Misia [Kiss in the Sky] (Fourth Album)

眠れぬ夜は君のせい (Nemurenu Yoru wa Kimi no Sei; My sleepless nights are your fault)
over bit
Destiny’s rule
LAILA
恋唄 (Koiuta; Love song)
Don’t stop music!
Fly away
Always
風に吹かれて (Kaze ni Fukarete; Blown by the wind)
果てなく続くストーリー (Hatenaku Tsuzuku Story; Never ending continuing story)
Shining Star
太陽がいるから (Taiyou ga Iru Kara; Because there’s the sun)
飛び方を忘れた小さな鳥 (Tobikata wo Wasureta Chiisana Tori; Small bird that has forgotten how to fly)

The album starts off with the down-tempo 眠れぬ夜は君のせい (Nemurenu Yoru wa Kimi no Sei; My sleepless nights are your fault). Ah, I really love this title. You have to be a certain type of person to actually enjoy this song, otherwise you will probably be bored by it. The arrangement is rather nice, I definitely loved the piano. Misia’s vocals were pretty mild and I’m glad she didn’t over do it, it was all pretty much straight to the point. I found my interest waning a bit while listening to this (only coming back somewhat during the chorus), but all in all given time this is an all right, albeit long track.

The next track on the album is the mid-tempo over bit. This song had so much potential, because its not even a bad song, but for some reason its just very uninteresting to me and I found myself hardly paying attention to it. The arrangement sounds a bit similar to the previous track, so that threw me off a bit. Misia’s vocals were good, but I hardly cared for them and in turn failed to pull me into the song. The title is a bit odd though, I wonder what it means?

The next track on the album is the casual Destiny’s rule. This song is pretty hit or miss and definitely a hard song to review. I like it, but at the same time I don’t like it. The arrangement is pretty mellow, which is fine and actually suits the calm atmosphere of the song. Misia’s vocals are pretty good as well, she doesn’t overdo it and keeps the pace pretty light. This is a nice song, but at the same time it can go completely over your head, because it doesn’t really do much.

The next track on the album is the annoying LAILA. This song had the potential to be pretty good, but it just doesn’t quite manage it. The arrangement is pretty much just there, I hardly noticed it, but that could be because I was too busy trying to stop my head from splitting open at Misia’s rather abysmal vocal performance. I mean her vocals aren’t bad per say, I’ve heard worse, but they for some reason just really grated on my nerves in this track. Its pretty stale.

The next track on the album is the light 恋唄 (Koiuta; Love song) I actually expected this song to be a lot slower than what it was, but I’m pretty glad it didn’t go in such a typical direction. The arrangement sounded urban in a not so obvious way and was very nice on the ears. Misia’s vocals were also quite good, I loved her the most during the chorus. This is a song that I would listen to every once in a while, because its one of those songs that you get tired of, but it always (every once in a while) makes for a good listen.

The next track on the album is the hard-hitting Don’t stop music!. I’ll admit, for about 0.5 seconds I honestly thought I was going to hate this song, in the end I almost love it. The arrangement is pretty typical for a song like this, very synthy and almost sounds like a rock, electronica song, which was pretty neat and oddly fitting. Misia’s great and rather into it vocal performance was what made this song, I mean the: ‘don’t stop music, hey mr. dj’ just stays and its one of those parts to a song that you’re almost compelled to sing along too. This song also sounds like either one or two other songs that I can’t think of at the moment, but that’s mostly because of how Misia sings the chorus and the arrangement.

The next track on the album is the smooth Fly away. There’s not much I can say about this song to be truthful. The arrangement was fitting, it was rnb of course, though tweaked a bit. Misia’s vocal performance was good, because when is it not? So, all in all I liked this track and I like it even more because it was long, but didn’t seem long at all.

The next track on the album is the down-tempo Always. This is a really nice song, but like the last track there isn’t really much to say about it other than I really liked the simple piano arrangement and Misia’s genuine vocal performance. It gives off an, ‘i’ll always love you feeling’ which is quite nice and despite it being over five minutes it never felt long.

The next track on the album is the mid-tempo 風に吹かれて (Kaze ni Fukarete; Blown by the wind). This song is rather refreshing, that’s the first thing that came to my mind when it started. The constant tinkle of the melody was very nice and gave the song a very Middle Eastern flavor. I also loved Misia’s vocals in this track, the chorus is the definite highlight. It gives you this sort a free-fall type feeling, that is actually quite welcome.

