About JEWEL

[Coelacanth]

I love it. It's such a brilliant song. I get goosebumps. I like how the arrangement is nice and soft like 'teddy bear', and I definitely think this the studio version - I can't imagine it with a fuller arrangement. The lyrics are amazing too. This song is making me look forward to the minialbum a lot.

JEWEL:
Born to Be...:
Startin':
BLUE BIRD:
Beautiful Fighters:

[immel]

Your dislike for Beautiful Fighters, do you think it would maybe change if the arrangements was different, and that electronic voice was removed?

The song is pretty good I think, but the arrangements do annoy me.

[Coelacanth]

Originally Posted by immel

Your dislike for Beautiful Fighters, do you think it would maybe change if the arrangements was different, and that electronic voice was removed?

Yeah, probably. I like that part, but it's too repetitive throughout the song. The arrangement is the main problem for me too. They should have made the song either with all real instruments and no synth, or vice versa, the mix of the two is not working for me with this particular song.

It could definitely grow on me (I love Beautiful Day now), but even the lyrics can't save BF. It just gives me a headache.

JEWEL is her least chaotic song of the year, that's why I really love it.

[truehappiness]

I'm guessing that the intent of Beautiful Fighters was to be a more recent 'cheer song' a la independent / flower garden. :|

After all, there was 'cheer assistance' from this one group of cheerleaders. LOL

As for this album as a whole:
Speaking about that, has anyone tried playing JEWEL in the confines of a fanmade tracklist with the singles so far?

[ImpactBreaker]

I think the synth vocals is what makes Beautiful Fighters what it is....The song is supposed to be a girlie a la "Barbie Girl" song. Without that, the song would just have been bland jpop.

[truehappiness]

I think that because of Kazuhito Kikuchi composing, it'd have been really different had they used acoustic instruments or something.

But instead they went for a cheery happygolucky sound :| [something I don't recall Kazuhito ever doing]

[Kikaru]

I wish they could have made a rock remix of BF like Ladies Night. Beautiful Fighters is a really nice song when it comes to working out. So is Unite and Evolution...

That aside, Jewel really have amazing lyrics. I can't wait for the PV for it...I just hope that Luis whatshisface won't be directing it...it has such good potential for a great PV.

[realize_!]

Wataru Takeishi I wish. I just hope it's nothing boring like CAROLS and HEAVEN.

[immel]

Originally Posted by ImpactBreaker

I think the synth vocals is what makes Beautiful Fighters what it is....The song is supposed to be a girlie a la "Barbie Girl" song. Without that, the song would just have been bland jpop.

I believe it could have been about as great as STEP you if it would have had instrumentation as heavy as it, I'm not saying I want it to sound like STEP you, but with awesome arrangements any song can be great. Maybe it's because lyrics/vocals doesn't matter too much to me that I can say like this, but it's what I think.

[truehappiness]

I think if they intensified Beautiful Fighters with some hardcore Ladies Night-anothernight- guitar licks or something, it would be HOTTTTT.

(miss)anotherstood please. :p

STEP you -another step-
rainy day -another day-
fairyland -another land-
criminal -another crime-

And so on~

[immel]

Oh, so even YOU are not ENTIRELY satisfied with it?

Yeah, heavy hard rock/metal sound with it... would be awesome, haha.

It shouldn't have been a sugary pop song, that made it sound wrong.

[truehappiness]

No, I like it just as much as a sugarpop song. Because it kinda has a cheer-dance to it. LOL

[No_Doubt]

The candy coated, sugary arrangement to Beautiful Fighters is a huge part of why I love that song. The cheering and heavy synths make it so charmingly cute and quirky. I think with an arrangement closer to that of independant or flower garden the song would feel less refreshing and would poorly reflect the uplifting, empowering tone of the song.

I wonder how JEWEL will fit with the rest of the mini album, it's so stripped down in comparison to the single songs.

[immel]

Originally Posted by No_Doubt

I wonder how JEWEL will fit with the rest of the mini album, it's so stripped down in comparison to the single songs.

Yes, the arrangement in the live was pretty 'stripped' so to say, compared to her crazy arrangements this far this year. Well, maybe the studio version will be way different?

By the way, HEAVEN also had this heavy contrast in the releases during 2005, it had 'stripped down' arrangements compared to her other VERY heavy arrangements.

[truehappiness]

I think that is the studio version.

HEAVEN imo, with rainy day was one of the most underproduced tracks in (m)u. :x

I think (miss)understood as well.. since it kinda just had some guitar.. :|

[Happii]

Well, I'm not impressed much. I'm not a big fan of ballads. During the first chorus it reminded me of the Ayu era before A BEST but the rest of the song indicated that it was still her recent style. I want to listen to the original recording of the song because in MS I don't think she sang very well.

[immel]

Originally Posted by Happii

I'm not a big fan of ballads.

That has applied to me to for all my life, up until I started listening to Ayu. The MY STORY ballads is like... greatness.

[maneayu]

Sorry if you disapprove me, but I REALLY like Beautiful Fighters.
But not just the song (arrangements). The lyrics are so close to me!
I feel like a Beautiful Fighter, just like the video.
Every day in my work I done the best, but I always fail in something. So the songs cheers me up when this happend.

That's why I always thanks Ayu, because she understand me doing this song (lyrics). ^_^

[ron234]

...heaven is still better

[Qt Mashi]

i LOVE the piano intro~