Track Listing

1. Like a star in the night
2. Give me one more chance
3. Like a star in the night ~a cappella ver.~
4. Like a star in the night ~Instrumental~

1. Like a star in the night

For having such a strong era of A-side, we calm down with Like a star in the night, a heartwarming ballad of sorts.  It’s true she hasn’t had too many true ballads so far in her career (most were affiliated with that urban sound).  Which disappointed me when she enters the chorus since that appears to basically make me frown at the track.  If it wasn’t for that, this would’ve been a great ballad…

2. Give me one more chance

As strange as Mai-K’s songs are, Give me one more chance is a more aggressive tune from her.  I’ve noticed that these kind of tracks fit more with Mai’s softer tone and even though it doesn’t carry the same spark as “PERFECT CRIME”, Give me one more chance is another B-side that’s better than the A-side….Is that a good thing?

3. Like a star in the night ~a cappella ver.~

Is it strange that Mai’s first acappella song is actually better off as one than having a more bland arrangement.  Mai’s vocals are soothing to listen to when there’s nothing in the way of hampering it.  It does drag on, but that usually happens wioth these kind of tracks anyway.

Mai finishes off the “FAIRY TALE” era with my least favorite single.  Unlike the other singles that were exceptionally well-made, it seemed Mai-K chose to go back to blandville and release this song now…Give me one more chance should’ve been the A-side moreso with it’s edgier sound…

Track Listing

1. Feel fine!
2. Rescue Me
3. Mai-K Dub Edition ~K.F.A.Discotheque Master Mix~
4. Feel fine! ~Instrumental~

1. Feel fine!

Of most summer tracks, the one I really point at first is Mai’s.  I love Feel fine! as it’s just a fun, rockin’, summer song.  It does feature Mai in a lighter tone in the vocal department (but when was she vocally strong?).  Anyways, the track is so catchy and her backup singers are quite nice to listen to as well.  It’s like the perfect song to hear when surfing is involved.  The guys are pretty amusing to listen especially near the end when they take over the song…but still one of Mai’s funnest tracks.

2. Rescue Me

I find it weird that the B-side is more aggressive in nature and has a pretty urban feel to it.  It’s pretty slick and smooth and fits Mai’s vocals really well.  I could’ve easily passed this an an A-side altogether as it just oozes sexuality all over it and I like it. 

Mai really has been getting better at her releases.  So far in her discography, this is my favorite single.  Feel fine! is just a really smart move on Mai and even though it’s a TOTAL OPPOSITE to last single “Winter Bells”, she really got it going for this track.  Rescue Me was just as good being all sexed up and stuff…Definitely a single to not pass up

Track Listing

1. Winter Bells
2. thankful
3. always -Gomi’s Lair Club Mix- (Radio Edit)
4. Winter Bells ~Instrumental~

1. Winter Bells

I’m not sure why the song starts out in the studio with some guy talking…anyways, whenever someone would ask me name a song that reminds me of Mai Kuraki, Winter Bells comes up first because well, it’s so joyous and giddy in a good way.  Mai’s vocals are a bit soft-spoken, but I love this song too much for my own good.  She chose a great song to be an A-side IMO

2. thankful

thankful is of course the ballad of the single and sadly it’s terribly bland.  I mean it’s got piano and a light R&B sound going on and well, you can’t get any more unoriginal after this.  It does gradually get better and more musically better as well…but ~I’m so sankful?!?~ whoa Mai-K, fix your English please xD

Mai-K does her self good here with Winter Bells, the overly fun and joyous winter song and thank god it wasn’t a ballad….thankful was that and I quite hated it for sure….not the most original track she’s done, but I know she can do better for sure.

Track Listing

1. Beautiful
2. wana
3. Beautiful -instrumental-

1. Beautiful

Beautiful is definitly a mood switcher from the last single, “PUZZLE/Revive”.  It’s quite nice to hear something so calm from Mai-K here and now.  There’s definitly a nod to her pasr R&B tracks and I kind of like this and how it overall sounds.  There’s just something about it that is nice and soothing.  I got to say, this was a pretty good A-side.

