MAKE UP was Kana Nishino’s 4th single. It was released on January 28, 2009. The title track and the original version was used in the cellphone anime Chocolate Underground.

Tracks:
1. MAKE UP
2. Kirari
3. Sherie
4. MAKE

Review:
It’s been a few months since Kana’s last release but she’s returned with a stunning pop sensation entitled MAKE UP. This sweet pop song is pretty spectacular when it comes to the music. The music is a fusion of pop, synth, and the occasional guitar riffs. The melody is also pretty sweet, innocent enough and pretty catchy. The vocals were great as always and I loved the bridge because of the distorted vocals, which were so adorable. The best part is by far the chorus, which is as catchy as it is pop oriented. Such an an innocent and wonderful pop song.

Kirari is one of the more unique songs on the single. It’s softer and more ballad oriented than the previous song and it’s more mid-tempo. The strings were beautiful, a little too soft for me though. During the chorus things get more interesting with the percussion, but that’s about it. It’s rather lackluster when you get down to it.

One of my favorite songs is by far Sherie. It’s a fast paced synth song filled with various synth beats and pop music. The verses move pretty fast, but so does the whole song. Kana’s vocals were just a little rushed during the verses but they sounded astounding during the chorus. And the chorus was the fastest part of the song and even featured the strings, which sounds magnificent, giving the song an almost epic feel. There’s also quite a bit of English used in this song which makes it a little catchier. But overall this is one of her most infectious songs to date.

Well it turns out that MAKE UP was actually the remix of the song MAKE. This is the original version, which really sounds like the remix except for a few minor differences. The melody and the music is the same, so it all sounds good to me. For some reason though her vocals sound a little better here, there’s a little more power. The lyrics differ and that’s about it. But for some reason I like this song better, I just can’t seem to put my foot on the reason why.

Overall Review: MAKE UP was sugary synth pop perfection! The title track and the remix was so impressive and they sounded the same for the most part. The new synth elements really made the songs enjoyable as well as the stereotypical pop music with the occasional guitar riffs. The B-Sides were great for the most part, one was better than the other by far. Overall though I’m very pleased with this single, especially since they sounded so similar music wise.

Final Grade: 95A

Style. was Kana Nishino’s 3rd single. It was released on August 13, 2008 and reached number 57 on the charts with 1,540 copies sold. The title track was used as the ending theme song for the anime SOUL EATER.

Tracks:
1. Style.
2. Stamp
3. September 1st

Review:
After waiting what seemed like forever for Kana’s next single she finally released Style. I still remember the previews and just how excited I was. This new song is just as pop as ever and it sounds so adorable and cute! What I loved about it was definitely the beginning, the beats were soft and great; and the vocal distortions were amazing. It wasn’t that dull either, rather exciting.

And the chorus was so fun! Catchy and exciting along with superior vocals and yet again great English lyrics! And despite this song being pop, it featured some very unique instrumentals. At some times the tambourine, the occasional piano, some strings, and the drums naturally, a very unique combination. Not a bad follow-up to glowly days.

I had no clue what to expect from Stamp, but I was pleased with the song. It’s still a sweet pop song, but it features some synth elements and it has a mystic feel to it, enveloping it in a unique atmosphere. Again the vocals are great, no problems there. Verses aren’t all that bad either. But the chorus was rather odd, not too catchy but it did sound lovely! The song just felt too short though, that was the major problem. That and the fact that there was hardly any structure, well there was some but not to defined.

After hearing songs like Just A Friend and Yami Yami Day I was expecting somewhat of a darker sounding song with September 1st. The song did feature some synth elements along with some catchy beats that did sound a little dark, but not too overpowering. The occasional acoustic guitar was a nice touch too. The one thing I loved about this song was the fact that not only did it sound so up-beat and happy but it was so infectious, those synth elements and vocal distortions really went well together! And for once the chorus was infectiously addictive, and the English didn’t hurt either. This song could have been the title track I think, it’s that good.

Overall Review: Style. was pure sweet perfection! It’s certainly a flawless follow-up to glowly days. I loved every single song on this single, and there were only a few minor things that could have been tweaked, but overall it was fantastic. For once the single had an overall theme and the vocal distortions were pure genius. I can’t wait till her next single comes out!

Final Grade: 98A

glowly days was Kana Nishino’s 2nd single. It was released on April 23, 2008 and reached number 126 on the charts. The title track was used as the end theme song for the music show CDTV for the month of April 2008, SONY needs to step up the promotions a bit for Kana in my opinion.

