W - Robo Kiss

After Morning Musume, I'm almost positive that W is my next all time favorite H!P group. There was something really special about the music of this group and I wish that UFP would release any unreleased stuff they recorded. I realize that's probably impossible, but it would be so cool.

The title track of the single is Robo Kiss. This was the very first song I ever heard from W. At the time, I was using the H!P wiki to listen my way through the history of H!P by using the list of H!P concerts. I know that doesn't seem right because this wasn't W's first single and they probably had done songs in H!P concerts before this, but I got bored by like 2003 and started only looking up songs that sounded interesting to me. Robo Kiss sounded interesting so I looked it up. I really wasn't expecting what I got. At the time, the video seemed so stereotypical to me because it was so weird and there were girls singing in high pitched voices. Needless to say, I passed on it and didn't really start listening to W until I heard their cover of Samishii Nettaigyo. Today, I really love the song. Sure their vocals can be a little annoying like this, but the song is so catchy. The video is also pretty hilarious. I like this type of random over stuff like Kyary Pamyu Pamyu. Also check out mini Berryz lol. They're all so tiny! I've also never understood why they tried to do the twin thing with Nozomi & Ai. When they were younger, yeah I guess they kinda looked alike, but by the type they were W they look so different that it seems like a silly concept. 5/5.

The B-side to the single is Sexy Snow. Not sure what's so sexy about snow, but ok. This song is really a 180 from Robo Kiss. Where Robo Kiss is the upbeat poppy cute track, this is the sexy cool track (well, for W that is). It really reminds me of another H!P song, but I can't put my finger on it right now. 4/5.

This single isn't my personal favorite from W. I'd be more likely to recommend Ai no Imi wo Oshiete over this, but it's a solid single and a great stable of their discography. 4.5/5.

Delight - Mega Yak

What ever happened to this group? From what I know they haven't released anything in like a year. I wasn't a fan of them really, but it's always kind of sad when groups don't come back for a while. This CD is another that I bought just because it was on sale. I had kind of liked the title track, but not enough to actually buy the CD. When I actually got the CD, I was surprised at how much I did like the song.

The first track of the EP is an intro. Nothing to see here.

The second track is Delight Time. Really this track just feels like a second intro. I think it's supposed to be that way too because the song's only 2:56. And it was used in the beginning of their first music video as an opener. I don't like it when groups make intros disguised as real songs. Or on the reverse, real songs shortened into intros. Sistar's intro to Push Push comes to mind. This "song" isn't helped by the fact that it's kind of noisy. As in it sounds like the girls are just yelling into the mics at points. The whole mini album is like that too....not sure if it was intentional or not. 2.5/5.

The third track is Paradise. For all the annoyance that this tracklist is (two intros, one second version of a song, one instrumental, and only two original tracks), the original songs are actually really great. Sure they're a little shouty in places, but their vocals are stellar otherwise. Their style is a lot like 2NE1's on this mini album. This is the style of music that I'm missing in K-pop now. I want more groups that do this style. 5/5.

The fourth track is the version of Mega Yak featuring Block B's P.O. Unnecessary version to be honest.

The fifth track is the original version of Mega Yak. When I first heard this song, I was impressed with the one girl's vocals, but I couldn't understand why they ruined it with all the screaming. Then I listened to it again, still didn't understand. After a couple listens out of my curiosity, the girl with the stellar vocals won me over and I fell in love with the song. I don't even know if the girl is still a part of the group. The video's nothing more than your typical (well...before mid 2013) K-pop video. Colorful, expensive cars, random places to dance in. Anybody know if green haired girl is still in the group? Cause if she's not I really want to know where she ended up. She's pretty awesome. 5/5

The final track is the instrumental version of Mega Yak.

This CD isn't much of an EP. It's really only two songs & a bunch of random unnecessary tracks. All of the fluff added to pad the tracklist really drags down the release as a whole. The two songs are both fantastic and deserve 5/5, the release as a whole is average at best. Just too much unnecessary stuff that could have been real songs.

Song Recommendations (June 25, 2015 Edition)

I've been too busy this past week to write anything up, so I figured that I would do another recommendation post since they are quick & easy.

