I LOVED YESTERDAY was YUI’s 3rd studio album. It was released on April 9, 2008 and reached number 1 on the charts with 285,407 copies sold. In all this album has sold over 353,350+ copies. This is YUI’s second number 1 album and her second album to be released in CD and CD+DVD editions. This album contains singles from My Generation / Understand to Namidairo. And none of the B-Sides were included on this album. There are a total of 10 new tracks, not including her first digital single.

Tracks:
1. Laugh away
2. My Generation
3. Find me
4. No way
5. Namidairo
6. Daydreamer
7. Love is all
8. I will love you
9. We will go
10. OH YEAH
11. My friend
12. LOVE & TRUTH
13. Am I wrong?

Review:
Laugh away, the up-beat digital release. This song was originally released as a digital single to promote the album, and from the looks of it it worked. The song starts off with a lovely little orchestra of violins followed by the guitar. The song itself is very up-beat and it’s quite happy. The verses are somewhat long, but they are sung so quickly. It’s the chorus that’s the best. It’s fast paced and very catchy.
You can’t help but want to sing, especially during the lines with the English. Yet again the acoustic guitar plays a role in this song, and a good one at that. The verse right before the chorus features a little English, so that’s a nice addition, it really sets the mood. The final chorus here was great, but it’s the last verse that’s really the best, it’s short, simple, and to the point. What a dynamic way to begin the album.

My Generation, the up-beat English inspired track. I was so happy to see this song on the album, especially after it took a long time for her to release some good singles. This song features the guitar, acoustic guitar, and drums. The verses seem long, but take hardly anytime to sing. The choruses are fast, up-beat, and so addictive. With that guitar playing in the chorus and the frequent use of English this song is easily the best song released as a single, and one of the best tracks on the album.

Find me, the first actual new song. The song begins with that familiar acoustic guitar playing, and YUI begins to sing shortly afterwards. YUI’s vocals seem soft in here, and yet they still sound great, especially with the soft music. But the chorus comes and YUI’s voice begins to sound a little more powerful. Here the music is a little faster and it features some background vocals. And the guitar playing at the end is a real treat. From there on it just repeats.

No way, the short aggressive rock tune. The song opens up with a small acoustic guitar playing followed by an aggressive guitar solo. When YUI begins to sing she sounds almost angry at a few points. The chorus here is fast moving, catchy, and backed by that familiar guitar. The little English at the end is a nice touch, and then the song ends. Well I guess you could call it an interlude with some vocals. Unless the song was ment to be that short. Anyway, it’s not that bad, just too short.

Namidairo, the depressing yet lovely ballad. This song was released as the last single in the era, and thus ended the era. It features primarily acoustic music with some beautiful violins playing. The chorus sounds so sad and the lyrics are so lifting almost. This is an improvement from her other ballads, but it’s not that the best. But, she’s improving which is the most important thing.

Daydreamer, the rock spirit. The song begins with a somewhat fast electric guitar solo. The vocals here move fast along with the music. The verses are sung in a quick manner, and with some great vocals. The chorus is so fast, and with the guitar is sounds even better. It’s also very addictive, especially with the little English, and with a guitar solo at the end. I really did like how it sounded so great, with the rock elements rather than the acoustic guitar.

Love is all, the high guitar tune. A slow guitar solo opens the song, followed by steady drum beats. Then YUI begins to sing the first verse, which sounds kind of boring and dull to be honest with you. It’s when she sings the chorus that her vocals sound better, they’re higher and seem to carry more emotion. The chorus sounds pretty good, it’s not that catchy, but again it’s the vocals that really make it. This song is all right but at this point it seems so repetitive and it’s starting to lose that “wow” factor. But it did have a great guitar solo, even though it seemed short.

