AROUND THE WORLD was Ami Suzuki’s 4th studio album. It was released on October 12, 2005 and reached number 5 on the charts and has sold over 62,022+ copies. This is also her first album with Avex as well as her first studio album since 2000. While the sales might seem low considering she was blacklisted and was an indie artist for a while, it’s a comeback. Her 17th single AROUND THE WORLD was also released on the say day. The album was released in four editions, each with a different cover. *I might review the singles but that’s only if I people request it, or if I get bored one say and want to review it.

Tracks:
1. AROUND THE WORLD
2. Hopeful ~OVERHEAD CHAMPION REMIX~
3. Beautiful
4. Sweet Voice
5. Delightful
6. For yourself
7. Negaigoto
8. Risk
9. Eventful
10. with you
11. Times
12. I’m alone

Review:
AROUND THE WORLD, the beginning of the new era. This song is like most tracks on the album, very dance oriented. I’m not sure if Ami’s music was originally so dance oriented but if it wasn’t then this is a great change. The song begins with Ami singing in some Japanese followed by some English, which could be a bit better but she’s Japanese. Anyway after the first part the music becomes more heavily dance oriented with the infectious beats being blasted. Ami’s vocals sound deep at some points and they sound so great. The song moves pretty fast as far as the beats and vocals go. The chorus here sounds so fantastic, it screams dance and maturity, mostly because her voice sounds so mature. I also love how she pronounces the words, or sings them I guess. The techno and synth music really gives the song so much power and makes it so catchy. I also love how they put “AROUND THE WORLD” in the middle of the song, and the part right before it sounds so great. The song ends with the same English that began it all. This song is such a great song, easy listening that’s for sure. If this isn’t the best way to open up the album, I don’t know what is.

Hopeful ~OVERHEAD CHAMPION REMIX~, the fast addictive dance beat. Some people might not know this, but Hopeful was originally intended to the first single for Ami under Avex. But for some reason it was canceled and Delightful was chosen instead. This is the remix version of the original song, which was avaliable from online sites and was played on the radio, sadly I have no idea what the original version sounds like. This song begins at the moment you press play, no delay at all, Ami begins singing in a very strong way. This is actually the chorus, and it sounds so catchy. The first part is very soft music wise, the second part then becomes more dance oriented, even with that little broken toy piano playing. Afterwards there is a little dance music played until the first verse. Again the music is moving very fast, and it sounds so great. With the techno, synth, and mixed music you can help but dance. It’s very very addictive and intoxicating. What a great song!!!

Beautiful, the slower dance tune. This song begins slowly with the piano at first, but later transforms into a powerhouse of dance music. The first verse is good, it’s sung quite fast, and it’s great. But it’s not until the chorus arrives that things get very good. The chorus features heavy dance beats and a good amount of English, it’s catchy, fast, and understandable. The guitar playing at the end is also a nice little feature. The fact that the chorus was extreme dance and the verses were light dance were also a nice little thing. But I just loved the bridge, which was a keyboard solo, that was clearly a great dance instrument. The ended with those same dance beats and a guitar playing until the end, what a superb ending.

Sweet Voice, the steady ballad. A gorgeous piano solo opens up the song followed by Ami’s calm and beautiful vocals. The first few verses sound nice and lovely, but it’s the chorus that’s the best. The chorus is a fusion of English and Japanese, and with that piano playing it gives the song a real ballad quality, even with the guitar playing. The music sounded all right, but I liked the lyrics a lot more. It justs shocks me that there’s so much English present, but that’s a good thing. It’s not a bad ballad at all. If only her voice showed more emotion and power.

Delightful, the brand new house/trance addiction. This song begins with that infamous house/trance music followed by Ami’s vocals. Her vocals sound pretty good, especially since the music doesn’t overwhelm her vocals. Shortly afterwards the music picks up and becomes fast until she sings the chorus. The chorus is mostly English with some Japanese followed with that la la la la… which gets a little annoying. And to be honest with you the music isn’t that great afterwards, well that bridge anyway. It was a very interesting song, that’s for sure.

For yourself, the first true pop song. Most of the songs on the album have been dance oriented, but here we have a great pop song.Some drums beats begin the song followed by some flutes playing, or some other percussions. The vocals here sound the same as a few of her other songs, but that’s OK, they sound good. The chorus sounds nice, it’s not very catchy, the when she sings she seems to sing out the word, making it longer than it actually is. This song is pop, but it has that distinct island/Caribbean sound to it, mostly because of the music. It’s a sweet song, but that’s it really, just move along.

