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Tracklisting
1) Reincarnation -Original-
2) Dub-I-Dub
3) Reincarnation -Extended Version-
4) Reincarnation -Instrumental-
Reincarnation is Ami Suzuki’s 31st overall single, and her first in her latest era, which is now being produced by Taku of m-flo insted of Nakata Yasutaka, who produced her last era in its entirety. It was released on the 25th of February, 2009.
When I first heard Reincarnation, I was in love. It had a unique sound, and Ami sounded great without a vocoder. Now, unfortunately, I’m forced to deem it as a hot mess. I will say 
that I love the opening, how Ami opens the song with a whispered “Let’s go”, and it moves into the infectious repeating synth line. Ami sounds her best here, and I can easily get into this part, mainly because I knew it would lead to something even better. Unfortunately, it led into a chorus with a few more noises thrown in, and Ami shouting in probably the worst manner I have ever heard. I still do love the backing synth, and the verses are at least somewhat bearable even though the better half of them are shouted, but really… I’m extremely disappointed in Ami AND Taku when it comes to this song. AND Emi Hinouchi, in a way, since she wrote and composed it.
And to all you Supreme Show fans, we have an era throwback with Dub-I-Dub. Fans of both DDR and the band Me & My will instantly recognize this song: It’s a cover of this song, with a 
techno flavor and some vocoding once again taking precedence. I’ll be honest, the “explode then quiet” opening doesn’t do much for me, but when it comes into the catchy, proper chorus that opens the song, it instantly pulls me in. At this stage, it sounds SO much better than Reincarnation ever could. Honestly, though, they used a horrible vocoder on Ami’s voice, and the almost bipolar turn near the middle of the song made me lose a lot of interest… But I DO like Dub-I-Dub. Just not as much as I hoped I would. I would’ve gotten Nakata to do this, as honestly tired I am of him… But 83key just kind of messed around too much.
The Reincarnation Extended Version is exactly what the title suggest… An extended version of the original song. All they added was a looping section of a remix of the opening synth at the beginning and end of the song to make it longer. There could be another chorus or verse in there somewhere, but honestly, I don’t care enough to sit through the SEVEN MINUTES of this extended mix to find out. And I thought the five minutes of the original was too long…
Single Score
C
Favorite Song
Dub-I-Dub
So, honestly… This single was a flop. The only song that really brought ANYTHING to the table was Dub-I-Dub, but even that didn’t meet my expectations. It’s amazing what a fan-tailored pair of rose coloured glasses can do to your view of a song. When listening to Reincarnation, I’m kind of surprised I liked it so much. Part of me does still like it (theoretically), but… WHY DOES AMI HAVE TO SHOUT SO MUCH?!
Ami had a… Decent run with Nakata in her last era. A lot of it sounded same-y, and about a month after I reviewed it, it started sounding like most other Nakata productions, which was a real downer.
Thankfully, she’s now being produced by Taku from m-flo, and Reincarnation is the first single to come from this partnership. I’ve never really listened to anything he’s produced, but after hearing Rie fu’s Romantic, I had high hopes.
The song starts off rather simply. Ami simply says “Let’s go” before a simple, looping synth line that actually sounds rather similar to what we were given in Rie fu’s last single comes in and takes the lead. Ami’s vocals then come in and, THANKFULLY, there aren’t any vocoders! It’s nice to hear her deep register again, instead of being treated to even more vocoders, and it suits the music very well. It stays like this until suddenly the synth starts rising in a rather distorted manner.
Then, with a small sound from Ami, the song explodes into the chorus, which involves the same synth as the first verse with a deeper, thumping club synth placed over it. Ami’s shouting the lyrics here, but I can safely say it sounds a lot better here than the shouting in climb up to the top, which I still liked. The loud blares in the instrumental after the chorus don’t ruin the sound at all, either. I could do with a bit less shouting, but it’s still not song-breaking.
The second verse features even more new synths, with an even simpler backing synth with similar thumping like the stuff from the chorus. It gets a bit more aggressive in the second half, with some slight blaring going on, and some vocal sample repetition near the chorus. It sounds a lot better than the first verse since it has a more complete feeling to it.
