When I'm thinking of ideas for blog posts, I believe that a topic I can always write about is reviews (impressions) of my favorite books and songs.
This time, I'll be compiling my favorite songs by Mai Kuraki (honorifics omitted below), album by album.
qimono / Pixabay
delicious way
Secret of my heart
I first heard this song through the theme song of Conan, and it was through this song that I first learned about the singer Mai Kuraki.
At the same time, I also learned about the composer, Aika Ohno, and have liked her ever since.
To be honest, it might be more accurate to say "I like the songs that Aika Ohno creates" rather than "I like Mai Kuraki."
It's a poignant ballad, and this was the first piano sheet music I ever bought myself.
I sing it at karaoke, and no matter how many years pass, this song remains the starting point for me when I think of Mai Kuraki.
Everything's All Right
It's an upbeat song that's pleasant to listen to.
I like this more than the singles "stay by my side" and "Love, day after tomorrow," which are well-known.
Happy day
This song has a similar vibe to "Secret of my heart."
I like the way the choruses build up and build up, especially when some of them overlap.
It seems that in Mai Kuraki's songs, even in parts where the melody is repeated, the lyrics often remain as a continuous whole.
My personal interpretation is that it's probably done that way because they prioritized the content of the lyrics.
PERFECT CRIME
PERFECT CRIME
A cool, fast-paced song.
The way the song starts with the bass beat and then the drums come in and it builds up is really cool.
think about
This song stands out for its passionate singing style.
I love the rapid-fire, English phrases in the chorus at the end of the song.
cold sea
As the title suggests, it's a cool song with a cold atmosphere.
I feel like the comments are getting more and more haphazard.
Fairy tale
Feel fine!
It's an upbeat and cheerful song. The lyrics make it perfect for summer.
I remember seeing it on TV commercials around that time.
Ride on time
This is another catchy and cool-sounding song.
Winter Bells
A cheerful winter song. A comforting melody and song.
Loving You…
It's a slightly dark and melancholic song.
I also like how, even when the melody repeats, the lyrics continue in some parts.
Wonderland
This song shines with its brilliant lyrics.
The tempo is fast and it's fun.
I had long wondered where Milmed Street was, but I finally found the answer by reading a page online from someone who had the same question.
Research on Mai Kurakitwist*Appendix 21: Unraveling the mystery of "Wonderland - Milmed Street"!
If I Believe
Time after time ~In a town where flowers dance~
This is one of my top two favorite songs by Mai Kuraki.
It was around this time that I started noticing that most of the songs I liked were composed by Aika Ohno.
You are not the only one
A catchy song with a really memorable melody.
I'd like to know the lyrics to the English part that's sung in a rap style, but I can't find them anywhere.
I can hear words like "time after time" and "delicious way," so I think they're probably stringing together the titles of their previous songs to form a sentence.
The final line, "No.1, come on!" is really catchy and sticks in my mind.
Tonight, I feel close to you
I'm embarrassed to admit it, but when I first heard it, I didn't realize it was a duet.
I thought both were Mai Kuraki.
Songs that you end up singing alone when you go to karaoke.
This is a deeply moving and heartfelt song with lyrics entirely in English.
FUSE OF LOVE
There weren't any songs on this album that I particularly liked.
Excuse me.
Diamond Wave
Stewing of my heart
This song solidified my belief that Mai Kuraki's "○○ of ○○" formula guarantees a masterpiece.
It's also used as the theme song for Conan.
This is a very energetic and cool song.
One Life
Everything
Despite its somewhat cliché melody, this song is distinctly Mai Kuraki.
It has a cool vibe.
Season of love
This song has a similar vibe to "everything" mentioned above.
This song is a bit quieter, but it has a strong, hidden quality to it.
Following the "○○ of ○○" formula, this is a great song.
secret roses
A song with a slightly unusual structure.
This song has a cool, flowing guitar sound.
Mai Kuraki's characteristic whispering singing style is prominent, making the title "secret" perfectly fitting.
touch me!
touch me!
