9nine – colorful February 13, 2013

Track Listing

1. colorful
2. Yasashii Ame
3. Shoujo Traveler (tofubeats remix)
4. colorful (Instrumental)
5. Yasashii Ame (Instrumental)

1. colorful

For me not being impressed with anything fully the group has released since their album, colorful might be the closest to something I can get behind because it has a kind of idol pop/rock sound to it does stand out amongst the other A-sides they’ve released.  However, I’m not exactly fond of how harsh they sound singing together…they weren’t exactly combining strengths here.  It’s good, but slightly ranks lower than “Brave” for best A-side of the era.

2. Yasashii Ame

The B-side of the single, was actually kind of nice to listen to!  I mean it is a ballad which is kind of low, but this actually slightly fixed the issues from “colorful” but they still kind of struggle harmonizing in certain parts.  I actually really liked the shimasen in the final chorus though, that was a surprising twist to the ballad.  I can get behind this a lot if I continue to listen to this!

3. Shoujo Traveler (tofubeats remix)

I was worried to see that Shoujo Traveler got a remix and feared the worst and sadly it came to light.  We all know the original is that electro sound that seriously whooped a lot of ass last year!  The remix from tofubeats turned that song into this chilled out, mid-tempo track and it just didn’t work with how beat-savvy those lyrics are.  I don’t know, it just didn’t work for me this time around.

As 9nine close out their 2nd major era, colorful might be the best single of the 4 that were released (which isn’t saying a lot considering that this era has been shockingly weak).  The leading track has a good arrangement but the vocals were all over the damn place!  Same can be said about Yasashii Ame but at least that had a stronger arrangement and the girls at least tried to vocally come together.  Shoujo Traveler’s remix was as disappointing as I had expected to me.  I think I’m a bit worried about this upcoming album of theirs…>.>

9nine – White Wishes December 12, 2012

Track Listing

1. White Wishes
2. Romantic moon
3. Chikutaku☆2NITE (tofubeats renux)
4. White Wishes (Instrumental)
5. Romantic moon (Instrumental)

1. White Wishes

Of course, 9nine would be a group to release a Christmas song with White Wishes.  This song is definitely a jolly and simple track from the group which might be cutting it because white this song is a butt ton better than “Yie Ar! Jiang Shi”, it’s still surprisingly to the books.  The members are mostly singing together It’s fitting to the holidays, but as for a song from 9nine?  This is kind of weak.

2. Romantic moon

When Romantic moon comes up, it’s like why wasn’t this promoted as the leading track x.x  It’s a bit slower, but this song has more of that trademark 9nine sound that we’ve got from their last album.  The vocals though on the lower side of the spectrum since they sound rough in various areas and well they sound a bit meh as well.  It’s slightly better than the A-side, but not by much.

3. Chikutaku☆2NITE (tofubeats remix)

Since their last single didn’t have a tofubeats remix, 9nine came back to it with Chikutaku☆2NITE.  The remix like the others are more electronic (since tofubeats is doing, DUH!).  I actually kind of like the cool instrumentation because it retains its cute factor,but has a certain 80′s feel and felt like it’s one of the better remixes to come from them.

 

 

9nine’s third single to close out 2012 with is rather bleh.  I mean, if I had to compare it to their last single they’re equal but that single was a lot polarizing unlike here where it’s kind of in the mediocre area in both tracks.  White Wishes though is suited for the season so it makes sense and you can’t really hate it, but it is bleh as a standalone.  Romantic moon had potential but the poor vocals and lack of unity just didn’t work.  The best thing to come off the single is oddly enough the remix which was cute, sparkly, and fun to listen to.  I hope the group gets out of this slump…

9nine – Yie Ar! Jiang Shi feat. Hao Hao! Jiang Shi Girl/Brave November 29, 2012

Track Listing

1. Yie Ar! Jiang Shi feat. Hao Hao! Jiang Shi Girl
2. Brave
3. Yie Ar! Jiang Shi feat. Hao Hao! Jiang Shi Girl (AKAKAGE’s Skankin’ Breaks) (Limited A only)
4. Yie Ar! Jiang Shi feat. Hao Hao! Jiang Shi Girl Ver. FUNKOT ASLI (Limited B only)
5. Yie Ar! Jiang Shi feat. Hao Hao! Jiang Shi Girl (Instrumental)
6. Brave (Instrumental)