Negaigoto lit. Wishes, the piano ballad. A piano solo begins this song, followed by Ami’s soft vocals, which are a little hard to hear with the piano playing. The first few verses are so-so. But the chorus sounds so much better. Guitar riffs signal the chorus, followed by Ami’s great vocals and the piano. The chorus itself isn’t really that catchy, but it sounds really good. The violins playing afterwards is a nice touch too. The one problem I had with the song is that for the first few parts it sounded monotone, but towards the middle it got much better. And the guitar solo during with the piano during the bridge was great. This is one of the best ballads on the album.

Risk, the dance tune with rock flare. The song begins with some very dance beats followed by a guitar playing. Ami then begins singing in English, shortly she begins the first verse which is up-tempo and catchy. But the chorus comes and you forget about those few verses. The chorus is a fusion is English and Japanese, mostly English, and it’s pretty catchy. The whole dance theme was a great thing, even with the little guitar playing. I even liked the bridge, which was an electric guitar solo and some of that dance music. I just thought it was weird with all of the English, which isn’t necessarily bad.

Eventful, the dance and techno paradise. Heavy techno beats open up the song along with that dance element. The first verses begins afterwards; it’s actually good especially with all the dance elements and the occasional English. The chorus then starts and from there it’s dance and techno paradise. The beats are so addictive and the chorus is just so catchy. Even with the little use of English, it still sounds great. The song was just great overall, dark with the DEEP SLEEP and DARK NIGHT, but still great.

with you, house trance song no. 2. You might have guessed but this song has that distinct house/trance music quality. Heavy trance music opens up the song, followed by Ami’s distorted vocals, which sound deep. The first few verses are very catchy and includes some keyboards playing and some light dance beats. The chorus moves somewhat fast, but it’s very catchy and dace oriented, and it’s even a little catchy. The whole trance element really makes the song what it is, well that and the distortions. It’s not bad at all.

Times, fast, infectious, and dance. The song begins with some dance music followed by the keyboard and all that synth music. The chorus here sounds so fast and it’s so excellent. I even like all the English that’s present in it, although it could be a bit better. The occasional guitar and keyboards even sound great too. The song moves very fast, and with those synth beats it sounds unstoppable. The bridge, which was an electric guitar solo sounded so riveting. Those fast vocals were great too. There’s also a remix version on her 17th single, not sure how it sounds but it must be good.

I’m alone, a mixture of dance and ballad. This song features a mid-tempo dance pace and that sweet ballad voice, along with a few other dance elements. This also the shortest song on the album just under three minutes. It begins with Ami ad-libbing followed by her full vocals. The first two vocals sound so sweet and so innocent. The choruses here sound so short and so soft. I loved the acoustic guitar here, especially how it sounded with all the other instruments. What a great way to end the album.

Overall Review: AROUND THE WORLD was additive dance with a little pop and ballad flare. The central theme was dance, which is rare for many artists that I listen to, so I thought it was a refreshing change. I’m shocked that Ami was able to pull all of it off too, but she did. It might not have been the best album from Ami, but it definitely revived her career to an extent. What a new, sensational refreshing album.

Final Grade: 96A

DOLCE was Ami Suzuki’s 6th studio album, and her 2nd collaboration album. It was released on February 2, 2008 and reached number 26 on the charts with 7,071 copies sold. In all this album has sold over 10,835+ copies Three editions were released, a first press edition with a photobook, a CD+DVD edition, and a CD edition. If the first press edition was bought a special bonus track “if” was included. Strangely this album reached number 26 on the charts just like CONETTA, and this album was originally named CONETTA 2 was changed for some reason. And a little note: I hope you like the album reviews, I’ve been finding more scans and adding up portions along with the reviews to give the reviews a little flare.

Tracks:
1. FREE FREE (AMI SUZUKI joins Nakata Yasutaka (capsule))
2. feel the beat (album version) (AMI SUZUKI joins Sugiurumn)
3. Potential Breakup Song (AMI SUZUKI joins Aly & AJ)
4. Bitter… (AMI SUZUKI joins STUDIO APARTMENT)
5. SWEET DANCE (AMI SUZUKI joins RAM RIDER)
6. The WeekeND (AMI SUZUKI joins CAPTAIN FUNK)
7. SUPER MUSIC MAKER (radio edit) (AMI SUZUKI joins Nakata Yasutaka (capsule))
8. MUSIC (AMI SUZUKI joins RAM RIDER)
9. Stereo Love (AMI SUZUKI joins Tomoe Shinohara☆☆☆)
10. Ai no Uta(AMI SUZUKI joins ROCKETMAN feat.YOU THE ROCK★)
11. Futari wa POP(AMI SUZUKI joins Hoff Dylan)
12. Atarashii Hibi(AMI SUZUKI joins YO-KING)
13. if (First Press Bonus Track)

