Moh wrote:Goto Maki song previews:
Having bought and heard the album, I feel like I've just traveled back to the 2000s. It sounds very 00's, very Avex. Which is good, really good.
Queendom. Sounds like a piece from Namie's Queen of Hip Hop with a modern twist. The style suits Maki really well. The first chords of the song reminded of Camila Cabello's Senorita and Habana.
Bad Boy. My least favorite yet still a good song, specially the chorus. It'll grow on me.
Prayer. The lyrics and the arrangement scream Hitomi Shimatani. A bit of Ai Otsuka too. Goto uses a superb voice register. It's growing on me.
Ivy. Excellent up-tempo ballad, very modern in terms of arrangement. Maki's voice fills this type of songs perfectly. It also reminds me of something BoA would've released back in her time.
Clap Clap. When it came out it reminded me of an H!P song. I checked the credits, and it's arranged by a H!P guy. Great choice for a comeback. I have it on repeat.
Flirty Sun. In my opinion, the best piece of the album. The style fits Maki very well. Could've been a single and a very interesting MV too.
I am. Very beautiful slow-tempo ballad. Very 90's Mariah Carey, which is basically 99% of J-Pop ballads. Ayumi and Koda have a hundred of these.
Overall, the whole album feels like a massive throwback with very different styles. I can see Avex's hand and preferences. Almost every song reminds me of a song that one of their big names in the 00's could've released as a single. I don't know if they did this mix of styles to please everyone in the fandom or what, but I think they can gather listener's statistics and make the next album a bit more focussed on one or two styles. I prefer songs like Queendom or Ivy, but that's me. I've read Maki say she loves R&B. While it's not a top-notch style nowadays, I hope she gets more of these songs too.
At least this album is more consistent than ONE, Gloria and Love. Much, much more consistent. There's more work and effort. I did my bit purchasing it. I hope many more support too. I'll be very happy if she sticks around this time. I trust her "rebirth" theme for Clap Clap MV is actually some kind of purpose to actually stay around. One can only hope and prAy
