Greetings to all!
After the avalanche of new songs and videos posted in the previous two weeks, this was a stagnant week. And that refers not only to the quantity but also the quality of music published. Let's get pissed at Idols.
Passcode - Ray
After a really long wait, Passcode released the MV for their upcoming single, titled Ray. When I saw that there is a new video by Passcode I eagerly pressed on play. Then a huge W T F began forming in the air around me. Both the song and the video suck. Big time.
So, you are Passcode. One of the reasons for your success are the excellent music videos. XYZ, Now I Know, From Here, Ninja Bomber, all are great songs but also have fantastic videos. Now that you have a budget from a major record label is this the best you can do? The most generic and lazy type of video? Even Miss Unlimited had more things to see than this.
Then again, Miss Unlimited was a great song. The video was just an excuse to listen to the song in repeat. Now, is this the best you can do for a single? It certainly has all the elements found in a Passcode song. But this a generic J-pop song with those elements just sprinkled on top. And it's not even a good J-pop song! For some reason the song Mikansei Silhouette by Sakura Gakuin came to my mind. Compared to Ray, not just Mikansei Silhouette but any song from the album Kizuna sounds like a loud idol epic. I cannot even blame Universal Japan for this because groups tend to create their best and heavier stuff under this company.
Last week, regarding Babymetal's Distortion, I wrote that we expect more from Babymetal. I gave it a pass though because it was a Babymetal song -albeit a simplistic one. The stakes were also too high to risk anything. I cannot do the same for Ray. Yes, Passcode, had songs in that style before. They were mostly there to create an ever bigger diversity to their sound though, not the main songs. And they had a soul in them. If Passcode want to become Bish in the place of Bish they should let us know because I don't like traditional Idols.
To conclude, I'll pass on this release. I hope that in a couple of years, Ray will be considered a bleep in the awesomeness of Passcode.
Broken by the Scream - Message
Thank God for BBTS. They release one great song after another and they worked their miracle again. At the end of this disappointing week, they release this masterpiece. I don't know what to write about it. Maybe perfection can't be described; it can only be experienced!
Throwback: Sakura Gakuin - Mikansei Silhouette
Since I referred to Mikansei Silhouette by Sakura Gakuin, I feel that I need to present it. For me, Kizuna was the best album by Sakura Gakuin and this is the best song from that album. Unfortunately, there is no official video for this song, so I will share a live clip.
There is a problem though, when I feel that Passcode can be compared to a totally traditional Idol group...