[quote name='strawberryjam' post='88353' date='Dec 1 2010, 05:57 PM']At least she looks gorgeous in this photo promoting the album.[/quote]
Yes but she looks like a animated skeleton in the PV. She seems to be going down the Victoria Beckham route, the two melons stuck on an ironing board look <img src='http://mm-bbs.org/public/style_emoticon ... >/sick.png' class='bbc_emoticon' alt=':sick:' />.
Ugh, Ashiato is not doing it for me. I generally don't like alternative-style idol music, and this is no exception. It's not bad, just fairly dull. But then I don't much like most of her work with avex, and I'm not especially inclined towards the label to begin with.
[quote name='The Turtle Moves' post='88369' date='Dec 1 2010, 09:15 PM'][quote name='strawberryjam' post='88353' date='Dec 1 2010, 05:57 PM']At least she looks gorgeous in this photo promoting the album.[/quote]
Yes but she looks like a animated skeleton in the PV. She seems to be going down the Victoria Beckham route, the two melons stuck on an ironing board look <img src='http://mm-bbs.org/public/style_emoticon ... >/sick.png' class='bbc_emoticon' alt=':sick:' />.
[quote name='The Turtle Moves' post='88369' date='Dec 1 2010, 12:15 PM'][quote name='strawberryjam' post='88353' date='Dec 1 2010, 05:57 PM']At least she looks gorgeous in this photo promoting the album.[/quote]
Yes but she looks like a animated skeleton in the PV. She seems to be going down the Victoria Beckham route, the two melons stuck on an ironing board look <img src='http://mm-bbs.org/public/style_emoticon ... >/sick.png' class='bbc_emoticon' alt='' />.
[quote name='strawberryjam' post='88449' date='Dec 3 2010, 05:37 AM']I must be the only one that thinks she looks hot. <img src='http://mm-bbs.org/public/style_emoticon ... /laugh.gif' class='bbc_emoticon' alt=':danceman:' /> You know, NO H!P girl could pull this off. Maybe Sayaka.[/quote]
[quote name='strawberryjam' post='88449' date='Dec 3 2010, 03:37 AM']I could support Maki solely on looking hot, but her music isn't hot enough. Too bad.[/quote]
I'm here too. Maki has gotten so gorgeous over the years that I love to look at her...but on mute. Sorry Maki <img src='http://mm-bbs.org/public/style_emoticon ... #>/sad.gif' class='bbc_emoticon' alt=':danceman:' />
Ashiato: Is it bad that this reminds me of ERIKA? Maki's singing is pretty nice, even if the song is a little bit generic-OP-rock.
Hanataba: Hmm... guitaRnB. Kind of feels a bit everywhere, especially when that clap comes in. Was this a Koda Kumi reject?
Koi Hitoyo: What a way to start. Guitar strumming under a HBP and then throw in a drum machine? The chorus and lead up are really strange. Not a fan of Maki's part either. Is this supposed to be a sad song? It's really a miss. CRYAN ON THA DANCEFLOOR CRYAN ON THA DANCEFLOOR
(FAKE): A hard rock song? Pop singing? Obvious drum machine samples? I'm really feeling Maki trying to channel ZAKIZAKIZAKI and Nakashima Mika a little in the whole song and it's sad.
Age Kyoku: What the hell is going on here?! What the hell is going on here?! I guess Maki has a nice presence on the track, but what is this track? A miserable little pile of DJ OZMA demoes! Enough talk, eject damn you!
Let me tell you what Maki needs. She needs a new producer. She can sing. She can write. This music is not good enough, not for a second release. This entire thing is an acoustic guitar, an electric guitar, drum samples, and synth patch presets. These songs are terrible imitations of bigger singers with higher production value, and she deserves better.
Listened to it and it's all pretty forgettable, which is too bad. She sounds tired and unenthusiastic for most of the tracks. Not sure any amount of production value can fix that, like Nesh suggested but it's pretty obviously bad in this case. Her first album had some promise (I liked Houseki a lot, but the rest were pretty skippable) so I thought hopefully this would be a little better.
Disappointing.
Last edited by Tsuki on Tue Jan 11, 2011 11:23 pm, edited 1 time in total.
I like her voice much more on this album compared to ONE, where I thought pretty much every song was in a weird range for her. The Koi Hitoyo cover is a decent take on the song, I think, though it can't even compare to the Acid Black Cherry version. This album is better than ONE, imo, but only by a fraction. Where as ONE had two songs I found worth hearing, this has three (Fake, Age Kyoku, and Koi Hitoyo) Sadly, even the best songs on the album only get around a 3.5 out of 5 for me <img src='http://mm-bbs.org/public/style_emoticon ... #>/sad.gif' class='bbc_emoticon' alt=':wheely:' />
I used to BASICALLY be a Maki wota but her last two solo albums have sucked. I actually really enjoyed the Sweet Black album. It's a shame. She really does need a new producer.
I liked SWEET BLACK a lot and, yes, Queen Bee, both the song and the video, but I'm still annoyed that of the videos included with the Sweet Black album, Queen Bee wasn't one of them.
Am I the only one who liked this album? And "ONE?" Albeit, this one is a lot better than "ONE," where I really only had a couple songs I liked (but all of them were good); but I love this whole album. I finally listened to all of it while I was romanizing it and I adore it, especially Age Tsunku Kyoku and Fake.
SWEET BLACK was still the best album she's ever put out, and one of the best out of Avex.
Last edited by Haru on Fri Jan 14, 2011 8:12 pm, edited 1 time in total.
[11:13:35 PM] Liam: DO NOT LET JAPANESE IDOLS GET IN THE WAY OF THE *AMERICAN* DREAM
Breaks my heart to hear Maki associated with the music she's released since she joined Avex. I liked SWEET BLACK alot, but I was expecting zomg avex-amazing wonderful things when she switched labels. I liked 2 songs in ONE and 2 songs in Gloria (the last two tracks).
Her music was better when she was back with Mr. Tsunku. Yup yup. (And honestly, I don't think her songs from SWEET BLACK sound all that different from the style she was doing before).
[quote name='Haru' post='91753' date='Jan 14 2011, 11:12 PM']Am I the only one who liked this album? And "ONE?" Albeit, this one is a lot better than "ONE," where I really only had a couple songs I liked (but all of them were good); but I love this whole album. I finally listened to all of it while I was romanizing it and I adore it, especially Age Tsunku Kyoku and Fake.
SWEET BLACK was still the best album she's ever put out, and one of the best out of Avex.[/quote]
I love the entire thing, too, and the hate on it surprises me. Every song is very good.
I'd like to chime in that my "hate" or whatnot does not revolve around Maki's singing very much. It's just that the tracks are so noticeably cheap (maybe save Ashiato).
Shame you think that because he is actually correct.
This mini-album is terrible, clearly not Maki's fault, she is a talented singer, dancer and likeable person.
But hell, she's the one that signed with Avex, what the hell do you expect... they will throw cash at acts that sell well, but sucks to be you if you aren't a big star.
Look at Matsuura Aya, hell she might not be selling loads but at least her album was decent, well made and produced well.
This is just a train wreck, personally I feel sorry for the girl.
[quote name='aine' post='92179' date='Jan 21 2011, 04:56 PM']Moved certain posts to the Members Territory where then should have belonged to begin with.
Not bad. We may not all agree that her music is better, but I think overall, she is enjoying it more? At least there's a live band and it feels like she's using her voice to her potential.
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