Communication!!! was Leah Dizon’s second album. It was released on August 20, 2008 and reached no. 16 on the Oricon Weekly Charts and has sold more than 13,533+ copies.

Tracks:
1. Step into my world
2. Love Paradox
3. LOVE SWEET CANDY
4. Without a good-bye
5. Vanilla
6. Nothin’ to Lose
7. Lost at Sea
8. Communication!!!
9. Not Too Bad
10. BxKxRxxx
11. Under The Same Sky
12. Thank you

Review:
It’s been a while since Leah released this album so I figured that I SHOULD review it now, better late than never. Anyway I had no idea what to expect when I first listened to this album, and the same goes for the opening track Step into my world. The first word that comes to mind is pop. But the music is more complex than just that. It involves a lot of fast piano chords, soft strings, the occasional synth, and some great beats; just a wonderful combination overall. I wasn’t all that impressed vocal wise, they sounded just fine to me, if there was some more strength during the chorus it would’ve been better. The chorus used a lot of English, similar to melody. or even Rie fu, but it worked in the end. It’s not the catchiest thing but it is memorable enough. Not exactly an explosive and blaring way to open up the album but it gets the job done.

By far better and edgier is the American R&B Love Paradox. It’s by far the most memorable single she’s released as well as the most American sounding. There’s a lot of amazing urban beats, heavy synth riffs, and even some bass. What I love most about this song though are the verses. Leah’s vocals are a little deeper and darker, and distorted to some degree but they sound incredible. The chorus however is still infectious and perfect.

It’s been a while since I last heard LOVE SWEET CANDY and I’ve honestly forgotten what I thought about it. What I do remember though is the fact that it’s a reggae inspired song that’s very lighthearted and petty up-beat. While there are some parts that are lacking, overall it’s enjoyable and catchy. The chorus is just so sweet and sounds so innocent!!! Absolutely adorable.

Sticking out like a sour thumb is the ambient Without a good-bye. What sets it apart from the rest of the songs are the acoustics as well as the guitar riffs, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing. I have to give Leah some credit from tackling a different genre, but this case it doesn’t work all that well. Sure it does sound great and perhaps even epic, but it falls short. I just wish that her vocals were a little stronger, they were outdone by the loud instrumentals.

Well one song I haven’t missed is the apathetic, uninteresting Vanilla. As far as pop songs go it’s very predictable as well as just plain annoying. At some points it sounds good, but nothing spectacular or awing. And that intro is still as annoying and cheesy as ever. The only interesting thing about this song is… well nothing really.

For a sec with the intro I thought was I listening to Love Paradox, but it turned out to be Nothin’ to Lose. It has that sinful edgy sound that makes it sound like a guilty pleasure. But all aside it’s like a continuation or sequel of Love Paradox except it’s in English, and sounds better. Edgy R&B beats and synth lines make this song stand out in the crowd. As far as lyrics go, well it’s mostly about gambling and love. It’s actually pretty catchy, and mainstream as well.

Now where she didn’t do so well with her previous rock song she more than makes up for with Lost at Sea. This lovely mid-tempo rock song incorporates underlying piano chords, epic guitar riffs, and naturally the percussion. Again like the previous song all of it is in English, making it slightly more enjoyable as well as the fact that she’s experimenting a little more. As far as vocals go they’re much better, more crisp. The lyrics are bittersweet, especially the “drowning in your love wasting away…” line. This song is just really epic and a far better attempt at rock.

By far the hottest title track I’ve heard in ages is Communication!!!. Again from the sounds Leah is venturing in the R&B genre. The looping synth and brass sounds HOT! It makes the song sound edgy and aggressive. The majority of the lyrics are in English, but the verses as mostly Japanese, still the chorus is infectious and insane. Lyrically it’s pretty much about “You wanna know what turns me on?” and “Genuine Communication!!!” It’s interesting that’s for sure. Overall it sounds great, an insanely hot title track.

