Swear
November 26, 2009 at 8:16 PM | In Alan | Leave a Comment
Artist: Alan
Release Date: November 4, 2009
Label: Avex Trax
Personal Rating: 3.5/5
1. Swear
2. Beauty
3. Swear (Instrumental)
4. Beauty (Instrumental)
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Nicer cover than the last release! But I thought that the colors were a bit too bold, I guess…
Yes! Finally! Alan finally comes out with a single that’s not a ballad! But here’s the thing, Swear was actually charted pretty low this time. What happened? I have to admit that Sora Uta and Kaze no Tegami weren’t really her greatest upbeat tracks but Swear… not really a shinning idea of trying out something new. As much as I don’t want to, but I’ll be frank: Swear was a pretty cliche track.
At least the single doesn’t go on sounding pretty boring. Beauty stands out a lot more and seems like the ideal track that would be the A-side. Seriously, Alan pretty much shows better omph in her vocals and there’s actually some sort of build up throughout the song.
Personal Rating: 3.5/5
BALLAD ~Namonaki Koi no Uta~
September 19, 2009 at 7:16 PM | In Alan | Leave a Comment
Artist: Alan
Release Date: September 2, 2009
Label: Avex Trax
Personal Rating: 4.5/5
1. BALLAD ~Namonaki Koi no Uta~
2. Shiawase no Kane 2009 Version
3. BALLAD ~Namonaki Koi no Uta~ (Instrumental)
4. Shiawase no Kane 2009 version (Instrumental)
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I was just about to wonder when Alan’s newest single was going to come out. (Considering that I am pretty much an Alan fan.) If we were to talk about “disappointment,” the first thing that comes into mind is her blurry covers. I mean seriously? What happened to her elegant and stylist covers!?
For some reason, Avex Trax just can’t keep Alan away from ballads. But whatever, they all sound good anyways. BALLAD ~Namonaki Koi no Uta~ was totally different though. Yes, I wish that it was different in an impressive way but it turns out to be the opposite. Sure, the ever-loving strings and ballad elements never fail to “wow” me but this time it’s the vocals that are the problem. It’s not her voice completely boring but her ballad awesome-ness has totally vanished somewhere. Back in the days, she used to overpower the instrumentals with no problem.
My first impression upon seeing Shiawase no Kane 2009 Version on the tacklist was “Why did they have to make a new version of her digital single?” Turns out that Avex has finally produced a more kick-ass version of it! They changed the volume of her vocals and made the strings the more noticeable.
Personal Rating: 4.5/5
Shiawase no Kane
May 11, 2009 at 7:31 PM | In Alan | 1 CommentTags: J-pop, Reviews: J-pop, singles
Artist: Alan
Release Date: May 20, 2008
Label: Avex Trax
Personal Rating: 5/5
1. Shiawase no Kane
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Shiawase no Kane was Alan’s first digital single so it wasn’t sold in stores nor was it really as well known to Alan fans. (I actually found th is song by mistake on iTunes.) It was a project that Alan used to help aid the victims in her local state. (Donated to her nearby “Red Cross” hospital.) Well, I have to be honest and say that this was a really impressive digital single! And her voice is truly beautiful which isn’t surprising since her songs always use the best of her talents. It’s obviously a ballad but it’s not as good as “Hitotsu” or “Ashita e no Sanka.” (The two singles released before this one was released.) Still…it gets a full rating.
