which made me lose interest. "Inspiration," the coupling track of their latest single has a light-hearted feel, which I enjoy.
Click to buy

Artist: Salyu
Title: Ikitai Tokoro (Lyrics)
Singer, Genre: Female,
Comment: Salyu's voice sounds a lot like UA and her music is sometimes similar as well. Though Salyu is mostly known for her ballady types, I like the occasional quirky song that she does.
Click to buy

Artist: Salyu
Title: Soukyokusen (Lyrics)
Singer, Genre: Female, acoustic
Comment: This song is on the acoustic pop side. It's a happier song, which is a nice change from her usual type of music.
Click to buy

Artist: Takahashi Hitomi
Title: Ko.Mo.Re.Bi (Lyrics)
Singer, Genre: Female, ballad
Comment: Hitomi's music is usually upbeat, pop rock stuff, but her new single is a ballad, however, it gains a slight momentum during the chorus part.
Click to buy

Artist: Uemura Kana
Title: Kami Hikouki (Lyrics)
Singer, Genre: Female, pop
Comment: This is definitely one of my favorite singles of the year. This song is really uplifting and pretty. Everyone has to listen to it! And I'm so thrilled that Kana's releasing a new single this month and her 2nd album in January. Yay! ^__^
Click to buy

Artist: YA-KYIM
Title: I'm proud I'm me (Lyrics)
Singer, Genre: Female, pop R&B/rap
Comment: I like YA-KYIM even though they do a lot of cheesy-sounding R&B stuff. I can't put my finger on what's different from them and some artists that I hate, but I actually enjoy their music.
Click to buy

Artist: Yaida Hitomi
Title: Tea-time (Lyrics)
Singer, Genre: Female, ballad
Comment: Ok, Yaiko's music is just getting too acoustic for my taste. I liked her pop rock the best, but her mellowish songs are boring to me. I guess getting older makes a lot of artists change their music style from fun to boring.
Click to buy

Sifow - Clarity album up

Thu, 19 Oct 2006 08:16:37 GMT

Sorry for the lack of updates. I ripped Sifow's Clarity album for a friend, so I thought that I'd share it here as well. For those of you who enjoy Tamaki Nami's anime-ish/technoish crap, you'll probably enjoy this. For those who dislike that type of music (like me), stay far away. Defo one of the few albums that I regret buying. Blah.

Sifow - Clarity album (128 kbps)
Clarity album lyrics

And is it me or does this LJ layout suck. I really need to take the time to look for a better one.

Arashiro Beni luv! ....not.

Sat, 02 Sep 2006 10:09:24 GMT

Omg, I can not express enough how much I can't stand Arashiro Beni. Lastest Beni bitch? Her new PV "How Are U?" While it's described as "R&B," it is anything but that. More like a diabetic's nightmare of a pop tune, candy-coated as R&B. Sure, to an idiot, the beat could be thought of as "R&B," but this song is way too cheerful and very grade-school. ...OMG, did she just say "my homie" at 1:51??? Woo, you ghetto, girl!

And don't get me started on her clothes. She looks like a ghetto cowgirl in one scene and in the fur vest scene, her hair is absolutely awful. I swear that thing looks like a wig! Not to mention this girl makes me want to smack her in the face whenever I see her dopey grin or that stupid smirk. Oh no. I have never mentioned this fact before at all! ^_~ As for the dancing, it can be best described as ass-swaying, junior-high moves. Yes, obviously an 8th grader choreographed this video.

All in all, I'd watch this video for a good laugh. Poor Beni. Will she ever get a break? Will she ever grow out of this cheesy image that she seems to have? At this rate, I have high doubts.

(Other Beni references: my review on her Girl 2 Lady album.)

And don't worry, I haven't abandoned this LJ. A song update will be updated within the week if time permits.

July 31st song update!

Tue, 01 Aug 2006 09:04:30 GMT

Hello minna,

I added another bunch of songs and mini reviews. Please be sure to get the songs asap because the links will probably last only about a week or so after no activity.

Please note that I will not re-upload the songs because as soon as I upload them, I delete them from my computer to make room for other songs.

-----------------------------------

Singles:

ayaka - Peace Loving People (lyrics)
From the single: Real Voice
Buy this single
"Peace Loving People" is a cute sounding song even though the message isn't really that cheerful. I don't like this single as much as her previous ones, but it's still decent.

Hirahara Ayaka - Kokoro (lyrics)
From the single: Voyagers / Kokoro
Buy this single
This is just another typical Hirahara Ayaka song--slowish and boring.

Katou Miliyah - for so long PART II (lyrics)
From the single: Last Summer
Buy this single
Miliyah has done it again. Ripping tracks from other artists. This time it's m-flo's awesome "been so long," but Miliyah changed it to "for so long." When will this girl ever stop trying to build success from other artists' hit songs?

Kishimoto Hayami - PEACH:LIME//SHAKE (lyrics)
From the single: PEACH:LIME//SHAKE
Buy this single
Hayami's latest single is quite decent. "PEACH:LIME//SHAKE" is a cute song, but it doesn't overdo it like some other Jpop artists.

Kouda Kumi - I'll be there, Ningyo Hime
(Ningyo Hime lyrics), (I'll be there lyrics)
From the single: 4 Hot Wave
Buy this single
4 hot wave is Kumi's newest single and it has 4 new songs on it. The first 2 songs are (imo) the best on this single because it breaks the mold of songs that she ususally has. "Ningyo Hime" is a loud guitar driven song and "I'll be there" is more of an acoustic guitar type. The other two songs are the typical poppy R&B (Juicy) and cutesy (With your smile) stuff that Kumi's known for.

Minmi - I Love You Baby (lyrics)
From the single: I Love You Baby
Buy this single
This is the 3rd Minmi song that I've really liked, the first one being her debut single "The Perfect Vision,." 2nd being "Independant Woman," a song she did with Pushim. This song is definitely one of my favorite songs that was released this year. It's a reggae track that's perfect for summer.

Mr.Children - my sweet heart (lyrics)
From the single: Houkiboshi
Buy this single
While I'm not a huge fan of Mr.Children's, I do kind of like "my sweet heart." The song and lyrics are a bit amusing.

Nakashima Mika - Koishikute (lyrics)
From the single: MY SUGAR CAT
Buy this single
Mika's music is usually too boring for my taste, but every once in a while, she surprises me. Her latest single "My Sugar Cat" is on the reggae side and the coupling "Koishikute" has the same reggae-ish vibe as well. I thought this was a pretty good single.

Rie fu - Until I say (lyrics)
From the single: Until I say
Buy this single
Rie fu's slowish music reminds me a lot of Onitsuka Chihiro's, but her lyrics aren't as depressing. This song falls into the same mold as her others.

Ryohei - Like This (ADDED LINK) (lyrics)
From the single: the LIGHT
Buy this single
Because Ryouhei (or Ryohei) hasn't released anything since his debut album since 2004, I was anticipating his new singles that were released this year. While "onelove" wasn't that special, I had higher hopes for his latest "the LIGHT." This single is sorta catchy at first, but I have a feeling that this won't be on repeat too long for me. There's just nothing special about this entire single. I only added "Like This" because it's a summery song.

Spitz - Shalala (lyrics)
From the single: Mahou no Kotoba
Buy this single
"Shalala" is a pretty good upbeat Spitz song.

Suzuki Ami - Squall ni Nurete (lyrics)
From the single: Like a Love?
Buy this single
I don't know why but Ami's voice isn't as irritating as how it was when she first started out. I guess puberty kicked in. Or she's just singing lower, which is a good thing. "Squall ni Nurete" is a more emotional song that's a nice break from the hyper pop stuff she usuall sings.

Takahashi Hitomi - Subarashiki Kono Sekai (lyrics)
From the single: Communication
Buy this single
This song starts off slow and a little boring, but it quickens the pace during the middle part. It kind of surprised and woke me up a bit.

U-ka Saegusa IN db - Walking in the wind with you (lyrics)
From the single: Everybody Jump
Buy this single
This song is an average Jpop song and I don't feel like reviewing it. Just check it out for yourself.

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Album reviews

Eliana - E Party (lyrics)
Full album sample (96kbps)
Singer: female
Genre: cheesy fun pop R&B
cori's rating: 7.5 out of 10
Buy this album

Tracks:
01. FEEL GOOD TIME
02. What a girl wants
03. オシエテ今スグニ (oshiete imasugu ni)
04. Let’s Stay Together(remix) (feat.DJ KAORI with Rap)
05. so into you
06. SHOW ME LOVE
07. Sunset
08. rush~その先の何か~ (rush ~sono saki no nanika~)
09. Party up
10. 明るい未来(remix) (feat. YOU THE ROCK★)(akarui mirai)
11. THE ROSE

I remember when I first heard this album. I thought it was one of the cheesiest things I've heard and there's no way this could be labeled as "R&B." As I listened to it more, I realized that it was a pretty decent album. While it's not deep or innovative in any way, it's quite catchy and would be great to throw on at a party.

May J. - ALL MY GIRLS (lyrics)
Full album sample (96kbps)
Singer: female
Genre: cheesy fun pop R&B
cori's rating: 7.5 out of 10
Buy this album

Tracks:
01. MY GIRLS
02. MILLION WAYZ
03. Baby Close Your Eyes
04. Good Tymez
05. DESTINATION
06. Thanx
07. Baby Eyes (MA$AMATIXXX Dancehall Mix) feat.KEN-U

May J.'s mini album is pretty decent, although it has the same cheesy-like quality as Eliana's album. Still, it's pretty good if you like pop R&B and May has a really great voice.

Sakura - SOUL ESSENCE (lyrics)
Full album sample (96kbps)
Singer: female
Genre: R&B
cori's rating: 7 out of 10
Buy this album

Tracks:
01. Oh we Oh
02. Bye Bye Baby
03. smile for me
04. Best Of My Love
05. 広がるリズム
06. Buddy to Boo
07. again
08. why

Sakura is one of the better singers but her songs kind of leave much to be desired. This mini album of hers is pretty good though. All the songs except for tracks 4 and 7 are original songs. I think this album is a welcome change from the previous 2 poppier albums, but not by much. Regardless, the only reason why I'm giving this a 7 is because of the remakes. If it weren't for that, this would probably be an 8.

New song reviews ^__^

Mon, 17 Jul 2006 06:55:15 GMT

Hey minna,

As I promised, I added some songs and reviews. To save time, I decided not to make very long reviews as I have in the past. I'll probably only do the individual song reviews for albums if I really, really hate or love an album. Or if I'm in the mood to do so.

Enjoy the songs and please comment if you download. I like getting feedback on the songs and my little reviews. ^_^

~cori

Hamasaki Ayumi - BLUE BIRD "Original mix" (lyrics)
Hamasaki Ayumi - Beautiful Fighters "Original mix" (lyrics)
Buy this single

While I'm not really an Ayu fan, I'm in love with her latest single. "Beautiful Fighters" was on repeat for a while and I even have it in my head for a couple of weeks after it debuted. That song is definitely one of the catchiest I've heard in a while. It's more of an upbeat, almost with cheerleader aspect. "BLUE BIRD" has a more carefree sound to it and the video seems to have a fun, summery feeling to it.

Bi Rain - Slowly (lyrics)
Buy this single

Bi or Rain, or whatever the hell he's called is a Korean R&B artist who's doing the Japan thing. When I first heard "Slowly," I thought it was absolutely awful, so of course I needed to share it with you guys so you can bitch along with me. :P The song is a bad attempt at R&B. In fact, I don't really like any of his other songs either. The cheese factor is just too high for my liking.

Bonnie Pink - Free (lyrics)
Buy this single

"Free" is on the tropical side. Quite a nice Bonnie Pink track and makes me want to lie on a beach and drink a cocktail.

Every Little Thing - HI-FI MESSAGE (lyrics)
Buy this single

I'm glad that ELT's latest single isn't the snoozefest that their previous ones were. "HI-FI MESSAGE" is cute and playful sounding. It almost sounds like something that Love Psychedelico would do.

Fukumimi - Hoshi Timer (lyrics)
Buy this single

Fukumimi is a collaboration of a bunch of artists including: Yamazaki Masayoshi, KYOKO, Suga Shikao,
COIL, Araki Yuko, Hajime Chitose. The main vocals are done by Yamazaki Masayoshi and Kyoko. The rest pretty much do the background vocals, with the occasional single line or play instruments. This song is a slower song, but it's a really nice song. This is the theme song from a TBS drama called "Dare Yori mo MAMA wo Aisu" (I love mom more than anyone). My favorite part has to be Suga's line about 3:34 in the song. ^_^ In this single is a live version of SMAP's "Celery" (amusing rap part) and one of KYOKO's "Hoshi no Kakera wo Sagashi ni Yukou."

Garnet Crow - Ring Ring a ding (lyrics)
Buy this single

"Ring Ring a ding" is a typical GC song, but I added it because the title amuses me. XD

LOVE PSYCHEDELICO - Together (lyrics)
Buy this single

LP's latest single doesn't break the mold that they've always used, which is a good thing, I guess. Still the retro sounding rock thing with a Sheryl Crow sounding vocalist.

Misia - Taiyou ga Kureta Present (lyrics)
Buy this single

This is the first single that Misia has released since her Singer for Singer album way back in 2004, and it's a decent one. With 4 new songs, it's quite a bargain. I like "Taiyou ga Kureta Present" the best because of it's light-hearted reggae sound.

Suga Shikao - Mayonaka no Kamotsu Ressha (lyrics)
Buy this single

"Mayonaka.." is a slow song by Suga and it suits his voice well. I <3 his raspy voice. For more Suga info, do check out Kay's awesome site.

Tommy heavenly6 - ABOUT U (lyrics)
Buy this single

When I first heard "ABOUT U," it totally reminded me of The Brilliant Green! Those of you who miss them terribly, must check this song out! It has the melodic almost retro style that Buriguri has; not any of that sugary stuff that Tommy feb does or the Advil Lavigne stuff that Tommy heavenly does. Well, no matter what identity Tommy takes on, I love it regardless.

Van Tomiko - Brave (lyrics)
Buy this single

Van Tomiko, of Do As Infinity fame, has released a new single "Brave," since the release of her debut album "Farewell." The song starts off slow, but the chorus gets a bit more upbeat, though not by much. Quite a change from Farewell's slowish pace.

Amano Tsukiko - Uraraka (lyrics)
Buy this single
Amano Tsukiko - Karasu (lyrics)
Buy this single
Amano Tsukiko - Fuusen (lyrics)
Buy this single
Amano Tsukiko - Fukurou (lyrics)
Buy this single
Download Amano Tsukiko singles sampler

Tsukko's 5 singles released on the same day was a very ambitious move, and the songs (for the most part) are great. Too bad this wasn't released on one album, but I guess doing the 5 single thing would be more profitable and sneaky, almost like an Avex strategy. I love how she still does the rhyming thing with the title track and coupling song. I've added 4 different sounding songs (a couple of fast tracks, a beautiful one, and a medium paced one) to give you a taste of her music. Tsukko's style is mostly rock, but her ballads are really beautiful, as is her powerful voice. Another noteable thing about these singles (and many of her other singles) is that she rhymes the title track and coupling song, which I find fascinating.

------------

Album reviews

Cocco - Zansaian (lyrics)
Sample includes: Onsoku Punch, Swinging night, Ai Urara, Happy Ending
Singer: female
Genre: rock, ballad
cori's rating: 8 out of 10
Buy this album

Cocco's return to the music scene was very much anticipated by her fans. So did her music change after the long break? No, not at all. Still the rocker chick with the occasional oddball song. "Onsoku Punch" is a great opener, a catchy rock song. "Swinging night" is an amusing song with even more amusing lyrics: "Why are you staring at me so bad? / I'm sorry if you want jiggy-jiggy so bad." XD "Ai Urara" reminds me of her old song "Raining." It's a power ballad type. "Happy Ending" is a light hearted song that I had to add because it's really nice. There's also a couple of slow songs that are nice, but I felt like just adding my favorites from this album.

globe - maniac (lyrics)
Sample includes: Soldier, Please don't give up, Judgement (Band Version), 海との友情(DEMO VERSION)
Singer: female & male (rapper)
Genre: pop, electronic
cori's rating: 7 out of 10
Buy this album

globe's new album is a 2 disk one. The 2nd disk has mostly older songs, but there were different versions, so it's not like they're trying to rip you off. "Soldier" is a medium-paced song with an almost urgent vibe to it. "Please don't give up" is a slower one, almost sleepy at times. "Judgement (Band Version)" is just as it says--there's a band performing a song instead of the synthesized beats of the original. And finally we come to "Umi to no Yuujou (DEMO VERSION)." I've never heard the "finished version" of this song, so I decided to throw this in for the hell of it. It's not that special, but whatever. This album was pretty good, but I still enjoyed some of their previous albums more. Kudos for the 2 disks though.

Kamiki Aya - Secret Code (lyrics)
Sample includes: Communication Break; Bounce, Bounce, Bounce; Natsu no Aru Hi; Friends
Singer: female
Genre: pop rock, pop
cori's rating: 7 out of 10
Buy this album

After liking her "Communication Break" single, I was looking forward to this album. Well, I was a bit disappointed by it. Not all of the songs were great and it just seemed like they were lacking a certain something. I didn't even like the title track, although it's been playing in my head for a while now. :/ "Communication Break" is an acoustic guitar song with a slight attitude. Very catchy, plus Aya's voice is great. "Bounce, Bounce, Bounce" is an fun upbeat pop rock song and it's probably my favorite from this album. "Natsu no Aru Hi" is a poppier song than the previous 2 I mentioned. Another great one. "Friends" is a slower song, yet it's not a ballad type, which is a good thing. This song is another nice pop song. The rest of the songs are still good, but I wanted to add some different sounding songs. Don't get me wrong, as I mentioned before, there was something I felt that was missing from some of the songs. This is not necessarily a bad album, but I feel that there are some other albums which I felt were better.

Miss Monday - &I (lyrics)
Sample includes: Yakusoku, Love Is Blind Feat. Jamosa, Bimi, Share Feat. Rickie-g
Singer: female
Genre: rap, R&B, reggae
cori's rating: 8 out of 10
Buy this album

Miss Monday's music is great, as long as you can get past her somewhat annoying voice. "Yakusoku" was the coupling song from her last single and it's a slower track, perfect to groove to. "Love Is Blind Feat. Jamosa" is kind of a fun track. Jamosa adds her smooth voice to the track. This is the 2nd Miss Monday song that she was featured on. "Bimi" was a headache to romanize because of all the alternative pronunciations and whatnot. It's all about food and the music is cute as it's a tropical, Caribbean-ish sounding song. "Share Feat. Rickie-g" is a reggae song.

Sowelu - 24 Twenty Four (lyrics)
Sample includes: Dear My Friend, Crazy for you, Flyer, Kimi no Kehai, Let's Go Far Away
Singer: female
Genre: acoustic pop, ballad, pop
cori's rating: 8 out of 10
Buy this album

Those of you who read my older reviews will know that I'm not much of a Sowelu fan because of her nasally voice and the fact that she's labelled as R&B, when she's just a pop artist with a few R&B-influenced tracks. Well, with her latest album, there are only a couple of tracks that even remotely sound like R&B. The majority of the songs are surprisingly on the acoustic guitar side. Very laid back and very different from her past songs.

Judging from the first song "Dear Friend," you would not think that. This song is really a cute, upbeat number and I like it a lot. This music suits Sowelu's vocals, rather than that crap that people mistakenly label as "R&B."

"Crazy for you" is the first hint of the direction this album is wanting to go in. It's a medium-paced, but catchy acoustic guitar song. This is another song that I like.

"Mamoru Beki Mono" is a piano ballad. I'm not a fan of Sowelu's voice in slower songs, but the song is quite nice, I guess.

"Tomorrow" is another acoustic guitar-driven song. It's a really nice song. Oh my. 4 songs in a row that I don't mind? Let's see how the rest fare...

"Smile Again" is a slowish song. Acoustic guitar again. I don't find anything special about this song. Oh wait, the chorus part is a bit catchy. Add this to the "good" list.

I like the next song too! "Dance" is a bit on the upbeat side, and it's still going with the same elements as the other songs, but a bit more kick than the previous songs.

"Flyer" brings back the slower pace. I think Sowelu's voice is a bit cute here. You know what? I'm liking this album so far...

"Cry" is another slow song, but it's more of a ballad than the previous song. It's just a typical type of ballad.

"Let's Go Far Away" is a poppy number that sounds like old-school Sowelu. It's ok, but I prefer the previous songs on this album a lot more.

"Kimi no Kehai" was written by Yano Maki and I can totally imagine Maki singing this song. It's a somber ballad type and I have to say that it's average because of Sowelu's voice. If Maki were singing this song, I'd like a lot more. Speaking of Maki, she better have an album or at least a single out soon!

"Without you" is another ballad type, but with a little poppish R&B-ish vibe. Nothing special, but still tolerable.

With "Pride," we're going back to the Sowelu that I like. Acoustic pop Sowelu.

The final song "To You" is a nice close to this pretty good album even if it is a bit cheesy. It's a pop ballad that would probably be good as an ending theme from some drama.

I said that I wouldn't do full album reviews unless I was moved by an album or if I hated one. Well, with Sowelu, I usually can't stand her music, but her latest effort has slightly changed my mind. While her older fans may not welcome this direction that her music is taking, I'm liking it a lot. I think her voice suits this type of music. I wonder if the reason why I didn't like her before is because she was trying to sing some poppish R&B-sounding songs when her voice isn't suited to that type of music. Maybe that's it. Well, I think I'll give this album an 8 out of 10.

Sowelu - 24 Twenty Four album lyrics

Fri, 14 Jul 2006 08:47:04 GMT

Back to Sowelu Lyrics Page
Back to Album Lyrics Page</b>
24 - Twenty Four album lyrics
released on 2006.07.12
Click to purchase Japan version

(Please DO NOT post the romaji lyrics or translations
on your site OR messageboard without a link and credit
or you will go on my plagiarism list)

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ALL ROMAJI BY: Cori 01. Dear friend 02. Crazy for you 03. 守るべきもの (Mamoru Beki Mono) 04. tomorrow 05. smile again 06. DANCE 07. Flyer 08. cry 09. Let's go far away 10. 君の気配 (Kimi no Kehai) 11. without you 12. Pride 13. to YOU

2006 Sowelu Official Site

01. Dear friend
作詞: Yoshihiko Nishio・Sowelu
作曲: Yoshihiko Nishio


愛情で大丈夫　揺がない彼となら
I jobな現状　全部手に入れたい

でも気付けば　いつの間にやら
メールも来ない毎日
あたし　Help! Help!!!

最後に行き着くのは　いつも友達
仕事や恋にやぶれ落ち込んでたら
「泣いた数だけ幸せはくるよ」とキラリ
こんなあたしを強く抱いてくれたのは
あなただけ　それがアイボリー

愛想が無いほう　これからは少しずつ
感情の誕生　育ててゆきたい

ねえ　たまには　ウチに泊まって
朝まで語り明かそうよ
二人で　tell! tell!!!

* 最後に　行き着くのは　いつも友達
意味も無く悩んだりでふさぎ込んでたら
「明日には明日の風が吹くはずだ」と
set me free
こんなあたしを勇気づけてくれたのは
あなただけ　それもアイボリー

* repeat

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01. Dear friend
Lyrics: Yoshihiko Nishio・Sowelu
Music: Yoshihiko Nishio
Romaji by: cori

aijou de daijoubu  yuruganai kare to nara
I job na genjou  zenbu te ni iretai

demo kidzukeba  itsu no ma ni yara
ME-RU mo konai mainichi
atashi  Help! Help!!!

saigo ni ikitsuku no wa  itsumo tomodachi
shigoto ya koi ni yabure ochikondetara
"naita kazu dake shiawase wa kuru yo" to KIRARI
konna atashi wo tsuyoku daite kureta no wa
anata dake  sore ga AIBORI-

aisou ga nai hou  kore kara wa sukoshi zutsu
kanjou no tanjou  sodatete yukitai

nee  tama ni wa  uchi ni tomatte
asa made katariakasou yo
futari de tell! tell!!!

* saigo ni ikitsuku no wa  itsumo tomodachi
imi mo naku nayandari de fuzagikondetara
"asu ni wa asu no kaze ga fuku hazu da" to
set me free
konna atashi wo yuuki dzukete kureta no wa
anata dake  sore ga AIBORI-

* repeat

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02. Crazy for you
作詞: Tsutae Ebisawa
作曲: Yoshihiko Nishio,


純情じゃないみたい
　雨のち雷の毎日
安心という期待
　もちたいだけじゃどうも無理みたい
さんざんな精神が邪魔してると
(いかれてる状態)

強情な方みたい
　そんなんじゃ楽しくない未来
現状維持じゃない
　さらに上目指していきたい
単純な性格が幸いしてると
(たらし込んだ状態)

勇敢につきすすもうさあ早く
簡単にそう上手くいかない

※I'm Serious　I'm Serious
素直になりたいよI'm crazy for you
I'm Serious　I'm Serious
抱きしめてほしいよI'm crazy for you
Maybe I'm crazy for you※

最悪な要求　飲み込む余裕は無いけど
共有してみたい　大袈裟なくらいに全て
完璧な方法で
　つながっていると(信じたい状態)

不安ばかり　こんな愛じゃ　All the time
躊躇して進めないよ

(※くり返し)

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02. Crazy for you
Lyrics: Tsutae Ebisawa
Music: Yoshihiko Nishio,
Romaji by: cori

junjou ja nai mitai
  ame nochi kaminari no mainichi
anshin to iu kitai
  mochitai dake ja dou mo muri mitai
sanzan na seishin ga jama shiteru to
(ikareteru joutai)

goujou na hou mitai
  sonna n' ja tanoshikunai mirai
genjouiji ja nai
  sara ni uwame sashite ikitai
tanjun na seikaku ga saiwai shiteru to
(tarashikonda joutai)

yuukan ni tsukisusumu mou saa hayaku
kantan ni sou umaku yukanai

* I'm Serious　I'm Serious
sunao ni naritai yo I'm crazy for you
I'm Serious　I'm Serious
dakishimete hoshii yo I'm crazy for you
Maybe I'm crazy for you

saiaku na youkyuu  nomikomu yoyuu wa nai kedo
kyouyuu shite mitai  oogesa na kurai ni subete
kanpeki na houhou de
  tsunagatte iru to (shinjitai joutai)

fuan bakari  konna ai ja  All the time
chuucho shite susumenai yo

* repeat

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03. 守るべきもの
作詞: Yoshihiko Nishio
作曲: Yoshihiko Nishio

そしていつも　あきらめてた
約束も　果たせなくて
かくれてた　闇の中で
君が　遠くなる
このままじゃ　まだ　終われない

そして君と　歩き出した
がむしゃらに　つき進んだ
とまどいが　消えかけたら
少し泣けてきた
両手広げて　掴んだ

* Day by day　重ねた　my heart
取り戻したくて
I still love you,
I need you love again
伝えたい言葉を
次の朝も夜も
 君を守る為に生きてく

そしていつも　悩み抜いた
壁をまた一つ越えた

「目に見えるものばかりに惑わされないで」
誰かの声が聞こえた

Forgive me　いつも　think of you
涙声になる
I still love you,I need you love again
伝えたい言葉を
ずっと忘れないよ
　二人で見た夢の全てを

* repeat
ずっと忘れないよ
　二人で見た夢の全てを
全てを

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03. Mamoru Beki Mono
Lyrics: Yoshihiko Nishio /  Music: Yoshihiko Nishio
Romaji by: cori

soshite itsumo  akirameteta
yakusoku mo  hatasenakute
kakureteta  yami no naka de
kimi ga  tooku naru
kono mama ja  mada  owarenai

soshite kimi to  arukidashita
gamushara ni  tsukisusunda
tomadoi ga  kiekaketara
sukoshi nakete kita
ryoute hirogete  tsukanda

* Day by day  kasaneta  my heart
torimodoshitakute
I still love you, I need you love again
tsutaetai kotoba wo
tsugi no asa mo yoru mo
  kimi wo mamoru tame ni ikiteku

soshite itsumo  nayami nuita
kabe wo mata hitotsu koeta

"me ni mieru mono bakari ni
  madowasarenaide"
dareka no koe ga kikoeta

Forgive me　itsumo　think of you
namida koe ni naru
I still love you, I need you love again
tsutaetai kotoba wo
zutto wasurenai yo
  futari de mita yume no subete wo

* repeat
zutto wasurenai yo
  futari de mita yume no subete wo
subete wo

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04. tomorrow
作詞: Yoshihiko Nishio
作曲: COZZi

電話のベルに怯えてるいつも
静かに重くのしかかる不安が痛いよ

このままどこか消え去りたくなる
変えられるものなら

Runaway　飛び出そう　この両手広げて
突き抜けたい　誰のため?　自分のために
やがて見えるtomorrow　信じたいよ　いまは
投げ出さない　もう my heart
現実を受け入れ歩き出す

どうなりたいか　分からないままに
無意味に時間が過ぎていた　あの日

私は抜け殻のよう
あなたはどこで　誰といるのだろう

Runaway　飛び出そう　この両手広げて
弱虫な防波堤　壊してしまおう
頼れるのはtomorrow　焦らないでいいから
少しずつ　I feel so good
思える日が来るまでのストーリー

Runaway　飛び出そう　この両手広げて
強がりの数だけ　幸せくれば
頼れるのはtomorrow
問いかけている空へ
間違えた道など無かった
偽りと冷めた　Days 

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04. tomorrow
Lyrics: Yoshihiko Nishio /  Music: COZZi
Romaji by: cori

denwa no BERU ni obieteru itsumo
shizuka ni omoku no shikakaru fuan ga itai yo

kono mama dokoka kiesaritaku naru
kaerareru mono nara

Runaway  tobidasou  kono ryoute hirogete
tsukinuketai  dare no tame?  jibun no tame ni
yagate mieru tomorrow  shinjitai yo  ima wa
nagedasanai  mou my heart
genjitsu wo ukeire arukidasu

dou naritai ka  wakaranai mama ni
muimi ni jikan ga sugite ita  ano hi

watashi wa nukegara no you
anata wa doko de  dare to iru no darou

Runaway  tobidasou  kono ryoute hirogete
yowamushi na bouhatei  kowashite shimaou
tayoreru no wa tomorrow  aseranaide ii kara
sukoshi zutsu I feel so good
omoeru hi ga kuru made no SUTO-RI-

Runaway  tobidasou  kono ryoute hirogete
tsuyogari no kazu dake  shiawase kureba
tayoreru no wa tomorrow
toikakete iru sora e
machigaeta michi nado nakatta
itsuwari to sameta  Days

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05. smile again
作詞: Tsutae Ebisawa
作曲: Yoshihiko Nishio

Way　うそみたい　Love　揺れてた
Try　大事な君となら
Slow　流され　きらめいてたい
Stay　このまま　そばにいて

緑の風　2人を追い越した
近づいてく　気持ち　I wish

You and I smile in the time
単純で明快な　life
それが生きてゆくためのトライアル
最後に笑いたい　それで十分みたい
はるか　遠い夢なんかじゃない

Rain　躍りだす　Shine　きらりと
幸せの　水たまり

繰り返せない　同じあやまちなど
言い訳さえ　出来ない　I wish

You and I smile in the time
キャンディのように甘い
星を優しく包むような　Love
平穏な世界で　明快なワルツで
2人　愛の意味を探したい

Let me see your smile again
I can take you to the sky

You and I smile in the time
単純で明快な　life
それが生きてゆくためのトライアル
最後に笑いたい　それで十分みたい
はるか　遠い夢でもいい

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05. smile again
Lyrics: Tsutae Ebisawa /  Music: Yoshihiko Nishio
Romaji by: cori

Way  uso mitai  Love  yureteta
Try  daiji na kimi to nara
Slow  nagasare  kirameitetai
Stay  kono mama  soba ni ite

midori no kaze  2(futa)ri wo oikoshita
chikadzuiteku  kimochi  I wish

You and I smile in the time
tanjun de meikai na life
sore ga ikite yuku tame no TORAIARU
saigo ni waraitai  sore de juubun mitai
haruka  tooi yume nanka ja nai

Rain  odoridasu  Shine  kirari to
shiawase no  mizutamari

kurikaesenai  onaji ayamachi nado
iiwake sae  dekinai  I wish

You and I smile in the time
KYANDI no you ni amai
hoshi wo yasashiku tsutsumu you na Love
heion na sekai de  meikai na WARUTSU de
2(futa)ri  ai no imi wo sagashitai

Let me see your smile again
I can take you to the sky

You and I smile in the time
tanjun de meikai na life
sore ga ikite yuku tame no TORAIARU
saigo ni waraitai  sore de juubun mitai
haruka  tooi yume demo ii

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06. DANCE
作詞: Tsutae Ebisawa
作曲: COZZi

Everybody making love　バラの
グラっとくるよな香りを　ちりばめて
Everybody baby talk　誰も
「好き」って甘えた瞳で引きつける
スローモーションで　step step step
刻んでは踊るよ

※嬉しくて　キスして　ハグで
Dance Dance　止まらない
見つめて　心　開いたままで
朝まで二人　泳ぎ疲れて
オレンジに染まる　HEAVEN※

Everything is ready now　いつも
誘ってくれるのだけを　期待して
Everymoment carry on　道の
水溜まりに自分を映してる
スウィートモーションで　skip skip skip
はずんだら　飛び越え

君のもと　急いで　行くよ
Dance Dance　止まらない
いつでも愛は　進んでゆくよ
空から落ちてきた星たちも
オレンジに染まる　HEAVEN

(※くり返し) 

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06. DANCE
Lyrics: Tsutae Ebisawa /  Music: COZZi
Romaji by: cori

Everybody making love  BARA no
GURAtto kuru yo na kaori wo  chiribamete
Everybody baby talk  dare mo
"suki" tte amaeta hitomi de hikitsukeru
SURO- MO-SHON de  step step step
kizande wa odoru yo

* ureshikute  KISU shite  HAGU de
Dance Dance tomaranai
mitsumete  kokoro  hiraita mama de
asa made futari  oyogitsukarete
ORENJI ni somaru  HEAVEN

Everything is ready now　itsumo
sasotte kureru no dake wo  kitai shite
Every moment carry on　 michi no
mizutamari ni jibun wo utsushiteru
SUWI-TO MO-SHON de skip skip skip
hazundara  tobikoe

kimi no moto  isoide  yuku yo
Dance Dance  tomaranai
itsu demo ai wa  susunde yuku yo
sora kara ochite kita hoshi-tachi mo
ORENJI ni somaru  HEAVEN

* repeat

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07. Flyer
作詞: Yoshihiko Nishio
作曲: Yoshihiko Nishio

キラキラ揺れる波を超えて
前を向いて　進むだけ
輪郭の無い　その未来を
自分の手で　変えたいの

風に乗り　雨に濡れ
生きて行こう
出来るだけ　高く飛べ
Don't be a fraid
世界へ

Baby
Flyer　君のために
Flyer　僕のために
Flyer　君のために
Day by day　そう　続いてく

周りの色に　染まりかけて
見過ごしてた　目的を

ほめられて　躓いて
気付いてゆく
やれるだけ　やるだけさ
Don't be a fraid
歌うよ

Baby
Flyer　君のために
Flyer　僕のために
Flyer　君のために
Day by day　そう　歩いてく
Flyer　君のそばで
Flyer　愛を歌おう
Flyer　君と永遠に
Sing a song for　信じてく

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07. Flyer
Lyrics: Yoshihiko Nishio /  Music: Yoshihiko Nishio
Romaji by: cori

KIRAKIRA yureru nami wo koete
mae wo muite  susumu dake
rinkaku no nai  sono mirai wo
jibun no te de  kaetai no

kaze ni nori  ame ni nure
ikite yukou
dekiru dake  takaku tobe
Don't be afraid
sekai e

Baby
Flyer 　kimi no tame ni
Flyer　 boku no tame ni
Flyer　 kimi no tame ni
Day by day  sou  tsudzuiteku

mawari no iro ni  somarikakete
misugoshiteta  mokuteki wo

homerarete  tsumazuite
kidzuite yuku
yareru dake  yaru dake sa
Don't be afraid
utau yo

Baby
Flyer　 kimi no tame ni
Flyer　 boku no tame ni
Flyer　 kimi no tame ni
Day by day  sou  aruiteku
Flyer  kimi no soba de
Flyer  ai wo utaou
Flyer  kimi to towa ni
Sing a song for  shinjiteku

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08. cry
作詞: Tsutae Ebisawa
作曲: Yoshihiko Nishio

Cry　空に舞い散る花
見上げた真夏の夜
あの日冷たい
君のさよならに
うなずいたのはわたし

確かめてこの恋　Reality
つかまえたきもちは　Honesty
綺麗な思い出に変わる

way　赤く色ずく街
並んで歩いたよね
あふれる涙
いくつもの写真
数えきれないキスも

抱きしめた愛しき　Memories
繰り返し歌うあの Melody
打ち寄せる波のように

確かめてこの恋 Reality
つかまえた気持ちは　Honesty
綺麗な思い出に変わる
きっと
いつか　shiny day

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08. cry
Lyrics: Tsutae Ebisawa /  Music: Yoshihiko Nishio
Romaji by: cori

Cry  sora ni maichiru hana
miageta manatsu no yoru
ano hi tsumetai
kimi no sayonara ni
unazuita no wa watashi

tashikamete kono koi  Reality
tsukamaeta kimochi wa  Honestly
kirei na omoide ni kawaru

way  akaku irozuku machi
narande aruita yo ne
afureru namida
ikutsumo no shashin
kazoekirenai KISU mo

dakishimeta itoshiki  Memories
kurikaeshi utau ano Melody
uchiyoseru nami no you ni

tashikamete kono koi  Reality
tsukamaeta kimochi wa  Honestly
kirei na omoide ni kawaru
kitto
itsuka  shiny day

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09. Let's go far away
作詞: Yuko Shiroki
作曲: 

Let's go faraway　くちびるがきらめく
いくつもの　キスをしよう
Let's go faraway　心まで花咲く
Let's get up now
　会いたいの　今すぐにでも

あなたのメールに気付いて目を覚ます
まっさらな私が色付いていく
スペシャルな一日を待っていた
やっと一緒に過ごせる

週末はとびっきりのスマイルで
まぶたの上にアイシャドウをのせて
さあ、空を見上げたら…　
I will change my heart

Let's go faraway (oh oh)
　くちびるがきらめく
いくつもの　キスをしよう
Let's go faraway (oh oh)
　心まで花咲く
ねえ、どこへだって行けるかな
　きっとあなたとなら

