JYJ / 1st mini album "The..."

Grade: B

JUNSU/JEJUNG/YUCHUN (also known as JYJ) are three members from K-Pop boyband, DBSK. DBSK recently ceased group activities due to an on going lawsuit between these three members and their Korean management, SM Entertainment. JYJ, however was granted permission from the courts to continue their solo activities and formed this trio in Japan under their Japanese label, avex. Their first mini album is called "The..." and it contains four new songs. (It also includes live versions, remixes, and instrumentals for each song, but I'm not going to review those-- only the original songs.)

The first song on "The..." is called いつだって君に (Itsudatte Kimi Ni) and is a midtempo pop ballad that was first performed at THANKSGIVING LIVE IN DOME concert which is also part of the DVD combo for "The..." いつだって君に is a nice, warm ballad that feels really heartfelt and has a nice arrangement. First thoughts after hearing this are simply that it's so great to finally hear something new from at least part of DBSK. (These three happen to my bias, but I supported both "sub-groups" entirely.) The best part of this song is definitely the opening. Jejung's voice is so soothing and sounds absolutely lovely backed by a nice piano. Junsu sounds really good too and Yuchun's use of English is sure to make you smile~

The second song on the mini album is called Get Ready and when I first listened to it, I didn't think I'd like it much. At first, it feels like it lacks replay value, but it quickly became my favorite song from "The..." It's really fun and everyone sounds really great here! I especially love Yuchun's voice in this song, even if Jejung will always be my favorite member. haha I love the use of the word "Okay~!" in the lyrics!

Long Way is the third track from "The..." and it's a really pretty track. It's another midtempo pop ballad-ish song and feels like a "falling in love" kind of song. I had the same kind of feelings for Long Way as I did for Get Ready, but it quickly grew on me too. Jejung sounds really great in the verses and again Yuchun's use of English is really cute. My favorite things about this song are the arrangement, the uplifting mood it gives off, and the harmonies in this song are just beautiful.

The last song on this mini album is called W and was another song that was played at their THANKSGIVING LIVE IN DOME concert. (Actually, the other two songs might have been as well. I didn't see the whole concert so I'm not totally aware.) W is an absolutely heartbreaking ballad. Everything about this song is drenched in emotion. The first time I heard this song, I was literally moved to tears. W's lyrics are really saddening are about the separation of JYJ from the other two members of DBSK, Changmin and U-Know. Yuchun makes use of English again in W like he always does, but with a message to U-Know and Changmin; "You're everything" and "We love you both." The most moving part of this song is definitely the bridge where all three members keep singing the line "Aitakute~" (lit. 'I miss you.') (Note: The song is called W because of something to do with DBSK's official fanclub.) The whole song is just really touching and is the one song you must listen to from this release.

Over all, "The..." gives off a bittersweet feeling. It's great to finally hear something new from JYJ but at the same time this release also reminds us that DBSK is still disbanded and may remain so for a while. This release's biggest downfall is the fact it only featured four new songs. It should've had at least double that amount. Here's to hoping for the best for all the boys! Give "The..." a listen and keep yourself updated on DBSK!

SHINee / 2nd album "LUCIFER"

Grade: A+

"LUCIFER" is K-Pop boyband sensation SHINee's second full length album and for this album they tried to create a much more mature and serious image than with their prior releases. The album opens with with the song UP & DOWN, a really cute, dance song. I really like the leader of the band, Onew's vocals on this track and the the song's hook sang by Jonghyun is really fun too. I'm also quite a sucker for Minho's rap. (He's my bias in this group.) Not only does Minho rap on this track but he also raps on the second & title track, LUCIFER. LUCIFER has an undeniably catchy chorus and is a blend of all different types of electronic sound that only SHINee could make work. I heard the original demo version of this song that SHINee would've listened to and it sounded horrendous, but they managed to turn it into the best K-Pop comeback song of 2010! LUCIFER definitely just wants to make you get up and dance and sing along. "Her whisper is the Lucifer~" (The MV for LUCIFER is also super sexy, so you should definitely make sure you catch that too. SHINee have the best dance moves.)

