Imaginary Album Review: Miyavi - Living in Fire

By this point in the album, the base genre has been set for the entire album. Now lies the careful balance that any album writer has to work on. The album must try something new, otherwise, it risks losing its freshness. However, it goes for a too new sound, it risks losing its conceptual consistency.

And as a good album, Imaginary has a track to blend the listeners between the first, more rock-exclusive half, and its more diverse and fun second. This role is largely filled by the fun Living in Fire. 

Now, I'd use several terms, almost all positive, to describe the Imaginary tracks so far, but 'fun' would not exactly be one of the top terms. That changes with Living in Fire. It is upbeat, with a sort of burning heat as suggested by the title. This allows for a Latin groove, even if it still stays decidedly Miyavi, allowing for the song to thrive as it does.

Of course, no song is any good without a good melody. And Living in Fire has arguably one of the best melodies of the entirety of Imaginary. It is upbeat, danceable, but never unimpactful. Instead, it hits like bricks, driven by energy and passion, two words that make Miyavi so great.

In particular, one of the best hooks in the entire song would be the extended note in the pre-chorus. This note, paired with a stunning guitar sprint, sets up the contrast which makes Miyavi so fascinating as an artist.

Just like Fire Bird, Living in Fire does not have a proper chorus, with a pre-chorus really taking the task of being a central refrain. However, over here, the verses are buoyant enough that it never comes off as off-putting. Instead, it comes as a natural evolution.

And just like any good Miyavi track, Living in Fire absolutely comes to life in its climax, with a full-on rock-riff, taking every element up to eleven. This is fantastic, and Miyavi nails it perfectly, with energy and heart.

Rating: 9.25/10

Image Source: Sanook