2. wana

wana is more like the alternate side of R&B with a more upbeat sound and heavy synth usage.  It actually reminds me of “PUZZLE” and that might not be such a good thing.  Well, there is a positive thing about it and there’s no random guy bothering the song up.  What’s more nice is the piano was also used in the song which made things a bit more unique.  Awesome song.

Mai-K actually released a better single than her last with “Beautiful”.  The A-side is a relaxing calm pop track that Mai always gets right especially with the beach-like PV that came along with it.  wana was slick and quite sexy at points and I’m surprised because she rarely has these kind of songs as B-sides.  Sweet single and good to end the era for her best-of album

Track Listing

1. Can’t forget your love
2. PERFECT CRIME -Single Edit-
3. PERFECT CRIME ~DJ ME-YA URBAN BEAT BOX REMIX~
4. Can’t forget your love (Instrumental)
5. PERFECT CRIME -Single Edit- (Instrumental)

1. Can’t forget your love

I was a bit surprised to finally hear Mai-K finally leave the saddening sounds of the R&B style she was using.  Instead we get a very simple ballad that has twinkly feelings going throughout.  Then my thoughts are dashed as the song gets a shuffling sound…ugh…she should’ve kept the ballad sound going.  Mai’s vocals are pretty sweet and she’s softer than she normally is which makes the song more nice.  It’s actually pretty good, better than her last few A-sides.

2. PERFECT CRIME -Single Edit-

I really loved PERFECT CRIME from the last album, and to see it basically revamped on this single made me happy.  The edit is actually pretty minor, I think it’s because the beginning is actually now muffled which is pretty rad.  The songs arrangement is a lot darker than her normal releases of songs and this was pretty awesome.  Definitly worthy to have been an A-side ^_^

Mai-K’s first single of the “FAIRY TALE” era was a great start for the era.  The first A-side was a little typical, but Mai progressed well enough to make the song pop and was a pretty nice ballad.  PERFECT CRIME though was a cool addition even though it isn’t on the album for obvious reasons.  Still I was impressed by the single.

Track Listing

1. PUZZLE
2. Revive
3. THE ROSE ~melody in the sky~ “Live Rehearsal Session”
4. PUZZLE -instrumental-
5. Revive -instrumental-

1. PUZZLE

I don’t think I would’ve believed Mai to pull something like this.  I mean it starts with a door shutting and something rapping with Mai.  There’s a lot of synth in this song…moreso than a bunch of other tracks.  I think she could’ve done without the guy, but this song is definitly super and one of the memorable ones.

2. Revive

Revive though simply brings some more life into the single by sounding latin once again.  I’ve always liked her latin tracks and Revive does not disappoint at all.  It might be a little bland in originality and it might just be a little boring, but I can’t resist getting up and dancing along with the song.

3. THE ROSE ~melody in the sky~ “Live Rehearsal Session”

Remember this track from Mai’s sophomore album, “PERFECT CRIME”?  Well, I do since I reviewed that last, hahaha.  If you remember, THE ROSE is a short track over 2 minutes and featured all English lyrics.  Instead of the cute strings and such, it’s replaced with an all-out acoustic feel and Mai obviously resang this as well because her English has definitly gotten better with this song and she sounds real nice.  Great touch on an old song.

Yes!  Mai-K’s first single of the new era kicked things off great.  PUZZLE was definitly fresh and surprisingly really good especially after “touch Me!” this was great.  Revive was alright, maybe a little too easy to guess but good otherwise and going back to revisit an older track and make it better was amazing.  It isn’t the perfect single, but it’s really good.

