Xiao Yu(小宇) - With You(同在) Album Thoughts(Mandopop)

Track List:
01. 同在
02. 慣性取暖
03. 原來的你
04. 不好過
05. 這樣好不好
06. 所謂的愛
07. 給我你的壞
08. 理想時代
09. 被愛妄想
10. 我呢
11. Outro 我們...能回到原來的樣子嗎？



   Xiao Yu was a producer responsible for penning many songs for other popular Chinese artists. This gave him the time to hone his own craft to mold his musical vision. A record label soon saw the burning creative film that was inside of Yu. He then released his first album that received enormous acclaim. He is also became one of the few artists that had an album chart on the Chinese music charts for more than twenty weeks. One More Try was the album that was recommended to me by a viewer of my old youtube videos. I used to do videos on Chinese pop music if you didn't know. Its been a few years now though. One More Try got Yu a nomination for best male artist before he took a break to go to the military. With You is his fourth album release after five years under Warner Music Taiwan.

   Xiao had a strong plan to create a pop album. An album that showcases different faces of the pop genre. He's well know for producing addictive pop tunes that influence listeners however, With You could have been a single pop record but Yu was smarter than that. There's tracks with trance pop that contain many edits for the beat creation. I was impressed with the many different ways that pop was recreated. It made the songs more interesting to listen to. Then there were tracks with electronica pop. Many keyboards synchronize together to enhance the rhythm for tunes that can bring life to any club. He even takes on an RnB vibe while also mixing this theme of pop into the style. Pop was created out of the functions of RnB so the two genres fit like a puzzle. He uses this fact well and the songs sound like his version of RnB pop that he's in control of.  On the lyrical side of the music, Yu focuses on the aspects of love that hurt the most. Love doesn't come easy. Sometimes you feel more hurt than you do happiness. When you do find true happiness in love though, it makes all the heart ache and tears worth it. Yu writes about this ver topic with such ease that these lyrics are the icing on the cake of his songs. The music goes through so many different developments but things don't  stop there. He suddenly returns to the pop rock sound that he performed in One More Try. The sound has been reproduced to make the pop sound more noticeable but the rock genre is also given a time to shine. His self produced style was an equal balance of both music genres. I liked the way these tracks turned out since they aren't predictable. Some tracks don't give any hint that its a pop rock track until the chorus plays.

  I'm confused on how Xiao Yu was a producer for such a long time with his vocals. He has a range that many other Chinese male singers wish they had while only a few others Chinese singers I know actually have that range. He wastes no time showing you that he can hit those high notes. Every track gives Yu the freedom to switch from different ranges. I did get a little tired of hear him singing in falsetto constantly but he does it less toward the end of the album. The album closing track gives listeners the chance to hear Yu sing raw and unfiltered. Lets just say its impressing.

  With You is a great album. I expect nothing less from this talented singer. I do personal like his last album a little bit more. Not because there's anything wrong with this album, just a matter of taste.

 

Night's Tightrope(少女) Japanese Film Thoughts

  Night's Tightrope is a film that was directed by Mishima Yukiko and stars actresses, Honda Tsubasa and Yamamoto Mizuki. the films based off of a novel written by Minato Kanae. She has had many of her works adapted into films and dramas. Most notably, 2010's Confessions, that topped the Japanese box office that year.

   Kanae's works are considerable dark as to be expected if your a fan of her works. She isn't afraid to address human's connect with death or suicide to the extent of borderline madness. Night's Tightrope falls into this category instantly based on the synopsis. I then watched the film's trailer and it got me so excited to see the film in full. The plot tells the stories of two high school girls who are damaged almost beyond repair. Their damage was created from in school bullying as well as living conditions at home. The viewer is taken along for the ride through their darkness that seems never ending. Suicide comes hand and hand with bullying so it's concept is explored greatly in this film. Through suicide there comes death but what is the true meaning of death? The characters search for the answers to this question as they walk a tightrope that could snap at any second. What ruined this film for me was the expectations the trailer put on the film. I was expecting a dark insane madness of a film that I didn't get unfortunately. There's a dark tone that dress up the plot but take that away and your left with another simple drama inspired film with strange characters. The plot does well explaining why these characters are so strange which makes for a fun experience. It even connects the dots on how some characters are connected to one another. Sadly, none of this shakes off that main fact that this film didn't live up to the greatness that the trail created for it. Once the conflicts that the characters experience in school go away because of their summer vacation, The plot starts to drags a little bit.  Introduction of new characters, especially the two little boys was interesting but it doesn't take the place of you wanting some dark incident of death to happen. More of a horror element was needed in this film in my opinion. The trailer had me believing that the film would focus solely on suicide. An effort to add a little thriller element was attempted just to have the effort diluted by a normal drama genre film's progression. I enjoyed how the film resolves the two main character's problems in the end. Its not what I came for though. Deep down I honestly want a film that was as good as Confessions. So far this has yet to happen... Well, Confessions was close to a masterpiece in my opinion.

