R E V I E W

• •Wow! My first post in this community in.. months. Sorry for being AWOL people. I sort of lost my urge to post music for awhile but now I'm back. :) This is a single I meant to post this ages ago but just never got around to it. :/ It's a few months old and when it first came out, a lot of reviews for it were less than stellar. I went into it thinking that it wasn't going to be that great based on what others had said and was only too pleasantly surprised when it turned out that I actually liked the single.... love the single. Stand Up People is just... GREAT. As said, it didn't seem to score big with other listeners but I tend to be in the minority with this stuff. I LOVE this song and I think it's a fantastically funkified, soul inspired track. It's insanely catchy, fun to sing along with and the girls sound great. It hits hard and leaves an impression, whether positive or negative. ;) It's remix, Stand Up People -R.Yamaki’s Original Version- packs an even harder punch than the original. It's sound is more grind-y and in-your-face. I still prefer the original but for a remix, it does it's job. Dear friend slows the single down a notch and at first, it didn't leave much of an impression on me but the more I listened to it, it grew on me considerably. The chorus is definitely the highlight and possibly saves the song from sounding a bit too generic and/or boring. Perhaps, it could use a bit more 'umph' but I do like it the way it is now. The remix of One More Time, OK? is awesome! I positively adore the old school disco sound the song embraces and makes it's own. It is just so much fun that I can't help but love it so~ ♥ Maybe even more the original, in fact! By far a huge highlight of the single besides Stand Up People. I feel like this single may be a bit underrated and unloved. But for those who haven't heard it yet, be sure to give it a listen if you don't mind soul and r&b elements. Great, great single for those who do. It comes highly recommended.

I N F O R M A T I O N

天上智喜 (Tenjo Chiki) • Stand Up People [MF] [MU] Release Date 20080723 Language Japanese Artist Type Female Group Production Type 6th Single Genre(s) Dance ／ Pop ／ R&B／ Soul Publisher Rhythm Zone Bitrate High ／ 192kbps Size 39.82MB Overall Rating

T R A C K L I S T

01 Stand Up People ♥ 02 Dear friend ♥ 03 Stand Up People -R.Yamaki’s Original Version- ♥ 04 One More Time, OK? “Royal Mirror ball Mix” ♥ 05 Dear friend -Instrumental- 06 Stand Up People -Instrumental-

juju; my life
album type: 1st mini-album
release date: june 11, 2008
language: japanese
genre: ballad / jazz / r&b / soul
quality: 320kbps
artist type: female (solo)
download: 彡 full mini-album @ mediafire | full mini-album @ megaupload

01. My Life ♥
02. LIVE ! TOGETHER〜Tokyo Girls Anthem (JUJU & デルタ・グッドレム） ♥
03. moonlight
04. NEVER STOP ♥
05. Saving All My Love For You ♥
06. 海を見ていた午後
07. ナツノハナ (HASE-T Sweet Reggae Remix) ♥

Rating:

Review: My Life sets the overall tone for the rest of the album; a very old school, blissful jazzy creation as only JUJU does it. ♥ It's big band, smooth jazz sound produces a very relaxed but still powerful atmosphere. LIVE ! TOGETHER~Tokyo Girls Anthem is pure fun! I absolutely loved it from the very first listen! The infectious, cheerful melody and JUJU's perfect vocals are to die for. And since I happen to be having a very good day, this only puts me in an even better mood. XD Definitely the highlight of the album! It's really just too cute and catchy. moonlight is reminiscent of My Life as it maintains a strong jazz melody but it lacks the charisma and charm that My Life has. It seems to have picked up where it left off but doesn't deliver quite in the same way. NEVER STOP is another great highlight here. It delves deep into that true old school soul/r&b sound and is just about as addictive as LIVE ! TOGETHER~Tokyo Girls Anthem even though it's much mellower than the former. And even though most of the song consists of JUJU merely singing 'Never stop, never give it up', it never seems to take away from the overall excellence of the song. ^^ I really adore it. ♥ Saving All My Love For You is a cover of Whitney Houston's beautiful song. There seems to be a lot of covers going on lately, huh? XD Either way, JUJU does a gorgeous rendition of it and her English is pretty much flawless~ *-* The light, airiness of her voice really makes itself so much better known but what I love is how powerful her vocals are at the same time. She does the song great justice, especially since Whitney songs are usually hard to sing. ♥ 海を見ていた午後 has shown itself to be the quietest song here and unfortunately.. also the most boring. :/ It never really seems to take off anywhere or build any momentum. It's soft, innocent instrumentals with JUJU's sweet singing are pretty enough but... not quite enough for it to get many plays from me. That and it seems to end too abruptly which brings it down a few more notches. ナツノハナ (HASE-T Sweet Reggae Remix) rounds out the end of the album and as obviously stated in it's title, takes a new reggae route. The song's somewhat repetitive music gets a bit irritating after awhile but somehow it's still captures my attention enough for me to somehow still enjoy it. This is a beautiful album and a must listen for jazz fans especially! :D JUJU is always good though so this came as no surprise.~ Highly recommended!