We come to another R&B flavored song, this time it’s Not Too Bad. While it still incorporates synth, the music is still much lighter than most the R&B songs. It really reminds me of something like Mariah, except for the fact that this song goes nowhere. I have to admit that it sounds nice but after the first minute you’ve basically heard it all. It’s not that this song is bad, it’s just way to repetitive. However her vocals sounded really cute at times.

And now we have another rock song BxKxRxxx! It sounds pretty ordinary with all the guitar riffs and percussion, right? WRONG! The song slowly picks up from mid-tempo to just breakneck speedy during the chorus. Not to mention the fact that Leah is singing her little heart out, and she’s doing it really fast. Kinda blows your mind outa sight, outa mind.

Still a favorite of mine, and many of people, is the ethereal and calming Under The Same Sky. While it was the B-Side to Love Paradox it could’ve easily been the A-Side. This lovely synth ballad is comprised of a series of light beats and naturally synth, creating a gentle and heavenly combination. It’s got to be one of her greatest ballads that’s surprisingly catchy as well as memorable.

Ending the album on a cheerful and happy mood is Thank you. The signature instruments include the harp, synth riffs, light beats and claps. It’s a decent pop song that’s not too cheery or annoying. She’s basically thanking everyone important to her, cheesy but she can pull it off. Ends the album on a very up-beat note.

Overall Review: OMG Communication!!! was so much better than I thought it’s be. It’s a step up from her previous album for sure. She’s finally incorporating more genres such as rock and R&B, which I personally think she should stick with. She’s still doing pop but they’re improving. This album shows that she’s grown as an artist tackling some different genres and such, and writing/cowriting most of the songs. Vocally she’s gotten a little better, not much of a huge improvement. And unlike the songs on her previous album the majority are actually memorable. I wonder what her hiatus will bring us? Hopefully songs similar to this.

Final Grade

Vanilla was Leah Dizon’s 5th single. It was released on June 25, 2008 and reached number 26 on the charts with 5,568 copies sold. This is is currently Leah’s lowest charting and selling single. The first press bonus of the CD only edition came with a Leah Cat sticker drawn by Leah herself. This was also the second, and final, single in the Communication!!! Era.

Tracks:
1. Vanilla
2. LOVE SWEET CANDY
3. Kanashimi to Egao no Naka de
4. Vanilla (Instrumental)
5. LOVE SWEET CANDY (Instrumental)

Review:
After Love Paradox I was ready for somewhat of a follow-up; and I was hoping that Vanilla was it. It was originally describes as “a dance tune overflowing with R&B taste.” And I honestly had no idea how this song would turn out. It began with some very strange music, followed by some disc scratching, and out of nowhere Leah sung in English and it didn’t sound all that great. That really turned me off to the song, but I decided to listen for a little longer. The verses were so-so but as the progressed the song became better. And I really liked her vocals so I just kept listening. The chorus sounded very happy, and up-beat. Almost cute like L·O·V·E U but a little more serious and more R&B. I really liked the part after the chorus where she sang in some deep vocals, it was very nice. The bridge was very funky, synth somewhat, disc scratching at a point, just very fun, and the audience cheering was a nice little feature. I did have my doubts about this song but it turned out to be very good.

Being described as “medium tempo reggae” LOVE SWEET CANDY put many ideas into my head. Good wasn’t one of them though,and I believe I was right. It began with some drum beats and some reggae type music. The music was steady and so were the verses. Leah’s vocals were very calm and a little soft. And to be honest with you, I actually liked the verses for some reason, they were very catchy. As for the chorus, well it was very festive, and seemingly happy. It was a little catchy, but not memorable. The English was a great addition but I don’t think it made the song that much better. I think the song was very big on music and happiness, but not on quality. It was cute but that’s it, not really A-Side material.

The next song was included as a CD Only Bonus track, Kanashimi to Egao no Naka de lit. In Sadness and in a Smile. It begins as beautiful as a ballad can begin, some acoustics, a little synth, and Japanese-like music. As Leah begins to sing, her vocals seem to become more powerful. The verses sounded just lovely, and they were so fantastic. The chorus was so heavenly and so magnanimous. The English was flawless as ever and it was just so beautiful. I actually felt that this was better than the A-Side. This song should be included on the album, but won’t be sadly.