Personal Rating: 5/5
Kuon no Kawa
April 29, 2009 at 4:13 PM | In Alan | Leave a CommentTags: J-pop, Reviews: J-pop, singles
Artist: Alan
Release Date: April 8, 2009
Label: Avex Trax
Genre: Ballad
Number of Songs: 6
Personal Rating: 5/5
1. Kuon no Kawa
2. CHI BI~Da Jiang Dong Qu~
3. RED CLIFF ~Shin Sen~
4. Xin Zhan ~RED CLIFF~
5. Kuon no Kawa (Instrumental)
6. CHI BI ~Da Jiang Dong Qu~ (Instrumental)
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Alan has been releasing tons of singles as of lately. She’s just released her debut album not so long ago and yet, here she is again with a new single! (I’m pretty sure that the mainstream J-pop artists used to release singles and albums once a month when they first started.) Just when I thought that she would develop write and sing songs with more of a J-pop style. But instead, her newest release just had to be a ballad. (Again…) As always, Alan’s songs never cease to amaze me. I mean Kuon no Kawa is another one of her epic tracks that kept me listening until the very last second of the song. I also noticed that Alan’s ballads have their own “sub-genres,” instead of just ballads. Like RED CLIFF ~Shin Sen~ was more of the dark kind of ‘epic’ while Kuon no Kawa is more of a lighter ‘epic.’ In some ways, I pretty much prefer all the types of ballads she does. Unlike some of the tracks in her debut albums, Kuon no Kawa seems to reach the point when Alan has used her full potential and that her entire talent was put in to the song.
Personal Rating: 5/5
Voice of EARTH
April 28, 2009 at 5:47 PM | In Alan | Leave a CommentTags: albums, J-pop, Reviews: J-pop
Artist: Alan
Release Date: March 4, 2009
Label: Avex Trax
Genre: Folk/J-pop/Ballad
Number of Songs: 15
Personal Rating: 5/5
1. Tennyo ~interlude~
2. Ashita e no Sanka
3. Sora Uta
4. Natsukashii Mirai ~longing future~
5. Hitotsu
6. Kaze no Tegami
7. BRAVE
8. Yume no Garden
9. Gunjou no Tani
10. my friend
11. Liberty
12. Tsuki ga Watashi
13. RED CLIFF ~Shin Sen~
14. Megumi no Ame
15. Together
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Tennyo ~interlude~ may just be over three minutes long but it’s no doubt, one of the best opening in existence! I mean, it’s probably not even considered an interlude since there’s actually vocals in this song. (I’m pretty sure that an “interlude” is a song all instrumentals, right?) Love all of the traditional music elements played throughout the song after all, I like the
glimpse of a very unique style!
Ashita e no Sanka, meaning “A Hymn for Tomorrow,” makes an appearence for Alan’s debut album. I mean, “why not? It’s definitely a song worth your time.” The beginning did indeed sound like a hymn. I could see how Alan tried to make is sound all scary at the beginning with the traditional chinese background music but when the song progressed to the chorus, she takes me by surprise when she starts screaming all of the sudden. Her vocals were priceless and very breathtaking.
At the beginning of Sora Uta there’s uplifting beats that’s had never been used in Alan’s past releases. The reason for this? It’s the change in Alan’s style! This appears to be the only song that’s not a ballad! Overall, I thought that Sora Uta was totally a great new change of style and she executed the mood flawlessly. I think she did a great job with the change.
Natsukashii Mirai ~longing future~ marks the beginning of the five elements project. As always, her ballads are very dramatic and gives listeners a very strong impression and reaction. But the one thing that makes this ballad very special is that the way the song was composed sounded like the works of Ayumi Hamasaki’s composer, making this song more popular in Japan. Since in Japan, people there prefer very pop-like and modern songs rather than ballads. Not to mention, Alan is more of a singer of tradition type music. But once again, Alan blows me off the chair with her extremely high voice. I think that Alan’s new approach to ballads was the reason why this single hit high on the charts than u
sual.
Hitotsu starts with the sound of a piano followed by Alan’s light and rhtymic vocals. Surprise, surprise, this happens to be another one of Alan’s beautiful ballads with very powerful vocals during the chorus and very calm during the interludes. A very beautifully made song. Totally worth the effort! There’s a thing with Alan’s voice that makes it wasy to reach those incredibly high notes. The song sort of shared the same style as “Ashita e no Sanka.”
The third installment to the Five elements project begins with Kaze no Tegami which shows the new materials that Alan has been experiencing with. After the sudden change from ballads to pop in her last single Sora Uta, Kaze no Tegami continues with the new style. After her somewhat solo beginning, powerful guitars and drum beats follow it. It’s pretty obvious that Alan got a new composer for her songs now that her lyric style changed as well. Unlike her ballads, this track shows Alan’s all new side of her voice.