I will love you, the steady rock song. The song begins with some drum beats followed by the guitar slowly playing. The song itself is very slow paced in a sense, either that or mid-tempo. The verses seem to pass by so quickly. The chorus sounds nice with great vocals, lyrics, and with the guitar playing constantly. YUI’s vocals here seem monotone at a few points, and it’s getting annoying. I think the only thing saving the song is YUI’s vocals and the lyrics, the music just isn’t that great. It could’ve been a better song.

We will go, the fast guitar powered track. The guitars and drums open up the song followed by YUI singing. The drum beats are pretty catchy, which is a good thing for the chorus and the verses. The chorus sounds OK, but it’s not that spectacular, I’ve heard so much better. The vocals sound great, despite how the music is. But sometimes it seems that YUI’s voice is being drowned out by the guitar and drums, so that gets irritating very quickly. But despite the fact that this is one of the shortest songs on the album, I wanted it to end quickly. Not her best work that’s for sure.

OH YEAH, the hustling and bustling rock song. This rather up-beat song begins with the guitar playing followed by YUI’s vocals. Compared to her previous songs on this album, I actually like this one. It seems different from all of her other tracks. The guitars and the drums don’t get annoying here, which is a great plus. The verses move so fast, but not as fast as the chorus. The chorus moves fast, and so do the vocals, it’s catchy in a way, especially with the ad-libbing. And with the little English it gives the song a little push. Who knew that YUI’s vocals could sound so innocent and cute?

My friend, the acoustic backed ballad. This song begins with some very lovely but sad violins playing followed by the acoustic guitar. The vocals here seem so calm and so nice. The chorus here sounds so amazing, much better than any other ballad. It’s even a little catchy, the violins give it that ballad feel and with the acoustic guitar it makes it even better. The verses are beautiful too, and they seem to go by so fast. Words really can’t describe this song, you need to listen for yourself. It’s one of her best ballads that I’ve heard.

LOVE & TRUTH, the depressing and heartfelt ballad. This was released as the second single in this era. I personally didn’t like this song that much. The vocals sound nice, but it’s just the overall music. I like the climax before the chorus, and the vocals but like I said it was just the music that really killed it. But, everyone is entitled to their opinion. I just think that this could’ve been better.

Am I wrong? the mid-tempo acoustic song. The sounds of an acoustic guitar song open up the song, along with some drums. YUI’s vocals here are pleasant and she sings the first verses so well. The chorus seems pretty catchy, to a point. The instrumentals here are superb in every sense, and it sound so full of life I you can believe it. I think that the song is good, but it seems so repetitive like all of the other rock songs. It was still a great way to end her newest studio album.

Overall Review: I LOVED YESTERDAY was acoustic magic. I loved a few tracks on the album, but then others just bored me. The album seemed very lackluster and repetitive at most points, because all of the music felt the same, not all really but most. Using the same instrumentals and format doesn’t help the album that much. The album began so great, but just flat-lined at the end. I was hoping for a lot more than this but what can you do. YUI needs a bit of variety in my opinion.

Final Grade: 87B

Namidairo was YUI’s 12th single. It was released on February 27, 2007 and reached number 3 on the charts with 81,730 copies sold. In all this single has sold over 113,920+ copies. The title track would be used in the drama Yonshimai Tanteidan. And here again we have a B-Side that would not be added to the album. This is the third and final single in the I LOVED YESTERDAY Era.

Tracks:
1. Namidairo
2. I wanna be…
3. LOVE & TRUTH ~YUI Acoustic Version~
4. Namidairo ~Instrumental~

Review:
Namidairo, lit. Tear Colored, the ballad. As some of you might know, I really don’t like most of YUI’s ballads. To be honest with you, they seem bland and dull at certain times. But this ballad is different. It sounds happier than the previous single, even though it might be sad, and it sounds a heck of a lot better. The song begins with an acoustic guitar playing along with the violins, which sound sad. The song moves so slowly as YUI sings the first verse. Shortly the chorus begins, and it’s actually an improvement from LOVE & TRUTH. The instruments are the violins and the acoustic guitar, and together they make such lovely music. It might not be that catchy, but it makes up for it in the lyrics and the beauty. The lyrics mention “…my tear-stained voice cannot be heard” along with “I want to become wilful even if it means being a nuisance.” The song basically repeats from there, but that’s all right. I find this song much more enjoyable than her previous title track.