Overall Review: Vanilla was a sweet sensation filled with a variety of tasty songs, and by tasty I mean great. The title track was surprisingly good, and so vibrant. I do think it could’ve been better but for the most part it was good. And the B-Side wasn’t that great or good, but it was tolerable. I think if it was more focused on quality rather than cuteness, it would’ve been better. As for the CD Only bonus track, it was a mind blowing ballad, the perfect example of Leah’s talents. A great way to end the Communication!!! Era.

Final Grade: 92B

Love Paradox was Leah Dizon’s 4th single. It was released on March 26, 2008 and reached number 15 on the charts with 6,902 copies sold. This is also the first single since her debut album Destiny Line. This single was also supposed to have a remix of the lead track, but it was removed before the release date. It was also released the same day as her new photobook Pure Leah! was released. Love Paradox serves as the beginning of her new era.

Tracks:
1. Love Paradox
2. Under the Same Sky
3. Love Paradox (Instrumental)
4. Under the Same Sky (Instrumental)

Review:
Love Paradox, the American-style urban pop song. This song was written by Leah along with a few other writers, mostly for the Japanese lyrics I guess. Anyway, the song is mostly about the paradox of a woman’s love: how she wants love, and yet can’t find it. The song begins a very catchy urban beat along with Leah’s vocals after a few seconds. Leah’s vocals here sound improved after Destiny Line, so that’s great. Naturally the lyrics are a mixture of English and Japanese. At some points Leah’s vocals are distorted a bit to give it that umph factor. The chorus is a fusion of English and Japanese and it sounds fantastic as always. Leah asks “Am I falling in love,” and says that, “But I don’t know.” Not bad at all. The verses sound pretty good and Leah’s vocals sound a little deep. The music was great and really embodied that American-style urban music. This is sure to be a great hit.

Under The Same Sky, the mystical synth ballad. This song opens up with some unusual yet fantastic instrumentals that sound mystical. Leah’s vocals sound a lot softer compared to the previous song, and a little better. The verses are sweet and simple. But the chorus takes the cake. It features that heavenly music and the ahs… in the chorus makes it sound better. While it’s not that catchy the lyrical content makes up for it, along with that great background music, and soft vocals with emotion. Here there is a little English used, but mostly Japanese is sung. I didn’t think that her B-Sides could be this good, but was I wrong. I loved how it was a mixture of ballad and synth with that mystical feel. Hopefully future B-Sides will be this good.

Overall Review: Love Paradox lived up to its name. It featured a riveting A-Side and a beautiful B-Side, a little odd after previous B-Sides. I loved the lyrics of both songs, and despite the odd combination they worked together in sync to create an unforgettable single. It’s too bad that it hasn’t done that well sales wise, but maybe the album will do better. It was a great way to begin her new era. And who says that models can’t be singers.

Final Review: 94A-

Destiny Line was Leah Dizon’s 1st studio album. It was released on September 12, 2007 and reached number 9 on the charts with 27,502 copies sold. In all the album has sold over 55,091+ copies, that’s pretty good considering it was her first Japanese album and that she’s from the US. Leah also wrote 10 of the 14 songs on the album, not a bad start. This album was also released in CD and CD+DVD editions. On the CD+DVD edition a special mini-documentary was featured to the DVD track list.

Tracks:
1. IMPOSSIBLE
2. Everything Anything
3. Missing
4. Koi Shiyou♪
5. Unmei-sen
6. Could you be that one?
7. Are you feelin’ for me?
8. Softly
9. Time (Clock Of The Heart)
10. Aishiteru~Love Story
11. Wonderlin’
12. L·O·V·E U
13. Drive me crazy
14. Again and Again
15. Koi Shiyou♪ ~yasutaka nakata-capsule mix~ (CD Only Bonus Track)

Review:
IMPOSSIBLE, the brass blasting opening. The song opens up with some brass instruments, followed by Leah’s vocals. Yet again Leah sings some English during the verses and the chorus, but it’s a good thing not a bad thing. The mood of the song seems a little pop with a bit of hip-hop. The chorus sounds great, filled with some edgy lyrics along with some English words. The music seems to fit the song very well. Not a bad opening to her first studio album.