Review:
FREE FREE the beginning of an era. This song was the first song released, along with another, to begin the DOLCE Era. FREE FREE features heavy dance/techo no beats and sound, it’s also evident that there is some synth to it. Voice distortions are also present for Ami. Nakata Yasutaka was the second artist. My favorite parts are the verses as Ami’s voice sound the best, but the chorus here sounds good. English is used throughout the song, and it sounds so great. The one problem I had with this song was that it sounded so repetitive and that Ami’s real voice wasn’t heard as much. Nevertheless this song was a great opening track. Click here for the review of FREE FREE.

feel the beat (album version) the shortened club song. Like the singles in this era, this song too has a dance/club vibe. This song was originally the B-Side to Potential Breakup Song. As mentioned above this song was shorted because the original was over eight minutes long. This song takes a while to getting used to. Ami’s vocals are okay but there’s really no singing, well there’s a little. I just think that this song was way to focused on the dance beats rather than Ami’s vocals. And here Sugiurumn was the second artist, well he, or it, produced the song.

Potential Breakup Song the Japanese cover. This song is a cover song for the song with the same name performed by Aly & AJ. It has said to have a more club feel than the original version. You’ll notice that both Ami and Aly & Aj have vocals in here. Mostly Ami sings and Aly & Aj will sing occasional verses and English and Japanese phrases, quite an intoxicating combination. If you haven’t noticed Aly & Aj are the second artists here. Click here for the review of Potential Breakup Song.

Bitter… the first new song. This song is the first new song on the album. It also had a PV to go with it. It begins with the piano followed by the violins playing. Then it changes into a new wave of music with a constant beat and claps, almost claps. Ami’s voice here sounds so great compared to feel the beat. The chorus here sounds so good and it’s catchy. The best part about this song is that it’s not dance oriented. I love Ami’s dance songs but this one isn’t so it’s a nice change. The second artist here was STUDIO APARTMENT. What a great song, that’s all I can say.

SWEET DANCE another dance song. This song features some dance beats, though not as heavy as FREE FREE. The music begins softly and builds up until Ami’s vocals become stronger. Ami’s vocals also seem a bit distorted but it still sounds good. The music is pretty good. The chorus here isn’t that catchy but it, like the verses, sounds pretty good still. The second artist is RAM RIDER. What a SWEET DANCE song.

The WeekeND, by far the funky song. It almost reminds me of a disco song from the 70’s. Ami’s vocals here sound so good, a little distorted I think, but still so good. This is also the longest song on the album. The chorus here isn’t that bad, it’s so-so. But the song is upbeat and sounds happy. I must say that I do like the music, so 70’s-ish. The second artist is CAPTAIN FUNK.

SUPER MUSIC MAKER (radio edit) the best song on the entire album. This song was released along with FREE FREE as the first single of the DOLCE Era. This song features some good dance/techo beats. The original version was too long for the radio so the radio edit was used, and it was put on the album. This version is shortened and more focused on Ami’s vocals, which are distorted. The chorus outshines all the verses and voices, and it’s so catchy. Like FREE FREE the second artist was Nakata Yasutaka. For the full review of SUPER MUSIC MAKER, click here.

MUSIC the second RAM RIDER collaboration. This song features some heavy dance beats, but they sound better than SWEET DANCE. Ami’s vocals sound so good here, it’s actually amazing. The chorus here sounds good, but it’s a little hard to find it. Not only is there some English here but also the music features more upbeat faster dance tones. Distortions are again present here, and they sound great. Not bad for another collaboration.

Stereo Love a slower paced dance tune. Ami’s vocals here are pretty slow compared to the last few songs, and yet they sound better than some of those songs. This song isn’t exactly dance but not exactly pop, it’s a fusion of both. The second artist here is Tomoe Shinohara☆☆☆. A nice slower paced song.

Ai no Uta lit. Love Song. For some reason it seems that a lot of artists have used this title, oh well maybe it’s a trend. Unlike the others though, this is no ballad. This song is more upbeat and a pop/island combination. You can hear some male voices in the beginning, which are most likely the second artists, ROCKETMAN feat.YOU THE ROCK★. A good amount of English is here. Ami’s vocals are drowned out by the second artists but that’s okay. I just wish that Ami had sung more.

Futari wa POP lit. Our POP. Finally a nice pop song. This song is different from a lot of the songs on this album because it sounds so happy, upbeat, and sugary. This song sounds really good for a pop song. But one thing I noticed is that it has an almost 50’s quality to it, but it’s still a pop song. The chorus here is fantastic with all the English and the great music. The second artist is Hoff Dylan. More POP, more POP.

