Posts by Recollect
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you may be incredibly talented, but if a company can't use your talent well, how is it really different from people who aren't that talented? music is a priority, not hignotes you can hit or good dance technique. look at aespa or nmixx, they have amazing talents and would easily achieve the same as IVE if their companies managed them well but their companies are stubborn and illogical with their goals. do they deserve success? just like any other group that has worked hard to become an idol.
The stubborness that spurs Aespa is a commitment to experimental and vocal excellence with intriguing choreography, and the supposed illogical goals are expanding hip hip, pop and rap by mixing in r and b and jazz interludes to create a colorful kaleidoscope of sound that is aesthetically appealing and sensitive but also edgy and aggressive.
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Totally agree tha 4Minute is way underrated. To take just one composition and performance. How're Doin' Today is one of the best kpop songs I have ever heard- the quintessential mix of cuteness, almost Latinesque dance flavored sauciness and rhythm with hard pumping rap mixed in. A lovely earworm when it comes to catchiness too.
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I just realized how many of 4Minute songs really resonate with me over the last few weeks and their stage presence is dynamic and gels really well. I think they're fantastic with they're combination of hard hitting, catchy dance songs mixing elements of hip hop, r and b, softer cute concept and industrial music with generous doses of captivating rap done just right not to bad ass on the swag or too cutesy. They also have slower more authentic r and b with softer sensitivity and dashes of beautiful ballads. There is something about the sensational smorgasbord of styles in the vocal mix that creates a beautiful hard hitting hum in the ear drums with more than a few touches of contemporary soul music too. Favorite songs: What're You Doing Today? Muzik, Volume Up, Hot Issue, Pretending Not to Know, What a Girl Wants, I My Me Mine, HUH, Mirror Mirror, Is It Poppin?, Heart to Heart, Why?, Sweet Suga Honey and finally Wait a Minute because it reminds me so much of an f(x) or Red Velvet song.
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I think Feel Special is a really good song that has strong vocals with the synthesizer effect and interesting rhythmic changes, and an overall feel that gells well, but I love Panorama because of the cool dance choreography with the quick hand poses synchronized with Panorama and the hard arm pumping moves matching the pulsating rhythmic drive coupled with the catchy vocal melody, which includes beautifully sustained high pitched notes almost screamed out and interwoven with super cute softer almost spoken lyrics like Ring my Bell near the beginning and Down Down Down at the end. The song by Twice that reminds me most of IZone's Panorama is Likey Likey because I love both these songs and they are both super catchy, cute and upbeat with cool hand choreography.
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In sequential order beginning in 2000
2000
aiko - Beetle -cheating a little since it came out in late 1999 but it's my favorite song by her
Namie Amuro - Please Smile Again
Mai Kuraki - Love Day After Tomorrow, Secret of My Heart, Stay By My Side, Simply Wonderful ra no Toki
Ayumi Hamasaki - Surreal
hitomi - Love 2000
Morning Musume - Koi no Dance Site
2001
Namie Amuro- No More Tears and Never End
Hikaru Utada- Travelling, Kettobase, Drama, Eternally, Distance
hitomi- Inner Child
Mai Kuraki - Stand Up, Perfect Crime, Always
aiko - Rosie
Ayumi Hamasaki - Unite
Morning Musume- The Peace!
Mika Nakashima - Stars
2002
Morning Musume - We're Alive
Hikaru Utada - A.S.A.P, Shiawase, Deep River
Mai Kuraki - Feel Fine, Winter Bells
hitomi- Samurai Drive
Namie Amuro - Wishing on the Same Star
Mika Nakashima - I Will
Ayumi Hamasaki - Everywhere and Nowhere
2003
Namie Amuro - Put'em Up, So Crazy, Shine More and the spacy sounding Come from
Four Seasons
Mika Nakahima - Yuki no Hana and Love Addict (can't choose)
Hikaru Utada- Simple and Clean, Colors
aiko - Eriashi ahd Hot 热的
Mai Kurak - Time after Time
2004
Ai Otsuka - Daisuki Dayo (favorite song by her), Amenbo
Namie Amuro - All for You and Girl Talk
Mai Kuraki - Ashita e Kakeru hashi
2005
Mika Nakashima - Glamorous Sky
Ai Otsuka - Planetarium, Kuroge Wagyu Joshi Tanyaki 680 Yen, Neko ni Fūsen,
2006
Hikaru Utada - When Someone's Wishes Come True, Blue and This is Love
yui - Rolling Star, Merry Go Round, Goodbye Days, Feel My Soul
Ai Otsuka - Ren'ai Shashin, Frienger, Yumeku
aiko - Shutter,
Mika Nakashima - Hitoiro
Mai Kuraki- Diamond Wave
Ayumi Hamasaki - Heaven
2007
Namie Amuro - Baby Don't Cry, Full Moon and Pink Key