Then, by the third verse, it goes back to how it was in the beginning and follows a similar formula depending on the section for the rest of the song. A mini reincarnation in and of itself. Compared to Nakata’s music, it’s radically different, with maybe some small similarities to can’t stop the DISCO, mainly due to the fact that they’re both club songs. It takes some adjusting, but in the end, if you enjoyed Ami’s DOLCE album, you should definitely enjoy this song.
The PV is kind of strange, and yet brilliant at the same time. It utilizes a lot of sparkles, similar to the bubble effect on the cover and how it has the sparkling trail. It opens with Ami walking down an alley, before spinning to face us in slow motion, then suddenly giving us a close-up of her mouth as she says “Let’s go”. The first verse features mainly shots of Ami lying in a bed as she sings, and I will say that the room looks great. It has this kind of classic yet modern feel to it. Near the first chorus, we’ll get a rather… Awkward shot of Ami spinning to look at some bubbles forming behind her and giving us a cringe-worthy blank stare, which I will say is pretty damn bad. If you pay attention, you’ll see that there’s an Ami sleeping in the bed as well as the standing one during the zoom-out after that stare. The outfit standing Ami has (a.k.a. the first one you can properly see) looks rather short for what it is, but the white and pink patch-patterned shirt looks good. That big ribbon could probably be dropped though.
The choruses are where it gets weird. They feature the same psychadelic background as the close-up of Ami’s hand I’m sure we all saw as the PV started, with Ami floating around in it surrounded by bubbles and other effects. The close-ups of Ami in an alley that we get in this section look great (if not a bit too spastic), but I’m not a fan of floating psycahdelic Ami and her horrible white outfit. That random dog is kind of odd, too, I don’t know why they bothered putting him in the alley after the chorus. The PV doesn’t change much from this, in that it simply follows Ami around a house, in Drug-Trip Land and as she spasms in an alley. By the end, at least three different Ami’s are in the house, which I will assume ties into the title of the song. Otherwise, it’s rather confusing and seems really random…
Song Score
A
PV Score
B-
Overall Score
B+
Honestly, I wasn’t really expecting this. I knew it was going to be a club song, partially since it’s coming from Ami, but it didn’t turn out like I thought it would. Regardless, it’s a fantastic song if you’re a fan of the genre, and while the PV is rather random and pointless, Ami looks great. And what is a PV but one big piece of eye candy?
Tracklisting
1. TEN
2. can’t stop the DISCO
3. climb up to the top
4. SUPER MUSIC MAKER (SA’08S / A mix)
5. Mysterious
6. Change my life
7. LOVE MAIL
8. A token of love
9. TRUE
10. flower
11. ONE
Supreme Show is Ami Suzuki’s 7th overall studio album, her 4th under the Avex Trax label, and her first under the complete production of Nakata Yasutaka, producer of other artists such as MEG, Perfume and capsule. It was released on the 12th of November, 2008.
The album opens with the new track TEN, and starts off the album with a much higher-toned synth compared to Nakata’s previous Ami tracks, with some more familiar beats thrown in alongwide it, with a piano playing in the background, which I thought was a nice addition. Ami’s distorted vocals are also at a higher tone, which compliments the tone of the song itself. The song utilizes many short sentences, in both the verses and the chorus, and the whispering she uses in the verses works well with the removal of the higher synth, while her normal singing fits the higher toned chorus. The only real gripe I have with this song is the way Ami says the word ten, as it just sounds as if she’s pulling a MEG on us because of the distortions. Apart from this, though, I absolutely love this track, and the use of the piano in the final chorus sounds great. A great way to start off Ami’s first Nakata album.
Now we come to a group of older tracks. can’t stop the DISCO was the second single released for the “Supreme Show” era. It has a much larger club sound compared to the first single and many of the tracks on the new album itself, and Ami’s vocals aren’t as distorted in this song as they can be. The sound of the song is incredibly catchy, and it’s more reminiscent of the music we were given on Dolce because of its sound. The verse-to-chorus transition tends to sound a bit awkward because of the differences in volume, and the random tone changes in the middle of a line near the end of the song can be annoying, but it’s still a strong track.
climb up to the top comes in and continues the club sound can’t stop the DISCO had, which is no surprise, since it was the b-side to that single. This song is a lot more aggressive, and has Ami shouting the lyrics instead of her normal singing. It’s in complete English, but none of the sentences really make any sense. They can be made out pretty easily if you listen past the distortions, too, which isn’t helping. Overall, though, I like the sound the song has, and I found it to be a much stronger b-side than “A token of love” from the ONE single. It is a music-focused song, and Ami sings very few lyrics in the song, utilizing only about two different vocal segments that are repeated throughout the song. As it’s 6:33, it can tend to drag on, but it’s not bad.