The next track on the album is the down-tempo 果てなく続くストーリー (Hatenaku Tsuzuku Story; Never ending continuing story). I’ll start off by saying this is definitely a song for those of you –such as myself– who love down-tempo tracks, otherwise you’ll be bored, because the song goes nowhere and does only what it should. The arrangement is your typical weepy piano melody, but its fitting and Misia’s vocals are also good, especially during the climax. This song can become pretty dull, but if you’re a ballad whore like I am it won’t really matter.

The next track on the album is the laid-back Shining Star. Hmm? This song is pretty chill and I really like that. The arrangement is very a la Musiq Soulchild, I don’t know why, but I just love how smooth and hot summer’s day in Harlem it sounds, very mellow. Misia’s vocal performance was very calm, n-sync with the arrangement, she got into the song a bit, mostly during the chorus, but she kept the pace and made this a nice and rather endearing listen.

The next track on the album is the half and half 太陽がいるから (Taiyou ga Iru Kara; Because there’s the sun). I don’t even know, but this is just one of those songs you like, because you just like it. This is a typical Misia song, it really is. I mean a nice clean beat and a great vocal performance and good backing vocals as well, plus its long and full of soul. It seems very throw-back to the seventies and sounds almost like a disco track. I like this, but the length makes it drag a bit and I was honestly wondering when it was going to end. This is not a song I would just listen to, but every once in a while it’ll offer a good listen.

The last track on the album is the somewhat power ballad 飛び方を忘れた小さな鳥 (Tobikata wo Wasureta Chiisana Tori; Small bird that has forgotten how to fly). I sort a like this song, because its not very easy to not like a Misia song, fan or not. The arrangement is a simple, yet distinct piano melody that does its part. Misia’s vocals are good, but during the chorus it rises and even for myself whom is a huge fan of Misia’s voice, I thought the performance a bit grating. This song is pretty hit or miss, some people like me for instance really go for songs like this, others who aren’t so into ballads will find this a dull listen.

-GRADE: B
Rating: ** stars

Misia’s fourth album Kiss in the Sky was a fine album, but for it to be one of her earlier ones, I’d still listen to Ascension and Eighth World before I’d listen to this. I’m wondering if its just me, but not one song on this album really stood out, because I honestly can’t remember not one track, despite liking most of the album. It doesn’t make it a bad album, just average. Misia displayed some good vocals, though that’s nothing new. I like the title, but the album in my opinion is not one of her best. Misia is always worth listening to though, regardless.

Misia [Catch the Rainbow] (21st Single)

Catch the Rainbow
Joyful Moment
Catch the Rainbow (Sakoshin 808 Mix)
Catch the Rainbow (Mega Raiders Electro Mix)
Catch the Rainbow (Mega Raiders Floor Mix)
Catch the Rainbow (The Lowbrows “Turn up the Bass” Remix)
Catch the Rainbow (The Lowbrows “Turn up the Bass” Dub)
Catch the Rainbow (Gomi’s Old School Remix)

Misia’s 21st single starts off with the a-side Catch the Rainbow. I had no idea that Misia was going to release this as a full single, because I had planned on reviewing the digital, but changed my mind when this came out. Its still as addicting as it was when I first listened to it. Misia has such great dance tracks, some of the best I’ve ever heard period. The arrangement sounds so funky an old school I just love it and really wish she had included the instrumental. Misia’s vocals are great as usual, definitely love how she chose to sing this, though in all truth the beat makes this entire track.

The next track on the single is its b-side Joyful Moment. This song slows the pace down a little and though it didn’t jump out at me on first listen, by the end I found it quite enjoyable and actually hope to hear it on her next studio album. The arrangement is pretty fresh, which was what I expected and I’m glad it wasn’t as down-tempo as it could have been, it gave the song a very soulful and positive vibe that was a serious breath of fresh air. Misia’s vocals were great, because when are they not, seriously? I could listen to her forever, and I’m actually shocked that there’s a few songs from her that I don’t favor because Misia has the type of voice that will make you like songs you wouldn’t normally like. All in all, this was a good b-side.

This single also comes with a slew of remixes. They all pretty much suck… well in my opinion.

