LOVE & HONEY was Koda Kumi’s 11th single. It was released on May 26, 2004 and reached number 4 on the charts with 34,681 copies sold. In all this single has sold over 150,634+ copies. The A-Side, Cutie Honey was used as the theme song for the anime Re: Cutie Honey. This is also one of the few singles to not be named after the A-Side, and it’s the first single in the Secret Era. Another little interesting fact is that this single started Kumi’s so called “ero-kakoii” or sexy-cool era, something that Kumi has become famous for in the business.

Tracks:
1. Cutie Honey
2. The Theme of Sister Jill (~LOVE & HONEY version~ CD Only version)
3. Yogiri no Honey
4. Into your heart
5. Cutie Honey (Instrumental)
6. Into your heart (Instrumental)

Review:
Cutie Honey, the sexy theme song. Now at first glance, this song might seem to be so dull and very cute, but that’s only the name. Instead, this song is very fast paced and very very cool, in a song way. Anyway, the sounds of a quick paced cello strumming followed by beats open up this song. Then the sounds become more aggressive, just a little, and the orchestra plays and then Kumi begins to sing. To my surprise I found Kumi’s vocals to be excellent and the verses to be catchy and pleasant for once. The music itself was such a treat, it was catchy by itself, especially the orchestra playing periodically. The chorus was no exception either, it was fast and so moving, in a fast speed dancing way. It was remarkably catchy and so amazing. The bridge was that same fast paced music with a trumpet and flute, with a few background vocals. This has got to be one of the best theme songs that she’s done, well in the past anyway. The PV for this song was rather enjoyable, and you can see how it began her new sexy-cool era. As for the lyrics, I must admit that it’s a little odd mentioning a little bottom, nicest breasts, and skin like a kitten, but it does all make sense. I just wish she could pronounce the English better.

The Theme of Sister Jill, another theme song. This song was used as the theme song for the Cutie Honey Movie. This song is very short, being a little over one minute. Kumi’s vocals are OK here. I’m not sure if she’s singing in English the whole time, but when she is, it’s not the best. In the background there are some other vocals that have a calming effect. It’s hard to describe the music, but it’s mid-tempo and a little heavenly, just a bit. An interesting song for sure, maybe the ~LOVE & HONEY~ version is better?

Yogiri no Honey, the unique love song. The sound of a harp sounds followed by some wind sounds sound off this song. Followed by some constant snaps, Kumi begins to sing. The music is slow paced and the piano doesn’t help it sound faster either. The whole “Sweet sweet Honey” in the background was OK, not the best, but it was tolerable. The verses were dull as ever, and the chorus, well it wasn’t that great either. It was hard to distinguish between the two and the climax wasn’t the greatest either. This is before Kumi got all popular and it’s pretty evident. Not the best song, but it did sound like a love song, almost.

Into your heart, the funky dance tune. Some very great, yet funking, sounding instrumentals along with dance music open up this song along with some background vocals. Kumi’s vocals are also pretty great here, and she manages to make the verses sound so catchy and energetic, rather than lazy and dull. The chorus is pretty much an improvement from the previous song as it’s catchy, and the fact that it sounds so happy and because it has structure. The instrumentals after the chorus were great too, not too overwhelming. It’s a great way to end this single, too bad it wasn’t on the album.

Overall Review: LOVE & HONEY was super Cawaii, with a capital C. You can be sure that this single began her new era, both style and album wise. I was just so thrilled with the first song, it was pure sexiness, well the PV, and it was just so energetic. The whole theme of Cutie Honey was pretty good too, and it was a great promotional tool for Kumi. I’m pretty shocked that this single was so good. A great way to begin the Secret Era.

Final Grade: 97A

Brightdown was Tamaki Nami’s 14th single. It was released on August 29, 2007 and reached number 8 on the charts with 14,734 copies sold. In all this single has sold over 21,164+ copies. It was released in a limited edition CD+DVD edition and a regular CD edition. The title track was the opening theme song for the anime D.Gray-man. This is the second single in the Don’t Stay Era.

