W FACE
-inside/outside-
2017.03.08
After 2 very long years since Koda Kumi's latest album, WALK OF MY LIFE,
our Queen of Live finally returns. And she doesn't do it silently...
Instead of releasing her usual full length studio album, Kuuchan bestows upon us not one but TWO 10-tracks albums. And of course you're paying double!
YASS MAMA, WORK IT!
WALK OF MY LIFE was finally an album that sounded like an album and not like a random collection of (great) songs as many of her previous releases so I gladly welcomed this idea of a double album as I was expecting yet another two cohesive and different tracklists.
And W FACE is exactly that: a body of work extremely focused and calculated which also serves as a market survey for avex to better shape Kumi's future career.
W FACE -inside & outside- which do you like?
Read my track-by-track and let me know!
W FACE -inside-
01. BRIDGET SONG
Kumi brings back memories with this sweet pop song. It reminds me of her old gem "Someday" but it's actually a new fresh sound for her. The bittersweet, yet inspiring lyrics really make you face your daily routine with confidence and a smile.
I particularly like Kumi's soft and natural voice on this track as well as the beautiful piano production 7/10
02. Bring It On
Fans already know this song as Kumi has been performing this live since 2014 so I was very upset when I found out Bring It On was going to be featured in this album. Two years of waiting since the last album and gurl, you include an old, ugly outtake in such a short tracklist? This means bad value-for-money for "inside" and the song is also a very basic and annoying pop-rock thing that should have stayed forgotten in the Bon Voyage Blu-Ray/DVD in 2014 as it only works live.
Being an old filler it scores a low grade 4.5/10
03. Yorokobi no Kakera (喜びのかけら)
Here's the first power ballad of the album and it's exactly what you would expect from Kumi, if this is good or bad it's up to you. I personally love her ballads although many of them tend to be overwhelming with a redundant production and excessive vocals.
Yorokobi no Kakera is luckily a bit more balanced and controlled than usual and its uplifting melody and lyrics will make you embrace yesterday's pain and welcome the next season with a smile. Having said that, the song doesn't add nothing special to Kuuchan's vast catalogue and I would have preferred her to record different types of ballads like she did for Bon Voyage and WALK OF MY LIFE, still a very good and melodic J-Pop ballad that shows maturity and class thanks to the beautiful vocals 8/10
04. Stand by you
At first I really hated this song and found it nauseating but after getting used to the elegant, powerful melody and getting a glimpse of the heartfelt lyrics I started to like, no scratch that, to LOVE this song! Stand by you is the statement of a love that is not afraid of patience and seeks acceptance. I still think Kumi doesn't sound perfect here and the production, especially in the end, gets unnecessarily too sweet but this is definitely a grower and you can hear Kumi pouring all of her soul into it, a modern Koda Kumi classic 8/10
05. Sukideshite (好きでして)
Why do I love Bon Voyage and WALK OF MY LIFE so much? Because there aren't silly, dated and useless songs like this one. Sukideshite might be Kumi's worst song since Everyday (JAPONESQUE) but I know there's a crowd for this and it's definitely not the worst cute song she's put out so whatever, I'll just skip it... 5/10
06. Kimi Omoi (君想い)
Again, Kumi (better say rhythm zone/avex) recycling an old, ugly song that was first used for a Pachinko exclusive in mid 2014 then recycled as a b-side for the limited 59th single Shhh! Now, I'm not a crazy collector but I suppose that those limited Shhh! and Pachinko Fever: Legend Live copies have just lost their value. Shame. Kimi Omoi isn't even a good ballad, it's just basic and void. An old outtake, allegedly from the Best Second Session/Black Cherry days that should have stayed buried in avex's offices. I'm not paying 2 albums for old garbage. Apparently the Japanese crowd is in love with this...go figure. Since it has been released so many years ago this doesn't rank high 4/10
07. On my way
YASS, Goddess Kumiko Koda gracing our unworthy souls with a beautiful masterpiece!
It was about time for this album to deliver some quality material and On my way is the only true gem you'll find. The understated, yet captivating melody will be stuck in your head while the elegant and classy production will cradle your heart.
I only miss that extra something after the amazing bluesy guitar solo.
