A Song for XX Review

[Delicious n Bold]

Warning: take this review seriously or don't; it's your call.

For the 2 people that care to read this review, and for the 1 person who actually listens to this album, this thread is dedicated to you!
After much procrastination and inspiration, I have decided to review Ayuma Hamazaki's hottest mess: A Song for XX. By no means is it a bad album, but then again, mutilated & dying sheep never was appealing (unless you're into that, but that's OK).

Honestly, people tend to take a dump on this album when it isn't even half bad. Some songs are so trashtastic that they're amazing. Some songs sound like **** on this disc and sound even better somewhere else. But the most important thing is that the album is the 'introduction' to our beloved hot mess. It's quite earnest, immature, and 'raw': Ayu sounds like a real-live squeaky teenager that actually sings WORSE than the likes of Rihanna, Leah Dizon, etc; not even autotune could save this mess. You're getting the whole craptastic package with good lyrics.

The beginning


The whole album is headache inducing for me. It has this "white, old" hue to it, so whenever I listen to it, I get a headache. I wish that I didn't. The prologue is probably the most interesting composition/arrangement on the entire album in terms of being taken seriously as a piece of music. It's very sweet and sets a deceptive mood. A sweet lie.

Prologue 8/10

The Title Track


The title track is the best song itself in terms of musical composition. We all know that this song's composition saves it when it comes to remixes, acoustic versions, etc. It can still be made fresh years later. The arrangement on here is garbage. The lyrics are very powerful, and it's no wonder why the song is a fan favourite.

A Song for xx 8/10

Tomodachi.... Tachi

Friend and Friend 2 are reviewed together because it seems to be the most neat way to present this review. Friend is actually quite good. It has a nice composition and alright arrangement. Ayu's vocals aren't even too bad. Wow. Friend 2 is also not half bad, being a quasi JPopRock song. Ayu sounds like she's having fun, or just enthusiastic. Both are great!

Friend 8/10
Friend 2 8/10

The JGarbage

Hana is where the JGarbage comes in. I'm partial to this ****, so I have to try to be impartial when I review. The same goes for Poker Face, As If, Signal and From Your Letter. All three songs sound like dated ****. But it's just so crap that it's amazing. Hana is the most energetic song on the album and thus the most trashtastic. It can even get you dancing! Candy Girl eat your heart out. Poker Face isn't as trashy, but it gets the job done with easy memorizable lyrics and a cheap beat. It's also Ayu's debut single. I think it get's the job done. Signal probably falls between Hana and Poker Face. Not too much garbage filling, but just the right amount of landfill. You can bang your head to this one as well if you really want to. From Your Letter is catchy and cute, and it is a great JRnB rip off that works. As If happens to be my second favourite song on the album (behind for my dear). It really glistens in the landfill of all the JGarbage that has ever existed. The holy grail of **** which ***** all over TK's work ever made. All four songs feature some ****** vocals, with pretty earnest lyrics.

Hana 8.5/10
Poker Face 7/10
Signal 8/10
From Your Letter 7/10
As If 9.5/10

Somewhat Redeeming Music

Trust and Depend on You are a level above JGarbage, so they're at a level where they should be taken seriously as music. They all sound quite nice, but Trust is the worst of the two due to Ayu's shrieking vocals. Both songs are very catchy and I tend to sing them in my head after I've listened to them. That's the sign of a good pop song. Unfortunately, both songs are too long; they tend to drag more than Namiserable now does to most other JFlops. Since they're to be taken seriously, their scores are unfortunately gonna be lower. Honestly, they're not bad songs. Just not up to par. If this album was just released and we were in 1998 or whatever, these songs would have been Ayu gold. Then Loveppears would exclipse them, but whatever *cough*