あなたの車に乗り込んだ時から
二人の時間が加速する
この手早く握って欲しいなんて
口に出せない強がり

これからはもっと分かって欲しい
色んな顔全部私であることを
そう、こっちを向いたら…　
I will be there for you

Let's go faraway (oh oh)
　瞳がきらめく
いくつもの　夏を見よう
Let's go faraway (oh oh)
　心まで花咲く
もう　どこへだって行けるよね
　ずっと、あなたとなら

Let's go faraway (oh oh)
　笑顔がきらめく
いくつもの　言葉交わそう
Let's go faraway (oh oh)
　心まで花咲く
もう　どこへだって行けるよね
　ずっと、あなたとなら

見えない未来　形なくて
不安がないわけじゃないけど
目を閉じてもあなたがいる
I can feel your love forever

Let's go faraway (oh oh)
　くちびるがきらめく
いくつもの　キスをしよう
Let's go faraway (oh oh)
　心まで花咲く
もう　どこへだって行けるはず
　ずっと、あなたとなら

Let's go faraway (oh oh)
　アクセル踏み込んで
いくつもの　愛を交わそう
Let's go faraway (oh oh)
　心まで花咲く
もう　どこへだって行けるはず
　そうよ、あなたとなら

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09. Let's go far away
Lyrics: Yuko Shiroki /  Music: Takuya Harada
Romaji by: cori

Let's go faraway　 kuchibiru ga kirameku
ikutsumo no  KISU wo shiyou
Let's go faraway　 kokoro made hana saku
Let's get up now
  aitai no  imasugu ni demo

anata no ME-RU ni kidzuite me wo samasu
massara na watashi ga irodzuite iku
SUPESHARU na ichinichi wo matte ita
yatto issho ni sugoseru

shuumatsu wa tobikkiri no SUMAIRU de
mabuta no ue ni AISHADOU wo nosete
saa, sora wo miagetara...
I will change my heart

Let's go faraway (oh oh)
　 kuchibiru ga kirameku
ikutsumo no  KISU wo shiyou
Let's go faraway (oh oh)
　 kokoro made hana saku
nee, doko e datte ikeru kana
kitto anata to nara

anata no kuruma ni norikonda toki kara
futari no jikan ga kasoku suru
kono te hayaku nigitte hoshii nante
kuchi ni dasenai tsuyogari

kore kara wa motto wakatte hoshii
iron na kao zenbu watashi de aru koto wo
sou, kocchi wo muitara...
I will be there for you

Let's go faraway (oh oh)
　 hitomi ga kirameku
ikutsumo no  natsu wo miyou
Let's go faraway (oh oh)
  kokoro made hana saku
mou  doko e datte ikeru yo ne
zutto, anata to nara

Let's go faraway (oh oh)
　 egao ga kirameku
ikutsumo no  kotoba kawasou
Let's go faraway (oh oh)
  kokoro made hana saku
mou  doko e datte ikeru yo ne
zutto, anata to nara

mienai mirai  katachi nakute
fuan ga nai wake ja nai kedo
me wo tojitemo anata ga iru
I can feel your love forever

Let's go faraway (oh oh)
　 kuchibiru ga kirameku
ikutsumo no  KISU wo shiyou
Let's go faraway (oh oh)
　 kokoro made hana saku
nee, doko e datte ikeru hazu
zutto anata to nara

Let's go faraway (oh oh)
　 AKUSERU fumikonde
ikutsumo no  ai wo kawasou
Let's go faraway (oh oh)
  kokoro made hana saku
mou  doko e datte ikeru hazu
sou yo, anata to nara

</td><td valign="top">

10. 君の気配
作詞: Maki Yano
作曲: Maki Yano

どんな甘いラブソングも
君の気配にはかなわない
笑顔をみせて

これ見よがしに
街は今日も活気づいてるけど
何が魅力的かは
自分で良く知ってるつもりよ

今日は休みなのに
なぜ私は一人でいるんだろ
ネオンも宣伝カーも
目に耳にただうるさいだけ
大江戸線のシートさえも
　公園のベンチも
やけに広くて　嫌みったらないわ
君がよこにいないだけで
さむくて仕方ない

大好きなショコラも　ぬるいし　味気ない
雑踏よ　さびしさ掻き消して
どんな甘いラブソングも
　君の気配にはかなわない
笑顔を見せて
夢見たいに　夢だったら
　覚めちゃうけど
それでもいいの

電話もメールも
　心の距離を繋ぐ　その場しのぎ
いつかしたキスは　出口の無い遠い約束

ぎゅっとしてうまれた温もりは　存在の証明
宙を舞う記憶が　けむったいたらないわ
君がよこにいないだけで
虚無におしつぶされそう

* ビルの隙間からは　小さな空ひとつ
無表情で見下ろすだけ
どんな嬉しいハプニングも
君の気配にはかなわない

声を聞かせて
夢見たいに　夢だったら　覚めちゃうけど
夢でもいいから

君が好きだった曲　懐かしいメロディ
今どこで口ずさんでるの

* repeat
声を聞かせて
夢見たいに　夢だったら　覚めちゃうけど
それでもいいの
夢でもいいから
現れて

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</td> <td valign="top" width="300">

10. Kimi no Kehai
Lyrics: Maki Yano /  Music: Maki Yano
Romaji by: cori

donna amai RABU SONGU mo
kimi no kehai ni wa kanawanai
egao wo misete

kore miyogashi ni
machi wa kyou mo kakki dzuiteru kedo
nani ga miryokuteki ka wa
jibun de yoku shitteru tsumori yo

kyou wa yasumi na noni
naze watashi wa hitori de iru n' daro
NEON mo senden KA- mo
me ni mimi ni tada urusai dake
Ooedo sen no SHI-TO sae mo
  kouen no BENCHI mo
yake ni hirokute  iya mittara nai wa
kimi ga yoko ni inai dake de
samukute shikata nai

daisuki na SHOKORA mo  nurui shi  ajikenai
zattou yo  sabishisa kakikeshite
donna amai RABU SONGU mo
  kimi no kehai ni wa kanawanai
egao wo misete
yume mitai ni  yume dattara
  samechau kedo
sore demo ii no

denwa mo ME-RU mo
  kokoro no kyori wo tsunagu  sono ba shinogi
itsuka shita KISU wa  deguchi no nai tooi yakusoku

gyutto shite umareta nukumori wa  sonzai no shoumei
chuu wo mau kioku ga  kemutta itara nai wa
kimi ga yoko ni inai dake de
kyomu ni oshitsubusaresou

* BIRU no sukima kara wa  chiisana sora hitotsu
muhyoujou de miorosu dake
donna ureshii HAPUNINGU mo
kimi no kehai ni wa kanawanai

koe wo kikasete
yume mitai ni  yume dattara  samechau kedo
yume demo ii kara

kimi ga suki datta kyoku  natsukashii MERODI
ima doko de kuchizusanderu no

* repeat
koe wo kikasete
yume mitai ni  yume dattara  samechau kedo
sore demo ii no
yume demo ii kara
arawarete

</td><td valign="top">

11. without you
作詞: Sowelu
作曲: Yoshihiko Nishio

わたしの前から離れて
もう一年が経つけれど
今でもまだあなたの事
想いながら生きている

二人でよく見た映画も
二人で良く歩いた街も
一人じゃとても寂しくて
思い出に出来ないまま

こんなにもたくさんの
伝えれなかった想い
眠るときも　目覚める時も
また　あなたがいるようで

*1 悲しみは今でも
　私をくるわせる
涙　流れ　止められず
さよなら大切な
　愛しい好きな人
いつか　思い出になれ

あなたはもう歩いてるの?
あなたはもう笑っているの?
とても　嬉しそうにはしゃぐ
あなたを見てたかった

色あせた　時間の中
真っ白になったページ
嘘でもいい　あの頃のように
ぎゅっと　抱きしめていて

*2 途切れたままの　優しいおもかげに
いつも　心　うばわれる
何もかも見えずに　二人過ごした日々
いつか　思い出になれ

新しい出会いの中で
忘れさせてくれる何か
私なりに探しているよ
夢中になれる何か

*1, *2 repeat

別の道歩くけど
幸せを願ってる

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</td> <td valign="top" width="300">

11. without you
Lyrics: Sowelu /  Music: Yoshihiko Nishio
Romaji by: cori

watashi no mae kara hanarete
mou ichinen ga tatsu keredo
ima demo mada anata no koto
omoinagara ikite iru

futari de yoku mita eiga mo
futari de yoku aruita machi mo
hitori ja totemo sabishikute
omoide ni dekinai mama

konna ni mo takusan no
tsutaerenakatta omoi
nemuru toki mo  mezameru toki mo
mata  anata ga iru you de

*1 kanashimi wa ima demo
  watashi wo kuruwaseru
namida  nagare  tomerarezu
sayonara taisetsu na
  itoshii suki na hito
itsuka  omoide ni nare

anata wa mou aruiteru no?
anata wa mou waratte iru no?
totemo  ureshisou ni hashagu
anata wo mitetakatta

iroaseta  時間(toki) no naka
masshiro ni natta PE-JI
uso demo ii  ano koro no you ni
gyutto  dakishimete ite

*2 togireta mama no  yasashii omokage ni
itsumo  kokoro  ubawareru
nanimokamo miezu ni  futari sugoshita hibi
itsuka  omoide ni nare

atarashii deai no naka de
wasuresasete kureru nanika
watashi nari ni sagashite iru yo
muchuu ni nareru nanika

*1, *2 repeat

betsu no michi aruku kedo
shiawase wo negatteru

</td><td valign="top">

12. Pride
作詞: Yoshihiko Nishio・Sowelu
作曲: Yoshihiko Nishio


目覚め始めた街を抜けて
いつものように絆　確かめ
きっと　ケンカしてても　分かり合える　二人

* いつか遠くの空を
　君と飛べると信じてる　so fly
ありのままの自分を
　大きな空へ解き放とう　All right

忘れかけてた　夢のカケラ
行き交う人の群れにうもれた
ずっと　退屈だけの日常ばかり見てた

誰かを傷つけたり
この胸　しめつけられたり　every time
譲れないものがある
全てが壊れたとしても　All right

曖昧を集めたって　楽園を求めたって
そんなんじゃもう　変われない
無邪気に笑ってたいね
自由な少年のように　everyday

* repeat

誰かを傷つけたり
この胸　しめつけられたり　every time
叶えられるものなら
光の射す場所へと行こう　All right

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</td> <td valign="top" width="300">

12. Pride
Lyrics: Yoshihiko Nishio・Sowelu
Music: Yoshihiko Nishio
Romaji by: cori

mezamehajimeta machi wo nukete
itsumo no you ni kizuna  tashikame
kitto  kenka shitetemo  wakariaeru  futari

* itsuka tooku no sora wo
kimi to toberu to shinjiteru so fly
arinomama no jibun wo
ookina sora e tokihanatou  All right

wasurekaketeta  yume no kakera
yukikau hito no mure ni umoreta
zutto  taikutsu dake no nichijou bakari miteta

dareka wo kizutsuketari
kono mune  shimetsukeraretari  every time
yuzurenai mono ga aru
subete ga kowareta to shitemo  All right

aimai wo atsumeta tte  rakuen wo motometa tte
sonna n' ja mou  kawarenai
mujaki ni waratte'tai ne
jiyuu na shounen no you ni  everyday

* repeat

dareka wo kizutsuketari
kono mune  shimetsukeraretari  every time
kanaerareru mono nara
hikari no sasu basho e to yukou  All right

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13. to YOU
作詞: Sowelu・Kanata Okajima
作曲: Yusuke Kato

ふたりで　歩いた道
ひとりで　辿る思い出
波音　月の光
ふりむいても　あなたはいない

あれから　素直に笑う
ことさえ　うまく出来なくて
だけどもう　泣いてられない
もう一度　私らしく　歩き出すよ

I'm always lovin' you, forever more
いつまでも　あなたの笑顔を　抱きしめてたい
I'm always lovin' you, forever more
忘れない　ずっと　見守っていて
大丈夫　離さない　あなたがくれたすべて

あなたが　見ていた夢
あなたの　好きだった歌
今なら　意味がわかるよ
もう遅いけど伝えたい　この想いを

I'm always lovin' you, forever more
いつだって　あなたにありがとう　伝えたかった
I'm always lovin' you, forever more
これからは　もっと　素直になるよ
大丈夫　なくさない　教えてくれたすべて

別れ際はいつも笑顔で
大切な瞬間　今でもまだ憶えてる

I'm always lovin' you, forever more
いつまでも　あなたの愛を　抱きしめてたい
I'm always lovin' you, forever more
忘れない　ずっと　見守っていて
大丈夫離れても　私はここにいるよ

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13. to YOU
Lyrics: Sowelu・Kanata Okajima /  Music: Yusuke Kato
Romaji by: cori

futari de  aruita michi
hitori de  tadoru omoide
namioto  tsuki no hikari
furimuitemo  anata wa inai

are kara  sunao ni warau
koto sae  umaku dekinakute
dakedo mou  naite'rarenai
mou ichido  watashi rashiku  arukidasu yo

I'm always lovin' you, forever more
itsu made mo  anata no egao wo  dakishimetetai
I'm always lovin' you, forever more
wasurenai  zutto  mimamotte ite
daijoubu  hanasanai  anata ga kureta subete

anata ga  mite ita yume
anata no  suki datta uta
ima nara  imi ga wakaru yo
mou osoi kedo tsutaetai  kono omoi wo

I'm always lovin' you, forever more
itsu datte  anata ni arigatou  tsutaetakatta
I'm always lovin' you, forever more
kore kara wa  motto  sunao ni naru yo
daijoubu  nakusanai  oshiete kureta subete

wakaregiwa wa itsumo egao de
taisetsu na shunkan  ima demo mada obieteru

I'm always lovin' you, forever more
itsu made mo  anata no ai wo  dakishimetetai
I'm always lovin' you, forever more
wasurenai  zutto  mimamotte ite
daijoubu  hanaretemo  watashi wa koko ni iru yo

</td>

All romaji lyrics & translations (unless noted) by Cori

These lyrics were added in 2006</small>

Kamiki Aya - Secret Code album lyrics

Fri, 14 Jul 2006 08:41:47 GMT

Because the host for my site is migrating to a new server, I can't update with new lyrics, so I decided to post some here instead. The format looks a bit off for the lyrics, but it's fine using my regular format. :/

Back to Kamiki Aya Lyrics Page
Back to Album Lyrics Page
Secret Code album lyrics
Release Date: July 12, 2006
Click to purchase Japan version

(Please DO NOT post the romaji lyrics or translations
on your site OR messageboard without a link and credit
or you will go on my plagiarism list)

<td width="450" valign="top"> ALL ROMAJI BY: Cori 01. Communication Break 02. ピエロ (Pierrot) 03. もう君だけを離したりはしない (Mou Kimi Dake wo Hanashitari wa Shinai) 04. Secret Code 05. Bounce,Bounce,Bounce 06. プライドオブプレイス (Pride of Place) 07. 夏のある日 (Natsu no Aru Hi) 08. I Sing This Song For You 09. 傷だらけでも抱きしめて (Kizu Darake demo Dakishimete) 10. Believe in YOU 11. Can't stop fallin' in LOVE 12. Changing The World 13. フレンズ (Friends) 2006 Kamiki Aya Official Site

01. Communication Break
作詞: 上木彩矢
作曲: 徳永暁人

眠れない夜も 眠らない日常 Ah
首輪をつけて 連れ出してあげる Oh yeah

うずまく蜃気楼 この身溶かして
 愛を語るだけで

Communicaition Break? 
いつだってアタシが書いたシナリオ通り
Communicaition Break? 
予定時刻少し早いけどあげるよ For you
You will be mine, OK?

時々、覗かせる視線 上の空 Um
離陸するなら着陸もしよう Come on

ふしだらな香りクセになって
 このままじゃもう止まらないね

Communicaition Break? 
ギリギリで弾む声と本能の瞬間
Communicaition Break? 
汚れないその全て誰のものでもないよ
You are my BABY BOY

GAMEの終わりなんてもの 見当たるハズもなく
心配いらないから 
Maybe I love you B coz I love you

(Communicaition Break? 
ギリギリで弾む声と本能の瞬間)

Communicaition Break? 
ユラユラで躊躇いなく求めるほどに
Communicaition Break? 
届けちゃう二度と還らぬ深いワナ For you
Communicaition Break? 
いつだってアタシが書いたシナリオ通り
Communicaition Break? 
予定時刻少し早いけどあげるよ For you
You will be mine, OK?

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</td> <td valign="top" width="300">

01. Communication Break
Lyrics: Kamiki Aya / Music: Tokunaga Akihito
Romaji by: montevi

Nemurenai yoru mo Nemuranai Nichijou* Ah
Kubiwa wo tsukete Tsuredashite ageru Oh yeah

Uzumaku shinkirou 　　Kono mi tokashite
　　 Ai wo Katarudakede

Communication Break? 
Itsu datte Atashi ga kaita SCENARIO toori
Communication Break? 
Yotei Jikoku Sukoshi hayai kedo ageru yo For you
You will be mine, OK?

Tokidoki, nozokaseru shizen Ue no sora
Ririkusuru nara chakuriku mo shiyou Come on

Fushidara na kaori KUSE ni natte
  Kono mama ja mou tomaranai ne

Communication Break? 
Giri giri de Hazumu koe to honnou no shunkan
Communication Break? 
Kegarenai Sono subete dare no mono demo naiyo
You are my BABY BOY

GAME no owari nante mono Miataru hazu mo naku
Shinpai iranai kara 
Maybe I love you B coz I love you

(Communication Break? 
Giri giri de Hazumu koe to honnou no shunkan)

Communication Break? 
Yura yura de Tamerainaku motomeru hodo ni
Communication Break? 
Todokechau Nidou to kaeranu fukai wana For you
Communication Break? 
Itsu datte Atashi ga kaita SCENARIO toori
Communication Break? 
Yotei Jikoku Sukoshi hayai kedo ageru yo For you
You will be mine, OK?

</td> <td valign="top">

02. ピエロ
作詞: 稲葉浩志
作曲: 松本孝弘

桃色に 染まりゆく 東雲を追いかけて
疾走する欲望マシン あなたを乗せて
風に舞い かおる髪 もうちょい体よせ合いたい
あいつは血まなこ 憎しみ燃やす

Getaway getaway 地の果てまで
こわいもの全部 ふきとばせ
何もかも 新しい瞬間
後ろはふりかえらないで

怪物に心を バリバリ食いちらかされて
思わずあなたを 奪っちまったんだよ
この広い世界の中 2人しかいないような
寂しさかみしめ 胸かきむしる

Getaway getaway 地の果てまで
あの崖飛べば 青い空
強烈な生と死の匂い
浮かれたように声を上げる

今この手に入れたんだよ
見たこともない自由 Yeah

Getaway getaway オレはピエロ
ひたむきで滑稽な 逃亡者
涙は流さないでおくれ
悲しいけど美しいのがLIFE
暗い未来は もう描かない
夢のスピードは もうゆるめない

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</td> <td valign="top" width="300">

02. PIERO (Pierrot)
Lyrics: Inaba Koshi / Music: Matsumoto Tak
Romaji by: montevi

Momoiro ni somariyuku shinonome wo oikakete
Shissousuru yokubou MACHINE Anata wo nosete
Kaze ni mai Kaoru kami Mouchoi karada yose aitai
Aitsu wa chimanako Nikushimi moyasu

Getaway getaway chi no hate made
Kowai mono zenbu fukitobase
Nanimokamo Atarashii shunkan
Ushiro wa furikaeranai de

Kainutsu ni kokoro wo Baribari kuichirakasarete
Omowazu anata wo Ubocchimattan dayo
Kono hiroi sekai no naka Futari shika inai youna
Sabishisa kanashime Mune ka kimushiru

Getaway getaway Chi no hate made
Ano gake tobeba Aoi sora
Kyouretsu na sei to shi no nioi
Ukareta youni koe wo ageru

Ima kono te ni iretandayo
Mita koto mo nai jiyuu Yeah

Getaway getaway Ore wa PIERROT
Hitamuki de kokkei na tobosha
Namida wa nagasanaide okure
Kanashii kedo utsukushii noga LIFE
Kurai mirai wa Mou egakanai
Yume no supiido wa Mou yuru menai

</td><td valign="top">

03. もう君だけを離したりはしない
作詞: Aya Kamiki
作曲: Munetaka Kawamoto

逢いたくて せつない夜には
風を感じて 君を想う

淋しくて 眠れない夜には
街に出て 君を思う

流れ星1つ 見つけたよ
立ち止まった時には
 1番に抱きしめて欲しい 星空に

* もう君だけを離したりはしない
 涙はYesterday
君がくれた言葉で
 笑顔で眠りにつくまで

憧れが 出逢いに変わった日
夢と夢が 繋がった

怯えながら うつむき歩いた日
振り向けば 君がいた

夜が明けるよ 朝は嫌いだったのに
君に触れ心は不思議な
 気持ちになってゆく 星屑に

もう君だけを離したりはしない
 悲しみはYesterday
月夜に震えて咲いた花
 つないだ手を離さないで

* repeat

もう君だけを離したりはしない
 悲しみはYesterday
君がくれた言葉で
 笑顔で眠りにつくまで

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</td> <td valign="top" width="300">

03. Mou Kimi Dake wo Hanashitari wa Shinai
Lyrics: Aya Kamiki /  Music: Munetaka Kawamoto
Romaji by: cori

aitakute  setsunai yoru ni wa
kaze wo kanjite  kimi wo omou

sabishikute  nemurenai yoru ni wa
machi ni dete  kimi wo omou

nagareboshi 1(hito)tsu  mitsuketa yo
tachidomatta toki ni wa
  1(ichi)ban ni dakishimete hoshii hoshizora ni

* mou kimi dake wo hanashitari wa shinai
  namida wa Yesterday
kimi ga kureta kotoba de
  egao de nemuri ni tsuku made

akogare ga deai ni kawatta hi
yume to yume ga  tsunagatta

obienagara  utsumuki aruita hi
furimukeba  kimi ga ita

yoru ga akeru yo  asa wa kirai datta noni
kimi ni fure kokoro wa fushigi na
  kimochi ni natte yuku hoshikuzu ni

mou kimi dake wo hanashitari wa shinai
  kanashimi wa Yesterday
tsukiyo ni furuete saita hana
  tsunaida te wo hanasanaide

* repeat

mou kimi dake wo hanashitari wa shinai
  kanashimi wa Yesterday
kimi ga kureta kotoba de
  egao de nemuri ni tsuku made

</td><td valign="top">

04. Secret Code
作詞: 上木彩矢
作曲: 大野愛果

*1 Bad boy 目が合えば Bad girl 奪われてく
この心の中 かき乱されて
SHOW ME スリルでリアル TELL ME 聞かせて
走り出したら 止まらない
Bad Boy 醒めないで Bad girl 夢じゃないから
敏感にこぼれ落ちてゆく
甘いチョコレート
SHOW ME スリルでリアル TELL ME 答えて
誰にも言えない秘密 secret code

偶然 となりに座ったあなたが
突然 顔近づけたりするから
必然的に 目で追いかけちゃって
完全 漂う香りに犯されて

もうこのままじゃ壊れてしまいそう
夏の嵐の様に
熔けちゃいそうに 触れられた時には
傷あとか 快楽か 深く波うつ

*2 Bad boy 悲しみさえ Bad girl 喜びさえ
この頭の中 かき乱されて
SHOW ME スリルでリアル TELL ME 聞かせて
走り出したら 終われない
Bad boy 言葉よりも Bad girl 温もりがほしい
独占したくなるの その手も声も
SHOW ME スリルでリアル TELL ME 答えて
誰にも言えない秘密 secret code

しっと ゴコロが災いの元になる
やっと 確かめ合えたのに
もっと 味わいたい 濡れたリップサービス
ずっと その腕の中にいれたら

遠く遠く離れてしまった
同じ空見てるかな
この雲は流れて その場所まで届け
絶望か?失望か?はげしく波うつ

*1 repeat

夢の続きはシンデレラストーリー
ガラスの靴で連れさってハッピーエンディング
日ごと夜ごとつぶやく一人ごと
誰にも言えない秘密 secret code

*2 repeat

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</td> <td valign="top" width="300">

04. Secret Code
Lyrics: Kamiki Aya / Music: Ohno Aika
Romaji by: cori

*1 Bad boy me ga aeba  Bad girl ubawareteku
kono kokoro no naka  kakimidasarete
SHOW ME SURIRU de RIARU  TELL ME kikasete
hashiridashitara  tomaranai
Bad Boy samenaide  Bad girl yume ja nai kara
binkan ni koboreochite yuku
amai CHOKORE-TO
SHOW ME SURIRU de RIARU  TELL ME kotaete
dare ni mo ienai himitsu secret code

guuzen  tonari ni suwatta anata ga
totsuzen  kao chikadzuketari suru kara
hitsuzenteki ni  me de oikakechatte
kanzen  tadayou kaori ni okasarete

mou kono mama ja kowarete shimaisou
natsu no arashi no you ni
tokechaisou ni  furerareta toki ni wa
kizuato ka  kairaku ka  fukaku namiutsu

*2 Bad boy kanashimi sae  Bad girl yorokobi sae
kono atama no naka  kakimidasarete
SHOW ME SURIRU de RIARU  TELL ME kikasete
hashiridashitara  owarenai
Bad boy kotoba yori mo  Bad girl nukumori ga hoshii
dokusen shitaku naru no  sono te mo koe mo
SHOW ME SURIRU de RIARU  TELL ME kotaete
dare ni mo ienai himitsu secret code

shitto  gokoro ga wazawai no moto ni naru
yatto  tashikameaeta noni
motto  ajiwaitai  nureta RIPPU SA-BISU
zutto  sono ude no naka ni iretara

tooku tooku hanarete shimatta
onaji sora miteru kana
kono kumo wa nagarete  sono basho made todoke
zetsubou ka? shitsubou ka? hageshiku namiutsu

*1 repeat

yume no tsudzuki wa SHINDERERA SUTO-RI-
GARASU no kutsu de tsuresatte HAPPI- ENDINGU
higoto yogoto tsubuyaku hitori goto
dare ni mo ienai himitsu secret code

*2 repeat

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05. Bounce,Bounce,Bounce
作詞: 上木彩矢
作曲: 大野愛果

もし今日、世界がほろびてしまうなら
最後に 胸に何をきざむだろう?

流れる1秒の中にある大切な瞬間
無邪気にしゃべる君 HOTなsmile

確かなもの 不確かなものも
その気になりゃほらねyeah yeah

* スペシャルな出来事でみんなみんな
So Happy Time
たいくつな日々は昨日にBye-Bye
スパイシーな言葉よりプリティーな笑顔だけで
思ったより上がっていくんじゃない?
Bounce, Bounce, Bounce

たとえば 泣きまくって目がパンダでも
心が なんか 雨のちくもりで

その時 部屋のDoorノックした君は
優しい瞳輝かせてフレッシュなSmile

ドキドキする胸の鼓動
急に加速して止まらないyeah yeah

スペシャルな出来事でハジけとぶ
So Happy Time
嫌な事、全部昨日にBye-Bye
ステップしよう 音に合わせて
　高くとんで天に届け
神様も上がっていくんじゃない?
Bounce, Bounce, Bounce

ため息の数だけ 幸せが消えてゆく
悩むヒマなんて どこにもない
夢や愛とか友情で忙しいのよ
だからもっともっとBounce×2 EVERY DAY

* repeat

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05. Bounce,Bounce,Bounce
Lyrics: Kamiki Aya / Music: Ohno Aika
Romaji by: cori

moshi kyou, sekai ga horobite shimau nara
saigo ni  mune ni nani wo kizamu darou?

nagareru 1(ichi)byou no naka ni aru taisetsu na shunkan
mujaki ni shaberu kimi  HOT na smile

tashika na mono  tashikana na mono mo
sono ki ni narya hora ne yeah yeah

* SUPESHARU na dekigoto de minna minna
So Happy Time
taikutsu na hibi wa kinou ni Bye-Bye
SUPAISHI- na kotoba yori PURITI- na egao dake de
omotta yori agatte iku n' ja nai?
Bounce, Bounce, Bounce

tatoeba  nakimakutte me ga PANDA demo
kokoro ga  nanka  amenochi kumori de

sono toki  heya no Door NOKKU shita kimi wa
yasashii hitomi kagayakasete FURESHU na Smile

DOKIDOKI suru mune no kodou
kyuu ni kasoku shite tomaranai yeah yeah

SUPESHARU na dekigoto de hajiketobu
So Happy Time
iya na koto, zenbu kinou ni Bye-Bye
SUTEPPU shiyou  oto ni awasete
  takaku tonde ten ni todoke
kamisama mo agatte iku n' ja nai?
Bounce, Bounce, Bounce

tameiki no kazu dake  shiawase ga kiete iku
nayamu hima nante  doko ni mo nai
yume ya ai toka yuujou de isogashii no yo
dakara motto motto Bounce x2 EVERY DAY

* repeat

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06. プライド オブ プレイス
作詞: 上木彩矢
作曲: Hiya ＆ Katsuma

夢見ちゃってよDreamer
なんかなまぬるいPunching
軽い気持ちでJumping
頭ん中からっぽ
ちょっとヘコんでもDo it!
ムカついちゃってもTake it
聞こえてるよHear now!
ゴチャゴチャはNo Thank you!

YOU! 嘘笑い
YOU! 隠してもムダです
見れば分かるんじゃん?
YOU! つまらなくない?
YOU! 恥ずかしがってないで Oh yeah!
So 1・2・3 Singing!

どんな戦いでも この腕をつきたて
白い旗は負けても挙げない
 そんな主義 Pride of Place!

走りぬけて Go Now
なげだしちゃってよ Right Now
たまに泣いちゃって OK!
優柔不断でいい
真面目に見せて Just Now
おちゃらけちゃって Keep up!
トんじゃっていいから Fly away
楽しんでみようよ Shouting

YOU! まだ甘い
YOU! そんなんじゃ
あたしがなんだか退屈だよ
YOU! かわいいじゃん
YOU! キミもいいじゃん Oh yeah!
So 1・2・3 Fighting!

どんな険しくとも
 歩いてく靴を探して
寄り道ぐらいしちゃってもいいんじゃない?
結果 Alright Pride of Place!

* repeat

どんな高い壁でも
 いつかブチ壊せばいい
なめんなよこんなあたしを 痛い目みるよ
 小さな悪魔 Pride of Place!

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06. Pride of Place
Lyrics: Kamiki Aya / Music: Hiya & Katsuma
Romaji by: cori

yume michatte yo Dreamer
nanka namanurui Punching
karui kimochi de Jumping
atama n' naka karappo
chotto hekondemo Do it!
mukatsuichattemo Take it
kikoeteru yo Hear now!
GOCHAGOCHA wa No Thank you!

YOU! usowarai
YOU! kakushitemo muda desu
mireba wakaru n' jan?
YOU! tsumaranakunai?
YOU! hazukashigatte'naide Oh yeah
So 1.2.3 Singing!

* donna tatakai demo  kono ude wo tsukitate
shiroi hata wa maketemo agenai
  sonna shugi Pride of Place!

hashirinukete Go Now
nagedashichatte yo Right Now
tama ni naichatte OK!
yuujuufudan de ii
majime ni misete Just Now
ocharakechatte Keep up!
tonjatte ii kara Fly away
tanoshinde miyou yo Shouting

YOU! mada amai
YOU! sonna n' ja
atashi ga nandaka taikutsu da yo
YOU! kawaii jan
YOU! kimi mo ii jan Oh yeah!
So 1.2.3 Fighting!

donna kewashiku tomo
  aruiteku kutsu wo sagashite
yorimichi gurai shichattemo ii n' ja nai?
kekka Alright Pride

* repeat

donna takai kabe demo  
  itsuka buchikowaseba ii
namenna yo konna atashi wo  itai me miru yo
chiisana akuma Pride of Place!

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07. 夏のある日
作詞: 上木彩矢
作曲: 水野幹子

生きてゆくという事は
 きっとそれは強さなんだ
今日も両足でしっかりと
　立ってることに意味があるんだ

たくさんの愛に包まれた君が
　悲しげにそっと涙がきらり

* 夏のむしあつい中
 外で笑いながら食べたスイカが
氷のように冷めた胸の中
 やさしくフワリよみがえってくる

死んでしまうという事は
 きっとそんな勇気があれば
どんな出来事も
　立ちむかえる特別な力だろう

考えながら悔やむより
 失敗してから悲しもう
多分 その時には
 なぐさめてくれる仲間がいる

夏の涼しい夕暮れは
 背中なでるようにほほえむ
あの空を見てごらん
 きっと明日もまた笑えるだろう

夏に鳴くセミは
　あついと叫んでいるんじゃないよ きっと
生きてるんだぞって声
　高らかに響かせてここに存在する証
* repeat

大切なもの見つけた今も変わらず
　あの場所で待ってる
君のために…君のために…

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07. Natsu no Aru Hi
Lyrics: Kamiki Aya / Music: Mizuno Mikiko
Romaji by: cori

ikite yuku to iu koto wa
  kitto sore wa tsuyosa nanda
kyou mo ryouashi de shikkari to
  tatteru koto ni imi ga aru n' da

takusan no ai ni tsutsumareta kimi ga
  kanashige ni sotto namida ga kirari

* natsu no mushiatsui naka
  soto de warainagara tabeta SUIKA ga
koori no you ni sameta mune no naka
  yasashiku FUWARI yomigaette kuru

shinde shimau to iu koto wa
  kitto sonna yuuki ga areba
donna dekigoto mo
  tachimukaeru tokubetsu na chikara darou

kangaenagara kuyamu yori
  shippai shite kara kanashimou
tabun  sono toki ni wa
  nagusamete kureru nakama ga iru

natsu no suzushii yuugure wa
  senaka naderu you ni hohoemu
ano sora wo mite goran
  kitto ashita mo mata waraeru darou

natsu ni naku SEMI wa
  atsui to sakende iru n' ja nai yo  kitto
ikiteru n' da zo tte koe  takaraka ni hibikasete
  koko ni sonzai suru akashi
* repeat

taisetsu na mono mitsuketa ima mo kawarazu
  ano basho de matteru
kimi no tame ni... kimi no tame ni...

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08. I Sing This Song For You
作詞: 上木彩矢
作曲: 水野幹子

デタラメな言葉だけれど
 目の前に居るキミの為だけに
伝えたい事があるんだ
 今もこうして傍で触れたくて

星に願いをこめ歌う
 月には歩いてく道を照らして
きっとそんなありふれたコトでも
 マジになれば届くはずでしょう?

I Sing I Sing I Sing I Sing
I sing this song for YOU!

ガラクタでしょーもないけど
 愛しくって捨てられないでしょ?
気分屋でわがままだけど
 なんか居ないと困っちゃうんだよね

風に声を乗せ流れてく
 雨に涙を隠してもらうの
こんなに小さな地球(ほし)の中で
 やっとキミにめぐり合えたから

I Sing I Sing I Sing I Sing
I sing this song for YOU!

ラララ 風に乗せて届けこの歌
 キミニトドケ WOW
ラララ 風に乗せて届けこの想い
 キミニトドケ WOW
遠くに行っても Forever You...

I Sing I Sing I Sing I Sing
I sing this song for YOU! SO

I Sing I Sing I Sing I Sing
I sing this song for YOU!

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08. I Sing This Song For You
Lyrics: Kamiki Aya / Music: Mizuno Mikiko
Romaji by: cori

detarame na kotoba dakeredo
  me no mae ni iru kimi no tame dake ni
tsutaetai koto ga aru n' da
  ima mo koushite soba de furetakute

hoshi ni negai wo kome utau
tsuki ni wa aruiteku michi wo terashite
kitto sonna arifureta koto demo
maji ni nareba todoku hazu deshou?

I Sing I Sing I Sing I Sing
I sing this song for YOU!

garakuta desho- mo nai kedo
  itoshiku tte suterarenai desho?
kibunya de wagamama dakedo
  nanka inai to komacchau n' da yo ne

kaze ni koe wo nose nagareteku
ame ni namida wo kakushite morau no
konna ni chiisana 地球(hoshi) no naka de
yatto kimi ni meguriaeta kara

I Sing I Sing I Sing I Sing
I sing this song for YOU!

RARARA kaze ni nosete todoke kono uta
  kimi ni todoke WOW
RARARA kaze ni nosete todoke kono omoi
  kimi ni todoke WOW
tooku ni ittemo Forever You...

I Sing I Sing I Sing I Sing
I sing this song for YOU! SO

I Sing I Sing I Sing I Sing
I sing this song for YOU!

