Lyrics: CHEMISTRY SUPPORTED BY MONKEY MAJIK - Kagayaku yoru

I always wondered what Monkey Majik songs would sound like if they were sung by the CHEMISTRY duo. I've always been a fan of CHEMISTRY, so this is the perfect combo. I just hope Monkey Majik does a cover for this song, since I'd be interested in how it sounds.

Title: Kagayaku yoru
Artist: CHEMISTRY supported by Monkey Majik
Single: Kagayaku yoru
Year: 2007

※akiramenai tsumari sorega mirai
azayakana ashiato o koishite
yume o kono te ni tsukamunda

midori no naka de odoru
furisosogu hikari no naka
mabushiku hikaru hi no shita de

(※repeat)

nanimo nai hibi o sugosu boku wa
wazuka na koto bakari ki ni shite
jinsei to wa kawaranai mono
kaeru mono dakara
shinjitsu o mitsumeyou

nagasarenai youni mayowanai youni
fumidasou kono michi o

kanawanai eien'no yume o
hitasura oitsuzukete
shizumu yubi ni terasarete

(※repeat)

kono sekaino kurushimi o
hitori de shoikondetayo
wakattetanosa kotaeno nai
doryoku nante nai koto o

taoresou demo hashititsuzuketa
sono shunkan itsumo mune ni kanjiteikou

yuruginai kokorono koe de
kasoku shite yumeno butai e
kagayaku tsuki no sono shita de

(※repeat)

wasurenaiyo ano hibi o
sasaetekureta tomodachi o

kikoeruyo kikoetekurunosa ano koe
(I know you're always gonna get through!)

kawaranaiyo kono kimochi
eien ni nokoru soshite hirogaru

"kanarazu anatano yume wa yume o tsunagukara"

hitomino nakani utsuru
hikari ga terasu mirai

kagayaku yoru ni kono uta o

(※repeat)

You know that you'll make it!
I know you can take it!
kagayaku yoru ni kono uta o

You know that you'll make it!
I know you can take it!
tsukamu'nda

Source: from Jpop Asia, link is found here.

Song Review: the brilliant green - ENEMY

Title: ENEMY
Artist: the brilliant green
Single: ENEMY
Released: December 12, 2007

Review

Question: what is the difference between Tomoko's vocals in "ENEMY" and a dying hospital patient? The dying patient has more energy. Is this a trivial answer? I think not.

"ENEMY" is the 16th single from the brilliant green. The song has a depressing tone that you'll feel deep in your heart. It's not the lyrics that make you depressed, it's the lifelessness of Tomoko's voice, as she sings for roughly 5 minutes. I suppose it takes skills to sound so consistently boring. Her poor vocals waste the excellent instrumentals, which has created a haunting atmosphere. Next time, someone needs to poke Tomoko real hard when she sings to get some tone variation.

The verdict: the enemy in this song is Tomoko's awfully boring voice. What a waste!

Lyrics

Here are the romaji lyrics:
aozameta sora kokuchou no retsu
hiai no te muragaru kage
susurinaku koe
mukuwarenai namida wa munashii

tsuki ni kagayaku tenshi no hashigo
sono saki ni kitai wo shite wa
nageku bakari
itsu made mo sou shite itai no?

nani ga kawaru wake ja nai
kiseki nanka okoranai

the Enemy lives inside myself
yeah I know...
tozasareta sora no shita de
furuete iru
I stand alone

amai dake no jibun ni kidzuiteta

yureru minamo ni koboshita namida
kakusenai fuan no toge
modoru nara ima
te wo nobashi dareka ga naiteta
kanshou ni wa hitaranai
nan no yaku ni mo tatanai

The Enemy lives inside myself
yeah I know...
ima wa mada koerarenai kabe demo
ii
mite mitai no
mukougawa ni hirogaru
aozora wo

ima wa chiisana hoshi dakedo
kagayakeru hi wo egaite
koko ni iru no
I stand alone

mune wo tsuku yokaze ga munashisa ga
oroka da to azakeru nara sore demo ii
mite itai no
sono mukou ni hirogaru
aoi sora

Source: http://www.jpopasia.com/play/4795/the-brilliant-green/enemy.html

Metadata

Artist: the brilliant green
Release year: 2007
Genre: Rock
Song speed: Fast
Dominant voice: Female
Dominant language: Japanese

