July Multi Songs Review Pt. 2 (Sekai No Owari, Kinki Kids, Snow Man, Hey! Say! JUMP)
Initially, I had no plans to make another multi-song review. But in the end, I found just enough songs with good quality to make a second part. So, enjoy!
Sekai No Owari - Tears
Sekai No Owari have slowly proven to me that they are more than 'the group with the clown'. Nakajin is a great vocalist as always, and he adds some much need attitude to the track. If there is one real issue I have with Tears, it is that the chorus does not explode with a full-frontal melody. The setting is already here, from the tribal elements to the adventurous atmosphere to make this song near perfect.
One thing, however, that the song absolutely nails is the bridge. The drums breakdown, as well as Nakajin's high note, are perfect.
Rating: 8.5/10
Kinki Kids - Un/Pair
Johnny's Entertainment groups have a long history of terrible names, but Kinki Kids is probably the most unfortunate of the bunch, since it actually refers to the region in Japan known as Kinki, nothing else. Un/Pair blends funky new jack swing with a full-throttle chorus. The melody here is golden, and you will find yourself unconditionally bopping your head.
Rating: 8.75/10
Snow Man - Yuan
I love a traditional ballad, a surprisingly rare breed in modern times. Yuan perfectly scratches this itch, with a perfectly serviceable, if not a bit safe, traditional ballad. The surging instrumental and melody is something I'd expect to see as the ending theme of a wuxia drama, and that is strong praise. In the end, Yuan is a tad generic compared to the golden songs of the style, but I enjoy it nonetheless.
Rating: 8.25/10
Hey! Say! JUMP - Gunsei Runaway
For Gunsei Runaway, Hey! Say! JUMP adapt a fun and funky sound. It adapts a bit of an electronic bend, to create a sort of playground for the noir concept. The best part is the blitzing post-chorus, which adapts just enough rock guitar and violins to genuinely stun. Of course, the key change deserves a mention too.
So glad you keep posting about Jpop! Un/Pair is nice and Gunsei Runaway is a blast! Now to catch up on your other reviews--I missed a LOT.
ReplyDeleteLong time no see Bluemonday! Funny thing, today I was just thinking of all my commenters, and noticed I had not seen you in a while, good to see you back :)
DeleteYeah, I still post on J-Pop when I have the time. Unfortunately, it is kind of getting hard to find good J-Pop at times. It is still there, but a lot of blogs and reviews have focused more on K-Pop with its recent surge in quality. Also, most J-Pop blogs only talk about internationally popular acts. Also, Johnny's recent output has varied greatly. Don't worry though, I'll keep my eyes on the J-Pop scene as long as I can :)
Un/Pair and Gunsei Runaway are truly great. Especially Un/Pair, that chorus is quite amazing!
Once again, glad to see you again :)
I'm just busy, but I'll surely keep coming back here whenever I can. Your writing is easily my favorite! (Probably because of my fondness for poetry.)
DeleteI casually like both KPOP (I only really follow ONF right now, though there are other groups that remain special to me like NCT and IMFACT) and JPOP--and anyone who blogs about JPOP, especially, is priceless to me given the lack of coverage. JPOP also seems to give me a little something that I don't get as much elsewhere, so I'm grateful!