I wanna be… the acoustic up-beat B-Side. This song is like most of her works, up-beat and acoustic powered. The song begins with an acoustic guitar playing until YUI begins to sing. The chorus follows shortly and it’s so amazing. With the guitars constantly playing it’s a lovely sound. It’s also quite catchy, and it sounds great, especially with the English. And her vocals were great, I didn’t think she overworked them like in some songs. What a traditional yet wonderful B-Side.

LOVE & TRUTH ~YUI Acoustic Version~ the acoustic version of the previous ballad. Here the vocals are the same, it’s just the music that was changed. But this time the music doesn’t fit the vocals. I think the acoustic guitars made this song worse. I think it was better before, despite how bad it sounded originally.

Overall Review: Namidairo was an improvement. It was much better than the previous single in more than one way. The ballad was tolerable and quite lovely, and the B-Side was YUI getting to her acoustic roots. I loved the fact that each was different and that each was so good nonetheless. Not the best way to end the I LOVED YESTERDAY Era, but that’s just my opinion.

Final Grade: 89B

LOVE & TRUTH was YUI’s 11th single. It was released on September 26, 2007 and reached number 1 on the charts with 87,491 copies sold. In all this single has sold over 144,230+ copies. The title track was used as the theme song in the movie Closed Note. And yet again the B-Side would not be featured on her newest studio album. This was the second single in the I LOVED YESTERDAY Era.

Tracks:
1. LOVE & TRUTH
2. Jam
3. My Generation ~YUI Acoustic Version~
4. LOVE & TRUTH ~Instrumental~

Review:
LOVE & TRUTH, the ballad theme. This song strikes me as a ballad, especially with the violins, which seem odd since the guitar is most commonly used in YUI’s songs. Anyway, the song begins with some very beautiful, but very sad music from the violins. Afterwards, YUI begins singing in a soft tone, until her voice seems to become more powerful. During the chorus, the violins return, and YUI’s vocals become stronger and filled with more emotion, and the guitar plays afterwards too. I can honestly say that it’s not really that catchy, or that great really. I do like how she sings it though, especially the first word, but besides that it’s just empty. From there it’s just verses then choruses. YUI is known more for her up-beat songs, that usually involve the acoustic guitar, rather than ballads, and this song is a good example. I know that YUI can make a good ballad, but this just isn’t it. The music was good, but in a sad way, almost teary. It’s just missing that “wow” factor yet again.

Jam, the rock arrangement. After that mishap with the ballad it’s nice to see YUI get to her roots with a rock song. The strums of a guitar open up the song, followed by YUI’s lovely voice and the acoustic guitar. This song seems more up-beat compared to the previous song, and better too. The verses seem long yet still great. And the chorus, well it sounds superb, it’s so incredible. It’s catchy, moves quickly, and it’s simple and to the point. And the lyrics are so creative, in a way or two. They mention “punk rock,” “Les Paul guitar,” and “JAM!” A lot better than that ballad.

My Generation ~YUI Acoustic Version~ acoustic again? This is the acoustic version of her previous single, My Generation. This version is more laid back, and relaxed. And instead of all those rock instrumentals, all that’s left here is the acoustic guitar. The vocals are the same, so that’s good. But all the fun elements were replaced by that fun sucking acoustic guitar, which I love but when it’s alone it can get annoying. Not the best acoustic version.