Hakaru Utada - Beautiful World
Ai Otuka - Peach, Chulip,
AKB 48- Seifuku ga Jama o Suru
2008
Hikaru Utada- Stay Gold
Namie Amuro - Rock Steady
aiko - Kiss Hug
Ai Otsuka - Kurage, Nagareboshi
yui - Again
Scandal - Doll
AKB 48 - Oogoe Diamond
2009
Kana Nishino - Motto, Dear, Maybe and Kimi ni Aitaku Naru Kara
Namie Amuro - Dr., Wild and Fast Car
Ai Otsuka - Bye Bye
Scandal - Shojo S
AKB 48- Nadmida Surprise, River
2010
Kana Nishino - Best Friend, Kimi Ite, Aitakute Aikakute, If, Hey Boy and Kono Mama De
Hikaru Utada - Goodbye Happiness
yui - Rain, To Mother
AKB 48 - Beginner, Majisuka Rock 'n Roll, Kimi no Koto ga Suki Dakara
Scandal - Scandal Nanka Buttobase
2011
Kana Nishino- Tatoe Donna Ni, Distance, I'll Be There, Alright, Esperanza and Together
Namie Amuro - Naked
AKB 48 - Kaze wa Fuiteiru, Flying Get,
Mai Kuraki- 1000 Mankai no Kiss
2012
Kana Nishino - Watashitachi, Always, Go For It, Sakura I Love You, Happy Half Year
Leo Ieri- Shine, Bless You, Sabrina, Say Goodbye and Last Stage
Namie Amuro - Love Story, Tempest, In the Spotlight. Yeah Oh
Luna Haruna - Overfly and Sora Wa Takaku Kaze Wa Utau
Nogizaka 46 Hashire Bicycle, Sekkachi na Katasumuri, Seifuku no Manekin M
Mai Kuraki - Braveheart
Scandal- Taiyō Scandalous
anekino Manekin
2013
Namie Amuro- Contrail, Let Me Let You Go, Rainbow and Heaven
Kana Nishino- Believe and Sayonara
AKB 48 - Heart Electric, Sayonara Crawl
Nogizaka 46- Kimi no Na wa Kibō, Barrette, Romansu no sutāto, Sekai de Ichiban Kodoku na Lover
Leo Ieri- Taiyo no Megami, Message
Luna Haruna- Kimi Ga Kureta Sekai
Scandal - Awanai Tsumori no, Genki de ne, Overdrive
Mai Kuraki - Try Again
2014
Nogizaka 46- Nandome no Aozora ka?,Mukuchi no Lion, Kizuitara Kataomoi, Free and Easy
Kana Nishino- Darling, Agata no Uta and Suki
Leo Ieri- Junjō" (純情, Taiyou no Megami, Silly, Ijiwaru na Kamisama, Kiss Me
Namie Amuro - Tsuki
AKB 48- Kiboteki Refrain
2015
Nogizaka 46- Gomen No Zutto, Inochi wa Utsukushii, Mou Sukoshi no Yume, Ima hanashitai dareka ga Iru,
Kana Nishino- Moshi mo Unmei no Hito ga Iru no nara, Torisetsu
Leo Ieri- Miss You, Kimi ga Kureta Natsu (The Summer You Game Me)
Namie Amuro- Mint, Time Has Come
Luna Haruna- Kimiiro Signal, Startear
2016
Nogizaka 46- Sayonara No Imi, Naimononedari, Hadashi de Summer,
Kana Nishino- Have a Nice Day, Yeah, Holiday, Set Me Free,
Leo Ieri- Bokutachi no mirai, Brand New Tomorrow, Hello to the World
Hikaru Utada- Hanataba o Kimi ni, Manatsu no Tōriame, Michi
AKB 48- High Tension
2017
Nogizaka46- Itsuka Dekiru kara Kyō Dekiru, Influencer
Namie Amuro- Showtime, Do It for Love, In Two,
Hikaru Utada- Forevermore, Anata,
Kana Nishino- One More Time
2018
Leo Ieri- Zutto Futari de, Harukaze, Relax, Tokyo, Afutādāku, Fantasy, Arikitaridesuga, Datte nekodakara, Papa no tokei
Nogizaka 46- Kaerimichi wa Tōmawari Shitaku Naru, Syncrhonicity
Hikaru Utada- Chikai, Play a Love Song
AKB 48- Teacher Teacher
2019
Nogizaka 46- Yoake Made Tsuyogaranakutemoii
AKB 48 Sustainable
2020
Nogizaka 46 - Shiawase, Sekaijuu no rinjin yo, Boku wa Boku wo Sukt ni Naru,
Leo Ieri- Mikansei
2021
Nogizaka 46- Fingers Crossed
2022
Leo Ieri- Answer, Kanashi mi no Hate
Nogizaka 46- Actually
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For me the album that converted me to really liking Hikaru Utada's music was Distance, even though to many especially it seems in the West it appears to be the ugly duckling of Hikaru's Japanese discography, but I vehemently disagree. Speaking objectively, it is her second best selling album. Personally, I think Distance is Hikaru's best and most underrated album, though I certainly think Deep River and Ultra Blue are really close and Heart Station and Fantom are close as well. One of the greatest compliments I could give an album is to say that it converted me to being a fan of an artist I previously wasn't really into that much and such is the case for Hikaru Utada and Distance. It is the beautiful vulnerability and lovely feminity in her voice and for me Distance is Hikaru's most immediate, passionate and spontaneous sounding album like with the laughs left in at the end of Wait and See, including beautifully silky vocals and lovely sky high whines, cries and agility rising into falsettos with fine fluidity. What it lacks in moments of meditation and empty space, it makes up for in antic energy, sincerity and a fascinating juxtaposition of styles and moods in combining r and b, Latin, rock, and ballads as in the lush strings and big vocal build up in Eternally. It grooves, jostles then soothes the listener between the tracks but isn't afraid to leave in a free rough abrasive sounding edges here and there to give it the feel of the joy and strife of life which gives it a kind of genuine R and B pedigree. It is also makes a great period piece evoking the early 2000's vividly like a recording sent up in a space ship to remind one of this specific time and place.
