the mog network 4.0- jpop part 6

Jpop

Part 6. Initially this page was a list of all the CD's I have. But that got too boring... in this section I review some of the CD's and music-oriented stuff I buy.

BoA- LISTEN TO MY HEART

AVCD-17061
released 02.3.13
3059 yen

Track Listing:
01. LISTEN TO MY HEART
02. POWER
03. Every Heart -Minna no kimochi-
04. Don't start now
05. Kimochi wa tsutawaru
06. Share your heart (with me)
07. Dreams come true
08. Amazing Kiss
09. happiness
10. ID;Peace B
11. Nobody but you
12. Nothing's gonna change
Bonus Track:
13. LISTEN TO MY HEART
(Hex Hector Main Mix:English version)
14. the meaning of peace

BoA's first full Japanese-language album is finally here! Despite being in complete Japanese, most of the songs on BoA's album are reminiscent of kpop.

BoA is the first Korean singer to have immense popularity in Japan. The groups S.E.S. and H.O.T., while ultra-popular in Korea, tried to penetrate the Japanese music market, but they hardly made a dent.

I will admit, I didn't really like this album at first listen. Most of the songs sounded the same to me. BoA's style of pop is definitely Korean; her singing style sounds a lot like female Korean artists. The title track, "LISTEN TO MY HEART," is a high-powered pop tune. It sounds a lot like Dream (the American girl group)'s "He Loves You Not." "POWER" is another high-energy tune that utilizes the electric guitar. "Every Heart ~Minna no kimochi~" is a slower song; it sounds like a typical Korean ballad. Among the other notable songs on the album are "Amazing Kiss" and "ID;Peace B," both feverish, energetic pop tunes that you won't be able to stop singing. Finally, BoA remade the songnation version of "the meaning of peace" with Kouda Kumi and added it onto her album as a solo version. This is the only song whose music sounds completely Japanese-inspired; it was written and composed by Tetsuya Komuro himself, after all.

LISTEN TO MY HEART is a high-power, high-energy album. There are only two or three slow songs, the rest being songs you'd listen to to get pumped up. While the lack of variety in BoA's style of music disappointed me, the album is, after a few listens, quite good. BoA's vocals are better than many of her Japanese counterparts', showing talent well beyond her years (she's younger than me, even.) If you're looking for a fast-paced album to get funky with, this would be it.

Do As Infinity - Do The Best

AVCD-17110
released 02.3.20
3150 yen

Track Listing:
01. SUMMER DAYS
02. Tooku made
03. Hi no ataru sakamichi
04. Desire
05. Heart
06. Enrai
07. Week!
08. new world
09. Yesterday & Today
10. Oasis
11. 135
12. Fukai mori
13. nice & easy
14. Boukenshatachi (GREAT TOUR BAND version)
15. Tangerine Dream (GREAT TOUR BAND version)
16. Welcome! (GREAT TOUR BAND version)
17. We are. (GREAT TOUR BAND version)

DAI's first best album. Because of the slump in the Japanese music industry lately, many artists have released best-of albums in a hope to boost sales, which is a good opportunity to sample an artist. Having followed DAI's music partially, I thought the album would be a good chance to hear a wider range of their songs.

Do The Best delivers! DAI's rock sound and lead singer Tomiko Van's vocals are a perfect match. While the general style is the same for all their songs, there are both fast-paced and slower songs on the album. "SUMMER DAYS" is a loud rock song and a great intro to the album, more hard-rock than their usual songs, and even though the lyrics (which are all in English) might be a little questionable, the tune is infectious. "Tooku made" sounds like an alternative song taken from America in the 90's... it's a positive tune. Among their slower songs, "Enrai" and "Yesterday & Today" really stand out. Both are soft rock ballads, "Enrai" having less instrumentation than the latter, but both carry the distant feeling of sadness. The song "Fukai mori" is great; the intro features a simple mix of Tomiko's melodies and an acoustic guitar, and while the instruments build up, the song retains its simple, yet sophisticated feeling. The final song I'll mention is "Tangerine Dream (GREAT TOUR BAND version)". The song is positive and what I most noticed was the nice usage of background vocals to give the song a more mellow flavor. Other than that, the other songs were all pretty good.

Not knowing much more about DAI, I was very pleased with their first best album. The songs are top-notch, and their unique half-rock/alternative blend is superb. Any American rock fans would love this album, although it might be a little too soft for anyone used to j-rock.

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