-GRADE: B+
Rating: ** stars

Misia’s 23rd single Catch the Rainbow was good. Misia has had some good singles leading up to her as of not mentioned ninth album, my favorite being Yes Forever which I’ll be reviewing at some point. I’m anticipating this next album so bad. I’m glad she extended this into a single, because ‘catch the rainbow’ deserved it by being such an addicting dance track and the milder Joyful Moment compliments it perfectly. I could have done without the pointless remixes though, they kind a brought the single down a bit.

Misia [Eighth World] (Eighth Album)

以心伝心 (Ishin Denshin; Telepathy)
ANY LOVE
Royal Chocolate Flush
November -Interlude-
MISSING AUTUMN
To Be In Love
裸足の季節 (Hadashi no Kisetsu; Barefooted season)
Chandelier
Hybrid Breaks -Interlude-
Dance Dance
太陽の地図 (Taiyou no Chizu; Map of the Sun)
そばにいて… (Sobani ite…; Stay by my side…)
君は草原に寝ころんで (Kimi wa Sougen ni Nekoronde; You lay down on the grasslands)
太陽のマライカ (Taiyou no Malaika; Sunny Malaika)

The first track on the album is the up-tempo 以心伝心 (Ishin Denshin; Telepathy). This song absolutely blows me away. I did not like this song when I first listened to this album and honestly, what? What made me love this song, was a live I seen from her latest Tour. Wow. The arrangement is so kick-ass, I love how it sounds so dramatic, like the music you’d use to introduce someone bad-ass or something. Its so unique. Misia’s vocals are just good, period. I mean she really knows how to bring it, and I find I like her up-tempo songs like this a lot more than I do her down-tempo songs. This was such a great start to the album. ‘We connect!’ It makes you so anxious to hear the rest.

The next track on the album is the soothing ANY LOVE. How incredible is this song? I mean really. Misia certainly delivers with this touching down-tempo track. A nice arrangement that gives off such a distinct and rather appreciated African-flare and a top-notch vocal performance, with a chorus that just sticks: ‘any love is…’ I adored the video. This is just one touching song and the message is so felt.

The next track on the album is the up-tempo Royal Chocolate Flush. This is one of my favorite Misia songs, and right up there with Escape and Future Funk as songs that are so ridiculously catchy you have no choice but to love them. The arrangement is very funky, a dance synthed beat full of rhythm. It just stays with you. Misia’s vocals are just great, she really got into this song and I loved the break-down part during the bridge. This is such a fun song, and I loved the video.

The next track is the brief November -Interlude-. Um… nothing really happens, its a bit pointless.

The next track on the album is the rather background-ish MISSING AUTUMN. Hmm? This song is unmemorable in a sense, but for some reason it really leaves an impression. The arrangement is nice, very fitting, but nothing special. Misia’s vocal performance was pretty strong and went well with the whole flow of the song. I like this track because its uncomplicated. It just kind a is, and because Autumn is my favorite season.

The next track on the album is the long-winded To Be In Love. This song is really just exasperating, on so many levels. I always feel tired after listening to this, because it just goes on forever, for seemingly no reason at all. The arrangement is pretty slow, nice in a sense, but boring overall. Misia’s vocals are good, because when are they not? But I just had a hard time paying attention or even caring, because once again it seemed like I was being forced too, and I just couldn’t be bothered. This song is long, and not a good kind of long either, but a: ‘will this song ever end, because its putting me to sleep,’ long.

The next track on the album is the seasonal 裸足の季節 (Hadashi no Kisetsu; Barefooted season). Seasonal? What? This song really made me think of Autumn, what with its mellow and calm vibe. I just got such a genuine vibe from this song, that was really nice. Misia’s vocals are strong in a quiet sort of way, I mean she really knows how to control her voice so it doesn’t sound like she’s doing too much unnecessarily. I mean she sung this song with a genuineness that I found charming. This song won’t appeal to everyone, it also sounds very old-fashioned. I liked it though.

The next track on the album is the somewhat mid-tempo Chandelier. This is a pretty hit or miss song, because its not bad and its not good either, its just trapped in the middle. The arrangement was weird but interesting at the same time. Misia’s vocals were fine. I mean I listened to this song three times and just can’t decide on whether I like it or not, but in truth after three listens, I don’t really think I like it. Its just something about this song that goes completely over my head and annoys me.

The next track on the album is Hybrid Breaks -Interlude-. Finally, an interlude that doesn’t seem completely pointless. Its what I would call computerized rock, that sounds very nice and can actually get you to moving your head, with head-phones on of course. Then at the end a man says: ‘welcome to the eighth world’ pretty neat interlude.