Track Listing

1. PERFECT CRIME
2. Start in my life
3. Reach for the sky
4. Brand New Day
5. Stand Up
6. Come on! Come on!
7. always
8. What are you waiting for
9. think about
10. Tsumetai Umi
11. Reach for the sky GOMI REMIX (Radio Edit)
12. Itsuka wa Ano Sora ni
13. THE ROSE ~melody in the sky~

1. PERFECT CRIME

 I don’t think there was ever a title track I was never disappointed with from Mai-K.  PERFECT CRIME begins with a haunting piano line before it turns into this kind of angry pop track.  She has a great low voice throughout and the chorus is just that cool and mysterious.  Once again, starting off with a strong track.

2. Start in my life

Start in my life, being the 2nd A-side with “Tsumetai Umi” was just a poor idea to even include on the album.  Like what I said in the single review, it’s terribly boring and the male backup vocals just wasn’t good for me.  This isn’t the way to do things, missy.

3. Reach for the sky

I guess it’s fitting to put another poor A-side near each other.  Once again, the troubles are the arrangement of the song which was so damn boring.  If I’m correct both songs are going at the same tempo….that’s once again bad planning to the people who put the tracks on like this.  Also the R&B thing is running a little dry.   

4. Brand New Day

A guitar riff opening our next new track?  As strange as it is, it seems very chill and very 90’s pop/rock.  Mai’s vocals are just maybe a little too covered by the music sometimes, but the chorus seems a little too dry for me.  There’s some issues about melodically sounding good when there’s other people singing.  It’s a step-up from those last two tracks though.

5. Stand Up

If there was a choice of what A-side was my favorite in the era, I would’ve said “Simply Wonderful”, but since it’s not on the album for who knows what reason, my next choice is definitly Stand Up.  It’s got a cool acoustic vibe, and adding Mai’s cool and chill vocals really makes the song pop out and in a good way.  The BKGD vocals also seem to be good as well.  She needs more of these kind of tracks IMO.

6. Come on! Come on!

There must be a reason why she’s putting all the exciting tracks in the middle of the album.  Come on! Come on! has a more urban style and giving a more sexual theme to it made it seem a little too strange on this album.  Mai’s more airy sound comes out and frankly I like when she uses this, makes her more sexii as it is, but still the song is just unusual on the album.

7. always

I’m starting to sense that the singles, minus “Stand Up” suck on this album.  It’s a bit slower and it’s just like “Reach for the sky” which once again proves that, jeeze this really is unoriginal and wasn’t needed.  There’s not much really to say about, but B-SIDE MATERIAL!!!

8. What are you waiting for

I definitly did not expect this track.  It’s definitly urban and there’s a rapper featured as well.  Mai is just a little too quiet in the verses, until she gets into the bridge where she ups the volume in her voice.  Honestly though, she isn’t too good for these kind of tracks because her voice is really thin throughout and wasn’t necessarily pretty to listen to.  Kuu would sound great here.

9. think about

It’s nice to see the best B-side actually make the album.  It’s very mainstream R&B and has the usual female backups, but how the song flowed and sounded was downright nice for me.  It might turn people because it is so mainstream, but it’s definitly better than some tracks.

10. Tsumetai Umi

Tsumetai Umi, is kind of in between of liking it and not liking it.  Good things about it was that it’s more eventful than most of the A-sides and Mai’s mysterious vocals during the verses.  On the other side of the rainbow, it fails to really stand out on its own on the album and just sounds like a good portion of the other tracks.  Also, the chorus has her hitting some dangerous high notes and they don’t sound supported enough.

11. Reach for the sky GOMI REMIX (Radio Edit)

It’s nice to see a remix on the album, but it’s a shortened version of the remix found on the “Reach for the sky” single.  I love the airy synths and just basic freedom the song puts out.  It’s definitly more appropriate than the original IMO.  I don’t think she resang it, but maybe it was given an echo effect to make it more “sky themed”.  Still one of the nicest remixes.

12. Itsuka wa Ano Sora ni

We finally get a true ballad on the album and even though it has the typical R&B beats, which are bothersome…it isn’t too bad, but it isn’t like the other new tracks.  I’d call this a filler track because it kind of sounds like the craptacular A-sides and being a ballad as well, just didn’t make much of an impression. 

