Here is a remix I made of Lady GaGa’s number one single “Poker Face!”
Enjoy

Tracklist:

1. Hanabi Sky
2. La La La FIGHTERS
3. I Wish I Was A Punk Rocker
(With Flowers In My Hair)
4. Hanabi Sky (Instrumental)

Hanabi Sky is Miho Fukuhara’s 5th single and was released on June 15, 2009.

Following the commercial and musical success of her debut album RAINBOW (it’s awesome!!!) Miho follows up with an aggressive rock song “Hanabi Sky.” When looking at her album, RAINBOW, Miho has dabbled in lots of soul and acoustic rock and pop. I’m so glad she has done this song because the power of her voice fits the power of the instrumental. Her astounding voice is backed by sweeping synth, riffing electric guitars, and banging drums. The chorus is especially uplifting!

The first B-side is “La La La FIGHTERS.” This is one of her more aggressive upbeat songs with some blaring brass, aggressive drums, and a catchy catchy beat. This is sooooo Miho for her soulful voice and is a great addition to the single whether it be on her next album or not.

Unortunately, the fun stops here. Her cover of Sandi Thorn’s “I Wish I Was A Punk Rocker (With Flowers In My Hair)” is….. eh at best. I have never heard her have a problem with English pronunciation despite that she is not bilingual. Except here… Frowers…. KILL ME! The rest of the song mimics the original and her vocals are good, but this cover holds her back…

RATING:

Tracklist:

1. Koi Kagarete
2. CRUISE the WORLD
3. FOREVER 21
4. Koi Kagarete (Instrumental)

Koi Kagarete is the third single from BENI and was released on June 10, 2009.

“Koi Kagarete” is BENI’s first mid-tempo track and it sure delivers! This track is very acoustic based as Mou Nido to… was. This really is the best of her A-sides because her vocals are truly superb and this track is very endearing, charming, and well crafted. It adds an R&B flavor adding many beats and claps and snaps and keeps the pop ballad equation by not adding too much and letting BENI sing. This makes me more excited for her album! On a side note… the beat reminds me of “Sexy Love” by N-Yo. Just throwing it out there…

Two B-sides this time!!! The first is “CRUISE the WORLD.” This is BENI’s first danceable track BENI’s vocals are vocoded a little bit and this track has blaring synth and thumping beats. The usual formula. But this track is infectious and addicting as compared to a few of, let’s say, Yuna Ito’s upbeat tracks from early in her career. But I digress…

The 2nd B-side is “FOREVER 21.” This song sounds like a mix of Yuna Ito and Koda Kumi. Here’s why… It has a similar flavor to a lot of Koda’s sugary pop songs with an R&B flair, but the vocals remind me of Yuna’s singing style. These two degrees make for a sweet, light-hearted track. It’s not any bit showstopping, but its a pleasant laid back listen.

RATING:

Tracklist:

1. Lights
2. I Hear the Music In My Soul
3. Lights (Acoustic)
4. Lights (Karaoke)

Lights is Eri Nobuchika’s debut single and was released on December 8, 2004. It reached #78 on the Oricon charts and has sold 7,172 copies.

The minute I heard this song I was hooked on this girl! “Lights” kinda tricks you into thinking its a ever repetitve ballad. It starts that way with some great vocals by Eri with very nostalgic piano chords. But HOLY CRAP! It quickly builds up with shakers and drums until it EXPLODES in the chorus. Eri’s voice freakin soars with the infectious dance beat and nails it. The bridge adds a beautiful string section and really clinches it for me. One of the best songs EVER!

The B-side “I Hear The Music In My Soul” is a REALLY long instrumental with just a touch of vocals. Eri sings the title quite a few minutes in and repeats every now and then. The track is a great dance beat and I would probably like it more if there were more vocals.

If you thought the original was fantastic, the acoustic version of “Lights” is GORGEOUS! The dance beat is stripped as well as the repetive chords and replaces them with a more complex piano arrangement that is so somber and it fits the song so well. Not to mention, they throw some sweeping strings to add a more epic and grandiose feeling. You also notice Eri’s vocals are more pronounced and really take the stage here.

RATING:

Paula’s two comeback singles! Dance Like There’s No Tomorrow was released on January 22, 2008. It peaked at #62 on the Billboard Hot 100. I’m Just Here for the Music was released on May 8, 2009 after her performance of the track on American Idol. It has peaked at #87 on the Billboard Hot 100.

Which is the better track however?? DLTNT has a heavy tone about it, with thumping beats and a very clubbish feel. Of course Paula’s voice has been vocoded, but I honestly don’t care about that. IJHFTM samples Indeep’s Last Night A DJ Saved My Life. It has a more modern ’80s sound, but you can definitely hear the ’80s influence. Paula’s are vocoded here as well.

The winner: I’m Just Here For The Music! While both tracks are great dance tracks, IJHFTM has a more interesting arrangement than the latter, I think Paula’s vocals are better, and there is more dynamics in this track. DLTNT had great beats and vocals, but the whole arrangement stayed the same throughout the chorus until the bridge, without a rise in intensity. Thats my only criticism of the song. Regardless, both songs are fantastic!

Dance Like There’s No Tomorrow/I’m Just Here For The Music
RATING:  / 1/2

I have just found out that Eri released her second studio album yesterday, three years after her last album. I’ve heard its very jazzy so thats a little disappointing but in honor of this magnificent event, I will review her last era before I get to her second album, hands.

The music video for LoveGame premiered on February 13, 2009. LoveGame is the third single from Lady GaGa’s debut album The Fame in North America. It has so far peaked at number 10 on the Billboard Hot 100. It was produced by RedOne, who also produced her #1 hits Just Dance and Poker Face.