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09. 傷だらけでも抱きしめて
作詞: 上木彩矢
作曲: 上木彩矢藤本貴則

夢追うその姿 かけひきもない
もう蕾だけで花は咲くから
後悔はしない 出会えた奇跡
この愛がいつか離れたとしても

重ねるほどいとしくて
おとずれる深い孤独
失くして初めてきづくなら
どんな痛みも耐えてゆける

傷だらけでも抱きしめて
静けさに胸が破裂しそう
 かわす約束はないけれど
もっと強く抱きしめて
この世界が消え去っても
 終わらない紅い情熱

壊れかけの夜 すれ違いの足跡
たとえこのまま目が醒めなくても
後悔はしない 揺るがない軌跡
この愛なしでは生きる術もない

確かめ合うことよりも
 今を信じて行きたい
沈みそうな心蹴って
 同じ星見つめていたい

傷だらけでも抱きしめて
不器用に流れだす涙は
 悲しみをやさしさに変えてゆく
もっと強く抱きしめて
この世界が消え去っても
 終わらない紅い情熱

傷だらけでも抱きしめて
静けさに胸が破裂しそう
 かわす約束はないけれど
ずっと強く抱きしめて
 この世界が消え去っても
終わらない蒼い真実

永遠に捧げる メロディー

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09. Kizu Darake demo Dakishimete
Lyrics: Kamiki Aya / Music: Fujimoto Takanori
Romaji by: cori

yume ou sono sugata  kakehiki mo nai
mou tsubomi dake de hana wa saku kara
koukai wa shinai  deaeta kiseki
kono ai ga itsuka hanareta to shitemo

kasaneru hodo itoshikute
otozureru fukai kodoku
nakushite hajimete kidzuku nara
donna itami mo taete yukeru

kizu darake demo dakishimete
shizukesa ni mune ga haretsu shisou
  kawasu yakusoku wa nai keredo
motto tsuyoku dakishimete
kono sekai ga kiesattemo
  owaranai akai jounetsu

kowarekake no yoru  surechigai no ashiato
tatoe kono mama me ga samenakutemo
koukai wa shinai  yuruganai kiseki
kono ai nashi dewa ikiru sube mo nai

tashikameau koto yori mo
  ima wo shinjite yukitai
shizumisou na kokoro kette
  onaji hoshi mitsumete itai

kizu darake demo dakishimete
bukiyou ni nagaredasu namida wa
  kanashimi wo yasashisa ni kaete yuku
motto tsuyoku dakishimete
kono sekai ga kiesattemo
  owaranai akai jounetsu

kizu darake demo dakishimete
shizukesa ni mune ga haretsu shisou
  kawasu yakusoku wa nai keredo
zutto tsuyoku dakishimete
kono sekai ga kiesattemo
  owaranai aoi shinjitsu

towa ni sasageru  MERODI-

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10. Believe in YOU
作詞: 上木彩矢
作曲: 大田紳一郎

* I believe'n YOU
そっとささやいて今すぐに
降りやまない雨の中 抱きしめてほしい
息もできないくらい

空を見上げながら 一人歩いて
ソファーに残った温もり ただ切なくて

kiss me, kiss me
今日はなんだかさみしがりやさんね

I believe'n YOU
駆け足で会いたくて会えなくて
降りやまない雨の中 抱きしめてほしい
息もできないくらい

今頃あなたは 何をしてるかな?
送りもしない手紙 また増えてゆくだけ

love me, love me
今日も愛求めるお人形さんね

* repeat

駆け足で会いたくて会えなくて
鳴りやまない鼓動の中 抱きしめてほしい
息もできないくらい

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10. Believe in YOU
Lyrics: Kamiki Aya / Music: Oota Shin'ichiro
Romaji by: cori

* I believe'n YOU
sotto sasayaite imasugu ni
furiyamanai ame no naka  dakishimete hoshii
iki mo dekinai kurai

sora wo miagenagara  hitori aruite
SOFA- ni nokotta nukumori  tada setsunakute

kiss me, kiss me
kyou wa nandaka samishigariya-san ne

I believe'n YOU
kakeashi de aitakute aenakute
furiyamanai ame no naka  dakishimete hoshii
iki mo dekinai kurai

imagoro anata wa  nani wo shiteru kana?
okuri mo shinai tegami  mata fuete yuku dake

love me, love me
kyou mo ai motomeru oningyou-san ne

* repeat

kakeashi de aitakute aenakute
nariyamanai kodou no naka  dakishimete hoshii
iki mo dekinai kurai

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11. Can't stop fallin' in LOVE
作詞: 上木彩矢
作曲: 藤末樹

伝えたい言葉風が運び
変わらない匂い 変わらない景色
光は白く空を仰ぎ
手をのばせば届くような気がした

Can't stop fall in LOVE
届けたい想いだけが
その心溶かしてゆく
 この大きな星空に願うよ
Still loving you
嘘なんかじゃないんだ
君を失うくらいなら
 他に何も欲しくない

閉じ込めた記憶 流した涙
　抑え切れない気持ちのせいで
目が覚めた瞬間トキ何を想う?
やっぱり君が好きなんだ

Can't stop fall in LOVE
苦しくってたまらない
立ち止まった時には
 1番に抱きしめて欲しいよ
Still loving you
モノクロの世界に
もし取り残されても
 君となら越えてゆける

(I want you to tell me the truth?)
聞かせてほしい
(I want you to tell me your voice?)
こんな夜には
(I want you to tell me the truth?)
待ちわびてる
君の全てがほしい だから

Can't stop fall in LOVE
届けたい想いだけが
その心溶かしてゆく
 この大きな星空に願うよ
Still loving you
もう二度と会えないの?
いつまでもこの場所で
 君を待っているから

Can't stop fall in LOVE
届かない想いだけが
この心揺らしてゆく
 流れるあの星をどうか探して
Still loving you
忘れないでどんな時も
君を失うくらいなら
 他に何も欲しくない

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11. Can't stop fallin' in LOVE
Lyrics: Kamiki Aya / Music: Fujisue Miki
Romaji by: cori

tsutaetai kotoba kaze ga hakobi
kawaranai nioi   kawaranai keshiki
hikari wa shiroku sora wo aogi
te wo nobaseba todoku you na ki ga shita

Can't stop fall in LOVE
todoketai omoi dake ga
sono kokoro tokashite yuku
  kono ookina hoshizora ni negau yo
Still loving you
uso nanka ja nai n' da
kimi wo ushinau kurai nara
  hoka ni nani mo hoshikunai

tojikometa kioku  nagashita namida
  osaekirenai kimochi no sei de
me ga sameta toki  nani wo omou?
yappari kimi ga suki nanda

Can't stop fall in LOVE
kurushiku tte tamaranai
tachidomatta toki ni wa
  1(ichi)ban ni dakishimete hoshii yo
Still loving you
MONOKURO no sekai ni
moshi torinokosaretemo
  kimi to nara koete yukeru

(I want you to tell me the truth?)
kikasete hoshii
(I want you to tell me your voice?)
konna yoru ni wa
(I want you to tell me the truth?)
machiwabiteru
kimi no subete ga hoshii  dakara

Can't stop fall in LOVE
todoketai omoi dake ga
sono kokoro tokashite yuku
  kono ookina hoshizora ni negau yo
Still loving you
mou nido to aenai no?
itsu made mo kono basho de
  kimi wo matte iru kara

Can't stop fall in LOVE
todokenai omoi dake ga
kono kokoro yurashite yuku
  nagareru ano hoshi wo douka sagashite
Still loving you
wasurenaide donna toki mo
kimi wo ushinau kurai nara
  hoka ni nani mo hoshikunai

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12. Changing The World
作詞: 上木彩矢
作曲: 高森健太

忘れたい 忘れられない 霧雨降る深い夜
聞こえないよ 届かないよ 胸の中じゃ言えるのに
並べられた 真実(いつわり)見つめて
背中合わせの 変えようとしない偽善(しんじつ)

世界がマワル いつの日もやってくる
喜びあふれる 枯れた瞳
世界がトマル あなたは通り過ぎてゆく
悲しみあといくつ 数えればいいの?
ひとつふたつ またこぼれだして
それでも歩いてゆく Changing The World

ひろがる雲 空を仰いで
 両手のばし 夏の匂い
進んだだけ ついてくる影
　「先行きなよ」と声がする

あの日もあなたと ふたり肩並べて
重ねた季節 胸にしまい込んで

世界がマワルがむしゃらに叫んで空回る
あなたの隣で ねむりたい
世界がトマル ただ前向いて立ち止まる
素直さが強さなんだと 教えてくれた
美しくなくたって それがすべて
ありのまま生きてゆく Changing The World

シュルリラユルリ その手もその声も
今も愛おしく 心にきざまれて
シュルリラユルリ あなたは通り過ぎてゆく
悲しみあといくつ 数えればいいの?
ひとつふたつ またこぼれだして
それでも歩いてゆく Chang The World

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12. Changing The World
Lyrics: Kamiki Aya / Music: Takamori Kenta
Romaji by: cori

wasuretai  wasurerarenai  kirisame furu fukai yoru
kikoenai yo  todokanai yo  mune no naka ja ieru noni
naraberareta  真実(itsuwari) mitsumete
senaka awase no kaeyou to shinai 偽善(shinjitsu)

sekai ga mawaru  itsu no hi mo yatte kuru
yorokobi afureru  kareta hitomi
sekai ga tomaru  anata wa toorisugite yuku
kanashimi ato ikutsu  kazoereba ii no?
hitotsu futatsu  mata koboredashite
soredemo aruite yuku Changing The World

hirogaru kumo  sora wo aoide
  ryoute nobashi  natsu no nioi
susunda dake  tsuite kuru kage
  "saki ikina yo" to koe ga suru

ano hi mo anata to  futari kata narabete
kasaneta kisetsu  mune ni shimaikonde

sekai ga mawaru gamushara ni sakende karamawaru
anata no tonari de  nemuritai
sekai ga tomaru  tada mae muite tachidomaru
sunaosa ga tsuyosa nanda to  oshiete kureta
utsukushiku naku tatte  sore ga subete
arinomama ikite yuku Changing The World

SHURURIRA YURURI  sono te mo sono koe mo
ima mo itooshiku  kokoro ni kizamarete
SHURURIRA YURURI  anata wa toorisugite yuku
kanashimi ato ikutsu  kazoereba ii no?
hitotsu futatsu  mata koboredashite
soredemo aruite yuku Changing The World

</td><td valign="top">

13. フレンズ
作詞: 上木彩矢
作曲: 大野愛果

* Dear my フレンズ・・
いつまでも大切な人
たくさんの愛で わかち合う幸せを
NEVER ENDING・・
太陽よりも輝く
一人一人の心で
 また歩き出せるんだ フレンズ

落ちこんだ時には
そう、となりにはいつも君が
ただ笑顔でつないでくれる
手の温もりが(あたたかくて)

空は青いのに雨 遠くで虹がほほえむ
びしょぬれのまま叫んで
 ずっとずっと ウチラベスト フレンズ yeah

風の香り 花の香り
ふれていたい 見ていたい 君と一緒に
いつかいつかきっと ここでまた会おうよ Baby

* repeat

言葉じゃ伝えきれない
 手紙じゃ書ききれない
でも心があふれだす
 出逢えたきせき(あの時から)

だから今こうして君に
 不器用な言葉だけど
「ありがとう」を言いたくて
 ララララララめいっぱい歌うからね

悲しいんじゃない さみしいんだね
だからこうして大きく手をふるんだよ
いつかいつかきっと ここでまた会おうよ Baby

* repeat

伝えきれない 伝えきれない
こんな時なのに本当ダメだね
いつもは胸の中いっぱいに想ってるのに
抱きしめたい抱きしめたい
ずっとずっとふりそそぐその笑顔が
　体中に照らしだす

どうしてだろう?どうしてだろう?
涙ばかりが出てきちゃうんだろう?
感情だけが先走ってしまうから
抱きしめたい抱きしめたい
いつもいつも「ありがとう」

* repeat

抱きしめたい抱きしめたい
ずっとずっと
抱きしめたい抱きしめたい
Forever and ever

* repeat

Back to top

</td> <td valign="top" width="300">

13. FURENZU
Lyrics: Kamiki Aya / Music: Ohno Aika
Romaji by: cori

* Dear my FURENZU.. (x3)
itsu made mo taisetsu na hito
takusan no ai de  wakachiau shiawase wo
NEVER ENDING.. (x3)
taiyou yori mo kagayaku
hitori hitori no kokoro de
  mata arukidaseru n' da FURENZU

ochikonda toki ni wa
sou,　tonari ni wa itsumo kimi ga
tada egao de tsunaide kureru
te no nukumori ga (atatakakute)

sora wa aoi noni ame tooku de niji ga hohoemu
bishonure no mama sakende
  zutto zutto uchira BESUTO FURENZU yeah

kaze no kaori  hana no kaori
furete itai  mite itai  kimi to issho ni
itsuka itsuka kitto  koko de mata aou yo Baby

* repeat

kotoba ja tsutaekirenai
  tegami ja kakikirenai
demo kokoro ga afuredasu
  deaeta kiseki (ano toki kara)

dakara ima koushite kimi ni
  bukiyou na kotoba dakedo
"arigatou" wo iitakute
RARARA RARARA meippai utau kara ne

kanashimi n' ja nai  samishii n' da ne
dakara koushite ookiku te wo furu n' da yo
itsuka itsuka kitto  koko de mata aou yo Baby

* repeat

tsutaekirenai  tsutaekirenai
konna toki na noni hontou dame da ne
itsumo wa mune no naka ippai ni omotteru noni
dakishimetai dakishimetai
zutto zutto furisosogu sono egao ga
  karadajuu ni terashidasu

doushite darou? doushite darou?
namida bakari ga dete kichau n' darou?
kanjou dake ga sakibashitte shimau kara
dakishimetai dakishimetai
itsumo itsumo "arigatou"

* repeat

dakishimetai dakishimetai
zutto zutto
dakishimetai dakishimetai
Forever and ever

* repeat

</td>

</pre>

All romaji lyrics & translations (unless noted) by Cori

These lyrics were added in 2006</small>

Older entries (June 2006)

Fri, 14 Jul 2006 08:26:21 GMT

YES! I'm finally finished with updating the older entries. I hope you don't mind if I also add entries for the list of album reviews that I made. I shall add it later on, so I don't clog up anyone's friends entries thingy.

In this entry, the songs should still be there, so if you didn't get a chance to download them, please enjoy. ^__^

~cori

Reupped some of the broken links
Originally added on: 2006-06-22 08:14:00

Some of the links in the previous entry were deleted because I took forever to update the entry. I didn't realize that there was a 14 day time limit, so they eventually got deleted by the server. Sorry for the inconvenience.

Amuro Namie - CAN'T SLEEP, CAN'T EAT, I'M SICK (REMIX)
Download NEW LINK

伊藤由奈 - I'm Free
(Ito Yuna - I'm Free)
Download NEW LINK

木村カエラ - Circle (full album DL)
(Kimura Kaela - Circle)

Download NEW LINK

SweetS - 5 elements (disk 1) (full album DL)

Download NEW LINK

Comments on this entry

invisiblethings
2006-06-23 04:06 am

Taking Yuna Ito, thanks!

-----

(Anonymous)
2006-06-27 05:12 am

thank you :D

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fluffymuffins
2006-06-29 11:07 pm

I downloaded SweetS 5 Elements. Thank you so much. <3 You're amazing.

。・☆。・☆・。。・☆。・☆・。。・☆。・☆・。。・☆。・☆・。。・☆。・☆・。。・☆。・☆・。

Namie, Nanase, Angela Aki, Syndicate Girls, Utada Hikaru, etc.
Originally added on: 19 June 2006 @ 06:33 pm

I know I said that I was going to upload some songs more often, but I've just gotten lazy. I'll probably do so, but without writing extensive reviews like I've done in the past. If anyone wants me to review a recent song or album that I have the lyrics of on my site, just let me know either by email or on this entry. Sorry for the long wait. I'll try to add more songs soon.

I'm now using Sendspace (with the exception of the Yuna Ito song) thanks to a suggestion from an anonymous poster. The site seems to be promising, so I hope everyone has an easier time getting the files. ^_^

Please note that I will only put full album downloads for the CDs that I own myself. They will be 96 kbps rips, not anything higher, so any requests of this nature will be ignored. This journal is to promote Jpop artists. Please support them by buying their music. Places to buy Jpop:

Yesasia
CD Japan
HMV
Amazon Japan

SINGLE SAMPLES

Amuro Namie - CAN'T SLEEP, CAN'T EAT, I'M SICK (REMIX)
Download NEW LINK
Lyrics
Buy CD
MB, 128 kbps
Genre:
Singer:
Cori's rating: 9/10

Namie's latest song is written by michico again (she wrote "Want me, want me"), but I like this song a lot more. I added the remix because it's a bit more upbeat than the original and catchier too. I really like when michico writes songs because they always have some sort of punch in the lyrics and music. Thank God she's releasing an album of her own mid 2006. ^_^

---------

伊藤由奈 - I'm Free
(Ito Yuna - I'm Free)
Download NEW LINK
Lyrics
Buy CD
?? MB, 128 kbps
Genre:
Singer:
Cori's rating:

Hawaii-raised Ito Yuna became very famous from her song "Endless Story" from the Nana movie in which she starred in with Nakashima Mika. Well, her singles after that wasn't very impressive, but this latest one is pretty good, imo. "I'm Free" is an upbeat disco-like song, which is a nice change from her ballads.

---------
---------

Album Reviews (with samples)

Aikawa Nanase - Red (full album DL)

Download
Lyrics / tracklist
Buy Aikawa Nanase CDs
33.59MB MB, 96 kbps
Genre: pop rock
Singer: female
Cori's rating: 7 out of 10

Sample includes:
01. 光と影の迷宮 (Hikari to Kage no Labryinth)
02. 夢見る少女じゃいられない (Yume Miru Shoujo ja Irarenai)
03. LIKE A HARD RAIN
04. SHAKE ME BABY
05. Sayonara
06. BREAK OUT!
07. GLORY DAYS
08. Love me
09. バイバイ。 (Byebye)
10. 最後の夜 (Saigo no Yoru)
11. 今でも… (Ima Demo...)

Aikawa Nanase's music has a light pop rock sound that should appeal to most people. Her Red album has an old school cheesy 80's rock vibe to me and some synthesized sounds in it. This album also has a few slower songs to balance the feel of this album. My favorite song would have to be "BREAK OUT!" because of it's catchy beat. I do wish I had the live version of this song because that's what I first heard of hers and I really liked it a lot. "GLORY DAYS" is also a fun and playful sounding song.

Though this was probably her most popular album, I prefer her 7-SEVEN- album a lot more. I just find this album a bit too outdated for my taste.

Aiuchi Rina - Be Happy (full album DL)
Download
Lyrics / tracklist
Buy Japan version
33.48MB MB, 96 kbps
Genre: jpop
Singer: female
Cori's rating: 6.5 out of 10

Sample includes:
01. be happy?
02. Close To Your Heart
03. 恋はスリル,ショック,サスペンス (Koi wa Thrill, Shock, Suspense)
04. snow drop
05. Her Lament~誰にも聞こえない彼女の叫び~ (Her Lament ~Dare ni mo Kikoenai Kanojo no Sakebi~)
06. It’s crazy for you
07. Can you feel my・・・?
08. Ohh!Paradise Taste!!
09. kimi e no sayonara
10. Dear・・・。From・・・。
11. be happy.

Aiuchi Rina's first album is full of upbeat Jpop songs--seems like her music never seems to change, so if you like her newer stuff, you can't go wrong with this album.

Angela Aki - HOME
Download
Lyrics / tracklist
Buy Japan version
18.2 MB, 128 kbps
Genre: piano ballad
Singer: female
Cori's rating: 8 out of 10

Sample includes:
~ Kiss Me Good-Bye
~ Rain
~ Uchuu
~ Your Love Song

Angela Aki reminds me of Rie fu and at times, Onitsuka Chihiro with her mostly piano ballad music. While it may bore some people, Angela's songs are really nice and her voice is beautiful. This is one of of the albums that took a few listens till it grew on me, and once it did, I enjoyed it a lot. I give this an 8 out of 10.

木村カエラ - Circle (full album DL)
(Kimura Kaela - Circle)
Download NEW LINK
Lyrics / tracklist
Buy CD
38.9 MB, 96 kbps
Genre: pop rock
Singer: female
Cori's rating: 8/10

Sample includes:
1. リルラリルハ (real life, real heart)
02. tea cup
03. I♡hug
04. BEAT (Album ver.)
05. トゥリルトゥリルリカー (TRILL TRILL RECUR)
06. Twinkle (NANA ver.)
07. You
08. PIONEER
09. Deep Blue Sky
10. Dancing Now
11. Circle
12. はちみつ (hachimitsu)
13. C-hildren

Kaela's sophomore album is good, but I still prefer her first one a little more. It still is a solid album with great tracks, so take a listen. I really liked how they put the "You" single and the coupling song back-to-back because the transition from one song to the other has a nice flow to it.

レミオロメン - HORIZON
(Remioromen - HORIZON)
Download
Lyrics / tracklist
Buy CD
16.1 MB, 128 kbps
Genre: mellow rock
Singer: male
Cori's rating: 7.5 out of 10

Sample includes:
~ Ao no Sekai
~ Asu ni Kakaru Hashi
~ Konayuki
~ Shift

Remioromen reminds me a lot of Spitz's music--mellow rock music with a soft-voiced lead singer. Quite nice and I like this a lot. I added a few fun songs, a more serious rock song and a slower one. "Konayuki" was featured in the Japanese drama 1 Litre of Tears.

SweetS - 5 elements (disk 1) (full album DL)
Download NEW LINK
Lyrics / tracklist
Buy Japan ver. CD
Buy Korean ver. CD
29.9 MB, 96 kbps
Genre: sugary girl pop
Singer: female
Cori's rating: 6.5 out of 10

Sample includes:
01. moongrow
02. ミエナイツバサ (mienai tsubasa)
03. captain smiley
04. One
05. I am I
06. after the rain
07. Wishing upon the shooting star ～獅子座流星群～
08. rising sun ～ヒカリ～ (rising sun ~hikari~)
09. Earthship ～宇宙船地球号～ (Earthship ~uchuusen chikyuugou~)
10. ありがとう (arigatou)

SweetS is made up of 5 girls (Aki, Aya, Haruna, Mai, & Miori) and they're the typical pedophile's dream. They're another group who broke up this year. Their music is mostly on the sugary side, but they also have nice ballads. Though they're not anything special, they have a pretty decent fanbase.

Syndicate Girls - FLOWER (full album DL)
Download
Lyrics / tracklist
Buy CD
30.4 MB, 96 kbps
Genre: reggae
Singer: female
Cori's rating: 7/10

Sample includes:
01. Intro -BIGGA-C from JAM TEK-
02. Brand New Day
03. Believe Myself (SUMMER BLEEZE MIX)
04. LOVE REGGAE MUSIC feat.NANJA MAN
05. NONFICTION
06. Stay
07. DON'T MISS THE PLANE
08. 旅立ち (tabidachi)
09. 宴 (utage)
10. 爆音SYNDICATEのテーマ feat.NANJA MAN/Jr.DEE/EAZZY (Bakuon SYNDICATE no Theme)
11. HERMONY OF JELLY BEANS
12. Flower (ALBUM MIX)
13. Eternal Love feat.YOYO-C
14. 恋詩 (こいうた) (koiuta)

I was recommended Syndicate Girls's debut album by my internet stalker kego and it really is a good album. Nao and Maki really have great harmonies and their songs are really catchy. Despite that, I decided to rate this album a 7 because the songs don't really have that much of a lasting impression to me. At least, not other albums. Basically if you like or are interested in hearing Japanese reggae, give these girls a try.

Utada Hikaru - ULTRA BLUE
Download
Lyrics / tracklist
Buy Japan version
Buy Taiwan version
Buy Korean version
17.7 MB, 128 kbps
Genre: pop
Singer: female
Cori's rating: 9 out of 10

Sample includes:
~ BLUE
~ Nichiyou no Asa
~ Passion
~ This Is Love

While I was excited when I heard that Hikaru was going to have a new Japanese album, I was kind of wary at the same time because I didn't like her Deep River album too much and I could not stand "Dareka no Negai ga Kanau Koro" or her dying voice in that song. Her other singles were a bit promising, but I wasn't about to think to positively until I heard the album. Well, when I did, I was hit by the first track "This is love," which is a really great upbeat song. "BLUE" is my absolute favorite track from this album. While there's a part that may grate on some people's nerves (0:28 in the song), I think it's tolerable because the song is lovely otherwise. "Nichiyou no Asa" is the R&B sounding track of this album and since I love that genre, I have much love for this song as well. "Making Love" is surprisingly upbeat and really cute at one point. I had the impression it would be a slower, sexier song because of the title, but thank goodness Hikaru surprised me with that track. "One Night Magic" feat. Yamada Masashi didn't impress me too much, but I think with a few listens, I'll like it a bit better. I think I'll feel that way about "Kairo" as well. When I first heard that song, I thought it was so slow that it dragged its way to the end. As I listened to the songs one by one, I felt that the songs flowed well and although I initially opposed it, I was actually happy about the inclusion of "COLORS" because it fit in well with the direction of this album. And the nostalgicness (is that a word?) made me appreciate this song more. Hell, I even liked "Dareka..." after listening to this album, so I guess maybe I'm back to being one of her Utarded fans. Damn you, Hikki!

---------

Comments on this entry

veehime
2006-06-20 08:52 am

"File ID is not valid" for SweetS... :(

-----

corichan_com
2006-06-20 10:35 am

Here's the new link. Thanks for letting me know and sorry for the inconvenience. :(

http://www.savefile.com/files/4760954

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veehime
2006-06-20 06:01 pm

No problem, and thank you!! :D

-----

(Anonymous)
2006-06-20 09:10 am UTC

I'm sorry to interrupt....
I guess there's some problem with savefile / the download link...
It doesn't appear to be available...
"File ID is not valid"

I don't know if other people experienced this or not, but I've tried clicking more than 3 times, and it (still) didn't work...
I want to DL "Yuna Ito - I'm Free"

Thx very much if you can fix it...

-----

princessxia
2006-06-20 10:07 am

Irk, yeah, got it too =\

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corichan_com
2006-06-20 10:44 am

Here's the new link using rapidshare instead. Hope you can download it now.
http://rapidshare.de/files/23577094/Ito_Yuna_-_I_m_Free.mp3.html

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princessxia
2006-06-20 10:53 am

Ooo, thank you very much ^_^!

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corichan_com
2006-06-20 10:44 am

I wasn't able to reup the song with savefile, so I used Rapidshare for that one song. I hope you're able to download it now.
http://rapidshare.de/files/23577094/Ito_Yuna_-_I_m_Free.mp3.html

-----

(Anonymous)
2006-06-20 03:23 pm

Thx very much, once again...
I'm the same person who complained to you at first...
Your site is good, I hope you can do mp3 rotation more often...

Just want to comment... I'd prefer rapidshare to savefile...
Maybe you could consider to use rapidshare from now on?
And if I'm not mistaken, the "Namie Amuro - CAN'T SLEEP, CAN'T EAT, I'M SICK (Remix)" file, also has some problem...
Perhaps you could check it, and fix it if possible...
I don't want to DL this file, I already have the song ^^
Just wanna get rid of those who would complain to you later...

-----

corichan_com
2006-06-20 05:03 pm

I uploaded the song onto savefile again. The link should be good, so I hope no one gets the error message again. Thanks for letting me know, btw.

I really hate rapidshare because of its 20mb (I think) limit download and I think that others dislike it too. Maybe I'll try different sources for different downloads.

-----

princessxia
2006-06-20 10:07 am UTC (link) DeleteFreezeScreen
Ito Yuna was in NANA?! Ahh, have to watch it. *so slow* Anyway, taking Ito Yuna, thanks ^^

-----

(Anonymous)
2006-06-20 01:15 pm

"I'm back to being one of her ***Utarded*** fans. Damn you, Hikki!"

LOL~~~

I didn't download anything, I just entered to read your reviews, they're amazing (and fun *lol*)! I hope you can have more time to keep doing that.

And your site is amazing too!

-----

corichan_com
2006-06-20 05:05 pm

I just wish I had more time to write more extensive reviews, but alas, the motivation's not there anymore + I'd rather update with songs more often than I have been due to procrastinating with writing reviews. :(

-----

irin_luvs_mis
2006-06-21 11:38 am

Hi Corichan, I can't download Kimura Kaera... It says "File ID is not valid." I wonder if you could fix it please m(_ _)m

-----

corichan_com
2006-06-22 06:11 pm UTC (link) DeleteFreezeScreen
Sorry for the late up, but here's the new link:
http://www.sendspace.com/file/erb0qs

-----

irin_luvs_mis
2006-06-24 01:05 pm

Thank you so much o(^^)o The link works perfectly fine now.

-----

enscriptchun
2006-06-21 09:16 pm

Thanks the downloads and new album reviews... =)

-gar.

-----

corichan_com
2006-06-22 06:12 pm

Haha, this entry was not much for reviews, but at least there are sound samples. :P

-----

(Anonymous)
2006-06-22 01:45 am

WOW thank u sooooooooooooooo much, but yeah i didnt no the SweetS split up....yeah i guess im slow too
well anyways i downloaded the sweets and Aikawa Nanase cd, thanks again

-----

corichan_com
2006-06-22 06:12 pm UTC (link) DeleteFreezeScreen
Glad you liked it. And yeah, seems like there's been a lot of bands/groups breaking up for the past year. :/

Older entries (March 2006)

Fri, 14 Jul 2006 08:09:45 GMT

Older entries do not have song samples

AAA, Kayo Aiko, Miura Daichi, MoMusu, SE7EN
Originally added on: 27 March 2006 @ 12:18 pm

Yay, 2nd entry since I got back from the dead. ^_^ All songs are in 128 bitrate.

AAA - ATTACK
Arashiro Beni - Girl 2 Lady
Kayo Aiko - Dolce
Miura Daichi - D-ROCK with U
Morning Musume - Rainbow 7
SE7EN - First SE7EN

Comments on AAA, Kayo Aiko, Miura Daichi, MoMusu, SE7EN albums

Comments on Beni's album

AAA - ATTACK
Download
Lyrics / tracklist / (K)
Buy CD
16.55 MB
Genre: dance pop
Singer: male & female singers & male rapper

Sample includes:
~ BLOOD ON FIRE
~ deai no chikara
~ get or lose
~ saikyou babe

I absolutely love AAA's music. Their music is more on the poppy dance side and there are male and female singers and a male rapper in this group. I know I might have mentioned that I thought that Younha was the best new artist of 2005, but with all the great songs AAA have been releasing, I have to change my opinion. I've included a few samples of their songs that showcase their catchy music. "BLOOD ON FIRE" is their first single and very addictive. "Get or Lose" is the ladies only song, and "Saikyou Babe" is the guys only song. "Deai no chikara" is more on the ballad side. Over all, ATTACK is an awesome album and I highly recommend it. This gets a 10 out of 10 from me. ^_^

---------

Kayo Aiko - Dolce
Download
Lyrics / tracklist / (K)
Buy CD
15.74 MB
Genre: pop
Singer: female

~ ienai kotoba
~ kanojo wa gokigen naname
~ midori no kisetsu
~ traveller

Kayo Aiko doesn't have the best voice out there, but her songs are decent. I guess if you like the typical type of Jpop female singers, you'll probably enjoy her songs. This gets a 7 out of 10.

---------

Miura Daichi - D-ROCK with U
Download
Lyrics / tracklist / (K)
Buy CD
13.82 MB
Genre: pop R&B
Singer: male

~ Free Style
~ Knock Knock Knock
~ Make It Happen
~ No Limit (feat. Utamaru from Rhymester)

Oh my. Miura Daichi was once part of the Jpop group Folder and now he's more on the pop R&B side. Quite a change, indeed. Before I gave his music a chance, I scoffed at it because, hell it's pretty cheesy to do a 180 music-wise to me. (Well, with the exception of ex-D&D's Olivia.) After hearing Daichi's debut album, I ate my words. This album is an excellent one; the songs are pretty upbeat and very catchy. The R&B songs and ballads are great as well. I included some diverse songs in the mix to give an idea of what his music is like. So far, this is one of my top picks of 2006. 10 out of 10, baby!

---------

Morning Musume - Rainbow 7
Download
Lyrics / tracklist / (K)
Buy CD
15.05 MB
Genre: pop
Singer: female

~ INDIGO BLUE LOVE
~ Osaka Koi no Uta
~ Rainbow Pink
~ Sayonara SEE YOU AGAIN Adios BYE BYE Cha Cha

Morning Musume has gone through so many members that I have no idea who the hell is in that group anymore, nor do I care. Well, with that said, I was pleasantly surprised when I heard their latest album. I haven't really listened to their music since the first 2 albums, which was quite a while back. I didn't even pay attention to their singles, so this is all new to me. I'd have to say that my favorite song is "Rainbow Pink" because of it's cuteness (hell, I even had the damn song on repeat when I first heard it), but unfortunately, I know that not many people would share my opinion on this. There are a variety of songs on this album (pop, ballads, slight R&B, etc), so I'm sure that everyone would find something that they'd enjoy, or at least tolerate. 8 out of 10.

---------

SE7EN - First SE7EN
Download
Lyrics / tracklist / (K)
Buy CD
14.31 MB
Genre: pop R&B
Singer: male

~ Entrance
~ Last of Diary
~ Puzzle
~ Red Voice

Add another Korean to the Jpop industry, SE7EN's debut album is here, and it's pretty good, at that. SE7EN (clever spelling, eh?) was on the R&B side, which is what his Japanese album is like too, but there are more mellow songs here. Not that that's a bad thing, but many of his fans preferred his Korean album, which was released on the same day as this album. I'm ashamed to say that I haven't listened to this album too much, so I can't really give my opinion on it, but you can sample the songs I have above. This gets an 8 out of 10 from me.

---------

More updates on the horizon...

Comments on this entry

veehime
2006-03-27 11:03 pm

Downloaded Kayo Aiko, Miura Daichi, and Morning Musume. No time to listen yet--gotta walk to a class that's on the opposite corner of campus. :/

Thanks! ♥

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corichan_com
2006-03-29 03:47 am

Cool, hope you enjoy the songs. ^_^

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midgiesrule
2006-03-27 11:03 pm

I just posted an entry about AAA's remix album and the ATTACK tour DVD. I'm really excited about this group as well.

Thanks for the update *thumbs up*

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corichan_com
2006-03-29 03:48 am

It's nice to know there's another AAA fan out there. I just love their songs. I'm looking forward to hearing the remix album as well.

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mizbrified_box
2006-03-28 08:06 am

Speaking of AAA, I was looking at how their new single did on the charts. It suprised me a lot, cause I'd never seen this happen before on the charts ^^ Well, nothing this extreme. The dates are a bit muddled 'cause of something special about the week which I'm not too sure of.

Day 1: 7
Day 2: 10
Day 3: 18
Day 4: Failed to chart in top 20.

o__O I mean, a lot of singles have a trend of dropping throughout the week, but what on earth? xD It's supposed to be like 5 places, not 8 in one day!

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corichan_com
2006-03-29 03:49 am

Wow, I guess their latest single wasn't that great? Haven't listened to it yet, so I have no clue on if it's good or not.

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mizbrified_box
2006-03-29 04:07 am

Updated stats:

It got #20 on the charts and sold 8,455 units o_O Not much at all xD

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sailorrabbit
2006-03-28 11:49 pm

hey i just found your lj,this is really cool,ive been looking for somewhere that does these songs in MP3 form and now i have so thank you sooo much i downloaded the Morning Musume album^_^.I have a request though,would it be possible for you to upload the mp3 file for the Morning Musume song "Chu!Natsu party!?Its the one i really really want.

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corichan_com
2006-03-29 03:57 am

The song you mentioned isn't a Morning Musume, it's by 3nin Matsuri, who is also a part of the Hello! Project. Unfortunately, I don't have that song, sorry. :(

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je11ybean
2006-03-29 02:59 am

I took all except MoMusume. I think I might purchase Miura Daichi since I've been looking to purchase some music. ^_^ Arigatoo~!

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corichan_com
2006-03-29 03:58 am

You won't regret buying that album, it's definitely one of the best albums I've heard in recent times and I've been listening to it a lot since I got it. ^_^

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How about rapidshare?
(Anonymous)
2006-03-29 08:44 am

I'm sorry to interrupt...
Just wanna tell my opinion about the download website which you use now.

You used to use rapidshare when uploading, but why you change to megaupload now?
B'coz, I think megaupload is not quite good.. I mean, some people are not really satisfied with megaupload.. sometimes it takes a long2 time to download the file.. and.. I just can't afford it..
If possible, could you use rapidshare again, if you may? I think that one would be better than megaupload. Besides, the files in rapidshare also last long for 30 days (same as megaupload). And I think it's faster rather than megaupload..

corichan, I've been visiting your website from long2 time ago, and often downloading song files from you, ever since you still use yahoo! groups (is that group still active now?). And I still prefer your "old" style, than your "new" style..

I guess rapidshare is not bad, is it?

Thank you very much,
your website visitor

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Re: How about rapidshare?
corichan_com
2006-03-29 10:18 am

The reason why I use Megaupload is because ever since Rapidshare changed it's download method, it got aggravating. Now, you have to wait about a minute, then punch in a 3-digit code, which doesn't always work. If it doesn't work, you have to redo the 1 minute wait for the link. That happened to me 3+ times, so after that, I decided to go for Megaupload. While it may be slower, it's more reliable, imo. Here's a download of the Kayo Aiko Dolce sampler as an example of how the new downloading method is.

As for the Yahoo groups, I only upload individual songs there, not album samples because I can only get 4-5 songs in each group at a time, and because it can only handle 5mb files and 20mb in each group, it's more trouble when I had to reupload things because it was a few kb more than the group could handle, which was frustrating for me. By using the method I use now, I can upload a lot more songs in zipped files, which cuts down a lot of time and effort for me.

If there is another site that someone could recommend me to use, I'd be willing to move the files over, but until then, I think I'll stick to Megaupload. It's only if that site does not work for anyone at all, then I'd be willing to change completely.

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Re: How about rapidshare?
corichan_com
2006-03-29 10:22 am UTC (link) DeleteFreezeScreen
Oh also, you don't have to wait an hour before downloading on megaupload like with rapidshare. I forgot about that one.

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Re: Rapidshare...
(Anonymous)
2006-03-30 12:50 pm UTC (link) DeleteFreezeScreen
Hi! It’s me again…

Hmm… I see. Ok...
Thanks for considering my suggestion…
Anyway, for me, I found a lot more trouble in megaupload rather than rapidshare.
I forgot to mention that rapidshare new method, with “Alpha” and “Omega” mirror… I’m kinda confused about that.

You’re right, that Yahoo groups is kinda difficult…

I’m sorry I can’t recommend you much about other websites you could use, because all I know yet, the good one is only rapidshare. But I guess we have a different opinion about this one…
Well, I do hope you could change your download website (please)… Anything, except megaupload. But I suggest, don’t use yousendit. It’s good, but the file just stays for about a week. Not really good for a kind of mp3 rotation like this.

Keep up the good work, corichan. I always like the songs which you upload ^^ mostly the songs are good-to-listen…

Thanks,
Your website’s visitor & fan

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Re: Rapidshare...
(Anonymous)
2006-05-14 06:18 am

Well. I would suggest perhaps, savefile. It's always been a good one for me. It has unlimited bandwidth, space, and such. although the limit for each file is like 60mb. So you might have to upload the songs separately...but it's good enough for songs I guess?

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Re: Rapidshare...
corichan_com
2006-05-19 10:24 am

I think I'll try this one on my next update. Thanks for the recommendation!

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mandois4lovers
2006-03-30 06:58 pm

Yays!! Glad your updating!!