Song Review: Namie Amuro - Violet Sauce (Spicy)

Title: Violet Sauce (Spicy)
Artist: Namie Amuro
Album: PLAY
Released: June 27, 2007

Review

The song begins with Namie saying, "You know what? Who is hot?" Unless your ears are trained to understand poorly pronounced English, you won't find out what her answer is. The closest real English word that I hear is "Galatians," which is a book in the Bible. I suppose books in the Bible can be hot, but what Namie is actually trying to say is "collaboration" (thanks to the romaji lyrics). Although you may have missed that word, there's always more time to play "guess the English word" when listening to Jpop.

I hadn't even listened to Violet Sauce from Namie's other single White Light / Violet Sauce much because it didn't sound very interesting at the time. Luckily, Namie really improves this song by adding the electric guitar. The song's hook is definitely Namie's incredibly hot sounding voice (or as some others have said, sensual) and addictive beats.

I'm quite surprised that the English Namie uses in this song sounds decent (excluding the beginning). I guess she's been practicing. It's interesting that the lyrics are pretty dirty, but it's diluted using euphemisms. Either that, or I'm pretty perverted and I've clearly analyzed the lyrics incorrectly.

Of course, regardless of hotness, the song can get somewhat repetitive after listening to it a few times. After a while, the chorus becomes mind numbing and you'll look for safety in the verses.

The verdict: a hot and addictive remix from the queen of hip hop. I highly recommend it.

Lyrics

Here are the romaji lyrics for you to sing along with:
You know what?
Who is hot?
Collaboration
(C'mon Ah Ah Yeah)

Dip in the sauce (hey, hey)
Dip in the sauce (hey, hey)
Dip in the sauce (hey, hey)
Dip it in the violet sauce

tanjun na Rule demo kuse n' naru
sonna asobi shinai?
(You wanna know how to play)
mazu 2(ni)mai no Cards
"Joker" ga "Ace of heart"
ima kara nageru Coin no aizu de Start

*1 Show me your everything
I'll give you what you need
I know the way to please you, you, you
ato sukoshi kurai
kiken de Hot na Spice
ajiwatte mitai nara

*2 Dip it in the sauce
himitsu no recipe
Dip it in the sauce
Taste it and feel it
Dip it in the sauce
sugu ni itamitsuki
Dip it in the violet sauce
Dip it in the sauce
himitsu no recipe
Dip it in the sauce
Taste it and feel it
Dip it in the sauce
hora konna fuu ni
Dip it in the violet sauce

nani ga shitai no ka wakannai nara
koko de Join da game
(Everyone ain't need a ticket)
atatakakute Sweet na Trap
hamaritai nara
Burn it up, Turn it up kossori mimimoto de

*1, *2 repeat

yureru Candle lights
mawaru Hard knock life
marude kawaribae no nai hibi nara
Oh baby Don't worry
You ready? Come wit' me

*2 repeat 2x

(Enjoy my PLAY LAND)
koko kara sono Mind Control
doko ni mo nai himitsu no Toys
hoshii n' nara Knock My Door
saa Hear me say Oh Oh Oh Oh
zensai kara Cool na Course
jikkuri ajiwaeba dou?
shiage wa kono Violet Sauce
saa Hear me say Oh Oh Oh Oh

Violet Sauce
Violet Sauce...

Source: http://www.corichan.com/lyrics/albums/namie-play.html#10

Metadata

Artist: Namie Amuro
Release year: 2007
Genre: Pop
Song speed: Fast
Dominant voice: Female
Dominant language: Japanese

Song Review: the brilliant green - Stand by Me

Title: Stand by Me
Artist: the brilliant green
Single: Stand by Me
Released: August 22, 2007

Review

Kawase Tomoko begins by taking a deep breath to start the brilliant green's 10th anniversary comeback single "Stand by Me." I brace myself for disappointment or joy. Luckily, it's the latter.
Tomoko wastes no time by starting us off with an intro where her voice sounds an awfully lot like YUI. I fear monotone vocals for the first 30 seconds of this song but am relieved when her voice picks up energy for the chorus. Without a doubt, the chorus is the hook in this song. Whenever Tomoko sings "stand by me, akirame to negai no tobira no mae," the song's mood becomes so happy that I literally sing a long with it. The electric guitar and percussion complements Tomoko's voice perfectly in this incredibly addictive chorus.

