Thoughts on Popcorn
Oct. 31st, 2012 11:26 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
spsn
I just managed to listen to the whole album today. There are songs that I like and dislike, just like any other albums. So how Popcorn fare in my Arashi album ranking? If Time makes me giddy and fell into Arashi world of sparkling rainbow and glitters, Boku No Miteiru Fuukei sets my expectation of an Arashi album, Beautiful wows me in thinking that Arashi does go all out in their albums, Popcorn makes me do a self check if my expectation on Arashi is too high. I like lots of the songs in this album, but I expect it to be flowing with popcorn when I listen to it and I didn't see any popcorn when I listen to it. There're still rainbow and glitters sparkling in this album, but it's definitely not their best album. With that said, I do have songs that I adore in this album:
Songs that I'll keep on repeat mode:
楽園 - For once, Aiba-chan's solo surprised me. His solo is always changing from album to album, and the only similarity is the song cheerful, Aiba-chan vibe. This is also the first time he sings his solo that fast. I can imagine he stumbled a lot when he did the recording hehe... but this song is so... Aiba-chan and mecha genki. I couldn't agree more with lots of other people that they can use this song as an anime OP.
旅は続くよ - This is a really fun song to listen to. I can imagine Arashi do a travel around the globe and do the travel according to what they like and want. And the song is performed in a Broadway style. But I can't imagine this song to be sung more than once other than Popcorn concert and who knows they might shelf this one into Johnny's Archive.
Up to you ~ so 80s bit of disco. It's so Johnny's but they use short pulse on the singing to make it groovy and different from Johnny's standard. Love it because it's genki song, the kind of song I'll listen to have a perk me up.
駆け抜けろ! - This song reminds me of Arashi's old albums. They used this style before, so it's no surprise and I like the beat. But I'd expect it to be faster tempo when it's played on Nisan CM --> this is not a complain though, just a thought haha.
Waiting for You - I'd say, typical Arashi song with a touch of disco, bit of techno and ... still 80's.I guess from my like list, I like genki songs with similar tune and color. They change them up a bit here and there, add techno, disco, some swing, with lots of dashes of sparkles to make me feel happy and giddy haha...
それはやっぱり君でした - Nino's solo is always loved. His lyrics are beautiful. I love the verse, the way it flows makes me doki doki at first. But he seems to be a bit forced on the high notes and the mood that built up during the verse is just... poof. Still a beautiful song overall but definitely not his best. Niji is still his #1 solo to me, follow by Doko ni Demo Aru Uta. Maybe the concert performance will change my mind, I'm prepared to be wowed haha...
Two - Standard Ohno's solo to me. It's his style. I like Ohno's consistency though on the other hand I'd hope he'll come out from his comfort zone.
Welcome to Out Party - This song is sort of stand alone in this album. It's a good, fun and easily falls under repeat mode, but I don't see the flow except for making a statement 'Hey, let's party! It's starting!' The fan service of 'Put you hands up! Yeah Yeah Yeah! is clever, though :d.
証 - A nice slow tempo with meaningful message. It's just so Arashi.
What I don't like: Cosmos and Sho-chan's solo, Fly on Friday. These two songs has the same theme, FIFA World Cup. Not Olympic, It's FIFA. I can imagine the whole herd of footballers charging through the field during the song playing. It's grand and catchy but I just don't get these 2 songs and both song sounds overlapping too especially if you shuffle the order and happens that these 2 song are next to each other.
Lastly, the odd song, none other our J's solo, 'We wanna funk, We need a funk.' How easily this song misleads people, especially with the Engrish. No doubt, I'm looking forward for the concert performance because this is Matsujun's solo, and his solo is always the all out effects compared to the rest. But listening to the song only? I'm treating this song the same as Magical Song, skip.
From all the singles included in this album, I like Wild at Heart (because it's full of glitters and sparkles and it's so Arashi) and Face Down (the different cool kakkoii side of Arashi). Meikyuu Love song and Your Eyes sounds mediocre to me, don't get me wrong, they're good song, but they're not wowing and the only reason why they're on the chart is because it's Arashi's.
Overall, I'd think it's a good album, but it's definitely not the best Arashi album so far. This album is a product of experimental songs but they didn't go all out with their experiment, and partly rushing to hit the target of 1 album per year. It's good that they're experimenting, trying to mix different style while maintaining Arashi's style and they can afford it because they're ARASHI, I won't be surprised if this album will hit 1M mark too. But I'd hope they take bigger risk when they're experimenting and trying out a totally different style but I guess this is too risky considering the target market.
