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Tracklisting
1) I RAVE U (Original)
2) ROCK U feat. Namie Amuro
3) Just The Two Of Us feat. Tohoshinki
4) HOUSE NATION feat. LISA
5) Bangalicious feat. Anna Tsuchiya
6) Believe in LOVE feat. BoA
7) NEWエキセントリックガール feat. CHISA (NEW ECCENTRIC GIRL)
8) Golden LUV feat. Maki Goto
9) V.I.P.P. (Very Important Party People) feat. TRF & VERBAL (m-flo)
10) 1 more night feat. MONKEY MAJIK
11) 悪い子みつけた。 feat. Yuko Ando (Warui ko Mitsuketa)
12) I RAVE U feat. DJ OZMA
trax is the debut album from ravex, the 20th anniversary group formed along with GIRL NEXT DOOR to celebrate the special occasion. Every track features a different popular artist, with their songs receiving a dance/trance twist on top of their usual styles. It was released on the 29th of April, 2009.
Ugh. No. NO. No. I RAVE U is just as annoying as it was back on their first single. It’s basically just a full-on dance song, possibly even bordering on trance. I consider it a full-length interlude since it features no vocals whatsoever. POINTLESS, MOVING RIGHT ALONG.
Oh my god, and already we’re getting one of the best tracks on the album. ROCK U is a particularly hot collaboration with one Namie Amuro, and it’s rather close to her latest material, with an emphasis on WILD, except a bit more upbeat. It’s full of aggressive, gritty synths and alarms creating havock until we get to the surprisingly QUIET chorus, which consists of a simple beat repeating on itself with Namie, of course, singing along. I like how when she ends the chorus with the oh so creatively placed (not) scream of “ROCK YOU” with a much more uncontrolled, natural scream of “ROCK” being placed on top of her normal singing of the title. Adds just a bit more of a fiercely gritty rock style to the song. Unfortunately, most of the song has this one single irritatingly ANNOYING alarm beeping at you on top of the rest of the music, and is the ONLY reason I can’t loop this otherwise masterpiece of a song. A shame, really. Much better than any of her already brilliant material.
Oddly enough, the boys from Tohoshinki are in on this, with their track being titled Just The Two Of Us. This one starts off in a bad manner, with the looping of the word “Tonight” dominating the semi-calm synth arrangement of the song. And it’s still going… It’s not until about 1:20 in that the song gets some vocals and takes a normal turn. There’s some noticable vocodering in this track, which was a bit odd to hear on voices such as these. Okay, soon after, we’re back into the looping. I think this song is a bit too eclectic in how it swaps between calm and slightly more upbeat. The vocodering is just sloppy, too.
Now we come to the b-side from I RAVE U, HOUSE NATION, featuring ex-m-flo vocalist LISA. I don’t like how it starts with that skipping and looping either, but looking past the awfully cheesy lyrics, I can handle this song. I like it, actually. The chorus itself is nice, overall, and sounds a lot more plausible away from I RAVE U. It’s not great, but I’ll take it.
HOLD UP. RING THE ALARM, THIS ALBUM JUST REACHED CRITICAL MASS. Bangalicious, the collaboration with Anna Tsuchiya, has to be the stand-out track on this album. Sexual innuendo aside, this song takes a very similar approach to ROCK U with its sound, and Anna’s singing in complete English here, which was a nice touch as she speaks it fluently. The lyrics are a bit nonsensical, but the synths work on being catchy and aggressive without deafening you like in ROCK U. The chorus is big on repetition here, but it’s all natural, so it doesn’t have that god awful clipping in it. It’s a very simple fare of the line “I don’t care, say what you want” with a few words being repeated here and there, but it works. The verses are DEFINITELY the highlight here, but I can’t help but love every second of this song. GET IT FOR THIS. Should’ve been a single. Love for Anna x 10.
And now we take it down a notch for… What, the first time on the album? Believe in LOVE, BoA’s collaboration track, sounds a bit better here, calming things down a bit instead of standing on its own as an ethereal track against a pop track. BoA’s voice leaves quite a bit to be desired, however, which is a bit unfortunate. I don’t really like how the synthed verses align with the “orchestral” chorus, but this section of the song is actually beautiful. I can see it in a new light here, but it’s still not an OMGWOWFIERCELYFANTASTIC song. That high note is quite impressive though.