After hearing most of Alan’s old songs throughout this “great-so-far” album, it’s finally time to get another dose of Alan’s newer songs! BRAVE shares some characteristics from her older songs but it’s still as awesome as usual. (And it’s not a ballad!) The whole song itself is very appealing to the ears and the acoustics in the background is what totally got me captivating into continuing to listen to this song. There was no sign of a boring chorus and an ordinary melody, so BRAVE was an excellent addition to Alan’s collection of songs.
Another new song is Yume no Garden which is also not a ballad but rather, a mid-tempo pop oriental song. I loved that there were some string instrumentals in the background since we don’t usually hear many pop songs with string instrumentals. It’s true that I’m a little tired of her singing just ballads and that her pop style also fits her perfectly but I guess that Alan’s vocals weren’t all that great here. At least, it wasn’t boring and there’s still no disappointments with this album yet. I have a feeling that this album is transitioning from her ballads to her more aggressive music….
And I was right! Gunjou no Tani starts with Alan singing calmly. When I first heard her voice, I thought that it was a voice of an angel! No one would have thought that Japanese was her second language! Anyway, powerful instrumental is played following Alan’s solo interlude. At least this wasn’t a ballad like most of her other singles were. I liked how Alan mixed up a variety of crescendos, rhthym and ones; all of them totally shook this awesome song up! Well done Alan!
Finally, a new ballad! (And I can’t stress enough how joyful I am not to hear a song with only ballads!) I pretty much expected that my friend would be a ballad because I’ve noticed that all of the Japanese songs that I hear with the title with the word “friend” in it usually turn out to be ballads. Anyway, the feel of the song is very sweet. I have the same feeling with one of her past singles called “Megumi no Ame,” that the song was nice but I thought that it wasn’t as captivating as most of Alan’s ballads.
Now I don’t really have a straight opinion with Liberty. It’s another ballad, not surprise but the beginning was pretty weak until the end. When the song was near the end, I thought it was pretty powerful. (Like some bands say before a concert, “we could start whatever way we want but we have to be strong at the end!”) At least Alan’ made it a memorable song near the conclusion since the last thing listeners hear is their last impression of the song. I still have some mixed opinions with this track but this sort of shares the same comment with “Yume no Garden.”
Tsuki ga Watashi is what I’m talking about! (And this new track actually has a title that suits the title of this album! It means “I am the Moon.”) Just like “Gunjou no Tani,” the song kind of sounds like a ballad at the beginning but it becomes more faster paced after the first verse. I liked how there was a large addition of instruments added throughout the song and how the chorus sounded a bit “fluid.” J-pop in general do share some sort of the same style but this song is definitely the most unique.
I seen many of my fellow bloggers post that RED CLIFF ~Shin Sen~ seems to turn out to be one of Alan’s most epic pre-released song, and it turns out they’re totally right! Although Alan may have been mostly doing ballads, it seems that she did try some experimenting with the pop style but now…she went back to her ballad style and took it to the next level! She has no doubt, greatly improved and touched up her ballad style since her last. I liked the part of the song when she began to build up her voice while softer versions of Alan’s voice also began to somewhat echo along with it. The chorus is also pretty darn powerful that I almost fell off my chair in surprise.
After listening to most of Alan’s past singles, I was pretty much expecting a lot from her since she always released good music. Maybe I was expecting too much since I wasn’t really fond of Megumi no Ame. I thought that it was a little too plain and a little boring compared to her other ballads. I mean, she was pretty much monotoning which really made me a little disappointed. It’s not so bad or anything; just “decent.” At least her beautiful voice is still present in this song.
Finally, there’ Together which is actually Alan’s first song she’s written. I’m not going to complain about it being a ballad since ballads do make a great ending to a great album. This song isn’t all that slow and boring but at least there’s a great combination of string instruments in the background.
(Background music is key to making a ballad interesting.) I thought this song was an excellent way to end this incredibly beautiful album.
