Koi Kogarete was BENI’s 3rd single. It was released on June 10, 2009 and reached no. 70 on th Oricon Weekly Charts with 1,266 copies sold.

Tracks:
1. Koi Kogarete
2. CRUISE the WORLD
3. FOREVER 21
4. Koi Kogarete (Instrumental)

Review:
BENI never ceases to amaze me and Koi Kogarete doesn’t disappoint. It’s a semi-sultry sensational R&B song comprised of soft acoustics, sensual synth, and naturally some claps for the beats. While it’s not as catchy or attractive as Kiss Kiss Kiss it is better than Mou Nido to… It’s mid-tempo and extremely easy to listen to. The chorus is particularly catchy especially with BENI’s sultry vocals. At one point it sounds ordinary but just as that happens the melody captivates you, it’s an extremely catchy thing. And although the lyrics are about one sided love I still love this song.

As much as I love R&B I will always love electronic/synth songs. That’s probably why I love CRUISE the WORLD. It still has a little R&B flavor but it’s still mostly electronic and it even has a hint of dance. It sounds a little edgy with all the beats and distortions and some of the background vocals. As for BENI’s well they’re amazing as usual. Like many other dance oriented songs it’s infectious. I actually prefer this to the title track.

She’s gone from R&B to dance and now to pop with FOREVER 21. Whenever I think of FOREVER 21 I think of overpriced clothes for girls which might be why I really don’t care for this song. It’s got some soft beats and light pop music. The piano chords and synth sound great but that’s really it. It’s just way to pop for my taste.

Overall Review: Koe Kogarete was sweet R&B bliss. At this point nothing can ever top the infectiousness of Kiss Kiss Kiss but this single can come close. It’s got that wow factor that makes it so memorable and catchy. The title track is pretty good as far as R&B goes and BENI looks amazing yet again. The B-Sides were both good and bad in some respects. Guess it depends on what you like, dance or pop? Another fine single for BENI’s new era.

Final Grade

Kiss Kiss Kiss was BENI’s 10th single. It was released on April 8, 2009 and reached no. 40 on the Oricon Weekly Charts with 1,740 copies sold. However despite peaking at no. 23 on the Oricon Daily Charts, the title track has reached no. 1 on the Chaku Uta Full Charts. The title track was used in a Kao Biore Body Deli CM.

Tracks:
1. Kiss Kiss Kiss
2. Signal
3. Mou Nido To… DJ HASEBE REMIX
4. Kiss Kiss Kiss (Instrumental)

Review:
Although I was a bit skeptical about Kiss Kiss Kiss a week ago I now LOVE it! It turns out that producer of this song also produced BoA’s Eien and BENI’s STAY, which is one of the reasons why it’s so catchy and impressive. Besides being a smooth synth infused R&B song it has a slight American flavor to it, snaps and all. The music is really light on everything, which is really good in this case, it doesn’t down out Beni’s lovely vocals. Anyway as to the actual music it’s light R&B with the piano and lots of catchy snaps, not to mention light synth riffs occasionally. The melody isn’t all that creative but it sure does sound great with the the English and music. The whole “Kiss Kiss Kiss” line during the chorus isn’t rocket science but it does does sound youthful and catchy.

In contrast to the title track is the heavy, edgy R&B Signal. It’s pretty much the polar opposite of Kiss Kiss Kiss. Heavy percussion beats and the strings are the best way to classify this song along with the edgy R&B music that’s devoid of synth. The vocals are full of more variety and power making it more exciting than the previous song. It’s also a little faster and a bit catchier than the title track oddly enough. And like most of Beni’s songs there is quite a bit of English. It doesn’t have the same charm as the title track though, but it can hold its own.

And now we come to the brand new remix of Mou Nido To... The original was a ballad with light R&B influences. This remix has managed to turn around this ballad into more of an energetic R&B dance-friendly tune. Things are sped up a bit, yet the song still retains its identity as a R&B song. I’m fairly impressed with the song actually, it’s much better than I though it’d be.

Overall Review: Kiss Kiss Kiss was American R&B perfection!!! As much as I love Beni’s ballads, her R&B songs kick butt! So it might be a youthful love song, either way it’s energetic enough to sound catchy and memorable. As for the B-Side, well it’s somewhat of a more aggressive version of the title track, still good for the most part. And the remix actually improved the song for once, well it depends on what you like more, a ballad or a dance song, either way you can’t go wrong. Another impressive addition to Beni’s discography. And I have to say that Beni is looking so much better these days, shorter hair seems to suit her.

Final Grade

Mou Nido to… was BENI’s 9th single. It was released on December 10, 2008 and reached no. 20 on the Oricon Charts with 6,744 copies sold. It has sold over 12,400+ copies. Although this is BENI’s ninth single, it is her first single under her new label Universal Music Japan, as well as her first under her new stage name BENI, as compared to her original name Beni Arashiro. The title track is in response to a summer single that was released by Dohzi-T which featured BENI called Mou Ichido… That being said, this is her first single in her new era.

Tracks:
1. Mou Nido to…
2. STAY
3. Mou Nido to… (Instrumental)
4. STAY (Instrumental)

Review:
I’ve been meaning to review BENI, but it’s been hard since I can’t find much of her music, but finally that’s been resolved. I wasn’t too sure what to expect with Mou Nido to… lit. Never Again but it’s certainly a great song. I’m guessing the best way to describe this song is to say that it’s a lightly infused R&B ballad. This song has a very light feeling to it, the music is pretty soft and oh so sweet. The acoustic guitar and the piano are the main instruments and they sound so amazing. BENI’s vocals are really good, especially her English but that doesn’t surprise me. When the verses begin the snaps begin too, and it’s a nice feeling. It’s calm and southing, and then when the strings begin to play things begin to sound even more beautiful and so uplifting. And I loved how as the song got closer to the chorus it got better. And the chorus itself was so mind blowing. It wasn’t explosive and aggressive, but it was gentle and very sweet. It was lighthearted and powerful, not to mention that it was so catchy. Getting it stuck in your head is an easy thing to do, especially with those mesmerizing vocals.

A little dance influenced is STAY. Well besides having some dance elements, there are still some R&B influences. I guess the most obvious dance elements are the synth beats and the fast-paced music. And during the beginning, it sounded as if there was some type of vocal distortion. The verses sound very dance friendly, yet the chorus sounds a bit more R&B influenced. I mean the vocals were incredible, although I could just not stand the guy’s vocals, it was so annoying. But I have to admit that despite that I loved it, I guess it’s because of the English and the infectious melody. And the ad-libbing at the end. This song in undeniably good, but I couldn’t stand that guy’s vocals in the background, they were unnecessary.

Overall Review: Mou Nido to… was quite the response! Although I haven’t heard Mou Ichido… I know for a fact that this single should be the superior one, as well as just an awesome response. I’m not exactly sure what BENI’s normal genre is as I’ve only heard a few of her songs, but I love this ballad, and the R&B influences were light but sweet; and really perfect for the song. It’s definitely one hell of a song, that’s easy on the ears. And as for the b-side, well it’s just as mind blowing if not more. They might contrast in genre but both a equally great. I was surprised with the sublime synth lines and the fast paced music, but it was enjoyable nonetheless. I just hope that BENI will continue with this style, and that she continues to write more of her own work. Such a superb, a magnificent, and extravagant way to begin her new debut with Universal Music Japan!

Final Grade: 100A+