Source: Justin Higuchi from Los Angeles (Wikimedia)

 10/10 Song Review: Miyavi - Bang

Every now and then, I will review a song from the past that got a 10 out of 10 for me. So join along and have a blast!

 

I was debating whether I should review an old classic like TVXQ's 'Rising Sun'. Lata Mangeshkar and S.P Balasubramanian's 'Aate Jaate', Kat-Tun's 'Rescue', or the Eagles' 'Hotel California' for my first 10 out of 10 song. Instead, I decided that I should do something released this year, though you should expect the aforementioned songs to get similar reviews.

Miyavi should be a familiar name to J-Rock fans. He has been active since 1999 in form or another. Since, then, he has released some great singles and albums, and I recommend you check out his album's 'Fire Bird' and 'No Sleep till Tokyo' for his current style. Despite those being great, it is hard to deny that his new album 'Holy Nights' is a force of nature. I cannot sum up how much I love this album in a short amount of time, and I hope to do a full album review of it someday. Just get this: If you have yet to hear Holy Nights, I suggest you drop whatever you are doing and listen to it right away.

Back in April this year, my spirits for the pop music scene was low. A few highly anticipated albums had proven duds, and I had not given an instant 10 out of 10 to a song on first listen since 2014 (though many songs grew to a 10 after a few listens). Then, Miyavi dropped 'Bang' and I found my favorite song in a while.

'Bang' opens with an excellent rock-riff, played by Miyavi's signature guitar style. The song is mostly performed in English, with a bit of Japanese, and the vocals are delivered like a military command, firm yet empowering. The guitar and drums double before the chorus.

The chorus swims like it is racing with itself, breaking the speed of sound (I only know it is not because the song stills sounds normal), with a sense of anthemic surge. Make no mistake: this is the most massive and powerful chorus released in years.

After another (incredible) verse and chorus. Miyavi brings in a ginormous rock riff, which manages to feel sleek at the same time. The song's repetitive chants drive home the idea that we are dealing with something of massive scale. Not too different from last year's excellent 'Miroh' by Stray Kids. Another song it reminds me of is F.T Island's 'Take me now'. Both are dynamic rock songs with a dynamic vocal performance.

'Bang' is an amazing single and (barely) the best song on the album. I expect myself to listen to it years later. I love stadium-ready rock.

Rating: 10/10