Tracks:
1. glowly days
2. celtic
3. Yami Yami Day

Review:
glowly days, happiness and innocence. The song begins with little piano like sounds playing, followed by a sparkling sound and then Kana’s vocals. Kana’s vocals seem improved here compared to I, a its a great thing. The way she hits those high notes are fantastic, and the overall feel it great. The chorus here sounds so up-beat, quick, and so so adorable, but mostly catchy. I just can’t get over the fact how good it sounds. There was a little bit of English in the song, and it sounds better than before, but still her English could be better. Again I just love the overall feel of the song, it’s so happy, so beautiful, and so relaxing. Another beautiful song.

celtic, a phenomenal ballad. Some Celtic, or Irish, music begins the song, well it sounds Irish with the violin at first. But then the piano takes over and Kana begins singing. This time her vocals are softer yet still as good. The verses here were a little bland, but the chorus was great and made up for the weak verses. The chorus sounds so lovely, it’s even catchy, but it sounds so epic, and Kana’s vocals are so strong and filled with emotion. I was really shocked by this song, much better than I expected.

Yami Yami Day, lit. Dark Dark Day, there was no symbols and yami doesn’t mean anything in English so I’m hoping that’s the right translation. This song, much like In Stereo, is very R&B/hip-hop/urban oriented, especially with the music and beats. Urban beats with some distorted voices open up the song, followed by Kana’s vocals. Again it seems that she needs some better English skills, but those are minor things. Her vocals are great for the most part. The verses seem OK, but we all know that the chorus is the best. The chorus features great vocals, urban beats, a synthesizer, and great music. It’s not that catchy, and it’s not that memorable really, I’ve heard better. But despite all of that it’s a good song.

Overall Review: glowly days was sweet honey on a beautiful breezy day. I found the title track to be so sweet, so cute, and so lovely. The B-Sides were good too, and that made the single better. I only wish that it would’ve done well on the charts. But still despite all of that this single is so fantastic and it’s so ideal for this spring time weather. Dream glolwy days!

Final Grade: 94A-

I was Kana Nishino’s debut single. It was released on February 20, 2008 and reached number 155 on the charts with 480 copies sold. The title track was the end theme song for HEY! HEY! HEY! from February to March.

Tracks:
1. I
2. In Stereo
3. Just a friend

Review:
I, a fresh debut. I was originally entitled I Don’t Want To Know, well the English version anyway. The original version was given to Kana for her music project, but she rewrote the lyrics and released it as I; the original version, in English, is still avaliable at itunes US. Some synth music opens up the song followed by smooth and calm guitar beats. During all of that Kana begins to sing, and her vocals sound so fresh and so new, well new in the sense that I’ve been listening to Hikki, Ayu, and Kumi to long. Now her vocals could be a bit better but she’s new so you almost expect it, but they’re still good. During the first few verses the drums play, getting stronger until the chorus. The chorus features that English phrase “I don’t want to know” and some Japanese, and naturally they sound so beautiful together. Now I admit that her English could sound better, but she’s not from America so cut her some slack. One of the best parts of this song was the fact that both the chorus and the verses sounded great and equally catchy, a rarity now.

In Stereo, urban/rock j-pop? This song, after one listen, seemed to have a distinct urban hip-hop/rock sounding music, almost like Nami Amuro after 2000, but more like a fusion. Drum beats followed by hip-hop music opens up the song, along with a guitar strumming. Shortly Kana begins singing in some great vocals. Again her English could be better, but her Japanese is great. The chorus here isn’t as catchy as I, but I still love it. With the hip-hop beats, guitar playing, and drums you can’t help but want to sing. It’s still a very catchy chorus, and the verses are great, and the rock atmosphere makes it even better. Not a bad B-Side.

Just a friend, the soothing ballad. The soft sound of the guitar opens up the song, followed by some R&B beats. Kana then begins to sing, her vocals here sound softer than all of the previous songs. Again some of the verses feature English, and when they do they sound good. The chorus sounds really lovely and wonderful. The high notes are great and not to overwhelming either. And I just really love it, mostly because it’s catchy and the English. But, all the emotion in her vocals are probably the best part of the song. Her best ballad as of now.

Overall Review: I was a fresh and outstanding debut. I know that there is a lot of talent that goes unrecognized, but finally one of those talents got noticed. It’s not everyday that you find a great artist like this. I just found the single so miraculous and inspiring. Since she’s with SONY she should be able to promote her next few singles more successfully than this one. But this is one of the best debut singles I’ve heard in a long time.

Final Grade: 94A-