Here’s something I was a bit worried about. NEW ECCENTRIC GIRL was a rather scary thought, as it features CHISA, the vocalist from GIRL NEXT DOOR. Thankfully, the opening synths are simple, yet catchy, and nothing like their done-to-death eurodance style in GND. Her voice leads MUCH to be desired, but for all intents and purposes, this is just a fun dance track, so who cares about vocal strength. That weird high-low synth section with a highly vocodered CHISA was actually REALLY catchy though. When they added more beats in and CHISA starts singing about some eccentric chick, it can sound just a BIT too chaotic, but at least it drops down again. I think I can hear a few reused synths in here… But it’s catchy nonetheless. Another highlight!
Well, I guess this album loves b-sides. Golden LUV featuring Maki Goto found its way onto trax as well, and again, it sounds a bit better here against the contrast of BoA’s track. It stands out, and helps differentiate the album tracks a bit. I like how it’s a dance song with an aim instead of more mindless dance tracks, and it actually has a cohesive sound instead of random synths thrown together.
Ah, TRF. I love you for EZ DO DANCE, but how well do we hold up alongside VERBAL from m-flo in V.I.P.P.? It has this disjointed synthed-up sound that sort of has a 90s sound thrown in with it. Those vocals singing over it are SO familiarly cheesy, especially with what they’re singing, but the whole backing vocal and rapping thing we have going on with the lively synth is actually REALLY engaging and interesting. It’s really repetitious, and there isn’t a smidge of presence for whatserface, the female singer from TRF. I can let it slide, because this is an AWESOME song. Not as good as Bangalicious, though. Verbal’s doing all the work, too, where are TRF in this anyway?
OMG, the awesome just keeps coming. 1 more night, the collaboration with MONKEY MAJIK, and the a-side for a digital single before release, is even simpler than the simpler songs, with the verses only consisting of one simple synth loop with the two (Canadian) vocalists singing. As such, it’s in complete English and their vocals sound oddly out of place. That’s part of the charm of the song, and when it gets into the chorus, it sounds even better. It’s not explosive, it’s not completely upbeat, it’s just a simple semi-ballad of sorts. Again, some of these synths start sounding a bit… Similar at this stage in the album, but on its own, it’s an outstanding track.
Warui ko Mitsuketa, however, is a different story. It’s kind of… Like… Reggae?! Mixed with electro-pop, really. Yuko Ando has a really… Strange voice. It’s hard to get used to, but that kind of faux-strain thing she does with her voice at the end of certain notes is interesting to listen to. It’s actually kind of… Boring… For the final track of a dance album.
OH, GOD, TURN IT OFF! TURN IT OFF!!! I completely forgot I RAVE U was coming to close the album after all of this awesome, and DJ OZMA’s inclusion was just as bad. Really, after listening to the whole album… I can KIND of appreciate the song. OZMA himself sounds pretty good here, so I can’t complain. He’s not exactly a talented vocalist, but he works well with trance synths. It’s a LITTLE bit better, but still horrible.
Album Score
A-
Favorite Tracks
1) Bangalicious feat. Anna Tsuchiya
2) NEW ECCENTRIC GIRL feat. CHISA
3) V.I.P.P. feat. TRF and VERBAL
4) Golden LUV feat. Maki Goto
5) ROCK U feat. Namie Amuro
Well, ravex are just full of surprises, aren’t they? trax was full of engaging and interesting songs, and while they did overuse certain synths, the majority of the album was a really great listen. Fun, too. Techno seems to be missing fun, lately, taking cute instead. Hearing such a large number of popular artists get this techno treatment was part of the fun, though, and I’m hoping ravex comes back for me! Quick note though, guys: Ami Suzuki is part of avex. Why isn’t SHE on here?
Tracklisting
1) WILD
2) Dr.
3) WILD (Instrumental)
4) Dr. (Instrumental)
WILD / Dr. is Namie Amuro’s 33rd overall single, and the first for 2009. It was released on the 18th of March, 2009.
The single opens in a VERY pleasing manner with WILD. It begins with some odd, cartoonish sounds before a hectic arrangement of synths and beats come in and Namie, with what I think are a few vocal effcts, begins singing. It’s a much faster, more serious dance-style song compared to her previous works, and I was VERY pleased to see her try to take this route. Her voice works well with it, and the song has enough attitude and power to give it a lasting appeal. It is very repetitive, but at 3:20 in length, that isn’t much of an issue. It’s be nice if she stuck with this for a while: an album like this would be a dream come true.