1. Yie Ar! Jiang Shi feat. Hao Hao! Jiang Shi Girl

I really don’t know what to say about 9nine’s Yie Ar! Jiang Shi…it’s so strange and out of left field for them that I’m left confused with this song.  I know they were going for more of a Chinese setting and it’s obvious from the arrangement, but the song is just ridiculous and quite annoying.  The vocals were clearly not important so it’s just a mess and too quirky even for me to enjoy.  Bleeeeh

2. Brave

The other A-side on the single sounds more like what 9nine has been sounding like for a while and I found this clearly better than “Yie Ar! Jiang Shi”.  It’s kind of like a mix of “Cross Over” and “Shoujo Traveler” which is a nice mix and the girls sound really nice together.  The song overall might not seem to impress idol fans but this was a solid track.

3. Yie Ar! Jiang Shi feat. Hao Hao! Jiang Shi Girl (AKAKAZE’s Skankin’ Breaks)

Strange that the primary A-side has two remixes and also unfortunate.  The first remix doesn’t seem to give the song more sound but it sounds more minimal than the original.  There’s deeper synths which I guess makes it somewhat stronger, but the song is still very annoying  and just icky to my ears.

 

 

*will review the other remix when it’s out*  9nine really took a turn into weird as fuck land with Yie Ar! Jiang Shi,  The song is so devoid of the normal good stuff that we usually get from the group.  It was just so gimmicky of a song that I was turned off by it almost immediately.  Brave on the other, did much better at impressing me and makes a good A-side after “Ryuusei no Kuchizuke”.  Since both the A-sides are interchangable, I just hope Brave will be on the album over Yie Ar! (though it seems it’ll be both)…

9nine – Ryuusei no Kuchizuke August 6, 2012

Track Listing

1. Ryuusei no Kuchizuke
2. Ikeru, Ikeru!
3. Natsu wanna say love U (tofubeats remix)
4. Ryuusei no Kuchizuke (Instrumental)
5. Ikeru, Ikeru! (Instrumental)

1. Ryuusei no Kuchizuke

After their first major album under SONY, I was wondering what would start their second and with Ryuusei no Kuchizuke it eems to start on a rather meh note because it sounds like some Nogizaka46 tune with the synth brass and movement of the song.  It was really cheesy for me.  At least the verses were nice to listen to because all 5 members get lines.  I guess it’s an OK start but after “Shoujo Traveler” this is a little disapppointing.

2. Ikeru, Ikeru!

The B-side of the single kind of reminds me of the stuff from their album which is nice in a way but at the same time, kind of bland which plagues Ikeru, Ikeru! also seems to remind me of “Cross Over” which is a song that I seem to can’t remember and that’s how I feel about this song because while it sounds nice, there’s not a lot to really remember it by.

3. Natsu wanna say love U (tofubeats remix)

Returning again to remix a 9nine track (their last two singles had a tofubeats remix), Natsu wanna say love U got the treatment this time around and like the last couple of random remixes, it’s more of the same ole same found here…but I was surprised that the verses didn’t have a lot of music, almost taking a minimalistic approach…and a lil taste of R&B.  However, it’s one of the more impressive remixes because the song is fun and the cute synth passages really made the song cooler.  Sadly, tofubeats crashed into the times and there’s a part where dubstep is present >.<

 

 

Starting up on their race to the second album under SONY, Ryuusei no Kuchizuke isn’t a great single but it’s not as bad as “Cross Over” was.  After “Shoujo Traveler”, I kind of was expecting them to continue on that cooler dance style which clearly worked for them, but they took a step back into their idol-pop style which is alright.  Ikeru, Ikeru! wasn’t anything special either which really left us with a surprisingly good Natsu wanna say love U remix…hmmmm I hope things pick up on their next single.

9nine – 9nine March 26, 2012

Track Listing

1. Fly
2. Shoujo Traveler
3. Chikutaku☆2NITE
4. Natsu wanna say love U
5. koizora
6. Orange days
7. Cross Over
8. too blue
9. Love me?
10. Darling, Darling
11. #girls
12. SHINING☆STAR
13. 9nine o’clock (bonus track)

1. Fly

Starting things off, Fly opens up 9nine’s album with a pretty aggressive pop/rock sound that I’m not very used to by 9nine at all.  At the same time, the synths and beats add a great touch to the song.  While it’s not as power heavy like other songs, it’s a pleasant beginning to the album and the girls definitely have solid vocals already so it’s nothing terrible.