Now we have the final track on the can’t stop the DISCO single, the SUPER MUSIC MAKER SA’08s / A Mix, which is a remix of the track SUPER MUSIC MAKER from her “FREE FREE / SUPER MUSIC MAKER” single in the Dolce era, which was also produced by Nakata. It has a much quieter, summery sound to it, and Ami’s vocals are a lot clearer this time without the blaring synths. I preferred the original version immensely, but this is one of the best remixes I’ve ever heard still, and the new opening instrumental is a nice addition, too. Near the end, it CAN sound like a new vocal section is added, but believe me: It’s just a section from the original version that doesn’t have the synths drowning it out, despite popular belief. Just compare the tracks, you’ll see.
We now come to our next track, the new addition Mysterious, which continues the club vibe. It opens with a simple thumping beat with a higher toned beep (Or something similar) playing over it, before Ami’s vocals come in. It sounds as if they’re being skipped a bit at first, and she’s using a lower register, which works well with the low sound to give the song a somewhat sensual sound to it. There is quite a bit repetition when it comes to the verses, which use a section of the chorus in them after every line, and the bridge comes in very suddenly, but it’s nothing too serious. I’m not a huge fan of the instrumental section after the chorus, as it sounds sort of out of place, but the vocal sections are great. The second verse and chorus don’t really change at all from the first one, which is a bit of a shame.
change my life takes the album back to a J-Tek sound, with a higher tone in both the arrangement and vocals, similar to TEN. The skipping instrumental that opens the song is interesting to say the least, but it could be better. I’m not thrilled by the fact that it’s present in the verses, either, while the beats are lowered to give more presidence to Ami’s vocals and the synth. There isn’t a bridge to speak of, and I actually find the chorus to be a bit annoying in and of itself. It’s a dull song, I’m not really thrilled by how it turned out. Then again, I wasn’t fond of the preview, either.
LOVE MAIL comes in with a sound similar to its predecessor, but with more of a backing track and a lower tone. Ami’s scream of “Love Mail” isn’t exactly enthralling, but the arrangement is catchy, and the verses are a lot more enjoyable than those in the previous song, despite the similar arrangement. I applaud the inclusion of a bridge this time, as it helps give the song a proper sense of actually flowing through the different segments instead of skipping around. The chorus has a really fun sound to it, and Ami uses a lot of higher notes in this song, which she really hasn’t up to this point. I used to have some gripes with some of the higher synth added later, and Ami’s higher notes in the chorus being butchered by the distortions, but it’s slowly become my favorite song on the album.
We now come to what I consider the weakest single track in the era, A token of love, from the “ONE” single. The song clocks in at about 6:09, and despite not being a music-focused song, it utilizes the same arrangement throughout the song, and Ami’s ad-libbing leaves a lot to be desired. I found the vocal sections to be rather bland, too, as Ami sounds rather lifeless in them. I’ll pass, this is the weakest track on the album for me.
Now, THIS is what really blew me away! The preview for TRUE was entirely misleading, and I found myself dreading this song at first. However, the song opens with a higher toned sound that resembles a piano… No, an (Overstatement warning) ORCHESTRA rather closely through the use of synth. I absolutely adore this introduction, as it sounds so much fresher compared to everything else on the album. The sound sticks throughout the song, too, and Ami, once again with distorted vocals, fits the digital sound the arrangement has really well. The bridge blends in with the chorus rather well, and leads into the chorus in a way that makes it sound a lot better than it did in the preview, with the now apparent extra sounds that the song contains. This was definitely the best track on the album for me.