Angerme - Nana Korobi Ya Oki

I never believed that they'd be able to surpass Chikyuu for me, but this is coming really close. Angerme has just been the star of H!P for 2015.

Infinite - Dilemma

Dear K-pop companies, you can have your artists release stuff like this in Japan but not Korea? This is quality right here.

So Yumi - Shake Me Up

I find it funny how the Kpop/trot songs are the ones I'm liking from Kpop this year. More of this style please and less of whatever Kpop thinks it's trying to do.

Colette Carr - Static

I love her music so much. This is stylistically different than the Skitzo album, but I really love this. So happy to finally have new music from her. It's also free on iTunes this week! Pick it up for the low price of free if you enjoy! (And check out her other stuff too :))

Enjoy!

SDN48 - Makeoshimi Congratulation

I still wish that they would revive SDN in some fashion. There's so many girls in 48G that would work well with this concept. Not to mention as a whole they had the best music. They did end too early.

The title track is Makeoshimi Congratulation. This is their most idol pop single, but it makes sense that it is that way. This was their final single released before their disbandment. Even though it's not the SDN style, it works for a "graduation" single. It sounds like a mix of a couple AKB singles. The music video's too long, but I suppose it shouldn't be any other way for a final single. 3.5/5.

Makeoshimi Congratulation MV

The first B-side is Kuri Kuri, found on all versions of the single. This song is much more SDN style. These kind of songs are why I wish they would revive SDN. 48G as a whole is missing these type of songs recently and it would be nice to have a group doing this kind of music. The more dance pop stuff with a slight Latin tinge. The video's okay. Nothing you haven't seen in 48G before. 5/5.

Kuri Kuri MV

The next B-side is Ue Kara Natsuko a cover of AKB's Ue Kara Mariko found on the Type A & theater versions of the single. Ue Kara Mariko is one of my least favorite AKB singles and SDN doing it doesn't make it any more interesting of a song. The vocals sound slightly better than the original though. I'm unfamiliar with the AKB MV so I'm not sure if the MV is completely original or not. The outfits totally don't fit the sound of the song.

Ue Kara Natsuko MV

The final B-side is Owaranai Encore found on the Type A & theater versions of the single. I guess this song is their "graduation song". It's not my type of song, but I like the feel of the song. It's not sad, but instead has a hopeful "looking into the future" feel to it. It's certainly pretty good for a 48G ballad. The music video highlights both the sad part of their disbandment and the hopeful feel of the song. The hopeful shots are gorgeous. 4/5.

Owaranai Encore MV

This is such a mixed bad single for their final single. It's probably my least favorite single that they released. They should have gone out with a bang and released some crazy club bangers or jazzy sultry songs. 4/5.

Candy Kiss - Tinker Bell ga Yattekita

So this is the release that made me curious about this group. They seem to have changed so much since this release. There's only three girls left.

The lead song for this single is Tinker Bell ga Yattekita. Like I said for their first release, I don't think their music is particularly the greatest, but they're so adorable. Of all of their songs so far, this is probably my favorite. The music itself sounds well produced & put together, but just like with their first single, the autotune is WAY overdone. Worse than what T-Pain did. I'm not certain why low budget indie groups tend to overdo the autotune because I've noticed it's also a feature in super unknown Kpop groups too. Is it more expensive to NOT use it? I'm genuinely curious. Beyond the autotune, it's a pretty standard idol pop song but it's kinda catchy. The music video is obviously low budget, but it's so cute. The girls look like they're having so much fun. 4/5.

The B-side of the single is Mou Ichido. If you thought that the autotune was unnecessary on the title track, it's even more unnecessary here. No ballad needs this. I don't think that the producers were going for a Perfume-esque sound. If they were they totally missed the mark. I find it very interesting that this has a music video. If a super unknown group can do a B-side video (even if it is mainly concert footage & practice), H!P you can stop the triple A-side crap & just give B-sides videos. Gosh. 3/5.

In all honesty, I don't think this single's that great. I personally think it's cute which is why I like it, but if you're looking for something like 48G or H!P this is not it. I do say that it's worth checking out, especially if you're looking into indie idols. Maybe you won't like it, but there always is the possibility that you will. 3.5/5.