2. Shoujo Traveler

Luckily enough, as the fifth and final single released Shoujo Traveler is the best song they’ve done since getting a stable group going and joining SONY.  It’s very electro and quite epic for such an idol group.  Almost taking up a Perfume slot here.  I just found this song to be my cup of tea and really kicked things up for them which is great!  Very catchy and just all kinds of awesomeness ^_^!

3. Chikutaku☆2NITE

Moving to the 4th A-side released, Chikutaku☆2NITE really had troubles when I first heard it because it didn’t really bring anything new to the table.  It does have a little bit of the vocal filtering on it like “Shoujo Traveler” but the song aims for a more cuter style which kind of took its toll on me.  I still think it feels pretty bland for them but it’s a good happy song from them.

4. Natsu wanna say love U

The only other A-side that really stood out to me since they debuted was their summer song.  I do feel like it’s a lighter “Shoujo Traveler” because it has a need to want more synths involved but it doesn’t but I like that about it.  The rhythm and synth beats really helped out and I liked it too…it was almost like it was transforming the group from “Cross Over” and “SHINING☆STAR” to this and I was loving the direction.

5. koizora

Back to some new tracks, koizora tones things down after all that synthy fun.  I was hoping to hear something soft from the group and we got it with this one that has acoustic guitar and piano playing together with some light knick-knacks.  I will say that I love the solo lines a lot here and when they come together it just works so well!  Good ballad here!

6. Orange days

Of course they quickly move back into some fun tracks with Orange days and funny enough the song sounds more summery than “Natsu wanna say love U”.  Orange days has an interesting feel to it but keeps with their primary style.  It doesn’t really stand out to me in any way but there’s nothing really wrong with the song itself so it’s neutral I guess?

7. Cross Over

Then we move into the group’s debut under SONY with Cross Over.  I felt it worked coming after “Orange days” since they share the same overall style but this was a little more upbeat.  Despite not having any solos overall in the song and being a little anime-esque when compared to other tracks, it’s not bad but once again I don’t feel like it leaves as much memorability like the other A-sides of the era. 

8. too blue

I’m surprised that out of all of the great B-sides the girls have done for the era, they only chose one and a good one at that with too blue (originally one of the B-sides from “Natsu wanna say love U”.  After the last two tracks, it was nice to see a little bit of a leeway away from the anime-like songs.  Plus the fact that there’s solo lines here really got me good.  I would’ve placed this somewhere in the front of the album to be honest but at the same time I think it worked here since the other tracks after it seem to take over lol.  Great B-side addition!

9. Love me?

Going back to new tracks before the ending, Love me? seem to have an energetic arrangement and deeper synth bass whick would’ve fit around the beginning of the album.  They seem to really work with this style for some reason but the chorus felt somewhat anticlimatic…like it was lacking energy where the verses had em’.  Not bad, but not very good either.

10. Darling, Darling

I felt like I was listening to a Q;indivi or DAISHI DANCE produced song with Darling, Darling because it’s so light and while it has dance beats, it also has some piano and strings in the background which led me to my analysis.  It’s kind of cute and fits the personality of the mood a lot better than what “Cross Over” and “Chikutaku☆2NITE” tried to do.  Very pretty and moving song here.

11. #girls

I also felt #girls was also a better representation of summer for some reason since the beat and the happier vibes from the ladies gave the song a good vibe for the beach.  It’s pretty cool to listen to it but there are better songs from the album to be honest but I like it for what it is ^_^

12. SHINING☆STAR

I guess since this should close the album out, we end it with their 2nd A-side and I really didn’t like this song when it first came out.  I mean when I took a listen to it now I still feel like it’s weak like “Chikutaku☆2NITE” since I can’t find much to really say about that makes it memorable to me but it’s not as bad as I thought it’d be.  I will say the vocals sound great though…hmmm maybe I need to reassess things hahaha.

13. 9nine o’clock

However, it seems there’s been a bonus track lodged in here in the form of 9nine o’clock.  I’m not sure why it’s a bonus but I’ll just go with the flow for the time being.  The album’s true final track sounds a little different from the previous songs but it does have a lot of synths which work for me.  It’s pretty good at it kind of reminds me of “Fly” but just a little.  Pretty good song though and it was a much better song to close than “SHINING☆STAR”.