And finally Kumi delivers a mature and sophisticated interpretation that shows artistic growth and not nostalgic fanservice 9/10
08. What's up
Standard cheerful pop-rock song with the usual uplifting lyrics Kumi is renowned for.
The chorus is solid and obviously catchy and this will work just fine as the next "towel song" but everything sounds too predictable and artificial, LIFE so GOOD from WALK OF MY LIFE definitely has more edge both sonically and lyrically. Anyway the chorus and verses are fun and the punding beat gets you on your toes 6/10
09. Promise you
This beautiful pop ballad is an instant classic. Of course it's dedicated to Kumi's son and there's nothing more tear-inducing than the love and strength of a mother.
Kumi's vocals are sweet and emotional but the overall production is too simple and the song can sound basic and dated. Still, Promise you is a little pop gem with its charming melody and that perfect chorus to hum to yourself 7.5/10
10. My fun
Composed by Chara, My fun is a new take on Koda Kumi's classic kawaii song. Of course you can hear Chara's distinctive sound (and unfortunately her annoying backing vocals) but Kumi's voice gives some depth to the song.
Apparently Kumi's son is singing "My fun" in the background and that explains the overly childish atmosphere. The interesting progressive pop-rock production adds something new and fresh to Kumi's discography and to this lacking and safe album 7.5/10
As expected, "inside" turns out to be a quite boring and unimaginative pack of songs.
It's a pity that Kumi has decided to stay safe and nostalgic when she has released amazing ballads and mid-tempo songs in the past years that have shown growth, diversity and maturity. I think there's an overall lack of details, beautiful harmonies and backing vocals while and excess of basic productions, predictable lyrics and songs we've already heard before.
Having said that, the most annoying thing is the recycling of Bring It On and Kimi Omoi that really shouldn't be here and drag the whole project down.
There's still a fair number of good songs that will eventually grow on you with more spins and without Bring It On, Sukideshite and Kimi Omoi the album is actually pretty nice. Hopefully Kumi will perform live only the worthy material.
W FACE -inside-
6.5/10
Now let's talk about the real shit, because we all know this is what we have been waiting for.
W FACE -outside-
01. W FACE
The album starts with a BANG! The title track is dope, with a massive beat drop and a powerful bridge, plus hearing Kumi's soft and heavenly vocals over such a hard electro/urban track is pure gold.
I love how bipolar the production sounds which is perfectly representative of the whole double album concept.
The word "bitch" is definitely a hot thing right now in pop music and it might sound pathetic but we know Kuuchan is the Queen of Live and no one, I said no one, can match her level of slayage on a stage which has reached unprecedented peaks at the Best Single Collection Tour in 2016.
Then there's someone screaming in the background, I mean come on! Kumi has already snatched my wig 10/10
02. Ultraviolet
This is weird. I really like the song's structure, it basically has two bridges
(or a very different second verse?) and they're both strong. The lyrics are powerful and inspire to go ahead and "attack like a machine gun" not caring about what people might say. The pre-chorus is amazing and I'm in love with Kumi's vocals so the overall writing is 100% on point.
I have a problem with the production which is a bit over-done and the chorus, a tad repetitive and overwhelming.
Overall, the song reminds me of the amazing Dreaming Now since it's another inspiring and powerful dancey track although not as polished 7.5/10
03. Insane
I love when Kumi mixes urban, rock and electronic productions with these crazy songs
and I think this is where she shines the most and proves she has a special edge and swag.
As a matter of fact, Insane is a testament of Kuuchan's legacy and success.
It follows the amazing style of previous songs like PIECE IN THE PUZZLE, Fake Tongue, Go To The Top, Crank Tha Bass and Boom Boom Boys...adding a trap music flow, very trendy these years. Maybe it's not the best of the bunch and it lacks an instrumental section after the bridge but Insane is one of the highlights from the album 9.5/10
04. Damn real
God knows how much I've missed Kumi's r&b mid-tempos! Damn real is probably the most trendy song of the album taking notes from Justin Bieber, Zayn Malik, The Chainsmoker and The Weekend, enriched with Kumi's best vocals. The duality of the production, again, really captures the W FACE concept going from soft and gentle moments to the amazing beat drop. Unfortunately the song is missing a good bridge to add a different twist 9.5/10
05. Heartless
Here's the only ballad of the album and it's a very raw, stripped down piano ballad which is luckily something different than what's on the inside part of the album showing some diversity.