Trust 6/10
Depend on You 7/10

The Ballads

Now onto the ballads. Oh boy. Wishing, You, Powder Snow, For My Dear and Present. Wishing is a pain to listen to. It goes nowhere and does nothing. Ayu sounds more bored than Namiserable on a normal day. It has sweet lyrics, but End Roll does a better job with the "the other one you love" ****. I actually like You. It's a headache inducing sweet ballad. The lyrics are tripe but the chorus is just wonderful. Another favourite. The remix on the 4th ayu trance puts the chorus to even better use. Powder Snow, another fan favourite, runs in vein with Wishing, but with really good lyrics AND some JGarbage elements. A great song. For My Dear may even dethrone As If as the most trashtastic song Ayu has ever made. Ayu cannot sing whatsoever on this song and she makes puppies spontaneously combust when she tries to sing those high notes. But being both JGarbage AND a ballad is quite a feat. I love this song, but I never listen to it with headphones because I'd like to have my hearing intact. The trailing chorus also gets me; it's powerful and effective, making you think about the message of the song and actually effecting you. Quite a feat. Present sounds cute and fluffy. It's one of those 'thank you' songs. Ayu often makes these songs. Who, Red Line, and Thank U are some of the other songs. Honestly, out of all of them, Who is the best one. Present isn't half bad, but it's just boring. One of those songs that you wish would be over so that you don't have to listen to the album for a few months.

Wishing 5/10
You 8/10
Powder Snow 9/10
For My Dear 9.5/10
Present 7/10

Most of the songs are very catchy, especially if you let them seep through you. There have been better debuts, but what can you expect with someone who has yet to find her niche? I like the JGarbage on the album, however. It's rare to find good JGarbage. Hitomi's Candy Girl/Go to the top and Utada's quasi JPopGarbage Movin on without you are my most favourite songs in my demented genre, but As If/Hana/For my dear are high up on my list. This album is not recommended for anybody who wants to listen to good music. Hell, the reason why I gave some of the songs a decent score was because I'm partial to JGarbage and I tried to be impartial, but who can be impartial these days? That's subjectivity and a whole other topic. But seriously, only get a few songs from this album that you like and that's it. I'll even give the whole album an impartial score.

5.5/10
There we go. I think it fits.
Recommended: Prologue, Powder Snow, ASfXX
*note* the recommendations are SERIOUS, and not based on the author's desire for JGarbage.

Now off to Candy Girl~~

MMMM that's tasty garbage. Makes hoarders look pristine.

[Andrenekoi]

I read it and I liked it

I would just give the j-gargage lower scores... damn, I hate this album! xD

[ComatoseBunnySnatcher]

You were very kind on this album.
I tried to review it but I couldn't even last, its that horrid (this is coming from a Floplivia Lufkin fan).
My faves are for my dear.../PS/asfxx though... that last one thanks to the amazing A BALLADS arrangement.

[jean-baptiste]

I appreciate this review, I share a lot of the same sentiments. I personally think this album is great. From arrangements to of course the lyrics. Although ayu's voice definitely is something one has to get used to at that early stage in her career, I feel like somehow it just fits with this album. It works for this album.

Good review overall.

[NintendoHTF1242]

omfg I agree with you on the hue of this album being very, "white." idk how but I agree l0l

[jean-baptiste]

^Thats something I can relate to as well. I do that with all songs though. If I see the cover an album before listening to it, the main colors will be associated with the songs in my head. (For example, GREEN was released with a pink cover as a single and also NEXT LEVEL is very pink. So I associate the song GREEN with pink... It's weird.)

So yeah, the songs on A Song for xx are very white for me too. Lol

[terra]

I love your review lol, and I also share the from your letter love
And yes the album kinda invoke a monochromatic feeling to me too

[xLuna&1LOVE]

Great review. I am surprised of the high scores you gave the songs! Hate this album so much
And taking it seriously or not; you are funny! You're welcome.

[Surreal17]

When I first listened to this album last year I couldn't stand her high-pitched voice (it ruined my ears and head) but then I got used to it. but at least the lyrics are very good and I don't have a problem anymore with any of these songs (POWDER SNOW live, ASFXX from different lives, Friend I & II, From Your Letter, For My Dear & Signal from Arena Tour 2009 are really great)

[marty]

Thank you for this review, I really liked it, your opinion is well written, limpid and interesting (and hilarious, but, well I'm taking this seriously).
Reading this I just thought it's really so obvious I'm a woman, God, I'm so romantic and nostalgic towards this album (the feeeeellingsss). It isn't perfect at all (well, lyric wise it is), but for me it has all the epicness of the very first one, and even if it's so exhausting to listen all together, I excuse it because, well, it's the very first one! It's raw, and I found it adorable and delicious and tiring and plain at the same time. I feel this album so much!