Atarashii Hibi lit. New Day. This is what I’d call an light rock song. The guitar is used in this song, hence the light rock, but it’s not that overwhelming. Ami’s vocals sound so beautiful here and the music complements her vocals. I think the whole guitar part made the song better than some of those dance/club songs on the album. The second artist here was YO-KING, who I’m guessing played the guitar. The chorus here is so catchy and sounds absolutely amazing. A great song by all accounts.

if, the lone song. This song was put on the album as a first press track that could only be gotten by purchasing the first press edition of the album with the photobook. If is also the only song here to not have a featured or second artist, what a great change. This song features some English and the piano and violins. This is such a pop song. I think the chorus here, like most of her songs, sounds amazing. In the song she keeps asking “if i could…” well there’s the title. What a great way to end the album.

Overall Review: DOLCE was actually very good to my surprise. I thought that it was going to be a lot worse but it was great. Despite that it’s a collaboration album it’s still good. I think it’s a shame that it didn’t do so well on the charts but it still made it, so that’s good. DOLCE sounds like the Spanish Dulce, meaning sweet. With that being said this is a really sweet album.

Final Grade: 93B+

Potential Breakup Song was Ami Suzuki’s 28th single. It was released on November 11, 2007 and reached number 34 on the charts with 4,151 copies sold, but it peaked at 16. In all it would go on to sell over 5,956+ copies. Like her previous singles, this single too was a collaboration single with the artists Aly & AJ. This was also a cover song of the same name from Aly & AJ. This single was the 2nd and last single on Ami’s DOLCE Era.

Tracks:
1. Potential Breakup Song
2. feel the beat
3. Potential Breakup Song (sugiurumn remix)
4. Potential Breakup Song (Instrumental)

Review:
Potential Breakup Song the Japanese alternate. This song is a cover song of the same name and features the artists in the song. As the English version had a pop feel to it, this version has a more club or dance feel to it. I thought that the music was so catchy and that it was perfect for this song. You can also here Aly & AJ singing some background vocals in both English and Japanese, that right there makes it sound so good, they also seem to create such a harmonious sound with Ami’s vocals. The chorus here is my favorite part and it sounds so good. You really need to listen to this song if you’re a huge fan of Ami.

feel the beat the second song. This song features the artist Sugiurumn. This song is another dance track. It features heavy dance beats and is the longest song on this single at over 8 minutes long. I can honesty say that I don’t like this song as much as it is more focused on the music rather than Ami’s vocals. And Ami’s vocals seem so repetitive.

Potential Breakup Song (sugiurumn remix) the remix by Sugiurumn. This remix features the music of the previous song and the vocals of Potential Breakup Song. The music later blends into one music with all the beats of feel the beat and the melody of Potential Breakup Song. Ami’s Vocals are also lengthened in the sense that it takes her longer to sing them. Stick with the original Ami.

Overall Review: Potential Breakup Song was such a great single, well the main song. I did like the fact that it was a dance single. The one problem I had with it was the B-Side and the remix. I think it would’ve been better to put some other songs, but that’s me. Overall a great way to end the DOLCE Era.

Final Review: 90B

FREE FREE / SUPER MUSIC MAKER was Ami Suzuki’s 27th single. It was released on August 22, 2007. This single follows the trend of her previous singles, as they are all now collaboration singles. This single’s collaborator is Nakata Yasutaka from Capsule. It reached number 32 on the charts with 5,660 copies sold and in all it has sold over 9,000+ copies. And one thing you will notice is that this single features heavy synth, dance beats. This is also the 1st single of the DOLCE Era. And another note, this is the 101st post!

Tracks:
1. FREE FREE
2. SUPER MUSIC MAKER
3. FREE FREE (extended mix)
4. SUPER MUSIC MAKER (radio edit)

Review:
FREE FREE the heavy dance/synth oriented song. This song features heavy dance music with voice distortions. It begins with some beeping sound and Ami singing in a distorted voice. It also uses a bit of English but afterwards the heavy dance music takes over. The chorus sounds so good with all the dance music and the synth elements. What a great song for a great single.

SUPER MUSIC MAKER (radio edit) I decide to review this song because it’s what’s played on the radio. The original mix is centered around the music and is about 2 minutes longer. Anyway this song too features heavy dance beats and voice distortions. But this song is a lot better in my opinion. Ami’s voice sounds a lot better with the distortions and the music compliments it. The chorus sounds so good with the English in it along with all the synth elements. Another thing I love about this song is the whole dance element and you can actually dance to it. The better A-Side for sure.

Overall Review: FREE FREE / SUPER MUSIC MAKER was a fantastic single. All the dance elements followed by the synth and voice distortions made both songs so great. The second A-Side has recently become a favorite of mine as it sounds so good. The perfect dance single. The best way to begin the DOLCE Era.

Final Grade: 100A+