The song's instrumentals are decent, nothing spectacular, but it gets the job done. Matsui provides a brief guitar solo as a nice break near the 2:44 mark.

Thankfully, Tomoko's English pronunciation for phrases like "yeah baby," "you're always on my mind," and "stand by me" don't sound terrible. I cringe at some of Tomoko's bad English in some of her previous songs, but I'm glad it doesn't kill this song. However, I was disappointed at Tomoko's typical neutral tone for most of the song. This song could have used more energy, but luckily the chorus saved it from destruction.

The verdict: "Stand by Me" has plenty of lasting appeal with it's incredibly energetic chorus. I highly recommend this song.

Lyrics

Here are the romaji lyrics for you to sing along with:
nagai ichinichi ga owari
kiete yuku kako e no tobira
kizutsuitemo ii sore yori
chigau jibun wo mite mitai

can I try? "Why should I?" togireta koe
kioku no hako ni nemuru 憶(omo)i
You're always on my mind so...

Stand by me
sabitsuita sekai ni
nani ga aru no? Show me stars again itsuka
demo mienai kirameki ga aru koto
kidzukasete kureta kara

kokoro wo nozoketa nara
imasugu ni raku ni naru kana...
dare no mono ni mo naranaide
katte na negai dakeredo

dakedo itsuka kowashite shimau
garasu no hako ni
furetara kitto modorenai so...

Stand by me
akirame to negai no tobira no mae
ugokenai zutto
kanau no nara tomodachi de ii kara
tokubetsu ni naritakatta

dareka no tame ni nakeru nante
wakaranakatta
omou dake de itoshikute
setsunaku naru no
Stand by me
Stand by me yeah baby

so Stand by me
(so Stand by me oh...)
yeah baby Stand by me
(you're always on my mind)
mada mienai kirameki ga aru nara
arukidaseru kitto
mitsuketai no anata to so...
Stand by me

Source: http://www.jpopasia.com/play/3626/the-brilliant-green/stand-by-me.html

Metadata

Artist: the brilliant green
Release year: 2007
Genre: Pop
Song speed: Fast
Dominant voice: Female
Dominant language: Japanese

BoA - Lose Your Mind

Post Edit: January 8, 2008 to follow new blog standards

Title: Lose Your Mind
Artist: BoA
Single: Lose Your Mind
Released: December 12, 2007

Review

It's been a really long time since I listened to BoA. Luckily, my faith in her singing has been slightly revived as I listened to her new catchy song Lose Your Mind. However, I made a terrible mistake by watching the music video before listening to the song by itself. For her past few releases, I've been listening to the songs only, so I didn't find much that I enjoyed.

Some Praise...

1. BoA's English is good. If she continuously said "lose your mind" in terrible English, it would be torturous enough to break prisoners. I'll criticize the way she says "girls," since you have to admit that sounds a tad strange.
   
2. The vocals are decent and the song's hook is definitely the chorus. The chorus is addictive and energetic.
3. The electric guitar solo is a good break from BoA's voice.
4. BoA looks cute in her music video. She has a few styles, which will keep you occupied as you guess what she'll wear next. You might want to listen to the song first before you decide its quality, or you'll fall into the same deadly trap as me.
   

Things to get depressed over

1. With the exception of the guitar solo, the guitar playing is awfully repetitive. Is it really necessary to get someone from DOPING PANDA for this? While it does complement BoA's singing and create a nice atmosphere, a little variation would be nice.
2. If you remove the chorus, you'll notice that this song has almost no content. I love the chorus, it's well made, but I'm sure you can come up with something else for the other verses.
   

The verdict: I would definitely recommend this song if you are looking for good BoA songs, but BoA's voice still bothers me too much.