13. THE ROSE ~melody in the sky~

Finally, there’s a true ballad.  THE ROSE is just piano and Mai singing entirely in English.  Right there, the main question is does she get the language down?  Yeah…she’s got some annunciations in the pronouncing the “r’s”. She also sounds a bit different singing in English than her native tongue, but she made a nice controlled 2-minute ballad.  Yeah, it is that short…

Tracks Recommended

•  PERFECT CRIME
• Stand Up
• Reach for the sky GOMI REMIX (Radio Edit)
• think about

It seems to be reversed on this album…”delicious way” has good singles, but terrible album tracks.  Perfect Crime though has very bad singles and really good album tracks.  It seems you can really tell the production was deep for this album and the singles weren’t perhaps…strange how that works.  For a sophomore album, it isn’t too bad, but it’s not her best either.

Track Listing

1. always
2. All Night
3. Stand Up ~Gomi’s Disco 2001 Mix (Radio Edit)
4. always ~Instrumental~

1. always

Why are we still on this R&B beat?  She’s been utilizing this so many times in her career thus far.  In other words this song is just unoriginal as it gets.  There’s some strings added and the song is a bit more upbeat, but this just does not save the song from being a little bad.

2. All Night

All Night tries to be more Hip-hop, but that as well comes off a bit bad as well.  There’s the usual disc scratching and then we get into the verses where Mai’s just singing which is cool, I guess.  The BKGD vocals support Mai so she won’t oversing.  Maybe the song isn’t as bad as I initially thought, but still it isn’t anything groundbreaking.

Mai’s final single for her 2nd era seemed to be a little better than some other singles this era, but her overall sound is just running a little dry and I want her to move to new areas of sound.  always even though unoriginal, was an ok A-side and All Night is the same reasoning as well. 

Track Listing

1. touch Me!
2. Ichibyou Goto ni Love for you
3. Break the Tone
4. Yume ga Saku Haru
5. I can’t believe you!!
6. Secret Lover
7. Hello!
8. 24 Xmas time
9. Catch
10. You and Music and Dream
11. TOP OF THE WORLD
12. Yume ga Saku Haru -remix- (bonus track)

1. touch Me!

Kickstarting the album is the promotional and title track, touch Me!.  It’s quite soft sung, then again Mai-K is one of the softer singers.  It’s quite catchy and maybe a little sexy.  How she says ~touch me~ is so darn hot though.  There’s some synths included here as well, as best heard in the second verse which is awesome actually.

2. Ichibyou Goto ni Love for you

This was an amazing track from Mai-K and she rarely does rockish type of songs, if any.  There’s a great guitar hook and the synth backing it up is just wow.  I guess the only problem is that I wish Mai was a stronger vocalist in the song because she sounded a little too quiet and airy than usual, but I love her attitude in the song.  Best A-side of the era.

3. Break the Tone

Wow, what is this?  An more urban sounding track from Mai?  Why yes, just like the last song, there’s a catchy sound and how she sings the verses with just the acoustic guitar was pretty cool.  Actually, this reminds me of Ami’s stuff during the “Infinity Eighteen” era.  I’m not sure if that’s her rapping, but it fitted nicely with the song.  Niiice

4. Yume ga Saku Haru

Yume ga Saku Haru reminds me of the disco style of back when and Mai once again shows off so smooth vocals with this track.  I just love how you can dance with this song and just groove to that beat.  The chorus is pretty catchy as well….Dang, I love this A-side as well.

5. I can’t believe you!!

We sort of return to her past style with this track.  In other words it’s definitly R&B and has the 90’s sound to it which also kind of made it stand out.  Mai’s sensual vocals and lyrics just ooze nicely in the song. It’s so very chill and calm, especially for a title like that.  I like this song a lot.

6. Secret Lover

That obviously carries on to this song.  Once again proven as an R&B ballad, Secret Lover is just as nice to listen, but Mai shouldn’t really hit the high notes as they are way thin.  Although, she has a great soulful voice that you would just have to forget about it.  Her English has gotten better as well, but she still has some issues to work out.

