Tales of Xillia x Ayumi Hamasaki : FIVE

So no album pic apparently for this. Bah. If I find one, I’ll edit it in.
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I’m very happy with this album, which is very redeeming of Ayumi Hamasaki in my views. Her latest music has not really been in my tastes with the exception of a few songs. Her collaboration in vocals with Juno and Naoya were amazing! I’ve noticed a few changes in her voice, but hey – happens with age. It’s not a bad thing, really. It’s honestly still very great! Good thing! Woot! I think the one song I actually do not like in this is… Beloved. Progress is… ehhh it’s okay. It’ll probably grow on me though.

I think my favorite in this album is BRILLANTE. Choirs are auto-loved by me. I love the rhythm in it and everything. It’s fantastic! It’s really a different take in her style – and it’s not bad at all! It’s also reminiscent of her old style back in the days LOL. I’m really cherishing this song a lot! There’s so much emotion and feeling in this song! The passion like… burns me and I feel so giddy listening to this song.

*The ending to this song is really… interesting. Kinda destroyed the flow of the song LOL. Luckily it’s like… the very very end xD Though it gives me like… kinda that Ar Tonelico feel in the sense of like… being connected with a whole system and then suddenly shutting down/out xD It’s kinda awesome now that I look at it in that view.

Her collaboration with JUNO was very well done. Though – if I did not have her name listed, I’d be questioning myself if it was her. She sings with a different key and style in her voice for this one in during her solo parts and it sorta threw me off there for a moment. I really love the sound they produce and their voices compliment each other very well. I love the strings mixed with the rock-ness of the song.

The song is called Why…

I think JUNO worked much better with Ayumi Hamasaki’s vocals than URATO NAOYA. (Why the hell are both the dude’s names in caps I don’t even… maybe it’s just the album doing that?) Naoya and Ayu had totally had a different kind of song in the whole album. It was kinda off genre LOL. It was kinda… up beat? Hip hopish style? No… uhh… it wasn’t bad, really. It just reminded me of Onigamiden’s Starlight – which is a song I love very much xD That was the kind of rhythm is had! I will not provide a sample for it – but you can find the album in my Ongaku Section! : 3

Though here’s Starlight from Onigamiden, sung by Miho Fukuhara. This song needs more props LOL