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^^
starprincessl
2006-04-01 02:37 am

Lol @ the Momusu comment. ^^ Somehow, over the past few months, I've managed to memorize every single member that was ever in Momusu without even trying. O_o;;;; Dunno how that happened.
I own the LE version of Rainbow 7, and I absolutely love it. My favorite songs would have to be 'THE Manpower!!!' and 'Joshi Kashimashi Monogatari 3' (though it's not as good as the original...), but Rainbow Pink is pretty good too. ^^
AAA's ATTACK is really good, too, and I'm planning on buying it soon. I guess my favorites on that album would be 'DRAGON FIRE' and 'Welcome To This World'...

Thanks. ^^

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geishaarmy
2006-04-10 06:44 am

hellos. i snagged the AAA sampler. i shall load onto my ipod and check it out. thanks much!

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=$
(Anonymous)
2006-05-24 12:38

Hello !
I wanted to know if you had the album of Miura Daichi in entirety? because I seek it everywhere but I don't find it ='(
If you have it you can send it to my address mail?
Thank you very much
my mail : huonglan@8-0.net

=^_^=

。・☆。・☆・。。・☆。・☆・。。・☆。・☆・。。・☆。・☆・。。・☆。・☆・。。・☆。・☆・。

Arashiro Beni's latest album = complete crap
Originally added on: 12 March 2006 @ 08:08 pm

Wow, over 3 months since I updated this journal. I will try to update more often, but with fewer songs & less descriptions, if no one minds.... which brings me to why I wanted to update today. I wanted to review Arashiro Beni's latest CD:

1. The Power
2. Wake Up
3. Heart 2 Heart
4. Cherish
5. Flash
6. 光の数だけグラマラス (hikari no kazu dake glamorous)
7. Into The Sky
8. Secret Lover
9. 太陽が月を照らして (taiyou ga tsuki wo terashite)
10. 恋めぐり (koi meguri)
11. Flash Flash 【bonus Tracks】
12. Come Close To Me 【bonus Tracks】
13. Give Me Up 【bonus Tracks】

Ugh. After reading some comments on Aznpop about Beni's latest album Girl 2 Lady and how craptastic it is, I wanted to hear for myself how bad this album was. And ya know--they were right! Whatta waste of disk space! I've never been a fan of hers since I thought her first album was pretty generic sounding, but I thought her music would eventually get better, if not less generic. Such is not the case here.

"wake up" is a generic R&B pop song. While it's not bad, I laughed at the line in the chorus that sounds like "Let's get this party started / Feeling the BM music." BM? As in bowel movement? Hah, describes Beni's music perfectly. ^_^

"Into the sky" is the song that made me cringe at its awful cheesiness. Even the lyrics are really pathetic: "Your love was the ocean / So deep and everlasting..." Yes, the song is in English, but even if it were in Japanese, it wouldn't change my opinion of it. Horrible, just horrible. To make it worse, is her off-key singing. Oh Beni, go find a new career please.

And what's up with rapper KOHEI JAPAN?? At this rate, I don't have any respect for him as he's slumming with this collaboration with Beni in song "FLASH." He also did a guest rap on a song from Ueto Aya's (!!) latest album. I mean, Ueto Aya, of all people? Her music is pure pop, so I have no idea why it needs a rap in it. Whatever.

I must admit that there were a few songs that I kind of liked from this album--"Taiyou ga Tsuki wo Terashite"...she kind of sounds like Ayu in this song, "THE POWER," which is a coupling song of some lame song (can't be bothered to remember), and maybe another one, but I don't want to relisten to this album to find out which song exactly.

Those of you who are Beni fans, don't bother buying this album. I think it would be a waste of your money. Just download the damn thing if you must, but be forewarned that it's a piece of shit album which will bore you to death as it did me. I usually don't upload full albums unless I have bought it myself, but I decided to up this album for the reasons above. Oh, and don't get me started on how this girl looks either...this girl irritates me to no end.

Using megaupload:
1. Click on the (DL) link you want & a new window should open.
2. Wait for 45 seconds
3. There should be a popup, click the "x" to close that window.
4. Left click on the download link & an "open with" or "save as" pop up should appear.
5. Choose "save as" because it's easier on computers (if you prefer, you can click
on the "open with" option).

Girl 2 Lady (part 1)
Girl 2 Lady (part 2)
Girl 2 Lady (part 3)

Comments on this entry

kakeochi_umai
2006-03-13 07:06 am

HAHAHAHA!!!! I am DEFO downloading that!!!

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kakeochi_umai
2006-03-13 08:20 am

Oh, my. You are not wrong. ^_^

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kakeochi_umai
2006-03-13 08:23 am

*abandons album and listens to "No.5" by Morning Musume instead*

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corichan_com
2006-03-15 08:57 am

Haha, glad I'm not the only one who feels this way about her music. Oh, and listen to Momusu's latest. I think it's a great album. ^_^

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kakeochi_umai
2006-03-15 09:00 am

See my second-to-latest post. :P

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corichan_com
2006-03-15 09:18 am

I don't get it. "No. 5" is their 5th album & I was referring to "Rainbow 7," their latest. Unless you were referring to my comment about not being the only one who feels that way about Beni's music. *confuzzled*

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kakeochi_umai
2006-03-15 09:08 am

Come to that, could you up it anyway? I don't think I can wait for two weeks from the 21st, which is apparently when they're going to ship it out...

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corichan_com
2006-03-15 09:19 am

Will add a Momusu song update some time this weekend...

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kakeochi_umai
2006-03-15 09:24 am

Yay!!

By second-latest post, I meant in my lj. I blew $300 on YesAsia, most of which was Hello Project stuff omg. *dreads credit card bill* ^_^;;

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cocori
2006-03-15 09:56 am

Oh shit, I didn't even notice that you posted recently! Apparently my LJ isn't showing any new friends' entries, so I have no idea when people update. :( Check out my latest entry...there's a link to an amusing Japanophile vid that I found hilarious. XD

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mizbrified_box
2006-03-13 08:11 am

I heard her Beni album and her Cherish single, and seriously there was like only three good songs on the album xD I wondered if the new album as better, but thanks to your review you left me with no doubt that it was crap xD

The good tracks on the album:

Introduction (hah Koda Kumi did that. One of the few good tracks was an intro)
Here Alone (Album Version)
Breakout
Oh, Happy Day (Studio Live Version) <-Best track in the entire thing. Err. Except for the "When jesus WAA(!&(*@&(&(&(@&(#&(@&(@(S" part and the part when the choir sounds like geese.

So that's 4/19 songs I liked xD Terrible. The single didn't even get on the list. She's on my list of people who have good voices but decide to release crap music (a la Ito Yuna)

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mizbrified_box
2006-03-13 08:23 am

P.S. I thought you'd be interested to know that this album reached #87 on Oricon charts and charted for a whole week before dropping off the Top 200 Albums.

Yeesh.

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corichan_com
2006-03-15 09:08 am

Oh, and thanks for the charts info. Surprised me that people actually bought that piece of trash album. XD

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mizbrified_box
2006-03-15 09:32 am

#87 and one week basically means they didn't xD That's like, 900 copies.

I could sell more units than that xD

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cocori
2006-03-15 09:54 am

Yes, but it's like maybe 890 copies too much. I figured that her family might buy copies, but not anyone else who has any decent taste in music.

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corichan_com
2006-03-15 09:07 am

Beni simply has no good producers and I don't think her voice is impressive either. Reminds me a lot of melody.--average voice, horribly boring songs. Only reason why they're both being pushed is because of their international appeal (Beni's half white, melody.'s from Hawaii).

As for "Oh, Happy Day," that was probably one of the only songs by Beni that I actually liked (cool, I like 3 of her songs). And I don't know why people get irritated by the screechy part of it. It's a homage to the movie Sister Act 2 in which one of the kids (male) was timid when singing, but gained confidence enough to hit that high note.

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kakeochi_umaikazarareta
2006-03-13 08:42 am UTC (link) DeleteFreezeScreen
Beni was once a man! Kidding. :|

I liked that song with the 'call my name' lyrics song though from her and that's it. oh there, here alone.

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corichan_com
2006-03-15 09:09 am

I don't even remember the songs you mentioned. I guess that shows how much I pay attention to her music. :P

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flcl_pill3
2006-03-13 09:03 pm

cherish was the only song I liked from her album.

Why oh why must everyone have the same title for their songs!!!

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corichan_com
2006-03-15 09:11 am

Heh, same like everyone having songs like "sakura" or "yume no naka" etc.

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mizbrified_box
2006-03-15 09:27 am

http://wiki.theppn.org/Sakura

I had to find this all out and write out the page, so I feel the Sakura pain xD Six singles, two artists, two albums tracks, an album, a city and an anime com.

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jess
2006-03-14 05:39 am

I haven't heard any of the album--I've only heard her Cherish single, I believe, and I think it's kind of average, whether for better or for worse...

My main concern with this new album: I just hope the cover concept artist was fired, like, at the stake. I mean, really, wtf is that? :/

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corichan_com
2006-03-15 09:14 am

Well, just check out the album just to laugh at how ridiculous it is. Actually, there are a couple of songs that are not bad, but still..

And yeah, I agree that the cover looks rather cheesy. It looks like something a grade school student made for their school newspaper. :/

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limeimei
2006-03-20 09:50 pm

I really didn't think that that was actually the cover to her album. I figured that some crazed fan made it up. But it wasn't until I saw it on yesasia that the horrible reality finally hit me upside the head. If the cover art didn't deter me from downloading this album, then your review did.

I wasn't much of a fan of hers anyway.

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corichan_com
2006-03-27 10:26 pm

Seemed like they got someone really bad amateur person to photoshop the cover of this album. I guess they wanted to save money? Well, doesn't seem like they put the saved money to use because the songs weren't much to show for. :/

Older entries (December 2005)

Tue, 11 Jul 2006 10:36:16 GMT

Yes! 3 more entries till this journal's updated. I'll be sure to add some song samples & reviews soon after that.

Originally posted on: 2005-12-06 07:37:00

2005.12.06 song update (full album songs)

Hello minna,

Has it been almost a month already? I feel really bad slacking off, so I'm making this update kind of bigger than usual.

I'm trying out something new, which I wanted to do for a while now. Instead of posting just 3 or 4 songs, I was thinking that it might be cool to add full album mp3s instead, but in a lesser quality (64 kbps) because these are supposed to be for evaluative purposes, right? If you like what you hear, please be sure to support the artists by buying their CDs. Please let me know if you like this format by posting a message on this entry.
***I will only add full album mp3s for the CDs that I actually own myself***.

AAA - kirei na sora, Amuro Namie - Violet Sauce, Dreams Come True - SUNSHINE, Garnet Crow - haredokei, hitomi - Time Over, Kouda Kumi - Sweet Kiss, Kuraki Mai - Winter*Swear, SMAP - Piece of world, Tommy february6 - Email more, Uemura Kana - koi no mahou, aiko - chou no hanakazari, DOUBLE - Rock The Party (remix), Fayray - akai tsuki

ahhco - made in love
CHEMISTRY - Fo(U)r
JAMOSA - Standing Strong
Kahala Tomomi - Best Selection
Kahala Tomomi - nine cubes
Kiyokiba Shunsuke - Kiyokiba Shunsuke

Comments

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Song Descriptions

AAA - kirei na sora
Lyrics
Official Site
From the single, kirei na sora
Genre: male & female / pop, dance

"Kirei na sora" a dance song, but it's not as upbeat or as catchy as their previous singles. Still, it's pretty good. I'm kind of reluctant to admit this, but I think they're one of the better new artists in the Jpop scene (imo, they're much better than the overrated Yuna Ito, who won the best new artist award). AAA's debut album Attackis coming out next month, so I'm kind of looking forward to it.

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aiko - chou no hanakazari
Lyrics
Official Site
From the single, star
Genre: female / pop

To me, aiko's music just sounds all alike. Sure, her lyrics are nice, but all the similar tunes of her songs just turn me off. I do sort of like "chou no hanakazari" though. It's an upbeat song that's really catchy during the chorus.

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Amuro Namie - Violet Sauce
Lyrics
Official Site
From the single, White Light / Violet Sauce
Genre: female / R&B

"Violet Sauce" is the standard Namie R&B song that reminds me of "Alarm" or "Put Em Up." It's not really a special song, but I guess if I listen to it more, I might like it better.

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Double - Rock the Party (studio apartment remix)
Lyrics
Official Site
From the single, Rock the Party
Genre: female / R&B, Latin

Double's first single of the year is a little on the generic side and the lyrics are superficial and mostly about partying and drinking alcohol, and even though I enjoyed her jazz album, I'm glad that she's going back to her R&B background, no matter how average this song is. This song has a little Latin influenced side as well; in fact, this whole single is on the Latin sounding side. I decided to add the more upbeat Latin version of the main song.

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Dreams Come True - SUNSHINE
Lyrics
Official Site
From the single, JET!!!
Genre: female / pop

"SUNSHINE" is another Latin flavored tune. It's not bad, but I prefer when DCT do regular pop tunres.

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Fayray - akai tsuki
Lyrics
Official Site
From the single, SPOTLIGHT
Genre: female / ballad

Fayray is mostly known these days for her ballads and her soothing vocals. "Akai tsuki" is an acoustic guitar ballad with a piano playing in the background.

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Garnet Crow - haredokei
Lyrics
Official Site
From the single, haredokei
Genre: female / mellow pop rock

I liked Garnet Crow's music when I heard their first album and their earlier songs, but after a while, their music sounded alike to me, so I got bored. However, I'm actually enjoying their latest single. The tune of the verses of "haredokei" sounds like a song that I've heard before, but it was from a movie I saw long ago, so I can't really place it. Because of this nostalgic sound, I really like this song a lot.

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hitomi - Time Over
Lyrics
Official Site
From the single, CRA"G"Y MAMA
Genre: female / pop

hitomi's music has been really awesome this year, and her latest single is no exception. "Time Over" is an electronic sounding song and it's interesting with all the beeps and sounds throughout it. It's great that she's trying new genres, so I hope she and her producers stick to giving her quality music.

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Kouda Kumi - Sweet Kiss
Lyrics
Official Site
From the single, you
Genre: female / pop

"Sweet Kiss" is in the same vein as "Cutey Honey" and those other cutesy type of songs, which is a nice change from her ballads and R&B tracks.

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Kuraki Mai - Winter*Swear
Lyrics
Official Site
From the single, Growing of my heart
Genre: female / pop

As I mentioned before, Kuraki Mai's songs have really improved since her last 2 albums. "Winter*Swear" is another winner in my book. It's not the usual bland type of song that I'm used to hearing from her, it's actually interesting because of the backbeat and the tune of the song is addictive as well.

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SMAP - Piece of world
Lyrics
Official Site
From the single, Triangle
Genre: male / pop

The guys from SMAP have released their umpteenth single and it's not bad at all. Keep it up, and they might make me a fan. "Piece of world" is a nice little mellow pop tune that has a very slight generic R&B influence to it. I like it a lot better than the main track because that one's just a ballad.

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Tommy february6 - E-mail more
Lyrics
Official Site
From the single, Lonely in Gorgeous
Genre: female / pop

"E-mail more" is a really 80's sounding song which really gives me nostalgia because of the synthesizer beats. Love this particular song from the trio.

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Uemura Kana - koi no mahou
Lyrics
Official Site
From the single, kiseki
Genre: female / pop

I thought with a title like "Koi no mahou," this song would be a ballad, but I was pleasantly surprised that this was a cute semi-upbeat pop song. Kana's releasing an album some time next month, so I'm definitely keeping an eye out for that.

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Album descriptions

ahhco - made in love (DL):
(23 MB, includes: made in love album; 64 kbps)
Lyrics
Official Site
Click to buy Japan version
Release date:
Genre: female / R&B
Cori's rating: 10 out of 10

Tracklist:
01. made in love
02. yes i do
03. 流星 (ryuusei)
04. SHAKER SHAKER
05. ahh-c-o
06. about us
07. topazin'
08. no more
09. i never trust
10. Super Drive
11. steppin'

ahhco first released songs under her real name Katsumata Aiko. While her style was still slightly R&B, it was more on the poppy side, as was her voice, which was more on the higher side. This could be because she was one of the Asayan picks, which includes other like Morning Musume and CHEMISTRY to name a few. I like Aiko's music back then, but for a long time, she disappeared. To my pleasant surprise, she has now changed her music and voice style and sounds very mature.

"made in love" starts off this album with a mellow R&B vibe. It also shows off ahhco's smooth, sexy vocals.

In the same vein as the first track, "yes i do" is a mellow R&B song, but it does have its differences.

"ryuusei" is a little poppier than the other two songs, but it still has the R&B vibe to it.

"SHAKER SHAKER" feat. ahhco & SKIPP is more on the dancehall side and the album picks up the pace. SKIPP's vocals are a little whiny, but the song is really great, so I can forgive him.

With "ahh-c-o," we find out to pronounce "ahhco," or at least how to spell part of it. This song is more aggressive than the other songs and ahhco's giving the attitude here. Love it.

"about us" starts off another string of mellow songs. Though I don't like this song as much as the first 5 ones, it's still not bad at all.

Ditto with "topazin'." It's a solid track, but not really noteworthy.

"no more" is another smooth track that flows in well with the other songs.

"i never trust" is the slow song of this album.

"Super Drive" is the cute poppy track of the album and it's darn catchy. The type of some that makes you want to sing along to with a grin on your face. ^_^

The ending track "steppin'" is another catchy song and a great way to end this album. It's on the dancehall reggae side as well, but darker than the 4th track.

The minute I put this album into my CD player, I was instantly hooked. I was so amazed that Aiko had changed from a young sounding singer to someone who sounds very mature with awesome R&B tracks. This album is of my favorites of 2005. I highly recommend this album, especially if you enjoy this style of music. Definitely a must have. Can anyone say 10 out of 10?

CHEMISTRY - Fo(U)r (DL):
(17.3 MB, includes: Dance for me, Densetsu no sougen, Here I am, Wings of Words (album ver))
Lyrics
Official Site
Click to buy Japan version
Click to buy HK version
Click to buy Korean version
Release date:
Genre: male / pop/R&B/ballad
Cori's rating: 7 out of 10

Tracklist:
01. Here I am
02. キミがいる (kimi ga iru)
03. Two As One / Chemistry×Crystal Kay
04. nothing
05. Wings of Words
06. 伝説の草原+ (densetsu no sougen)
07. 涙のあと (namida no ato)
08. almost in love
09. Grind For Me
10. Long Long Way
11. believin’
12. Dance With Me / feat. Gaku-Mc
13. for…

CHEMISTRY's latest album starts off strong with "Here I am," which is a catchy pop tune, which sounds like it could be a Hirai Ken song and it's a nice change from their usual ballads.

"Kimi ga iru" was released as a single, and it's a mellow tune with a slight R&B influence that gets upbeat during the chorus. It's quite nice.

"Two As One" was also released as a single. It features Crystal Kay and it's a really great poppy R&B collabo.

"nothing" is an R&B ballad type, which CHEMISTRY is known for. However, this song is pretty tolerable for someone who doesn't usually like their music.

"Wings of Words" was released as a single, and it's a different version. It's not bad, but it's just a typical sounding song.

"Densetsu no Sougen" is one of those songs that sounds like it was recorded on the spur of the moment because it just sounds like a live song in some parts. It's more on the poppy guitar side, which is a fun welcome change from the typical R&B/ballad songs that they do.

With "namida no ato," we're back to the mellow R&B type, but I do like this song because it gives me a sort of nostalgic feeling.

"almost in love" was the last single before this album and it's a typical CHEMISTRY ballad.

"Grind For Me," thankfully is a pop R&B song, which is written by michico & T.Kura, so it's pretty catchy. I wish it weren't so mellow though.

"Long Long Way" was also released as a single...jeez, how many singles do these guys release anyway? Anyway, the song is yet another mellow song with a slight R&B beat.

"believin'" is an upbeat song, which is much needed since the past few songs have been a bit dragging. Too bad it comes too late in the album.

Next we have "Dance For Me," which was first released with Lena Park, who sang in Korean. In this version, only CHEMISTRY sings, while Gaku MC does the rap.

The last song is "for..." and although it starts off as a ballad, the end gets more emotional, which makes for a good ending song.

Overall, this album was better than I anticipated, but with the lack of originality and playback value in most of the songs, I have to give this a 7 out of 10.

JAMOSA - Standing Strong (DL):
(12.6 MB, includes: the entire Standing Strong album, 64kbps)
Lyrics
Official Site
Click to buy Japan version
Release date:
Genre: female / R&B
Cori's rating: 8 out of 10

Tracklist:
01. MY ALL
02. CAN'T WAIT
03. THIN LINE
04. STANDING STRONG
05. 4EVER AND EVER
06. ALRIGHT
07. SO GOOD SO NICE FEAT. MICRO (FROM DEF TECH)

JAMOSA is one of the best female Japanese R&B singers out there, but it's too bad that she isn't more popular and is overshadowed by less talented artists. JAMOSA's voice is smooth & sexy, and her songs are like a Japanese version of American R&B, but that's not necessarily a bad thing.

I decided to add the whole album in 64 kbps for everyone to sample.

"MY ALL" is a smooth R&B tune and it shows how great her style is compared to those wannabe Japanese R&B singers out there.

"CAN'T WAIT" is a slower, sexier sounding song, and JAMOSA's voice fits in well.

"THIN LINE" is mostly a spoken verse track, but she sings some lines in the song. It's not my favorite track, but it's still decent. And because it's only a minute and 17 seconds, it's not too bad.

"STANDING STRONG" is one of those medium paced acoustic guitar songs with an R&B feel. This is most likely because of her voice. Definitely one of my favorite songs from the album.

"4EVER AND EVER" is yet another medium paced song with a lot of bass. It sounds like she's singing with a live band type, which I really like opposed to the processed stuff, so to speak.

"ALRIGHT" is a catchy song, but it has a somewhat cheesy sound to it. It could be because it's the type of song that most people would like because it's more radio friendly than the other songs.

"SO GOOD SO NICE" features MICRO from the "Jawaiian" duo DEF TECH and this song is on the slower side. JAMOSA and MICRO's voices really sound great together and this ballad is really great. The song itself has a bit of the country element, but don't let that prevent you from listening to the song because it's one of the highlights from the album.

I really liked this album a lot, but it's just too bad it wasn't a full length one. I guess I'll have to give this a 8 out of 10.

Kahala Tomomi - Best Selection (DL):
(22.5 MB, includes: Hate To Tell A Lie, Keep Yourself Alive, Moonlight, Save Your Dream, Summer visit)
Lyrics
Official Site
Click to buy Japan version
Release date:
Genre: female / pop/dance
Cori's rating: 9 out of 10

Tracklist:
01. LOVE BRACE
02. Just a real love night
03. keep yourself alive (radio edit mix) +
04. Living on...!
05. I BELIEVE (radio edit)
06. summer visit +
07. MOONLIGHT +
08. I’m proud (radio edit)
09. save your dream (original mix) +
10. Every morning
11. afraid of tonight
12. たのしくたのしくやさしくね (original mix) (tanoshiku tanoshiku yasashiku ne)
13. I wanna go (single mix)
14. LOVE IS ALL MUSIC (original mix)
15. Hate tell a lie (original mix) +
16. You don’t give up (single mix)

While I didn't originally like Tomomi because of her wavery, off-key vocals, I do have to admit that a lot of her songs are really catchy, thanks to songwriter/producer/singer Tetsuya Komuro's help. I guess that's what made her a star back in the late 90's. That, plus her cuteness.

Because this is her singles collection, there are many good songs, if you can look past her awful singing at times. "LOVE BRACE" has a long intro before the singing. It's a slower song that shows off Tomomi's off-key vocals well.

"Just a real love night" kicks this album off in a more upbeat tone, which is the type of song that Tomomi does really well in because the instruments somewhat drown out her voice.

"keep yourself alive (radio edit mix)" is on the techno-ish dance side and it's damn catchy; definitely one of my favorite Tomomi songs even though it can get a bit repetitive.

"Living on...!" is a kind of generic 80's dance pop song, that reminds me of the old school hitomi or Amuro Namie songs (both of whom TK also produced at one point in their careers).

"I BELIEVE (radio edit)" is another catchy upbeat dance pop song, while "summer visit" is on the cute mellow side. I do love this song from Tomomi because of the melody, though her vocals are pretty decent here as well.

"MOONLIGHT" is a piano ballad type, and it gives me a nostalgic feeling for some reason. Tomomi's voice is pretty cute and sweet here too.

"I’m proud (radio edit)" was the first song I heard from TOmo-chan and I didn't like it too much because of her awful falsetto yelping. I guess I grew into this song because it's not so bad this time around. This song starts off slow, but after the first chorus, it picks up a bit.

"save your dream (original mix)" is such a cute and catchy pop song (do I sense a theme here?). The problem here is her falsetto. Thank god I'm adding a sample so people can hear what I mean. ^_^

"Every morning" has a bit more serious side compared to the other songs. That's not to say that it's not a catchy song, because it is another good one.

"afraid of tonight" is a sort of odd song. Tomomi's voice is synthesized throughout the whole thing and it's played to a backbeat + an acoustic guitar is playing. Plus it's less than 2 minutes and 30 seconds. Pretty interesting song.

"tanoshiku tanoshiku yasashiku ne (original mix)" is a decent song. It's not as good as the previous ones though.

"I wanna go (single mix)" is a mellow song, and it slightly drags compared to the other songs.

"LOVE IS ALL MUSIC (original mix)" is a ballad-type, I guess. It's actually pretty nice. Towards the ending, the vocals get more on the uplifting side, which means that Tomo's off-key vocals come into play.

"Hate tell a lie (original mix)" is my absolute favorite Tomo song--I even bought the damn single!! While her vocals aren't the greatest in this song, it's just so darn catchy, that I overlooked it. I think she even played the harmonica during some of her performances of this song too. Ooh, she's a singer and plays an instrument! :P

"You don’t give up (single mix)" really sounds a little like Amuro Namie's "Can You Celebrate" in some parts and just as nice.

You know what? Even though Tomomi doesn't have the greatest vocals out there (hell, they're downright irritating in some of her songs), I have to give this album a 9 out of 10 for the entertainment value of it. The songs are really great if you can ignore her weak vocals.

Kahala Tomomi - nine cubes (DL):
(19 MB, includes: nine cubes album; 64kbps)
Lyrics
Official Site
Click to buy Japan version
Release date:
Genre: female / pop
Cori's rating: 5 out of 10

Tracklist:
01. daily news+
02. needs somebody’s love
03. あなたについて+
04. here we are (アルバム・ヴァージョン)
05. さがしもの
06. winding road
07. storytelling
08. tumblin’dice(アルバム・ヴァージョン)
09. waiting for your smile
10. sagashimono(リプライズ)

Tomochan's flimsy vocals in "daily news"　kind of bothers me, but this song is still pretty decent, though it's not as good as her other singles. I'm surprised that this song was actually released as a single.

"needs somebody’s love"　has a more serious tone to it. Too bad this song isn't really interesting.

"anata ni tsuite"　is a cute slower song. I think Tomochan fits well with these type of songs because they fit her image and vocals.

"here we are (album version)"　is a more emotional slow song. And hell if Tomo's voice doesn't irritate here too.

"sagashimono"　is more of a mellow song that has a sort of medieval sound to it in the beginning, but a backbeat and guitar come into play. It's not a bad song, but compared to her singles collection, this isn't impressive at all.

"winding road"　is another mellow song, but this time it sounds like it could be lounge music. In this song, Tomomi's vocals start off flat, but when the chorus comes in, she's back to singing off key.

The beginning of "storytelling"　sounds a bit like funeral music. Or is it supposed to be soothing? Whatever the case, it kind of sounds eerie to me...but not as much as Tomomi's vocals. She sings in a falsetto voice in some parts of this song, which can annoy people, but I think I'm getting used to it, so it's tolerable.

Woooo, with "tumblin’dice," we have something that's actually upbeat! I didn't realize how dead this album really is until this song kicked in. No surprise, this was also released as a single and sounds like it belongs on that single collection of hers.

Aw, "waiting for your smile"　is a mellow song and it's a really nice sounding song in which Tomo sings with a really sweet voice. When she sings songs like this, her voice is actually likeable.

"sagashimono (reprise)"　is just an instrumental song. Poor Tomochan! Where is she?

Well, because this album was pretty dragging for the most part, I couldn't give it a good score. I'm just giving it a neutral score of 5 out of 10. Sorry Tomo, but these songs are really bland.

Kiyokiba Shunsuke - Kiyokiba Shunsuke (DL):
(14.8 MB, includes: gusetsu, susume, tatoeba...boku ga, utai jin)
Lyrics
Official Site
Click to buy Japan version
Click to buy HK version
Release date:
Genre: male / rock
Cori's rating: 8.5 out of 10

Tracklist:
01. キャップアップ (KYAPPU APPU)
02. 愚説 (gusetsu) +
03. なにもできない (nani mo dekinai)
04. キミが好きだから (kimi ga suki dakara)
05. 進め (susume) +
06. いつか… (itsuka...)
07. 例えば…ボクが。 (tatoeba... boku ga.) +
08. 意味の無いI LOVE YOU (imi no nai I LOVE YOU)
09. さよなら愛しい人よ… (sayonara itoshii hito yo...)
10. それっ！ (sore!)
11. 唄い人 (utai jin) +
12. ありがとう (arigatou)

Because Kiyokiba Shunsuke is from the pop R&B group EXILE, I was totally expecting something on the R&B side like how Atsushi's COLOR project was, but I was pleasantly surprised that Shunsuke went for the pop rock side, which he does well. His sexy voice really fits in with this genre.

This album starts of strong with the first track "Cap up," but I'm so loving the next track "gusetsu" even more. It has a slight edgy country sound to it.

"Nani mo dekinai" is a slower song and it almost sounds like something EXILE might do, without the R&B sound, that is.

He went for a back-to-back ballad type with "Kimi ga suki dakara." This song is even slower than "nani mo dekinai," but it's still pleasant to listen to.

"Susume" really reminds me a lot of that old George Michael's "Faith" song. I like this song mostly for that reference. Very catchy song.

"Itsuka.." is another slow song and even though I prefer faster songs, this one is not bad at all. This is more of a power ballad type.

"Tatoeba... boku ga." is yet another ballad, but I love this song because it kind of reminds me of another song that I can't place. I think it's a Misia song, but I'm not really sure... I had to add this just in case someone knows this tune.

"Imi no nai I LOVE YOU" is a slightly playful sounding song, a bit on the non-commitable, non-serious side, I'm guessing it's just trying to fit in with the meaning of the song.

"Sayonara itoshii hito yo..." is an upbeat song, but slightly darker in nature than some of the other songs. Pretty good song.

"Sore!" is a laidback song, kind of a throwaway song since it's nothing too special.

"Utai jin" is a fun, happier song and Shunsuke's vocals are just so different from the other songs. He sounds like he's using a "J-rock vocal" for this song (if you know what I mean).

The final song "arigatou" is a ballad, ending this album with a wistful note. Yes, I'm sorry that this album is over because it's a really solid album. Even if you're not a fan of EXILE's past releases, do check this out because it's a lot different from that type of music. I really should rate this higher, but because of the high amount of ballads, I had to give this an 8.5 out of 10.

Comments on this entry

enscriptchun
2005-12-07 09:19 am

yay for new albums... i'm not an EXILE fan, but because of your review I'm going to check out Kiyokiba Shunsuke.

thx!

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(Anonymous)
2005-12-07 02:51 pm

i just bought their (EXILE) perfect best album...i'll try him out (eventhough the songs are different than EXILE)...but this kinda remind me of Sayaka Yamamoto from dream which she sang different type of songs than dream...^_^!

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cute_innocent16
2005-12-11 03:08 am

I agree that Yuna Ito should not have won "best necomer". But, I heard AAA did! and I'm getting their first album too!

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earthminor
2005-12-20 01:35 am

I downloaded Ahhco... thanks! :)

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gicode
2005-12-30 03:22 am

I'm downloading JAMOSA's album, & I wanted to download Ahhco's but it exceded it's download limit. :\

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(Anonymous)
2005-12-30 05:42

Nice Idea!!!! to upload a whole album it's the best! (sorry if my english is poor..) i'd like to do a request: just if you can, will you re-upload the whole "blue" album from "the indigo"? i fell in love with the indigo some time ago, but the fact is that i'm out of money right now, so i can't buy ALL their albums... that's my goal, but not for now. so if you can upload more of the indigo, i will love you forever and ever!
thank so much for the music!

Older Entries (November 2005)

Tue, 11 Jul 2006 09:56:06 GMT

Originally posted on: 09 November 2005 @ 10:30 pm

2005.11.10 song update

Aiuchi Rina - dakishimete, Angela Aki - kiseki, CHEMISTRY x Crystal Kay - Two As One, Every Little Thing - kaerimichi, LISA - I,Rhythm ~Tiny Voice Remix~, Hirai Ken - POP STAR, Hitoto You - hochi Kiss, Kimura Kaela - ROCK ON, nobody knows+ - natsu no kakera, Tamaki Nami - CASTAWAY, YUI - crossroad

BENNIE K - Cube (mini review)
the Indigo - BLUE
the Indigo - sound of fragrance
Katou Miliyah - Rose

Comments

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Song Descriptions

Aiuchi Rina - dakishimete
Lyrics
Official Site
From the single, ORANGE*NIGHT
Genre: female / ballad

Aiuchi Rina, with the chipmunk-like speaking voice, has a deeper voice when she sings (thank god). Her songs are mostly on the poppish side. Although the other 2 songs are more upbeat, I prefer "dakishimete" because I like the slower pace and the nostalgic feel it has.

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Angela Aki - kiseki
Lyrics
Official Site
From the single, HOME
Genre: female / piano ballad

Angela Aki is half Japanese (dad) and half American-Italian (mom). She was raised in Shikoku & Hawaii (what's with all the people from Hawaii debuting in Japan this year?), and she's also a resident of Washington D.C. She has a clear, strong, and pretty voice. She also writes her songs and plays the piano. In college, she majored in political economics and music. She names Fiona Apple, Sarah McLachlan, Ani DiFranco as her favorite artists. She released an indies mini album called "ONE" and "HOME is her major debut. She will also be singing the Final Fantasy XII theme song called "Kiss Me Good-bye," which will be entirely in English.

Rather than focusing on the title song, which is more of a ballad, I wanted to add "kiseki," which I think is slightly better than the main song because it's more happy, upbeat song. Angela shows her piano skills (at least, I'm pretty sure that's her) and her great voice.

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Chemistry - Two As One
Lyrics
Official Site
From the single, almost in love
Genre: male / R&B ballad

CHEMISTRY are Kawabata Kaname (the ghetto looking one) and Dochin Yoshikuni (the pretty boy). Their harmonies are pretty nice and their music is decent for the most part, although at times, it can sound repetitive.

Their latest single isn't innovative, but it's not bad. I added "Two As One" by Crystal Kay x CHEMISTRY in my previous update, and here's the CHEMISTRY x Crystal Kay version, which has different lyrics (thanks to May for letting me know).

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Every Little Thing - kaerimichi
Lyrics
Official Site
From the single, Kimi no Te
Genre: female / ballad

Every Little Thing (or ELT) started out as an upbeat group. Then their 3rd member/producer left to make the now defunct group day after tomorrow. From ELT's common place album, they've been releasing more songs on the slow, snoozy side. Singer Mochida Kaori (Mocchi, to her fans) has also been declining in her vocals (too much smokes, I assume).

Both "Kimi no Te" and "Kaerimichi" are on the slow side. It was hard to decide what to add because they're equally boring. In "Kaerimichi," Kaori's voice is more on the bratty/whiny side, so that kind of amused me. I dunno, for me ELT are pretty much has-beens. Their music is just so 180 from the fun songs that made them popular so it's like they're not even the same group anymore. I think this change has something to do with Kaori's Prince Valiant hairstyle she's been sporting recently:

Kaori Prince Valiant

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Hirai Ken - POP STAR
Lyrics
Official Site
From the single, POP STAR
Genre: male / pop

Kirai Hen, I mean, Hirai Ken has been in the music biz for 10 years. Yes, you heard that right. 10 YEARS! Unbelievable, but then again, he cheated by taking a 3 year break between his 2nd album and the very excellent The Changin Same album. I think this was to do a total makeover from cheesy pop star to the R&B soulman that he became. Well, nowadays, Ken has reverted back to his POP STAR ways (and simpering ballads) with his latest single. While "POP STAR" is catchy, it just reminds me of the Village People type of music and I can just picture Ken frolicking in the flowers, and the PV for this song doesn't really help this image that I have of him (nor the rumors about him, hehe).

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Hitoto You - hochi Kiss
Lyrics
Official Site
From the single, kazaguruma
Genre: female / pop

Hitoto You made her debut with her incredibly popular song "Morainaki." Since then she has steadily making music, but nothing else has really come close to the popularity of that song.

Her latest, and long-awaited single "Kazaguruma" is pretty good. The title song is a ballad, "Hochi Kiss" is a cute song that reminds me of her song "Accordion" and the third song ("utsusemi") is more on the R&B side. I added "Hochi Kiss" most of her songs are on the serious side and I wanted to show a different side to her songs. This single is a great purchase for Hitoto You fans.

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Kimura Kaela - ROCK ON
Lyrics
Official Site
From the single, BEAT
Genre: female / rock

Both "BEAT" and "ROCK ON" are rock influenced songs, but I like "ROCK ON" better because it has a more laid-back sound to it, while the main track sounded a bit like a Puffy song.

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LISA - I,Rhythm ~Tiny Voice Remix~
Lyrics
Official Site
From the single, I,Rhythm
Genre: female / pop R&B

Ex-m-flo singer LISA's latest single is pretty good. I enjoyed all the songs on this single and I'm looking forward to her new single or album. While the original version of "I,Rhythm" is on a dance-ish disco song, the TinyVoice remix slows it down a bit and makes it sound more R&B.

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nobody knows+ - natsu no kakera
Lyrics
Official Site
From the single, dou yo?
Genre: male / hip pop

The truth is, I don't know nothing or nobody in the hip pop group nobody knows+ (go figure). All I know is they sound a bit like Rip Slyme and Ketsumeishi. You know the somewhat rap, plus rock at times, plus...a variety of stuff all mixed in together.

"Dou yo?" sounds like something Rip Slyme would release. It reminds me a lot of "Rakuen Baby." "Natsu no kakera" is a more laid back song, dare I call it a ballad? Well, not quite, but it's as slow as these type of groups get. This song is a really great song to relax to, until you get to the guy who sounds like he's got phlegm in his throat during the verse right after the 2nd chorus. Yep, he bothers me. Makes me wanna shove some cough drops down his throat.