Overall Review: LOVE & TRUTH was awkwardness with a hint of rock inspiration. The title track was a bit boring in my opinion, and dull at times. I just can’t get used to the fact that YUI is trying to make a good ballad. I love YUI as an artist but she needs to step it up. I liked the B-Side much better than the A-Side, so that gives you some insight on the title track. And the acoustic version could’ve been better. Lovely but sad music for a sad single. Not the best for the I LOVED YESTERDAY Era,

Final Grade: 85C+

My Generation / Understand was YUI’s 10th single. It was released on June 13, 2007 and reached number 1 on the charts with 79,277 copies sold. In all this single has sold over 135,093+ copies, and on top of that it was YUI’s first number 1 single. The second A-Side Understand would not be on her newest album, perhaps due to it’s low popularity. This was the first single in the I LOVED YESTERDAY Era.

Tracks:
1. My Generation
2. Understand
3. CHE.R.RY ~YUI Acoustic Version~
4. My Generation ~Instrumental~

Review:
My Generation, the up-beat and pleasant acoustic tune. A fast acoustic guitar playing opens up the song, later followed by YUI’s sweet vocals. The verses seem to get faster while being propelled by the drums and guitars. Then the chorus begins, and does it sound amazing. It’s so quick paced and the lyrics sound great. It’s overall very catchy, and the final line which uses English sounds even better. The next few verses are sung, and with the guitar and drums they sound so fantastic, until the next chorus plays. This time the lyrics are a little different, but nonetheless they are great. The bridge is a guitar solo with the drums playing. The next verse sounds soft for a while until the instrumentals pick up and the final chorus begins. It’s a little shorter than the first two, but it’s still sounds superb. Another great song from YUI.

Understand, a soft ballad. This is one of the first few ballads I’ve heard from YUI and to be honest with you it’s not the best. Again the acoustic guitar is present for most of the song, along with some violins. The chorus sounds all right, but it’s not that catchy or powerful. I think if YUI’s vocals were better it would’ve been a better song, or if it sounded better in general. No wonder it wasn’t added to I LOVED YESTERDAY.

CHE.R.RY ~YUI Acoustic Version~ the signature B-Side. Like all of YUI’s singles, this one contains an acoustic version of her previous single. I haven’t heard the original but if it’s like this version it should be good. The vocals are great, and the music sounds so happy and care free. The chorus sounds all right, but I think it could’ve been better. This is still a nice song either way you look at it.

Overall Review: My Generation / Understand was a new popular acoustic hit. Her A-Sides still manage to amaze me each time, and her B-Sides sound great with that acoustic sound. While the ballad was lackluster, it could have been worse. But the main A-Side was excellent, and it was so up-beat. Not a bad way at all to begin the I LOVED YESTERDAY Era.

Final Grade: 90B

LIFE was YUI’s 4th single. It was released on November 9, 2006 and reached number 9 on the charts and has sold a total of 44,708+ copies to date. This was also the 3rd album in her FROM ME TO YOU Era.

Tracks:
1. LIFE
2. crossroad
3. Tomorrow’s way ~YUI Acoustic Version~
4. LIFE ~Instrumental~

Review:
LIFE the acoustic upbeat song. Although this song did only reach 9 on the charts it has since become more popular. This song was used as the ending theme song for the anime Bleach, which has just began airing in the United States, well the song anyway. The song features an acoustic guitar and some drums to create a beautiful song. The chorus here sounds so great and it’s really the best part of this song. It also uses a few English lines, and I mean a few, but it’s still good. What a great song.

crossroad the second acoustic song. This song, like LIFE, features an acoustic guitar to give it that acoustic vibe. It’s pretty upbeat and somewhat fast paced. The chorus here sounds pretty good also. A lovely B-Side.

Tomorrow’s way ~YUI Acoustic Version~ an acoustic spin. This is an acoustic version of Tomorrow’s way, the previous single by YUI. This trend, an acoustic A-Side on the next single has continued to this day. YUI’s vocals here weren’t that great so I really didn’t care for the song, and the whole acoustic feel to it wasn’t that great either.

Overall Review: LIFE was a fantastic single that possessed a beautiful acoustic vibe with it. This is just what YUI needed in a single. It’s just a shame that it didn’t do any better on the charts. But this is still a fantastic single, especially with LIFE.

Final Grade: 94A-