Welcome to this month’s “Ronald Reviews”! Each month, I will review the top song and album of the previous month per Oricon. If Billboard Japan releases a monthly chart eventually, I will do that as well. Think of this as a way to learn about the top releases of the month, or to enjoy them again if you’ve already heard them. That being said, let’s get into this month’s chart toppers!
This month, I will review INI’s single “DROP That” (345,519 copies sold) and Snow Man‘s album “i DO ME” (1,146,504 copies sold).
INI – DROP That
This is horrible. The KPop take on a dated rock sound… One thing I really hate is canned instruments, and this is full of it! 2/10
Snow Man – i DO ME
1. あいことば (Ai Kotoba)
This is really different for Snow Man! It’s a lot softer than what they usually do, but I don’t mind it. It’s heartwarming and a touch nostalgic. 7/10
2. Ready Go Round
I really don’t like this style of 50s throwback sock hop music, and I don’t want it from Snow Man! It’s always annoyed me! This also strangely sounds like an Arashi leftover. 5/10
3. Super Deeper
I’m not really feeling this one. It’s a tad generic EDM. 6/10
4. POWEEEEER
This is a better version of “Super Deeper”, but still a bit of generic EDM. There is a good amount of Koji Mukai on this song, whch I enjoy. Not only does he look like a younger Ken Miyake, he also has his nasal tone, but to a much lesser extent, which I enjoy. It elevates the song, along with Shota Watanabe‘s vocal runs at the end of it. 7/10
5. slow…
When I first heard this, I saw the vision! I thought, “This is a song for the dome! The bass on this at the chorus would hit so hard and just resonate! Very similar to SixTONES‘ ‘ABARERO’ (for their dome tour).” Well, I was right! Earlier this month I had the opportunity to attend Snow Man’s dome tour (more on that to come!), and see the vision in person. I was not disappointed at all! 8/10
6. タペストリー (Tapestry)
There’s a certain elegance, a certain smoothness, to this song that I enjoy. I normally like my music quite polished. I like the usage of the Latin guitar here. This may sound crazy, but when I first heard this, I thought of Arashi’s “Sakura.” It’s like the older, faster brother of “Tapestry.” 7/10
7. Julietta
Easily favorite song on the album! It’s just so fun and happy! It really captures the giddiness of first getting to know a potential lover. Daisuke Sakuma‘s solo part in this always makes me laugh, because he sounds like a brat. There’s also a really pretty synth line that’s linda hidden in here. 8.5/10
8. オレンジkiss (Orange kiss)
I’m still lost as to why this song is on this album, and not their previous one, since it is from that era. This song is really sweet and endearing, with a touch of nostalgia. 7.5/10
9. クラクラ (Kura Kura)
Official HIGE DANdism? That’s the first thing I can think of. It’s like if they made a song for Snow Man, but with a bit of a R&B twist. 7/10
10. 8月の青 (8gatsu no Ao)
YOASOBI? But then this also makes me think of an upbeat Johnny’s WEST song? There is something about the vocal delivery, where they are on the verge of shouting that makes me think of the latter. But then there is also a piano segment that makes me think of something Kawatani Enon would produce. The more I listen to this, the more I hear a bunch of elements blended together, but it works. 7.5/10
11. W
This song is a bit unexpected of Snow Man. It’s very anime. It’s normally something I’m not into, but I kinda like this. The element that makes me like it the most is the usage of strings, especially in the chorus. I also really like the bridge. It’s a nice touch of softness in such an aggressive song. 7/10
12. 僕という名のドラマ (Boku to Iu na no Drama)
It’s ok, but not really that interesting of a ballad. 5.5/10
13. Cry out
I thought this song was a bit lacking in energy for what it was supposed to be. Like I could see what they were going for, but it felt a bit restrained. 6/10
14. Two – Shota Watanabe / Ren Meguro
Ohh, the BL song! There are a lot of fan theories about this song, and Shota and Ren Meguro have even left its meaning a mystery. But this is a song full of emotion that can be felt. 7/10
15. Bass Bon – Raul / Daisuke Sakuma
I can see what they were going for with this, but I feel like it’s missing something. It needs something to take it to the next level, like another level of production. 7/10
16. Vroom Vroom Vroom – Hikaru Iwamoto / Tatsuya Fukazawa / Ryota Miyadate
There is so corny, but I like it! It feels like one big chorus, a good one! 7/10
17. Gotcha! – Koji Mukai / Ryohei Abe
This is a lot of fun! It may actually be my favorite of the unit songs. This is a great song for Koji, but also allows Ryohei to shine as well. 7/10
18. Nine Snow Flash (Bonus Track)
This is an updated version of “Shokai RAP ~We are Snow Man~.” Like the original, it’s a lot of upbeat fun. 7/10
Album average: 6.89/10
I don’t think this is Snow Man’s best album out of the three they’ve released, but it is still a solid effort!