Misaki Iwasa - Hatsuzake

I really love how Misaki went a totally different route than other 48G soloists. Admittedly, I don't know a whole lot about the enka industry in Japan, but to me, it doesn't seem like idols ever do anything in that field of music. Of course I could be totally wrong, but if I'm not, I think it's really cool that Misaki wanted to tackle that genre as it seems to be a difficult one.

The title track of this release is Hatsuzake. From what I understand about Enka, it's Japanese traditional popular music. So I'm guessing that for the average J-pop fan, it's not something they pick up on a regular basis. I know I don't. I can't really point anything out about the song because I'm very unfamiliar with the genre, but her voice is so gorgeous. It works so beautifully with the music. I don't understand why Enka singers do that....voice thing though. I don't exactly know how to explain it, and I've looked it up before, but I've never gotten a clear answer. It's so unique to me. The music video is as gorgeous as the song. Such beautiful scenery shots. 5/5.

Hatsuzake MV

The first B-side is a cover of AKB's Hakimono to Kasa no Monogatari from the Green Flash single. From my earlier review, I mentioned that I thought the song was extremely boring even though the music video was beautiful. I don't get that same feeling of sheer boredom from her version. I guess it's because she doesn't sound like she's just reading lyrics off a page and put some emotion into it.

Hakimono to Kasa no Monogatari (Karaoke)

The next B-side is a cover of Signal's song 20 Sai no Meguri Ai. Unfortunately, I haven't been able to find the full version of this song to listen to, but I have heard the full version of the original song. It's such a nice, laid back song. I almost wish that I had bought the limited for it, but I ended up being cheap.

Original Song (if anyone's interested)

The final B-side of the single is her version of Let It Go. At this point, I don't care who it's by, I don't want to hear this song again. Just stop. Please. I beg you. What I do like about Misaki's version is that it's completely different from any of the versions I've heard before. The enka style works better than I thought it would. Still don't want to hear it though.

I do wish that Misaki would have more original songs. I don't know if covers are very prevalent in Enka, but my personal preference is to listen to songs by the original artist (which is why I don't give ratings to cover songs). Maybe if 48G would start using different songwriters like H!P is to allow for more original solo songs. 4/5.

ZE:A - Phoenix

This was a CD I bought for the sole reason that it was like $2 on YesAsia during a summer sale. I don't think I've picked it up since I got it so it'll be interesting to see if I actually liked the songs or not. I truly don't remember.

The first track is Phoenix. Listening to the song again I realize why I don't remember anything about this CD. It's not a bad song at all, it's just not memorable. It sounds like most other K-pop boy group tracks from the same time period and since I never cared that much about ZE:A, other groups took the precedent for me. If you love the typical K-pop boy group songs though, this certainly should be on your radar. 4/5.

The second song is Variety Of Ways. Hm. Unsure why I never latched onto this song. This is GOOD. Should have been the title track over Phoenix. Honestly I'd put this up with some of the better K-pop boy group songs. It reminds A LOT of Ace Of Base's Black Sea which is a really great song too. No wonder I love this. 5/5.

The final song on the single is a remix of their lead single from the album Spectacular. Not a big fan of remixes in general.

Really the definition of a mixed bag release. An ok title track, an amazing B-side, and a random remix of an older song. 4/5.

Juice=Juice - Wonderful World/Ça va Ça va?

I'm really excited for J=J's first album to come out. It's way overdue. It also makes me wonder if we'll be getting another single from Juice this year or not. I'd say yes, but there's this lingering thought in the back of my mind that something is going to change about the group in the last half of this year. Now whether that will be a graduation or new members (the most likely scenario), I don't know.

The first A-side is Wonderful World. It makes me so sad that this was JJ's first song for the new year. This is practically generic idol pop 101. It has the potential to be great with the circus/carousel feel in the song, but instead it just goes down the typical idol route. If it didn't have the beat it does I'd think it was a normal song on a 48G release. It's the biggest step backwards of all of the groups since Tsunku hasn't been working on them. In fact, besides C-ute's Gamusha Life, this is the only other song that I wish would just go away. All of the other non-Tsunku songs are actually pretty good because they tend to stick to the H!P style. The music video really isn't much better in helping them stand out. Is it just me or do they all look WAY too happy? Like it's bordering on creepy smile territory. The outfits are beautiful though. Really the only highlight of this song. 3/5.