But, as hot as WILD is, I just can’t prefer it when Dr. stats playing. It opens with some futuristic beeps and gurgling, before a robotic voice comes in talking about pressing enter after entering a mesage. Then a faster, smoother arrangement comes in with more sciency sounds and synth beeps. This song continues the semi-techno/dance feel, but goes more on the techno side than the dance side. As awesome as the verse arrangement is, when it enters the marching band section, for some reason, I view it as the peak of epic for the song. As it stands, I think this is the best overall package Namie has given us for a while, and as soon as I heard it, I knew it was better than WILD. The best part about it is when in the end, the robotic voice comes in, and the last three words of the song are: “To be continued”. Will we be getting more music like Dr. in the future? This happy camper certainly hopes so! Also note, while I said the robotic voice at the end was the best part, the best part is REALLY how well the marching band works with the rest of the song. To me, anyway.
Single Score
A+
Favorite Track
Dr.
Well, I can safely say, this was Namie’s best single ever! Since the only era of hers I liked in the past was PLAY, I’m very happy to see the level of quality has, at the least, stayed on level with how brilliant that era was. In fact, I think this single has very well surpassed both the PLAY era and all 5 new tracks made for BEST FICTION, which includes the 60s 70s 80s single. Keep it up, girl, because this was one hot single.
Meanwhile, she needs to announce something new. I know it hasn’t been long since this came out, but it’s gotten me curious as to what we’re going to get next. Especially since there were practically no R&B elements in this single at all.
Tracklisting
1. NEW LOOK
2. ROCK STEADY
3. WHAT A FEELING
4. NEW LOOK (Instrumental)
5. ROCK STEADY (Instrumental)
6. WHAT A FEELING (Instrumental)
60s 70s 80s is Namie Amuro’s 32nd single, and the only single in the BEST FICTION era. All three songs were used in a huge advertising campaign for Vidal Sassoon beauty products, with each song representing a different era of popular music. NEW LOOK represents the 60s, and samples “Baby Love”, the popular song by The Supreme’s. ROCK STEADY represents the 70’s, and samples Aretha Franklin’s song of the same name. WHAT A FEELING represents the 80s, and samples Irene Cara’s song of the same title. It reached the #1 spot on the Oricon charts, and is her first release to reach this pinnacle in ten years. It has sold 293,097 copies and has been certified as a platinum release. It was released on the 12th of March, 2008.
NEW LOOK opens the single, and you can’t help but think of clothes, hair, and everything else girly, with its light 60’s influenced music and fashion-related phrases. The song even points to the recent internet and sms typing trends, including lines like “L.O.L” and “O.M.G” in the first verse for the song. It’s an extremely vain song in a sense, but it’s basically representing an aspect many women seem to have. (Any women reading this, DON’T TAKE OFFENCE: I know you aren’t all like that. <3) It’s an infectious song that helps bring new life to the sound of the 60s.
ROCK STEADY then comes in and knocks it up another notch. This song screams 70s rock/soul, with its almost reggae-influenced sound and thumping beats. This song takes infectious to a new level compared to NEW LOOK, as it’s something you could almost dance to, even, and has a lot more life in comparison. Compared to NEW LOOK, this took a very long time to grow on me at first, but now it’s become my favorite on the single.
And once again things take a radical turn, with WHAT A FEELING reflecting the sound of the 80s perfectly, while still keeping a bit of a personal flair with it. It has all the synths required for music from that era, and the PV is even closer to the era than the song. This song is another grower (for me, at least), and it took the longest of the three to actually grow on me properly, but now I absolutely love it, too. The style suits Namie perfectly, too, which helps knock it up a bit.
Single Score
A+
Favorite Tracks
All
Okay, this is another single that I absolutely loved. Compared to the material we’d gotten on “PLAY” and “Queen of Hip-Pop”, this was a radical change, and it was for the better. That’s why I was so angry when I heard the two new tracks they made for BEST FICTION. This single contains some of Namie’s best songs, and she managed to portray each era of music history perfectly. I’ll admit, she sings mechanically, but it fits the songs still. Some strength to her vocals would have made this single even better, but it’s not a huge gripe. They still manage to sound brilliant without any real vocal effort being put into them.