The next track on the album is the mid-tempo Dance Dance. This isn’t a very interesting dance-like song from Misia, because she’s had better but I think the reason why I like this is because it doesn’t ask for much, and is as simple as dance songs get. The arrangement is nice, its very rhythmic and you can definitely move your body to it. Misia’s vocals are a bit tame, which is appropriate and just what this song asked for. Its a nice track.

The next track on the album is the airy 太陽の地図 (Taiyou no Chizu; Map of the Sun). I didn’t too much like this song when I first heard it, now I’m wondering what was wrong with me. This is definitely one of those songs that can almost certainly make you feel up when you’re feeling down. The arrangement is very lively, and just so good on the ears. Misia’s vocals were wonderful and she brought such life and warmth and sincerity to this song, that it really makes you smile, truly. I just adore this song.

The next track on the album is the down-tempo そばにいて… (Sobani ite…; Stay by my side…). This is a perfect example of how less works. Its a very simple song, and that’s where it shines. The nice piano arrangement and Misia’s good vocal performance, where she sings this song at a steady and accurate pace and doesn’t try to do too much. This was a nice, and somewhat quiet listen.

The second to last track on the album is the nice 君は草原に寝ころんで (Kimi wa Sougen ni Nekoronde; You lay down on the grasslands). This title is very interesting, and so is the song. The arrangement sounded very African, as in banging on the congo drums African–I really, really liked that aspect of the song, because it made it sound so natural. Its like you could practically feel the breeze and see the grass. Misia’s vocal performance was good, I mean her voice got a bit high throughout, mostly during the chorus and that can be a bit grating, but its easily over looked. This is a really nice listen.

The last track on the album is the weepy 太陽のマライカ (Taiyou no Malaika; Sunny Malaika). I mean that in a good way. This was a pretty dramatic way to end the album. The arrangement was fitting and Misia’s vocal performance was strong and controlled. I really liked when she would sing: ‘endless love’, it just sounded so nice. I don’t really get this song, and it almost seems like an add-on, but it does fit right in with the whole flow of this album.

-GRADE: A-
Rating: **1/2 stars

Misia’s eighth album Eighth World is a solid album, and I’ll go as far as to say its a step up from her previous album Ascension. Misia is one of those rare artists who never really disappoints me, I may find that I dislike a song, but I never hate it and given the right time I may actually grow to like it. This album really impressed me this time around, because its so simple and in this case, simple works. All the arrangements were fitting, and Misia used her voice in all the right ways, never under-singing or over-singing, but singing just right. The album started out strong with the first three songs just blowing me away, it a got a bit lukewarm in the middle but it evened itself out with some good plays. The ending was calm and suitable and leaves you with a good feeling. Eighth World may not be one of her best albums, but it sure is a good one. Misia always knows how to bring it.

Misia [Yakusoku no Tsubasa (約束の翼, Wings of Promise)] (20th Single)

Yakusoku no Tsubasa (約束の翼, Wings of Promise)
So Beautiful
ANY LOVE (SINKIROH ENCORE MIX)
To Be In Love (STUDIO APARTMENT REMIX)

Misia’s 20th single starts off with the a-side Yakusoku no Tsubasa (約束の翼, Wings of Promise). Misia is a lot like Mika Nakashima when it comes to songs that are long, but don’t really feel long. Its like you enjoy listening to them sing said song so much, you don’t ever want it to end. The arrangement is pretty dramatic in a somber and hopeful type way all mixed into one, it was very fitting. Misia’s vocals are of course as dramatic as the arrangement is, but she doesn’t overdue or try too hard to pull at the awe strings. She sings this song the way its suppose to be sung, without the overkill. Misia like few artists do, has a naturally great voice and she certainly uses it to her advantage. This is a good song.

The next track on the single is the b-side So Beautiful. I had to listen to this song twice, because I didn’t too much like it. Mostly half and half. I liked the verses, but the arrangement seemed a bit annoying. The second time the song seemed to flow together right, and I believe eventually it’ll grow on me. The arrangement is simple, kind a serious, but still nice. Misia’s vocals, were appropriate (what?), low during the verses a bit high during the chorus, all in all another good song.