Songs that I'll keep on repeat mode:
楽園 - For once, Aiba-chan's solo surprised me. His solo is always changing from album to album, and the only similarity is the song cheerful, Aiba-chan vibe. This is also the first time he sings his solo that fast. I can imagine he stumbled a lot when he did the recording hehe... but this song is so... Aiba-chan and mecha genki. I couldn't agree more with lots of other people that they can use this song as an anime OP.
旅は続くよ - This is a really fun song to listen to. I can imagine Arashi do a travel around the globe and do the travel according to what they like and want. And the song is performed in a Broadway style. But I can't imagine this song to be sung more than once other than Popcorn concert and who knows they might shelf this one into Johnny's Archive.
Up to you ~ so 80s bit of disco. It's so Johnny's but they use short pulse on the singing to make it groovy and different from Johnny's standard. Love it because it's genki song, the kind of song I'll listen to have a perk me up.
駆け抜けろ! - This song reminds me of Arashi's old albums. They used this style before, so it's no surprise and I like the beat. But I'd expect it to be faster tempo when it's played on Nisan CM --> this is not a complain though, just a thought haha.
Waiting for You - I'd say, typical Arashi song with a touch of disco, bit of techno and ... still 80's.I guess from my like list, I like genki songs with similar tune and color. They change them up a bit here and there, add techno, disco, some swing, with lots of dashes of sparkles to make me feel happy and giddy haha...
それはやっぱり君でした - Nino's solo is always loved. His lyrics are beautiful. I love the verse, the way it flows makes me doki doki at first. But he seems to be a bit forced on the high notes and the mood that built up during the verse is just... poof. Still a beautiful song overall but definitely not his best. Niji is still his #1 solo to me, follow by Doko ni Demo Aru Uta. Maybe the concert performance will change my mind, I'm prepared to be wowed haha...
Two - Standard Ohno's solo to me. It's his style. I like Ohno's consistency though on the other hand I'd hope he'll come out from his comfort zone.
Welcome to Out Party - This song is sort of stand alone in this album. It's a good, fun and easily falls under repeat mode, but I don't see the flow except for making a statement 'Hey, let's party! It's starting!' The fan service of 'Put you hands up! Yeah Yeah Yeah! is clever, though :d.
証 - A nice slow tempo with meaningful message. It's just so Arashi.
What I don't like: Cosmos and Sho-chan's solo, Fly on Friday. These two songs has the same theme, FIFA World Cup. Not Olympic, It's FIFA. I can imagine the whole herd of footballers charging through the field during the song playing. It's grand and catchy but I just don't get these 2 songs and both song sounds overlapping too especially if you shuffle the order and happens that these 2 song are next to each other.
Lastly, the odd song, none other our J's solo, 'We wanna funk, We need a funk.' How easily this song misleads people, especially with the Engrish. No doubt, I'm looking forward for the concert performance because this is Matsujun's solo, and his solo is always the all out effects compared to the rest. But listening to the song only? I'm treating this song the same as Magical Song, skip.
From all the singles included in this album, I like Wild at Heart (because it's full of glitters and sparkles and it's so Arashi) and Face Down (the different cool kakkoii side of Arashi). Meikyuu Love song and Your Eyes sounds mediocre to me, don't get me wrong, they're good song, but they're not wowing and the only reason why they're on the chart is because it's Arashi's.
Overall, I'd think it's a good album, but it's definitely not the best Arashi album so far. This album is a product of experimental songs but they didn't go all out with their experiment, and partly rushing to hit the target of 1 album per year. It's good that they're experimenting, trying to mix different style while maintaining Arashi's style and they can afford it because they're ARASHI, I won't be surprised if this album will hit 1M mark too. But I'd hope they take bigger risk when they're experimenting and trying out a totally different style but I guess this is too risky considering the target market.
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Date: 2012-11-01 01:52 pm (UTC)I actually love Fly on Friday. It didn't make me think of FIFA but more a mix of Perfume and EXILE (both groups I love) There is a lot of fanfare to it, so I imagine the performance is a lot of fun which is a nice change to the last two albums of smooth and sexy.
Cosmos I don't like at all for that exact reason that it sounds like a song you would make for FIFA with edited scenes of guys running cross the pitch and screaming when scoring a goal.
I actually enjoyed Meikyuu Love Song and Your Eyes in this album more than when they came out on their own. Whoever put together the tracks at least did a nice job in ordering these.
I don't listen to J's solo...it's too easy to hear the wrong thing if you're not paying attention.
no subject
Date: 2012-11-01 02:17 pm (UTC)I listen to Fly on Friday again, still no feel haha, just a matter of preference I guess :D