Saturday, October 3, 2009

[Review] Why Today is Awesome Part II

...I guess it should be more like.... Why Tuesday was Awesome Part II. xD

Anyway, Tuesday rocked. I already addressed the gorgeous Kimagure Princess costumes, so now I'll move onto the afternoon portion of Tuesday...


I preordered Goto Maki's Sweetblack mini-album back in August. I had also ordered the Platinum 9 Disco concert at the same time. For the first time, I used YesAsia's split order option. The CD was to be released in the middle of September, and I didn't want to wait that long for my DVD.

YesAsia and I have always been on good terms. I have spent hundreds of dollars with them over the past two years, and they have always had very good service. I normally get things under a week, sometimes even before the item has been scheduled to release.

But for some reason, this time was different.

I was expecting my CD to arrive in about five or six days, as "usual". So I waited. But when five days passed, then six, then seven, I began to become impatient. Every day I would check the mailbox (because recently YesAsia has switched from using UPS to using the post office) and everyday I would be disappointed. They said that an order could take up to FOURTEEN business days. I ended up waiting about twelve. That's about two weeks when you include weekends.

Well, I had a feeling that my CD would be there on Tuesday just because my day had been so crappy. And that's how those things work out, right?

And there it was.

H!O had said that the limited edition album came with a 60+ page photobook, so that's why I spent an extra ten dollars on the limited edition. It wasn't a photobook. It was a book, yes, but it contained no photos. Just a few excerpts from some books and a short, dirty josei manga. Apparently these three things were the inspiration for some of the songs that Goto Maki wrote.

Which is very impressive in my book, considering she was once an H!P idol. You'd think that a girl who grew up having her lyrics written for her would grow accustomed. Or maybe it would just strengthen her desire to write her own even more. I don't know.

Anyway, because the album is so perfect (well, the songs. The CD case got a little bit cracked in the mail. Damn customs) I'd like to review it.

Queen Bee-

I heard this song when H!O posted the PV for it on their site. I loved it immediately. It's cool and sexy, and the PV is one explosive nosebleed after another. I had listened to it so often that by the time the album actually arrived, it was losing its shine. Sort of like Take Off is Now! on Morning Musume's Platinum 9 Disc album. On its own, it's a good song, but I feel like the PV really completes it.

Lady-Rise-

Like Queen Bee, I've seen the PV so many times that I picture it in my mind whenever I listen to the song. This song shocked me when I had first heard it. It was so different from what Goto had been releasing under Hello! Project and showed a brand new side of her. It's actually quite a simple song in terms of instrumental and whatnot, but her voice really makes it interesting.

Candy-

This is probably the only one I don't care for too much... Vocally, it's one of her better ones. Goto really has a surprisingly gorgeous voice when she sings those deep notes. It's a very good song up until the chorus, and then I lose interest. The lyrics are a little strange, too. She has a very bad case of Engrish.

TEAR DROPS-

To sum it up? BEAUTIFUL. This song is a masterpiece. It's delicate and soft, and yet has this strong R&B beat that prevents it from being forgettable. KG's voice suits Goto's and the song very well. The emotion in the song also brings it all together. I really love it.

Mine-

The opening just makes you smile, doesn't it? Ken the 390 sounds just like most other Japanese rappers, which is probably why I like it, because it reminds me of all the J-urban songs that I like. Goto sounds great, very mature. This song is upbeat and fun. This is one of my favorites. Apparently this was the first song Goto had written and she had performed it when she first signed with avex? Is that right? And then the rap was added later. ;D

Fly away-

I kinda feel like this should have been the first track. It's a good intro to who Goto Maki is and what her Sweetblack music is like. It was this song that first caught my attention. Up until then, I wasn't sure what she was doing with avex and I didn't really care. But when I heard this, I started to pay more attention to her now as well as back when she was in H!P. It's really a great song. And the PV is amazingly gorgeous.

Plastic Lover-

I first heard this song when radio rips were floating around. It's very techno, and I didn't care for it at first, but it's a cool song. It's kind of unusual in its composition and sound, and that makes you stop and listen. Goto Maki is one of those singers who don't need to be autotuned, so she sounds very pure and clear considering there's such heavy music around her vocals.

with...-

I never really paid much attention to this song when it was first released (there should be a post about it around here somewhere) just because I was expecting something a little more powerful after her previous two singles. But really, it's a nice song. It's a little forgettable, but it's soft and cute and nice to listen to. The lyrics are also nice. It's just very... nice.

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