Okay, Alan’s Voice of EARTH was a total phenomenon! Although the album mostly consisted of her previous releases, the album was very refreshing to the ear. I mean, Avex Trax always picks extraordinary artists to be a part of their label and including Alan was probably one of their best miracle yet! It has been a total blessing that I was given a chance to give this single a listen and I will vow to treasure my copy of this extraordinary album! There’s a chance that she could be the next Ayumi Hamasaki!
Personal Rating: 5/5
Gunjou no Tani
April 27, 2009 at 1:28 AM | In Alan | Leave a CommentTags: J-pop, Reviews: J-pop, singles
Artist: Alan
Release Date: February 4, 2008
Label: Avex Trax
Genre: J-pop
Personal Rating: 5/5
1. Gunjou no Tani
2. Gunjou no Tani (Acoustic Version)
3. Gunjou no Tani (Instrumental)
4. Gunjou no Tani (Acoustic Version -Instrumental-)
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Lately, I’ve been into Alan, an introductory artist since 2008! I have been wanting to review the singles that were part of her “Five elements” campaign but for now, I’ll start with the “Gunjou no Tani” single. Somehow, she doesn’t seem to be selling a ton of releases and hasn’t made it to #1 on the charts yet but she does seem to be pretty well known among the international network….this could a a good sign….
So the first and only original track in this single, Gunjou no Tani starts with Alan singing calmly. (If you watch the DVD version of the PV, there’s a traditional chinese string instrument that plays before the beginning of the song. It sounded beautiful so you might want to check that out.) When I first heard her voice, I thought that it was a voice of an angel! No one would have thought that Japanese was her second language! Anyway, powerful instrumental is played following Alan’s solo interlude. At least this wasn’t a ballad like most of her other singles were. (All of them were nicely made by the way. I’m just planning on reviewing them over the spring break.) I liked how Alan mixed up a variety of crescendos, rhthym and ones; all of them totally shook this awesome song up! Well done Alan!
Personal Rating: 5/5
Megumi no Ame
April 22, 2009 at 3:58 PM | In Alan | 1 CommentTags: J-pop, Reviews: J-pop, singles
Artist: Alan
Release Date: November 12, 2008
Label: Avex Trax
Genre: Ballad
Number of Songs: 4
Personal Rating: 4.5/5
1. Megumi no Ame
2. Namida
3. Megumi no Ame (Instrumental)
4. Namida (Instrumental)
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After listening to most of Alan’s past singles, I was pretty much expecting a lot from her since she always released good music. Maybe I was expecting too much since I wasn’t really fond of Megumi no Ame. I thought that it was a little too plain and a little boring compared to her other ballads. I mean, she was pretty much monotoning which really made me a little disappointed. It’s not so bad or anything; just “decent.” At least her beautiful voice is still present in this song.
Finally, there’s Namida which would have made a much better A-side than Megumi no Ame. The lyrics make a better representation of water, and its more meaningful and memorable than the A-side. Although I’m getting a tad tired of Alan doing nothing but ballads, I guess this one totally meets my expectations. I just hope she does more in the future! (And I still have to listen to her “Voice of Earth” album so maybe there’ll be newer material there too.)
Personal Rating: 4.5/5
RED CLIFF ~Shin Sen~
April 21, 2009 at 6:03 PM | In Alan | Leave a CommentTags: J-pop, Reviews: J-pop, singles
Artist: Alan
Release Date: October 15, 2008
Label: Avex Trax
Genre: Ballad
Number of Songs: 5
Personal Rating: 5/5
1. RED CLIFF ~Shin Sen~
2. Xin Zhan ~RED CLIFF~
3. Ashita e no Sanka ~Orchestra Version~
4. RED CLIFF ~Shin Sen~ (Instrumental)
5. Ashita e no Sanka ~Orchestra Version~(Instrumental)
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I seen many of my fellow bloggers post that RED CLIFF ~Shin Sen~ seems to turn out to be one of Alan’s most epic A-side song, and it turns out that they’re totally right! Although Alan may have been mostly doing ballads, it seems that she did try some experimenting with the pop style but now…she went back to her ballad style and took it to the next level! She has no doubt, greatly improved and touched up her ballad style since her last. I liked the part of the song when she began to build up her voice while softer versions of Alan’s voice also began to somewhat echo along with it. The chorus is also pretty darn powerful that I almost fell off my chair in surprise. I’ll be honest and say that “Fire” isn’t really my favorite element but this single made me totally positive that the fourth single of Alan’s elemental project has surpassed all of her past singles!