Hearing Kumi's beautiful voice breaking down and showing its imperfections is really moving and along with the lyrics, the song tells us we can sometimes be our own worst enemy.
Heartless has definitely a more western and basic melody and might appeal to more international fans, I really like this song and my only complaint is Kumi getting too screechy in the chorus...gurl, you're a contralto, stop acting like a soprano, I'm personally not a big fan of this ballad, it sounds too basic and forced but I praise the attempt of doing some so raw and unpolished 7/10
06. Bassline
Hot mama is back and serving sex! Bassline is definitely the sexiest song Kumi has released in a while and the retro-pop, but still very urban sound is perfect for her.
The second verse is gold and Kumi is really giving us some quality vocals, then the rap part is dope. I think a little change in the production after the bridge would have made the song perfect but alas, Bassline is just stellar 9/10
07. Shhh!
Instant classic! As soon as this track was released I had to hit a weave shop 'cause Kumi was snatching my wig so hard. Shhh! is playful, edgy and a lot of fun! You can hear Kumi is having a blast recording the song and the live performance at the Best Single Collection Tour proves she's the only reigning Queen of Live!
The pounding beat goes well with the great bassline and the unexpected retro-gaming synth. The jazzy bridge then takes the song to a wole new level 10/10
08. Bangerang
The snippet of this song was really promising but then the actual song kind of disappoints.
It's not bad per se but it feels dated and rather pedestrian. There's a bit of Pitbull and a Ciara's Crank'n'B type of beat; the bridge features some nice backing vocals but can't enhance the song that much and Bangerang falls short.
Of course we're all gonna twerk to this feeling extra sassy anyway, it's still a nice album track with silky vocals 7/10
09. Wicked Girls
This is of course Winner Gilrs' follow-up and while it's not as interesting and powerful, Wicked Girls is still damn catchy and fun and has one of the best bridges in the album adding more replay-value. I love all the vocal variations in the last chorus and the overall rhythmical strength, well written pop song 8/10
10. Cupcake feat. AKLO
This is the most urban song on the album and I think it's misplaced as the closing track. The repetitive chorus is vert catchy and full of swag but other than that the song tends to be dated, boring and weak. AKLO can't really add something special to the song neither even if his English is more than adequate. Cupcake is the least powerful song on -outside- along with Bangerang and Heartless but its dark atmosphere gives it a more interesting edge also thanks to some rockish elements, might have worked best as a shorter intro 6.5/10
W FACE -outside- is definitely more interesting than -inside- and it's a pretty consistent album.
In this regards, it reminds me of WALK OF MY LIFE which is extremely "in your face" and overwhelms you with powerful songs one after the other.
Unfortunately, W FACE -outside- isn't as strong and forward-thinking, on the contrary, it's a much more contemporary album with trendy productions that feels safer and less unique.
A welcomed merit here it's the overall vocal production which is warm and soft, a more suitable direction for Kumi's silky voice.
I don't dislike any of the 10 songs but in my opinion, with such a short tracklist the material should be much stronger or at least in the league of W FACE, Shhh!, Damn Real, Insane and Bassline which are definitely the best songs on the album.
W FACE -outside-
8.5/10
In conclusion, both albums don't represent a sensible step-up in Kumi's career; they're cohesive, they're nice but unfortunately, nothing to rave about for years and after so much waiting I feel a bit disappointed. Outside is a much stronger album and a good one indeed, maybe getting rid of the unnecessary fillers and releasing a single album including the best tracks from outside and inside could have been wiser but also less profitable so I understand the concept.
Nevertheless, W FACE provides Kumi plenty of material to put on an amazing new tour, especially if older and underperformed songs will be implemented into the setlist.
So after all, nothing has changed: I'm always hyped for Kuuchan!!
-inside-
6.5/10
-outside-
8.5/10
W FACE
~Koda Kumi Italian FC Edit~
