Channel-Ai Community Blog - JPop reviews, articles

Release Title : LOVE & PEACE Singer Name : sifow Release Date : July 26, 2006 Record Label: avex trax

After releasing her first single with avex trax, sifow’s official site had already announced her upcoming single to be released only two months after. In July sifow has returned with a brand new single to give this summer some more spice and life. This time sifow is featured in very vivid colours, sexy outfits and wearing a huge amount of make up and costume jewellery indicating the fact that summer is a time of fun and frivolity. Also her style seems to have moved from trance-pop to bubblegum-pop to create a more lively atmosphere. So does sifow succeed in making the perfect summer single and create this kind of atmosphere? Let’s take a look.

1. LOVE & PEACE

‘LOVE & PEACE’ starts off slowly with some electronic instrumentals which are quick enough to infuse with a funky melody. The backing instrumentals sound quite similar to a video game soundtrack and have a sort of ‘cheerleader’ touch to them. sifow’s vocals sound quite mechanical but flow surprisingly well with the melody. The electrical guitar also managed to create a very vivid and funky atmosphere which fitted perfectly within the song.

To be honest, the first time I heard this song I felt really shocked and surprised. ‘LOVE & PEACE’ is quite different from anything I’ve ever heard from sifow. It’s less similar to trance and eurobeat and more close to bubblegum-pop. It has a lot of energy within it even if the song is not especially loud or fast. Nonetheless the chorus managed to be extremely catchy and quite fun to sing along to. It is also interesting to note that ‘LOVE & PEACE’ is the ending song for a show called ‘スポんちゅ’.

iPod version (15.5 MB)

The promotional clip is definitely one of the best promotional videos of this summer. It makes use of a lot of colours and contains a lot of modernistic themes. Sifow is seen wearing a lot of colours and her surroundings suggest a disco or a club setting. Also the special effects and the other two bodybuilders featured in the clip do create a very lively image.

Rating:

2. kumori nocha harebare

‘Kumori nocha harebare’ has a similar tone to ‘LOVE & PEACE’. It makes use of electronic instrumentals and the electric guitar is also inserted within the song. However the song is faster and more energetic. In fact it starts off with a lot of energy and ends rather abruptly. Sifow’s vocals are more energetic and girlish within this song to suit the mood of the song itself. Also ‘Kumori nocha harebare’ has a dance feel to it, similar to those Japanese dance songs.

Rating:

Conclusion

This single has definitely left me with a lot of mixed feelings. It was quite a good single and I really enjoyed listening to it, yet I felt it lacked any sort of balance. This single seemed too fast paced, leaving you without any pauses. Nonetheless I have to admit that both songs had a lot of quality and they really complimented well with the summer atmosphere sifow wanted to create. Overall she managed to create a rather strong single with a rather original theme. It is indeed one of the most exciting and energetic summer singles for 2006. In the end I’m quite pleased sifow still manages to convey her sense of style and her identity in such an original and positive manner.

Unfortunately this single failed to chart on Oricon and didn’t leave such an impression on the Japanese audience despite of being quite a good quality single. Hopefully her future releases will be more successful and will receive more exposure from avex trax since sifow is definately a talented artist with a lot to give to the music industry.

Overall Rating: