Shimatani Hitomi – 白い蝶のサンバ and 長い間 [New Songs]
In order to promote Hitomi’s latest BEST album, BEST & COVERS, released on 07.26.09, two new songs were added to the collection: 白い蝶のサンバ and 長い間.
白い蝶のサンバ is a fun upbeat song that suits Hitomi perfectly. The song begins with the smooth sounds of the guitar and then when the full instrumentation comes in, the listener is taken to another world. Hitomi sings rapidly and her vocals are just so sweet that they fit the music perfectly. The chorus is nice although it doesn’t stand out as strongly as one might expect from the strength of the verses. It’s a very nice song and a good addition to the COVERS disc.
長い間 is a soothing ballad that Hitomi brings to life with emotional vocals. It has a very romantic atmosphere about it that is hard to resist. It serves as a good way to close the compliation off.
Song Rankings: B +
Shimatani Hitomi – SMILES [30th Single]
Shimatani Hitomi’s 30th single, entitled SMILES, was released on 03.04.09. SMILES was used as the theme song for the movie Parallel, starring Hitomi herself. The B-side, stay with me, was used as the eleventh ending theme for the anime series MAJOR.
SMILES is a happy uptempo number made for unifying everyone through smiling. The song starts off with Hitomi singing alongside a very cherry and sweet instrumentation, primarily driven by the acoustic guitar. Her vocals portray such a happiness that the listener can’t help but feel the message of the song shining through. On the first verse, her vocals are very smooth and compliment the music perfectly. The instrumentation also becomes slightly more diverse and a little more funky, adding to the interest of the song. There is something very likeable and personable about the chorus, which stays on the listener’s mind. The pure instrumental section is very pretty because the song’s Spanish influences are spotlighted for everyone to hear. SMILES is a very enjoyable and cute song that is worth the listen.
stay with me carries the same sweet poppy atmosphere as the A-side. It was a very happy feeling and her vocals are very enjoyable, particularly when she sings the title of the song. It sort of unifies the single in a singular atmosphere and it’s another nice song.
In order to promote the single, a PV for SMILES was made. Well it’s more of a collection of clips from the movie but they go together quite nicely with the theme of the song. And because Hitomi is starring in the movie, she gets to be in the video so essentially it’s like an actual PV. The video really communicates the element of nostalgia as Hitomi looks back on the happy times she had with her boyfriend. I haven’t seen the movie or even know the storyline so I can’t tell if you anything more but it works within the context of the song.
Single Ranking: B +
Hitomi starts off her 10th anniversary nicely with SMILES. Both the A-side and stay with me are happy and sunny tracks with a naturalness to them that will catch the listener’s ear. Hopefully she’ll release more upbeat dance songs like Neva Eva sometime this year.
[Part Three] Artist Profiles
There have been so many artists this year that should be proud for putting out some fantastic music. From the boys to the girls, from the new artists to the veterans, they have made this Oricon Year one of strong music. Today, we’ll explore artists that have released this year (exluding those from Hello Project and Johnny’s Entertainment, who have already been covered).
Let’s start things off by covering one of my favorite genres, Japanese electropop. From Perfume to Aira Mitsuki to SAWA, there have been many different styles from electropop that stood out. But there is one producer who is the head of this genre: Nakata Yasutaka. And there is one person who reigns queen of J-Electropop 2008: Suzuki Ami. Nobody brought the heat like Ami. DOLCE was released at the beginning of the year and even though, it didn’t feature Nakata’s touch all over the album, FREE FREE and SUPER MUSIC MAKER were integral parts of that album. Then to commemorate her 10th anniversary, she continued to release. Both singles, ONE and can’t stop the DISCO, got me hooked on her. Even the B-sides, A token of love and climb up to the top, were extremely impressive and it made me really anticipate Supreme Show. I was definitely not disappointed because tracks like TEN, Mysterious and TRUE are twinkling jewels of the Nakata and Ami team. She brought something new to the electropop scene: sexiness. Let’s face it, electropop is more on the cute and quriky side but it’s nice to see something new and that’s what Ami is. She has her own style that makes her stand out against the other girls of electropop. She did a fantastic job this year and definitely deserves high praise. Perfume, also produced by Nakata, impressed me this year. After releasing a fantastic single, Baby cruising love / マカロニ (マカロニ still holding the title as best electropop slow song), the girls came with GAME. It was a strong album featuring many impressive numbers such as Butterfly and シークレットシークレット which made me really take notice of them. However it was the following singles, which cemented me in fandom. Love the world and Dream Fighter were two excellent singles that really have me anticipating another album from them. They definitely bring that electropop flavor well. Aira Mitsuki also had some memorable tracks come through to make me a fan of hers. Swallowtail D.A.N.C.E. (Cherryboy Function Version), Beep Count Fantastic (featuring Terukado), チャイナ・ディスコティカ and Rock n’ Roll Is Dead are all addictive tracks and she has a habit of getting the best tracks with a focus on instrumentation rather than vocals. With these kind of tracks, it’s no wonder that she stands out in the electropop crowd. I know MEG isn’t the most popular product of Nakata’s work but she has gotten some standout songs like SUPERSONIC, MAKE LOVE and the amazingly fantastic NATALIE <FM 16 MIX.> That last song is one of my favorite electropop songs ever so it’s clear she can bring the magic. Although Nakata is the king producer of electropop, his group capsule wasn’t as strong as I was hoping for. There were some standout numbers on their new album, More! More! More! such as Phantom and e.d.i.t. but overall, they were definitely not the strongest electropop members. Electropop certainly stood out this year and with the growing popularity of Nakata, I look forward to seeing what he brings us in 2009 (particularly for Ami and Perfume).
Let’s move onto J-Urban. The J-Urban scene has been pretty quiet this year with certain acts like EMYLI and m-flo not releasing anything but we did have some nice new songs. Newcomer, Shiraishi Kikyo, made waves with me. Both BLACK and again really hooked me because a new talented girl who was doing something upbeat with that sexy vibe was coming through. I thought she did a very good job and she should certainly be proud. Her third single was a little on the bland side but her fourth is already a step up. I’m not exactly sure why she’s changed to Nori Shiraishi but honestly, I think it’s kind of funny. I guess we’ll see what that does for her. Somehow, I still haven’t heard the full version of again and I don’t think a full PV was ever released (that’s nice guys…). I look foward to seeing what she’ll do in the future. DOUBLE stood out to me because she collaborated with superstar Amuro Namie for the sleek and catchy, BLACK DIAMOND. These two girls brought the heat on this new track and definitely set me up to see what she is going to do next. We also saw the Aoyama Thelma achieve massive success with second single, そばにいるね featuring Soulja (to my surprise and confusion). However it was her 4th single 守りたいもの (plus amazing B-side, MADONNA), which caught my attention. I know Thelma can make some very good songs but I’m hoping that her music will be more diverse in 2009 (how about some more upbeat numbers Thelma?). Crystal Kay had some enjoyable songs too as she released another album (Color Change!) and two singles (涙のさきに and ONE). 涙のさきに was pretty catchy and some of the songs on Color Change! were nice but I’m hoping next year, the music will be even better.
Now let’s talk about the boys of J-Pop (not including JE boys). It was obvious from the start that Tohoshinki would be the real standout guys of the year. They’ve released so much material that it’s ridiculous. They’ve released a total of 9 singles and an album (also a Korean album) so they’ve been really busy. How did they reach such a high number of singles? The TRICK project. The song TRICK from their album T wsa a mashup of five different songs and so the group released those five seperate songs as singles and added their own solo number as well. Some went very well (If…?! / Rainy Night [Junsu] and Runaway / My Girlfriend [Yuchun]) while some fell flat (Two hearts / WILD SOUL [Changmin]). Overall though it was an enjoyable project. In addition to those 5 singles, four others were released: Purple Line, Beautiful you /千年恋歌, どうして君を好きになってしまったんだろう? and 呪文 -Mirotic.- That last single was amazing as was Purple Line so the boys should be very proud. The other two were okay and could have been stronger but hey, they can’t all be hits. Their 3rd Japanese album, T, also featured some great songs like CLAP! and LAST ANGEL -Tohoshinki Version.- These boys did a fantastic job this year and I can only anticipate what they’ll pull next year. Their next single, Bolero, has already been announced for a January release. Jaejong and Yuhno also really caught my eye because they were absolutely sexy during the Mirotic promotional time. It was…wow. Just look at the Mirotic and Wrong Number PVs. Another group of guys who stood out this year was EXILE, who released quite a bit themselves: three singles, three BEST albums and one studio album (released at the very end of 2007 but believe it is counted in Oricon Year 2008). The singles weren’t as great as I hoped for but the album material was enjoyable from EXILE LOVE. The one amazing standout track was Make Love, a hot and sexy number that really shows the boys’ mature side strongly. Atsushi has some wonderful vocals so I’m happy that he’s been given the chance to shine. Newcomer Shimizu Shota also made waves with me as he was a fresh new face with some great vocals (i.e. HOME). He released an album and even though I haven’t gotten a chance to listen to it, I will do so soon. It also doesn’t hurt that he’s good looking. BIG BANG was quite active this year, releasing in both Korea and Japan. G-Dragon has become one of my favorites because there’s something about his voice that really catches my ear. WaT released two singles this year and they were okay, nothing that really made me go wow but I still think they have some nice voices and hopefully the music will be stronger in the future. Although Kobukuro have not been very active this year, they did release the single あなたと with ayaka, which really stood out to me. I look forward to seeing more material from these guys in the future. In the world of J-Rock, Miyavi and Gackt did some releasing although Gackt wasn’t particularly impressive this year in terms of music (but he did look hot). Miyavi was a little better, releasing his album This Iz The Japanese Kabuki Rock. His voice is nice though so maybe he’ll do something stronger in the future. Seamo also caught my eye even though his singles were a little bit iffy. Again, he released an album that I haven’t listened to yet but I do want to hear it soon. So overall, the boys had some nice music (particularly Tohoshinki) and I hope next year it will be even better (because let’s face it, Johnny’s Entertainment music was a lot better than the other guys’ music).
Now we go to the four female artists who I call my Fabulous Four: Koda Kumi, Amuro Namie, Utada Hikaru and Hamasaki Ayumi. There is absolutely nobody like Kuu. She’s fun; she’s free and she’s one of a kind. Kingdom was a fantastic album, filled with everything from sorrow to cuteness to sexy and it really showed how strong of an artist she is. Unfortunately, she made a comment about women’s rotting amniotic fluids which caused an extreme backlash. Contracts were cancelled and promotion for Kingdom was cancelled. Personally, I think the public over-reacted to the comment and it was totally undeserved for Kumi to go through all of that. But she continued to release in June with MOON, then TABOO. TABOO was just the song that make the public go Kumi crazy because it’s a return to her fun sexy dance side that we all love. stay with me will be released in a couple weeks (which will be counted on Oricon Year 2009 so I will not talk about that). I think she’s done a great job this year and I think next year will be even better. TRICK will be amazing and I know that from the bottom of my heart. Amuro Namie has had one hell of a year and everyone knows it. BEST FICTION was a smash hit, managing to almost take the crown of best selling album of Oricon Year 2008. Sadly it did not reach it but it’s okay because it was a million seller and it managed to stay at the number 1 spot for various weeks. Sexy Girl and Do Me More were amazing new tracks that made BEST FICTION worth checking out. She also released the hit single 60s70s80s, which achieved great sales, managing to outsell a slew of her previous ones. WHAT A FEELING was the star track on that single and it’s another one of Namie’s awesome tracks. I hope we’ll be getting some new material in 2009 but Namie deserves a nice long break so I hope she gets it. Utada Hikaru also had an amazing year seeing as HEART STATION is nearing the million mark and has outsold her previous album, ULTRA BLUE. There were some amazing new tracks on there like 虹色バス and Fight The Blues. The singleswere strong as well, which made me one of the most cohesive albums of 2008. Hamasaki Ayumi had a pretty good year herself even though she didn’t get wonderful sales. In fact, GUILTY became her first album to not hit the number one spot…ever. Nonetheless, the album was good featuring tracks like (don’t)Leave me alone, Marionette and MY ALL. Well this was Ayu’s 10th anniversary so I was hoping she’d release a little more but what we got was Mirrorcle World and another BEST album. Her new single is set to be released very soon but it will count towards Oricon Year 2009. I wonder when we’ll be getting her new album but hopefully there will be a few more singles before that. Of course, she’s had her troubles during the year too. She officially announced that she is deaf in one ear; she broke up with her boyfriend who she has been seeing for a while and her friend passed away. You know, Ayu is a fighter and it’s one of the reasons why I respect her so much. I hope she has many years of happiness to look forward to.
So let’s move onto the female veterans of J-Pop. Well the term “veterans” can be disputed but I’m coining the girls that have been a while as “veterans.” Which veteran knocked it out of the park this year? Well that’s none other than aiko. 秘密 was one of the strongest albums of the year with many wonderful tracks that showed off aiko’s laidback and relaxing style. She also released KissHug, which was used as an insert song for the Hana Yori Dango movie. It didn’t get the sales it deserved but I’m hoping she’ll have even more success in the future because her music is that good. Her talent is undeniable and that’s why she is “Veteran of the Year.” Kuraki Mai is incredible and if you want proof of that, just look at 24 Xmas Time. That was a fantastic wintery song that reached back to her old style. She released ONE LIFE, an album with some standout tracks such as ONE LIFE and Born to be free. She also released the following singles: 夢が咲く春 / You and Music and Dream as well as 一秒ごとに Love for you. They may not have been the strongest singles she’s released but they were actually pretty catchy. Mai will be releasing yet another album, entitled touch Me! in January so I can’t wait to see what she brings. Misia was another veteran who stood out this year. EIGHTH WORLD was a pretty good songs like 以心伝心 and Hybrid Breaks -Interlude.- She released various singles but none so addictive as digital release, Catch The Rainbow. It’s an absolutely fantastic track that will be seeing a physical release soon. Misia, good job this year for your 10th anniversary and I can’t wait to see what awaits us in 2009! BoA is definitely a force to be reckoned with. THE FACE was released early in the year and featured some new standout tracks like Girl In The Mirror, Style and AGGRESSIVE. Although it wasn’t as strong as her previous albums. She then released VIVID, which also was not up to BoA’s usual standards. However what makes her so strong is that she always tries new things. She’s now started her American career with the release of the hot single, Eat You Up. Her new song, Look Who’s Talking is even better and it makes me highly anticipate her debut album. Otsuka Ai did some nice releases as well. Even though ロケット スニーカー / One × Time was very forgettable (it ended up being the lowest selling single of her career for a reason), クラゲ, 流れ星 was a step up and already she’s set to release her 5th studio album, LOVE LETTER. It looks to be better than LOVE PIECE but I guess we’ll see when hits stores very very soon. Even though BONNIE PINK was largely inactive this year, she did stand out with the digital release of Ring A Bell and then physical release of its Japanese counterpart 鐘を鳴らして. Both songs were good (the English being the stronger version) and BONNIE should be proud of her accomplishments. I’m hoping she’ll put out an album next year because it feels like forever since Thinking Out Loud was released. Finally we come to Shimatani Hitomi, who could’ve been better. Her new album Flare did not live up to the hotness of its name but I’m hoping that next year, she will pull out the stops for her 10th anniversary.
Now we’ll talk about the newbies. These girls are still relatively new to the music scene but some of them have definitely taken no time in standing out from the crowd. Tanimura Nana has given us some fantastic music. Who could forget the incredibly addictive SEXY SENORITA or the smooth and sultry Ooh… or the catchy upbeat number Place of Love? She’s taking on the sexy image just right and with each release, she gets better and better. I’m really looking forward to her debut album and I hope that it will be coming soon because I can’t wait any longer. Actually any new release from her will be welcome. It’s been a while. ayaka released her sophomore album, Sing to the Sky, early in the year and it was a huge step up from First Message. Songs like 愛も嘘も真実, ゴールドスター and POWER OF MUSIC really made a fan of hers. Her voice is incredible so it’s no wonder that the album shined like it did. ayaka definitely has the power to make it big so I wish her all the success in the world. In addition to an awesome album, she collaborated with Kobukuro again for あなたと, a beautiful ballad that blows their last single out of the water. She’s had a great year and definitely will be shining even more brightly in 2009. Leah Dizon certainly had an eventful year. She released two singles, her sophomore album, got married and is expecting a child in 2009. Love Paradox was her strongest single to date and Vanilla (LOVE SWEET CANDY included) was another memorable single from her. Communication!!! was also a pretty good album with great album tracks like Nothin’ to Lose, Step into my World and BxKxRxxx. I was very surprised to see that she was pregnant but I’m happy that she has found somebody and I wish them all the happiness together. I also wish they have a happy and healthy baby and she will be back better than ever next year, ready to show Japan just how strong of an artist she is. Ito Yuna has really impressed me this year, particularly with miss you and 恋は groovy x2. BREEEEEZIN!!!!!!! (the B-side of miss you) is her best song to date and one that definitely cemented my fandom. WISH wasn’t a bad album either, featuring some memorable songs like Power of Love. Hopefully her next album will be even better, shining strongly for all the fans. Even Jyongri had her time to shine with Winter Love Story, her newest single. All the songs on the single convinced me of Jyongri’s power. Her album may have been pretty weak but it looks like she’ll be on the path for strength. One other newcomer that caught my eye was Ishida Yuko with her wonderful new single Changes, which featured an addictive title track, I’ll be sure to look out for her in the future. She has a cool image and a great voice, worthy of celebration. AZU has had her time to shine as well with standout numbers like VIOLIN. She has the voice and talent to make it far so I hope she has more succes in 2009. Other newcomers like Tiana Xiao, Nishino Kana and Takasugi Satomi have had some nice releases and even though they were not particularly engaging, I look forward to what they will do next year. Even Stephanie had some songs here and there.
Let’s go onto the girls who are neither veterans nor newbies. melody. has also done some nice work this year with the release of the beautiful and calming Lei Aloha. The songs on that album really formed a cohesive one that emerged as one of the standouts of the year. I’m very sad to have heard the news that she will be retiring to focus on the fashion industry. I guess if she had to leave, I’m glad she left with a bang. Arashiro Beni has experienced some popularity this year with her collaboration with Dohzi-T. She also released three new songs for her BEST album, switched labels and starrred in a movie so she’s been quite busy. Mellow Parade was fantastic and hopefully she’ll do another song like this in the future. She has recently changed her name to BENI so I guess we’ll see how that goes for her. Other girls like Angela Aki, Nakashima Mika and misono have had their releases this year and it’s Mika who really impressed me with her most recent single, ORION. The B-side, FOCUS, stood out to me strongly and I have really got to listen to her new album.
Finally, we come to the groups which feature members of both sexes. To be honest, they haven’t been very impressive with the exception of one group: AAA. MIRAGE was absolutely addictive, featuring some Arabian sounds to push the track over the edge. Everyone sounded great on the track and it was really one to remember. Following a very unforgettable single, they released MUSIC!!! / ZERO. ZERO was wonderful, showing a dark atmosphere that the group really shined with. Other groups mihimaru GT, Aladdin and Every Little Thing failed to impress but hopefully they’ll step it up next year.
This year, some artists stepped up and some artists took a step back. But there are a lot of artists who should be proud for releasing such quality music. There is still one artist left though, an artist who will be crowned “Artist of the Year.” He/She will be announced in part 7 (the final part) of the Oricon Year 2008 Countdown.
Shimatani Hitomi – Flare [7th Studio Album]
Shimatani Hitomi’s 7th studio album, entitled Flare, was released on 07.16.08. The album was released before the following singles: Neva Eva, 深紅 / 愛の詩, 泣きたいなら and WAKE YOU UP / 雨の日には 雨の中を 風の日には 風の中を / Marvelous.
Opening up the album is Heavenly. There is a dance atmosphere for this song that combines with a cute feel to make this a very sweet opening track. With a 90s kind of sound, it does have a nice feeling to it although the chorus comes across as a bit winding and could’ve been cut down. Overall, it’s a nice song although it’s not the best opening track.
Start comes up next. The piano nicely supports her voice as an upbeat and happy atmosphere comes through, making the chorus very nice. Following is a section of pure instrumentation that sounds very pretty and then the first verse comes in. Hitomi’s vocals are sweet and carry a sweetness to them that captures the listener. Hitomi then definitely brings a uptempo sweetness on Start, making it a very enjoyable song to listen to from start to finish.
Following is 雨の日には 雨の中を 風の日には 風の中を. It’s a nice midtempo number with the beat standing out to the listener nicely. The pronounciation of the words on the chorus makes it really sound great and memorable. On the pure instrumental section, the song really shines on its prettiness. It’s a very nice addition to the album and Hitomi sounds great here.