The second A-side is Ça va Ça va?. Even though they were derailed with Wonderful World, this song helps to make the release not so disappointing. I absolutely love how they when with a French theme for the single. I actually think it would be pretty cool (and would help JJ make a neat identity for themselves) if they became like an "international" group. Not as in trying to become popular, but with each single they should mix Jpop and the musical style of another country like they did here. I don't think I know of any group that does that & it would be just awesome. The song itself is so catchy and it really sets itself apart from the snoozefest that is Wonderful World. What I like about the video is that they're starting to get more creative with props. By actually having scenery. Even if it's just dance shot + closeups, the set looks beautifully styled. 5/5.

It's unfortunate that Wonderful World exists because if it didn't this would be one of JJ's best singles. I hope that the new songs on their album aren't like it or I'll be very disappointed. 3.5/5.

Ellie Goulding - Halcyon

This post will be really long. There's so many dang tracks across all versions of this album lol (Yes, this also includes the Halcyon Days tracks). I'm pretty indifferent to Ellie as I don't follow her music closely, but from what I have of her music it's pretty great.

The disc 1 and disc 2 sections reflects the tracklist of the US Halcyon Days deluxe release.

Disc 1

Track #1, Don't Say A Word: I like Ellie's sound. It's a very ethereal electropop thing. But sometimes it works better than other times. The overall sound of the song is really massive and a pleasure to listen to; however, it is so repetitive it's hard to get into. 3.5/5.

Track #2, My Blood: I originally ignored this song when I first got the CD in favor of other tracks like Figure 8 & Flashlight. When I came back to it after I got sick of other songs, I really fell in love with it. Her music really is gorgeous. I know she can't really sing, but her light voice really fits beautifully with this music style. The lyrics are stellar as well. 5/5.

Track #3, Anything Could Happen: I still think that this was a poor choice for a single. To me, it's one of the weakest tracks on the original album. Sure, it's one of the more radio friendly tracks, but it's not like it smashed as a single outside of a couple of countries. It also helped to set the stage for the lackluster reception of the other singles from the original album that wouldn't change until Burn was released. As a song, it's so annoyingly repetitive. There's nothing wrong with songs that are repetitive as they can be catchy, but Ellie's musical style & her vocals don't make for a good mix for extreme repetition. 3.5/5.

Track #4, Only You: Again, the music is so stunning. I'm not a huge fan of instrumentals, but I'd love to listen to a full instrumental album of Halcyon. It's such a sassy sounding song to. Even though it's a little repetitive, the tone of the song saves it from falling into Anything Could Happen territory. 4/5.

Track #5, Halcyon: I so love the word Halcyon. It's just too bad that my interest in the word doesn't mirror my interest in the song. It's kind of bland for me. Not even the pick up during the chorus helps. I think my main dislike of the song is how her voice is front and center in the verses as opposed to the music in other songs. She doesn't have the most pleasant sounding voice on the planet and without the music fully surrounding it, it's hard to listen to. 3/5.

Track #6, Figure 8: This is among my favorite songs of all time. Everything about this song is utterly fantastic. One credit I will give to Ellie's voice is how expressive it is. You feel every emotion her song's are trying to portray. She might not have the best voice, but it's very strong in that category. 5/5.

Track #7, Joy: This is such a polarizing song for me. I adore the chorus. It's so perfect and the pick up after the second one is awesome. The verses though...they're so slow and forgettable, which is sort of sad because you can feel the fragility in her voice in the verses. 4/5.

Track #8, Hanging On: I like to pretend that the version with the rapper doesn't exist. Which is why I'm glad that both versions are on the album so I don't have to listen to that one. Looking at the list of producers for her album, I notice that I've never heard of any of them. I bring that fact up because I'm wondering if anything else they've done is good like this album. Hanging On is one of the top tracks from the original album. The music itself is really the highlight of the song, and the entire album at that. 5/5.