   The characters are girls who go through events that make them think death is an option. They are fascinated by the process of death as well. Honda's character pretends to be cold hearted. She doesn't get too emotionally involved with people but she loves writing. Her down fall was the most hurtful to watch because she acts like she on top of all her problems. Yamamoto's character is friends with her and comes off as a much more weaker person. She hides her talents to stop the bullying that she constantly receives from jealous classmates. Both actresses show there talent in bringing these two characters from the pages of a novel to reality. Both characters are hurting on the inside and must find a place of solace to learn to live again.

   This film was shot in a morbid kind of style. A shadow feels like it was cast over many of the shots. Daytimes shots also look like a storm rolled in bringing in cloudy skies. This all would have been great if the film's plot unfolded the way Confessions did. I believe the dreary scenery was to symbolize the emotional war happening in each of the characters hearts because the scenes leading up to the film's conclusion showed the sun. Outside of the school scenes, you witness a lot of walking through small neighborhoods, typical Japanese river bank(that never gets old.) and farmland.

   Night's Tightrope was an alright film. I'm just not over the fact that I wanted something more and it wasn't given to me. The trailer messed up my overall experience of this film really badly. DO NOT WATCH THE TRAILER BEFORE WATCHING THIS FILM! Watch the film without looking at the trailer at all.

DAZE(데이즈) - Friday Mini Album Thoughts(K-RnB/Indie)

Track List:
01. 봄 (Intro)
02. Friday
03. 비틀비틀
04. Take It Slow (Feat. Taylor)
05. 너도




  Not much can be found online about the Korean artist known as DAZE. He seems to have been a producer for awhile then decided that he wanted to join the ever so growing  party of vocalists in Korea's music industry. Friday is his second mini album to date.

  Daze is defiantly apart of the Korean indie music movement. A genre of music in South Korea that has less restrictions on the artistry but it also comes with the price of less promotion. Less promotion means that less people will know about your music. All might seem doomed at this point however, whats great about music lovers is that they will voluntarily seek out new music through different channels such as club appearances and the internet. Daze's music feels like it was created by a guy who doesn't mind hitting the streets to get his music to listeners. Friday's laid back sound is the essence of the old school RnB that it was influenced from. From the intro(봄) to the track 비를비를, These tracks are about putting their arms around the listener. Sitting them down so that they can relax and take in the world around them. The production doesn't use many extra edits to enhance the songs. Instead production is kept to the bare minimum of a lone beat then some violins or drums being added during certain tracks. Daze even serenades listeners with only the playing of piano in the closing track titled 나도(me too). His music overall is stripped down of any over the top production and solely focuses on the RnB flavor.

  My biggest problem with Daze is that he's good. He's just not a trend setter. I could take you to the Korean hip hop music scene in Seoul and find you thirty other guys that sound just like Daze. Might even sound better. South Korea has no shortage of singers trying to do the slow style RnB thing. This is why you have to try your damn hardest to stand out at what you do or at least be so good at it that none else can stand on the same playing field as you. There's a reason why Yoonmirae is still the queen of rap in South Korea. No other female rapper is as good as her in flow nor voice indiction. Korea has a lot of good female rappers but none that are Yoonmirae good.

  Daze's vocals are like the time during a bad storm where it suddenly calms down for a little while. At this time, There's no wind, no rain, or anything else but the calmness of the sky. His voice is just there. Nothing over the top in terms of vocal performance. He does go into a high falsetto range when it seems necessary though.

  I like Daze for the most part. I'm also willing to give his first mini album a listen. Korean indie artists need more support too.