Tracklisting
1. Hide & Seek
2. Full Moon
3. CAN’T SLEEP, CAN’T EAT, I’M SICK
4. It’s all about you
5. FUNKY TOWN
6. Step With It
7. Hello
8. Should I Love Him?
9. Top Secret
10. Violet Sauce (Spicy)
11. Baby Don’t Cry
12. Pink Key
PLAY is Namie Amuro’s 7th overall studio album. It peaked at #1 on the Oricon weekly charts, and sold approximately 516,319 copies. It was released on the 27th of June, 2007.
Hoho, Namie, I’m liking this new side of you already! Hide & Seek sounds radically different from (and a lot better than) anything on Queen of Hip-Pop did. It makes great use of a brass section, and has a whole marching rally theme to it. It’s shown that Namie isn’t afraid to experiment with her style, because this may sound somewhat like an R&B song, but the vocal distortions and brass section throughout help to make it sound different from everything else she’s given us. This was the song that got me to be a real Namie fan, for that exact reason.
Full Moon also dares to be different, and keeps some of the elements that Hide & Seek had. However, this time it isn’t as stellar, and it sounds like something that’d be the b-side on a single for Hide & Seek if it had gotten more than a PV to it. It’s a much quieter song, and Namie’s voice isn’t as engaging this time, so it sort of falls flat. You’ve gotta love the sounds she uses though.
CAN’T SLEEP, CAN’T EAT, I’M SICK is the first single to appear on this album (but not the first released). It shows her going back to her R&B style, but again, she’s utilising more sounds that help the song to stand out. The brass section helps, yet again, to make this stand out, while not making it blindingly similar to Hide & Seek, especially because of the distinctly different styles they hold. So, I’m not sure why I even mentioned it.
It’s all about you is a song that disappoints me for some reason. It shows some rock influence this time, especially with the electric guitar, which is great, because Namie’s actually using a variety of different styles this time. However, there’s just something generic about the song, and the chorus’ lyrics sound a bit idiotic, with the repetition and all. I like the song, but it’s just not as good as it could’ve been.
FUNKY TOWN gives us a bit more R&B now. It’s a lot more like her past songs than CSCEIS was, but it’s not too bad, because this time it’s a cheery, upbeat song that likes to inform us about poolside sex romps and alcohol. So it’s not as light hearted as the cheerful atmosphere and cartoon songs in the middle of the song make it seem like it is. The break time near the end of the song was a great addition though, I’m sure she needs it after that sex. ( Sorry, I know I’m not funny. ;~; )
Step With It sounds a lot like a companion song for It’s all about you, but it doesn’t have any annoying lyrics or rock influences (Which is sort of disappointing), and instead tries to sound like normal R&B/Pop. Namie’s voice is definitely showing improvement in this album compared to previous albums, as she’s actually hitting notes more often, which really improves the overall sound, and it shows a lot in an R&B song like this.
Now we come to something else different. Hello is a dance-influenced song, which utilises a lot of phone sounds throughout, as well as strange English lyrics such as “Because I’m so fly” and “I’m real to the bone”. Namie really can’t pull gangster off, and the PV shows this. Anyway, the chorus is clever, in that it’s basically an answering machine message. The kind that asks you to leave a message, not one you leave yourself. It’s an interesting song, and for some reason, the phone concept seems like something you didn’t see much around this time, so that’s always interesting.
Now we come to the album’s lone ballad. Should I Love Him? is a simple R&B ballad that sticks to a steady theme throughout. But in the way that makes it just get boring eventually, so it’s not really a good thing. Namie sings in a register that sounds just a bit too high in the chorus, and her voice sounds awkwards at times, so it contrasts horribly with the calm R&B backing track. The verses aren’t too good either, as they tend to be a bit too quiet, as do Namie’s vocals. So it’s not a very good effort on their half.
I laugh out loud every time I hear this song. Top Secret isn’t a funny song by any means, and features a mature dance sound, but with an opening line like “I want to taste you tonight.. Hit me!”, you can’t help but giggle a little when you hear it. Anyway, the rest of the song is fast paced, with a thumping synth line and possible cymbals in the background. There are some strange sound effects here and there, but they don’t detract much.
While I really liked the original version of Violet Sauce, Violet Sauce (Spicy) is just as good. It removes the R&B beat and makes the song a full-blown rock song, featuring electric guitars and all. It still has its R&B moments, but overall, the atmosphere of this song would have made it a much better song choice to go with Sin City, compared to the original. Speaking of which, it also lacks the “Welcome to Sin City” line near the beginning because of the lack of a feature in said movie.