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Tamaki Nami - CASTAWAY
Lyrics
Official Site
From the single, Get Wild
Genre: female / pop

Tamaki Nami of the Gundam Seed fame has released another average single. One guess if the generic sounding title track sounds it should be in another anime. Anyway, "CASTAWAY" is more to my liking. It's a more dramatic type of song, but it still has that "anime" element during the chorus.

--------

YUI - Crossroad
Lyrics
Official Site
From the single, Life
Genre: female / acoustic pop

YUI's cutesy voice kind of grates on my nerves, but I have to give her credit for writing the lyrics & music for her songs and playing the guitar. Her music is mostly on the acoustic guitar side, which I like, and if it weren't for her voice, I'd like her a lot better.

"Crossroad" is a pretty decent song that's on the medium paced side.

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Album descriptions

BENNIE K - Cube (mini review) (DL):
(15.1 MB, includes: Melody ~Night Fly~, saishuu kessen, School Girl ~Tokyo Ver.~, SILENCE)
Lyrics
Official Site
Click to buy Japan version
Release date: 2002.07.24
Genre: female / R&B/rap
Cori's rating: 7 out of 10

Tracklist:
01. SCHOOL GIRL 東京 Ver. (SCHOOL GIRL Tokyo Ver.)
02. Sunshine
03. NAI
04. SILENCE
05. Hole In Da Tribe
06. 最終決戦 (saishuu kessen)
07. 理由 (Interlude) (riyuu)
08. Melody ~night fly~
09. タイトルコール (Interlude) (TAITORU KO-RU)
10. Crazy Day
11. P-DAD
12. Superdome

BENNIE K is Yuki (singer) and Cico (rapper). Though nowadays they are mostly known for their upbeat poppish songs, their style was mostly R&B/hip pop back when they first debuted. That's also apparent on the b-sides of their singles as well as the album tracks. I guess they followed Heartsdales's footsteps by doing the poppy thing to gain more popularity, but BENNIE K sounds a lot more at home with this style than poor HD.

"School Girl" was released as a single. It's a more cutesy old school (heh) sounding song. Though this is more poppy than most of the other tracks on this album, this is nowhere near the pop style that they've been doing recently. "SILENCE" is a slower pace song. The acoustic gives it a slight Latin flavor. "Saishuu kessen" has a darker, more serious sound, and it also has a touch of intensity to it. Finally, "Melody -night fly-" is on the mellow R&B side along with Cico's laid back rapping.

Although newer fans who may know them only from their poppy songs may get bored by this if they didn't know what style of music BK usually makes, I'd say this is a pretty good album and I recommend it if you're into R&B.

the Indigo - BLUE (DL):
(14.4 MB, includes: BLUE (album ver), GIVE ME, GOODBYE DARLING, kuchibeni)
Official Site
BLUE Lyrics
BLUE release date: 2000.09.07
Genre: female / mellow pop
Cori's rating for BLUE: 8 out of 10

BLUE tracklist:
01. BLUE (album remix)
02. きかせて (album remix) (kikasete)
03. if
04. LIMITER
05. GIVE ME
06. GOOD BYE DARLING
07. TAKE AWAY (album remix).
08. 飴色. (ameiro)
09. きれいな時間 (kirei na jikan)
10. MUDDY ROAD (instrumental)
11. 大切なもの (taisetsu na mono)
12. 口紅 (kuchibeni)

the Indigo's music is mostly on the mellow pop side. Takao Miki is the singer and she has a really sweet, laid back voice, which suits their music perfectly. BLUE is their first album, and while, their some of their later albums are better, this album holds its own.

I chose songs based on their variety. "BLUE" has a really simple sound to it, and it's really relaxing, yet catchy. This is a typical song from the Indigo. "GIVE ME" is a bit more on the moody side compared to most of their other songs. "GOOD BYE DARLING" is a slower song than the previous ones and "kuchibeni" is just a song with Miki's vocals and an acoustic guitar. Very soothing and sweet.

I enjoyed this album, but it took me a bit longer to appreciate it than their other albums because it's not as "upbeat" as their other albums. I guess that's how the Indigo's music is, which isn't a bad thing at all. This album gets an 8 out of 10.

the Indigo - sound of fragrance (DL):
(13.5 MB, includes: eien no ai, I Saw The Light, KISU, Stay)
Sound of Fragrance Lyrics
Official Site
Click to buy Sound of Fragrance album (Japan version)
Sound of Fragrance release date: 2002.09.26
Genre: female / mellow pop
Cori's rating for sound of fragrance: 8.5 out of 10

Sound of Fragrance tracklist:
01. 永遠の愛 (eien no ai))
02. DRIVE
03. といかけ (album version) (toikake)
04. 素晴らしい明日 (subarashii ashita)
05. 夏の雨 (natsu no ame)
06. 月の轍 (tsuki no wadachi)
07. sound of fragrance (instrumental)
08. 呼吸しよう！ (kokyuu shiyou)
09. キス (KISU)
10. I SAW THE LIGHT
11. STAY
12. といかけ (reprise) (toikake)

sound of fragrance opens up with "eien no ai" (eternal love) and it's kind of a tropical sounding song. "KISU" is a happy, cheesy sounding song, but it's really cute. ^__^ "I Saw The Light" is entirely in English and it's a cover song, I assume. Miki's vocals are a bit subdued here, but it could be because she's trying to concentrate on the English pronunciation. It's another tropical sounding song and another good one. "STAY" is an acoustic guitar song and the melody of it really makes me nostalgic or emotional or something. I love this.

This is one of my favorite albums from them, but I decided to go with an 8.5 of 10 because not all of the songs leaves a lasting impression on me.

Katou Miliyah - Rose (DL):
(14.4 MB, includes: Dear Lonely Girl, Rose, Star, Yozora)
Lyrics
Official Site
Click to buy Japan version
Release date: 2005.10.26
Genre: female / pop R&B
Cori's rating: 7.8 out of 10

01. 夜空 (yozora)
02. ディアロンリーガール (Dear Lonely Girl)+
03. Don’t stop!
04. Beautiful
05. My Life+
06. Love me, i love you
07. Ride wit u
08. 永遠の声 (eien no koe)
09. Never let go
10. I Cry+
11. ジョウネツ (jounetsu)+
12. ROSE+
13. STAR+
Bonus Track
14. ONE DAY～夜空 Remix～
(yozora) 加藤ミリヤ (Katou Miliyah) loves m-flo

When I first heard this album, I was quick to dismiss it as a generic sounding pop confection with sprinkles of R&B in it. But while it's not innovative at all, this is a pretty decent album for the most part. If you ignore all the tunes that were ripped from other artists, that is.

We start off with the first single "yozora" and it's a really good R&B tune. The laid-back sound of it is really great, and it's a great opener for this album.

The next song is "Dear Lonely Girl," which is pretty much a rip off of the song "Sexual Healing" of the late R&B great Marvin Gaye. Still, this song is catchy, only because of the tune.

"Don't Stop" is a groovy song (oh god, I can't believe I used the word "groovy") and it's another song that'll make you wanna get on the dance floor.

"Beautiful" is a slower song with an acoustic guitar set to a backbeat. It's a pretty good song even though it sounds a little played out. The chorus gets upbeat, which is a welcome surprise.

"My Life" sounds like a really generic pop wannabe R&B song.

With "Love me, I love you," we're back to the medium-paced generic R&B type of song. There's nothing special to say here.

"Ride wit u" is another generic song, but it's slightly better than the last 2 songs. This review is going downhill...can the next song save it?

Ok, with "eien no koi," the beat picks up and sounds slightly more R&B than the last 3 songs. Although this song may not be to everyone's liking, I think it's not bad. Add this to the plus side of the album. Oi, except for that "I'm in looooooooooooooove woooooooah forever with my voice" part. Ugh, kick this song to the curb; I think she's giving Utada a run for her money with that "Calling yoooooohoooooo-hoooo-hooooo" part in "Kremlin Dusk."

"Never let go" is another single and it sounds a bit like Amuro Namie's song "Next to you." This song is very old-school sounding. A bit like 80's music in some parts.

"I Cry" is a dramatic slower song. One of my favorites from this album, but it may be a bit dreary for some people.

"Jounetsu" is a big, big, big rip off of UA's "jounetsu." You can even hear a few lines that UA sings in. Give me the original anytime.

"ROSE" is the title track and it's a bit weird because of the odd rhythm, but I like this song a lot. More on the R&B side than a lot of the other songs.

"STAR" is a very emotional song. Apparently Miliyah's father passed away when she was only 3 years old and she wrote this song for him, asking him to protect her and tells him that he lives on in her. Probably my favorite song from the whole album only because of the lyrics.

"ONE DAY～yozora Remix～" is a loves m-flo collabo. I honestly like the original song that's on m-flo's BEAT SPACE NINE album better.

With all that said, I think this album is a lot better than I thought it would be. While there were several drags in the album, I recommend it for the most part. If you like your R&B on the pop side, do check Miliyah's debut album out. This gets a 7.8 out of 10 from me.

Comments on this entry

mizbrified_box
2005-11-10 09:26 am

That is just freaky. I just checked corichan.com like 10 minutes ago for no reason xD

Anyhoo...

HAHA that Hirai Ken song scares me so much. I downloaded it because one of my friends is a huge fan (owns everything except this single I believe. Yeugh) and it certainly scared the hell out of me xD It's soo...cheesy xD Oh well, it got to number one.

I also snagged the older Bennie K stuff ^^ They seem to have progressed much like Crystal Kay. I heard some of C-K's older stuff, and it was very ehh. I'm not saying these songs are ehh, but their recent stuff is much much better xD

Wow long comment.

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corichan_com
2005-11-10 10:08 am

Hehe, now that is freaky. :P

Have you seen the video for that Hirai Kens song? I've only seen screen caps and it sure freaked me out. Especially this one (that's where the Village People comment was from):

http://www.corichan.com/Images/hiraiken-popstar.jpg>

As for BK, I prefer their R&B sounding stuff compared to the poppish fluff they've been spouting recently, but still, they're a lot better than Heartsdales in that aspect.

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mizbrified_box
2005-11-10 10:32 am

HAHAHAHA XD I burst out laughing. That...is one of the gayest PV shots I've seen in a while. Here's a nice runner up, from a Fujii Takashi PV:

You're right about Heartsdales. Their old stuff definately was so much better xD

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corichan_com
2005-11-10 10:44 am

Glad I could brighten your day with that lovely Ken pic. :D That screencap you posted was pretty...weird too, but I think Ken gets the tiara for that "POP STAR" PV. XD

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mizbrified_box
2005-11-10 10:52 am

Haha, nice. "Takes the Tiara" xD I'll have to remember this phrase to use for my evil whims sometime (or something along those lines)

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shimatani87
2005-11-10 09:05 pm

-Love- Angela. And yes, that is her on the piano. She writes and composes most of her material (except for a few covers on the mini-album and one song on the single by some person named Janis Ian).

Angela makes me wish I'd continued my piano playing. She's -good-.

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flcl_pill3
2005-11-10 09:35 pm

Took YUI and Tamaki Nami.

YUI, is just wonderful. Her singles havent disappointed me. I can't wait for her album!

Tamaki Nami, CASTAWAY is great. I like it better than Get Wild. The song reminds me of Ayumis WHATEVER.

Thanks!!!

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zhongwenmp3
2005-11-11 02:11 am

I took the "sound of fragrance" set, thanks!

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Songs
(Anonymous)
2005-11-11 06:24 am

Thanks for the great songs! I DL Chemistry x Crystal Kay and Nami Tamaki's CASTAWAY.
-No livejournal, Sabergirl333

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zerosexappeal
2005-11-14 05:57 am

Took Kimura Kaela, BENNIE K, Angela Aki, LISA, and Nami Tamaki. Thanks ;D

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limeimei
2005-11-23 07:57 pm

I LOVE the Indigo! ^^ Thank you very much for sharing their lyrics and songs, it's so hard to find anything from them on the internet. ;__;

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melon_clouds
2005-11-25 05:55 pm

Thanks for the reviews and songs.. They are very helpful!

-Pao

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thanks!
stepherie5
2005-11-26 05:53 am

hi cori-chan! i've been checking out your lyrics website for years and stumbled onto your LJ. just wanted to say THANKS for all of the awesome work you've been doing! you've really made j-pop accessible to everyone :D

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saraswathi
2006-02-25 01:32 am

I know this is really old, but I thought I'd let you know I grabbed the Bennie K.

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geishaarmy
2006-04-10 07:04 pm

i snagged the Indigo "sound of fragrance"

KISU was super cute. but STAY is definitely a song that i liked. i also liked the bounce in EIEN NO AI. nice springtime song to me. ^^

thanks for the ear candy! ^^

and reading your comments on that Jounetsu song by Katou Miliyah...i love UA...i'm curious to see how bad a rip-off this song is. maybe another time. haha.

Older reviews (October 2005)

Tue, 11 Jul 2006 09:33:30 GMT

22 October 2005 @ 01:44 pm

2005.10.22 song update

AAA - Friday Party, Azuma Maki - takaramono, Crystal Kay ft. Chemistry - Two As One, Hirahara Ayaka - inochi no namae, Katou Miliyah - My sorrow, Hoshimura Mai - Plastic Love, Koda Kumi - NO TRICKS, mink - if..., SEAMO ft. BENNIE K - A Love Story, Shibasaki Kou - memory pocket -MEMO POKE-, Yano Maki - suki na hito

Album reviews:
Amano Tsukiko - A MOON CHILD IN THE SKY
Goose Bumps - Goose Bumps 2 (mini review)
Kitahara Aiko - Piece of Love (mini review)
Younha - Go! Younha

Comments

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Song Descriptions

AAA - Friday Party
Lyrics
Official Site
From the single, Friday Party
Genre: male/female / pop

AAA (Attack All Around or Triple A or whatever the hell they want to be called) is a fairly new group. There are 8 members (5 guys, 3 girls), some guys rap and sing, the girls just sing; their music is pretty much on the cheesy pop side, but that's not to say that it's bad--their music sounds really catchy. (Find more about them on the English fansite The First Attack)

"Friday Party" is a cheery, cute party song as the title implies.

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Azuma Maki - takaramono
Lyrics
Official Site
From the single, himawari ~ichigo ichie no inochi~
Genre: female / pop

Singer/songwriter/pianist Azuma Maki isn't really a well known artist, but the few songs I've heard of hers are quite nice. They're on the mellow side, but there are a handful that are upbeat.

"Takaramono" is a soothing song with a nostalgic tinge and Maki's vocal is really sweet in it.

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Crystal Kay x CHEMISTRY - Two As One
Lyrics
Crystal Kay Official Site
CHEMISTRY Official Site
From the single, Two As One
Genre: female/male / pop

Crystal Kay & the guys from CHEMISTRY join forces to create this poppy tune and it's a cute & playful collabo. There are traces of R&B in it, but it's best described as a pop song.

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Hirahara Ayaka - inochi no namae
Lyrics
Official Site
From the single, banka (hitori no kisetsu)
Genre: female / ballad

Ah, Ms. Hirahara's latest single...I don't really like the title track too much, but the coupling song "inochi no namae" is slightly bearable, although Ayaka's vocals still grate on my nerves. This song is a piano ballad

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Hoshimura Mai - Plastic Love
Lyrics
Official Site
From the single, sunao ni narenai
Genre: female / pop

Hoshimura Mai is mostly known for her piano rock style, but in her latest single, the coupling caught my attention because it has a slight reggae influence. This song is also a cover of a Takeuchi Mariya song.

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Katou Miliyah - My sorrow~
Lyrics
Official Site
From the single, jounetsu
Genre: female / retro pop

Miliyah is a pop/R&B artist and was featured with artists like m-flo & Heartsdales. Her first album Rose will be released next week, so I wanted to add something from her last single that wasn't going to be on it. "My sorrow" is an old school sounding pop song. It's catchy for the most part, but a bit generic.

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Kouda Kumi - NO TRICKS
Lyrics
Official Site
From the album, BEST ~first things~
Genre: female / R&B

Kouda Kumi, otherwise known as the slutty Jpop diva, released her first singles collection and it's a really great listen. The only new track is "No Tricks" and it's on the R&B side. The thing that's amusing about this song are the lyrics: "Bounce with me bounce no tricks around me / I like your freaky style so let't get up on me / Booty jumpin' like a toad, / Do me like you just want it / Let me see your sexy body bring it on." Yes, any lyric that mention amphibians is a winner in my book. :P

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mink - if...
Lyrics
Official Site
From the single, Beautiful / One Suitcase
Genre: female / pop

I read somewhere that mink's voice sounds like a cross between Utada Hikaru and Misia, and although she does sound a bit like Hikki at times (especially when it sounds like she's running out of air), I'd also compare her to Lyrico instead of Misia when her vocals get stronger during the emotional parts.

"If..." starts off as a slow song, but gathers momentum towards the end of the song. It's a really nice song.

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SEAMO with BENNIE K - A Love Story
Lyrics
SEAMO official Site
BENNIE K official Site
From the single, A Love Story
Genre: male/female / rap/R&B

I'm not too familiar with male rapper SEAMO, so not much info there. The girls from BENNIE K are Yuki (singer with the heavenly voice) and Cico (rapper). BK's new album Japana-rhythm drops next month and I've so preordered that.

"A love song" starts off with a Zorro-like sound, then it gets poppy after a short while. The song is average, but still enjoyable. Hell, anything with YUKI's vocals are great, imo.

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Shibasaki Kou - memory pocket -MEMO POKE-
Lyrics
Official Site
From the single, Sweet Mom
Genre: female / pop

Actress/singer Kou is best known for her acting career (Battle Royale, Orange Days, Chakushin Ari, etc), but she's also a pretty decent singer and she also writes the lyrics for some of her songs.

"memory pocket -MEMO POKE-" is an upbeat song, but it's not the typical loud Jpop song. It's actually quite soothing.

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Yano Maki - suki na hito
Lyrics
Official Site
From the single, kono mama...
Genre: female / folky pop

Yano Maki is one of my favorite singers. Her vocals are raspy at times, but there are times when her voice is crystal clear & beautiful.

The title track was a bit boring to me, so I decided to add "Suki na hito," which reminds me of her older songs when there was a bit of a kick to them.

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Album descriptions

Amano Tsukiko - A MOON CHILD IN THE SKY (DL):
(15 MB, includes: Devil Flamingo, Koe, Stone, taisou)
Lyrics
Official Site
Click to buy Japan version
Release date: 2005.09.21
Genre: female / rock
Cori's rating: 10 out of 10 (highlight to view rating)

01. A MOON CHILD IN THE SKY
02. Devil Flamingo
03. JOKER JOE
04. イデア (A Moon Child mix)
05. Stone
06. 翡翠 (A Moon Child type) (hisui)
07. 1/2 -a half-
08. 聲 (koe)
09. 砂糖水 (satoumizu)
10. パレード (parade)
11. 博士と孔雀 (hakase to kujaku)
12. 花冠 (kakan)
HIDDEN TRACK:
13. 体操 (taisou)

I found out about Tsukko's music a year and a half ago when I heard her Tenryuu album (my top pick for 2004, which reminds me..I never did finish my freaking list!! *makes a note to add it soon*) and I've been a fan ever since. Since then, I have bought all of her albums and I was highly anticipating her next album, entitled "A MOON CHILD IN THE SKY," which is a direct translation of her name: 月tsuki (moon) 子ko (child) 天ama (heaven/sky) 野no (field)

One of the best things about buying an Amano Tsukiko album is the cool drawings that are in it that represent her songs, which are drawn by Tsukiko herself. Unfortunately, this time she must've been busy being a Sith Lord because the drawings are pretty sparce. Just a single drawing in the booklet, but I did get a sticker with a drawing of a peacock ("hakase to kujaku" reference).

The first track is an instrumental. It has a lonely, nostalgic feeling to it.

2nd track is "Devil Flamingo" and I first thought of the old school Van Halen song "Jump" with the synthesizer beginning. "Devil" is a great song that sets an energetic pace for this album. Tsukko's voice is clear and passionate during the verses, but when the chorus comes in, she attacks you with her aggressive, growling vocals.

"JOKER JOE" sounds like it could be a continuation of "Devil" with it's similar style. The lyrics of this song are quite interesting as it's about the joker in a stack of cards (of course there might be a more deeper meaning, but then again, I was never that great at metaphors). This is another great song.

"Idea (A Moon Child mix)" was released as a single. It starts off with a slow pace, but eventually gets a bit upbeat. Again, I'm reminded of a Van Halen tune, but this time it's the chorus of their song "Right Now."

"Stone" is a slower paced song. Tsukiko's vocals are really sweet and gentle here, there's no trace of aggression whatsoever. This just shows how diverse she is vocally.

"Hisui (A Moon Child mix)" is an even slower song, a ballad, if you will. Kind of like something from a Disney movie because it's a slow, yet moving song. Again with the clear, beautiful vocals.

"1/2 -a half-" starts off with church organs, which makes it sound eerie. Later it breaks into a medium paced song and while it's not bad, it just doesn't interest me as much as her other songs.

The 8th track "Koe" is the theme song from Fatal Frame 2 (like "Chou" from her Tenryuu album was for the first FF game). The song starts off as a slow, quiet song, but it gets more dramatic and louder during the chorus. The lyrics are pretty interesting too.

"Satoumizu" is a sappy song that makes me wonder what was going through Tsukiko's mind when she was writing it. This song sounds like a mix between a child's song & something you play at a waltz, but it has a guitar playing in the background. Tsukko also sounds like a little girl in this. This also sounds like something that belongs in a carnival, which brings us to...

"Parade," which is another hard rock number (thank god!). This song finally brings you back from the lag of the previous 4 songs.

"Hakase to kujaku" sounds pretty strange at the beginning, but it's a soothing song for the most part. Tsukko does all the vocals for this song, including the somewhat chirping sounds.

The beginning of "Kakan" starts off as a piano ballad, then the strings come in during the chorus, which makes this beautiful sounding. Then come the drums & guitars & Van Halen keyboards to kill my first impression of it. This is another one of the better songs.

Track 13 ("taisou") isn't listed on the CD (in fact, the lyrics aren't even in the lyric booklet, but on the obi), but after about 30 seconds an announcer introduces Tsukiko, while a really cheesy Jpopish song is playing. The song is really cute and playful, totally different from anything I've heard Tsukiko do. This is one of my absolute favorite Tsukiko songs for that reason. I wanted to give this album a 9 or 9,5 but this song pushed it to a full score of 10.

Goose Bumps - Goose Bumps 2 (DL):
(15.9 MB, includes: asa, Bye Bye My Love, OK! atashi rashiku, Rain)
Lyrics
Official Site
Click to buy Japan version
Release date: 2005.09.28
Genre: female/male / R&B/jazz
Cori's rating: 8 out of 10

01. Ok!アタシらしく+ (OK! atashi rashiku)
02. うたいだせよ､愛の唄を (utaidase yo, ai no uta wo)
03. Escape Out
04. Bye Bye My Love
05. Smoky
06. Welcome To The Party
07. ここへ (koko e)
08. 朝+ (asa)
09. Rain+
10. Wishing You
11. Girl Friend

Goose Bumps is a jazz fusion R&B/hip hop group. The female singer Tsubaki has a soulful voice, the male rapper Saitou isn't that bad either. The interesting thing about this group is that Tsubaki has most of the solo songs, while poor Saitou just has a few rapping parts. There are 2 other members: DELA (keyboards) & RYU (DJ). Basically if you enjoyed my review & samples of Hot Dog's album, you'll probably enjoy this.

I added "OK! atashi rashiku," which I thought was a great opening song as it was fun & upbeat. "Asa" has R&B elements during the verses, but the chorus gets upbeat. "Bye Bye My Love" is a slower song, but it's really nice. "Rain" is a mellow song that's good to groove to.

Kitahara Aiko - Piece of Love (DL):
(14.8 MB, includes: Ame no naka, kindan no kajitsu, nijiiro ni hikaru umi, special Days!! (album mix))
Lyrics
Official Site
Click to buy Japan version
Release date: 2003.11.12
Genre: female / pop
Cori's rating: 7 out of 10

01. 明日遥か遠い海に辿り着けるように (ashita haruka tooi umi ni tadoritsukeru you ni)
02. grand blue
03. 虹色にひかる海 (nijiiro ni hikaru umi)
04. 向日葵のように (himawari no you ni)
05. サヨナラを告げた日が近すぎて (sayonara wo tsugeta hi ga chikasugite)
06. 禁断の果実 (kindan no kajitsu)
07. Sun rise train
08. 雪降る夜は抱きしめて (yuki furu yoru wa dakishimete)
09. 雨の中 (ame no naka)
10. special Days!!(album mix)
11. 花咲く道 (hana saku michi)

Though Kitahara Aiko has a significant number of Latin-flavored songs, there's a lot of variety in this album: pop, rock, ballad, so it shouldn't turn off those who aren't into Ricky Martin sounding songs.

Though I don't usually like the Latin songs myself, I was totally addicted to her song "Nijiiro ni hikaru umi" when it was released as a single. It could be because this is a more upbeat song that has hints of Jpop mixed with the Latin sound. "Kindan no kajitsu" is more on the pop rock side with a dance beat. "special Days!! (album mix)" is a really upbeat song, very Eurobeat. "Ame no naka" is a slower song that has a backbeat to give it life.

This album is decent, but aside from a handful of songs, I didn't truly enjoy it as much as I anticipated. I give this a 7 out of 10.

Younha - Go! Younha (DL):
(16.8 MB, includes: Aoi Lemon, Houkiboshi, My Lover, negai wa hitotsu)
Lyrics
Official Site
Click to buy Japan version
Release date: 2005.10.05
Genre: female / pop
Cori's rating: 9 out of 10 (highlight to view rating)

01. ほうき星-album mix version- (houkiboshi)
02. もっとふたりで (motto futari de)
03. オレンジの初恋 (Orange no hatsukoi)
04. 碧い檸檬 (aoi remon)
05. ゆびきり-日本語version- (yubikiri -Nihongo version-)
06. 向日葵 (himawari)
07. マイ☆ラバ (MAI*RABA)
08. 夢の続き-album version- (yume no tsudzuki)
09. あした、天気になれ。 (ashita, tenki ni nare.)
10. 相合傘 (aiaigasa)
11. 願いはひとつ (negai wa hitotsu)
12. 思い出にできない (omoide ni dekinai)
13. タッチ (Touch)

When I first heard Younha's "Houkiboshi" song, I was really impressed because of the overly catchy tune and her wonderful vocals. I was very surprised when I found out that she was Korean because I could detect no accent in the song, nor the coupling songs. This single was replayed many times and quickly made me a Younha fan, so I was definitely excited when her debut album was released.

The first track is of course, her big hit "Houkiboshi," which is one of the opening songs from the anime Bleach. The beginning of the song totally reminds me of the 80's girl band The Bangles' "Manic Monday." The album version isn't that different from the original, except it's a little bit subdued in it's execution (meaning, it doesn't seem as full sounding as the single). This is easily Younha's best song, though I was kind of disappointed to find out that she wasn't the one credited for playing the piano.

The next song is "motto futari de," and was also released as a single. It's a slower paced song, and not quite as impressive compared to "Houkiboshi," but still a decent song. The piano playing in the beginning is dramatic, but the rest of the song is lighthearted.

The 3rd track is the first of 6 new songs. "Orange no hatsukoi is a medium paced song and it's quite nice. The verses are slow, but the chorus picks up and sounds cute.

"Aoi lemon" is a slower, pretty track.

"Yubikiri (Japanese ver)" was released as a single. This is an acoustic guitar song. It's a nice song, but kind of boring.

"Himawari" is another sugary pop track. Strangely enough, it reminds me of something playful aiko would do. Or a medium-paced Hello!Project song. Thank god that Younha's mature vocals prevents this from sounding too cheesy.

"My Lover" is the song that's comparable to Advil Latrine's "Sk8er Boi," the lyrics even mention a boy who's a skater! (Rip off!!)

"Yume no tsudzuki (album ver)" was released on the "Touch" single. This song is a slower song, and it's a pleasant song, though nothing interesting happening here that I feel compelled to write about.

"Ashita, tenki ni nare" is a coupling song from Younha's "Houkiboshi" single. It's a slower song compared to the title track, but very likeable. The chorus is catchy.

"Aiaigasa" starts off with strings and an acoustic guitar. This song is on the folky side, actually , most of this album is kind of on the folky side.

"Negai wa hitotsu" was written by Okamoto Mayo, and it's really sounds like a song that Mayo would've written for herself, from the cheery tune to the vocal arrangement.

"Omoide ni dekinai" is another coupling song from the "Houkiboshi" single. It's a beautiful ballad-type.

"Touch" is another single. It's a cover of an anime song Touch and it kind of sounds different from the acoustic pop songs that Younha usually sings, this songs sound like those old style Japanese rock songs from anime.

Overall, this album was pretty good. I wanted to rate this higher, but I have to be honest that not all the songs were to my liking. Sometimes the awesomeness of the tracks that I do like override my decision, but this isn't the case here. The only song that I truly love is "Houkiboshi," and even that wasn't enough to push this album to a 10. Therefore, I rate this album a 9 out of 10.

Comments

flcl_pill3
2005-10-22 11:57 pm UTC (link) DeleteFreezeScreen
Lol. I love your comment about Koda Kumi.

Now Mink, the only song I've really gotten into was 'One Suitcase.' The others don't do anything for me.

(Reply to this)(Thread)

[info]corichan_com
2005-10-23 12:33 am UTC (link) DeleteFreezeScreen
I wanted to add "One Suitcase" too, but I think that another journal added that, so I wanted to add something different. To be honest, mink kind of bores me, which makes me wonder which drug was I on when I ordered her album. :/

(Reply to this)(Parent) (Thread)

[info]flcl_pill3
2005-10-23 12:44 am UTC (link) DeleteFreezeScreen
Yeah. Thats where I got mine from.

Hahaha, I know. I'm glad I got her album from a music LJ because that would have been wasted money.(XD)

Thanks for the lyrics to 'One Suitcase'

(Reply to this)(Parent) (Thread)

[info]corichan_com
2005-10-23 12:55 am UTC (link) DeleteFreezeScreen
Oi, I wish I listened to samples of the album before I ordered it. All I know is that a lot of people on messageboards really liked this album and said that it was really great & how everyone just HAD to hear it, so I was curious + it was pretty cheap ($20.99), so I just made a gamble & bought it. It's still on its way, so I'm kind of dreading when it arrives. Hey, at least I'll have a new coaster or frisbee...a freaking $21 one!! *sobs*

(Reply to this)(Parent) (Thread)

[info]flcl_pill3
2005-10-23 01:54 am UTC (link) DeleteFreezeScreen
おまじない, was the only song that I kind-of enjoyed.

Oh, sorry. *HUGS*

(Reply to this)(Parent)

[info]x_independent_x
2005-10-23 12:40 am UTC (link) DeleteFreezeScreen
Hey will you join my yahoo group? It's an Orange Range group. Do you like Orange Range? http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Orange_Range_Fans

(Reply to this)(Thread)

[info]corichan_com
2005-10-23 12:50 am UTC (link) DeleteFreezeScreen
I'd join if I liked them, but I don't really. Sorry. :(

(Reply to this)(Parent)

[info]x_independent_x
2005-10-23 12:45 am UTC (link) DeleteFreezeScreen
What is your yahoo name?

(Reply to this)

[info]x_independent_x
2005-10-23 12:55 am UTC (link) DeleteFreezeScreen
Oh that's alright but can I have your yahoo name. I thought that I might have it but i'm not sure.

(Reply to this)(Thread)

[info]corichan_com
2005-10-23 12:56 am UTC (link) DeleteFreezeScreen
That would be "ojochan," same like my old geocities site. ^^

(Reply to this)(Parent)

[info]x_independent_x
2005-10-23 01:00 am UTC (link) DeleteFreezeScreen
I thought so. Mine is yu_daaku. Can you add me to your buddylist?

(Reply to this)(Thread)

[info]corichan_com
2005-10-23 01:15 am UTC (link) DeleteFreezeScreen
Do you mean for IMing? If so, I don't use Yahoo for that. Sorry.

(Reply to this)(Parent)

[info]midgiesrule
2005-10-25 01:57 am UTC (link) DeleteFreezeScreen
Hey it's pretty convenient how you're on LJ ojochan! I added you to my list just so I can keep tabs. Good work btw, I love showing your site to all my friends. :D

Btw, I'm listening to mink *thumbs up*. I like it.

(Reply to this)

[info]x_independent_x
2005-10-26 10:05 pm UTC (link) DeleteFreezeScreen
Well what do you use for iming?

(Reply to this)

[info]zerosexappeal
2005-10-27 09:15 am UTC (link) DeleteFreezeScreen
Taking SEAMO ft. BENNIE K and Shibasaki Kou. I agree with you about YUKI's vocals - they're divine. Thanks for the songs!

(Reply to this)

[info]earthminor
2005-11-04 03:47 am UTC (link) DeleteFreezeScreen
I downloaded all the albumn samples, thanks! :)

(Reply to this)
Tsukiko Amano
(Anonymous)
2005-12-21 06:14 am UTC (link) DeleteFreezeScreen
Hey there!

I am really interested in Tsukiko Amano's "KOE" from her album, "A moon in the sky." I tried downloading the album using rapidshare but after waiting 30-60 sec, i do not see any link. Can i request that you send only the song "Koe" if possible to my email add?

My email add is shino_kaizi@hotmail.com

Please and Thank You

(Reply to this)
Koe
(Anonymous)
2006-04-10 02:59 pm UTC (link) DeleteFreezeScreen
I read your review on Amano Tsukiko. The 8th song Koe is actually the theme song for Fatal Frame III: The tormented and not fatal frame 2. The song Chou from her previous album is the featured theme for fatal frame II: Crimson Butterfly.