Tracks:
1. Brightdown
2. Anatairo no Namida
3. Endless dream
4. Brightdown -Instrumental-

Review:
Brightdown, the blazing guitar tune. The sounds of eerie guitar riffs open up this particular song. Then Nami begins to sing in a great voice. At first the verse seems a little aggressive, but it lightens up just a bit before the chorus, and it sounds catchy at a few points. The chorus sounds pretty catchy, and with the guitars playing it sounds so amazing. The distortion beforehand also adds to the excitement and makes for a fantastic climax. The vocals were pretty great, aggressive and powerful, a superb combination. The bridge is an electrifying guitar solo filled with rock elements. The song ends with Nami singing the final line of the chorus, fading into the sounds of the guitars playing. At first I really didn’t care much for this song, but after a few listens I feel in love with it, it sounds so amazing and so fantastic. A great rock n’ roll song from Nami.

Anatairo no Namida the uplifting ballad. The sound of a piano/xylophone begins at the beginning followed by a lovely and harmonic orchestra.  Shortly afterwards, Nami begins to sing in those calm and beautiful vocals. The verses are ok, but they continue to build momentum until the chorus. The chorus sounded epic at points and the constant beats made it sound so new for Nami. The point is is that it sounded so great, despite sounding so different. I really wasn’t expecting this from Nami on an album, let alone a single. But it was a great song nonetheless, this should have been on her latest album.

Endless dream, back to the good old days. This song follows most of Nami’s older works like Believe, and Reason. Those infamous synth beats along with the dance music begins this song. Shortly Nami begins to sing, her vocals are steady at this point. The verses are so-so as usual. But the chorus is much better. I’m not sure if you’d say that it’s catchy but it’s certainly good. It’s not Believe and Reason catchy, but it’ll suffice. It’s not a bad song.

Overall Review: Brightdown was an electrifying and phenomenal single. The whole guitar themed title track was really ingenious of Nami, and her vocals were fantastic. I was shocked that I like this single so much considering I could’ve cared less about it at the beginning. But, I’m happy that I gave it a listen, it’s actually pretty miraculous. Gotta give it to Nami for recording such great songs, an excellent addition to the Don’t Stay Era.

Final Grade: 97A

Pocket was Ai Otsuka’s 16th single. It was released on November 7, 2007 and reached number 5 on the charts with 39,236 copies sold. In all this single has sold over 61,350+ copies. An interesting fact about this song is that it was originally performed at Ai’s Love is Born 3rd Anniversary Concert. However, Ai didn’t want to released it until it was the right time, as the song is very dear to her. Therefore, it was released as a single, and that’s how we got Pocket.

Tracks:
1. Pocket
2. Ticket
3. LIFE - LOVE CiRCLE
4. Pocket (Instrumental)
5. Ticket (Instrumental)

Review:
Pocket, the winter ballad. A lonely and lovely piano plays at the beginning of this song. It’s playing slowly and it makes it sound very sad. But then Ai begins to sing in some great cute vocals. But her voice adds to the sadness of the song. The acoustic guitar however makes it sound a little better. The chorus doesn’t sound as depressing as the verses, which is very nice, and Ai’s vocals sound a little happier. After the chorus the guitar then begins to play along with the violins. I loved how during the middle of the song it sounded more orchestra backed and more powerful. Even Ai’s vocals were powerful, something that wasn’t happening in the beginning. At least the climax was better during this part as well. What a great ballad from Ai.

Ticket, up-beat soft rock. A piano followed by beats and the violins open up this song, and eventually followed by what appears to be a tambourine. Ai begins to sing then in a very happy voice. The verses were OK, but we all know that the chorus sounded so much better. It was very up-beat, catchy, and Ai’s vocals were great. The constant beats were a nice touch, and the guitars playing every now and then was nice too. But those violins really made the song, gave it a very happy and pleasant feel. After a sad song you need a happy song to make you feel better, a great choice on Ai’s part.