The fifth song, Dita, carries an interesting sound with a French sound. The song stands out from the rest of the album for trying a new sound although it isn’t a particularly capturing song.
深紅 is the next song. The song starts off with a very pretty uptempo instrumental that is heavenly and then the first verse comes in. Her vocals carry a slight deepness to them that actually works very well with the music. The chorus stands out nicely as her voice loses the deeper feeling and she shows more power. On the pure instrumental section, there is a real beauty to the music that catches the listener’s ear and the following chorus features a slight disortion on her vocals to put an emphasis on the music. Released as a single, it definitely hasn’t lost any steam from its release.
The sixth song on the album is 泣きたいなら. The song opens up with a very pretty instrumental that perfectly communicates emotion. Soon the first verse comes in and her vocals carry such a sweetness and fragileness that comes across so beautifully to the listener. A more complex instrumentation helps the chorus stand out strongly. Following is a very pretty instrumental section that continues to catch the listener’s ear. Hitomi does a fantastic song at bringing beautiful vocals to support the song’s very sweet atmosphere, making this song one to listen to.
Dear… appears as the album’s seventh number. Beginning the song is a sweet jazzy instrumentation that catches the listener’s ear, introducing the song perfectly. The first verse comes in and Hitomi delivers some very smooth vocals that carry that jazz sound strongly and the vocalizing in the background is a very nice touch. Things nicely pick up on the chorus, which features a more slightly more upbeat sound as Hitomi has a certain poppiness to her voice that stands out against the music. This song is definitely one of the most memorable tracks on the album and certainly is worth the listen.
Up next is 太陽の Flare. The song begins with a very sleek and cool instrumental that begins a little slow and soon picks up strongly, creating a light and free atmosphere that resonates with the listener. Hitomi then comes in with the first verse and her vocals are a little deeper here but compliment the music very nicely. On the chorus, the energy picks up again as the instrumentation really shines although Hitomi’s vocals could have been a little stronger. The pure instrumental section is absolutely heavenly as there is a slight rock flare that stands out, spotlighting the guitar. Overall, it’s the instrumentation that is the song’s strong point and although Hitomi does hold her own on the song, stronger vocals could have brought this song to the next level.
Released as a single before the album is WAKE YOU UP, which is the next song. An aggressive and addictive instrumental sequence opens the song up strongly although the backing vocals are very unnecessary. Hitomi then comes through with the first verse and her vocals sound very nice here, comlimenting the music perfectly. The chorus is more poppy which makes it memorable from the rest of the song and its repetition serves as a nice stand out. Closing the song is the aggressive instrumentation that opened it and it still sounds fantastic. WAKE YOU UP is a very enjoyable song that the listener can enjoy.
Shake it up! keeps the upbeat spirit while taking it down a little from the last track. Opening the song is an interesting and upbeat instrumentation that soon takes on a sparkling pop sound as Hitomi sings a line. Her vocals are very sweet here and the music does a nice job of establishing a very light atmosphere. There is a more relaxing feel on the first verse as Hitomi continues to deliver smooth vocals. Then it picks up for the chorus, which stands out as the most interesting part of the song with slightly stronger vocals and a more upbeat and fun instrumental. There is a slight jazzy sound that comes out on the pure instrumental section and it really sounds great. Shake it up! certainly features a fun and nice sound to make the listener enjoy from start to finish with a particular emphasis on the chorus.
The album’s semifinale is Neva Eva. A cool and upbeat instrumental, with jazzy influences begins the song and makes a smooth transition into the first verse. Hitomi’s vocals carry such a sleekness to them that compliments the music perfectly that the listener can’t help but love it. She continues to sound great on the chorus, even reaching a little higher vocally and hitting her notes strongly and the closing note is held with power and control. The pure instrumental section really shines here as the aggression of the music, which is one of the song’s strongest points, is spotlighted. For strong vocals and a more aggressive instrumental, Neva Eva stands out as the strongest number on the album and is definitely worth listening to.
Marvelous closes the album on a fun note. The song starts off with an upbeat piano-driven instrumental that carries a sweet prettiness. Hitomi sings her way through the first verse with smooth vocals, which makes the verses strong connectors. However it’s the chorus that makes the song so memorable, particularly when she sings the title of the song. Marvelous is a very nice way to end the album, keeping a very sweet atmosphere.