The single also comes with two remixes, ANY LOVE (SINKIROH ENCORE MIX) and To Be In Love (STUDIO APARTMENT REMIX). They were both some pretty damn good remixes.

-GRADE: A
Rating: *** stars

Misia’s 20th single Yakusoku no Tsubasa is a really good single. Yakusoku no Tsubasa was a nice and dramatic ballad that really leaves an impression. So Beautiful was a bit overshadowed by the a-side, but it still did its part and I’m sure its going to grow on me. The remixes were actually quite good, I’m still reeling from how good they are.

Misia [Ascension] (Seventh Album)

Color of Life
FUTURE FUNK
REMEMBER LADY
TYO
太陽がくれたプレゼント (Taiyou ga Kureta Present; Present from the sun)
Stay in my heart
月 (Tsuki; Moon)
SHININ’～虹色のリズム～ (SHININ’ ~Nijiiro no Rhythm~; SHININ’~Rainbow-colored rhythm~)
砂の城 (Suna no Shiro; Sand castle)
Angel
LUV PARADE
We Are The Music
Song For You
星の銀貨 (Hoshi no Ginka; Silver star coin)
SEA OF DREAMS

The album starts off with the African-esque Color of Life. I more often than not find myself absolutely loving Misia’s album openers, and this is no exception. Misia really comes up with some great beats and arrangements, I think I actually heard a flute in here, and the flow of the song was very airy and really made me think of Africa. The African dialect at the beginning had nothing to do with it, the whole song screams it really. The vocal performance from Misia was good as usual, I really never have a problem with her vocals. The ‘color of life!’ part of the chorus had to be the best part of the song.

The next track is the infectious and up-tempo FUTURE FUNK. When I first saw the title to this song, I was like please don’t let this be some psychedelic acid-trip. I knew I was going to love this when the beat started and the repeated, ‘lady!’ and ’shake it, shake it!’ bled through. Misia really has some damn good dance tracks, and this is top five. I love everything about this song, it’s so old school yet still has a modern flare to it. I mean Misia doesn’t really take advantage of this song on her tours, which is a shame, because this is a really good concert song and is more than guaranteed to get the crowd up and moving.

The next track on the album is the lovely and down-tempo REMEMBER LADY. It starts off with a beautiful and rather familiar piano solo, (like I seriously have heard this before in another song, but I can’t put my finger on what that song is). There’s also a snap, clap beat that becomes the dominant sound as the piano fades more into the background. Misia’s vocals were soft and smooth, and I loved how she sang, ‘remember lady’ it just came across so sad and longing like to me.

The next track is the utterly forgettable TYO. I have no idea what it stands for, and personally I don’t really care. It’s another up-tempo track, but in this case it doesn’t make you want to get up and dance as much as it makes you want to get up and change the song. I mean the beat is very static, I hardly cared for it, and thought it sounded like a whole bunch of noise. Misia’s voice was very loud in this track, and the background vocals were a little irritating. I don’t know this song isn’t all bad, maybe its pretty good live–because I didn’t like Ishindenshin at first, but when I heard it live, it blew me away and now I love it. Though I don’t think I will ever truly like TYO, it’s just not memorable at all.

The next track is the rather mellow 太陽がくれたプレゼント (Taiyou ga Kureta Present; Present from the sun). I don’t know why I didn’t like this song at first, maybe because at first listen it just seemed so boring to me. Misia doesn’t do much vocal wise, I mean her voice stays pretty consistent and at the same somewhat slow-pace, only changing a little towards the end when she starts aud-libbing. The arrangement has a really lovely Island beat to it, that makes it very calming and sweet. The atmosphere of the song is very intimate and peaceful, which makes this song a very nice listen.

The next track on the album is the down-tempo Stay in my heart. It starts off with Misia singing in acappella, which was rather nice and then it goes into the song. The song doesn’t try to do much but what it should, and I think that’s why I like it so much. The arrangement is very consistent and goes along perfectly with Misia’s strong and sincere vocal performance.

The next track on the album ups the pace just a bit, but is still relatively slow-paced. 月 (Tsuki; Moon) is similar to the previous track in which I can’t really say much about it, other than it’s a good song. I mean both songs were good while they played, but were forgotten once they ended. Tsuki features a good vocal performance from Misia, she put a lot of depth in her voice, mostly during the chorus, and it really made you feel it. I also like how her voice got high, and how the arrangement was there, but not intrusive.