LIFE - LOVE CiRCLE, English rock. Well I know that there are some artists that make English versions of there songs like BoA and melody. and then there are some that write songs in English and sing entirely in English, like Hikki and Leah. Often for those that attempt to sing in English, and can’t do so already, the outcome is disastrous. This song is not the exception sadly. The song begins with a guitar and the drums, giving it a PEACH feel. Ai’s vocals were nice, but those background la la la’s were very annoying. The chorus was nice, once you could understand it. It was a little catchy, but it was just so repetitive. And it sadly got annoying after a while. I hate to say this but Ai needs to stick with Japanese. It’s one thing if you know it by heart like Hikki, Leah, and melody. But when you almost butcher it like BoA and Koda you need to stop. Ai has so much more potential and should be singing in Japanese.

Overall Review: Pocket was a wonder winter single, minus one song. I found this single to be rather relaxing and calming. It was a great single, and I really can’t complain about much except for the one song. A fantastic and heartfelt way to begin the new era.

Final Grade: 96A

Mint was Rina Aiuchi’s 24th single. It was released on August 15, 2007 and reached number 21 on the charts with 6,508 copies sold. Mint was the ending theme song for the NTV program Super Chample. This is the second single in the TRIP Era.

Tracks:
1. Mint
2. yellow carpet
3. Mint -japanative cruise mix-
4. Mint -Instrumental-
5. yellow carpet -Instrumental-

Review:
Mint, sweet enchanting pop. Rina’s voice opens up this lovely little tune, followed by a sparking sound and violins. From there it’s very lighthearted sugary pop. The little bit of synth here is pretty nice too, but those violins are so amazing. Anyway, Rina’s vocals are pretty good here, and she makes the verses sound nice. As for the chorus, well, it’s your basic generic sugary pop sounding chorus. It sounds very catchy, and all those pop elements were great. I especially loved how it even sounded a little dance like. The song was a little too long from my taste but it was enjoyable nonetheless.

yellow carpet, dance rock. The sound of a keyboard opens up this song. The electric guitar then plays and those infamous dance elements can be heard. The melody of those song was great, as was the music naturally. The verses were so-so as usual, but Rina’s vocals were great. The chorus was a fusion of guitar aggression and dance up-beatness. It was rather enjoyable and it was pretty catchy. The end of it when the guitar played was a nice little touch. During the acoustic section of the song, Rina’s vocals really shined through, and it was one of the best parts of the song. It’s not a bad B-Side.

Mint -japanative cruise mix- the unusually named remix. Besides being named oddly, this remix is incredibly long at over seven minutes. It’s slowed out too, and the main instrument appears to be the Spanish guitar. Although the one good thing is that it still retains that sugary pop sound. An interesting remix, that’s all I’ll say.

Overall Review: Mint was sugary sweetness, almost like a big lollipop. It was quite refreshing and nice for once. Just perfect for the summer. It’s hard to believe that a sound like this could be so great, well mostly happy; it’s really in the eye of the beholder. But for the most part I really enjoyed this single. There were a few things that I’d change but otherwise this is a fantastic single.

Final Grade: 94A-

Prisoner Of Love was Utada Hikaru’s 21st single. It was released on May 21, 2008 and reached number 2 on the charts with 38,902 copies sold. This single is the first re-cut single since First Love. And this is also the first single that Hikki’s released in only CD+DVD edition and include an 8 page photobook, of course it was released digitally along with the PV. The reason, like First Love, for this song to be released as a re-cut single was due to popular demand. The title track was used as the theme song for the new drama Last Friends, while the B-Side was used as an insert. Oddly enough, most promotion for this single, and song was done for the album, or was it for this single??? Anyway Hikki performed this song live at least three times. This single officially ends the HEART STATION Era.

