[review] BLUE BIRD single

[Raleigh]

Release Title: BLUE BIRD
Artist: Ayumi Hamasaki
ISBN: AVCD-31051/2/3
Release date: 2006.06.21
Debut Ranking: #1
Label: avex trax

J-Pop Diva, Ayumi Hamasaki is well known for her exciting and lively summer singles. This year was certainly no exception. Her 40th single was announced to be released in June as a multiple A-track release. Following up the tradition of her summer singles, the songs are upbeat, colourful and contain a summery theme.

To commemorate her 40th single release, three different variations of the single were released. The variations consisted of a regular CD version, while the other two had a DVD included, with one making-of clip per variation. All three variations had a slightly different cover from each other. The most puzzling factor of these covers was that they were almost identical to each other. Despite of this factor, no one can deny that the cover is absolutely gorgeous. Hamasaki poses onto a huge sofa with patterned cushions which make emphasis on colours. The pose and the dress she does wear also depict the feeling of the exotic summer days on some tropical island. First press editions also contained an extra poster.

Without any trace of doubt, this single ended up being a chart topper. This was announced even before the end of the first week due to its’ superior sales which eliminated any kind of competition for that week. “BLUE BIRD” also managed to secure the first position on iTunes, beating Hikki’s “This Is Love”.



BLUE BIRD “original mix”

The title song is fits perfectly with the cover and theme of this single. “BLUE BIRD” is upbeat, catchy and carries a hint of fantasy. Despite not being one of her most original songs, or the best songs composed by DAI, “BLUE BIRD” still manages to be an attractive title song. It has an enjoyable beat and does tend to grow on the listener. The chorus is extremely catchy and does manage to bring life to this song making it the perfect summer song. “BLUE BIRD” is also a tie in song with the commercial Zespri Kiwi.

The promotional video of “BLUE BIRD” is reminiscent of fairyland. The setting is a tropical island. Consequently it is not surprising that many spectacular views are included within this music video. Most of the scenes contain Ayumi enjoying herself with her backup dancers. In an interview Ayumi Hamasaki mentioned that the first scenes where she is standing alone and singing were filmed in one hour due to her tight schedule. Also it was hard for her to film on the yacht because she was seasick and yet she had to pretend she was having the time of her life.

Rating: 4/5



Beautiful Fighters “original mix”

“Beautiful Fighters” was an instant hit to me. This track has a pop-rock feel to it with a mid-tempo tone. This song is insanely catchy, energetic and too cute for words. The lyrics are focused on women who struggle in everyday life but do eventually manage to shine in the end. The song is extremely exhilarating and refreshing. I found it the perfect message for each and every female as it did not focus on being extremely attractive but on putting the effort in whatever you do in your life which is fairly inspiring. The only minor flaw I noticed was the electronic voice which does tend to become obnoxious at times. “Beautiful Fighters” also happens to be a tie in with the Panasonic product D-Snap SV-SD370/SV-SD770 mp3 player.

The promotional video was one of the most amusing ones I’ve ever seen. It has a retro feel to it, especially due to the costumes, hairstyles and the tone of the colours used. The style is quite experimental and yet she manages to pull it off really well. Ayumi Hamasaki cleverly manages to portray the image of being cute and sassy at the same time. Within the music video there’s also some choreography included, which is quite rare for Ayumi to dance. Another interesting factor within is video was that her backup dancers got a lot of screen time too and were protagonists along with Ayu.

Rating: 4.5/5


Ladies Night ~another night~

Ladies Night ~another night~ is yet another tie-in song with Panasonic’s compact cameras, the Lumix FX01. It is definitely one of her best rearrangements ever released. While the original version had a retro feel to it, this remix has a rockier and edgier feel to it. The use of electronic guitars was cleverly inserted, making it sound more dramatic and intense. I have to say that tasuku did an outstanding job from an already impressive song.

Rating: 5/5



BLUE BIRD “Harderground remix”

This remix was a pleasant surprise. I didn’t actually expect it to be exciting or extremely good but I must admit that this remix is quite addictive. This trance remix shows a professional effort at making a trance remix interesting and not at all repetitive. This is quite a feat since the song is over six minutes long. It’s so good that I find it perfect to be played in clubs in summer. I find this song quite the perfect ending for such a well rounded single. Also interesting to note is that this is the only track which was not a tie-in with any commercial product.

Rating: 4.5/5



Conclusion

Overall I do feel this single had an excellent package as whole. The cover was stunning and the music and video content was satisfactory. Hamasaki Ayumi has appeared on various variety shows and magazines in an effort to promote this single well. BLUE BIRD was a solid effort to release an exciting summer single with a carefree touch.

Overall Rating: 4.5/5



01. BLUE BIRD “Original mix”
02. Beautiful Fighters “Original mix”
03. Ladies Nights ~another night~
04. BLUE BIRD “Harderground remix”
05. BLUE BIRD “Original mix -Instrumental-”
06. Beautiful Fighters “Original mix -Instrumental-”




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Edited by AHS Staff