The final track in the album comes in as the Tek-Ballad, flower. You can almost hear a guitar through the synth in the background, but the really apparent inclusion here is the small usage of strings in the opening instrumental; While not really on the level of TRUE, it fits the ballad tone of this song perfectly. While Ami’s voice is vocoded to perfection in the verses, I found them to be somewhat dull. The continued inclusion of strings throughout the song sounds great, though, even if they aren’t used as much as they could be. The chorus is definitely my favorite part of the song, as it has a real emotional quality to it, and Ami’s hitting more notes this time, which sounds great with the tone of the song.
Funnily enough, the album closes with the very first single (and song) for many Ami fans in this era, ONE. It definitely has the most distinct sound out of the Tek tracks in this album, and has a much more aggressive sound to it, while still keeping the sparkling quality of the synth. Ami’s vocals are also a lot deeper here, which I’m sure a lot of her fans are most accustomed to when it comes to her music. The fast-paced verses are interesting enough to keep your attention throughout the song, and the chorus is absolutely brilliant. While it is an upbeat song, there’s a hint of emotion in Ami’s singing and the lower toned sections of the arrangement, which helps the song immensely. I really can’t decide whether this was the better a-side or not, but it’s definitely a great song.
Album Score
A-
Favorite Tracks
1. LOVE MAIL
2. TRUE / TEN
3. Mysterious
4. flower
5. ONE / can’t stop the DISCO
I really don’t know what to think about Ami’s first Nakata-produced album. A few of the songs actually sound like what MEG would sound like if she actually sung properly, while some have a great original sound to them that helps keep the album from sounding exactly like every other Nakata act. I couldn’t even decide on my top 5, so take my favorite tracks with a grain of salt. The album had its ups and downs, but it was definitely a brilliant addition to Ami’s discography.
Tracklisting
1. can’t stop the DISCO
2. climb up to the top
3. SUPER MUSIC MAKER（SA’08S/A mix)
can’t stop the DISCO is Ami Suzuki’s 15th avex trax single, and her 30th overall. It is also the third single produced by Nakata Yasutaka for Ami, but the second on this era.
can’t stop the DISCO opens with the usual synth souds you’d expect from Nakata, along with some clapping synths backing it up. The overall arrangement is a lot more subdued than Ami’s songs usually are, and while the transition from verse to chorus is kind of awkward due to the differences in sound and tone, it doesn’t really detract much. It’s a typical Nakata song, but it’s the first one of its kind from him for Ami: It has a mature sound, but it doesn’t assault you with sound. This version is also two minutes longer than the one in the PV, and while the ending part from the PV is still there halfway through the song, a few sections of Ami singing from the chorus are placed over it to make it sound better as it continues. This is the annoying part of the song, and afterwards, it skips to the bridge, which is followed by a repetition on a lower scale. The final chorus involves a few tone changes on a few words from Ami, and this actually comes out as the best chorus of the song, so the new section doesn’t really keep the song dragging. I’d say this is her best Nakata A-side yet.
can’t stop the DISCO flows seemlessly and instantly into the B-side, climb up to the top. It sounds a bit darker than can’t stop the DISCO was, and opens mainly with Ami breathing and making sounds in the background. When Ami DOES come in, there’s a twist: She’s yelling. This is pretty much the first Ami song that’s featured yelling in a song, and it actually works with her voice in this song very well. It has minimal lyrics in it, and when there are lyrics, it tends to repeat itself. Think of Perfume’s GAME. However, this song is VERY aggressive in comparison to much of Ami’s music, with its darker sound and heavier synth. About two minutes before the song ends, it takes on a much airier, poppier sound, while still keeping the yelling, and a bit of the aggressive synth. It’s an interesting mix, but goes straight back to the full-on nature before the end. It’s an interesting mix, and it’s definitely Ami’s best Nakata B-side.
The SUPER MUSIC MAKER（SA’08S/A mix) mix closes the single, and you can instantly tell the difference. The beginning consists of a very high-pitched, poppier synth line than the original did, and it sounds like there may even be some acoustic guitar in the back. It’s much lighter than the original, and as such, Ami’s vocals sound a bit rough against the new arrangement, as they aren’t altered at all. I actually really enjoyed this remix, and it’s definitely a nice twist on the original.
