I didn't think she would release music of her own. Erika and leah look alike and both is starting out in the music industry. I wonder if the media will label them as rivals.

SHE LOOKS GREAT...i think she is my fav artist beside ayu...she has a chance to do something like ayu...
i have waiting for this..maybe she work her voice first...and then become a singer under her real name

i should stop doing chocolate

Doubt she has attitude problems with a professional company such as Sony.

I prefer her appeal in 1 litre of tears, the other pics of her look so "fake" I dun feel like her look in taiyou no uta PV.

Yup, I think the media might label them as rivals, but I think Leah seems better, probably because she doesn't have the whole 'attitude problem' thing to begin with. (Moreover, she has more appeal due to her ethnicity.) I think Sawajiri Erika is changing, so I doubt its a problem now especially with all the attention she's getting, since it'll get her to be more wary of the image she's portraying.

Regarding Taiyou no Uta, I thought that the single was just OK, composition wise it was ok, perhaps the melody line was something that people generally liked. Her vocals definitely need polishing, but I presume she's gotten some vocal training or something to improve in her re-debut as Erika.

FANTASY sounds ok from the rip. But I'm more in anticipation of FREE to see how that sounds like.

^ Erika too has mixed ethnicity so it has attracted interest too. And as you mentioned I'm sure she is more careful with her image and personality.

I believe gravure models do have the problem of being catty and jealous of each other. I remember Ayu mentioning about it in an interview when she was one herself. Now that she has a more serious career I doubt we'll get such attitude problems.

Anyhow many artists started off with "bad" vocals and later on polished up. I think she will improve with time.

thanks for the rip...i will download it now

LOVE! Sweet TAIYOU no uta was magic.

her voice is really bad in my opinion at [free]
but the style of her music is fit me so much...

omg cool cover, thanks for this :D

FREE is such a good song! i really like it.

its a nice song...i htink i voice is ok..

why I didn't see this threadbefore! thanks a lot for the clips and news! I love erika!

Omg she sings oO

I like her after watching 1 Litre of Tears but whoa I didn't she sings too. Gotta listen~

Very unused to the sudden glam and thick make up!

edit

I think there's alot of room for improvement for her voice. Personally prefer her acting too. =)

Well she certainly did grow up. I am enjoying the fact that she's maturing and looking so exotic.

thanks for the news!

I'm quite surprised of how Erika looks here. Much more different from how she is in 1LoT~

OMG me too.
But FREE is just total hotness. Not to mention FANTASY. OMG. This single is golden. <3

What's up with her attitude problem? I didn't follow her Kaoru-Amane career so I have no idea.

Yeah I am curious about the attitude problem too.