Tracks:
1. Prisoner Of Love
2. Prisoner Of Love -Quiet Version-
3. Prisoner Of Love (Original Karaoke)
4. Prisoner Of Love -Quiet Version- (Original Karaoke)

Review:
Prisoner Of Love, the ballad with the sad cord. This song was originally released with Hikki’s 5th Japanese album HEART STATION, but due to popular demand it was re-released as a re-cut single. And since I’ve reviewed this song before, I’ll just give it a tiny review. This song begins with Hikki singing in English accompanied by the piano, later followed by some R&B beats. Beginning with the first verse, the music begins to sound very R&B like, and sad too. Then the strings come into play, followed by the chorus. The chorus is different each time, no lyrics are the same. While the strings play a role, with the piano, they’re almost drowned out by the beats. The chorus moves mid-tempo you could say, and it’s very catchy. The English at the end was a great touch and it made it complete. Hikki’s vocals here were excellent as she was able to hit those high notes and low notes (especially during some of the English parts). The end was particularly good, those last words in English, and a little in Japanese, really sounded fantastic. Even the background vocals were great. Best song for a re-cut single, no doubt about it.

Prisoner Of Love -Quiet Version- strings superiority. The first time people found out about this version was April 8, when her site stated it’d be featured on this single. Now it took a while for people to actually hear it, but it of course was used as an insert for Last Friends, and by that time people we going crazy about it. It wouldn’t be until April 30 that people got an actual listen via her site. Some people had mixed views; but to me it’s clear, this version is better. Now there are some notable differences in this song. First, this version is shorter by about 10 seconds; and to top that off, there are a new set of vocals. Now her first recording was great, but this one seems so much better. And there are no R&B beats for this song, it’s all orchestra and piano; and the strings are so lovely, they suit the song well. Another great thing is that aren’t as many background vocals in this song. The chorus here sounded so superior to the original as it sounded more like a true ballad, strings and all. This has got to be one of the best remixes or new versions that she’s ever made.

Overall Review: Prisoner Of Love was Hikki’s best re-cut single in years. It was the perfect song for a single. The music was phenomenal and the vocals were so amazing. This just really goes to show you that Hikki is more talented then some of us thought. It also has to be one of her most beautiful ballads to date, especially with the lyrics. The new Quite Version was a great addition to the single, and also better than the original, a rare thing nowadays. Quality of quantity, and this single just goes to prove that.

Final Grade: 100A+

Bara ga Saku Bara ga Chiru was Rina Aiuchi’s 23rd single. It was released on January 1, 2007 and reached number 15 on the charts. In all this single has sold over 10,634+ copies. The title track was used as the theme song for the anime Souten no Ken. This is also the first single in the TRIP Era.

Tracks:
1. Bara ga Saku Bara ga Chiru
2. Powder Snow
3. Bara ga Saku Bara ga Chiru -Yoshito.K remix-
4. Bara ga Saku Bara ga Chiru -microcosmic mix-
5. Bara ga Saku Bara ga Chiru (Instrumental)

Review:
Bara ga Saku Bara ga Chiru, lit. The Rose Blooms The Rose Scatters. Dance music followed by the sound of keyboards playing open up this song. At about the 10 sec point the guitar becomes a more prominent instrument, then Rina begins to sing. Her vocals are steady and are a nice change. The verses even sound nice, not so catchy but catchy enough. The chorus is really the best part of the song. It’s catchy, very dance friendly, and it just sounds great overall. The only problem was when the music was too loud and you couldn’t really hear Rina’s voice. But other that that it was great, except for the fact that after a while it got a little repetitive.