7. Hello!

People were hyping over this one song and I have no reason why.  It’s a pretty calm song with a lot of string action and a nice piano melody.  Mai sound pretty good for the most part, but I really like the music rather than the lyrics.  Maybe there should be an instrumental version of the song.

8. 24 Xmas time

Like I said before Mai has done an upbeat Christmas tune before “Winter Bells” and this isn’t as good as it, but being the final single of the era, it was what she needed.  I really don’t understand the whole “24″ of it but it’s a pretty nice track.  Now if the rapper wasn’t there….I think it would’ve done better.

9. Catch

Catch is also nice to listen to, but it seems a little tacked on the album for some reason.  I guess the album was a pretty upbeat sound and this just doesn’t surprise me.  What I do like is the deep synths and the mystical feeling it has.  I guess it isn’t as bad as time goes by, but still seems a little fillerish.

10. You and Music and Dream

Oh yea, there was a few songs I didn’t like in the era and You and Music and Dream was one of them…Oddly enough, it’s actually a little different than the single version, including more strings.  Sadly, it just sounded like every other Mai-K ballad and it seemed to drag to entire time.  There’s some golden parts in the song mostly the music, but I was still too bored to pay that much attention in the first place.  I guess the new changes didn’t exactly help it much in the end.

11. TOP OF THE WORLD

Oh, Mai-K is singing fully English?  Yeah once again she’s doing way better, but she’s still failing.  There’s some help to cover most of her mistakes, but this song just screams a little corny.  I mean the guitar sounds odd in the song.  I swear this is a cover of an old song….maybe The Carpenters perhaps?  Why yes, it is a cover of an old Carpenters tune.

12. Yume ga Saku Haru -remix-

I’m not sure why they had to put a remix on an album no less, but they took the disco sounds out of the song and replaced it with a house kind of sound which actually sounds quite relaxing here.  I think they did a good job with Yume ga Saku Haru getting remixed and is actually shorter than the main which is surprising.  I think the only disappointment is how vacant the song can get without the lyrics…yea…

 Tracks Recommended

•  Ichibyou Goto ni Love for You
• I can’t believe you!!
• Break the Tone
• Yume ga Saku Haru
• touch Me!

Actually, this is definitly one of Mai-K’s better releases and actually this and previous album “ONE LIFE” are so much better than her stuff while she was under GIZA.  I liked a good protion of the songs and while the bonus tracks were a little disappointing they filled out the album more, which is good.  Still, such a great album

Track Listing

1. Stand Up
2. Double Rainbow
3. YES or NO ~TRANCE Continental Remix~
4. Stand Up ~Instrumental~

1. Stand Up

Finally, something that makes me relike Mai-K again.  Stand Up is what you call an upbeat track, maybe summery perhaps?  Mai sounds like she’s definitly letting loose and having a lot of fun.  There are BKGD vocals this time around and they harmonize alright and Mai even though she sounds a little stuffy, she sounds otherwise fine.  Another breakout track from her.

2. Double Rainbow

In some respects, this was quite obvious.  It’s another one of Mai-K’s questionable ballad tracks.  It’s weird that the verses has her singing so quietly that it’s barely audible and gets loud in the chorus which is quite nice calm and shows Mai having more control.  It’s an alright track thought, I’ll give it that.  Oh yea the BKGD vocals helping in the chorus sucks so much because they warp their notes terribly.

3. YES or NO ~TRANCE Continental Remix~

Why am I featuring this track you ask?  Well, the original has not been seen on an actual single nor an album, which surprises me.  I think it was an analog release or something along those lines which intrigued me.  The remix sounds like a MELL track which is beyond strange for me.  Mai’s singing is quite cool with this style and how she holds her notes are crazy good.  This is a remix though, so the music is more important than Mai so it’s alright to dance to.

Mai, you finally won me back with this single.  Stand Up was a great acoustically driven pop track and Double Rainbow was a nice ballad and the remix isn’t too horrible for being for a track that hasn’t seen the day of light in her official discography.