Tracks Recommended

• Shoujo Traveler
• Natsu wanna say love U
• too blue
• koizora
• 9nine o’clock

Song of Avoidance

• Chikutaku☆2NITE

Ahhhh 9nine’s debut album under SONY…it was actually not half bad oddly enough.  While there were songs that were forgettable this one stood out to me but I think it’s because this has been a group that’s been together for a long time so their skills are natural at this point.  9nine shows off their style currently and it sounds really good and different from other idol groups currently making a splash which is good.  For a group that’s been together since 2006…One can wonder what’ll happen now lol.

9nine – Cross Over March 6, 2012

Track Listing

1. Cross Over
2. Material World
3. 119

1. Cross Over

As this is 9nine’s first A-side under SONY, I was curious to how they were treated.  It’s funny how light the music is compared to their later releases. I mean to me since it was tied to an anime, it really has this theme quality to it and I don’t find it memorable for them.  There’s no solos either which surprised me as well.  For a debut it’s not terrible but it’s pretty meh compared to the group’s later singles.

2. Material World

The first B-side has a bit more of an electronic vibe to it but it’s not as pulsating like “Shoujo Traveler” in anyway.  I’m hearing a little more of the girls seperately which is nice but there’s a lot of times where it’s two girls together and all that.  It’s might not be my favorite of the three songs on the single but it still feels like they’re trying to get in the groove of their new label so it’s a little bland as well.

3. 119

I will say that I wasn’t expecting the group’s other B-side to be a little more focused with guitars.  There’s still a fair bit of synths here though so it shouldn’t surprise me.  The girls have more solos here and the arrangement has a bit more punch than either of the prevous songs which is great and makes me wonder why it wasn’t chosen as the A-side.  Pretty good song overall and worked out the kinks the other two had.

 

 

9nine’s first single under SONY and of course it’s not very strong overall.  I mean besides 119 (which was oddly good here), Cross Over and Material World were just missing the point and just didn’t come off as strong which carried over to their next single as well.  They’ve gotten better from this and I’m happy with that.

9nine – Shoujo Traveler February 6, 2012

Track Listing

1. Shoujo Traveler
2. Monochro
3. SHINING☆STAR (tofubeats remix)
4. Shoujo Traveler (Instrumental)
5. Monochro (Instrumental)

1. Shoujo Traveler

I have to say that I’m happy there’s a song that could surpass “Natsu wanna say love U” like Shoujo Traveler.  Unlike most of their previous singles in the era, this song has a electro/idol mix and it works for them since the vocals are a little more together as well.  Then again some of the vocals are a little synthesized.  Still it’s a great song to listen to and the 8-bit/techno sound is refreshing!

2. Monochro

Which is funny because the B-side of the single is a lot like previous songs.  Unlike all that techno stuff in the A-side, Monochro is more laidback and kind of close to being R&B.  Of course there’s still synths involved but not to a high degree.  I kind of like the relaxing music since it reminds me of something Mai Kuraki would dig.  Nice little tune but I’m not sure if I’ll remember this song in the long run.

3. SHINING☆STAR (tofubeats remix)

tofubeats isn’t a new name to me since they’ve remixed a couple of songs I reviewed ^_^ namely Aira Mitsuki and Momoiro Clover and 9nine’s last single.  I can’t remember SHINING☆STAR very well but I definitely don’t remember the glitchy skipping vocals at the beginning!  Of course the song starts off slowly but when it gets to the chorus, the remix starts to pick up with synths and beats.  It’s kind of interesting and the intentional skipping is hard to take in but makes the remix a bit more cooler than the “Cross Over” one. 

 

 

I hope an album is on its way for sure since Shoujo Traveler is their 5th single and all that.  I will say that the A-side is my favorite of the era since it caters to what I like the most…upbeat music with synths xD.  Monochro isn’t bad either which is a surprise but somehow I feel like they have better ones as well.  The tofubeats remix is also quite good and so much better than their last one they did for the group.  I say overall, this is their best single in their first major era!

9nine – Chikutaku☆2NITE January 10, 2012

Track Listing

1. Chikutaku☆2NITE
2. Angel drops
3. Cross Over (tobubeats remix)
4. Chikutaku☆2NITE (instrumental)
5. Angel drops (instrumental)

1. Chikutaku☆2NITE

I’m feeling like the group is slowing growing better with each A-side they release.  I actually liked Chikutaku☆2NITE because it’s danceable but slides in some idol stuff as well but not going overboard with it.  It’s still kind of basic of a song compared to other songs they’ve released but it’s still a pleasant song for them. 

