Review by Musa

This album is much better than Kuu-chan's last album, "Kingdom." She's back to her hot dance tracks and beautiful ballad songs. The standout tracks are "show girl" and "This is not a love song." Of course, "TABOO" is the jem of this album, it's an awesome dance track that I have yet to get tired of. There's only 6 music videos on the second dvd, a pretty low number for Kuu-chan. And while I always love her live shows, the weird editing and visual effects incorporated in this dvd make it impossible to watch. I had to turn it off!! This cd would be good for hardcore Kuu-chan fans, but if you just want the music, skip this one and get the one sans the dvds.

I first heard mink on the Amazing Nuts! single, and quickly ordered one of her singles and albums. Her voice is amazingly soothing, and the songs on this single are all so sweet and calming. All 3 of the tracks (plus 3 karaoke) are from the movie "Aoki Ookami Chi Hate Umi Tsukirumade" and the real standout song on here is "BLESSING OF LOVE," a beautiful ballad about love and hope. I highly recommend this single!

I had the pleasure of seeing Anna Tsuchiya in concert at Anime Expo 2007 (front row seats & at the middle of the arena!), and this is where I first heard the title track from this single, BUBBLE TRIP. 1. BUBBLE TRIP: This is quite simply one of my favorite Anna songs so far, even though it is very different from her normal "rock" sound. It has a great dance beat to it, and the music video for this song is so cute! 2. sweet sweet song: Like the title says, this is a slower tempo, more mellow song that exudes happiness. It has a similar feel to "Give me kiss & kiss" from her album "strip me?" 3. BUBBLE TRIP (STUDIO APARTMENT Mix): An okay remix of the title track. The original version of the song is much better. I gave this single only 4 stars because it doesn't come with any karaoke (like all her other singles), and because I really want a karaoke version of BUBBLE TRIP. Other than that, a great single!

This cd is a vocal collection of OLIVIA's contributions to the Nana anime. The songs themselves are simply amazing, with a rock edge to them coupled with OLIVIA's beautiful voice singing for Layla. Standout songs include: 1. a little pain- Lovely ballad-type song that really delves into the heart and feeling that makes up the Nana series. 2. Wish- A wonderful rock song with lots of energy. Very reminiscent of Trapnest! 7. Winter sleep- A beautiful ballad that really tugs at your heartstrings. I've listened to this song a couple hundred times! The only downfall to this album is the DVD. I wish it could've included more clips from the Nana Street Live performance! It only comes with 2 (same for Anna Tsuchiya's Nana album). This is the only reason I gave this cd a 4 out of 5, otherwise it would've been perfect!

I initially bought this cd because I saw that Beni had her own version of the Kim Possible OP, Call Me, Beep Me. I was pleasantly surprised to find that I really enjoyed the rest of the single as well. I only gave it a 4, though, because the karaoke tracks are really instrumental and don't include BG vocals: 1. Hikari no Kazu Dake Glamorous- A nice island-y feel to it. Pretty simple song, mellow, but catchy after a few rounds. 2. THE POWER- What the title says, a powerful vocal piece sung in English and Japanese. Very good song! 3. CALL ME, BEEP ME!- (Disney TV [Kim Possible] OP) Better version than the original! 4. Hikari no Kazu Dake Glamorous (Karaoke)- Instrumental 5. THE POWER (Karaoke)- Instrumental DVD 1. Hikari no Kazu Dake Glamorous- PV

1. Umi Made 5fun- [Theme from the TV drama of the same name] Typical mellow 90s pop song. Nothing particularly stands out about this song. 2. Sleepless Night Blues- The c/w is actually a rather catchy number that reminds me a lot of the TV anime Gunsmith Cats. Cool, jazzy feel with repetitive lyrics. 3. Umi Made 5fun (Karaoke)- true karaoke

Track 1 is a fun kind of driving in the car down the streets of SoCal song. It's a relatively mellow song compared to track 2. Everyone who has had Kumi Kouda's & SOULHEAD's other collaboration, D.D.D., on repeat for the past few months will actually enjoy this fresh new take on basically the same song. XXX is a sequel to D.D.D., but features more vocals of SOULHEAD this time around. I'm glad I have something else to put in my playlist along w/ D.D.D. Yay for awesome songs!!

Out of the "12 week" singles, this is by far the best one. The combination of Kumi's amazing vocal range and SOULHEAD's "Lil' Kim"-esque rap sequences, this song is an absolute winner. One of the catchiest songs I've ever heard! (Also features instrumental version for karaoke buffs)