Powder Snow, the slow yet powerful tune. The sounds of a xylophone followed by a guitar and organ begin this song. Rina then begins to sing. Here her vocals sound softer than the previous track. The verses are a bit dull here, but the increase in fantastic music makes up for it. The chorus’s climax sounds a little epic, but it’s the chorus overall that’s the best. It’s a little slow, but the music’s not the best attraction, it’s gotta be Rina’s vocals. She manages to make it sound catchy even though it moves slow. Not a bad B-Side, although it sounds somewhat stereotypical of Rina.

Bara ga Saku Bara ga Chiru -Yoshito.K remix- the dance remix. In this remix the vocals are the same. But, the music has been changed to give it more of a dance feel. It’s been sped up to sound more dance oriented and more techno. But, the interesting thing is that this song is the same length as the original. The whole techno and dance elements were nice here, but I’ve heard better. Still a nice remix though.

Bara ga Saku Bara ga Chiru -microcosmic mix- the other dance remix. Now this dance remix is different from the previous. For one, the music moves faster than the original, but it’s not as aggressive as the first remix. There also appears to be some vocal distortions here, just a little but it’s noticeable. Here dance and techno elements reign supreme but they’re not as powerful as the first remix, so it’s more tolerable. And this remix is longer than the original. This is probably the better remix if you like less aggressive music.

Overall Review: Bara ga Saku Bara ga Chiru was primarily a dance single for the most part. I felt that both songs were really dance oriented or inspired. The remixes were a nice touch to the single, a little more variety even though they were the same genre. I really haven’t heard many singles from Rina but I hope that the others are more impressive than this one. It seems to me that she could’ve done a little better. Maybe I just need to give it another listen. Despite that, I feel that this is still a nice single, not fantastic but not dull. It was an interesting way to begin the TRIP Era.

Final Grade: 88B

Vivid was BoA’s 27th single. It was released on June 4, 2008 and reached number 5 on the charts with 20,221copies sold. The first track, Kissing you, was used as the theme song for the drama 7 Female Lawyers. This is also her first single since THE FACE.

Tracks:
1. Kissing you
2. Sparkling
3. Joyful Smile
4. Kissing you (Instrumental)
5. Sparkling (Instrumental)
6. Joyful Smile (Instrumental)

Review:
Kissing you, sweet pop. An old scratching piano followed by the violins open up this song. BoA then begins to sing in her sweetest vocals. The verses seem nice and not so dull for once. I especially loved the English used here, even though there was only a little bit. The chorus is very very pop, almost generic but not so. It sounds a little more modern and the constant beats made it different. It was catchy to an extent, you could feel the beats and it was refreshing almost, better than some of her previous songs. The only major problem was that it was just a tad to repetitive, once you heard the first chorus, you’ve heard it all almost. But it was still a great song nonetheless.

Sparkling, modern dance. This song is just what I’ve been waiting for. From the cover, I thought that some of these songs would be a little aggressive, if not all pop. The beginning of this song is almost like Koda Kumi’s WIND with that opening, but afterwards the piano begins to play, followed by BoA’s vocals. But, then the song changes from piano driven to dance beats. I’m assuming she’s singing the first verse, and it’s quite catchy with all the dance beats. Her English has improved a lot from when she began singing and her vocals sound nicer here too. I really love the chorus of this song, it’s so up-beat and the dance beats are really great. It was so catchy and the English really helped it. This has got to be the best song on the single.

Joyful Smile, a sugary pop sensation. Harps seem to open up this song followed by some percussion instruments and synth. BoA then begins singing the first verse, which really isn’t that great, and those constant claps in the background don’t help the case. The chorus is somewhat stereotypical of a pop song, this is generic, very sugary all happy and such. But, it was catchy to a certain extent, so that was good. I did love BoA’s vocals here, but the song itself wasn’t all that great for me. After hearing the other two you know why this doesn’t have a PV. And yet for some reason I can’t get it out of my head. It’s still an nice song though, worth a moment of your time.