Single Score
A+
Favorite Track
All Tracks
Wow, this was actually a real surprise! When I heard climb up to the top had yelling (from other people), I was extremely apprehensive about this single, but it actually turned out a lot better than I expected to! Both of the new tracks show a different sound compared to what we’ve heard before, and the remix of SUPER MUSIC MAKER was actually a great reconstruction of the original. Hopefully the album’s this good.
ONE is Ami Suzuki’s 14th avex trax single, and her 29th overall. It was released on the 4th of July, 2008, and debuted at #8 on the daily Oricon charts, making it one of Ami’s highest charting singles in her recent career, debuting eight positions higher than both FREE FREE/SUPER MUSIC MAKER and Potential Breakup Song.
Tracklisting
1. ONE
2. A token of love
3. ONE (Instrumental)
4. A token of love (FM88 mix)
A lot of my regulars and past visitors will probably remember how much I loved ONE when the PV was first released. Well, that deteriorated, and my euphoric feelings received from a new single wore off and I started to hate it. However, after hearing it in High Quality for just about the first time, I’m in love with it again. I don’t know, but one quality change made this song that much more bearable. Its sound is highly reminiscent of FREE FREE, and is basically that song turned down a few octaves to make it actually standable, then given new lyrics and a slight synth overhaul. Overall, it makes for a great song, another of my favorites from Ami. My views towards this song are constantly changing from one extreme to the other, but it’s definitely a good offering from Ami, and hopefully a sign of what’s to come from her Nakata-produced album. (Coincidentally, I’ll bet his involvement is why it charted so much better than her last two singles, after Perfume took off like they did.)
Unlike ONE, when I heard the preview of A token of love, I hated it. I loved it after I’d heard it on the single last night, though. However, this was after doing school work for one subject for 15 hours straight, so I was highly out of my mind by that stage. NOW when I listen to it, I instantly fall in love with the opening synth, then start to lose interest when the quick beeps and usual aggressive over-synth line come in. It tones down for a while afterwards, but once Ami comes in, the synth just becomes annoying, as does her introductory ad-lib. It follows this style for most of the song, with the choruses being similar to the opening opening synth rather than the verses. Unfortunately, I end up becoming even more bored with it, which isn’t being helped by the 6 minutes 12 seconds you’ll be sitting there listening to this song. Real B-side material.
I won’t review ONE’s Instrumental, but I would like to comment on its strange placing. I have no idea why they wanted the instrumental before the remix of the B-side, but hey, I never listen to the instrumentals and remixes anyway, so it doesn’t bother me. I will say that I love this instrumental, though.
The A token of love FM88 mix goes straight into the verse synth and Ami Suzuki’s introductory ad-lib. The song sounds considerably lighter this time around, and I prefer its background synth a lot more when compared to the original mix of A token of love. It suits the chorus a lot better, too, so actually, I like this remix more than the original version.
Single Grade
B
Favorite Track
ONE
The B-side was a huge disappointment for this single, while the real surprise track here was the remix of said B-side. ONE is what we should expect from Ami and Nakata after FREE FREE, I guess. Too bad she didn’t release a single that was relatable to Perfume, or even SUPER MUSIC MAKER, instead of leaning more towards capsule’s most recent techno sound.
Dolce (originally CONNETTA 2) is Ami Suzuki’s third album under the avex label, while being her sixth album overall including her older Sony releases, and her second collaboration album. It debuted at #10, with a weekly rank of #26. It has sold approximately 10,835+ copies, and was released on the 6th of February, 2008.