The third track, Electric Heart, took a bit to grow on me, but I think that's just because I was so stuck on LUCIFER for so long. Electric Heart keeps the trend of nice beats and electronic sounds that this album has used so far going but the bands vocals are quite noticeably more elusive on this track and acoustic elements are added in here. A-Yo follows up Electric Heart and here the album starts to feel a little bit slower and more R&B. Onew and Jonghyun sound really great in this track also, and again we've got a really catchy chorus. The verses in this track are its high point.

욕 (慾) (Obsession) is the first true ballad of the album and also one of my favorite tracks. The whole band really sings very, very well on this track and the arrangement of this song is probably the most powerful of any song on the album thus far. The way all the members harmonize during the chorus gives this song that passionate sound and shows off the chemistry that the members have with one another. Up next is another ballad, called 화살 (Quasimodo). It's slower than Obsession is and I find the verses to be slightly bland, but as the song progresses, the chorus becomes more and more enjoyable and despite the feeling that verses may be lacking something, Quasimodo gets a spot as one of my favorite tracks as well. Who ever knew that SHINee could do ballads so well? "Saranghae~"

With the 7th track, 악 (Shout Out), the album becomes more upbeat again. Shout Out is definitely the most hip-hop song on "LUCIFER" and yes, is another one of my favorites. This album is just really, really good! Minho sounds really awesome during the chorus, and Onew joins in with Minho during the rap part of this song. Also if you're paying attention, you'll notice innocent little Onew is making some rather suggestive noises as part of the background during the chorus. haha The only thing that irks me on this track is that it begins with random jungles noises. I don't get it. Track numero eight is called WOWOWOW and it's definitely one of my least favorite songs from this album. The melody definitely has potential but the arrangement is really... bad. It sounds like something out of Diddy Kong Racing for the Nintendo 64 or something. It does have this quirky element that doesn't make it totally worth skipping.

SHINee's very own leader, Onew wrote the lyrics to the next song, Your Name. It's slow compared to the last two tracks and really R&B-ish. It's a sweet little song, but it's a bit forgettable and I'm not sure if it's the boys or not singing all the "lalala's" but if it is.. they sound strangely like girls when doing this, so, eh... yeah. The next song, Life, is another ballad with lots of piano, and in the latter half of the song, strings. All the vocals on this song are really strong, but the progression is kind of slow and the melody is pretty forgettable. I prefer the ballads of the first half of the album to the ballads of the second half for sure.

Only three tracks left and SHINee wants to know: "Are you ready or not?" For the end of the album? No.. but it's been good so I guess it's okay. READY OR NOT is the name of the song and it's my fifth and final favorite from "LUCIFER." The first verses are smooth rap followed by this great little build up to the chorus that definitely makes you want to get up and dance again. If you haven't stood up and moved around a little bit by now, this is pretty much your last chance. Yes, the last two tracks are slower tempo.

Love Pain is the next to last track, and as I already mentioned, it's slower tempo. It's another R&B ballad, but unlike Your Name the mood is a little bit more sad. Your Name would be the "LUCIFER" ballad for during a relationship and Love Pain would be for post-relationship. haha 사.계.후 (Love Still Goes On) is the last song on the album and it's a really good way to end the album. It seems to contain all the elements from all the other songs on the album, sort of summing up the album in one final song. It's not the best song on "LUCIFER" but I really like how it supports the overall feeling of the album. If Love Still Goes On was placed anywhere else on the tracklist it wouldn't work as well at all. I hope what SHINee meant by the title was that their third album will be as great as their second! I'll look forward to seeing them again in the future! This release definitely turned me into a ShaWol!

ayumi hamasaki / 48th single "MOON / blossom"

Grade: A

"MOON / blossom" is ayumi hamasaki's 48th single and the first of three consecutive releases to mark her 50th single anniversary! 50 singles is an astounding achievement for any artist, but Ayu is trying to make it even more special by breaking the record for female solo artist with the most consecutive #1 singles with her 50th! "MOON / blossom" got the #1 spot, so if her 49th single, "crossroad" (set for 9.22 release) makes #1 as well, she'll be tied with Seiko Matsuda for the record. Ayu and avex are both hoping this will indeed happen and that she will also get #1 with her 50th single, "L" (set for 9.29 release) and thus set the new record. Anyway, onto the review!