We now come to Namie’s most mainstream of songs, Baby Don’t Cry. For being an R&B artist, Namie can pull plain pop off surprisingly well. This is a really cute song, with its light arrangement and Namie’s flawless vocals. She’s even singing at the exact right speed, which just makes the song blend together perfectly.
The final song on this album is another great track. While not the best, Pink Key does a good job at pulling off both Pop and R&B in one song. While it opens in a boring manner, when it gets to the first chorus (which is before the first verse), it allows the Pop to enter and explodes in a cute pink cloud of sound that matches the title perfectly. Namie uses the same vocal style she’s used many times on this album, but hey, it works, so who’s complaining?
Album Score
A+
Favorite Songs
Hide & Seek; CAN’T SLEEP, CAN’T EAT, I’M SICK; Hello, Baby Don’t cry
BRAVO, NAMIE! This album single handedly blows any of her previous works out of the water, and is a VAST improvement from her previous album, which was so generically R&B that it made me die inside. This was definitely one of the best albums of 2007!
Tracklisting
1. FUNKY TOWN
2. Darling
3. FUNKY TOWN (Instrumental)
4. Darling (Instrumental)
( I finally figured out how to do this alignment thing. I’m illiterate when it comes to these editing things, don’t judge me. >< )
FUNKY TOWN is the 31st overall single from Namie Amuro, and the final single in the PLAY era. The title track was used as the Lipton’ Limone CM song, which starred Namie Amuro herself. It debuted at #2 on the daily Oricon charts, and #3 on the weekly charts, and has overall sold 54,030 copies. It was released on the 4th of April, 2007.
Let’s just say that FUNKY TOWN is nothing like I expected. I’m going to admit right here that I at first thought it was going to be a cover version of that old Lipps Inc song, and I KNOW I’m not alone in that. Cover or not, it’s still a good song. I’m not a huge fan of the guy that tries to open this song with his growl, or scream or whatever it is, but it gets better once the synth comes in, as it gives the song a somewhat livelier feeling. Amuro’s voice is alright in the song, but she sounds a bit mechanical either way. This song would’ve been much better had it been a bit FASTER than it is now, as it sounds too slow. The cartoonish sounds you’ll hear halfway through the song can be somewhat annoying, but they aren’t a huge deal. They just sounds hugely out of place. The “break time” segment is pretty odd, though, I don’t see the point. It’s probably the best part of the song though, mainly because the speed actually fits it.
DARLING has one of those openings that can tend to either annoy you, or draw you in. Namie repeats the phrase “Want me, baby” a few dozen times, with distorted sighs and short bursts of synth in the background. When the FULL synth comes in, it gets a lot more interesting. It has an interesting R&B feel to it, which is a lot better compared to FUNKY TOWN. Namie’s higher register voice fits the verses well, too. The chorus brings in Namie’s vocals, a much fuller synth arrangement, and the “Want me, baby” repetition once again, which lasts until the choruses’ outro and a little before the second verse, too. The break-down near the end of the song sounds great, too. And I’m never usually a fan of those. I’ll go as far as saying that I prefer this to FUNKY TOWN, which wouldn’t have been true if I reviewed this right after CSCEIS/Ningyo.
Single Score
A-
Favorite Track
Darling
Compared to her last single, this one features a much larger R&B theme, as both songs are R&B instead of the R&B and traditional mix we got with her last one. The A-side isn’t as good as it could be, but it wasn’t a total flop, and you’ll still get some enjoyment out of it depending on what entertains your brain and such.
Baby Don’t Cry is Namie Amuro’s 30th single overall. It was used as the theme song for the dorama, Himitsu no Hanazono, while the B-Side, Nobody, was originally going to be the B-Side of the White Light / Violet Sauce single, before being taken down for unknown reasons and used on this single. It debuted at #3, which was also its weekly rank, and its peak daily and weekly rank. It has sold 144,081+ copies, and is her highest selling single since “RESPECT the POWER OF LOVE” from 1999. It was the #48 single of the year, and was released on the 24th of January, 2007.
