[gogirlanime]

Originally Posted by Coelacanth

As somebody else has said, Timmy's rapping reminds me of Marc from globe or the rappers in Euro groups Aqua and Toybox.

Yeah, do we know for sure that it's Timmy? It sounds EXACTLY like Marc!

5/10

Over all opinion (March 13th 2012 first listen)
This album had no direction and was very confusing. This album is like a mixture of GUILTY and NEXT LEVEL. There were R&B and techno feels then jazz then ballads and then a splash of goth. Jazz doesn't suit Ayu at all. I feel like too many of these songs are too simple and more layers needed to be added to make them more interesting. This album is full of "album filler" tracks. I feel like Ayu was trying for a bit of a Beyonce feel with this album (not saying she's copying her I'm just saying the same sort of style with 1/2 of this album). Much like MY STORY she compensated for lack of releases by releasing a mash up of generic songs that aren't super special. There wasn't a single song on this album that grabbed my attention right away there were no "instant classics" for me on this album, those songs you love right away (even how beautiful you are didn't grab my attention super good on the first listen) (and that's a first for any Ayu album for me). I've never listened to an Ayu album and had not one song that grabbed my attention right away and kept it that way for the rest of the song. Many will hate me for it but I don't care. I would say that FIVE is a better album than this one because at least that album had 3 tracks that I loved right away (progress, ANother Song, BRILLANTE). This album may have more tracks but it's full of, I'm sorry, a lot of crap… Rock'n'Roll Circus before this was my least favorite Ayu album (but it caught my attention right away with Don't look back and Microphone) but now this is (so far) I will always listen to an Ayu album a lot and over and over before fully judging it but I almost don't want to because I'm afraid it will damage my judgement of what good music really is. I love Ayu to death but this is her worst so far.

Song rating average score: 5.89/10 (OUCH!)
Take out the interlude scores: 5.86 (a little bit more ouch)
Looking at the album as a whole score I would give it: 5/10

Party queen
I have a love hate relationship with this song I don't know if I like it or not. I'm not too big on Ayu's high vocals I tend to hate Ayu songs like that. It's a cute song with addictive elements to it but it's also forgettable. I don't think this is a "skip over" song for me but I don't think I'll find myself listening to this song often other than through my itunes shuffle. 6/10

NaNaNa
Probably the best song on the album other than "how beautiful you are" and that's not saying much about the album unfortunately I liked how Marc (from globe) was in it! That's something I've never thought of before but a cool move on Avex's part! This is really addicting and strangely reminds me of an electronic version of a track on the "Bad" by Michael Jackson. The layers on this song is what the rest of this album is lacking, there is complexity in the music, vocals, and over all feel of this song. 7.5/10

Shake It♥
Not something super special but it's strangely addicting like a bad Brittney Spears song that shouldn't be considered a good song but because it's so strangely addicting you love it (and I'm not saying Ayu is as bad as Brittney Spears she is way beyond her I'm just saying that's the feeling this song gives me). This will never be something I love to death but I'll never skip this song when it comes to play. 7/10

taskebab
Fun and up to beat I love the guitar solo in it. Super electronic and I'd love this to be a full song! Ayu should do an 8 bit song! 8/10

call
The over all feeling and tempo of this song is nice and I like the male background vocals this was kinda a happy HANABI ~episode II~ Ayu's vocals are nice. Another album-filler track with nothing super special about it. 6/10

Letter
The background vocals really enhance this song. Over all this song is pretty generic and un-original for Ayu, a typical "lets fill in a track space for the album" it reminds me of YOU mixed with RED LINE ~for TA~ not bad, but nothing special just another annual album filler. 5/10

reminds me
I LOVE the la la la la parts and the build up before it. Over all this song is quite good, not what I would call a classic. The instruments were well placed and her vocals are good I like the classic mixed with rock. The vocal melody isn't super original. A good album track this song will grow on me. 6.5/10

Return Road
Title and sound of this song are very similar to other songs in the past. The sound is very typical of Ayu and nothing particularly special but I like it more than previous albums album-only tracks. There is a special kinda magical feeling to it. It sounds like a song composed by J-rockers Mana (Malice Mizer) and Sugizo (solo and from Luna Sea). 6.5/10

Tell me why
Nothing super special I love the beginning vocals very creepy and sad. The vocals are quite good. It's much better than most of the album-only ballad tracks in previous albums. The layers at the end are very beautiful I wish she'd do more ballads with those type of layers in them. I feel like this song will grow on me a lot and I'll grow to love it as one of my favorite tracks on this album. 7/10

a cup of tea
A really unique interlude that is fun and spunky and suits with the theme(s) of the album. I like it a lot 8/10

the next LOVE
Pretty boring, her vocals were O.K. but the song was just blaaaaah like any other jazz song. I'm not big on jazz. Nothing sparked my interest with this song, very forgettable. 4/10

Eyes, Smoke, Magic
No… just no. I don't like this style of music. Ayu's vocals are pretty bad in some parts and the style is just annoying it sounds like a carnival song. One of her worst in a long time (maybe her worst ever). I bit my lip through this song. I think the only other time I'll listen to this song again is to give it another fair critique in the future. 1/10

Serenade in A minor
Super sad and boring, beautiful skills on the instrument players part but it's too depressing and sad and doesn't fit well with the album, very random. I don't think I'll ever listen to it again 2/10

how beautiful you are
Gorgeous song, some of her best vocals in a long time, a very meaningful song. I'm not too partial about the male choir break in the middle of it but it's O.K. I just feel it doesn't suit with the rest of the song. A great Ayu ballad that I'll listen to over and over and remember for a long time 8/10