This single is obviously a double a-side. The first of the two a-sides is a song called MOON. The song was first played on Ayu's latest tour that promoted her latest album, "Rock'n'Roll Circus." When I first heard the previews for this song I was really excited because it reminded me a lot of classic Ayu music. It was later revealed that the composer of MOON was none other than Hoshino Yasuhiko who also composed Ayu's debut single poker face and the title track from her first album A Song for ××.


MOON is a powerful rock ballad-- the kind of song Ayu does best. I, myself, was very underwhelmed with Ayu's works after the release of her 45th single "Rule / Sparkle." "NEXT LEVEL" just didn't do it for me, nor did "Sunrise / Sunset ~LOVE is ALL~" or "You were... / BALLAD." Sure, these releases were good, but they felt lacking to me. With the release of "Rock'n'Roll Circus" I felt that the "Queen of J-Pop" had finally climbed back onto her throne, and with the release of this single, my suspicions were confirmed. MOON is definitely one of those Ayu songs that make you want to shout "Instant classic!"


The second a-side on this single is the mid-tempo, pop-rock song blossom. blossom reminds me a great deal of fairyland. It's very nostalgic and somewhat saddening, but it serves as Ayu's summer song of 2010. (It's just not summer without a summer song from Ayu!) blossom has a really nice, catchy chorus that you'll probably catch yourself humming after you hear it! It also features a really great rock bridge, something else Ayu is really well known for. The highlight of blossom is definitely the final chorus where Ayu sings higher than in all the others. blossom doubles great with MOON and I'd say these two songs alone make this single worth grabbing, but there's more...


The single also features remixes of two songs from Ayu's latest album and two rearrangements from the latest album. Microphone (THE LOWBROWS remix) is a dance remix of Microphone with heavy beats and lots of electronic synth. If your a casual listener of Ayu's remixes, you'll probably love this track. Don't look back (Reggae Disco Rockers remix) is an islandish sounding remix of Don't look back. Initially, I wasn't too excited to hear this, but it's actually not too bad. There's not much disco or rock to this remix though; in fact, I don't hear any elements of either. Last Links (Orchestra version) is an orchestra rearrangement of Last Links. Last Links was great to begin with-- one of the best tracks on "Rock'n'Roll Circus" but this rearrangement is god awful. I normally love orchestra versions of Ayu's songs but this was a disaster. The mixing on her voice was totally off here and it just sounded bad and fanmade. Huge disappointment. On the contrary, meaning of Love was one of the most underwhelming tracks on "Rock'n'Roll Circus" to me, but meaning of Love (Acoustic Piano version) is absolutely beautiful and makes the song so much better. It's a real treat!


"MOON / blossom" also features instrumental versions of the a-sides, like most of Ayu's singles. Overall, this single is spectacular, especially when compared next to her last two singles. Here's to hoping the next two parts of this three-single project are just as good!

JASMINE / 1st album "GOLD"

Grade: A

"GOLD" is the debut album from upcoming J-R&B singer, JASMINE. It was released on July 21st, 2010 and reached a peak position on the Oricon chart of #3. JASMINE has been described by some as the next Utada Hikaru and cites Utada as one of her major influences herself. The album begins with a powerful, piano backed, intro called PRIDE. Thoughts after hearing PRIDE are that this album is definitely going to be a good one.

The first full track on the album, sad to say, also serves as JASMINE's first single. It's a light, R&B ballad that is definitely reminiscent of the sounds of Utada Hikaru's first two albums (making one understand the description of JASMINE as the next Utada.) sad to say has a catchy chorus which makes use of some English lyrics, something not at all unfamiliar in the J-Pop world. The piano in this track is quite simple, but also very attention grabbing. Not to mention the fact that it accents JASMINE's voice very well. The combination of PRIDE and sad to say are definitely a solid way to start off this album.