Tracklisting
- FREE FREE (AMI SUZUKI joins Nakata Yasutaka (capsule))
- feel the beat (album version) (AMI SUZUKI joins Sugiurumn)
- Potential Breakup Song (AMI SUZUKI joins Aly & AJ)
- Bitter… (AMI SUZUKI joins STUDIO APARTMENT)
- SWEET DANCE (AMI SUZUKI joins RAM RIDER)
- The WeekeND (AMI SUZUKI joins CAPTAIN FUNK)
- SUPER MUSIC MAKER (radio edit) (AMI SUZUKI joins Nakata Yasutaka (capsule))
- MUSIC (AMI SUZUKI joins RAM RIDER)
- Stereo Love (AMI SUZUKI joins Tomoe Shinohara☆☆☆)
- Ai no Uta (アイノウタ; Love Song) (AMI SUZUKI joins ROCKETMAN feat.YOU THE ROCK★)
- Futari wa POP (2人はPOP; Our Pop) (AMI SUZUKI joins Hoff Dylan)
- Atarashii Hibi (新しい日々; New Day) (AMI SUZUKI joins YO-KING)
- if (First Press Bonus Track)
Oddly enough, the album’s first song is also the first track from its first single. I’ve always somewhat hated Nakata for making FREE FREE, because it instantly assaults you with its uber high-pitched, aggressive synth, and your ears bleed almost straight away. However, this song’s grown on me. It’s not AS bad as it ditches the intro, as it drops a few octaves (heheh), and actually becomes standable. The lyrics are beyond pointless, but I like how distorted Ami’s vocals are, as it suits the song really well. The undistorted ad libbing by Ami in the background seems a bit out of place though. It’s not my favorite song, as it still gets a bit annoying, but it’s not the worst.
And also oddly enough, the second song is the secong track from the second single. Am I detecting a pattern here? No, I’m not, but anyway. I’ve always liked the synth for feel the beat, as it’s not as ear splitting, especially right after hearing FREE FREE. Ami’s voice fits the song well, but she doesn’t get many comprehensive lyrical sections to make them her voice worthwhile. I’d listen to this just for the accompanyment, which is something I usually refrain from doing.
And the A-Side from the second single follows. Potential Breakup Song was always one of my favorite Ami songs before the release of Dolce, despite my everlasting hatred for Aly & AJ, who recorded the original version and feature in this song singing back-up for Ami. This song actually fits the club sound that they’ve assigned it, and thankfully Ami didn’t try and make an English version of it, as I don’t think she’d be able to pull it off. So she played it safe, and thankfully it worked out.
The first ballad on the album, Bitter…, instantly gets me interested because of the sweeping string arrangement that opens the song. I don’t remember Ami doing this very often before, which is why I was so excited, but as soon as it ditched the strings and moved into the once again club-oriented synth, I started losing interest. However, when the vocals kicked in, I started gaining a bit more interest, as Ami gives another great performance here vocally, and it gets even better when the strings and synth combine for the chorus. It works surprisingly well, so the song’s instantly better than anything else on the album so far.
l can never seem to remember SWEET DANCE after hearing it. I find it to be a rather forgettable song, and while I like the quiet, simple synth at the beginning, the random sound effects detract from the overall feeling of the song. As the said synth grows in volume, it becomes a lot more bearable. I’m not a huge fan of the vocal section at first, but once Ami enters what I assume is the chorus, it picks up a little. I like the background music overall, but otherwise, it’s rather forgettable. I can swear I’ve heard some of these sounds somewhere before though…
The WeekeND is hands down one of my top three tracks on this album. It has a very… I’d call it an 80s sound to it, but I can’t be sure. It’s an upbeat, cheerful song, and Ami’s repetition of the “It’s the weekend” line fit perfectly. Unlike many other six minute songs you hear, this song actually boasts a proper lyrical content limit, which I find is a huge plus. It’s a great package overall, and even when I’m in a low point on Suzuki fandom, I often find myself turning to this song. It’s perfect for listening to on a Friday afternoon, too. xD
And now we have my ABSOLUTE favorite. The radio edit of SUPER MUSIC MAKER was chosen to appear on this album instead of the full mix, which is a decision I neither love or hate. It’s another upbeat song, and it works perfectly with Ami’s voice, but that might be because of how much they’ve distorted it. I’m hoping Nakata gives Ami more of these songs on her upcoming album, because this is my favorite Ami Suzuki song, and one of my favorites from Nakata altogether.
Another of my favorites is up next, but it isn’t in the top three this time. Music brings in a more club atmosphere here, on a similar level to The WeekeND, only much faster. Sometimes it sounds like this song’s moving too fast for its own good, which drags it down a bit. It still has some great synth when it reaches what I assume is the chorus (When Ami holds that long note before the synth instrumental period.) It’s not her best, but it’s still a great song.