The next track is the irritating SHININ’～虹色のリズム～ (SHININ’ ~Nijiiro no Rhythm~; SHININ’~Rainbow-colored rhythm~). This song is very hit or miss with me, but mostly miss. The arrangement is nice, the drums make everything very homely and Misia’s vocals are good as usual, its just that the song is just really annoying to me, mostly when Misia cries: ’shinin’ in my life!’ or something to that effect, its just really grating, that and the fact that the song isn’t really all that interesting.

The next track on the album is the lukewarm 砂の城 (Suna no Shiro; Sand castle). I liked the whole waltz of the arrangement, very beautiful and atmospheric. Misia’s vocal performance was strong as well, but very underwhelming and I’m not sure why that is so, since I did think she sung this song very well. I guess I was just hoping that it would be a power ballad or something, since the whole flow of the song just screams that. It seems very anti-climactic; I was hoping for some sort of climax and there just isn’t one–plus the song is very boring and forgettable.

The next track is the down-tempo and underwhelming Angel. You always have to have one of these. Anyways this song is pretty unimpressive, the arrangement is basic but nice I guess and Misia’s voical performance was a little much. This song is rather slow-paced, and it seemed like Misia was doing more than what was necessary which made the song impossible. It also seems to go on forever, or should I say drag on forever, which makes this song very dull and incredibly boring.

The next track on the album is the somewhat up-tempo LUV PARADE. For some reason this song in the beginning sounded very awkward to me, almost like Misia was singing either faster than the arrangement or slower and it was all very odd. The arrangement is rather up-beat and somewhat fun. Misia’s vocals seem to get back on track towards the second half of the song, and it does get a bit interesting, but the song is also pretty tedious and that sort of ruins it for me.

The next track is the charming We are the music. The arrangement isn’t anything special, but it does work, it has a sparkle like quality to it that is very nice. Misia’s vocals were good as well. The song isn’t really all that interesting, but it’s still a song I rather enjoyed listening to, especially the–’we are the music’. The arrangement is also a lot nicer than I gave it credit for.

The next track is the down-tempo and wistful Song For You. The arrangement is very slow, and melancholy. Misia’s vocals are really good in this song, though towards the end she hits what should have been an impressive Mariah-esque high note, but when it was over she continues singing the way she had been singing previously, as if she had never hit the high note. I felt awkward and the feeling was weird. It seemed so out of place. Anyways, I really liked this song, it was nice in a sad kind of way.

The second to last track on the album is the somewhat up-tempo 星の銀貨 (Hoshi no Ginka; Silver star coin). This has a bit of pep in it, which is very refreshing, and hasn’t been heard since Future Funk. I love the arrangement its so infectious, even though it doesn’t really do much. The chorus is catchy, and engaging and Misia’s vocal performance is great.

The last song on the album is SEA OF DREAMS. Its actually the Tokyo Disney’s 5th Anniversary theme song, and what a good and somewhat epic theme song it is. I just love the title, ’sea of dreams’ the arrangement is very Disney-esque and makes me very nostalgic. Misia’s vocal performance in this was just wonderful and really brought this song to life, making it nearly magical.

-GRADE: B+
Rating: ** stars

Misia’s seventh album Ascension is a solid album. I was very indifferent with this album when I first heard it a couple years back, because honestly I didn’t listen to it much, because it didn’t really strike my interest. The song I was most likely to listen to was of course Future Funk and that was really the only song I found myself repeatedly listening to–but when you take the time to actually listen to an album you realize how good or how bad it actually is. I found myself liking songs I didn’t at first like such as Stay in my heart and Tsuki, and disliking songs I liked at first such as Suna no Shiro and Angel. The arrangements are a little downgraded compared to what I’m used to from Misia, I mean normally when I don’t like a Misia song I always find myself loving the arrangements, but then again Misia unfortunately has a way of making an already boring song, even more boring or an already annoying song even more annoying. I really wished that Misia would have had more up-tempo songs on here, to round out Future Funk and Hoshi no Ginka. I mean I love down-tempo and ballads as much as the next person, but not when they come right after the other and seem to get worse and worse instead of better and better. Misia does display some great vocals, though I felt at times she tended to do more with her tones than what was necessary and it came off very long-winded. I still like this album, It’s not bad at all and to repeat what I said at first a really solid album, with a bit of variety. However I did expect Ascension to be a lot more ground-breaking than it was.