Music Assignment for YOU!

I am taking a jazz dance class this year, which I absolutely adore. We're currently in the process of looking for our recital song. Here is where I need your help. Since most of my music collection is in Japanese, I am turning to you for suggestions. We are looking for:

* an 80s song (though we will ponder other decades too) * a relatively fast song (so don't be sending me no ballads!) * no Paula Abdul and no Michael Jackson

One of the examples we used in class was Lisa Lisa & Cult Jam.

* Funky is good...think kind of hip pop or something along those lines

Thank you for your help ^_^

Music review: Gackt - Koakuma Heaven

In June and July, Gackt released a slew of singles. "Koakuma Heaven" came out on June 10, 2009. It is a fast-paced dive into the seedy world of club hostesses and prostitutes. Yet it is really catchy and difficult to get out of your head once you hear it. It's not my absolute favorite from his recent releases, but it's a close second.

Kago Ai - no hesitAtIon

On June 24, 2009, the infamous Kago Ai released her first solo single after the big scandals. (For those that don't know, she was caught smoking in 2006, when she was only 18. Then she was caught dating an older man AND smoking, which prompted her release from Hello!Project.) The title track, "no hesitAtIon," is a cute little ditty with lyrics that were written by Aibon herself. At first listen, the song seems like a fairly typical pop tune. However, after a few rotations, you can hear the "Kago-ness" come out. Lately, Aibon has kind of dubbed herself a spokesperson for teaching young people how to behave properly. (Meaning not smoking or having risky sex...things like that.) As such, this song has an uplifting message about starting over and being yourself. Granted, it's not quite as good as the B-side, "Children of the Night," but it is still a really great song. I hope she keeps going long enough to release a full album on her own.

Arashi - Wish

arashi-wish I have been lacking in the music department lately. I apologize. Hopefully, a little boy band music will make you feel better.

Wish is popularly known as the theme song for the first season of the Hana Yori Dango jdorama. Of course, both Arashi and HYD feature Matsumoto Jun. Not only is the song cute on its own but the video for it is also adorable. It features a little puppet man trying to win the heart of a little puppet girl. I think, thanks to the HYD connection, that this was my first introduction into the world of Arashi. Let the cuteness wash over you!

Music review: Hitomi wo Tojite by Ken Hirai

At first, I wasn't sure how I felt about Ken Hirai's music. I liked the pop stuff but the bluesy songs that he's really known for never really interested me. Then I decided to sit down and truly listen to what he was singing. That is when I realized how amazingly talented the man is. "Hitomi wo Tojite" is one example of how well he can handle a ballad. A lot of the time, ballads come out contrived and boring. Yet Hirai manages to express that feeling of love without making it feel forced. I have to admit that nowadays, he's one of my favorite artists.

Green Day - Castaway

I have been a big fan of Green Day for a long time. Of their entire discography, the Warning CD is my least favorite. "Castaway" appears on this disc.

The song is one of their more 'pop' songs and it sounds like they wrote it because some studio exec thought it would sound 'cool.' So we end up with a rather bland tune. Even the semi-catchy parts of the song come across as bored. There is very little energy here and, unfortunately, that feeling takes up most of the album.

Utada Hikaru - Colors

I have been debating how to handle the music reviews for the site. On one hand, the previous format was handy and had some pretty good information. On the other hand, it was tedious and boring. So, for now, I'm just going to write about songs. They may contain a lot of hard information or they may contain nothing but my personal feelings. You'll still learn about songs you may have never heard before, which is the whole point of talking about them.

First up is Utada Hikaru's "Colors." This was her only single released in 2003. The B-side of the single, "Simple and Clean," may have been more famous than the A-side since it was the theme song for a couple of the Kingdom Hearts video games. "Colors" wasn't put on an album until the 2006 release of Ultra Blue.

The song itself starts out fairly laid-back. In the beginning, the lyrics flow like a lazy river. They pick up a little at the chorus, which is the best part of the song. The background instruments are unusual enough to catch your ear but not too strange that they turn you off. As a whole, it sounds a lot like "Simple and Clean" with a few slight differences. It's not surprising that the single was so popular.

Music review: Prince - The Most Beautiful Girl In The World

Artist: Prince (OK, he was the symbol at the time)Album: The Gold Experience Release date: 9/26/95 Video link: on MySpace TV

Lyrics: Could U be the most beautiful girl in the world? It's plain 2 see U're the reason that God made a girl When the day turns into the last day of all time I can say I hope U are in these arms of mine And when the night falls before that day I will cry I will cry tears of joy cuz after U all one can do is die, oh

Could U be the most beautiful girl in the world? Could U be? It's plain 2 see U're the reason that God made a girl Oh, yes U are

How can I get through days when I can't get through hours? I can try but when I do I see U and I'm devoured, oh yes Who'd allow, who'd allow a face 2 be soft as a flower? Oh I could bow (bow down) and feel proud in the light of this power Oh yes, oh

Could U be (could U be) the most beautiful girl in the world? Could U be? It's plain 2 see U're the reason that God made a girl Oh, yes U are

And if the stars ever fell one by one from the sky I know Mars could not be, uh, 2 far behind Cuz baby, this kind of beauty has got no reason 2 ever be shy Cuz honey, this kind of beauty is the kind that comes from inside

Could U be (could U be) the most beautiful girl in the world? So beautiful, beautiful It's plain 2 see (plain 2 see) U're the reason that God made a girl

Oh yeah! (Oh, yes U are) Girl (Could U be?) U must be ... oh yeah! (Could U be?) U're the reason ... oh yeah (Could) {x3} About the song: I don't think Prince has ever failed me. He is an amazing artist, no matter what he wants to call himself. I think any girl would love to have this song played for them. There really isn't anything else I can say about it. An amazingly romantic song despite the almost-completely falsetto voice it is sung in.