Hahah, here we go. My number two song on the album is definitely Stereo Love. It’s also my second favorite Ami song altogether (the first obviously being SUPER MUSIC MAKER.) It sounds like Ami overdosed on sugar… Or maybe some kind of happy drug. It’s an extremely cute song, from the sighs that open it, to the random high-pitched synth that makes up to the song, to the surprisingly high pitch that Ami chooses to sing the song in. It works, despite how deep her voice can sound, and I swear to god, I can’t help but smile when I hear that song. Especially that giggle at the end. *Sigh*…
A lot of people seem to have mixed reactions to the next song. However, I consider myself somewhat versatile in my tastes in music, and as such, I’m actually quite partial to Ai no Uta. I can’t decide what its genre is, but it sounds like it might have SOME Reggae influence in it (Only very little, cause it has a much larger R&B influence). However, Ami has a VERY small role in this song, singing only the chorus, while one of the other two featuring artists handles the rest of the lyrics. I don’t mind his voice, but it can be somewhat annoying. I just wish Ami had a larger role, because the music’s great, and her small part is fantastic in this song, in my honest opinion.
Okay, what the hell. I remember when I first reviewed this album, I liked Futari wa POP, or Ami’s parts, at least. Yeah, not anymore. I still like the 60s synth sound that the song has, but Hoff Dylan’s voice annoys the crap out of me completely, and Ami isn’t doing much better, with the overly high key she chooses to sing in. And she sings it all throughout the song. However, despite its odd sound, Hoff Dylan’s voice drowns her out in the chorus, meaning we don’t suffer her voice, but we suffer his inconceivably worse voice. I’d love this song as an instrumental, but otherwise… No. No way in hell.
Atarashii Hibi has a melancholic rock sound to it, and seems to rely heavily on guitars and drums, while still featuring some synth. I can hear a piano, too, so it’s probably the most organic song on this album. It has an older feeling to it as well, it reminds me of some of those really old 60s movies that you hear about, and Ami gives a great vocal performance in the song, especially the blaring chorus. I never used to be a huge fan of this song, but it’s definitely grown on me.
We now come to one of the only solo songs Ami has given us since her Around The World album. Yes, if is entirely free of any traces of a collaboration, and while Ami’s voice sounds great, I’m not a huge fan of the music in this song for some reason. I mean, it’s a good song, but it’s not great. It’s another one of the more natural songs though, so that’s a plus.
Album Grade
A
Favorite Songs
SUPER MUSIC MAKER, Stereo Love, The WeekeND
Nowadays, I’m much fonder of this album than I used to be. I like almost every song on this album in some small way at the very least, and it’s definitely the album that got me heavily into Ami Suzuki’s music. You can tell why I suddenly became such a rabid fanboy now, eh?
Potential Breakup Song is Ami Suzuki’s 28th overall single, and her 14th under the avex trax label. It debuted at #16 on the Oricon charts, with a weekly rank of #34. It sold a total of 5,956 copies and was released on the 28th of November, 2007.
Track Listing
1. Potential Breakup Song (AMI SUZUKI joins Aly & AJ)
2. feel the beat (AMI SUZUKI joins SUGIURUMN)
3. Potential Breakup Song (sugiurumn remix) (AMI SUZUKI joins Aly & AJ)
4. Potential Breakup Song (Instrumental) (AMI SUZUKI joins Aly & AJ)
While FREE FREE was the song that got me into Ami Suzuki, Potential Breakup Song is the one that ensured me it wasn’t a fluke. I absolutely LOATHE Aly & AJ, so at first, I was (apparently) turned off by their inclusion, or by Ami doing a cover of their song. Maybe both. Anyway, while theirs was a crappy pop song, THIS is club music at its best. It opens with a fast club sound to it, and it never lets up. The jungle sounds at the beginning are sort of out of place, but when it gets into the verses, it gets good. Ami can sing fast and never really mess up, as this song proves. Her voice is perfect for this music too, and there’s no digitalization at all in this song. The chorus is perfect too, Ami doesn’t try to be eclectic like Aly and AJ did. Actually, I think they do some of the back-up vocals, but anyway… It’s a top notch song.