Under The Midnight Sun(白夜行) Japanese Novel Thoughts

  I'm back again with another novel from mystery author, Higashino Keigo. This unfortunately isn't a part of the well known Galileo series. Whenever I think of Higashino's work, Everything automatically points to the Galileo series of books. Under The Midnight Sun( also known as Journey Under The Midnight Sun) is separate novel that was released before the Galileo series in 1999. The novel was such a huge seller that soon it inspired many other forms of entertainment media such as a TV drama, a motion picture film, and a Korean adaption of the Japanese film. Some people who decide to pick up this book might know half of the story already if you've had the chance to see the Korean film adaption titled White Night. White Night was a hit in South Korea making most people who are interested in Korean or East asian pop culture aware of the film.

  A great thing about this novel is that you can still read it even if you have seen White Night prior to picking up a copy. The novel dives deep into a case that spans over three decades. I mean it goes into every detail that there is to go into. A owner of a pawn shop is found dead in an abandon warehouse and a girl's mother is found dead in her apartment claimed by police to be a suicide. Both cases intertwine with one another as the characters involved go own with their lives. Only problem is strange events keep happening to people around them. Taking on more than a few character perspectives, You as the reader is forced to keep up with every detail presented in the text as the pages turn. It can be hard at times because you forget who is who then you remember but a new character is introduced into the story. All characters are connected to the culprits however, the plot line sometimes spends too much time on the side characters causing you to wait more than a couple pages before you get back to the real core of the story. I did enjoy the look into theses character's lives and how the main character influenced their living direction. Sadly, the culprits had a lot of control over the people they came into contact with. Thats what made them some of the most dangerous characters that Higashino has ever created.  It was like watching a person play chess where they move the pieces across the chessboard. The side characters are totally the chess pieces...

Korean film: White Night

  I also enjoyed the metaphor thats connects the story to the title. The main characters live in a forever dwelling darkness that causes them to want the light of the sun. What they don't realize is that they will never feel the sunlight because of all the actions they've committed. So their lives will always be engulfed in the light of an eclipse or the midnight sun. I'm still shocked that the case lasted all those years and we got to see a detective grow old while reading. No such thing as too late in this novel.

  I'm not going to lie to you. The book can get really tiring after awhile because of all the events that happen. The plot still is gripping thanks to the content creating a desire inside the reader to see how the ending turns out. And believe me, THERE IS FIREWORKS. The films based on the novel do a good job retelling the story but they don't cover every last detail. Read the novel if you want to know everything there is to know about what the characters were doing in their past time before the good core parts of the plot.

Japanese Film: Into The White Night

 Under The Midnight is a good over blown mystery novel that doesn't skip out on the details. I didn't even realize that I was reading the novel that inspired the Korean film White Night until I was halfway to the end of the book. The newly added details make the story feel fresh until you get to the parts that fans of White Night will start to recognize. Defiantly not a Galileo novel though. Just a good read for people who want something to do on slow days.

Swap(错生) - Chinese Web Drama Thoughts(2016)

   Swap was a drama that was on the air waves for awhile but I had yet to watch it. I had come across the trailer once or twice and it looked to be a deep emotional drama. So many BL(Boy's Love) productions have been coming out in China despite the strong opposition against gay related media. It can be hard to keep up with every web drama and film that comes out but I try to find the ones that would appeal to me as a viewer. I didn't care for Swap the first couple of times I tried to watch it. For one thing, There was always technical difficulties like audio problems then that awful opening theme song that made me want run for the hills. My mind finally got into it's skull that I would sit down to watch this drama through to the end even if I didn't like what I saw. What I saw wasn't too bad thankfully.

  A music company CEO lives his life mourning the death of his brother. Years later he meets a mail carrier that has come to delivery him some mail. The mail carrier is a splitting image of his brother and the CEO is instantly drawn to him. This new found relationship is about to be tested by a handsome security guard, a top star with problems of her own, and villains who want to destroy the CEO and his company. The cast starts a bunch of new faces known as, Leo Yang, Lucas Yao, and Jeffery Tung and was directed by Xiao Long.