2. Angel drops

The actual B-side is a bit more quieter than the A-side but it’s nice because it has such a twinkly arrangement to begin with.  Add in the fact that the vocals are quite sweet as well and you get a pretty good B-side from them.  Though sometimes it feels a little plain in areas.  Not as good as the leading track but it’s alright.

3. Cross Over (tofubeats remix)

Closing the single is a remix of the first single of the era, Cross Over.  Since I haven’t gotten arount to listening to the original, I can really just go by its sound but I think in comparison, this is probably more quieter and less happy.  I’m surprised at tofubeats since subduing the song isn’t much of their nature.  When the chorus comes in though, it turns slightly into a dubstep chorus.  Kind of the most interesting parts of the remix actually hahah.  It’s a good remix though.

 

 

I’m not sure why but 9nine hasn’t really impressed me yet fully with their singles (their best has been “Natsu wanna say love U” but otherwise nothing really makes me want to remember them well.  Chikutaku☆2NITE is more along the likes of what I felt about “SHINING☆STAR” but not as bad.  The remix was the best but only at a small margin when compared to the lead song and “Angel drops”.  There’s another single coming out soon and hopefully an album after!

9nine – Natsu wanna say love U August 1, 2011

Track Listing

1. Natsu wanna say love U
2. Wonderful World
3. too blue

1. Natsu wanna say love U

Not really surprised that 9nine would also throw their summer song out but in an odd way it doesn’t sound like your typical idol-pop track which is kind of an interesting twist.  I actually get some K-pop tones in the song but it could because of the amount of synths and vocal tampering that goes on in the song but it’s a fun song, but not many solos to be found.  Catchy and good as a summer song.

2. Wonderful World

The first B-side up is the more natural sounding Wonderful World.  I actually was a little surprised because it’s such a dropoff of sound from the last track but this was oddly enough what I was expecting looking at the cover of the single.  That being said, this is more of a breezy summer song and while there’s no solos to be found, it’s sweet, fluffy, and has good energy for being more of a light pop song.

3. too blue

To me, too blue kind of squeezes in between the two previous songs by having a faster tempo but still lighter than “Natsu wanna say love U”.  The big difference is that there’s definitely solo lines throughout and I liked whoever sung first since she sounded quite strong.  I’m not sure how to describe because it’s like pop, but a little R&B thrown in?  I don’t know but I liked this song quite a bit too!

 

 

3rd single since joining SONY and they’ve got it right with Natsu wanna say love U.  Their last single “SHINING☆STAR” was such a hard listen because there was just hardly anything memorable about that single.  This one was a total opposite situation where all three songs actually stood out strong and all the girls sound great together.  Maybe it’s close to album time, but I still have to go back one single ^_^;

9nine – SHINING☆STAR March 13, 2011

Track Listing

1. SHINING☆STAR
2. Konwaku Confuse
3. Cute

1. SHINING☆STAR

Another idol-like group, but from SONY’s end?  Well I guess I was bound to hit every big company right?  To me, SHINING☆STAR doesn’t really stand out for me despite the kind of upbeat dance style that’s going on here.  It’s kind of sad that the song feels one-dimensional through the singers even though there’s solo parts throughout, but it just seems to go nowhere for me.

2. Konwaku Confuse

The first B-side of the single has a little more of a fantasy-like atmosphere going on and it also shows through the girls that sing.  If it was me, I’d say this would be more fitting to have the A-side title hahahah, it’s synthy and vocally much much better than “SHINING☆STAR”.

3. Cute

For a song that’s aptly titled as such, I wasn’t expecting to get a song that doesn’t use synths and sticks with natural instruments like guitars and the like.  I wouldn’t say it’s cute, but the difference in sound is exciting and the girls actually sound good singing by themselves.  Even the bongos were a nice addition.

As it seems this is their 2nd single since joining SONY, 9nine kind of slipped up on “SHINING☆STAR”.  The song didn’t really bring their abilities to the table unlike the B-sides which actually felt like they both had more effort!  I also noticed that A-chan’s sister is in the group….hmmm potential awesomeness??? We’ll see…