This is another cool and stylish song.
Being able to sing the lower notes in the A section with such precision, controlling the pitch up and down, really shows that they're professionals.
Break the Tone
It's a cool song, and it's upbeat and energizing.
I think it's great when someone can sing the English parts so coolly.
24 Xmastime
I personally like many of the songs on the "touch Me!" album.
Catch
It's a song with a dark atmosphere.
It's a quiet yet powerful song, and I feel it shares similarities with "Season of Love."
FUTURE KISS
FUTURE KISS
A song with an atmosphere that's perfect for the first track on an album.
I like the transition from the mechanical-sounding opening A section to the smoothly singing B section; it really builds up the excitement.
The chorus, with its flowing 1, 2, 3-like phrase, is incredibly catchy and sticks in your head.
Revive
This is the theme song for Conan.
This song features a prominent guitar sound and has an exotic atmosphere.
"Mi corazón" is also Spanish, and the same word "mi corazón" is used in this song as well.
Do you like Spanish?
The me I don't know. ~precious ver.~
A song with an intense atmosphere.
I think this is a type of song that's surprisingly rare among Mai Kuraki's discography.
I really like this song.
I prefer the original version, which starts directly with the chorus, rather than the precious version.
SUMMER TIME GONE
As the theme is "summer," it's a bright song with a similar feel to "feel fine!" and "delicious way."
The precarious-sounding melody in the A section is refreshing.
OVER THE RAINBOW
Strong Heart
The intro begins with a quiet atmosphere, then opens up dramatically.
I think this every time, but it's a perfect opening track for an album.
10 Million Kisses
I really love the melody of this song.
I also have the sheet music for piano solo, and it's a great piece that sounds wonderful on the piano.
Outside the album, etc.
Simply Wonderful ～Radio Edit～
I prefer this version because the ending of the club edit is a bit ambiguous.
The fast-paced part of the chorus is cool, and it feels great to be able to sing through the rapid-fire English section in the latter half.
It's nonsensical to write it in katakana, but phrases like "Akashiza Mage, Innyaizu" and "Akashiza Sunrai Flowmy Smile" have a nice ring to them, and I find myself humming them.
PUZZLE
It's a cool and stylish song.
Personally, I don't usually pay much attention to lyrics, but for some reason, the lyrics of this song really caught my attention.
It feels like a couple who broke up by chance are taking their first steps towards finding a new partner, or it feels like they haven't broken up yet but are trying to break out of a rut.
The fact that they are using email addresses that include each other's names suggests that they are officially dating.
However, I'm curious about what those "scattered lies" are.
I'm just assuming that maybe the other person is cheating, or that their feelings have cooled but they're pretending to still love you, or something like that.
Smile
(Added September 19, 2017)
YESTERDAY LOVE
I thought she looked like Aika Ohno, and it turns out I was right.
I still have the image that Mai Kuraki is the one who sings this person's songs.
The catchy chorus melody and the simple phrase "I love you" really stick in your mind.
Glass Smile
It's a cool and quiet song.
It's like a more understated and cool version of "Loving You...".
It feels like a song about thinking about a love that's already over.
I Like It
It's a catchy, upbeat song that starts with a lively intro.
It makes you want to hum, "I like it, I like it, I like it, like it, like it..."
Make that change
Like "Feel Fine," it's a fast-paced and passionate song.
The lyrics can be interpreted as singing about life itself in various ways.
lastly
I feel like this should be mentioned first, but when Mai Kuraki debuted, she was often said to resemble Hikaru Utada.
However, the more I listen to them, the more I realize that their strengths are quite different.
Mai Kuraki is characterized by her whispering voice, and she maintains a steady tempo, creating a sense of comfort when listening to her music.
Utada Hikaru has a very passionate singing style, with a distinctive vibrato.
Furthermore, since he composes his own music, many of his songs have a distinctly un-Japanese feel to them.
I like both artists, and since they've both been active for a long time, I hope they continue to create music in the future.