  Swap is a ten episode drama that has a shift in the plot after it's first five episodes. I would say that the first five episodes are your typical BL web drama. You get teaspoon fed due to each episode's short duration but you get fed enough to come back for more. Usually the plot uses the interaction between the two leads to forward the action. Swap seems like it had other qualities going for it though. It's fruitful cast of independent side characters and villain take a little of the spotlight off of the Boy's Love aspect. I don't know if this is a good or a bad thing. What I will say is that it was frustrating when you want a more in-depth look at the supposed lead couple and you get more of another couple. Things get even worse once you get to the next five episodes to complete the series. A huge plot progress happens that knocks the whole foundation of the drama on it's ass. Keep in mind that this is also Swap's charm as this has never been done in a BL drama as far as I know. During this unfortunate event, I almost stopped watching because everything that I watch for was turned upside down. On the other hand, I was interested to see how the drama would take this pitfall and run with it till the end. I don't want to give away to much since I try to keep my posts spoiler free. Swap attempts it's hand at being the first BL drama to incorporate different qualities from the LGBT community as well.

  Leo and Lucas's characters had a brothers type of relationship that was turning into much more really fast. Leo's performance as Owen is truthfully to the point. He's happy to have his brother back. Even if its not actually his brother. His brother in a new form will do. The emotional battle comes in when he starts to have feelings for this boy. So he's your brother come back from the dead then he's someone you want to kiss. He had a constant problem with his conflicting feelings. Jeffery Tung then comes along as the super handsome security guard that works at the company building. He's the sweet guy who's also a charmer without realizing the effect he has on people. I have never seen a third wheel character come on the scene and dominate like he did. He had no problems taking Lucas's character back to his apartment. I'm going leave this sentence up in the air and let your imagination run wild.[Insert me laughing] Anyway, Both Lucas and Jeffery's characters were used to being alone. One's mother left him when he was young and the other just doesn't have anyone in his life. I felt the Jeffery and Lucas's characters had more chemistry on screen than the times that Lucas's character was with Leo's character. It wasn't that these two didn't have chemistry but it felt more one sided. Like a game of push and pull where you hope to pull the person in with constant support. Lucas's character felt to me like he came out of his shell when he was with Jeffery's character and if it wasn't for certain conflicts, they might have ended up together. Jeffery is a good actor that gives off a fun positive vibe about him. He makes any character interaction and any scene feel fun.

   My biggest problem with Swap is that it doesn't spend enough time on the main couple. BL web dramas normally spend too much time on the main couple and less time on the side couples. Yep. I'm looking at you Addicted(Heroin). Might have gotten more side character development in that second season that will never come. Swap tries too hard to get every little detail into the plot. As a result, the development of the main characters suffer a bit.

  Swap isn't the best to offer in terms of BL Chinese web dramas. I don't recommend this if you think you're going to witness a BL drama as good as Heroin but this drama does bring something new to the table. Just two words: EYE CANDY!  I'll stop talking now......

Eclipse(커터) Korean Film Thoughts

   Here's another Korean film that was on my to watch list but I was afraid that my money would go to waste.. The trailer paints the picture of a crime thriller where a boy becomes friends with another boy who might be a serial killer. The title in Hangul is also literally the english word cutter, so this adds to the perception that this film will have viewers playing around in the dark corners of a killer's mind. You instead get a pretty slow moving film about teenage life that doesn't fit in with the norm. While the characters are violent and rebellious, Its not to the extreme that you consider them any more crazy than other kids who act out in school. What makes Eclipse's characters the most disturbing was what the two friends did during their past time when school wasn't in session. I just don't understand going along with something even when you know what your doing is wrong. No money is good enough that you would have to hurt another person like that. I wonder what the characters would do if they had daughters that was treated the way they treated some of the victims i. I'm sure they could come after the perpetrator with a switchblade and lemon juice to pour in the wounds. On the surface, Eclipse is your typical teenage drama that deals with bullying and jealousy then crime after dark. I fell asleep a few times while watching Eclipse because it was really late when I pop it in my DVD player. Each time I would fall asleep and wake up, the plot of the film didn't seem to progress very much. My expectation for this film came from the trailer giving me a version of the film that doesn't actually exist. I though the film would start and the storyline would heat up right away. The heat doesn't happen instantly however you get a luke warm presentation of events that unfold. By the time they unfold, You don't care anymore since the film's plot dragged you through a constant song and dance giving hints that something major will happen to evolve the dynamic of the plot.  I got the big picture about the causes behind teenage violence but people don't need this film to explain that to them though. We know the causes behind teenage voices already. What would have helped this film be more relatable would have been taking what people already know and building on that. Take us to a place that we have never been before on this particular issue. The best part of this film was it's conclusion. A very powerful hard hitting realization that descends on the viewer as well as the characters in the film. I wish Eclipse took this play on emotion to the full extent during it's entirety.