I would like to listen to this great album of Amano Tsukiko, hope u will upload to megaupload or yahoo grp instead because rapid upload is really bad.

~~~~~~~~~~~~

02 October 2005 @ 02:17 pm

2005.10.02 song update

Hamasaki Ayumi - Will, Ryu - saisho kara ima made (Japanese version), Suga Shikao - sanagi, Takei Shiori - DRIVE, Tsubaki - Sea of Love (Japanese version), Uemura Kana - Milk Tea, Ueto Aya - kaze wo ukete, Utada Hikaru - Be My Last, YUKI - kubiwa

Album reviews:
Hot*Dog - Spice
Bonnie Pink - Golden Tears (mini review)
COLOR - Red (mini review)
Serina - Serina

Comments

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Song Descriptions

Hamasaki Ayumi - Will
Lyrics
Official Site
From the single, HEAVEN
Genre: female / pop

Ayu's latest single is not bad. I do like her song "Will" better than "Heaven" because it has more life to it. It's more of an emotional ballad type with an acoustic guitar playing for the most part.

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Ryu - saisho kara ima made (Japanese version)
Lyrics
(Thanks to Michael for the song ^^)
Official Site
From the single, saisho kara ima made
Genre: male / ballad

Ryu is a Korean singer who is known for his ballads and R&B songs. He has also released some Japanese songs, as well as a Japanese version of one of his Korean albums.

The Japanese version of "Saisho kara ima made" is a nice ballad, though you can tell Ryu's got a thick accent. The Korean version of the song is from the popular Korean drama "Winter Sonata."

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Suga Shikao - sanagi ~theme from xxxHOLiC the movie~
Lyrics
Official Site
From the single, kiseki
Genre: male / blues

Suga Shikao's been releasing music since 1997, and it doesn't look as if he's backing down. His music is mostly on the bluesy side and his voice is a little raspy, yet pretty sexy.

"Sanagi" is from the ending theme of the anime, "xxxHOLiC the Movie: Manatsu no Yoru no Yume". (Thanks to Kay of Sugar: A Suga Shikao Fansite for the info) "Sanagi" is a bluesy song with a bit of funk in it. Typical Suga style & I like it a lot.

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Takei Shiori - DRIVE
Lyrics
Official Site
From the single, sekai tomete
Genre: female / pop

I reviewed Takei Shiori's first album My Favorite Things a little while back, and now her 2nd album second tune ~sekai tomete~ is already out. "DRIVE," however isn't on that album. It's on the single "tsunagari," and it's more poppy & upbeat than the songs that she's known for. I really liked this song a lot.

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Tsubaki - Sea of Love
Lyrics
Official Site
From the single, Sea of Love
Genre: female / R&B

Though singer Tsubaki (椿), not to be confused with the band, is labeled as an R&B singer, she sings a lot of poppy songs too, so I wouldn't label her as "R&B." Contradicting me, is the song "Sea of Love," which is more on the R&B side. Tsubaki usually has a nice voice, but she slightly sounds like Kouda Kumi here. This song is average, but I still like it.

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Uemura Kana - Milk Tea
Lyrics
Official Site
From the single, Milk Tea
Genre: female / pop

Kana is a folkish singer, and I've enjoyed all of the songs I've heard by her. Her latest single "Milk Tea" is no exception. It's an acoustic folky pop song, as are the coupling songs. I recommend Kana's music if you like Kumaki Anri, Yano Maki, and aiko.

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Ueto Aya - kaze wo ukete
Lyrics
Official Site
From the single, kaze wo ukete
Genre: female / pop

With all the serious songs in this mix, I needed to put something fun in it, so along comes Ueto Aya's song "Kaze wo ukete," which is a cute, fun pop song, and her voice is just as cute. Ueto Aya is an idol, who acts, sings, and models sometimes. Though her voice isn't that great, her songs are really catchy.

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Utada Hikaru - Be My Last
Lyrics
Official Site
From the single, Be My Last
Genre: female / ballad

Utada Hikaru's first Japanese single since 2004's "dareka no negai ga kanau koro" and abysmal attempt to infiltrate the US market with her English language album Exodus, finally was released on September 28 of this year. It's continuing the somber sound of "dareka no..." with the acoustic guitar music. While it is a decent song, Hikaru's weak voice, & horrible wailing during the chorus get irritatingly unbearable.

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YUKI - kubiwa
Lyrics
Official Site
From the single, yorokobi no tane
Genre: female / pop

YUKI, the ex-vocalist of Judy and Mary released her latest single "yorokobi no tane" last month. Instead of adding that song, I wanted to add the coupling song "kubiwa" because I liked it better. I don't know if it's just me, but lately YUKI's voice has been irritating me, so I liked the coupling song better since it's more of a slower song where she doesn't go into her high-pitched singing. I feel really bad for saying this because I absolutely loved her vocals when she was in JAM, but I guess her solo songs aren't just up to my taste, and most of it just irks me for some reason. =(

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Album descriptions

Hot*Dog - Spice (DL):
(17.8 MB, includes: koi no chikara, Norinori, Party Night, Taiyou no shita de)
Lyrics
Official Site
Click to buy Japan version
Release date: 2005.07.20
Genre: female/male / hip pop/R&B/funk/jazz/soul/dance
Song samples @ HMV
Cori's rating: 10+++++++ out of 10

Tracklist:
01. 恋の力 (koi no chikara)
02. 祈り (inori)
03. My Way
04. ノリノリ ~album version~ (NORINORI)
05. めちゃめちゃ愛して (mechamecha ai shite)
06. 未来を描く (mirai wo egaku)
07. Party Night ~album Version~
08. Good Time
09. 月 (tsuki)
10. Energy
11. 卒業 (sotsugyou)
12. 太陽の下で (taiyou no shita de)
13. 流れる雲 (nagareru kumo)

The first time I heard of Hot*Dog, I thought they would be more of a rock band, but I was pleasantly surprised that their music is on the R&B/jazz/hip pop side. Kind of like m-flo when LISA used to be there, before they got into the cartoony "m-flo loves" bit they're doing now. The thing I like about this is that there's real instruments used instead of a bunch of electronic, DJ processed crap that's in most R&B songs.

Hot Dog consists of Miwako, who is the female singer with a strong, gorgeous voice which resembles the R&B singer Asuka, and HIDE, the male rapper who sounds like a combination of ZEEBRA, S-WORD, and OZROSAURUS. Their music is on the mellow R&B side, but they also have a bit of poppier tunes too.

On the cover of Hot*Dog's album, it sort of describes the reason why they chose the name "Hot*Dog":

Hot Dog... The food that everybody loves! It is just two simple ingredients: a "sausage" and a "bun". But just as a basic hot dog can be transformed by adding mustard and onions, the original "HOT DOG" sound of a POPS bun wrapped around the delicious ingredients of HIP HOP, R&B, FUNK, JAZZ, SOUL and DANCE CLASSICS becomes fresh and tangy when spiced by their MC, Vocal and Lyrics. Take a bite of this delectable food for your ears --Vo: Miwako Imamura and MC: Hideaki Harada's unit.

The CD opens up with the sound of an ignition starting in the song "koi no chikara." The song itself is a mellow R&B song, which is a great introduction to the type of music that they make. HIDE's rapping seems kind of out of place, but it isn't overpowering the song, so that's good.

"Inori" is another mellow R&B song, their 4th single, but it has a more chill vibe than the opening song. It's more focused on Miwako's vocals in the chorus, where she also does the background vocals. HIDE also does some of the background vocals in the verses. The song kind of reminds me of something by the old school m-flo.

"My Way" is their 2nd single. It has a more of an old school, sitting-on-the-streets-with-your-friends-and-singing-a-song kind of feeling. There's an acoustic guitar playing during the song, which adds to the kick-back & relax. Miwako's singing is also great in this song.

"Norinori" is a more aggressive funk/rap-infused song. The main vocals are, of course, HIDE, but Miwako also has a rap part in it too, which surprisingly doesn't sound too bad. The song itself sounds awesome.

"Mechamecha ai shite" is kind of an upbeat song, and I love the bass, drums, and guitar in it. This is the funky song of the album.

"Mirai wo egaku" is a slower song, which gives us a break from the cool, funky songs that opened up the album. Again, HIDE's rapping sounds a bit out of place in this song.

If you've gotten sleepy from track 6, "Party Night" is here to wake you up. The beginning sounds like a party & the champagne is popped. I imagine it starting out as a stuffy high-class party, but when the band with a funky R&B sound starts playing, it makes everyone let down their hair. If they ever have a PV for this, I'd love to see it.

Continuing with the party-vibe is "Good Time." Though it has a different sound and is a bit slower than "Party Night," it does keep in the same vein as the other song.

"Tsuki" is Miwako's solo song. It's a beautiful ballad with just her singing and a piano playing. Though I like HIDE's rapping, I'm glad he's not featured in this song because it would just sound way off.

"Energy" is an instrumental, and although it doesn't fit in with the other songs, as it has more of a rock sound, I do like it a lot.

"Sotsugyou" is their 1st single, and it's a funky song, a bit 70's sounding with the guitars, but more modern sounding. HIDE's aggressive rapping might turn some people off, but it fits in pretty well.

"Taiyou no shita de" is the feel-good song of the album & it's my favorite. It's more on the poppier side than their other songs, so it will appeal even to those who aren't into the R&B/hip pop scene.

The album closes out with "nagareru kumo" and it's a great ending to an excellent album. The song is on the slower side and there's a piano & acoustic guitar playing in it. HIDE also mellows out his rapping here, he also does some "singing" in the bridge part.

Overall, this album is a MUST-HAVE for those who are into R&B and hip pop music, those who are casual listeners might be interested in this album as well. The first time I popped it in, I knew from the first song that this was a CD to be reckoned with and I was right. This is my #1 pick for best album of 2005.

Bonnie Pink - Golden Tears (DL):
(13.6 MB, includes: Coast to Coast, Monster, Nichi-nichi jou, So Wonderful)
Lyrics
Official Site
Click to buy Japan version
Release date: 2005.09.21
Genre: female / pop
Cori's rating: 8.5 out of 10

Tracklist:
01. So Wonderful
02. Paradiddle-free
03. Coast to Coast
04. Addiction
05. Mirror
06. 日々草 (nichinichi-sou)
07. Robotomy
08. Monster
09. Rise and Shine
10. Cotton Candy
11. Nocturne
12. You Got Me Good
13. Believe

Bonnie Pink has been been out for a while and her music is still so wonderful (hah, pun intended) as the time when she started. Quite honestly, I haven't really been following Bonnie's career closely, but I do like most of the songs I heard of hers. Bonnie Pink (real name: Asada Kaori) is both a singer/song writer who writes most of the lyrics and music of her songs. Her music is on the poppy, acoustic guitar side, but there are a few exceptions. There are a fair amount of English songs that she has, and her English is excellent.

Golden Tears is her latest album and it's the first album of Bonnie's that I really enjoyed. It makes me want to go listen to her previous albums. In the sampler, I included her song "So Wonderful," which sounds poppy, but I like it a lot. "Coast to Coast" is the song that I really enjoyed from this album. It has a cute, laidback sound to it and Bonnie's voice is cute in it. "Monster" has a dark, electronic kind of sound. I wanted to add this song because it's all in English. "Nichinichi-sou" is another cute song, but it has a really slight reggae influence to it.

Overall, this album was great and I give it an 8.5 out of 10.

COLOR - Red (DL):
(18.0 MB, includes: Joy (joyful classic mix), Move so fast, Summer Time Crusin' (album mix), Sweet Memories)
Lyrics
Official Site
Click to buy Japan version
Release date: 2005.09.21
Genre: female/male / R&B/rap
Cori's rating: 7 out of 10

Tracklist:
01. Opening
02. Move So Fast
03. Summer Time Cruisin' (Album Mix)
04. 奇跡 (kiseki)
05. Special Love
06. What About Us? (Album Mix)
07. Find You
08. Close To You (Winter Ver.)
09. 音色 (neiro)
10. 夢で逢えたら (Color Ver.) (yume de aetara)
11. Sweet Memories
12. Joy (“joyful" Classic Mix)
13. Dear Mama
14. Good Bye My Love
15. 音色 (Acoustic Mix) (Bonus Tracks)
16. 夢で逢えたら (Color Ver. / Acoustic Mix) (Bonus Tracks)

COLOR is a project by Atsushi, one of the singers of EXILE, which I thought was more on the R&B side compared to EXILE, but listening to this album, most of it's filled with slower songs that makes me want to hit the "next" button more than once. Tracks 3, 8, 9, 10, 11, & 13 are all ballads, and I didn't even include the more mellow/ballady R&B sounding tracks.

The song I added were "move so fast" which is a standard sounding R&B-ish song & the guys have great voices. "Summer Time Cruisin' (Album Mix)" is a mellow R&B pop tune that's great for a relaxing night drive. "sweet memories" is a traditional sounding R&B ballad type. It seems if you've heard this type of song, you've heard them all, still it's still a nice song... last of all is "Joy (“joyful" Classic Mix)" is still another slower R&B song. Though it's nice, it still sticks to the same cookie-cutter R&B recipe.

I wish this album had more upbeat tracks and wish it weren't so formulaic. This is why I have to give it a 7 out of 10. I really should've rated it lower, but I'm feeling generous today.

Serina - Serina (DL):
(15.6 MB, includes: kieru omoi (album version), Last Show, MEBAE, taisetsu na mono)
Lyrics
Official Site
Click to buy Japan version
Release date: 2005.02.23
Genre: female / mellow pop
Cori's rating: 8 out of 10

Tracklist:
01. 心への陽射し (kokoro e no hizashi)
02. 行方知レズ（Album Version） (yukue shirezu)
03. 花、乱れ。 (hana, midare.)
04. 消える想い (Album Mix) (kieru omoi) *
05. 甘い夜 (amai yoru)
06. Last Show *
07. ね (ne)
08. Mebae *
09. 失望 (shitsubou)
10. 大切なモノ (taisetsu na mono) *
11. 迷ィ道 (mayoi michi)
12. 2005年1月8日～葉山～ (2005-nen 1(ichi)gatsu 8(you)ka ~Hayama~)
13. 琵琶湖周航の歌 (Biwako shuukou no uta)

When I first heard a sample of Serina's music, although I liked her soulful voice, I wasn't impressed by the slow songs, but since someone requested me to do the album lyrics, I tried listening to more samples of her music, and I kind of liked what I heard, so I bought the album. It was one of the better decisions I made because I really enjoyed this album. (Thanks C!)

Serina's music, as I've mentioned, is on the easy listening side, but still kind of the moody acoustic guitar side, which means that her songs may not be for everyone, especially those who need a little kick to their music. I do recommend this if you enjoy songs by Fayray, Le Couple, and especially Salyu, who I reviewed a few weeks ago..

Included in the sampler are "kieru omoi," which was released as a single, and it's my favorite song from the album. It's more on the upbeat side compared to her other songs, but it's still mellow by most standards. "Last Show" sounds on the country-ish side. It's probably the most upbeat song on the album, and it's pretty good. "Mebae" has a slight reggae-ish, yet country-ish feel to it. While "taisetsu na mono" is a slow song, it's more of a light-hearted song compared to the others. Another favorite of mine.

As I stated before, this album may not be to everyone's liking, but if you give it a chance like I did, you might find that you enjoy it. I recommend this for those quiet evenings or when you feel like relaxing.

Comments

invisiblethings
2005-10-03 03:06 am UTC (link) DeleteFreezeScreen
I downloaded Bonnie Pink, thank you!

(Reply to this)

[info]eleventytw0
2005-10-03 03:55 am UTC (link) DeleteFreezeScreen
I downloaded Bonnie Pink too. Thanks :)

(Reply to this)
THX
(Anonymous)
2005-10-03 09:33 am UTC (link) DeleteFreezeScreen
I did download COLOR-Red. THX!

(Reply to this)

[info]thamy
2005-10-04 02:21 am UTC (link) DeleteFreezeScreen
Oooooh! So that's where I heard Color form, it's atsushi hehehe, it was familiar but I couldn't tell why... Anyway, I think Hikki is try explore some strange fields in music and that's disappointing me a little...

On the other hand, Bonnie has been learning how to make better melodies and that's all to her new album, i really loved it!

Thank you for the great selections you always make ^^

(Reply to this)

[info]x_independent_x
2005-10-12 12:06 am UTC (link) DeleteFreezeScreen
Eventhough the place that you are putting the downloads won't let me download I think that I want to be friended.

Can you put the songs on YouSendIt for me.

(Reply to this)(Thread)

[info]corichan_com
2005-10-14 11:21 pm UTC (link) DeleteFreezeScreen
Is there anything specific that you want (artists/songs)? I'm not sure if I can upload all the songs to yousendit since it would take forever.

(Reply to this)(Parent)

[info]x_independent_x
2005-10-16 10:30 pm UTC (link) DeleteFreezeScreen
Can you find some Go!Go!7188 songs for me?

Suga Shikao - sanagi

Takei Shiori - DRIVE

Tsubaki - Sea of Love (Japanese version) (part 1)

Tsubaki - Sea of Love (Japanese version) (part 2)

Uemura Kana - Milk Tea

Ueto Aya - kaze wo ukete

(Reply to this)(Thread)

[info]corichan_com
2005-10-17 05:55 am UTC (link) DeleteFreezeScreen
Sorry, but I don't have Go! Go! stuff. I can only upload songs that are in the updates that I make.

Also, is there a reason why you can't download from the Yahoo groups? You made a Yahoo ID and tried accessing the "files" section and the songs couldn't be downloaded? Weird. =/

Anyway, here's the songs you requested:
http://s57.yousendit.com/d.aspx?id=2CU55SNB23COZ3KASIZV04BYVH

(Reply to this)(Parent)

[info]x_independent_x
2005-10-21 10:55 pm UTC (link) DeleteFreezeScreen
Also, is there a reason why you can't download from the Yahoo groups? You made a Yahoo ID and tried accessing the "files" section and the songs couldn't be downloaded? Weird. =/

How do you do that?

(Reply to this)(Thread)

[info]corichan_com
2005-10-21 11:20 pm UTC (link) DeleteFreezeScreen
1. Click on this link to go to group 1:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ojochan

2. There should be a "New User? Sign Up" at the top of the page.

3. Sign up for a Yahoo ID.

4. After you signed up and everything, you can join my group and download the songs in the "files" section.

If you need more help, let me know.

(Reply to this)(Parent)

[info]michikonowishes
2006-01-07 05:08 am UTC (link) DeleteFreezeScreen
hmm....can u pls reupload Kaze wo ukete by ueto aya
and RED album by Color?
hope u can help me ^^
thank u so much!!

Older reviews (September 2005)

Mon, 10 Jul 2006 11:05:35 GMT

**NO SONGS INCLUDED IN OLDER ENTRIES**

Originally posted on: 17 September 2005 @ 11:50 pm

2005.09.18 song update

Do As Infinity to disband!

As reported earlier this week, the band Do As Infinity will disband on September 29. Van Tomiko will have a solo career, while Ryo has his own band (Missile Innovation), and Nagao Dai, who has been out of the Do As Infinity spotlight will concentrate on his band Amasia Landscape.

Though there were rumors going around that DAI was disbanding (mostly because of their song "TAO"), their fans were shocked when this news was announced via their fan club and their official site. Because I joined the DAI forum, I felt more affected than when ZONE and day after tomorrow broke up earlier this year. For this reason, I wanted to share some DAI songs with fellow DAI fans and with those who haven't heard their music before. Good luck in the future, Ban-chan, Ryo & Dai!

Some of the songs I chose had to do with their breakup. For those interested in reading the song translations, please check out Oasis^Heart's excellent site We are For the Future, where he collected translations all over the net.

(DL Do As Infinity song sample):
(24.4 MB, includes: ai no uta (live), Oasis (acoustic version), shinjitsu no uta (Chinese version), TAO, tsubasa no keikaku, Yesterday & Today (live))

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Song Descriptions

bird - warabe gami (LOVER'S MIX)
Lyrics
Official Site
From the single, warabe gami
Genre: female / traditional/reggae

bird has been around since 1999. Her first album was more on the R&B side, while her later albums have taken on a more experimental side.

On August 1, 2005, bird annouced that she is pregnant and will give birth next year. She also notes that the father isn't someone in the music biz. Her first singles album will be released shortly, and a new album is intended to be released next summer. Looking forward to that & congratulations bird!

"Warabe gami" is a traditional song that bird made into a reggae influenced version. It's a typical sounding bird track, which won't disappoint her fans.

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BoA - LONG TIME NO SEE
Lyrics
Official Site
From the single, make a secret
Genre: female / mellow pop

BoA, is a Korean singer who made it big time in the Japan music industry.

While I've stated in the past that I'm not a fan of BoA's, I do like a few of her songs, including "LONG TIME NO SEE." The cute mellowness of it just sucked me in and BoA's voice is quite nice. I usually like her slow songs because she isn't straining it like she does in her faster songs.

--------

Kouda Kumi - Star
Lyrics
Official Site
From the single, Promise / Star
Genre: female / dance pop

Kouda Kumi is mostly known for her Final Fantasy XI songs and her sexy style.

"Star" is a faster song that reminds me a lot of "Real Emotion," from the FFXI game. Thank god her music isn't all slow songs & R&B anymore.

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Nomiya Maki loves m-flo - Big Bang Romance
Lyrics
Thanks to Popcorn LOVE for the song. ^^
Nomiya Maki Official Site
Nomiya Maki Official Site
From the single, Big Bang Romance
Genre: female/male / pop/rap

Nomiya Maki was the female singer from the band Pizzicato 5. m-flo is a hip pop group, lotsa emphasis on the "pop" part.

"Big Bang Romance" is a fun and upbeat song and that line that Verbal says that he's "Hip Hop" just makes me laugh when I heard it because this song is far away from hip hop as you can ger.

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Okuda Miwako - boku ga ikite ita koto
Lyrics
(Thanks to aedon for the song ^^)
Official Site
From the single, boku ga ikite ita koto
Genre: female / poprock ballad

The lyrics of Okuda Miwako's songs are on the angsty side, but they're mostly written by Yuu Miri. Most of the songs Miwako sings is on the emotional side with with a rock influence.

"Boku ga ikite ita koto" is in the same vein as her previous songs.

--------

ORANGE RANGE - kizuna
Lyrics
Official Site
From the single, kizuna
Genre: male / traditional/rock/rap

ORANGE RANGE first caught my attention with their song "Shanghai Honey," and I thought they were a one-hit wonder, but apparently I was wrong.

"Kizuna" is one of their more recent singles. It's a rock ballad that incorporates a traditional Japanese sound. The ORANGE boys also rap in it. It's a pretty decent song.

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Rie fu - negaigoto
Lyrics
Official Site
From the single, negaigoto
Genre: female / piano ballad

Rie fu is an artist with a really pure & beautiful voice. Her English is excellent too. Too bad most of her songs are snore-worthy.

"Negaigoto" is another typical slow sounding Rie fu song. I guess people who are into soothing music will like her stuff.

--------

Rin' - sakura sakura
Lyrics
Official Site
From the single, sakura sakura
Genre: female / poppish folk

Rin' are a trio consisting of Mana Yoshinaga, Tomoca Nagasu, and Chie Arai, who all do the vocals and play the instruments (koto, lute, bamboo flute, etc) in their songs. They write most of the lyrics for their songs, but surprisingly not the music. Their songs are mostly Japanese folk songs, but some songs have an added beat to make it modernized.

The version of "sakura sakura" I have is from their Utage Uta album. Apparently the lyrics are different from the single version, which I didn't know until I bought it. Ah well.

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Album descriptions

HIGH and MIGHTY COLOR - GooVER(DL):
(16.8 MB, includes: Days, PRIDE, Rain, With You)
Lyrics
Official Site
Click to buy Japan version
Release date: 2005.09.14
Genre: female/male / rock/rap
Cori's rating: 7.5 out of 10

Tracklist:
01. G∞VER
02. NOTICE
03. PRIDE
04. Naked
05. OVER
06. Days
07. SWEET ESCAPE
08. RUN☆RUN☆RUN
09. What for...
10. RAIN
11. With YOU

If you've heard HIGH and MIGHTY COLOR's singles, you'll have an idea of what the album is like. Most of the songs start off with the female singer (MA-KI-) then the male rapper (Yuusuke) shouts some random stuff in Japanese (or in English in some cases) in a creepy voice. Their music is on the rock side, but sounds like it could be from some random anime.

I wanted to include some songs that were different from each other. "PRIDE," is a typical HMC song that's a dark-sounding rock song. Their latest single, "Days" is a more lighthearted song than usual. "Rain," I just like it for some reason, so I decided to add it to the mix. "With you" is on the slower side, which isn't really expected from the type of songs that HMC is known for, but it isn't a bad thing.

Road of Major - Road of Major II(DL):
(13.6 MB, includes: Evolving!!, guuzen to iu na no hitsuzen, hoshizora mo tsukiakari mo, souten ni mukatte)Lyrics
Official Site
Click to buy Japan version
Click to buy overseas version
Release date: 2005.08.24
Genre: male / rock
Cori's rating: 8 out of 10

Tracklist:
01. 蒼天に向かって (souten ni mukatte)
02. Evolving!!
03. 心絵 (kokoro e)
04. 偶然という名の必然 (guuzen to iu na no hitsuzen)
05. 未来の君よ、あの日の君よ (mirai no kimi yo, ano hi no kimi yo)
06. 月の葉書 (tsuki no hagaki)
07. 風歌 (kazauta)
08. Kodou
09. その手に明日を (sono te ni ashita wo)
10. 星空も月明かりも (hoshizora mo tsukiakari mo)
11. 朝焼け (asayake)
12. 親愛なるあなたへ (shin'ai naru anata e)

Road of Major is a fairly popular rock band. The lead singer's voice kind of reminds me a bit of Teru of GLAY.

It was hard choosing 4 songs to upload, but I decided on: "Souten ni mukatte," which is a great opening song. "Evolving!!" is entirely in English, and it's a little cheesy, but very catchy indeed. I like the quick parts during the chorus of "guuzen to iu na no hitsuzen," so I wanted to add that. Try singing it, it's a bitch. =p "Hoshizora mo tsukiakari mo" is a happier lighthearted song, which I tend to like.

In actuality, all of the songs are great and I highly recommend it if you enjoyed the samples that I uploaded.

sacra - kimi ga iru basho (DL):
(17.0 MB, includes: ai no tsubasa, kageboushi, saishuu bell, samidare)Lyrics
Official Site
Click to buy Japan version
Release date: 2005.09.07
Genre: male / mellow rock
Cori's rating: 7.5 out of 10

Tracklist:
01. 君がいる場所 (kimi ga iru basho)
02. 最終ベル (saishuu bell)+
03. かげぼうし (kageboushi)
04. アンバランス (unbalance)
05. さよならさえも言えなくて (sayonara sae mo ienakute)
06. 五月雨 (samidare)
07. 夏の幻 (natsu no maboroshi)
08. I'm チャップリン (I'm Chaplin)
09. Christmas Time
10. 愛の翼 (ai no tsubasa)
11. あたりまえだと思っているもの (atarimae da to omotte iru mono)

To be honest, I first thought that sacra was a female singer because of the name, so I was surprised that they were a male band. Their music is mostly on the mellow poppish rock side; very comparable to Spitz.

"Saishuu bell" is more an easy listening song and it's really great. "Kageboshi" is a pretty ballad, "Samidare" has a sexy, dark sound to it, probably my fave from the album. "Ai no tsubasa" is a feel good song.

ZARD - kimi to no distance (DL):
(16.7 MB, includes: good-night sweetheart, I can't tell, kyou wa yukkuri hanasou)
Lyrics
Official Site
Click to buy Japan version
Click to buy overseas version
Release date: 2005.09.07
Genre: female / pop rock
Cori's rating: 7 out of 10

Tracklist:
01. 夏を待つセイル（帆）のように (natsu wo matsu SEIRU no you ni)
02. サヨナラまでのディスタンス (sayonara made no distance)
03. かけがえのないもの
04. 今日はゆっくり話そう+ (kyou wa yukkuri hanasou)
05. 君とのふれあい (kimi to no fureai)
06. セパレート・ウェイズ (separate ways)
07. Last Good-bye
08. 星のかがやきよ (hoshi no kagayaki yo)
09. 月に願いを+ (tsuki ni negai wo)
10. あなたと共に生きて行く (anata to tomo ni ikite yuku)
11. I can't tell -----
12. good-night sweetheart+ -----
13. 君と今日の事を一生忘れない (kimi to kyou no koto wo isshou wasurenai)

I'm not really a fan of ZARD's music because their music sounds too alike to me. That could be because ZARD has been around for over 10 years.

"Kyou wa yukkuri hanasou" is a typical ZARD-like song, but I actually like this one. "tsuki ni negai wo" is a lullaby-like song and it's really sweet and cute. The blending of the vocals in this song is nice as well. "good-night sweetheart" is the cute song of this album. And finally "I can't tell" is on the more upbeat side, which I had to include or I'd fall asleep listening to these sample songs.

Comments on this entry

09_10_88
2005-09-19 02:36 am

I don't know why no one comments on here, are we not suppose to? Well for now I will leave a comment. I only downloaded the 'Road of Major' songs. It's really good ^_^ I like 'hoshizora mo tsukiakari mo' the most out of the other songs. The 'evolving' song is a motivation song? The english is effy...but still good. It's funny, this morning I saw the video for their latest single (souten ni mukatte) and wanted to have the song...

I land on your page some time today, and noticed you have it uploaded!! I was very happy!! Anyway thanks for all your weekly uploads!! Everyone appreciates them very much.

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corichan_com
2005-10-02 09:37 pm

Thanks for the reply. =D I just saw it today, so I didn't reply till now. I wish others would comment as well, that way I know that I'm not writing my reviews in vain.

Glad you enjoyed the ROM songs. I really liked that album, so maybe I should've rated it higher. The Engrish in "Evolving" is pretty cute. ^^

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(Anonymous)
2005-12-07 02:36

thanks for the samples, i tried out the Road of Major ones..^^ i'm not really keen on the male rapper in HMC..but yeah..anyway, thanks again for taking the effort to upload samples as well as reviews :D

。・☆。・☆・。。・☆。・☆・。。・☆。・☆・。。・☆。・☆・。。・☆。・☆・。。・☆。・☆・。

Originally posted on: 2005-09-08 07:06:00

2005.09.08 song update

Song Descriptions

COLOR - What about us?
Lyrics
Official Site
From the single, Summer time crusin'
Genre: male / R&B

COLOR is a project by Atsushi, one of the singers of EXILE. They also sing R&B songs, which makes no sense since EXILE is also an R&B group, but whatever makes them happy... The name COLOR is derived from the word "iroasenai," which means "doesn't fade." They wanted to make a musical group and music that would go on and never fade away.

What about us? is one of the coupling songs from COLOR's single Summer time crusin', and it isn't a surprise that it's an R&B song. They're one of the few male singer that I actually like because their voices are pretty good...with the slight exception of YORK who sings the part: "My name is YORK. My upside is C-WALK kugidzuke ni suru shisen wo dokutoku na ugoki de atsuku naru kimi no mune." I'm sorry, but he sounds a bit constipated there. Anyway, there's a rapping section during the bridge, which is decent. Overall, this song is a typical sounding R&B song, which isn't a good nor bad thing.

On another note, COLOR's first album will be coming out in ??.

EXILE - DIAMOND
Lyrics
Official Site
From the single, EXIT
Genre: male / pop

After listening to COLOR's single, I realized that EXILE is more on the poppier side, which a touch of R&B. EXIT is a feel good pop song, but it's much better than the typical boyband stuff out there. DIAMOND is also a pop song, but it's more upbeat. For those of you who like Chemistry, give EXILE a listen. I actually thing that EXILE's music and voices are much better than Chemistry's.

hitomi - Love Angel
Lyrics
Official Site
From the single, Love Angel
Genre: female / pop

Ah, my girl hitomi has released another single. Her latest single is just as great as "Japanese Girl." It starts off with an exotic Arabian sound, but quickly changes into a catchy medium paced pop tune. hitomi's voice is just as nasally great as always. The coupling song is a little annoying, so I didn't add it. The "E.S.C.A.P.E" part is just too repetitive. However, the drums has a tribal feel and the song has a ethereal quality to it, which makes the song sound unique, but at the same time, it's boring. The new version of "Samurai Girl" makes it sound very poppy and quirkily 80's sounding like her older songs. Overall, I think this is a decent single.

Kurokawa Mei - hitotsu dake
Lyrics
Official Site
From the single, shiawase ga fueru yori kanashimi wo herashitai
Genre: female / pop

Mei is a idol, who has released her 2nd single recently. Her voice is pretty and sweet sounding, which is a change from the idols with the awful off-tune singing/shouting vocals. The title track from her new single is on the bland side, but the coupling song "hitotsu dake" isn't bad. It has a simple, but likeable melody. I'm guessing her songs are on the slow, mellow side judging from this single.

RYTHEM - tsuki no usagi
Lyrics
Official Site
From the single, mikazuki rhapsody
Genre: female / pop

RYTHEM is a female duo made up of YUI and YUKA who harmonize really great. They write the lyrics and music for most of their songs. Their latest single is another great effort by them. "Mikazuki rhapsody" is on the upbeat side, while the coupling song "tsuki no usagi" is a beautiful ballad.

Sugar - himawari
Lyrics
Official Site
From the single, himawari
Genre: female / pop

When I first listened to Korean girl group Sugar's latest single "himawari," I had to do some research to make sure that this was the same group that I was familiar with because when I listened to the song, I could hear no trace of a Korean accent in the song. I guess over the couple of years they were in the Jpop music biz, they really picked up the Japanese pronunciation well.

Back to the songs, "himawari" is a cheery pop song, and "LOVEACCELE" has more of a retro pop feel to it.

REIRA starring Yuna Ito - ENDLESS SKY
Lyrics
Official Site
From the single, ENDLESS SKY
Genre: female / pop

Yuna Ito is the latest singer that hails from Hawaii. Thank goodness that this song isn't as cheesy as some of the other stuff that other artists from Hawaii have released. *coughmelody.cough* "ENDLESS SKY" is from the movie NANA, which features Nakashima Mika (as NANA) and Yuna Ito (as REIRA). It's a beautiful ballad, which has the same tune as Faith Hill's song "If I'm Not in Love." (credit: TEKO425)

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Album descriptions

Kitade Nana - 18 -eighteen- (DL):
(15.2 MB, includes: eighteen sky, kesenai tsumi, rasen, utareru ame)
Lyrics
Official Site
Click to buy Japan version
Click to buy overseas version
Release date: 2005.08.24
Genre: female / pop rock

Tracklist:
01. KISS or KISS
02. 消せない罪 (kesenai tsumi)
03. 螺旋 (rasen)
04. pureness
05. HOLD HEART
06. Alice
07. 悲しみのキズ (kanashimi no kizu)
08. 撃たれる雨 (utareru ame)
09. Fake
10. 瞬間 (shunkan)
11. eighteen sky

Nana's music has mostly been on the pop rock side, but some of the songs on this album are poppier. Nana's voice kind of has a wild Yaida Hitomi sound to it, but at the same time reminds me of Shimatani Hitomi (am I the only one who thinks this?).

We start off with "KISS or KISS," which was released as a single and is from the NTV drama "anego." It's a cute pop song and although it's upbeat enough, I thought it would've been better for her to open the album with a stronger song.

"Kesenai tsumi" is from the anime Full Metal Alchemist and it's another pop song.

"Rasen" is the first new song on this album and it's a great pop rock song. Her voice is perfect for this type of music.

"pureness" is another single, and it's from another anime. This pop rock song is more aggressive than the previous song.

"HOLD HEART" is yet another single. This song isn't as good as the previous songs, it doesn't really catch my interest enough to write anything meaningful about it.

"Alice" is the 2nd new song on this album. It's mid-tempo song to take off the edginess and poppiness of the other tracks. It's a nice change of pace.

We're back to another single with "kanashimi no kizu" and another upbeat number.

"Utareru ame" is another single, and it's an energetic pop rock song that'll get your feet stomping to the beat. Great for speed driving.

"Fake" is the 3rd new song and it continues in the same vein as "utareru ame" as a fast-paced driving song.

"shunkan" was the coupling song from "kesenai tsumi." It's a medium-paced song, and winds us down to the last track which is an even slower song called "eighteen sky." It has a few R&B elements, which is quite a change from the other songs from this album. Quite possibly my favorite track from this album.

I recommend this album to those who enjoy pop rock songs or just something upbeat to listen to. This album gets a 9 out of 10.

Kuraki Mai - FUSE OF LOVE (DL):
(16.4 MB, includes: ashita e kakeru hashi, Don't leave me alone, Honey feeling for me, kakenukeru inazuma)
Lyrics
Official Site
Click to buy Japan version
Click to buy overseas version
Release date: 2005.08.24
Genre: female / pop

Tracklist:
01. "Honey,Feeling For Me"
02. P.S MY SUNSHINE
03. You Look At Me～One
04. 駆け抜ける稲妻 (kakenukeru inazuma)
05. Don't Leave Me Alone
06. "Love,Needing"
07. ダンシング (Dancing)
08. Tell Me What
09. LOVE SICK
10. 明日へ架ける橋 (ashita e kakeru hashi)
11. I Sing A Song For You
12. Chance For You

Kuraki Mai's 5th album

"Honey,Feeling For Me" is a medium-paced song that is really sweet sounding. While it may be considered too bland to open up this album, I rather enjoyed this song a lot.

"P.S. MY SUNSHINE" was released as a single and it's an upbeat disco track, which is one of her more catchier songs.

"You Look At Me～One" is the coupling track of "Dancing." It's a medium-paced song with a backbeat that makes the song danceable. Pretty good.

"kakenukeru inazuma" is a cute song and I'm always drawn towards this type of song, so this is definitely one of my faves from this album.

"Don't Leave Me Alone" is a beautiful Latin tinged ballad with a nostalgic, yet sad feel to it. Another great song.

"Love, Needing" is the R&B track and was also released as a single. Nothing much to write about it, other than I like this song a lot.

"Dancing" is (surprise) a song that'll make you want to get up off your chair and dance. I like that she doesn't stick to the usual medium-paced songs that she's released in the past.

"Tell Me What" is another song that has an R&B sound. It's not as good as "Love, Needing" though. This song is quite bland, probably the most annoying song on this album, especially during the chorus where she repeats "I can / you can / we can."

Ok, while I previously thought that "kakenukeru inazuma" was the cute song of this album, that aware goes to "LOVE SICK." This song is totally cute and overly poppy and nevertheless, catchy as hell.

"ashita e hashiru hashi" is the first single after her long absence. It's a beautiful ballad and was a great comeback single for her.

"I Sing A Song For You" is a piano ballad and for those of you who enjoy Mai's ballads will enjoy this.

"Chance For You" is another medium-paced song, and it sounds like a typical Mai song.

I think I enjoyed this Mai album more than some of her previous albums, so I'll give this an 8 out of 10.

m-flo - BEAT SPACE NINE (DL):
(18.1 MB, includes: One Day, SO EXCLUSIVE, tO yOUR bEAT TRIPOD BABY)
Lyrics
Official Site
Click to buy Japan version
Click to buy Korean version
Release date: 2005.08.24
Genre: male/female / hip pop, R&B

Tracklist:
01. Beat
02. Taste Your Stuff / ♥ BENNIE K
03. Loop In My Heart / ♥ EMYLI & YOSHIKA
04. SO EXCLUSIVE / ♥ Sowelu
05. I’M DA 1 / ♥ WHEE SUNG
06. ONE DAY / ♥ 加藤ミリヤ (Katou Miliyah)
07. A.D.D.P. / ♥ MONDAY満ちる (MONDAY MICHIRU)
08. tO yOUR bEAT / ♥ YOSHIKA
09. SPACE
10. Dopeman? / ♥ EMYLI & Diggy-MO’ (SOUL'd OUT
11. COZMO-NAUGHTY / ♥ Kahimi Karie
12. The Other Side of Love / ♥ EMYLI
13. Float’n Flow / ♥ Rie fu
14. HEY! / ♥ Akiko Wada
15. let go / ♥ YOSHIKA
16. TRIPOD BABY / ♥ LISA
17. NINE

m-flo. While that name used to give me goosebumps because of their wonderful songs, it now gives me goosebumps at wondering how awful their next single will be. Will this latest m-flo album change my opinion or will it end up in my recycle bin?