Some people may have already known that Xin Zhan ~RED CLIFF~ is actually the Chinese and “Original” version of “Red Cliff ~Shin Sen~” (Not to mention, both titles do share a small similarity.) And since there’s the fact that both songs share the same title, both songs also sound a bit alike. (Well Chinese and Japanese do sound somewhat familiar but when it comes to music, you could totally tell the difference between J-pop and C-pop.)
Finally, there’s another one of my favorite song from Alan’s except that it’s turned into an orchestral version! Ashita e no Sanka ~Orchestra Version~ does indeed sound so much different than the original since the instrumentals in the background do give more of a stronger feel to the chorus. I’m so glad this version exists!
Personal Rating: 5/5
Kaze no Tegami
April 18, 2009 at 12:45 PM | In Alan | 1 CommentTags: J-pop, Reviews: J-pop, singles
Artist: Alan
Release Date: September 10, 2008
Label: Avex Trax
Genre: J-pop
Number of Songs: 4
Personal Rating: 5/5
1. Kaze no Tegami
2. Kagome
3. Kaze no Tegami (Instrumental)
4. Kagome (Instrumental)
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I’m back with another review on Alan’s releases! I’m continuing to review Alan’s five elements project and so far, I’ve reviewed Earth and Sky and now, Wind. The project is turning out to give her more and more listeners and exposure to the Music department so that’s a big plus. As you may have already noticed, I always rate Alan’s releases with a full score. Why? Her songs are simply lovable and her talent is hugely acknowlegded! Either the song is a ballad or J-pop, her voice totally runs the song!
The third installment to the Five elements project begins with Kaze no Tegami which shows the new materials that Alan has been experiencing with. After the sudden change from ballads to pop in her last single Sora Uta, Kaze no Tegami continues with the new style. After her somewhat solo beginning, powerful guitars and drum beats follow it. It’s pretty obvious that Alan got a new composer for her songs now that her lyric style changed as well. Unlike her ballads, this track shows Alan’s all new side of her voice.
Finally, there’s Kagome which isn’t all as impressive and powerful as the A-side. I found the song rather catchy but it was more traditional like her past releases. (Maybe she’s trying to balance out both of her styles; both ballad and J-pop.) At least, I’m not disappointed with the song because there was still a hint of rock within the chorus.
Personal Rating: 5/5
Sora Uta
April 14, 2009 at 4:44 PM | In Alan | 1 CommentTags: J-pop, Reviews: J-pop, singles
Artist: Alan
Release Date: August 13, 2008
Label: Avex Trax
Genre: Ballad/J-pop
Number of Songs: 4
Personal Rating: 5/5
1. Sora Uta
2. My Stage
3. Sora Uta (Instrumental)
4. My Stage (Instrumental)
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At the beginning of Sora Uta there’s uplifting beats that’s had never been used in Alan’s past releases. The reason for this? It’s the change in Alan’s style! This appears to be the only song that’s not a ballad! Overall, I thought that Sora Uta was totally a great new change of style and she executed the mood flawlessly. I think she did a great job with the change.
My Stage was also another upbeat song that’s not a ballad. I understand that she was approaching to something new but I thought that this song was not as good as the A-side. At first, I thought the song was a little bit monotoning but in the end, I pretty much found the chorus rather catchy and rememberable.
To my surprise, this is Alan’s first album that actually has a glimpse of J-pop. I don’t think I’m tired of her ballads but that seems to only be the type of music she sings. (It’s like Ayumi Hamasaki who was only famous for ballads but look at her now, she’s like an electronica machine.) As the second single of her Five elements project representing the Sky, I think that this was the best cover and single that she’s done.
Personal Rating: 5/5
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