Track Listing
1. Baby Don’t Cry
2. Nobody
3. Baby Don’t Cry (TV-MIX)
4. Nobody (TV-MIX)
While not as surprising as Ningyo, Baby Don’t Cry was also a shock, mainly because of it’s more pop-focused arrangement, while using less R&B elements. It has a way of reminding you of other pop music, yet it doesn’t pinpoint any particular song. It’s a mid-tempo song, and focuses a lot more on synth than CAN’T SLEEP, CAN’T EAT, I’M SICK did, which was a shame, as I can imagine parts in this song where even an electric guitar would work… However, Namie’s vocal performance is of a much higher quality this time around, and while the verses aren’t exactly boring, once again the high point is the bridge and chorus. The way they were put together makes the song seem a lot more emotional, which is something I haven’t really seen Namie do in quite a while, as most of her songs lately seem to be about being fun to listen to instead of actually having this kind of personal message to it. That’s not a bad thing, but it’s great to hear something like this from Namie again.
Nobody is going to be a really familiar experience for many of us. It uses EXACTLY the same arrangement as White Light, and, until you reach the chorus, it can sometimes be hard to tell the difference. The song seems to have more trouble flowing than White Light did, and the end of the chorus ends up sounding awkward. It’s easy to see why it was left off of the White Light single… That’s not why it was (OR WAS IT?!), but still, it’s not as easy to listen to as White Light was. You can’t help but compare the two when you listen to them, and White Light definitely comes off as the stronger of the two. If there ever was a song made to be a B-Side, it was Nobody.
Overall Grade
B
Favorite Song
Baby Don’t Cry
Baby Don’t Cry is definitely one of my favorite singles for PLAY (CSCEIS just barely beats it), mainly due to its different sound compared to what we usually expect from Namie. It’s easy to see why it sold so well, but Nobody pretty much ruined the single; although not as much as previous B-Sides have, it did still lower the overall quality.
CAN’T SLEEP, CAN’T EAT, I’M SICK / Ningyo is Namie Amuro’s 29th overall single. CAN’T SLEEP, CAN’T EAT, I’M SICK was used as the Iromelo CM song, with both CSCEIS and Ningyo being used in the mu-mo CM song. Ningyo is also the first song to have a title written in Kanji by Namie, and is a cover of the 90’s song of the same name by NOKKO. It debuted at #2, which was also its weekly rank and peak position. It has sold 79,525 copies, and was the #125 single of the year.
Track Listing
1. CAN’T SLEEP, CAN’T EAT, I’M SICK
2. 人魚 (Ningyo, lit. Mermaid)
3. CAN’T SLEEP, CAN’T EAT, I’M SICK (Remix)
4. CAN’T SLEEP, CAN’T EAT, I’M SICK (Instrumental)
5. 人魚 (Ningyo; Instrumental)
Wow. I totally forgot it for now, but CAN’T SLEEP, CAN’T EAT, I’M SICK is the single that got me into Namie, as well as the Japanese R&B industry itself. It opens with a simple, jazzy arrangement and a male talking over the music, followed by Namie saying “Oh. My. God!” in what’s probably the cutest way I’ve heard her sing. It keeps the jazzy feel with it for the whole song, while still being an R&B track at the same time. The verses are somewhat interesting. Namie at least sings in a manner that sounds like she’s enjoying it, and she puts a lot of power behind her voice at times. The bridge changes the tone a bit, but not much, it still sounds the same. The chorus reverts to the original sound, but it’s catchy as hell, it’s what makes me like this song so much.
Ningyo was a huge surprise for me. It’s an extremely slow song, with a beautifully simple arrangement to it, still with the synth though. It takes a change from a calming, slow song to a slightly faster song at about 1:30, which doesn’t last long, but does reoccur throughout the song, as if it was the chorus. I can’t really tell if the song even has a chorus. Namie gives a great vocal performance here again, it helps give the song a much calmer feel. Apart from the changes that occur, of course. It has a somewhat ethereal feel to it overall, I was amazed to hear Namie release something like this, but it worked out great either way. It sort of contrasts with CSCEIS, but it still sounds great after it.
And once again, a remix totally kills a perfect single. It gives it a much more synthesized sound, and gives the song more of a dance atmosphere than an R&B one. While keeping the same lyrics, mind you. It doesn’t fit at all, Namie sounds like she’s singing too fast, and the music just gets repetitively annoying fast. Why ruin a great song like this?
Overall Grade
A-
Favorite Song
CAN’T SLEEP, CAN’T EAT, I’M SICK; Ningyo
God, this is one of my favorite singles ever. I’d like to say it’s perfect, but obviously, it isn’t. Why they had to include that crappy remix of CSCEIS, I have no idea whatsoever…
White Light / Violet Sauce is Namie Amuro’s 28th single, as well as the first single in the Play era. White Light was used as the Dwango Iromelo CM song, while Violet Sauce was used as the theme for the Japanese release of Sin City, with Robert Rodriguez, the director of the song, even featuring in the song (More on that later.) It debuted with a weekly rank of #13, and has sold 73,000 copies to date. It was released on the 26th of November, 2005.
