decision: I love the opening! It's nice and tranquil yet somber sounding then it kicks into a strong rock beat
The rock beat itself sounds really edgy and is reminiscent of "GAME". Then it falls back down to background piano....yet the transition isn't sudden and works very well. Ayu's voice also sounds very empowered and makes the jump from the bridge to the chorus nicely. The guitar riff at the end of the first chorus is a new thing for her and it's a great change!
I really hope that she won't perform this in the strange lower-key voice-straining style that she's currently doing t2m in because it sounds really great right now. The instrumental break is also good, and the vocals that follow right after are lovely--probably my favorite part of the song! Overall, I think this song is great, and that the way the vocals do the rise-and-fall remind me a little of "is this LOVE?". Yet there are plenty of new elements to make it stand on its own.
I'm not as taken aback by "ooo ooo yeaaaahhhs" as I initially was in the preview...it sounds better this time.
fated (orchestra version): As a violinist, I love orchestral remixes and string accompaniments, and this works much better than the original mix. And the vocals this time sound much more clear....is it simply the remixing or did she re-record? I guess I was expecting a more diverse line of strings---like a strong cello line more than mostly similar violin, but it's still marvelously arranged to match the ups-and-downs of her voice. I expected an instrumental break as captivating as the guitar break in the original, but I guess it would then make the song too long. Overall, it's a good reworking of the song, but it doesn't measure up to some of the MY STORY Classical remixes.