Everything Anything, the cheery letdown. This song was included as a B-Side to her first single Softly. I normally love B-Sides but this song didn’t do it for me. The vocals were OK, but they sounded a little weak. The chorus did sound good, and the music was great though. I really think that the song could’ve been a bit better. For this B-Side’s full review, click here.

Missing, an acoustic ballad. The song begins with an acoustic guitar playing softly. Leah then begins to sing in Japanese ad in English. The chorus follows shortly. The chorus is a mixture of Leah’s vocals along with another groups vocals in the background, that’s what really kills it for me. The ballad seems sad throughout the entire song since the lyrics mention “I Miss You.” But besides that the song is very good.

Koi Shiyou♪, finally an up-beat happy song. This song was released as the second single in this era. It features some nice music beats and has that distinct summer feel to it. I love the song because it sounds so happy, but there are some flaws. The vocals seem repetitive at times, and the pace is a little too slow. Don’t let that stop you from listening, the song is worth its weight in gold. For the review, click here.

Unmei-sen, lit. Destiny Line, a slow paced pop ballad. This song gives its translated name to the album. The song opens up with some birds chirping followed by an acoustic guitar and some synth instruments in the background. The vocals are great and seems so at peace. The verses move so quickly and lead into the chorus. The chorus is a mixture of English and Japanese, and they come together to create an almost magical chorus. It’s quite catchy on the slow side of things, and it moves so smoothly. This was a great title track for the song and the album. This is easily on the softer side of Leah’s music.

Could you be that one? an up-beat pop song. Here we have yet another B-Side song on the album. This B-Side was released with Koi Shiyou♪. The verses were great, along with Leah’s vocals even though they seem high. The chorus sounded great, especially with the English. Towards the end you can hear some deeper vocals, and they too sound great. Click here for Could you be that one?’s review.

Are you feelin’ for me? an all English song. This time, Leah brings her A game by singing this song in English only. The music seems a bit dark especially with the synth instrumentals. The chorus sounds OK, but that’s about it, nothing jumped out at me. But the song was good, that can’t be denied.

Softly, the soft heart warming ballad. This song began it all for Leah, as it was the first song to be released as a physical single in Japan. The song moves so smoothly and features a beautiful chorus and great vocals on Leah’s part. This was such a great way to begin her debut in Japan, and a great track on the album. For the single that started it all, click here.

Time (Clock Of The Heart), the synth-uped cover song. This is a cover song of the song of the same name made famous by Culture Club. It seems to me that this song is sung entirely in English. The verses sound great, and the chorus is mind blowing. Leah’s vocals are great, and they go well with the background vocals. After the chorus the word “Time” can be heard, but that’s not necessarily bad, it sounds good and reminds me of an oldies song. The lyrics mention how “Time won’t give me time,” quite interesting. This is one of Leah’s best songs in my opinion.

Aishiteru~Love Story, a R&B B-Side. This song is what I’d call R&B in the flesh. It’s one of Leah’s few R&B inspired songs. The song is a little up-tempo and features R&B beats throughout the song. Yet again Leah proves to us that her English skills along with her Japanese skills are able to mesh together to create another unique sounding song.  The chorus was good, but not the best. Still considering that this was a B-Side, it’s pretty good. Here is the full review of this little B-Side.

Wonderlin’, the sweet little pop song. Opening up with Leah’s vocals and some synth beats the song quickly becomes catchy from there. The song is really sugary/bubblegum pop all condensed into one song. The chorus is another fusion of English and Japanese lyrics that sound for the most part great, especially with the percussion instruments playing. From there it all seems to repeat, not that bad of a song really.