feel the beat also starts with a heavy club beat, more reminiscent to SUPER MUSIC MAKER or FREE FREE extended than PBS, before mixing with the main beat of the song. This lasts for about a minute, until it goes to the usual analog-ish beeps that start the radio edit. It’s a very simple song, club heavy, more focused on music that you can dance to, when compared to the previous song. It consists of very few lyrics, mainly “I feel the beat, I feel the music” and other similar lines. I personally LOVE the background music for feel the beat, especially the section just before Ami sings. It would’ve been great if this was a more lyric-heavy song, but unfortunately, it isn’t. Sad, really, cause it just seems to drag on without any real lyrics, making it sort of boring.
The Sugiurumn remix of Potential Breakup Song starts with a different club feel to it when compared to the normal version, but later on, there isn’t much of a notable difference to it. They also slowed down Ami’s vocals for this version, which just removes the feel of the first one somehow. It just seems to work better than the slower version of it. It’s also longer than the actual version, but that’s mainly because of the instrumental parts at the beginning and the end, maybe sometimes between verses and chorus. It’s not radically different, but it drags on. I kinda fail to see the point, it’s too similar.
Overall Score
C+
Favorite Track
Potential Breakup Song
I personally love Potential Breakup Song, and feel the beat had its moments, but the Sugiurumn remix of PBS just seems pointless in and of itself. It’s not different enough to make you keep listening to it, unless you really enjoyed the music in it.
FREE FREE / SUPER MUSIC MAKER is Ami Suzuki’s 27th overall single, and her 13th under the Avex Trax label. It debuted at #16 on the Oricon charts, with a weekly ranking of #32. It has sold a total of 8,946 copies and was released on the 22nd of August, 2007.
Track Listing
1. FREE FREE
2. SUPER MUSIC MAKER
3. FREE FREE (Extended Mix)
4. SUPER MUSIC MAKER (Radio Edit)
FREE FREE’s an odd song. It’s got a really loud electronic sound to it, and Ami’s vocals are distorted beyond the point of being able to easily understand the lyrics, and it overall makes Ami’s vocals sound a lot deeper than they actually are. Anyway, the song starts with the aforementioned loud electronic sound, and it sticks for most of the song. The lyrics, when you read them instead of trying to listen to them, sound sort of odd. They don’t seem to have any real meaning, but they still actually have meaning, in a sense. As if they’re continuing a story that is halfway through being told. This is the song that got me into Ami, but it’s gotten a bit stale to me, really. It sort of gives me a headache, but apart from that, it’s a pretty good song.
SUPER MUSIC MAKER surprised me. I heard the radio edit first, so it sounded a lot different. It still starts with the distorted male voice saying “Music” (in a way that sounds more like “Musique”, but anyway) then it gets different. The beat is a lot deeper than the radio edit, and has the starting beat of the radio edit mixed in. It sounds really original, and it has a similar electronic sound to it, like FREE FREE. It has a better sound overall to it, however, and Ami’s vocals aren’t digitized to the same level as FREE FREE. I really liked the background music to the radio edit of SUPER MUSIC MAKER, so obviously it’s gonna be good here, too. I prefer this to the radio edit, really.
The extended FREE FREE mix flows from SUPER MUSIC MAKER, and starts with a very different tone, instead of the instant high pitch of the original FREE FREE. You’re gonna experience a lot of the same, however, and this song doesn’t work as well at this length. It’s very similar, and it seems to drag on quite a bit. However, it’s not all bad, I’d say it’s pretty much equal to the original FREE FREE, it’s too similar for me to give it a different mark.
The radio edit of SUPER MUSIC MAKER is pretty much the lengthened edit, but it takes out the deeper club tones and keeps it as a cheery electronic pop song. It works really well, but I still prefer the extended mix. Anyway, again, it’s too similar for me to be able to give it a different mark, but it is a very good song.
Overall Score
B+
Favorite Track
SUPER MUSIC MAKER
This single is basically two songs, played over twice with the same club beats thrown into them to make them sound longer. However, it works well. Better than I expected. So it’s a good single overall, but FREE FREE probably could’ve been a bit better. SUPER MUSIC MAKER was perfect, though.
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