I believe you ~Ai no Hana~ was Rina Aiuchi’s 26th single. It was released on May 7, 2008 and reached number 17 on the charts with 6,160 copies sold. In all this single has sold over 7,460+ copies. It was released in a regular CD edition and a limited CD edition. The song HEY! was used as the theme song for the NTV show “SPORTS Urugusu.” This is also the final single in the TRIP Era.

Tracks (Limited Edition):
1. I believe you ~Ai no Hana~
2. HEY!
3. Harmony -DTS MIX- Perfomed by INTER-D
4. I believe you ~Ai no Hana~ -Bouquet of Love version-
5. I believe you ~Ai no Hana~ -Instrumental-
6. HEY! -Instrumental-

Review:
I believe you ~Ai no Hana~ lit. I believe you ~Flower of Love~. The sounds of a twinkling piano open up this song, followed by Rina’s fantastic vocals, and the occasional piano. This song is your stereotypical ballad, beautiful lyrics and wonderful music. The verses were surprisingly nice too, and the chorus was so much better. Despite the climax not being that strong I really loved the song. It was such a refreshing ballad compared to all of the other ballads I’ve been hearing, strings and all. What a beautiful ballad, and great use of English.

HEY!, fun for everyone. One of the first things I noticed about this song was the frequent use of English and an undeniable sense of fun and up-beatness. The song begins with guitars and drums playing followed by Rina singing in English, a little distorted and yet so good, even the pronunciations. After that she begins to sing in Japanese, flawless I might add. The verses here were tolerable and actually decent. As it built up for the chorus it sounded so fantastic. The chorus was pure happiness and excitement, very catchy too I might add; the little beep at the end was great too. Interesting with the rock elements but nonetheless great.

Harmony -DTS MIX- Perfomed by INTER-D, typical Rina. The original version will appear on TRIP, but for now here’s the review of the remix. This song begins with a few background vocals rapping followed by some violins. Then Rina begins to sing, and I must say that her vocals here sound a lot better than the previous song, no stress and pure calmness. The verses were dull but no shock there, however the chorus was a lot better. It was more pop, and that was quite obvious, but it was rather catchy. I really enjoyed the frequent use of English in the chorus, it made it sound more catchy. I hope that the original is as good.

I believe you ~Ai no Hana~ -Bouquet of Love version- piano superiority. This version was featured on the limited edition version of the CD and it’s rather lovely. The song was lengthened and the piano became the dominant instrument, but the violins were still present. This version was more of a beautiful and lovey dovey mix, very beautiful and magical.

Overall Review: I believe you ~Ai no Hana~ was a flower full of love and devoid of sadness and darkness. I found this single to be rather remarkable in the sense of quality, something that seems rare nowadays. But Rina is from GIZA so that might explain a few things. But overall this songs on this single were fantastic and so beautiful, and then some were more free-spirited. Still, what a beautiful and memorable way to end the TRIP Era.

Final Grade: 95A

PARTY TIME PARTY UP / Nemurenu Yo ni was Rina Aiuchi’s 25th single. It was released on December 19, 2007 and reached number 8 on the charts with 13,276 copies sold. In all this single has sold over 18,413+ copies. This single was released in a grand total of four editions. There was a CD+DVD and CD edition of PARTY TIME PARTY UP which included a remix, and a CD+DVD and CD edition of Nemurena Yo ni which also included a different remix. This is the third single in the TRIP Era.

Tracks:
1. PARTY TIME PARTY UP
2. Nemurenu Yo ni
3. PARTY TIME PARTY UP -command+s mix- (PARTY TIME PARTY UP edition)
3. Nemurenu Yo ni -lifeblood mix- (Nemurena Yo ni edition)
4. PARTY TIME PARTY UP -Instrumental-
5. Nemurenu Yo ni -Instrumental-

Review:
PARTY TIME PARTY UP, the cute dance tune. Some very synth sounding sound opens up this song, followed by some rather catchy dance beats. Shortly Rina begins to sing, and this time her vocals are OK sadly, they weren’t that great really. The verses were bland but they ran smoothly so they weren’t all that bad. And as for the chorus, well it was an improvement. It began with Rina singing in English “PARTY TIME PARTY UP!” And the whole dance/synth elements really made it stick out from those ordinary songs. It was somewhat catchy but I really loved the overall mood, so happy and alive. And her pronunciations were great too, no butchering. But I must say that the constant high pitch noise got a little annoying, but it could’ve been worse.

Nemurenu Yo ni lit. In a Sleepless Night. This song is probably the more serious song as it’s a ballad with an lovely piano, and more modern elements. Here Rina’s vocals are quite lovely and they sound a little better than previous song, but then again this is a ballad. The verses sounded all right, but the chorus yet again was the best part of the song. It was more emotional and it sounded more beautiful and lovely. This ballad isn’t half bad, but I think she could’ve done better.

PARTY TIME PARTY UP -command+s mix- the synthed up club track. This song is basically a more synth/technoed up version of the original, but not that much. Rather then focusing on Rina’s vocals the song is more focused on the music it appears. This is a more dance/trance version for those that are all dance music.

Nemurenu Yo ni -lifeblood mix-, brazing beats. Here is a remix that was featured on the Nemurenu edition. This song is a bit synthed up like the other remix, but there are more beats and that’s what makes the difference. This version is also about a minute shorter than the original version, and it moves a little faster. Just stick with the original.

Overall Review: PARTY TIME PARTY UP / Nemurenu Yo ni was pure dance happiness and serene loveliness. The title tracks were completely mind blowing and phenomenal. It’s one of those traditional Rina songs, and a great addition to her album. I loved the fact that there were a total of four versions to chose from and the covers were fantastic. And the remixes were an extra little treat. This is a great single, although two separate types, they’re both superb.

Final Grade: 94A-

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-

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