L·O·V·E U, did someone say cute and innocent? Released as the last single before the album’s release, this song features Leah singing in an innocent tone. The song begins with some English words that are quite catchy. The song screams cute and pop, very cute pop in my opinion. The chorus is a collaboration of English and Japanese and creates a cataclysmic chorus. Despite this being a cutesy pop song, it really stands out from the rest it seems. One of the best parts was the bridge of the song, which contained some whispered vocals and some great pop dance music, almost outer space like. Pop has met its match for sure. For the full review of this magical pop song click here.

Drive me crazy, the American model? One thing that stands out about this song is the American feel of it. It has a little urban feel to it, not much but a little. The verses sound a little aggressive for a Leah song, along with the chorus. But, the chorus does sound good, mostly because it’s catchy and the English, along with the the guitar playing. I just wish the song was a little better sadly.

Again and Again, the beautiful ballad. Again and Again was the first song that Leah and her brother composed together.  It’s also the first song on her album to be given a PV, even though it wasn’t released as a radio single or digital single for that matter. The music is mostly water droplets and some strings. The lyrics were amazing and sounded so lovely. Again there’s a good amount of English used in this song, so that helps a bit. Leah really saved th best for last it seemed.

Koi Shiyou♪ ~yasutaka nakata-capsule mix~, the remix with all the beats. This song was originally released as a digital single, but also on the album as a CD only edition bonus track. This remix was remixed by Yasutaka Nakata of Capsule, hence the remix name. Here most of the background music has been replaced by synth and dance elements, making the song a bit more exciting. The song’s length is also extended, and that’s not a bad thing either. Leah’s vocals also seem a bit distorted; but, it makes the song even better. The chorus sounds greater than the original as catchy dance/electronic beats replace the seemingly boring original music. This is by far her best remix, and her only one as of yet. Not a bad ending song either.

Overall Review: Destiny Line was WOW! Or really mind blowing, either way it was fantastic. All the singles were great from this period. And the new tracks sounded even better at times. The album also featured a great mix of genres, as well as variety. The fact that Leah wrote 10 of the 14 is really amazing and it makes the album better, as it does with other artists. The title track seemed to be one of the better tracks on the album, a nice little touch. And the songs that were sung in English were just was good as the English-Japanese songs, that seems to be a rarity today. This is one of the best albums from an American artist that ventured into Japan. Props to Leah and her great debut album.

Final Grade: 95A

L·O·V·E U was Leah Dizon’s 3rd single. It was released on August 8, 2007 and reached number 16 on the charts with 12,489 copies sold. In all this single has sold over 16,240+ copies. This is also Leah’s last single in the Destiny Line Era.

Tracks:
1. L·O·V·E U
2. Brand New Day

Review:
L·O·V·E U, an up-beat summer pop song. This song is perhaps the most pop inspired song that Leah’s sung. The song begins with some really up-beat music that sounds so happy. The next thing you know Leah begins singing some English words, that actually sound quite good. Then Leah begins singing in that soft sweet voice of hers and as she does the music complements her and it sounds so great, especially the beats. The chorus is a mixture of Japanese and English, it’s similar to the opening English words. It sounds so up-beat and so catchy, and it’s so very happy and cute. A few more verses are sung, followed by the chorus then the bridge, and then a few more verses followed by the final chorus. The song ends on a happy note, so that’s good. For a sugary pop song, it’s quite good.

Brand New Day, a fast acoustic tune. This song isn’t quite as good as the A-Side, so don’t be disappointed. It features so fast beats and is powered by an acoustic guitar. Throughout the song a good amount of English can be heard. The chorus is somewhat catchy, but that’s about it. It’s your average B-Side material. Still it’s not bad.

Overall Review: L·O·V·E U was a superb single. It featured an overall happy mood, that seems rare nowadays for some artists. The title track was fantastic considering it was you generic sugary pop song, and the B-Side was a bit mediocre but that’s still OK. This was a great way to end the Destiny Line Era.