Track Listing
1. White Light
2. Violet Sauce
3. Violet Sauce (Anotha Recipie)
4. White Light (Instrumental)
5. Violet Sauce (Instrumental)
White Light opens with a very R&B influenced sound, but not as much as previous songs, followed by chimes and an overall arrangement that just really makes you think of Christmas. This IS a Christmas song, after all, and if the arrangement didn’t give it away, the lyrics will. You’ll even hear the usual bells in the background. It’s a slow song, yet it’s not a ballad, and it’s not a sad song either. It consists of quite a bit of synth, along with an acoustic guitar, and Namie’s singing is rather soft in this song. The verses can be rather boring at times, but the chorus is a lot more interesting. It’s a nice, simple, easy song to listen to. It just surprises me that it was released a month before Christmas…
I heard the Spicy mix of Violet Sauce before this one (I started with the PLAY album, to see if the singles were worth downloading), but I must say, I am currently IN LOVE with the original version. It’s a lot darker than the last song, and it utilizes synth again, as well as an electric guitar. This song is pretty much pure R&B. Namie gives a great vocal performance in this song, especially during the chorus. While the chorus may sound a bit odd (“Dip it in the sauce” and such), it is pretty catchy. It’s also different from what we usually hear from Namie, mainly due to the aforementioned electric guitars. It even features a cameo from the director of Sin City, as was mentioned before the actual review, saying “Welcome to Sin City” in a distorted voice at about 3:22 into the song. It contrasts horrible with White Light, but they have a similar sound, so they work well together, anyway.
And now we reach a low point. The Anotha Recipie mix of Violet Sauce is just pretty much bad. The distorted voice of the director of Sin City opens the song this time, and it has a similar sound overall, but you might even say the opening is somewhat tribal in the way it sounds. The verses are whispered by Namie this time around, with the bridge following the same quiet sound with the BGM but with louder singing, with the chorus following a similar manner. It’s basically a quieter Violet Sauce. I really prefer the original, this one just sounds a bit off with the quiet sounds. This song was meant to be loud, and it should stay that way.
Overall Grade
B
Favorite Song
Violet Sauce
I must say, while Queen of Hip-Pop was an alright album in most cases, White Light / Violet Sauce already breaks the monotony of the last album and actually gives the PLAY era hope in the respect that it might actually turn out to (and actually will turn out to be) interesting. While this definitely isn’t the song that really got me into Namie (Hide & Seek holds that record), it certainly is a great single.
So, I’ve been thinking over which artists to add to my listings for a while, and I have now declared two as being good enough to be here on the blog~ And they are…
I swear, sometimes Yuna Ito’s writers make her music almost IMPOSSIBLE to listen to (I don’t think I need to tell her fans what I’m talking about. I mean, she’s fluent in English, why give her half-translated songs?), but when it’s good, oh god, is it good. So, as such, I’ve decided to feature her here. I’ll be starting with her first single from the Wish era, I’m Here. Expect it within the next few days.
As for the second artist…
I went through a period where I ignored most of Namie’s work. I was never a real fan of her Queen of Hip-Pop album, so I pretty much ignored the PLAY era. I highly regret that now, as she is most definitely the BEST Japanese R&B singer that I have ever heard. I’ve listened to her for a while now, and her 60s 70s 80s single was my second review on my first blog (Before I became an organizational freak.) So I’m finally going to feature her here. Again, expect the review of the first Play single, White Light / Violet Sauce, in the next few days~
However, I’m missing a few tracks from a number of the singles/albums I planned on reviewing soon, after some computer troubles. It might take me a few days to get it all with the way my internet’s acting (It’s decided to mess up on me as well, I was lucky to be able to post this blog), so I apologize if I don’t get any new reviews done in this time. I’ll be trying, but if you don’t see anything, my apologies~
These’ll be my last features for a while, but I already have a few in mind for the next ones (Namely Otsuka Ai and Eri Nobuchika (Thanks again for the recommendation, blackmager~), plus a few more I’m still not entirely decided on), so keep an eye out. I want to finish the reviews I have lined up so far first though.
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