Overall Review: Vivid was very vivid to say the least, full of many different types of music. One was sugary and very generic pop. Another was very up-beat and almost modern pop. And the last was pure dance, with a little bit of aggression. From the moment I saw the title, I imagined dirty adult songs on this single, almost Kumi like, but the songs here were much better. Despite them sounded so different, they actually made a great single. A vivid and spectacular way to begin the new era.

Final Grade: 95A

Lei Aloha was melody.’s 4th studio album. It was released on April 9, 2008 and reached number 15 on the charts with 11,771 copies sold. In all this album has sold over 16,948+ copies. Now despite these low sales total one could say that it was expected. There was only one single released before the album, and virtually no promotions were done to my knowledge. Unlike her previous albums, there is only a CD version of this album, no CD+DVD version. This is also her lowest charting album to date.

Tracks:
1. Daybreak
2. Say Hello
3. Haruka (Eternal Version)
4. Peace Song
5. Never Goodbye
6. Memories in Time
7. HORIZON
8. Kiss away
9. Anata no Soba ni
10. No Return
11. Sunset Love
12. Beneath My Skin
13. DOOR
14. Paradise

Review:
Daybreak, the island introduction. This wonderful short, yet beautiful intro opens up this album. It begins with some silence, followed by a harp and ocean waves. Shortly afterwards, background vocals can be heard ad-libbing, then singing in some lovely voices, well they say a few words. Then it ends, and it’s very transitional for an intro. Keeps the whole island theme, so it’s quite nice.

Say Hello, the violin, island tune. After a thirty second instrumental, the chorus can be heard, which is surprisingly in features English. During the chorus an acoustic guitar can be heard and it gives the song that island feel, again it fits in the mood of the album. It moves faster as the song progresses, so that’s pretty good. It doesn’t start out so catchy, but towards the lower part of the middle, it begins to sound so catchy and so wonderful. I really loved how the violin’s played a major roll in the song, it made it sound so classical and so beautiful. Not a bad first new song on the album.

Haruka (Eternal Version), a new ending. Haruka was released as the only single of this album, and it ended up selling more copies than the album itself. Anyway, this song is similar to the original version with the exception of the ending, which was lengthened. It sounds so much better than the original, the music is breathtaking and it’s just so beautiful. There’s a choir in the background singing as the drums play, and you can even hear a violin. I love the whole “Stay together hand in hand,” part, it was just so lovely and inspirational. Anyway, for a short review. This song is a beautiful ballad, one of melody.’s best in my opinion. The chorus is filled with such emotion and power, the vocals fit so perfectly in this song with the music. This song is worthy of the title ballad.

Peace Song, the acoustic, English song. This song is sung in all English, and it’s the only one for that matter. But it’s also the shortest actual song on the album, but it’s still nice. It begins with an acoustic guitar playing, followed by melody.’s vocals. The verses could be better, but the chorus makes up for it. The chorus sounds so much better and the lyrical content is so much better. It might not make sense literally, but figuratively it’s deep. And finally, the vocals were great, and perfect English (I should hope so too because she was born in Hawaii).

Never Goodbye, up-beat island dreaming. This song is actually a nice change from all of her previous songs so far, mostly because it’s so up-beat. It begins with a synth-like opening followed by some background vocals, almost like a choir. From there the acoustic guitar and violins take over. melody. then begins to sing the first verse, which is yet again OK. But, the chorus was much better. It was so catchy and it flowed so smoothly. And some parts were and English, and that was really my favorite part. I loved the background vocals during the bridge, they sounded a little dark but they sounded so great.

Memories in Time, the piano backed interlude. Here we are at the first interlude, or second if you consider the first track an interlude. The lonely piano plays fairly slow in this song. Towards the half point, those same choir voices can be heard ab-libbing, and it’s quite pleasant too. A fine interlude, but that’s about it.