   The two main actors did a good enough job in their roles. Their acting defiantly makes you think of an older brother and a younger brother who rely on each other. Of course,  This situation was "friends" who met in school. One controls the other to come when he calls and to do what he wants. Their whole relationship was emotionally draining to watch. No wonder my brain kept shutting down. I'm trying to blame it on lack of sleep but I think we know the real reason why. The lesson to take from this film is learning how to tell who your real friends are. People who smile in your face or help you out when it benefits them are not your friends. Real friends are there in times of need because they want to be. Now, a bond was formed between the two characters just not without issues. Calling this bond friendship is a stretch for me. Communication is a necessary factor in human relationships too. Words can do wonders for making a bad situation better. That huge conflict in Eclipse could have been avoided if they had expressed their feelings to each other more.

  Eclipse was directed by Jung Hee Sung. Choi Tae Joon and Kim Shi Hoo star as the two main characters in the teen crime drama influenced film. I didn't like this film as much as I though I would. Not because it was sad but because the plot development was boring. I truly want to find reasons to like this film so I will be watching it again. I spent my money on the DVD so I better watch this again..... Check this film out if you want. Just don't blame me for any upsetting experiences you may have. At lest the eye candy is good.

Pakho Chau(周柏豪) - One Step Closer Album Thoughts(Cantopop)

 

01. 囂 
02. How Do I Look
03. 有生一天 
04. 近在千裏 
05. 終於我們 
06. Touchscreen
07. 怒花 

   Pakho Chau's Follow album was my introduction to his music as a teenager. Lovin You was the song that was a turning point for me considering the fact that I didn't like slow songs much back then.  He made me like his music though. Fast forward over the years and I would tell you that me interest in his music has waned a little bit. Mostly because he releases music often that doesn't excite me like during the early 2000s. I listened to his Roundabout album and believe I liked what I heard but can't remember what the songs sounded like. I like the cover at least. Same instance happened with his new album, One Step Closer. The album cover got that fashion chic look going for it so I treaded lightly to listen it's contents.

   One thing I don't want to do is waste me time being disappointed in the music I chose to listen to. One Step Closer is an english title and when I see asian artists have english titles for albums, I automatically think the music is going to be good. Isn't it funny that I sound like those Japanese People who like products just because English is written on it. They don't understand the language but still love anything with english on it. I'm kind of in that club too when it comes to my east asian music. huh? Anyway, The album kicks off with a track that sounds like it could have been taken from mandorock rock singer, Jam Hsiao's discography. Less hard hitting and more pop rock though. There's a mixture of rock and electrical pop there. The structure of the song it well produced to have a strong impact in terms of catchiness and lyrical meaning. I think the spots where the guitar play under the beat are attractive. How do I look? is defiantly the dance track for this album. I don't think I've heard Pakho do a song quite like this. He enters into a new territory for his music to obtain a club pop number. Its pop but Pakho's producer chops weave different pieces of sounds that are apart of his overall sound. He doesn't let the music stray to far away from what he's comfortable with while still showcasing that he is able to produce a new sound his listeners haven't heard him do yet. Besides these two stand alone tracks, Pakho Chau goes back to his roots of acoustic guitar leading tracks. These tracks remind me of his Follow album only his vocals stability has improved. His way of singing these songs makes you feel like your being serenaded plus he's good looking. Girls, don't look at me like that. I know the deal here.... A two for one package!!!! Can't fool me.

   The female vocals that appear on the album was a great style choice. Her voice wasn't expected by me at all. So when she started singing, I was like "WHO IS SHE?". The girl that is featured in How do I look is named Shimica. I don't know much about her but she brought fire to the song with her rap and singing. Not sure if thats still her singing on the other tracks. She has a pretty voice that works well with Pakho's. Vocals for Pakho have matured in terms of control. I've also started to notice that his voice has this tender honest tone about it that's sweet.

  The big shocker is that I have seen the light. One Step Closer was surprisingly a better album than I was expecting. He's more than a handsome face folks.