I LOVE LADY GAGA!!! Holy crap! She has since exploded onto the music scene. And her debut album The Fame is a great album in its own right! However…. onto this video. Of the few videos GaGa has released, this is my favorite. One word describes this video: HOT! There is much more dancing in this video which I enjoy. She also comes off stronger than ever in this video. You should expect because this is one of the strongest and in your face songs on the album. Lady GaGa is of course known for pushing the envelope.

While we all know this song has some very suggestive lyrics, this video is very risque. She flirts around the idea of promiscuity, sexuality, and nudity. But, how else would you expect the video to be?

Lady GaGa is always over the top and this video just OOOOZZZZZEEEEESSSSSS GaGa!

RATING:

Tracklist:

1. love you
2. Ima Demo Aitai yo…^^^
3. Brand New World
4. Koi wa groovy x2***
5. trust you***
6. BAILA BAILA
7. BREEEEEZIN!!!
8. miss you***
9. LOVE MACHINE GUN
10. No one else
11. Body
12. groovy x2 (Hidden Track)

*** – previously released singles
^^^ – digital single

DREAM is Yuna Iro’s 3rd studio album and was released on May 27, 2009.

In my eyes, Yuna has always had really strong openings for her albums. “love you” is no exception with a very distorted drumbeat that I could not follow at first. Well her voice sounds amazing in this track and really sets a high standard for the album.

This first part of the album is what seems like what Yuna’s usual material would possess, but BETTER!! Her response song “Ima demo Aitai yo…” is just gorgeous and is remiscient of songs like “Alone Again” from WISH and “losin” from HEART. The rest Yuna has released before this album. “Brand New World,” the B-side from trust you, shows the improvement Yuna is showing in her dance songs really shows not only in the production but her voice in them as well. Same is true for Koi wa Groovy x2, a song I was desperately needing since she released stuck on you. And of course, trust you is an amazing ballad that really shows Yuna at her highest talent mark.

Close the chapter on that part of DREAM. Here is the Hawaiian section of the album and for Yuna, it just seems so right! The new track “BAILA BAILA” is a sweet hula dancing number. Besides the fact that its cute, its nothing spectacular behind Yuna’s vocals and the brass arrangement. Of course, the rest of this section is from the miss you single. “BREEEEEZIN!!!” was a track I forgot about and found again with this album as it flows nicely from the midtempo BAILA BAILA to a fast island inspired dance beat. miss you remains probably Yuna’s most personal song to date because of her vocals and the connection to her home.

New chapter again! This is the anything and everything chapter since I can’t describe the section with one sound. I was so surprised by “LOVE MACHINE GUN.” Holy crap! Who thought Yuna could do a rock-inspired dance track? It starts with a really fun beat with riffing electric guitars in the background, but shifts the other way for the chorus, following a more acoutic based setting. Damn she sounds great in this song as well. Most definitely my favorite from this album. The last two main tracks on the album are a ballad “No one else” that is gorgeous, but may just be a little corny for some listeners. Regardless of lyrics, Yuna sounds great. Last is “Body,” which you may have noticed is over ten minutes long. Well this “clappy” dance track should not have ended the album cause it doesn’t fit in with the album anywhere. Also, Yuna is trying to be sexy and I’m not feeling it. But THANKFULLY, it doesn’t end it here. About 90 seconds after Body closes, “groovy x2″ pops in! This is a way to end the album. Love the song with English lyrics, though they might be a tad corny. But it ends the album the way it should… by dancing!

DREAM is definitely Yuna’s best work in my eyes. Though most of the material was already released prior to the album, I found her DREAM era singles a huge step up from her WISH era. Though it may not be her best selling, which shows the ignorance of Japan in my eyes, its her best musically. DREAM is easily accessible and not hard on the ears. Thankfully no more screaming for Yuna, for those who remember I’m Here.

RATING: 1/2

Tracklist:

1. Toki no Ashioto
2. Akai Ito
3. Betelguese
4. Toki no Ashioto (Instrumental)
5. Akai Ito (Instrumental)
6. Betelguese (Instrumental)

Toki no Ashioto is Kobukuro’s 17th single and was released on October 29, 2008.

I first started listening to Kobukuro when I listened to WINDING ROAD, their collaboration with ayaka. Well, I began to look for their newest era of singles and this came up first. “Toki no Ashiato” has a beautiful arrangement that combines piano, light percussion, and strings that come in at different intervals. I knew these two had great voices before this single and they did not disappoint!

When it comes to the B-sides, “Akai Ito” is much more acoustic based and seems to drag on honestly, though i was nicely done. It was over 6 minutes long… The other B-side “Betelguese” was thankfully more upbeat! These two always have great harmonies together and this song was very uplifting. Vocals were not as strong as in the previous two tracks, but I felt happy listening to this track.

RATING:

According to CDJapan, here is the tracklist for Yuna Ito’s newest album DREAM, to be released on May 27, 2009.

1. love you
2. Ima Demo Aitai yo…^^^
3. Brand New World
4. Koi wa groovy x2***
5. trust you***
6. BAILA BAILA
7. BREEEEEZIN!!!
8. miss you***
9. LOVE MACHINE GUN
10. No one else
11. Body
*** – previously released singles
^^^ – digital single

I find it interesting that 6 out of the 12 songs have been released before. Oh well, hope the new tracks are good. Also, I heard that “Body” has a hidden track at the end… groovy x2 (English version of Koi wa groovy x2). YAY!!!