Lyrics

mitame no watashi wo suki datte hontou hoshii mono wa shiranai no
Should do, Be do you wanna betters and cosmetic
Material ja mou mitasarenai

LOSE YOU MIND futton jau gurai
MAKE ME WILD shigeki teki na WILDLY
BABY LOSE YOUR MIND "BOYS KNOW WHAT GIRLS WANT"
motto kimi wo muchuu ni sasetai LOSE YOUR MIND

doushitemo rikai fukanou 24/7 aitai no ni
Should do, Be do your like, music magic and dramatic
kokoro ni iku mono dake ga suki

LOSE YOU MIND amae chau gurai
MAKE ME WILD odorase teyo WILDLY
BABY LOSE YOUR MIND "BOYS KNOW WHAT GIRLS WANT"
nankai datte repeat shiteta LOSE YOU MIND


LOSE YOU MIND futton jau gurai
MAKE ME WILD shigeki teki na WILDLY
BABY LOSE YOUR MIND "BOYS KNOW WHAT GIRLS WANT"
motto kimi wo muchuu ni sasetai LOSE YOUR MIND

LOSE YOU MIND amae chau gurai
MAKE ME WILD odorase teyo WILDLY
BABY LOSE YOUR MIND "BOYS KNOW WHAT GIRLS WANT"
nankai datte repeat shiteta LOSE YOU MIND

Source: http://www.jpopasia.com/play/4797/boa/lose-your-mind-featyutaka-furukawa-from-doping-panda.html

Metadata

Artist: BoA
Release year: 2007
Genre: Pop
Song speed: Fast
Dominant voice: Female
Dominant language: Japanese

Yuna Ito x Celine Dion - A World To Believe In

Post Edit: January 10, 2008 to follow new blog standards

Title: A World To Believe In
Artist: Yuna Ito
Single: A World To Believe In
Released: January 16, 2008

Review

"A World To Believe In" is an excellent North-America-meets-Japan duet with the Canadian powerhouse Celine Dion and Yuna Ito. "A World To Believe In" is the 10th single from Yuna Ito and it shows off her excellent slow song skills. Yuna Ito is an excellent choice for singing Celine Dion songs because of her flawless English, smooth sounding voice, and her proven ability to switch between English and Japanese without breaking the flow. Overall a great song and a great tribute to Celine Dion, but I still prefer some of Yuna Ito's other slower songs, such as "Endless Story."

The verdict: a great slow song from Yuna Ito and Celine Dion. I recommend it if you like slow songs.

Lyrics

I've seen the tears and the heartache
And I've felt the pain
I've seen the hatred
And so many lives lost in vain

And yet through this darkness
There's always a light that shines through
And takes me back home
Takes me back home

Takai kabe no mukou
Nani ga attemo
Nigetakunai
Arukitsuzukeyou
Wasurenaide

You gave me a world to believe in
You gave me a love to believe in
Ai no tame ni
Tsuyokunareru
Anata ga iru kagiri

Namida de afureru kokoro
Yorisou yohou ni daite kureta
Kizukeba hitori de wa nakatta
Kaze no hi mo
Ame no hi mo

And I see for one fleeting moment
A paradise under the sun
I drift away
And I make my way back to you
Wasurenaide

You gave me a world to believe in
You gave me a love to believe in
Nando datte
Yarinaoseru
Ashita ga aru kagiri

Hito wa kizutsuku tabi ni
Hontou ni taisetsu na
Kotae ni chikazukeru kara

You gave me a world to believe in
You gave me a love to believe in
Ai no tame ni
Tsuyokunareru
Anata ga iru kagiri

You gave me a world to believe in
You gave me a love to believe in
Nando datte
Yarinaoseru
Ashita ga aru kagiri

Anata to iru kagiri
Anata to iru kagiri

Source: http://www.jpopasia.com/lyrics/7125//yuna-ito/anata-ga-iru-kagiri---a-world-to-believe-in.html

Metadata

Artist: Yuna Ito
Release year: 2007
Genre: Pop
Song speed: Fast
Dominant voice: Female
Dominant language: English and Japanese

Aya Hirano - MonStAR

Title: MonStAR
Artist: Aya Hirano
Single/Album: MonStAR single
Year: 2007
Genre: Pop
Speed: Fast Song
Languages used: Japanese

Review:
I am somewhat disappointed at this song since I didn't find this song to be as catchy as some of Aya Hirano's previous songs. There are parts of this song where her voice sounds terrible and the English chorus brings chills down my spine. The video shows Aya Hirano as a gang girl with a 1 million bounty. However, the "vault" holding all her bling seems rather empty, unless you count glitter curtains or items that you find in a garage sale to be valuable (I suppose sentimental value is priceless though...).

Aya Hirano's MonStAr Japanese lyrics can be found here.