HORIZON, the ethereal ballad. When I first heard this song, namely the beginning, I thought I was about to hear Vanessa William’s Save the Best for Last, but it changed so I was happy that it was going to be original. But this song is original by every sense of the word. I’ve never heard a song from melody. like this at all. It’s a ballad, but features ethereal music, and little vocals distortions. melody.’s vocals were able to reach both the high and low notes, that takes talent and she’s got it. I really loved how the chorus was so mesmerizing in how it was sung and how it sounded. It sounded almost heavenly during some points. This is probably the best song on the album.

Kiss away, unique bagpipes? The song begins with odd sounding bagpipes playing, then the first verse begins. It sounds a little catchy, with the few beats. It’s quite up-beat and it’s not half bad. The chorus sounds almost epic with the climax, and with the great vocals. It’s pretty catchy for the most part, and even those bagpipes sound nice. This song wasn’t what I was expecting, it’s actually much better.

Anata no Soba ni, lit. By Your Side. This song is mostly a ballad, with the exception of the chorus, which sounds more rock influenced. A little toy piano, followed by an electric guitar opens up this song. Then melody. begins to sing. Her vocals sound great in this song, and the music really complements it. The verses seemed to get better as they progressed. But as always, the chorus was outstanding. The electric guitar was used to open it up, and a wise choice. It was even a little catchy, but her vocals were the main highlight, especially when she sang the first few words.

No Return, getting back to dance/pop roots. The sound of a xylophone playing in the most unique pattern opens up the song, followed by the some soft vocals. From there the song takes a turn and becomes very up-beat and fast, almost dance like, but very pop. The verses here seem a little bland, but those background vocals make it sound a little better. The chorus is catchy, to some extent but it’s doesn’t stick out that much. I think the best part was the violins playing. This song kinda sticks out like a sore thumb with all the ballads and island sounding songs.

Sunset Love, the calm interlude. Yet again we have another interlude, are we listening to GUILTY? This interlude is very island oriented, and it’s very calm. It’s almost like music you’d hear at a spa, well a tropical one. The harp was the main instrumental and melody. ad-libbed in the background. Not a bad interlude.

Beneath My Skin, up-beat acoustic happiness. This song was apparently composed by Dai Nagao, the composer for Do As Infinity. At first a beautiful piano opens up the song, followed shortly by an orchestra of violins. Then the violins die down and melody. begins to sing. Again, the verses really don’t jump out at you that much, but that’s not really a shock. Here, the chorus really outshines everything. I loved how it used some English, and how it sounded so up-beat, so lighthearted, and catchy at some points. And it really flowed together so well, the music made it sound great. The acoustics gave it that infamous island sound, and it’s just overall a great song.

DOOR, the acoustic tune. At first it sounded like a guitar opened up this song, either that or it’s an acoustic instrument. Either way it was a nice opening. melody.’s vocals here were pleasant in most cases, and they were really strong throughout the song. The verses were so-so to say the least. But the chorus, well it wasn’t that great I felt. I didn’t find it catchy at all, even with the English. I felt as if I had heard the whole song within one minute, it just felt so repetitive for a song. It could’ve been better, but it could’ve been worse.

Paradise, the acoustic ending. Finally after so many songs, we have another ballad, and just in time too. melody.’s vocals were so beautiful in this song, a real treat. The steady acoustic guitar played throughout most of the song. The verses even managed to sound so sweet and great. The chorus was so lovely, especially how she sung the first few words, lengthening them really and they sounded so much better. And the whole “aloha o’e” during the chorus was just so beautiful, it almost made me cry. What a phenomenal ending for a phenomenal album.

Overall Review: Lei Aloha was an island paradise, full of peace and tranquility. I felt that all of the songs really fit the theme of the album, which was “bonds.” I thought that this album is such a step up from her previous album. All of the songs seemed to have a deeper, more profound meaning. This might alienate some fans, but when you look at the overall theme and meanings you’ll see that it’s worth a listen. This is her best album to date in my opinion. You couldn’t have asked for a better fourth album.

Final Grade: 97A