anna tsuchiya feat. ai; crazy world
album type: 8th single
release date: june 6, 2008
language: japanese
genre: dance / pop / hip-hop / r&b / techno
quality: 320kbps
artist type: female (duet) / female (solo)
download: 彡 full single @ mediafire | full single @ megaupload

01. Crazy World ♥
02. What you gonna do? ♥
03. Crazy World (FPM Hyper Society mix)

Rating:

Review: Obligatory shallow moment: Anna looks pretty hot on these covers, does she not? Very simple but eye catching creations they came up with and I absolutely love them. ♥ Crazy World features popular r&b/hip-hop artist AI and they actually collaborated together before on AI's last album DON'T STOP A.I on the song BUTTERFLY, a track that actually wasn't well liked. XD But Crazy World contains a unique musical productions and you never seem to know where it's going to head next. It's also a fairly new direction for Anna. It's mix of pop, urban/hip-hop and rock beats create a really interesting and terribly addictive blend. I didn't think too much of it at first but now it's grown on me quite fast and if nothing else, it's a pretty fun listen. ♥ What you gonna do? is a darker, more restricted sounding song with a lot of badass attitude seeping from Anna's voice. Somehow, it's underlaying melody reminds me a lot of spanish music. It's probably the guitar. XD Crazy World (FPM Hyper Society mix) stays true to it's name. It seems as though even more genres were jammed into this extremely hyper, fast paced remix. I still prefer the original but this is a great new take on it! The bridge is extremely infectious and the chorus is even more fun sped up. Though, it'll probably get on my nerves after awhile as a lot of remixes tend to do. x3 Overall, not the best single from Anna but still a refreshing change that I enjoy. Tf you're use to her rock sound, you may be a bit put off by this but you may be surprised and like it anyway. Cute single.

SunMin is an R&B/Pop singer of Korean descent active in mainly Japan but has released a single in Korea also. She is on the record label, Victor Entertainment Inc. and her company is Good Entertainment Japan who also houses Korean group Shinhwa. SunMin made her debut in 2006 performing Keep Holding U with Toshinobu Kubota for the Nihon Chinbotsu (Sinking of Japan) soundtrack.

As I continue to wait for one of my favorite artists, SunMin, to finally drop an album, I treat you to her complete discography so far in the meantime! ♥ All I ask is that you please comment to this entry if you are taking anything. The comments have still been lacking and i'd be extremely grateful (not to mention encouraged) if you take a few seconds to leave a reply. ^^

sunmin thanx kubota; keep holding u
album type: debut single
release date: july 5, 2006
language: japanese
genre: ballad / r&b / soul
quality: 320kbps
artist type: female & male (duet) / female (solo)
download: 彡 full single @ mediafire | full single @ megaupload

01. Keep Holding U ♥
02. Futari Bocchi (ふたりぼっち) ♥
03. Keep Holding U (back track : Sinking of SunMin) ♥
04. Keep Holding U (back track : Sinking of Kubota) ♥
05. Futari Bocchi (ふたりぼっち) (back track)

Rating:

Review: Keep Holding U was the title theme song used for the Japanese film Sinking Of Japan. R&B and soul pioneer Toshinobu Kubota took part in both lyrics and production of the song after he was fascinated with SunMin's amazing vocals. Keep Holding U fits the dramatic, desperate feel of the movie perfectly but being a powerful, soulful ballad track that overflows with just the right amount of emotion and absolutely flawless singing. The song as a whole flawless and to this day one of my favorites ever. From the beginning where a melancholy piano melody plays, you will be hooked. The inclusion of English lines in some of the last bridges ('Let me love you, let me hold you, let me squeeze ya and we're gonna sing this song') make for a beautiful touch and the song ends on the amazing, lingering verses of the two repeating 'Make it last, make it last forever' just completes the song completely. ♥♥ The combination of unique vocals from both parties creates a truly amazing duet and a definite must listen. I really can't stress it enough. ♥ Futari Bocchi takes a more laid back route with soft, silky r&b beats and gorgeous vocals from SunMin. Her voice practically soars in the chorus and she effortlessly brings wonderful emotion to the quiet track. I still can't get over how great her singing is! *-* The two tracks after are both different versions of Keep Holding U where each artist sings by their lonesome. At times, they sound a bit awkward because there's silence where there isn't normally but since they are both fantastic vocalists, they still make for a pleasant listen. At this point, I shouldn't have to tell you this single is very highly recommended. It's amazing and showcases SunMin's raw extraordinary talent.

Shion; Candy Girl
Album Type: Debut Mini-Album
Artist Type: Female Vocalist
Release Date: 2008.05.28
Language: Japanese
Genre(s): Ballad, Hip-Hop, Pop, R&B, Urban
Purchase: HMV, CDJapan, Amazon.JP

Download: 彡 Full Mini-Album @ MediaFire

(Personally recommended tracks = ♥♥♥!!!)
TRACKLIST:
01. LUV or DREAM ～Introduction～
02. 春夏秋冬 ♥
03. FxxK MONEY feat. RAIDER ♥
04. Last Song ～secret of my heart～
05. L.O.S.T feat. KOZ ♥
06. CANDY GIRL feat. BIG RON, RICHEE ♥
07. time....
08. BAYSIDE STORY feat. DAZZLE 4 LIFE
09. MUSIC is my LIFE

Rating:

Review: Because of the track 春夏秋冬, this album is doing fairly well on the Oricon charts. While this song can be described as nothing too inventive in terms of r&b ballads, what truly makes me actually love this song is the completely infectious, pretty chorus. It's put together in a way that you can't help but love the track and it's so easy to see why the song is helping with her sales. FxxK MONEY feat. RAIDER is the absolute highlight of the album. The mysterious, dark urban beat is HIGHLY addictive and even though there is about two expletives in the chorus (one look at the title will tell you what it is + the use of 'bitch') somehow, this adds to the catchiness to the song and makes it pretty badass. I am so very much completely in love with this song and I personally think the arrangement is perfect on it. Plus the addition of 'One for the money, two for the show, three for my baby' is just awesome all around. ♥♥ Last Song ～secret of my heart～ is a soft, angelic ballad that I would really find in my favor.. if Shion's voice didn't sound so irritating in it. :/ Shion's vocals can sound pretty high at times and this song is a good example of this, especially in the chorus. It grates on my nerves after a few minutes of listening, which really brings it down quite a few notches, unfortunately. L.O.S.T feat. KOZ is samples Cyndi Lauper's Time After Time and personally, I think this is a brilliant smooth, urban take on the hit song. The only small flaw is that KOZ's rapping seems to take up more of the song than Shion actually singing. This doesn't bug me too much though since the musical production flows wonderfully and is just pleasant to listen to. CANDY GIRL feat. BIG RON, RICHEE makes me laugh because it's sounds like your typical, somewhat slutty club banger you'd hear in the American scene. Not to mention I really can't stand BIG RON with his wack harmonizing that he seems to do in every song that he appears in. However.. I still love this song. :3 It's so bad that it's good! The lyrics that consist of 'I know you want it and feel it. Yeah, you wanna taste my candy, my candy, my my my..' are full of lulz but damn if I don't find myself singing the hell out of it. XD It's definitely a guilty pleasure track. ♥ All in all, as a whole, this debut isn't stunningly fantastic but at least half of the songs are here are for sure worth a listen so give it a try!

