EXILE - STAR OF WISH Album Thoughts(J-pop)

    EXILE is a Japanese band that currently has nineteen members. No, you didn't hear me wrong. There are literally nineteen members of this group. In their defense, most of the members as performers which is just a fancy way to say backup dancer. Only about four of them actually sing but the others are also members of subunit groups such as J Soul Brothers, and Generations from EXILE TRIBE. They're a pretty unique idol group because they don't look like the typical pretty boy idols(Even though some of them do have this look in the group.. they're just more manly than most idols.). In fact, fans used to say that they were in a gang of gangsters based off of their looks[INSERT ME LAUGHING.]. This didn't stop some of the members from having successful acting and modeling careers over the years. Some of the "performers" even rap. I love how EXILE TRIBE always makes it their mission to find a half Japanese half black guy to be in their sub groups. Its like one of their symbols just to be different and promote diversity at the same time. Star of Wish is EXILE's eleventh album to date.

TRACKLIST

01 PARTY ALL NIGHT ~STAR OF WISH~
02 Melody
03 My Star
04 Turn Back Time feat. FANTASTICS
05 Awakening
06 STEP UP
07 Heads or Tails
08 STYLE of 24karats
09 24karats GOLD SOUL
10 UPSIDE DOWN
11 AMAZING WORLD
12 Ki・mi・ni・mu・chu
13 Joy ride ~歓喜のドライブ
14 浪漫の地球(ホシ)

   Star of Wish is led into the Japanese music scene through a shooting tidal wave that knocks everybody else out the way. We talking thrown up in the air then landing miles away from said peoples original standing location. I didn't expect too much of a departure from the guy's usual sound.  That's one thing about EXILE that I can love or I can hate: Same old song and dance each time they come back. Nothing about the music EXILE releases is terrible, More over to the fact that their music doesn't evolve. Why would it when they do their signature style so well? Star of Wish does at least have a good amount of songs that scream the return of this legendary band as stronger than ever. Pop dance is still super in control of the mainstream scene in Japan where Star of Wish would do very well snagging a place. Each track adds more appeal to the manly testosterone of the guy's image. Also, factoring in that most of the members are dancing ninety nine percent of the time EXILE is one stage means that this band needs dance songs for their appeal to sky rocket through the roof. Heads or Tails is the track chosen to promote the album. I don't think that most females could find their lace fronts much less their damn wigs after that song(or PV) was released…. Those guys came through on a hundred percent without ever being down at zero percent. The track is a very attention grabbing track for the beat in itself. That beat drop is the middle group of hip hop with EDM fused together. I've noticed each time I played the song that the instrumental uses traditional Japanese music in the section leading up to the chorus as well. GENERATIONS and Utada Hikaru have done this in their music, adding a Japanese twist on a concept of music that was originally foreign. Other tracks fill in the spaces of Star of Wish respectively. Some of the track are very catered to the mainstream, while others simply show that EXILE still has the beats and the vocal talent to snatch someone's edges. I was surprised at how much less I pushed the skip button on Star of Wish than their last album, 19. Musically, not much has changed since nothing needs to be changed for EXILE to be epic. I only have little gripes with EXILE's artistry however, That doesn't take away from the fact that these men are experts at what they do. On a side note,  Ki.mi.ni.mu.chu was a window into a cuter side without being too fake about appeasing the masses. EXILE has fun with this brief time of letting lose while shedding their tough guy image for a little bit. Missing weave posters have just reportedly been posted all around Japan by bald headed screaming girls.



   EXILE has the most vocalists out of all the other groups in EXILE TRIBE. Mostly due to the fact that all the sub groups begin and end with EXILE at the core. There isn't much to say about the vocals because they're always on their A game. All of the vocalist give their all to match the performers who also dance using all that they have. It seems like Nesmith got even more singing lines this time around. I'm sooooo proud of him!!!!

   Star of Wish is an album fitting of EXILE's return to music. Tracks for the album are solid through the full duration of Star of Wish. I've revived my full interest in their music now.