Album Ranking: A –
Flare certainly offers some enjoyable tracks although many of them are singles. Neva Eva serves as the album’s strongest tracks with 深紅, 泣きたいなら and WAKE YOU UP standing out as great numbers. Luckily some of the album tracks like Dear… and 太陽の Flare are capturing. Overall, it’s a nice package and some of these songs are some of the more memorable ones from Hitomi and she certainly tries her hand at some new sounds.
Shimatani Hitomi – Wake You Up / 雨の日には 雨の中を 風の日には 風の中を / Marvelous [28th Single]
Shimatani Hitomi’s 28th single, entitled Wake You Up / 雨の日には 雨の中を 風の日には 風の中を / Marvelous, was released on 06.25.08. Wake You Up was used as the theme song for TV Tokyo’s dorama Keitai Sousakan 7 while Marvelous was used as the image song for NTV’s live broadcast wrestling show.
Opening up the single is Wake You Up. The opening instrumentation is absolutely aggressive and addictive and soon there are some backing vocals, which aren’t very necessary. Soon the first verse begins and Hitomi brings strong vocals that go perfectly with the music. There is a more poppy feeling on the chorus, which then seperates itself strongly and sticks out in the listener’s mind. The pure instrumentation section is fantastic, showing off the song’s mind strongly. After some more backing vocals, the aggressive pure instrumentation brings the song to a close.
雨の日には 雨の中を 風の日には 風の中を is the second song on this single. The song begins with a midtempo instrumentation with a clear beat and then the first verse starts. Hitomi’s vocals carry a nice poppiness to them that keeps the listener interested. The chorus stands out she pronounces the words very strongly and her vocal continue to be enjoyable and sweet, matching the song’s atmosphere. The pure instrumental section is very pretty and definitely a standout part of the song that catches the listener’s ear before returning back to the chorus. Overall, it’s a very enjoyable track and certainly one to check out.
Rounding off the single is the upbeat pretty song, Marvelous. Opening the song is an upbeat piano-driven instrumentation that is very pretty and introduces the song strongly. Then the first verse begins and Hitomi gives some nice vocals that carry with the music very well. The chorus really stands out, particularly for when she sings the title of the song with strength. Marvelous is fun and features a very pretty song, definitely a strong number.
Single Ranking: A –
Shimatani Hitomi definitely brought strength on this single with the great dance song, Wake You Up as well as the slower and prettier songs that make up the rest of the single. It’s a very enjoyable single worth checking out.
Shimatani Hitomi – 泣きたいなら [27th Single]
Shimatani Hitomi’s 27th single, entitled 泣きたいなら, was released on 03.19.08. Although the single features two ballads, both showcase a different feel while capturing the emotion so strongly, it is unforgettable.
泣きたいなら begins with a soft and peaceful guitar instrumental that smoothly transitions into the first verse, which features soft and beautiful vocals that capture the atmosphere of the song. The hook begins to introduce other instruments that find their home in the chorus. The combination of soft vocals and beautiful instrumentation work together to make the song enjoyable. The second hook seems to feature two sets of vocals to really put emphasis on the words. The song ends beautifully with Hitomi’s soft vocals. 泣きたいなら is a gorgeous ballad that captures the emotion through a beautiful instrumentation and Hitomi’s soft vocals.
口づけしよう, the B-side, The song begins with the piano playing to introduce the first verse, which features some great vocals from Hitomi. The arrangement of the verse combined with a softer tone used in the vocals form to make an enjoyable and almost childlike atmosphere. The chorus is definitely enjoyable as her vocals work with the music in a perfect combination. The pure instrumental section sounds wonderful and even introduces the sound of the accordian, which strangely doesn’t clash with the soft sounds of the piano.
Single Ranking: A
泣きたいなら is a perfect ballad that captures a true emotional presence through Hitomi’s soft vocals and a beautiful instrumentation. 口づけしよう is another ballad but this time there is a certain innocent, almost childlike, atmosphere that makes the song enjoyable. The vocals on both songs are soft but work well with the respective music to capture the emotions perfectly. Hitomi did a great job on both songs to create a memorable and beautiful single.