With the third track, L.I.P.S. (the b-side on the Dreamin' single), "GOLD" starts to take a turn for the more upbeat, and JASMINE sings that she wants you to "to kiss my L.I.P.S." While some fans were upset that this b-side was included on the final tracklist for the album, I'm glad because L.I.P.S. is definitely a really fun, danceable track with a wonderful bridge that features JASMINE rapping and verses that showcase her vocal range. Following L.I.P.S. is the fourth track and fourth single, JEALOUS. This heavy, R&B song is definitely one of the most standout tracks on the album (my personal favorite.) JEALOUS is unique because while clearly an R&B song, it also features a lot of influence from traditional Japanese enka, music (something not too common in the J-Pop world.) If JEALOUS doesn't get stuck in your head, I might have to say that you're a bit unimpressionable. Jealous is so dangerous / Jealous is so scandalous.

"GOLD" keeps trucking along with the mid-tempo ballad, Bad Girl. If you ask me, this is one of those tracks on the album that is just lacking something. Don't get me wrong, it's a good song, I just think it could use a stronger chorus. Bad Girl is unique for JASMINE because it's her only ballad that features noticeable elements of rock. Next, another mid-tempo ballad, dear my friend. In an interview, JASMINE stated that she wrote this song for a friend who helped pull her out of a depression where she contemplated suicide. With that in mind, dear my friend becomes even sweeter than it sounded at first listen. It's definitely a song that one could dedicate to a close friend, earning itself a fitting title.

With stage ~interlude~ we roughly reach the half-way point of the album and the listener (or reviewer) isn't even close to bored. stage ~interlude~ does an absolutely wonderful job opening for THIS IS NOT A GAME (JASMINE's third single.) The latter even starts with the same lyric that the prior ends with; This is my stage. THIS IS NOT A GAME is another one of the standout tracks from "GOLD." For some reason, I'm reminded of a combination of Utada Hikaru's Automatic and Movin' On Without You here, but with JASMINE's more modern R&B sound's twist. Just like JEALOUS, this song is unimaginably catchy and will make you want to play it on repeat, for sure.

The next track, CLUBBIN", keeps the spunky feel of THIS IS NOT A GAME and reminds me vaguely of the classic American song, I Love Rock'n'Roll. CLUBBIN" was the b-side to JASMINE's second single, No More. CLUBBIN" is followed up by 恋 which can only be described as an alluring rhythmic tune. One can imagine sirens singing 恋 if sirens had inhabited Neo-Tokyo instead of ancient Greece.

what you want? comes next and is the only other song besides Bad Girl that I felt to be a tad-bit underwhelming. I think the problem with song is really just the arrangement. It feels a little bit dated and little to jazzy when compared with the rest of "GOLD." No More, the lead track on JASMINE's second single, directly follows what you want? and totally makes up for the lack of quality of its predecessor. No More is an awesome power ballad, again accented with a simple piano melody. In No More, jazz elements can also be felt so it makes sense that it follows what you want? in the tracklist, but by contrast it really works on this track. Another standout.

The end of the album arrives with Dreamin', the next to last track and the last of the singles (JASMINE's 5th.) Dreamin' is a wonderful ballad that showcases JASMINE's vocal quality wonderfully. The first part of the track is backed by nothing but piano but as the second half arrives more and more orchestral elements flow in and eventually JASMINE's backed-up by a full choir. Definitely an extremely powerful song. "GOLD" ends with a track called Why and leaves me thinking "Why is this album over?!" When listening to "GOLD" from start to end, Why might feel a bit underwhelming because, well, it's kind of hard to follow what already felt like the perfect ending that was Dreamin'. Standing alone though, Why, is another good track and a nice, mellow way to close this album.

Overall, I'd say this is a stellar debut for JASMINE and I hope to see and hear a lot more from her in the future! Here's to hoping she can live up to the title "the next Utada Hikaru!" I think if anyone can, it's definitely JASMINE.

This was my first review, so if you liked it, please leave a comment! And please keep coming back!