wonder girls; 3rd project [so hot]
album type: 2nd single
release date: june 3, 2008
language: korean
genre: dance / pop / r&b
quality: 128-192kbps
artist type: female (group)
download: 彡 full single @ mediafire | full single @ megaupload

01. So Hot
02. This Time ♥
03. You're Out ♥
04. Tell Me (Rap Ver.)

Rating:

Review: The title track So Hot is pretty much your typical urban dance club banger buuuuut... that's kind of exactly what I expected when I saw the title anyway. :D It is fairly generic though it's still just catchy enough that you'll find yourself listening to it anyway. Like me. :D This Time is a gorgeous slow jam and the chorus is to die for. The harmonizing is on point and the romantic melody is perfect. :O♥ As soon as it kicked in, it automatically became my favorite song on the single. I am such a sucker for tracks like this though and for me, it's definitely the standout song here. You're Out.. this song seriously reminds me of Janet Jackson's If. I can't be the only one hearing this. >.> Once the chorus began on You're Out, my mind immediately thought of Janet's track. It's like a lighter and girly-er while maintaining a much faster speed as well . This could explain why I enjoy it though. ♥ Tell Me (Rap Ver.) is like, exactly the same as the original.. except for the little rap segments added. And not much at that. Why this was even added on here.. I have no idea. Totally could have been left off with just the three tracks. But it's still a fun song though, either way. The 'Tell me, Tell me, T-t-t-t-tell me's will always be infectious.~ *_* So this is a cute single! Nothing too ~*~fabulous~*~ but does deserves a listen.

koda kumi; moon
album type: 40th single
release date: june 11, 2008
language: japanese
genre: ballad / pop / r&b
quality: 256kbps
artist type: female (solo)
download: 彡 full single @ mediafire

01. Moon Crying
02. That Ain't Cool feat. Fergie
03. Once Again ♥
04. Lady Go! ♥
05. Moon Crying (Instrumental)
06. That Ain't Cool feat. Fergie (Instrumental)
07. Once Again (Instrumental)
08. Lady Go! (Instrumental)

Rating:

Review: So after the fiasco that was Koda Kumi's comments that she made about women after a certain age not being able to have children (idk, idk, insert WTF here), she's trying to bounce back from harsh criticism with a new single which even features a duet between her and American pop/r&b star Fergie[1]. But first we start with Moon Crying, something I knew had to be a ballad before I even heard it and I was correct. I haven't been a fan of Kuu's latest ballads.. at all, really and I'm not a fan of this one either. As much as I love the uniqueness in her voice, I still feel it is only suited for certain kinds of ballads. Past ballads like hands, for example, in my opinion, are the types she needs to stick with. The music for Moon Crying is beautiful - the touch of remorsefulness and soft sadness the melody has to it is lovely. But.. her voice kind of brings it down a notch. The more I listen to it though, the more it grows on me but I can't see it becoming one of my favorites although some Kuu's works tend to have a way of sneaking up on me and it's suddenly all I can listen to. That Ain't Cool feat. Fergie was the song I was looking forward to the most for obvious reasons. I don't really like Fergie but I figured she'd bring some spice to the song. The major error with this track? It's like That Ain't Cool feat. Koda Kumi. Fergie seems to sing 90% of the song and you can barely hear Koda in the chorus. Something went terribly wrong here. XD With it's harder upbeat, urban flavor, it's a pretty catchy little number but it's also pretty receptive and I can't really say it's in a good way. The whole song seems to mostly consist of the chorus being repeated over and over again. In other words, I'm disappointed in it. :( Once Again maintains a light jamaican atmosphere to it and while the song is simple with even simpler singing, I really like this. The chorus is strangely addictive and fun. Lady Go! definitely fits into Koda's more recent style of happy-go-lucky, genki tracks. There's nothing too special here but fun, fast and uplifting. It has the potential to also grow on me. ♥ As for the single as a whole, can't say I'm too thrilled with it. None of the songs are bad but they don't really capture my attention quite enough either. At least not right now. My opinion might change over time.