Wait and See comes out of the box with an alternating tide of relatively quiet chime like instrumentation rising to a full throated whine that blasts off in the chorus symbolized well in the video when Hikaru races through the streets on a motorcyle while she sports some cool moves with an extended mix of overdubs and a laugh left in providing an interesting outro to the song. The Latinesque r and B Can You Keep a Secret has an intriguing whining and quivering quality in the vocals with some nice backing vocals and a catchy bopping dance rhythm, some tasty Spanish acoustic licks mixed with a whispering interlude, and more appealing whining in the chorus. Actually, there is a slightly neurotic quality that grates just a tiny bit yet this is actually an asset because it gives it a more desperate unsettling quality.
Personally, I find the claim that this album is a copy of American R and B only in the Japanese language to be erroneous since the composite of styles that are mixed into the songs is quite unique when taken as a whole. For instance, the soothing chimes and silky smooth vocals and intricately interwoven overdubs, that greet the listener in Distance seem to be an embroidered synthesis of American r and B, traditional Japanese and Hikaru's own unique blend of the two with touching subtlety and sophistication. Such lovely rise and fall out of the falsetto in this song too and the seamless production really pulls the listener in. The discordance and distortion in Drama with electric guitar and Hikaru's emotional and gutteral delivery adds some grit and rawness to the album that contrasts "drama"tically with Distance with the cross current of clashing overdubs creating a really pleasing cacophony. Vocally,
Addicted to You starts out rather deep and quiet but crescendoes into a beautifully full throated plaintive delivery and then the outro leaves in Hikaru's shig a shig a which adds more spontaneity to the album. Then, comes the fabulous Kettobase which combines the vulnerability of Eternally, the Latin rhythms and passion of Can You Keep a Secret and the rocking discordance of Drama with the masterfully phrased, "I Want your bAAAby." with an onslaught of whines, cries, rapid rises and falls in pitch. And then a ecstatic full throated peak in the chorus. This song among many others shows me what a vocal virtuoso Hikaru really is. Finally, Time Limit is a straight up fantastic R and B piece in a bit more traditional style with a fabulous blending of Hikaru's lovely whines and cries, harmonious backing vocals and a really tasteful rap breakdown. These are my favorite songs but For You has a cool groovy breakdown and lovely smoothness in the vocals with some nice keyboard touches and some plucked strings flourishes I also like Parody and Sunglasses. I also really like the flowing silky glossy look of Hikaru on the cover to the album. It is really aesthetically appealing but her downcast eyes suggests the Distance in the title. Overall, I give this album 5 stars. -
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I am surprised to finally see a fairly new thread about Kana Nishino one of my favorite singers ever from anywhere. She has such a beautiful and resonant R and B base mixed in with cute concept, country, and a roller coaster of emotion bursting with joy to bittersweet sadness in her ballads, also mixing a touch of country like in Darling and When I Find My SoulMate with Japanese traditional and plenty of highly appealing pop. I have no idea what she is doing now, though I miss her singles, albums and live performances. Not only is Kana one of the few single artists who can sell out dome tours by concentrating almost completely on the quality and charm of her voice and personality (since she doesn't focus that much on dancing), but she also set a record by having the most number 1 songs on the short lived digital download chart from 2009 to 2012. During this stretch, she had an amazing 12 number 1 singles on this chart, which I believe is the most during this period.
Here is a list of all her number 1 digital download singles. I love all these songs:
2009
1. Motto 2 weeks week of October 20 and week of November 3
2. Dear 1 week week of December 1
2010
3. Best Friend 3 weeks
4. Aitakute Aitakute 2 weeks
5. If 2 weeks
6. Kimitte 3 weeks
2011
7. Distance 2 weeks
8. Esperanza 1 week
9. Tatoe Donnani 2 weeks last week of 2011 and first week of 2012
2012
10. Sakura, I Love You 2 weeks
11. Watashitachi 3 weeks
12. Go For It 1 week chart is discontinued while this song is number 1
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Sooyoung. I also think Sooyoung has the quickest wit, is the funniest and does the best impersonations on variety shows
then Yoona
Tayeon for having such a beautiful, strong and soulful voice and charisma
but the whole group is beautiful most of all in the music and stage presence
My opinion of SNSD has changed dramatically in a positive way over the last couple of weeks. I like them as much as my previous top favorites.