The instrumental track "BEAT" starts off this album and reminds me of Planet Shining with the stewardess (LORI FINE) bit.

The first song is "Taste Your Stuff" with BENNIE K, the female duo of YUKI (singer) and CICO (rapper). This song is more on the pop side like how their recent singles have been.

"Loop In My Heart" with EMYLI & YOSHIKA was released as a single, and it's a cheesy pop and m-flo's version of R&B, I guess. It's an ok song, but I haven't been really impressed by it. I guess their new fans ate this up though.

"SO EXCLUSIVE" surprised me. I usually don't like a lot of Sowelu songs, but this one was just catchy. I still don't like her nasal voice when she sings high, she should stick to singing with a low voice. And I don't believe for a second what the lyrics say. I still think she's singing "OREO, OREO"!!

"I'm DA 1" with WHEE SUNG is in Korean and English. This is a great track and totally reminds me of something Yamamoto Ryouhei would do.

"ONE DAY" with Katou Miliyah is a nice track with a beautiful message. One of the highlights from this album.

"A.D.D.P" with Monday Michiru is a really upbeat club song. Monday Michiru has a deep, soulful voice. Most of her songs are in English, but in this song, she throws a few Japanese words in here and there.

"tO yOUR bEAT" with YOSHIKA is a laid-back R&B track and it's not bad. It was from the "DOPAMINE" single.

"SPACE" is the interlude track.

"Dopeman?" with EMYLI & Diggy-MO’ (SOUL'd OUT) is a different version from "DOPAMINE" in which it has a different sound and Verbal's rap has different lyrics.

Although "COZMO-NAUGHTY" with Kahimi Karie is somewhat a boring track, it's still interesting. Kahimi Karie's voice is just so cool and Verbal's rap is whispered.

"The Other Side of Love" was on the "let go" single and the singer was credited as "Sister E," which is now confirmed that it is indeed EMYLI as some people have speculated. The song is totally in English and it starts off as a laid-back acoustic guitar track with a backbeat then it changes into a more upbeat dance song.

"Float’n Flow" with folkish singer Rie fu has a mellow tropical sounding flavor. It's totally in English. And who the heck is that dude singing? Is it Verbal???

"HEY!" with Akiko Wada totally rocks my socks (if I wore them, that is). It's my favorite song since m-flo lost LISA. Quite the upbeat dance song and she-male Akiko Wada with the masculine voice sounds awesome! Great way of getting a new generation interested in her music. I love that "Run for cover! It's Akiko Wada!!!" part. =D

Now we're back to the same old boring new m-flo collabo stuff with "let go" with YOSHIKA. This song is a ballad; I prefer the reggae mix that was on the "Loop In My Heart" single better.

The final song is "TRIPOD BABY" with the lovely LISA. After all the wishing and waiting, m-flo has finally loved LISA! Although this song sounds like a tipoff of their song "Come Again," I enjoyed this song a lot, I thought the "Verb-eezy" and the "Lis-eezy" parts were cute, and affectionate. The breakdowns in the middle of the song didn't quite match the rest of the song, but that's not necessarily a bad thing, rather it made the song a little more interesting.

This album wasn't as bad as I expected. I didn't like Astromantic too much because of it's too eclectic sound; this album flowed better, which I liked. Still, I think this doesn't really change my mind about m-flo being hasbeens.

This album gets a 7.5 out of 10.

Salyu - landmark(DL):
(19.6 MB, includes: Dramatic Irony, landmark, ue e, VALON-1)
Lyrics
Official Site
Click to buy Japan version
Release date: 2005.06.15
Genre: female / alterna pop

Tracklist:
01. landmark
02. アイアム (I am)
03. VALON-1
04. 虹の先 (niji no saki)
05. Peaty
06. 体温 (taion)
07. ウエエ (UE E)
08. Dramatic Irony
09. Dialogue
10. 彗星 (suisei)
11. Pop

When I first heard one of Salyu's songs, "VALON" with Ilmari of Rip Slyme, I wasn't too impressed and I didn't give her or her music a second thought. After her album was released, I heard a few samples and I thought that she sounded like UA vocally (moody, laid-back vocals) and her songs are slightly on the alternative side. Both reasons sold me on her album, so I made the purchase...

The first track is the title track of this album. It has a live, in-studio feel to it. It starts off with Salyu singing with drums in the background and a guitar & bass strumming a few chords. Quite mellow for an opener, but the chorus is a bit more emotional.

"I am" has a more catchier beat to it, but still keeps in with the mellow feel. The piano, while vague, gives it a more cheerful feel to an otherwise moody song.

"VALON-1" is a different version than her single; mostly because Ilmari doesn't rap on it. As I listen to it now, I do like it more than I did when I fist heard it. It's yet, another slow, moody track, but it's pretty good.

"Niji no saki" is a little quieter than the other songs, but it has a lighter feel to it.

"Peaty" has a happier tone compared to the other songs. It's nice that the mood is broken away from the somberness. The chorus is quite nice too.

"Taion" is another slow, yet light sounding track. Although I like Salyu's dark songs, I'm glad that the whole album isn't like that.

"UE E" has a retro rock feel. Reminds me of Love Psychedelico's music.

"Dramatic Irony" is one of the highlights from this album. A happier upbeat song with an uplifting chorus; I likes.

"Dialogue" is yet another slower song, but it's not quite a ballad.

"Suisei" is another light-hearted song. The second half of this album is really on opposite ends from the beginning, which I find interesting.

While the last track is called "Pop," it's not a typical pop song that you'd find in Jpop. It stays in the same vein as the rest of this album, which is a good thing. This song has a light sound during the verses, but the chorus has a little kick of moodiness to it.

Overall, this album is pretty good. If you're not looking for a typical pop sound and if moody vocals are your thing, I definitely have to recommend this album. I enjoyed this album a lot and I give it an 8 1/2 out of 10.

Tommy heavenly6 - Tommy heavenly6(DL):
(13.0 MB, includes: 2Bfree, LCDD, lost in pieces, Ready?)
Lyrics
Official Site
Click to buy Japan version
Release date: 2005.08.24
Genre: female / pop rock

Tracklist:
01. 2Bfree
02. Ready?
03. Wait till I can dream
04. fell in love with you
05. Wanna be your idol
06. +gothic Pink+
07. Swear
08. Lost my pieces
09. GIMME ALL OF YOUR LOVE!!
10. LCDD
11. Hey my friend

After about a year since she released her first single as Tommy heavenly6, Kawase Tomoko, lead singer of the "on hiatus" band The Brilliant Green, has finally released a full length album as the Heavenly one. I guess maybe she got tired of her stint as 80's pop sounding princess Tommy february6.

This album starts off with "2Bfree," which blew me away. During the verses, Tommy sings and a guitar blares in every once in a while till the chorus kicks off & everything comes together. I especially love the hand clapping parts.

"Ready?" was the last single she released before this album. It's a fun, upbeat rock song that won't disappoint.

"Wait till I can dream" was also released as a single. It's a more aggressive rock song than her previous efforts.

"fell in love with you" has you thinking that it's a laid-back song until the chorus blasts in the rock stuff.

"Wanna be your idol" doesn't really grab me. It's a typical rock type of song. The chorus doesn't do it for me either.

There was a PV for "+gothic pink+" but it wasn't released as a single. As the title suggests, it's another moody song, but in typical Tommy fashion, the lyrics are playfully cute.

"Swear" is from the "Wait till I can dream" single. It's a darker song and slightly reminds me of songs from Buriguri's Los Angeles album.

Listening to the quiet beginning of "Lost my pieces," you can tell that it's just the calm before the storm that is the chorus. This song is one of the slower songs on the album, if you could call it that.

"GIMME ALL OF YOUR LOVE!!" was originally released on the Love for Nana album and it's a fun pop rock song.

"LCDD" is a light-hearted pop rock song, very radio-friendly. This is probably my favorite song from the album.

The last song is "Hey my friend," which as many say, is a Avril Lavigne rip-off. It's has a typical pop rock feel, even more radio-friendly than "LCDD."

I really love this album, it's definitely going to be one of my faves from 2005. This album gets a 10 out of 10 from me.

Comments on this entry

beat space nine
aser
2005-10-04 05:39 am

I would have to totally disagree w/ you on this. I feel the group has progressed and actually improved dramatically since Lisa left. If you compared the production on the first two albums vs astromantic and now beat space nine, you can tell how rudimentary the early material is. In terms of production, arrangement, etc, it sounds much more congealed. I think they're stradling the fine line between experimentation and mass appeal damn well.

plus how can you not like a song w/ the lyrics "I just take myself to have chicken curry w/ naan @ samryan shibuya store"? haha, that line gets me every time....

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Re: beat space nine
corichan_com
2005-10-04 08:14 am

Originally posted under my other username, which I want to remain less known:

"The thing is that I was a fan of their back when their music was more serious and all this cartoony stuff that they're doing now is such a 180 from what they used to do, which is really disappointing. I also think that their relying on many artists keeps things fresh & interesting, but I do long for the days when they just had one singer.

As for the "experimentation and mass appeal" that you mentioned, I do agree that some of their songs are more experimental (especially on the Astromantic album), but a lot of their songs still have the same sound, it's like Taku just recycles the same beats in a lot of the songs. The "mass appeal" stuff makes me think that they sold out by doing so. I know there's a lot of their older fans who feel that way.

And I didn't say that I didn't like that Rie fu song. I was just wondering who sang that part because I don't think I've heard Verbal singing before. Sorry if it sounded like I was hating it, I was just more like o_0 if it was him.

Even with my 7.5 rating, I still bought the album (just received it today & was listening to it when I saw your post too! =P), albeit, it's the Korean version..."

------

(Anonymous)
2005-10-14 10:26 pm

I really don't think that Tommy's album deserved a 10/10. It was just too average, wannabe-American sounding music. A few of the songs were okay but for the most part, I really thought it was boring and predictable. I like her more as Tommy february6. Her heavenly side is nothing better than a typical American album. But that's just my opinion.

------

corichan_com
2005-10-14 11:26 pm
I thought her album was a lot better than most of the other album releases that came out this year, so I think that's a big reason why I rated it so high. I also prefer this type of music to her february stuff. And you're right about it sounding American, but Tommy keeps it a bit Jpop-ish with her cutesy lyrics, so it kind of evens out for me. :)

------

akatentou
2006-04-29 04:29 pm
I wonder if u could upload Kitade Nana's full album, cos I really liked those four songs?~ :>

------

Beat Space Nine-NY JPOP LOVER
(Anonymous)
2006-06-03 06:11 am
i think you're being a little too hard on M-Flo. If all of their material sounded like their earlier stuff you'd be wondering why they failed to progress after 7 yrs of making music. i think they've actually improved since lisa left, only because they're much more unpredictable. i guess i'm a fan of their willingness to cover the spectrum...from hip hop to pop to dance to electronica to R&B.

i'd hate to think where i'd be if i couldn't rotate between songs like "hey!" "get on", "the love bug", "to your beat" and "quantum leap (dj watarai remix)", depending on my mood.
each of these songs fall under a different category, but either one jams very hard!

my only complaints are that verbal doesn't attack the Mic like he used to, and sometimes the sheer "pop"-iness of their songs can be beyond acceptable limits. still...a very small price to pay considering how derivative most jpop acts are today.

Older reviews (August 2005)

Mon, 10 Jul 2006 10:54:47 GMT

**NO SONGS INCLUDED IN OLDER ENTRIES**

Originally posted on: 27 August 2005 @ 07:33 am

2005.08.27 song update

Song Descriptions

B'z - Dear my lovely pain
Lyrics
Official Site
From the single, OCEAN
Genre: male / rock

Since "OCEAN" is a sappy ballad, I decided to put up a more upbeat song like B'z usually known for. B'z has been around for over 10 years. Singer Inaba Koshi and guitarist Tak Matsumoto have both releases albums of their own, but thankfully they still are together to make great music.

Kouda Kumi - flower (acoustic version)
Lyrics
Official Site
From the single, flower
Genre: female / ballad

While this isn't one of Kumi's better songs, I like it fairly well. The acoustic version features a piano as the main instrument, which makes it sound more sophisticated the original version.

May Nakabayashi - Can't Get 'Em Enough (ft. Miss Monday), My Precious
"Can't Get 'Em Enough" Lyrics
"My Precious" Lyrics
Official Site
From the single, Sympathy
Genre: female / pop R&B

May Nakabayashi is a fairly new singer with only 2 singles under her belt. To me, her music is fairly generic R&B and nothing that really catches my attention. Not even rapper Miss Monday, one of my favorite artists, can put life into the lackluster song "Can't Get 'Em Enough."

"My Precious" is on May's first single, but it was only on the normal version of that single. It's a ballad type and again, nothing really special. I just thought I'd add it for anyone who didn't have it.

melody. - realize
Lyrics
Official Site
From the single, realize / Take a Chance
Genre: female / pop

Hawaii-raised melody. is another generic pop artist who doesn't really have too much lasting impression on me. Her latest single does nothing to change my opinion. "realize" is the theme from the drama Dragon Zakura, so that may ensure that it would gain her some popularity.

Nakashima Mika - Glamorous Sky
Lyrics
Official Site
From the mini album, GLAMOROUS SKY - NANA starring MIKA NAKASHIMA
Genre: female / pop rock

"Glamorous Sky" is surprisingly on the rock side, and Mika sounds amazing on it. I'm glad she's breaking away from her usual somber, slow, jazzy music. This song is from the mini album soundtrack of the movie NANA, where Mika plays a rock singer named Nana Ozaki.

Shimatani Hitomi - hana wo sagashite
Lyrics
Official Site
From the single, hana wo sagashite
Genre: female / ballad

Shimatani Hitomi is known for her Latin songs, but I tend to like her ballads much better. "Hana wo sagashite" is average, but I like it.

Sister Q - natsu no biyaku
Lyrics
Official Site
From the single, natsu no biyaku
Genre: female / pop

Sister Q is a poppy girl group. Their sound kind of reminds me of an older Morning Musume type. "natsu no biyaku" is the less irritating song from their latest single, and it really sounds like a MoMusu song, but their voices are a bit more mature, with the exception of one of the girls, who has a cutesy voice.

Van Tomiko - Hold Me...
Lyrics
Slow Dance Official Site
DAI Official Site
From the album, Slow Dance
Genre: female / jazz

Van Tomiko, the lead singer of Do As Infinity sings a song on the S.D. Preppy Slow Dance soundtrack. The song (album, in fact) is on the slow, jazzy side, but it's a nice change from DAI's regular music.

Younha - Touch
Lyrics
Official Site
From the single, Touch / yume no tsudzuki
Genre: female / pop

Korean Younha's latest release is a remake of an anime song. It's not as good as her previous releases, but it's still catchy. Her first album Go! Younha will be released in early October, so look out for that release.

-------------------------

ALBUMS DESCRIPTIONS

EARTH - bright tomorrow (DL)
Lyrics
Official Site
Click to buy Japan version
Release date: 2001.03.28
Genre: female / pop

Tracklist:
01. History of us
02. Boys Like That
03. I’m Happy We Met
04. 羽根 (hane)
05. Wedding Road
06. wonderful world
07. Is This Love?
08. For No Reason
09. Your song
10. My bright tomorrow
11. time after time
12. Is This Love (stay real to groove mix:BANANA ICE)

EARTH was a girl group in the early 2000's, who came out around the same time that the girl group dream did, and I've never understood why EARTH weren't more popular. EARTH's vocals are more harmonized than dream's and their songs were on the pop side with a bit of R&B influence to it.

"History of us" is a typical sounding poppish dance tune that sounds a bit like something BoA would do, "Wedding Road" is a ballad, "time after time" is more on the pop R&B side, and "Is This Love ~stay real to groove mix~" is a different version from the original song.

Spitz - Souvenir (DL)
Lyrics
Official Site
Click to buy Japan version
Click to buy OS version
Release date: 2005.01.12
Genre: male / pop rock

Tracklist:
01. 春の歌 (haru no uta)
02. ありふれた人生 (arifureta jinsei)
03. 甘ったれクリーチャー (amattare creature)
04. 優しくなりたいな (yasashiku naritai na)
05. ナンプラー日和 (NANPURA- biyori)
06. 正夢 (masayume)
07. ほのほ (honoho)
08. ワタリ (watari)
09. 恋のはじまり (koi no hajimari)
10. 自転車 (jitensha)
11. テイタム・オニール (Tatum O'Neal)
12. 会いに行くよ (ai ni yuku yo)
13. みそか (misoka)

Spitz's latest album "Souvenir" is a typical Spitz-sounding album--laid back melodic rock music with mellow vocals. If you're a fan of Spitz, you won't go wrong with this album.

"Haru no uta" is a typical sounding Spitz song with mellow vocals and music, "nanbura- biyori" is an Okinawa sounding song because of the koto instrument during the verses, "jitensha" has a slight reggae flavor to it, & "Tatum O'Neal" is a really fun upbeat song.

Yaida Hitomi - Here today-gone tomorrow (DL)
Lyrics
Official Site
Click to buy Japan version
Release date: 2005.08.15
Genre: female / pop

Tracklist:
01. Chapter02
02. マワルソラ (mawaru sora)
03. 七色ピエロ (nanairo piero)
04. マーブル色の日 (marble iro no hi)
05. 月をみていた (tsuki wo mite ita)
06. Not A Period
07. Believe Or Doubt
08. Pajama Holiday
09. モノクロレター (monochrome letter)
10. 彼女の理由 (kanojo no riyuu)
11. ビルを見下ろす屋上で　～Whitfield Version～ (biru wo miorosu okujou de)
12. 雨と嘘 (ame to uso)
13. ゆらゆら (yurayura)

Yaiko, as she's known to her fans, has been releasing a lot of slower songs recently. Those of us who were fans of her faster songs were disappointed and since this album doesn't have too many songs like "Andante" or "My Sweet Darling," there will still be fans who .

While "Nanairo Piero" is a fun, upbeat song, it doesn't have the flair of her previous songs. "NOT A PERIOD" sounds like a country jamboree, "Pajama Holiday" starts off cute, but breaks into a slighty rockish sound during the chorus. "Mawaru sora," is a slower song that was released as a single.

YELLOW Generation - Life-sized Portrait (DL)
Lyrics
Official Site
Click to buy Japan version
Release date: 2005.08.10
Genre: female / pop

Tracklist:
01. YELLOW
02. 扉の向こうへ (tobira no mukou e)
03. うたかた (utakata)
04. Listen!
05. トリトマ (TORITOMA)
06. レモナーデ (Lemonade)
07. あのね… (ano ne...)
08. チョコレイト～鮮烈な味わい魅惑の世界～ (CHOKOREITO ~senretsu na ajiwai miwaku no sekai~)
09. 夜空に咲く花 ~eternal Place~ (yozora ni saku hana)
10. 春雷 (shunrai)
11. 終わりのない道 (owari no nai michi)
12. 扉の向こうへ ~fullmetal Mix~ (tobira no mukou e)

Though I thought that YELLOW Generation's music is more on the rock side from their "YELLOW" single, that's not the case, because with the exception of that song, the rest of this album is more on the pop side. "Listen!" is a medium paced song that has a rap section by some guy (not sure who it is) during the middle, one of my favorite songs from this album. Because of the ukulele and slowness of "Lemonade," it sounds kind of a Hawaiian song. While that may bore some listeners, I think it's a cute change from the other songs. "Chocolate ~senretsu na ajiwai miwaku no sekai~" is the cute song from this album, and "Tobira no mukou e ~Fullmetal Mix~" has more of a beat than the more acoustic sounding original version. It's from the anime Full Metal Alchemist and it also has a break in the middle where the voice actors from the Japanese version talk.

。・☆。・☆・。。・☆。・☆・。。・☆。・☆・。。・☆。・☆・。。・☆。・☆・。。・☆。・☆・。

Originally posted on: 08 August 2005 @ 12:24 am

2005.08.08 song update

Song Descriptions

aiko - aru hi no himawari
Lyrics
Official Site
From the single, kirakira
Genre: female / pop

Singer/songwriter aiko's music doesn't seem to change; most of the songs are poppish with a bit of strings, piano, and acoustic guitar sounds in the mix. If you heard a handful of her songs, you've probably heard them all. "Aru hi no himawari" is no exception.

as - boku wa zutto
Lyrics
Official Site
From the single, boku wa zutto
Genre: female / pop

I'm pretty new to as's music. The reason why I was interested in it is because one of my favorite singers Yano Maki wrote the lyrics for this song. "Boku wa zutto" is a folky pop song and it's pretty good. Recommended if you like Yano Maki, Yui, or any of those other female pop/folk/rock singers.

Hamasaki Ayumi - alterna
Lyrics
Official Site
From the single, fairyland
Genre: female / pop

Ayu's latest single is pretty good. It's more on the pop rock side, which is a good sound for her (mostly because it drowns out her vocals; mind you, I do like her vocals, but they're not the greatest).

Heartsdales - Hey DJ!
Lyrics
Official Site
From the single, Hey DJ!
Genre: female / hip-pop

Still keeping the poppish music, Heartsdales releases their latest song "Hey DJ!" If you get over the fact that they were more on the serious side of hip-pop and just enjoy this as a pop song with some rapping (m-flo, anyone?), former fans may enjoy this more.

hiro - Be Alright
Lyrics
Official Site
From the single, clover
Genre: female / pop

After her Coco d'or stint, hiro's back with her first single of 2005, and it's not bad at all. I prefer "Be Alright to the title song because it's a bit more interesting and more on the R&B/pop side

Ichikawa Yui - love letter
Lyrics
Official Site
From the single, love letter
Genre: female / pop

Ichikawa Yui is an singer who is mostly known for her anime connections. "Love Letter" is a song that just screams ANIME.

Imai Miki - ai no uta
Lyrics
Official Site
From the single, ai no uta
Genre: female / pop/ballad

Veteran Imai Miki, who has been releasing songs since 1986, has just released her latest single and she sounds as great as ever. Mostly known for her ballads, her latest song is no exception. I wish she'd release a more upbeat song once in a while..

K - Play Another One
Lyrics
Official Site
From the single, Girlfriend
Genre: male / R&B

I definitely prefer K's "Play Another One" more than I prefer the title track, which is a ballad. This song is more on the funky side of R&B and it's pretty catchy. That kid's voice kind of bothers me though.

Miz - IN THE SKY
Lyrics
Official Site
From the single, IN THE SKY
Genre: female / pop rock

Miz's first song since her first Japanese album is pretty good. If you enjoyed her previous poppish rock songs, you'll definitely enjoy this.

See-Saw - seijaku wa headphone no naka
Lyrics
Official Site
From the single, kimi wa boku ni nite iru
Genre: female / pop

See-Saw is another artist who is known for their anime connections. Their latest single is from the Gundam Seed series.

Skoop On Somebody + SOUL'd OUT - Dot To The Dot
Lyrics
Skoop On Somebody Official Site
SOUL'd OUT Official Site
From the single, Dot To The Dot
Genre: male / R&B/hip-pop

I feel the collaboration between Skoop On Somebody (R&B) & SOUL'D OUT (rap) could've been better. This song is a bit generic sounding, but that's not to say that it's entirely bad.

-------------------------

ALBUMS DESCRIPTIONS

Kahala Tomomi - Naked
Lyrics
Official Site
Click to buy Japan version
Click to buy Korean version
Genre: female / pop

Tracklist:

Kahala Tomomi used to be a Tetsuya Komuro artist who had a lot of upbeat songs, but with this latest album, his touch is nowhere to be heard. Most of the songs on this album are ballads, and while that's not such a bad thing, it may deter some of the fans of her previous works from enjoying this album. On a better note, more ballads means that Tomomi's voice doesn't have that shrill "opera"-like quality that it did when she was younger.

KOKIA - Uta ga Chikara
Lyrics
Official Site
Click to buy Japan version
Genre: female / pop

Tracklist:

Singer/songwriter KOKIA has a very pleasing, sweet voice and her music is simple, yet likeable for the most part.

SMAP - Sample Bang
Lyrics
Official Site
Click to buy Japan version
Genre: male / boyband pop

Tracklist:

SMAP's latest album is better than I expected. While I'm not into boyband-type groups, some of the songs have managed to catch my attention, such as "Quiz no joou," which was written by an ex-Pizzicato Five member, and "HOLIDAY IN THE SUN," which is entirely in English (or Engrish, rather). Though the members are popular on their own--acting in popular (Kimu Taku, Nagai Masahiro) & mediocre (kusanagi Tsuyoshi) dramas, singing off-beat songs (Katori Shingo as Shingo Mama), or getting arrested (Inagaki Goro), it's nice to see that they still continue to make music together.

Sukima Switch - Kuusou Clip
Lyrics
Official Site
Click to buy Japan version
Genre: male / acoustic guitar pop

Tracklist:

Sukima Switch's music is more on the mellow pop side with the occasional upbeat number. They remind me a lot of Spitz, but the vocals remind me a lot of Hirai Ken.

Older reviews (July 2005, part 2)

Sun, 09 Jul 2006 10:12:04 GMT

**NO SONGS INCLUDED IN OLDER ENTRIES**

Originally posted on: 28 July 2005 @ 12:08 am

2005.07.28 song descriptions

Song Descriptions

Do As Infinity - aurora
Lyrics
Official Site
From the single, TAO
Genre: pop rock/female

Do As Infinity's latest single isn't bad. Because "TAO" sounded like many of their songs put together, I thought I'd focus on the b-side "aurora," which has a slight Latin flavor to it with the mandolin.

GLAY X EXILE - SCREAM
Lyrics
GLAY X EXILE Official Site
From the single, SCREAM
Genre: Rock/male

GLAY is a pop rock band and EXILE is a pop R&B group, so this combination is an interesting combination. The vocals sound pretty good together and the song is more on the rockish side, it's a nice change for EXILE's fans who are used to their more poppy songs and ballads. Definitely a great combo!

KOKIA - Shiawase no Hanataba
Lyrics
Official Site
From the single, time to say goodbye
Genre: pop/female

KOKIA's a talented artist because she writes majority of her songs. I decided to add "shiawase no hanataba" because it was a more upbeat song compared to the title song.

L'arc~en~Ciel - Link
Lyrics
Official Site
From the single, Link
Genre: pop rock/male

"Link" is a very poppy song, which is quite different from their usual songs. While it's not at all bad, their fans might wonder what kind of direction they're going with this song...

NEWS - Teppen
Lyrics
Official Site
From the single, Teppen
Genre: boyband pop

NEWS is another boyband group. There's nothing impressive to me about this song; if you're a fan of w-inds. or any of the other prepubescent boy singers, you'll probably enjoy this.

RAG FAIR - GOOD VIBRATIONS
Official Site
From the single, Summer Smile
Genre: Acapella, R&B / male

Instead of adding RAG FAIR's latest song "Summer Smile," I decided to add their rendition of the Beach Boys' classic "GOOD VIBRATIONS," which is the coupling song of this single. If you ignore the sometimes Engrishy pronunciation, their version is really great and their harmonies are excellent.

Orange Range - Onegai! Senorita
Lyrics
Official Site
From the single, Onegai! Senorita
Genre: Rock/rap

Haha, I'm not a fan of Orange Range's, but I kind of liked their latest single. As usual, they mix rock with rapping, but it's not as annoying as some of their other songs.

UverWORLD - ai ta kokoro
Lyrics
Official Site
From the single, D-tecnoLife
Genre: Rock/male

I'm not certain of the song title, but the song itself is pretty good. There are a lot of elements in this song, which surprised and intrigued me because it sounds like 3 different songs in one. This is mostly because of the different singing: one guy sounds like he's an R&B singer, one raps, and the song itself is on the rock side.

Yonekura Chihiro - Cross
Lyrics
Official Site
From the single, towa no hana
Genre: pop ballad/female

"Cross" is a ballad type. The other songs on this single is more on the anime-ish type of song: upbeat, almost generically technoish music, but I found "Cross" to be the best song of the 3. Yonekura Chihiro's been in the music biz for a while now and it's great to see her with some new stuff.

-------------------------

ALBUMS DESCRIPTIONS

Amuro Namie - Queen of Hip-Pop
Lyrics
Official Site
Click to buy Japan version
Click to buy Hong Kong version
Click to buy Korean version

Tracklist:
01. Queen of Hip-Pop
02. Want Me, Want Me
03. WoWa
04. I Wanna Show You My Love
05. Girl Talk
06. Free
07. My Darling
08. Ups & Downs duet with Nao'ymt
09. I Love You
10. All For You
11. Alarm
12. No

Namie's back with her latest album, which is curiously titled as "Queen of Hip-Pop." Many people have misread it as "hip hop," therefore outraged because they think she isn't hip hop, but the terms are quite different. "Hip pop" is more on the poppy side of rap like m-flo or Heartsdales. To me, Namie's music is more on the R&B side with some hip hop elements, which are mainly the music, beats and guest rappers. Regardless, let's see if Namie is indeed the "Queen" of hip pop.

Starting off the album is the title cut. It's a catchy, in-your-face type of song with bold lyrics in which she declares "I'm on top, can you follow me? / I'm so hot, no doubt / I can't stop, climbing to the top, that's my way / (Ain't nobody stoppin' me)"

"Want me, want me" is the dirty song that a lot of people are talking about. The lyrics are by michico (singer/songwriter/producer) and they're very sexual. The song itself has an exotic sound, but I can't stand it. This is one song that I have to skip over.

"WoWa" starts off with sounds of people marching. It's a little slower than the first 2 songs, but it's still an upbeat song, however it's a little boring and repetitive during the chorus where Namie pronounces the title as "ooh wah."

"I Wanna Show You My Love" is on the poppy R&B side. This song was written in appreciation of her fans.

"GIRL TALK" was on the double A side single along with "Speedstar." Thank god they added this song instead of that one. Girl Talk is again on the poppy R&B side and it sounds playful and laid back, but it's catchier than any of the previous songs on this album. I like how the TV show Sex & the City is mentioned.

With "Free," we're back to the serious R&B/hip pop sound of the previous songs. There's nothing special about this song that's worth mentioning.

"My Darling" is one of my fave songs from this album. The chorus is damn catchy, I'd expect nothing less from michico.

"Ups & Downs" is a duet with Nao'ymt and it's a slow jam. It's a nice change from the other songs. Nao'ymt has a pretty good voice, but his accent kind of bothers me. I think he's Korean?

"I Love You" is another cute poppish song. In the chorus, Namie sings in 4 languages. This song is about being unable to tell someone how you feel about him. That's why she says "I love you" in 3 languages except for her own in it.

"All for you" was a previous single. It's a beautiful ballad that reminds me a little of "Wishing on the same star."

"ALARM" is the 2nd single in a row. It's another aggressive R&B/hip pop song. Namie's voice sounds awesome in it and the song itself is great. I'm still confused about the "kick me harder, kick my booty" lyrics though...

The last song is called "No." It has a tribal drum sound to it, but shortly after, it goes into the same type of song as the rest of this album: the agressive, in-your-face song. While it's not bad at all, I felt that I've heard this song before.

....a few minutes after "No" is over, there's a hidden track rumored to be titled as "Yes." It's a slow jam with almost identical lyrics as "No," except for the chorus where she says "Yes, yes, yes" instead. It's a pleasant ending to a slightly above-average album.

My score for this album is 7.5 out of 10. While the songs are pretty good, so many of them end up sounding too alike and end up being generic and formulaic; "Queen of Hip-pop," she is not.

--------------

Tsubaki - CAMELLIA
Lyrics
Official Site
Click to buy Japan version

Tracklist:
01. Intro
02. 川の流れのように (kawa no nagare no you ni)
03. FREE REIN
04. ROOM
05. 白日夢 (hakuchumu)
06. 宛先のない手紙 (atesaki no nai tegami)
07. FALLING
08. promise
09. FRIENDS (feat.KOHEI JAPAN)
10. In or out(album version)
11. SHOWCASE (GOTA remix)
12. 川の流れのように (HIROSHI WATANABE remix) (kawa no nagare no you ni)
13. 彼方へ…(album version) (kanata e)
14. 明日に架ける橋 (ashita ni kakeru hashi)

Tsubaki, the female singer, not the rock band, was first thought of to be an R&B singer, but I found her to be a bit more on the pop side.

The first track is an intro and the strings and acoustic guitar and her lalala-ing are quite serene. Track 2 is a cover song of Misora Hibari's famous song "kaze no nagare no you ni." Tsubaki's version is pretty nice, and while her voice isn't too rich or powerful as I wished it would be, it suits the song just fine. "FREE REIN" is on the R&B side. While it's not bad, it's pretty average. "ROOM" is only 1:14 minutes long. It's just Tsubaki singing with an acoustic guitar playing. "Hakuchumu" is definitely my favorite song by Tsubaki. It starts off with an acoustic guitar and the chorus just draws you in. "Atesaki no nai tegami" is a slow song with only Tsubaki's voice and a piano. "FALLING" introduces another R&B sort of song, while I like it, it may sound a bit boring to others. "promise" is a sappy ballad type that gets a little emotional towards the ending. "FRIENDS" is set to the melody of the famous song "Lean on Me." It features KOHEI JAPAN as the rapper. It's pretty amusing just because of the familiarity of the tune. "In or out" is another R&B track, and it's pretty good; "SHOWCASE" is another R&B one which I really like, I recommend it if you're into R&B. The HIROSHI WATANABE remix of "kawa no nagare no you ni" is slower than the regular version, it really sounds like a totally different song altogether. "Kanata e" is another great song, the last song is actually the famous song "Bridge Over Troubled Water," the only difference is the title is in Japanese.

While this album had some highlights, I don't think it's that great an album. I'd probably give this a 6.5 out of 10.

----------------

Tsubaki - cotton voice
Lyrics
Official Site
Click to buy Japan version
Genre: R&B, pop, ballad / female

Tracklist:
01. cotton voice ~かわらないもの~ (cotton voice ~kawaranai mono~)
02. eyes
03. 『love』
04. あなたがいるだけで (anata ga iru dake de)
05. BED
06. Cross My Heart*
07. Hands
08. ヒトヒラのjealousy (hitohira no jealousy)
09. OFF ~あの場所へ~ (OFF ~ano basho e~)
10. A Better day
11. ヒカリ (hikari)
12. little wing

"cotton voice" is a medium paced song with an R&B beat. It's a mellow way to start out the album, but the song itself is pretty nice. "eyes" is another slowish R&B type of song. Since it's right after a song with the same type of sound, that makes it a little boring. "love" is yet another medium paced song R&B song, though it's a little on poppier side. It's kind of cute, so I like this one. "anata ga iru dake de" is the inset song of the Japanese drama Hot Man 2. It's a ballad type and while it's a nice song, it's on the depressing side. "BED" is another slow to medium paced song, "Cross My Heart" is an acoustic song, which starts off slow and gathers a bit momentum during the chorus. While I like this, I felt that it sounded similar to "cotton voice" in some parts. "Hands" is kind of R&B sounding at times; it's a bit more upbeat than the other songs during the chorus, but it's still medium-paced. "Hitohira no jealousy" is a Latin-tinged song. Kind of reminds me of something Shimatani Hitomi would do. "OFF ~ano basho e~" is yet another slowish song, but it has a semi-reggae beat to it. "A better day" is a cute upbeat song which I enjoyed more than any of the songs on this album. We're back to the ballad side with "hikari," and frankly, I was getting burnt out with all the slowish songs on this album. At least this is a duet with TAKE. "little wing" is ***SURPRISE!!!*** another slow song. Because it has a nice tune, I can tolerate it more than the other songs. Tsubaki sings while an acoustic guitar plays.

She seems to like the slow songs in this album. If you're in the mood for relaxation, this album is great. I liked this a bit better than her first album, so I'm giving it a 7 out of 10.

Old reviews (July 2005, part 1)

Sun, 09 Jul 2006 09:28:31 GMT

**NO SONGS INCLUDED IN OLDER ENTRIES**

Originally posted on: 14 July 2005 @ 12:10 am

2005.07.14 song update

Song Descriptions

Minmi - Legend ~Are yu ready feat. 10 FEET~
Lyrics
Official Site
From the single, Summertime!!

Minmi is an R&B/reggae/dancehall artist. Her debut song "The Perfect Vision" came out in 2002 and it was definitely my favorite song from that year. She has since released several singles and 2 albums.

Her latest single "Summertime!!" is a more upbeat song than what Minmi has released so far. While it's kind of catchy, I thought it would be more interesting to upload the remix of "Legend ~Are yu ready feat. 10 FEET~" because it's more on the hard rock side, which is a huge difference from her usual songs.

Kishimoto Hayami - Venus 18
Lyrics
Official Site
From the single, JUMP!NG↑GO☆LET'S GO⇒

Hayamin is a pop artist who sometimes has R&B sounding songs. This latest single, fortunately, doesn't sound that way. The title track is a great pop song with guitars and the 2nd song "Venus 18" is a cuter pop song, which I liked a lot. The 3rd track "SAY GOOD BYE GLOOMY DAYS" is more on the slower side. I think this is a great single from her.

m-flo loves Akiko Wada - HEY!
Lyrics
Official Site
From the single, LOOP IN MY HEART / HEY!

I've mentioned many times that I hate the new m-flo because of their cheesy music. "HEY!" is the first m-flo loves collabo that I actually enjoy. It features the Japan icon Akiko Wada, who is a singer, entertainer, and hostess extraordinaire. For those of you unfamiliar with her, she's a very tall and mannish woman. When I first saw her, I thought she was a female impersonator. =/ And her low, manly voice doesn't help either.

"HEY!" is a very catchy song. Sure, it's more pop than usual, but who cares? The song is awesome so go check it out for yourself. Also, on the m-flo topic, their new album entitled BEAT SPACE NINE will be released late August and it will feature collabos with such artists as EMYLI, YOSHIKA, BENNIE K (I'm not sure on this one), Monday Michiru, Sowelu, Rie fu, Kato Miliyah, and....LISA, their original vocalist!!! Definitely looking forward to this one now that they're reuniting for a song. ^^

MAX - Nirai Kanai
Lyrics
Official Site
From the single, Nirai Kanai

MAX started out with Amuro Namie as the girl group Super Monkey's. When Namie got popular, she went solo, and the remaining girls became MAX (Musical Active eXperience). They were popular in the beginning, but later on, their popularity dropped. They were my favorite girl group back in the day and I'm just amazed that they're still going on.

MAX's latest single "Nirai Kanai" is really great. In the title track, the girls' vocals are well harmonized and it's a techno-ish song. "Someday" is a more mellow one, and "TORA TORA TORA 2005" is a new version of their old song of the same name.

Nobuchika Eri - Sketch of Summer (Live ver)
Lyrics
Official Site
From the single, Sketch of Summer

I mentioned Eri in a previous entry, so I won't say anything else about her. Except for this song is really beautiful. It's a ballad and Eri's voice really suits it. Looking forward to her future releases.

Ootsuka Ai - NEKO ni fuusen
Lyrics
Official Site
From the single, NEKO ni fuusen

Ai is known for her cute voice and songs. While her well known songs are mostly upbeat, crazy stuff, she also has several slow ballad types.

"Neko ni fuusen" is a acoustic song with cute lyrics. "Natsu sora" is a ballad.

Yaida Hitomi - BIRU wo miorosu okujou de
Lyrics
Official Site
From the single, Mawaru Sekai