tiana xiao; desTiny
album type: debut album
release date: may 21, 2008
language: japanese
genre: ethereal / pop / r&b
quality: 320kbps
artist type: female (solo)
download: 彡 mediafire (1) mediafire (2) | megaupload

01. aquarium ♥
02. Destiny ♥
03. KIZUNA ♥
04. 3・2・1…
05. Painting
06. Echo ♥
07. PARADOX ♥
08. TEMPTATION ♥
09. Sweet Obsession ♥
10. Happy Tears
11. Undo Hurt ♥
12. Milestone ~to believe~ ♥

rating:

review: Tiana Xiao is a 17 year old Chinese-American singer who debuted this year with her single Sweet Obsession on January 23rd. She's been compared to Utada quite a bit lately but that's mostly because the majority of people who produce her have also worked with Utada. This album gives off a lot of ethereal influences, which is similarly seen in Utada's musical works. And it also reminds me quite a bit of Utada's first album (and my fav by her), First Love. Tiana's voice isn't as deep as Utada's, however, but the girl has her own special sound and a very pretty tone to her vocals. There are so many great, great standout tracks here and while I want to say that I'm terribly surprised at how well this album is produced, I can't really be considering who exactly she's working with (Jam & Lewis, Alexis Smith, Goetz B., Russell McNamara, etc). Tracks like aquarium, a beautiful, fleeting and infectious song with light r&b influence (very Hikki-esque), TEMPTATION, a sensual and addictive interestingly arranged number and Echo, which takes the prize of being the most unique here with how her voice is heavily layered electronica wise, make this album a definite must listen! Especially if you're a fan of Utada's older works, which I am so this is right up my alley. I'm completely in love with it. ♥ The only blindly trouble I see with this album is that Tiana's Japanese doesn't sound as fluent as it could but honestly, I don't most people will notice anyway unless you actually know what to look for and/or know Japanese fluently. So overall, fantastic debut album and she's definitely someone to look out for. Highly recommended!

monrose; strictly physical
album type: 2nd album
release date: september 21, 2007
language: english
genre: dance / pop / r&b
quality: MQ VBR
artist type: female (group)
download: 彡 full album @ mediafire | full album @ megaupload

01. Dangerous ♥
02. Hot Summer
03. Strictly Physical ♥
04. Rebound ♥
05. What You Don't Know ♥
06. Leading Me On
07. Golden
08. Sooner Or Later ♥
09. Just Like That ♥
10. Yesterday's Gone
11. Burning
12. Monrose Theme ♥
13. Everybody Makes Mistakes

rating:

review: Monrose are a 3-member German girl group who first found their fame on the German talent show Popstars. Their second full length album, Strictly Physical stays true to it's name as it's filled with some fun, catchy dance tracks, pretty ballads and even a song that's dedicated to their rise to fame. While their voices aren't anything you probably haven't already heard before, they can still definitely carry a tune and harmonize quite well with each other. And despite being a German band, their songs are completely in English, beginning with the trance inspired opening song Dangerous. With the catchy hook 'Your love is so dangerous, your love is so dangerous. Your love is so D-A-N-G-E-R-O-U-S.', it's hard not to want to sing along. Strictly Physical is more downtempo with a mysterious vibe that makes it quite interesting and refreshing. What You Don't Know's sorrowful lyrics fit in well with the equally melancholy melody, making it probably my favorite ballad on the album. ♥ Just Like That is a really upbeat dance number with a cute fun chorus. Its' one of those songs that will get stuck in your head and refuse to leave. x.x My absolute favorite song on the album, Monrose Theme is a bit like that too. I ADORE this song if only because of the lyrics. 'Nobody thought we could make it happen - One year later people still clappin’' It seems to be a big, ~excuse my language~, fuck you to anyone who doubted they'd become popular. The song is the most offbeat and random out of all the tracks and that adds to why I enjoy it even more than the others. ♥ If you're looking for a fun, ~girl power~ type album, this is a good place to start and highly recommended in that aspect!