Track #9, Explosions: I can't find anything special in this song to point out. It's very bland to me and even the music doesn't help to wake up the song. You'd think a song with the title of Explosions would have some crazy music going on. 3/5.

Track #10, I Know You Care: When I said about the album as a whole being pretty great, I forgot about this run of about 4 songs that are very lackluster compared to the rest of the album. Songs with hardly anything but a piano in the back do not work well for Ellie. Her breathing is really distracting in slower/less involved songs. 3/5.

Track #11, Atlantis: This is my second favorite Disney movie of all time! Shame it flopped haha. I can't think of anything but that movie when I see the word. The music of this song is really great, but the way she's singing makes it so difficult to understand what the lyrics are saying. At points it sounds like her voice is about to give out too. 3.5/5.

Track #12, Dead In The Water: This is probably the single least eventful song on the entire album. By the time it picks up slightly, it's too late to get your attention back. Especially because the pick up isn't explosive and just feels like an adlibbed version of the rest of it. 3/5.

Track #13, I Need Your Love: Technically a Calvin Harris featuring Ellie song, but whatever. It's definitely good that this is a bonus track because sonically it's so different from the rest of the album. I guess you could call Ellie's music more synthpop while this is pure EDM. Not that that's a bad thing of course. This type of music is my favorite so I really love this song. Or at least I did. I'm extremely sick of it now and I'd rather no listen to it in full again lol. 4/5.

Track #14, Ritual: Even though this song is really repetitive in the chorus, it's still a great song. The sound of the song with her voice reminds me a lot of something Little Mix might do if their style trended closer to synthpop. Probably the highlight of the original bonus tracks. 4.5/5.

Track #15, In My City: This song actually fits better with the style of music that she has for Halcyon Days instead of the original album. Which would explain why it is a bonus track. The original album is much more synthpop and the repackage is more EDM/radio friendly synthpop. This song skirts the line between the two. 3.5/5.

Track #16, Without Your Love: The music of this song is really blindsiding. It still has the synthpop of the rest of the album, but the African sounding drums are completely different than the rest of the songs. Personally, I don't like the mix of the drums with Ellie's style. If she would have one or the other it wouldn't sound so pieced together. 3/5.

Track #17, Hanging On (ft. Tinie Tempah): This just shouldn't exist. Blah.

Track #18, Lights: Yeah this was on her first album but I have the America version of the deluxe Halcyon Days so it's included. I won't review it though because of it's odd placement on the tracklist.

Disc 2

Track #1, Burn: The song that really seemed to put her career back on the map everywhere. It's certainly the most radio pop of the singles that she had put out by that point. I think it was a smart move on her label's part. Personally, even though I really enjoy the original Halcyon album because the music is very pretty, I would rather listen to an album of Burns on repeat because it's the type of music that I enjoy most. The original album is a wonderful listen, but it's not something that I would listen to over and over. It's more of a once in a while type of album. It's nice that her voice still works with more dance heavy songs because of how light her vocals are. 5/5.

Track #2, Goodness Gracious: This song is in the same style as Burn. It's not as catchy, but it's still a great track. Hearing the sound of Halcyon Days again makes me wonder what she'll go with for her third album. Will she stick with the more radio friendly pop or move back into what was happening with Halcyon. 4/5.

Track #3, You Are My Everything: This song is a pretty good mix between the Halcyon & Halcyon Days styles. For me, it's not one of the better ones on the album, but it's not bad. It actually sounds vaguely Vocaloid-ish to me with the music. Which is weird because I don't listen to Vocaloid so I don't understand why that comparison is in my head. 3.5/5.

Track #4, Hearts Without Chains: The lyrics almost sound like Figure 8 except from a different perspective. Unfortunately it's nowhere near as great as that song. When I listen to it, I expect a big explosive chorus and it doesn't come. 3.5/5.

Track #5, Stay Awake: Another song where her breathing is a little distracting. It's not the best of the more EDM tracks. I can't pick out anything special with the track. It just feels like a general mashup of most of the other songs. 3/5.

Track #6, Under Control: This song would have fit perfectly on the original Halcyon. In fact, if it had been on the original album, it would be my second favorite of the album. It's got such a catchy beat to it and the lyrics are nice as well. 5/5.