Final Grade: 93B+

Koi Shiyou♪ was Leah Dizon’s 2nd single. It was released on May 30, 2006 and reached number 7 on the charts with 22,597 copies sold. In all this single has sold over 49,251+ copies and has become her best selling single so far. This was also her second single in her Destiny Line Era. A remix was released by Yasutaka Nakata of Capsule two months later.

Tracks:
1. Koi Shiyou♪
2. Could you be that one?
3. Aishiteru~Love Story

Review:
Koi Shiyou♪, lit. Let’s Love, the grooving, up-tempo dance song. This song starts off a mid-paced. Leah’s vocals sound so good here. But they’re somewhat slow, I think it would’ve been better if they were faster. The chorus is pretty catchy, but it’s too slow, not a good dance song chorus. But the instrumentals are still great. Don’t get me wrong, the song is still great, but if the overall song was faster, it would’ve been a bit better. It’s still a fantastic song though.

Could you be that one? the faster more upbeat dance song. This song seems to begin a lot better than the A-Side itself. It’s faster paced and it sounds a bit better. The chorus sounds great, and the vocals are an improvement. I also love how good the English sounds. This is such a great B-Side.

Aishiteru~Love Story lit. I Love You~Love Story, the R&B love song. This song is a pretty good example of an R&B love song. Throughout the song English verses can be heard and they sound good surprisingly. The chorus here was so-so though, not the best. This is purely B-Side material.

Overall Review: Koi Shiyou♪ was another riveting single from Leah Dizon. The A-Side was great followed by some surprisingly good B-Sides. Not a bad single for her album Destiny Line.

Final Grade: 94A-

Softly was Leah Dizon’s debut single. It was released on February 14, 2007 and reached number 7 on the charts with 20,058 copies. In all this single has gone to sell over 48,554+ copies. This single was released in a CD Only and CD+DVD Version. The CD Only Version contained the B-Side Without Your Love while the CD+DVD Version contained the B-Side Fever, originally a digital single. This was also the first single in the Destiny Line Era.

Tracks:
1. Softly
2. Everything Anything
CD+DVD Version
3. Fever
CD Only Version
3. Without Your Love

Review:
Softly the heat warming ballad. This song is really a fantastic ballad. The music is slow paced, like most ballads are. The chorus is really beautiful and is quite catchy as far as ballads go. The music sounds so excellent with all the instruments, mainly the piano. This song also had a PV to go with it, it features Leah in Australia around a pier. The one problem I had was Leah’s vocals, not too strong here, but still OK. What a beautiful song, that’s sweet to the touch. And considering that her first language is English it’s pretty good.

Everything Anything, the upbeat cheery song. This song is upbeat compared to the previous song. It’s a little energetic and features some strings before the chorus. The chorus is pretty catchy and sounds so spectacular. It could’ve been better, but for a B-Side it’s fine.

Fever, the digital release. This song was included only on the CD+DVD Version, and was released earlier as a single. Fever is a cover song of the same name by Kylie Minogue. Being a cover song this is sung entirely in English. The first thing I can say about this song is edgy, well part of the lyrics, kinda. The song begins with Leah singing in a distorted voice, which sounds amazing. The music sounds somewhat edgy during the verses. The chorus is the definition of perfection, it’s flawless and Leah’s vocals are at the peak of excellence. The lyrics are about how she talks about the only person who can cure the Fever is you. This song was surely the best song on the entire single. I think it would’ve been a fantastic single, it’s A-Side material that’s for sure. The digital single was released on October 5, 2006.

Without Your Love, the CD Only Version track. Not to much to say here really. This song isn’t that great, but we all have our opinions. A true B-Side.

Overall Review: Softly was a great 1st single. Considering the single in sung by someone from the US, the Japanese lyrics are really good, pronunciation wise. Fever was the hottest of the two songs, but Softly was still great. What a fantastic way to start the Destiny Line Era.

Final Review: 95A