Yaida Hitomi, or "Yaiko" as she is called by her fans is a great artist. Her songs are mostly on the rock side, but she also has a few ballads that are really beautiful. Her debut song "My Sweet Darling" is still my favorite song by her.

"Mawaru sekai" is on the mellow acoustic side, which is the direction she seems to be going in. While it isn't bad, I wish she'd have the occasional upbeat song. "BIRU wo miorosu okujou de" is a piano ballad.

Younha - motto futari de
Lyrics
Official Site
From the single, motto futari de

Younha is another Korean singer releasing music in the Japanese market. I think that she's the only Korean artist who doesn't seem to have a Korean accent when singing. Her songs are on the pop side with a bit of rock influence, which is a refreshing change from most of the other Korean artists releasing stuff in Japan. "Motto futari de" really sounds like an aiko song--folky pop with strings. I don't like it as much as her "Houkiboshi" single, but it's still something to check out.

-------------------------------------------------------------------

ALBUM REVIEWS

shela - COLORS
shela - FLORAL
COLORS Lyrics
FLORAL Lyrics
Official Site
Click to buy COLORS album
Click to buy FLORAL album

COLORS tracklist
01. ~an epillogue~ 「White Destiny」
02. ~a prelude~ 「Love Again」
03. ~an overtune~ 「friends」
04. Happy Birthday* sunny-side up
05. 19RED
06. sepia
07. Dear my friends
08. feel
09. Fly away sunny-side up
10. flower fallin'...
11. eternity
12. Wish

FLORAL tracklist
[cori's note: ★ indicates the tracks that were previously released on her garden album]
01. I believe in love★
02. Rose★
03. Dear my friends
04. in my pocket (GROOVE THAT SOUL MIX)★
05. into the light
06. 星が見える場所★ (hoshi ga mieru basho)
07. OVER THERE
08. Baby's breath★
09. Days★
10. Precious Moment*
11. Birthday Song by: sunny-side up
12. 月と太陽 (tsuki to taiyou)
13. treasure★
14. 枯れない花★

shela's been in the music biz for a while now. While I'm not too familiar with her background, I do like most of her songs which are mostly pop songs, with ocaasional ballads. Because shela doesn't have the greatest voice, some people may not like her, which is too bad because her songs are really nice.

COLORS is a singles collection. It's a great album for those unfamiliar with her, but if you have her 1st album COLORLESS, it might be a waste because there are many songs from that album on it. It starts out with 3 orchestrated versions of her older songs "White Destiny," "Love Again" (which is the theme song from the J-drama Kimi ga Oshiete Kureta Koto (KIKU title "From the Heart") and "friends." "Happy birthday" is a cute piano ballad that was done by sunny-side up, a duo of shela & speena. "19RED" is more on the dance side, "sepia" has an Asian sound to it and it also has a slower dance beat. "Dear my friends" is an upbeat song, "feel" is a cute slower acoustic song with a string arrangement during some parts. "Fly away" is a laidback, feel good song and it's cute at the same time. "flower fallin'" is a very Komuro Tetsuya sounding song and it's no surprise that he wrote it (and many of the other songs on this album). Back to the slower side with "eternity" then the album ends with a Christmassy song "Wish" which is another song with a strings arrangement. Not surprisingly, it's a ballad-type.

FLORAL is the 2nd single collection released on the same day. The thing I'm disappointed about is it features a lot of songs that were already on her garden album. "I believe" is a great song to open up with because it has a positive feel to it. "Rose" is a nice song, but shela's voice kind of irritates me in the beginning. "Dear my friends" is an inspirational souding song, "in my pocket (GROOVE THAT SOUL MIX)" is a more dance oriented song and it's really great. "into the light" is a slower song with kind of an R&B feel to it. "Hoshi ga mieru basho" is a pretty ballad, "OVER THERE" has an R&B feel to it, "Baby's breath" is an average song so it's not really noteworthy. "Days" is nice during the chorus, "Precious moment" is a mellow song with a dark feel to it. "Birthday song" is another sunny-side up song, uses the same tune as "Birthday song," bu t it has different lyrics and it sounds more on the acoustic guitar side with a beat. Though I'm not one for buying singles, I still bought it only because it was released on my birthday. =p "Tsuki to taiyou" is another semi-R&B type ballad, "treasure" is an acoustic ballad and it's probably one of my favorite songs by shela. "karenai hana" has a pretty piano melody and it's a great way to end this album.

Overall, I preferred COLORS better because there were a lot of songs that I wasn't familiar with, but FLORAL is also a good buy. I was really disappointed that neither CDs included my favorite shela song "Let me be with you." My final ranking:
COLORS gets an 8.5 out of 10
FLORAL gets an 8 out of 10

SINGER SONGER - Barairo Pop
Lyrics
Official Site
Click to buy album

SINGER SONGER is a band made up of Cocco and some of the members of Quruli. Cocco is a pop rock artist who "retired" until she released a new version one of her popular songs "SING A SONG ~NO MUSIC, NO LIFE~." Quruli is a rock band, so one would think they'd come out with some heavy rock songs. That's not so in this case. Much of Barairo Pop is on the light acoustic side, whic is not a bad thing, but those who know both artists might be disappointed in their new sound.

Tracklist:
01. SING A SONG ～NO MUSIC，NO LIFE～ Album Edit
02. ロマンチックモード (romantic mode)
03. 雨のララバイ (ame no lullaby)
04. 雨降り星 (amefuri hoshi)
05. Home
06. Millions of Kiss
07. Come on you
08. オアシス (oasis)
09. Baby，tonight
10. 初花凜々 (hatsuhana rinrin)

This version of Cocco's "SING A SONG ～NO MUSIC，NO LIFE～" is in Japanese and it's a lot more laid back than the original and it seems like a country song, there's also a violin/fiddle playing. And so is her voice; it's sweet and a little vulnerable sounding. "Romantic mode" is a feel-good light rock song. "Ame no lullaby" is a bluesy song, "amefuri hoshi" is a straight up fun country hoedown kind of song. It's really cute, as is Cocco's vocals. I'm just surprised at this song since it's totally a different style from her past songs; not to say that it's a bad thing, it's a pretty catchy song, especially during the chorus. "Home" sounds like a lullaby with a piano and Cocco's soft voice. "Millions of Kiss" is a medium paced folky song, "Come on you" is a more upbeat poppish semi-rock song all in English. It's a bit too cheerful for my taste. "Oasis" is a moody acoustic guitar song which is quite a change from the rest of the album. It reminds me a lot of The Brilliant Green's "Tsumetai hana" song during the verses. "Baby tonight" is entirely in English. It's a slow piano song. "Hatsuhana rinrin" is an upbeat poppish song and it's a great way to end this album--with a positive sound.

This album gets an 8 out of 10. Too bad it's too short though.

Takei Shiori - My Favorite Things
Lyrics
Official Site
Click to buy album

Tracklist:
01. 静かなるメロディー (shizuka na melody)
02. あの海が見えたら (ano umi ga mietara)
03. Close Line
04. 蜜月 (mitsugetsu)
05. 新しい季節 (atarashii kisetsu)
06. 二人のsunny Day (futari no sunny day)
07. 夕凪 (yuunagi)
08. 星のかけら君の涙 (hoshi no kakera kimi no namida)
09. 時の砂 (toki no suna)
10. 君に恋してる (kimi ni koi shiteru)
11. 今日 (kyou)

Takei Shiori is a mellow pop sounding artist. Some of her songs have a tropical feel to it and a lot of the lyrics were written by Azuki Nana, the keyboardist of the band Garnet Crow.

It starts off with "shizuka na melody" which is a laid back jazzy tropical sounding song. It's an indication of what to come. The next song is "ano umi ga mietara" which is another light-hearted medium paced song. "Close Line" is a little darker sounding than the previous songs. Still it keeps up with the tropical sound. "Mitsugetsu" is a really nice bossanova song. It's a more on the serious side & the acoustic guitar is a nice touch. "Atarashii kisetsu" is a cuter song, "futari no sunny day" is (surprise) another tropical song, but that doesn't make it boring at all. "Yuunagi" is a bit upbeat and sounds a lot different than the other songs in the sense that it's on the folky rock side. "Hoshi no kakera kimi no namida" takes us back to the tropical sound. Shiori's voice sounds a little higher than her previous songs so it makes her sound younger. "Toki no suna" has a slight Latin sound and there's a trumpet playing. This is more upbeat than any of the previous songs. "Kimi ni koi shiteru" was released as a single and it's definitely a highlight of this album. It steps away from the tropical side and it's more on the acoustic guitar pop and it's a great feel good song. Finally "kyou" ends the album with a slower note. It's another soothing song that I like.

My Favorite Things is a nice album for those times you want something soothing to listen to and Shiori's voice is perfect for this type of music. This album gets an 8 out of 10.

。・☆。・☆・。。・☆。・☆・。。・☆。・☆・。。・☆。・☆・。。・☆。・☆・。。・☆。・☆・。

Originally posted on: 07 July 2005 @ 08:34 am

2005.07.07 song update

Song Descriptions

globe - Here I Am (original edit)
Lyrics
Official Site
From the single, Here I Am

globe is a 3 person group made up of Komuro Tetsuya or TK (vocals, song writer, leader), KEIKO (female vocals), and Marc Panther (white dude who does the rapping). They've been around for about 10 years and their music is mostly dance, technoish, (at times) semi-rock sounding, and in recent times, trance. In their "LEVEL 4" album, YOSHIKI (formerly of X-Japan) joined, but that didn't change their signature sound.

"Here I Am" is a slower song than what they usually do. It's a pretty good aong, and KEIKO's voice is nice in it, although it can be an acquired taste to some. The rest of the sing are just snippets of songs from their upcoming album. Looking forward to that.

KinKi Kids - 10years
Lyrics
Official Site
From the single, Velvet no Yami

KinKi Kids have released singles 1997 and have been in the Guinness Book of World Records for the most #1 consecutive selling singles in Japan. The Kids are Doumoto Tsuyoshi and Doumoto Koichi, surprisingly they aren't related, despite having the same surname. They both act in many popular Japanese dramas such as "To Heart," "Ao no Jidai," "Summer Snow" (Tsuyoshi); "P.S. Genki desu, Shunpei," "Harmonia" (Koichi). Just in case anyone was curious, "Kinki" is a place where they grew up in Japan.

"10years" is only on the Limited edition of their "Velvet no Yami" single. It's a soothing ballad-type that starts off with a piano.

Kitade Nana - chouhatsu girl
Lyrics
Official Site
From the single, KISS or KISS

Kitade Nana is a rock artist who debuted in June 2004, and has released 6 singles since then, but no album in sight. She's best known for her song "Kesenai tsumi" from the anime Full Metal Alchemist.

"Chouhatsu girl" is a medium paced semi-rock song. Nothing too special about it, but it's pretty good.

Mr. Children - mirai
Lyrics
Official Site
From the single, Four Dimensions

Mr. Children has been in the biz for over 10 years. They're on the pop rock side and they have a steady amount of success.

Their new single "Four Dimensions" has 4 new songs on it. "Mirai" is a light pop song that's on the acoustic side.

Nao - flower feat RYOJI (of Ketsumeishi)
Lyrics
Official Site
From the single, flower

Nao is a pop artist, but her latest single features RYOJI from the hip hop group Ketsumeishi. I've enjoyed her singles and 1st album so far, so I'm looking forward to anything else she may release in the future.

"flower" is a pop song with a slight R&B sound, but it sounds tropical at the same time. This is different from the straight up pop songs that Nao usually does. RYOJI is part of the group Ketsumeishi and raps in this song.

Nobuchika Eri - Sketch for summer (live version), Voice
"Sketch for Summer" Lyrics
"Voice" Lyrics
Official Site
From the single, Sketch for summer

Eri is a relatively new singer who debuted in December 2004. With 3 singles under her belt, she has gained a decent amount of fans. Her music is on the pop side and her songs have been produced by Osawa Shinichi (MONDO GROSSO), who produced for artists like bird.

"Sketch for summer" is a ballad and it showcases Eri's lovely voice (heh, pun not intended). I'm also adding "Voice" because it's an interesting upbeat song that I really like.

YUKI - Dramatic
Lyrics
Official Site
From the single, Dramatic

YUKI is the ex-vocalist for the pop rock band Judy & Mary. After they disbanded, she released music as a solo artist & most of the songs were quite different than JAM's music. They tended to be on the more mellow, soft side, and also a bit weird at times.

"Dramatic" reminds me a lot of an aiko song that I can't place at the moment. It's an poppy upbeat song, and even though it's ok, it doesn't really grab me.

-------------------------------------------------------------------

ALBUM REVIEWS

AI - MIC-A-HOLIC A.I
Lyrics
Official Site
Click to buy album

Tracklist:
01. If
02. 365 feat. DELI
03. Another Day
04. Once In A Lifetime
05. Queen
06. Just Listen -interlude-
07. Party
08. Sha La La
09. Airport -interlude-
10. California
11. Summer Breeze
12. Passion
13. Sunshine
14. A Poem -interlude-
15. Story

AI is half Japanese, half Italian. She ??

"If" is one of the highlights of this album. It's a really great R&B track to open up this album. "365" was released as a single and kind of reminds me of the Suite Chic song "Uh Uh," only the former doesn't feature AI as the rapper, but the singer. DELI does the rapping. "Another Day" sounds like a religious song, which might turn some people off. Ordinarily I don't like those type of songs, but I do like this one because AI's voice is actually good and it's kind of a catchy song. "Once In A Lifetime" is one of the few songs in this album where AI actually raps. Too bad the song itself is pretty bland and kind of annoying. "QUEEN" was a coupling song, so it's nothing new--average R&B song with no personality except for the lyrics. Track 6 is an interlude. "Party" is another annoying song, mostly in the repetitive chorus. Other than that, it's a decent song. I like the lyrics for "Sha La La," the song is pretty low key, one of ballad types. One of the better songs on this album. Track 9 is another interlude "Airport" and it sounds like AI's rushing to her next flight, it goes into the song "California." That song annoys me during the repetitive chorus ("I'm gonna have a good time..."). If it weren't for that, I'd like this song just fine. "Summer Breeze" is just another version of "Summer Time" which was found on her Original AI album. I guess that title should be changed. "PASSION" is another single, it's more on the smooth Latin style. I like this song. "Sunshine" is a medium paced R&B song. It's another new song that I like, which surprises me because I don't tend to like a lot of AI's songs. "Story" is a ballad which was released as a single. It's an inspiring song in the music and lyrics.

Overall, I have to give this album an 8 out of 10.

Angelina - Muse
Lyrics
Official Site
Click to buy album

Tracklist:
01. My Life
02. 赤いメロディー (akai melody)
03. babybayboo (album version)
04. LYRICAL
05. my name
06. Ride
07. Know the lies
08. Poison Berries
09. Pathetic (album version)
10. Telephone booth
11. Never Before

Angelina is a Spanish-American (father) and Japanese (mother) artist who was born in Los Angeles, California, but moved to Okinawa and went to an American school. and has a really great voice. She went to college at Arizona State, studying humanities. She was introduced to ex-Megadeth guitarist Marty Freeman, who she hit it off with, and he helped her with her demo tape, which caught the attention of DJ KRUSH. This was the start of her musical career. Her songs are really eclectic so it's hard to categorize her music.

The album starts of with "My Life," which is a slow acoustic guitar song and it's entirely in English. "Akai Melody" starts off slow then kicks off into a rock number. One of my faves from this album. "babybayboo" was released as a single. It's more on the mellow acoustic side and it's a fun, cute song in contrast to the previous song. "LYRICAL" reminds me of a Fiona Apple song ("Never is a promise") in some of the lyrics. It's sort of a mellow electronic-sounding song. Angelina semi-raps in it; Mike Ladd, some unknown rapper (think that guy in Kuraki Mai's "Never gonna give you up"), helps out by doing a 2nd class rap act. "my name" is on the club music side. It's pretty upbeat compared to the previous songs and it's pretty addicting even though the lyrics sound repetitive. "Ride" is another mellow song, there's nothing too special about it, but I kind of like it. On another note, Monday Michiru co-wrote & produced it. "Know the lies" has a unique sound. Kind of reminds me of tribal music. "Poison Berries" is pretty cool, it sounds like there's an ukulele set to a backbeat. It's a mellow song with a semi-reggae beat. "Pathetic" is another acoustic ballad type. It's nice, but nothing too noteworthy. "Telephone Booth" has a telephone ringing in the background throughout the whole song. It's another song that starts off with a slow acoustic guitar, but picks up towards the chorus. Another great song with great lyrics all in English, including a telephone conversation in English, though it's not noted who the male speaker is. "Never Before" starts off with a piano clinking. It's a dramatic song and a good way to close the album.

Despite the lulls in a couple of the songs, I give this album a 9 out of 10.

Aya - Baghdad Sky

Aya - Baghdad Sky
Lyrics
Official Site
Click to buy album

Tracklist:
01. Blue Butterfly
02. NOBODY
03. 1999
04. 路上の影 (roujo no kage)
05. we.
06. ミス・ロックンロール (miss rock n' roll)
07. 雨に唄えば (ame ni utaeba)
08. Betty
09. DEAD END
10. バグダッド・スカイ (Baghdad sky)

Aya is a female rock artist, who write her own music and is often compared to Youjeen in terms of music and vocals. Her second album is highly recommended if you're into hard rock music.

Baghdad Sky starts off with "Blue Butterfly" is an all English song which seems mellow at first, but it picks up steam towards the middle of the song. "NOBODY" is the first of many hard rock sounding songs. The guitars and Aya's voice sound aggressive. I love the line, "I wonder why I never kiss your brain." Makes no sense at all, but it's so cool. =p "1999" kind of reminds me of 80's hair metal band Motley Crue's "Dr. Feelgood" in the intro (am I showing my age here?) and it's one of my faves. "Roujo no kage" is a song that I previously uploaded. It's more on the soft side and more melodic than her other songs. The next track "we." is even softer than "Roujo," but it still has a good sound to it. "Miss Rock n' Roll" is a semi-upbeat song. It's kind of a typical rock song and Aya's voice sounds punkish. "Ame ni utaeba" is another semi-punkish song, as is "Betty" (You bitch!). "DEAD END" is another agressive song, but something about it is a bit more melodic than the previous songs. "Baghdad Sky" closes this album and it's a rock ballad. Aya sings in a softer voice as well.

This album is definitely recommended if you're into female rockers, and none of that wimpy stuff either. It gets a 8 out of 10 from me.

Old reviews (June 2005)

Sun, 09 Jul 2006 09:26:53 GMT

2005.06.28 song update descriptions

Originally posted on: 26 June 2005 @ 09:17 am

Song Descriptions

Full of Harmony (F.O.H) - Through the GATE
Lyrics
Official Site
Click to buy single

Full of Harmony is an all male R&B group. The members are ARATA, HIRO (he has a duet with Double in "let's get together"), and YUTAKA. They have great harmonies and their songs are pretty good too. Their latest single "namida no kazu dake" is a slow song, but "Through the GATE" is a more R&B track which I preferred, so I added this song instead.

HIGH and MIGHTY COLOR - RUN RUN RUN
Lyrics
Official Site
Click to buy single

HMC is a 6 person band. The singer is a female (MA-KI-) and there's also a male rapper (Yuusuke). Their music is on the rock side with a smattering of rap, though the rapping is more of a background instrument. "RUN RUN RUN" is more on the poppier side compared to most of their songs. I like this one a lot.

Kouda Kumi - Your sunshine
Lyrics
Official Site
Click to buy single

Kumi started out in 2000, but she gained popularity from her duo with BoA ("Meaning of Peace") and her Final Fantasy X-2 songs "1000 no kotoba" and "Real Emotion." Kumi's on the sexier side, compared to a lot of Jpop artists. While her music is on the pop side, she also has many R&B songs.

On another note, before Kumi started out, she tried out for an audition to join Morning Musume. Surprisingly (hah!), she didn't get in. Her little sister is misono, the ex-vocalist of the group day after tomorrow.

"Your sunshine" is more on the mellow pop side with a slight R&B feel. It's the 2nd track on her latest single "Butterfly."

Lena Park - Sanctuary
Lyrics
Official Site
Click to buy single

Lena Park is a Korean artist who is trying to break into the Japanese market. "Sanctuary" is a slow song, much like her first Japanese single. While it is decent, I find nothing special about it. Towards the middle, it gets more on the emotional side.

little by little - hummingbird
Lyrics
Official Site
Click to buy single

little by little are hideco (vocals) and tetsuhiko (song writer). I have to warn some of you, if you don't like female singers who sound like cute little girls with irritating voices, I'd stay away from this. "hummingbird" is an upbeat pop song with a rock sound.

Love Psychedlico - Right now
Lyrics
Official Site
Click to buy single

Love Psychedelico consists of 2 members: Kumi (vocals) and Naoki (guitar). Their music is a little countryish, a little retro-sounding mellow rock. Kumi's voice is really twangy, reminds me a bit of Sheryl Crow. Her English is great and she has such a unique way of slurring her singing. "Right now" is on the electronic side and it does not disappoint.

Sowelu - Let's go faraway
Lyrics
Official Site
Click to buy single

Ah, Sowelu. Like most of her other songs, "Let's go faraway" isn't special, or noteable to me at all. It's just a pop song, that has a slight bubblegum R&B sound to it. Sowelu's voice may be smooth sometimes, but it has a touch of nasalness (is that even a word?), which turns me off.

------------------------

ALBUMS:

Def Tech - Def Tech (mini album)
Official Site
Lyrics
Click to buy album

Tracklist:

01. Pacific Island Music
02. High on Life
03. Future Child
04. My Way
05. Quality Of Life
06. Jah Live
07. Consolidation Song
08. Emergency
09. Guidance. Micro's House (instrumental)

Def Tech is a duo consisting of 2 male vocals--Micro, who was born & raised in Tokyo and Shen, who was born in China and raised in Hawaii, on the island of Oahu. Their music is Jawaiian style. Originally, "Jawaiian" is referred to Jamaican & Hawaii, but in this case, it's a fusion of Japanese & Hawaiian music.

Def Tech's music sounds like something that you'd hear on the radio here in Hawaii. Upbeat music with a reggae-ish style and ukulele & acoustic guitars. DT throws in raps & a backbeat to make it sound fresh. Both guys are skilled in English and Japanese. The name "Def Tech" was coined by Jesse (of RIZE), short for "def technique." "Def," of course, meaning "cool."

Micro listened to Bob Marley from the age of 2. He was also into surfing, and wanted to make music with the ocean on his mind. Shen was born in China and moved to Hawaii. Because of his father's job, he spent summer vacations in Japan and wanted to make music there. At the age of 21, he moved to Japan.

Their self-titled album is one of the interesting things I've heard in the Jpop scene recently. Of course, being from Hawaii, the type of music isn't that different from what I'm used to, but the rapping is a new twist to it. The stand out tracks are "Pacific Island Music," which is a catchy upbeat rap song with ukulele playing, a great way to open up this album! "High on Life" is a more laid-back song, which is about their love of surfing. "My Way" is another laid-back song, but it doesn't have too much of the island sound to it. Towards the end of the CD, the songs start to lag a bit, but what album doesn't?

Overall, this mini album is great, and the price is reasonable too. This album gets a ranking of a 8 out of 10.

L'arc~en~ciel - AWAKE
Official Site
Lyrics
Click to buy album

Tracklist:

01. New World
02. LOST HEAVEN
03. 叙情詩 (jojoushi)
04. TRUST
05. Killing Me
06. AS ONE
07. My Dear
08. EXISTENCE
09. 自由への招待 (jiyuu e no shoutai)
10. Ophelia
11. 星空 (hoshizora)
12. twinkle, twinkle

L'arc~en~Ciel has been around for over 10 years. I'm not that much of a L'arc fan, but I'd have to say that their latest album, is pretty good; it makes up for their last album "SMILE." It seems like half of it is upbeat songs, and the other half is full of occasional medium-paced songs and ballads, which might upset their longtime fans.

It opens up with "NEW WORLD," which is an upbeat song to wake the listener up. "LOST HEAVEN" is laid-back song, probably my favorite on the album, "Killing Me" is a great fast song that'll make you wanna speed up if you're listening to it in your car, the intro of "AS ONE" sounds like a little death metal-sounding, but as soon as Hyde sings, you know that's not the case. "My Dear" is a prettier song, but it's a little on the boring side. Back to the upbeat with "EXISTENCE" and "jiyuu e no shoutai." "Ophelia" starts with a piano solo and a horn. The song is on the jazzier side, which is a nice surprise. "Hoshizora" is a power ballad, dramatic song with strings, great for an ending, and finally "twinkle twinkle" ends the album with a catchy pop rock tune.

This album was pretty good, so I'll give it an 8 out of 10.

Okuda Miwako - Futari
Official Site
Lyrics
Click to buy album

Tracklist:

01. 青空の果て (aozora no hate)
02. 無言 (mugon)
03. 雨の音 (ame no oto)
04. 雨と夢のあとに (ame to yume no ato ni)
05. 日曜日の朝 (Nichiyoubi no asa)
06. 夢 (yume)
07. 哀しみに溺れて (kanashimi ni oborete)
08. はばたいて鳥は消える (habataite tori wa kieru)
09. 絶望の果て (zetsubou no hate)
10. さくら散る前に (sakura chiru mae ni)
11. ブランコに揺れて (BURANKO ni yurete)
12. 歌う理由 (utau riyuu)
13. ふたり　2002.11.4.LaValse (futari)

I was looking forward to Miwako's debut album ever since her first single, mostly because of the dark lyrics that she sings. Songs about suicide, unstable feelings, being crazy for a person, and all that fun stuff. Quite a difference from most Jpop artists. With this album, Miwako's lyric writer Yuu Miri (Yanagi Miri?), who is an author, doesn't disappoint.

Miwako's songs are on the folky pop rock side. Her voice is mostly on the sweet side, but it gets powerful on the more emotional songs.

Noteworthy songs are "aozora no hate" (her first single). The song is powerful and the lyrics just push it over the edge. "Kanashimi ni oborete" is a darker song, which is fitting with the lyrics, "zetsubou no hate" is the continuation of "aozora no hate," with the same music, though it's more a piano version of the original. "Sakura chiru mae ni" starts off slow, but it picks up a little during the chorus parts. "Futari," I absolutely love. Though the song isn't that noteworthy (it's on the quiet side; I think there's a harp playing), I was drawn to the lyrics. It's about a friend who commited suicide & the girl who is singing is remembering the past and asks why her friend did it.

This CD gets a 9 out of 10 from me.

Comments on this entry

naive_nostalgia
2005-06-26 11:02 pm

I absolutely love Okuda Miwako's music. My favorite song on that album so far is "Yume", although I haven't heard the whole album yet . . . but I've heard enough to know that it's fantastic and your review has helped me decide to buy it.

corichan_com
2005-06-28 09:25 am
Wow, I didn't expect anyone to respond this entry (or journal for that matter) so quickly since I didn't quite finish it. Good to see another Miwako fan out there though. ^^

Old reviews May 2005

Sat, 08 Jul 2006 12:56:08 GMT

I will add 1-3 entries per day to get all my reviews up again. I'm sorry for the inconvenience and for all the stupid spam. >_<

Originally posted on: 27 May 2005 @ 11:39 am

Dreams Come True - Million Kisses album review

Million Kisses album review
released on 1991.11.15
Buy JP version
Click here for album lyrics

01. STELLA OF DREAMS COME TRUE~Opening Theme~
02. 彼は友達(What a trouble version) (kare wa tomodachi)
03. Goodbye, Darlin'
04. 愛しのパピィデイス (itoshi no happy days)
05. この恋はハードボイルド (kono koi wa hard boiled)
06. 薬指の決心 (kusuriyubi no kesshin)
07. あなたにサラダ (anata ni salad)
08. 未来予想図 (mirai yosouzu)
09. 忘れないで (wasurenaide)
10. 4月の雨 (4gatsu no ame)
11. Eyes to me (version 2)
12. 銀河への船 (ginga e no fune)

Listening to this CD, I've realized that Dorikamu has really changed their style of music a lot in their more recent albums. Million Kisses is more of a party album than any of the other albums that I've heard from them. This album is heavily influenced by American music from the '80s. They have lots of happy pop songs and even a heavy metal one (if you can call it that). So, if you're feeling nostalgic for '80s music, you should definitely pick this CD up.

1. STELLA OF DREAMS COME TRUE~Opening Theme~-- just an intro.

2. Kare wa Tomodachi--(He's a friend). A cute '80s type of dance song.

3. Goodbye, Darlin'--a medium-paced song. Still reminds me of the '80s. Pretty good.

4. Itoshi no HAPI DEIZU--(Beloved happy days). Another cute '80s song. Reminds me of their song "Fuyu Sanmai ni wa Mada Tooi" from their Magic and 7th of July Sunny Day albums.

5. Kono Koi wa HAADO BOIRUDO--(This love is hard boiled). Their "heavy metal" song. It's strange hearing this type of music from them. I don't know if I like this.

6. Kusuriyubi no Kesshin--(Ring finger Determination) Kinda disco-ish. Another good one

7. Anata ni SARADA--(A salad for you). One of the cutest (I have to stop using that word) dorikamu songs. It's a playful, beatnik type of song and Miwa's voice sounds like a little girl. A song about salad? Strange, but I like this a lot (except for the people at the end).

8. Mirai Yosouzu--(Future expectation map). a slow average song.

9. Wasurenaide--(Don't forget). Another '80s song. Kinda darker than the others, though. Sounds kinda reggae-ish. Miwa's voice kinda drags.

10. Shigatsu no Ame--(April Rain). A soft, soothing song. Sounds like island music. Nice to relax to when it's raining.

11. Eyes to me--Released as a single. This song is the main reason why I got this album. It reminds me of a particular cute (not again) Latin-type song in the '80s. I was kinda annoyed cause towards the ending there's a lot of people talking and singing. It ruined the song for me. I hate when they do this with the album versions of the singles..."Romance", "Haretara Ii ne", "Anata ni Salad" (although this is not a single), etc. For this reason, I think I should get their singles collection.

12. Ginga e no Fune--(The boat going to the milkyway). Kind of weird because it has many different melodies, but it works. Also on their 7th of July Sunny day album.

Rating 9.5 out of 10!!!
Review by: Cori
Review date: before 2000

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Original posted on: 27 May 2005 @ 11:53 am

Dreams Come True - Love Unlimited album review

Love Unlimited album review
released on 1996.04.01

Click for album lyrics

01. Love Unlimited
02. Sweet Revenge
03. 誓い (chikai)
04. ロマンス(∞version) (Romance)
05. 嵐が来る album version (arashi ga kuru)
06. 思い出は胸に秘めたまま (omoide wa mune ni himeta mama)
07. モンキーガール豪華客船の旅 (Monkey Girl gouka kyakusen no tabi)
08. 家へ帰ろ (ie e kaero)
09. 7月7日,晴れ (7gatsu 7ka, hare)
10. どうやって忘れよう? (douyatte wasureyou?)
11. Love Love Love
12. しあわせなからだ (shiawase na karada)
※〈CDエクストラ〉

Review to be added soon...

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Original posted on: 27 May 2005 @ 12:15 pm

Hysteric Blue - Baby Blue album review

Baby Blue album review
Released on 1999.04.01
Click to buy OS version
Click for album lyrics

01. P・O・T’99
02. Little Trip
03. 春~spring (haru ~spring)
04. Candy
05. ポカポカ (POKAPOKA)
06. 白い祈り (shiroi inori)
07. Super Wing
08. RUSH!
09. 彼女のLove Story (kanojo no Love Story)
10. メモリー (memory)

Yes, this is nothing new to Hysteric Blue fans, but they really resemble Judy and Mary. Similar type of music, Tama's voice is cute and high like Yuki's, the lyrics kinda remind me of some JAM songs, etc. I'm not saying that they're clones of JAM, they've got some differences:
3 members to JAM's 4, Tama doesn't dress as cute & funky as Yukichan,
in one of their more recent singles ("Naze," to be exact) Tama's voice
doesn't really have that cutesy voice, it just sounds plain beautiful.
Another difference is that their debut album is a lot more impressive
than JAM's debut album JAM, which was mostly punk-based music. (Don't
get me wrong, I love that album.) Hysteric Blue's debut album consists of some punk, some pop, some rock & roll, a funky reggae-ish song (only during the verses), and a beautiful ballad. Much more diverse than JAM's first album, so I think that Hysteric Blue has the staying power and I hope that they continue to make good music together unlike JAM, who have disbanded in 1998.

1. Power of Teens--A short, cute, & quirky reggae-ish of song.

2. Little Trip--3rd single. They totally reminded me of JAM in
this song & that's the main reason why I got this album. It's
an upbeat, feel-good kind of song.

3. Haru~Spring~--2nd single. The intro is fast, but when it gets
to the verses, the song slows down. Another great one.

4. Candy--A fun, but average song.

5. POKAPOKA--(Warm) The chorus is upbeat & Tama's voice gets high.
The verses are a bit mellow. Pretty good.

6. Shiroi Inori--(White Prayer) Punkish/rock & roll song. Very
fast. Lotsa bass. Eh.

7. Super Wing--A medium paced song. One of my faves from this
album. Tama's voice is a little too high so she sounds young &
innocent. A great driving song.

8. RUSH!--1st single (thanks for letting me know, Apple! :) )Starts
off kinda rushed (ha!) but during the verses, it sounds
semi-reggae-ish. As usual, the chorus picks up speed. Another
crazy & fun song.

9. Kanojo no Love Story--(Her love story) Medium paced song.
Another one of my faves.

10. MEMORII--(Memory) A slow one. Sounds like any other rock ballad,
but I really like this a lot.

Rating 8.5 out of 10!!!
Review by Cori
Review date: before 2000

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Originally posted on: 27 May 2005 @ 12:28 pm

Le Couple - Chiisana Negai album review

Le Couple - Chiisana Negai album review
released on 1998.07.01
Click for album lyrics

01. 逢えてよかった (aete yokatta)
02. もしもあなたと暮らせたら (moshimo anata to kurasetara)
03. After the rain~月曜も会いたい (After the rain ~Getsuyou mo aitai)
04. 最終回 (saishuukai)
05. 汽車に乗って (kisha ni notte)
06. 六月の雨音 (Rokugatsu no amaoto)
07. 縁は異なもの (en wa i na mono)
08. それだけで… (sore dake de...)
09. それを恋と呼ばないのは (sore wa koi to yobanai no wa)
10. Tokyo love story

When I first heard this cd, it bored me. The song "Moshimo Anata to
Kurasetara" sounds like a ripoff of Disney's "Beauty and the Beast" song. It's pretty nice, but some of the songs almost like it. Well, "Saishuukai" has the same type of music and "Sore Dake de" has the same vocal melody, but they pretty much sound alike to me. And "Rokugatsu no Amaoto" sounds more like "The Colors of the Wind" from Pocahontas. The remaining half (with some exceptions) just pretty much put me to sleep. I am quite disappointed in Le Couple's unoriginality and lack of inspiration. The only good songs are "Aete Yokatta" (released as a single--surprise, surprise), "Moshimo..." (another single), and "Kisha ni Notte".

I really wanted to buy another Le Couple cd because I really liked their On the Sofa cd, but when I came across their Chiisana Negai
efforts, I am now very reluctant to purchase anymore of their work. I
probably won't sell it, though. I think it's one of those cds that have to be listened to over and over (and over) again to be fully appreciated.

Le Couple fans, unless you know and like the songs (some of them come from dramas), do not be tricked into buying this cd. It was not worth the $28 I bought it for. Do yourself a favor and get their cd On the Sofa... or better yet: go buy a Disney soundtrack. :)

1. Aete Yokatta (I'm glad we could meet)--a nice, sweet slow song with a beautiful melody.

2. Moshimo Anata to Kurasetara (if I were living with you) --like I said, it sounds like the "Beauty &
the Beast" theme. I like it though.

3. After the Rain~Getsuyou mo Aitai~ (After the Rain ~I want to see you on Monday too)--

4. Saishuukai (last time) --

5. Kisha ni Notte (ride the train) --an upbeat song compared to the others. Whenever Le Couple
creates an upbeat song, you can be sure that it's gonna be good.
However, it sounds kind of familiar. Hmmmm....

6. Rokugatsu no Amaoto (the sound of rain in June)--

7. En wa I na Mono (destiny is a strange thing) --

8. Sore Dake de... (only that...) --

9. Sore wo Koi to Yobanai no wa (not calling it love) --

10. Tokyo Love Story--It's not a bad song. It just makes me wanna go to
sleep, that's all.

Rating: 3 out of 10
Review by Cori
Review date: before 2000

---------

Originally posted on: 27 May 2005 @ 12:45 pm

Tina - Colorado album review

Tina - Colorado album review
released on 2001.11.02
Buy Japan version
Click for album lyrics

01. I’ll be there(album ver.)
02. I can’t take it
03. As a Singer~PRELUDE op.28-4
04. Magic (album ver.)
05. flower
06. Feeling out!
07. Stay for me~忘れてあげない (Stay for me ~wasurete agenai)
08. Still
09. L’Adieu
10. Spend The Time

I got this CD the same time as I got Misia's "Love is the message" & I listened to it right after Misia's. I was disappointed. Tina's voice was low & moody & so was the music. It kinda depressed me because Misia's album, although R&B as well, seemed so cheerful & upbeat, so I was in that kind of mood.

Well, a few listens later, the songs really grew on me! I that this is probably the best J-R&B/soul album I've heard! What was once a depressing voice to me, is now Lauryn Hill-esque. The music that seemed so moody is now souful music with a bit of funk added to it.

* Not surprisingly, Nishihara Akira, who arranged some of Utada Hikaru's songs (Automatic, Amai Wana, B&C, Another Chance & Give me a reason), arranged all the songs except track 10 on Tina's CD!!!

* BTW, click on the below to hear the sound samples.

1. I'll Be There (album version)--(a single) The
album version has about 50 secs of traffic sounds in the beginning.
A great medium-paced song.

2. I Can't Take It--A funk song. Didn't like it at first,
but it grew on me.

3. As A Singer--Whoa. This song scares me. Tina's voice
sounds slightly vampiric when she sings the beginning of each verse.
The music is also eerie.

4. Magic (album version)--(a single) I don't know how the
single version sounds like, so I can't make a comparison. This song is
upbeat & a great dance song!

5. flower--A laidback jazz-type song. Another great one!!!

6. Feel Out!--A moody techno song. A a bit too aggressive
for my taste.

7. Stay for me ~wasurete agenai (Stay for me ~I won't let you forget)--The music kinda reminds me
of Utada Hikaru's "Never Let Go." However, Tina's voice sounds excellent
in this song, while Utada's vocals in "Never Let go" sound weak, so I
like this song way better!

8. Still--A dark medium-paced song. Pretty good!

9. L'Adieu--The first time I heard this song, I was cringing
at the lyrics (I typed them exactly they appeared in the book) & her
pronounciation, but now I consider it one of my all-time favorites.
The tune is from Etude, No.1, Op.10 by the famous composer Chopin.
If you were/are in school band, you'll probably know this song (hey,
Les did). Tina absolutely sounds like Lauryn Hill in this one;
beautiful vocals!!!

10. Spend the Time--A cool, laidback reggae-ish song. Another
fave!

Rating 9 out of 10!!!
(I'd give Misia's Love is the message an 8, BTW.)
Review by Cori
Review date: 2001

Changing this LJ to a community

Sat, 08 Jul 2006 12:22:01 GMT

Just to let you guys know, I'm going to make this journal into a community so I don't have to switch between usernames all the time. I'll probably update more if I do this because I tend to get too lazy to switch between usernames and therefore, this journal doesn't get updated too much. Sorry! :/

Also, being that I am anal about these things, I saved everything (including comments), so none of the entries will change at all. ^__^ Everything will be backdated as if nothing ever happened to it.

Edit: I found out that I can't backdate in a non-personal journal, so I'm kind of screwed. Any ideas on what I should do or should I just add all my entries and kill everyone's friends page? :/

Please note that I WILL NOT upload songs that were featured on the older entries. I only want to focus on newer stuff.