Mika Nakashima(中島美嘉) - Tough Album Thoughts(J-music)

Tracklist

1. 花束(Bouquet)
2. Forget Me Not
3. 恋をする(Fall In Love)
4. Fighter
5. TOUGH
6. 僕が死のうと思ったのは (I Thought I Would Have Died)
7. Birukaze Swimming School feat. SALU (ビルカゼスイミングスクール)
8. MISSING YOU
9. 愛詞 (あいことば)(Love Poetry)
10. indigo
11. 愛の歌(Love Song)
12. Best Friend (ベストフレンド)
13. Gift
14. Alone

 



 
  After four or five years of releasing singles that weren't consecutive, Mika Nakashima decided to release her eight studio album entitled Tough. It is tough out there in the Japanese music industry. Especially for artists that are not idols who debut in the early 2000s. Mika Nakashima is a artists that very well known in Japan for her songstress voice that can bring life to a ballad in her sleep. She also one of the few female artists that had a debut number one hit album. Then continued to hit number one through out her career. Tough only sold 9000 plus copies, her lowest first week album sales of her career. It still made top ten at number 8 though. I do have to question if her record label promoted Tough like they were suppose to.

   I was bracing myself to knock my head up against the wall before listening to Tough. I say this because I didn't like any of the singles that came out before the album's release.(I only liked a B side song on the Forget Me Not Single.) Nakashima's music ranges from Jazz and Blues to Ballads and Rock. When I was younger, I didn't appreciate her music at all. No more than listening to her ballads, I was exposed to Nakashima through the Nana live action adaptations. Nana was a hugely popular manga and anime that centered around two girl's love lives and music. Nakashima took on the role and changed her whole musical direction for the film. She continued to preform rock influenced music after Nana was over but her actually style of music is Jazz, Soul, Pop, and Ballads. I didn't care too much for her actual style of music when I was young but I loved her more rocker style. This album is named after a track on the album also called Tough. Tough as a sole track proves that you can't take Nana out of Mika Nakashima completely. Kind of like 2013's single Love is Ecstasy, that was the odd track out on the album Real. Rock driven tracks feel more at home on Tough than they would on Nakashima's previous albums. While she waste no time reminding us why she is one of the best female ballad singers in Japan, Tough doesn't linger around on the Jazz/Soul aspect of her music anymore. Its almost like Nakashima and producers wanted this album to have a more serious take on love and loss. Some of the singles for the album have her singing her old Jazz infused pop numbers but they don't resonate as stand alone tracks to me. Forget me Not wasn't a song that I was fond of as a single but the album's lineup helps to make the song sound better if your just listening to it while passing through from listening to another song. The collaboration with Rapper SALU was probably the most experimental track as both artists combined their artist genius perfectly. Nakashime doesn't do many tracks that feature a rapper and now we know that when she does, she's still very much in control of how the well sound. The collaboration has this Jazz lounge vibe thats very much her but SALU jumps in a hold down his parts with finesse.  The other collaboration called fighter was a disappointment to see on the album for me. I'm a Kato Miliyah fan so I've heard this single more than a would have liked. Its a good song, don't get me wrong but now its feels like its being recycled a bit. Both artists have released this song on their albums now. I don't want to see hear this song anymore. I didn't get the chance to listen to gift before listening to this album. Miliyah and Nakashima sing together pretty well considering their voices are different. Brand new songs could have taken Fighter and Gift's places in my opinion though.  僕が死のうと思ったのは Is a alternative pop rock track that I loved the most. I'm happy that this album is leaning more toward the alternative rock genre than her pervious albums. Missing You also showed that Nakashima wants a bit of change in music expression. The track starts with dark vibrant violins and a base beat that casts a shadow over the overall track's sound. The ballads in Tough are beautiful territory to tread in if you like ballads. 花束 Is the opening song that made me miss her singing ballads that showcased that range her voice has. The Track's choruses feel bigger and more determined to prove a point here than a lot of the tracks on her last album, Real.

   Mika Nakashima's voice has a silkyness in its lower register and a heavenly tone when she vocalizes in falsetto. Man, she has such a harmonious falsetto that it could make the toughest man cry. Her deeper tone defiantly helps her when she sings Jazz and Rock songs. She has the voice to sing Opera also if she ever wanted to. I used to didn't think that her kind of voice would fit with either genre of Rock or Jazz but her producers create songs that fit the structure of her voice. No matter if it's rock or ballads. The notes for her vocals are always written so its a Mika Nakashima song.  

   Tough was another very solid album for Japanese music this year. It does bother me that this album didn't get a higher position on the charts. I do believe it was because she's not being promoted like she used to a few years ago. I'm happy she at least got top ten but we talking about an artist that used to get top spot. I also have to look and see who's album came out the same week as her's.