Track #7, Flashlight: This is the best track from Halcyon Days. I almost with that this was the single instead of Burn, although Burn was the best single choice. The tone of the song mixed with the music just makes the track perfect for me. 5/5.

Track #8, How Long Will I Love You: I'm glad that the ballads on the original album were mostly placing focus on the music instead of her vocals. This ballad is just boring. It's too typical of a pop ballad with none of the pretty synthpop to make it interesting. 3/5.

Track #9, Tessellate: By the end of this album I always get incredibly bored because of it's length. It doesn't help that three of my least favorite tracks are the very last ones too. I always expect this song to sound different than it does. I don't quite understand why there's sax in a minimalist track. Unless that's a thing. I really don't know to be honest. 3/5.

Track #10, Midas Touch: It doesn't feel like her vocals belong in this song. She sounds like she's singing to a completely different song than I'm hearing. It makes the song difficult to listen to. I'm guessing that the track was originally instrumental and they just decided to slap some random lyrics on it without adjusting anything to fit them. 3/5.

Really this version of the album is too long for it's own good. Both parts of the album are good to stand by themselves and really should as the styles are different between the two. If I had to choose, I would say Halcyon Days is my favorite of the two CDs. I love the music of the original Halcyon album, but it can be really tiring to listen to the whole thing in one sitting. 4/5.

Song Recommendations (June 1, 2015 Edition)

Wasn't planning on posting another recommendation list yet, but this was spurred by the first video on the list.

Melanie Martinez - Pity Party

Can we all just agree with calling this the English language song of the year? It's SO AMAZING. Her earlier songs are cool too but this is just the next level. Her album is supposed to come out in August & I'm super excited to get it.

Miss A - Love Song

A GOOD K-pop album track?! Have I been transported back to 2012? Seriously though. This should have been the lead song.

Tomomi Itano - Gimme Gimme Luv

I have never liked a song by her until this one. She really seems like a younger version of Namie Amuro and it would be cool if she could become the next big female soloist.

Steve Aoki - Back To Earth (ft. Fall Out Boy)

Fall Out Boy + EDM = Love.

Tomomi Kasai - Masaka

I've never listened to Kasai's material before today. I bought the single because I got it for cheap on eBay. I always like the posts that I do when I don't have any clue what I'm going into. I like the first reaction kind of thing. Not sure if anyone else does though.

The title track for the release is Masaka. This song is absolutely nothing like I expected it to be. Tomomi's image is a sexy one (to me, I don't know what she was like in AKB), so to hear a typical idol pop track is strange. The song is okay at best. I'm not a big fan of her voice. It's too nasally for me. The music video's nothing special. She looks really pretty though. 3/5.

Masaka MV

The first B-side is Watashi no Hikari found on all versions of the single. It's also the only other original song from the single. As everyone knows by now, I'm not a fan of ballads at all (particularly 48G ones). However, this isn't nearly as boring as your typical 48G ballad. I think the problem with those is the amount of voices in a song make it difficult to hear emotion in any of the singers' voices. I still don't really care for Tomomi's voice in this song, but at least she sounds like she's not boring out of her skull while recording this. The pickup for the chorus is nice. It almost felt like it was going to become this big power ballad and I was disappointed it didn't head in that direction. I guess her vocals wouldn't work with a power ballad though. 3.5/5.

The next B-side is Dakishimeraretara found on the Type A & regular editions of the single. It's a solo cover of a song she centered on Team K's stage Saka Agari. Now this kind of song suits her voice better. It's got an R&B feel to it and I think that type of music suits her.

Stage Performance (Not Solo):

The final B-side is Candy found on the Type B and regular editions of the single. It is another solo cover of a song she centered, this time from Team B's stage, Theater no Megami. Like Masaka, I don't think the cutesy image suits here; even if it does suit her voice. I think I'd rather listen to Masaka over this. This is too on the cutesy side for me. 3/5.

Stage Performance (Not Solo):

For me, I'm not a big fan of this release. It's just not something that I would listen to on a regular basis. It's certainly not bad, just not enjoyable to me. 3/5.