[New Release + Digest] Mika Nakashima - REAL

CD+DVD | CD

Mika Nakashima is giving us some Lady Gaga The Fame Monster wig realness in the covers for her upcoming album REAL. I don't think they're particularly amazing but she does look really pretty there. It's also the first time she's using 2 different covers again since YES that is not simply one of her opening her eyes and closing in the other. Speaking of which, I still can't get over the hideousness of her VOICE covers. She essentially looks like an aerobics student who got lost in the woods halfway through and is trying to hear the aerobics music to find her way back.

But much like VOICE, as you would hear in the digest later below, the album tracks for REAL sound very reminiscent of VOICE's - gentle, easy listening, etc. It doesn't really hit you HARD from what I've heard so far, and even the most rock-influenced album track, PASSION, in the digest doesn't really stand out. 

Nonetheless, this is the kind of music that Mika has always been giving us and I'm looking forward to this album as a whole. I don't see it being as good / better than STAR from what's available so far, but who wouldn't like to be proven wrong? Well, everybody, but you know what I mean. I kinda stopped caring after LOVE IS ECSTASY came out because of all the snooze-worthy singles that came after that. I have read somewhere that she's still having a tough time vocally after that ear incident so I hope she further recovers as her nationwide tour in 2013 looms nearer.

REAL will be released on 30th January 2013.

CD Tracklist

1. Hatsukoi (初恋)
2. DEAR
3. Ashita Sekai ga Owaru Nara (明日世界が終わるなら)
4. PASSION
5. You Knocked Me Out
6. LOVE IS ECSTASY
7. BE REAL
8. SUPER WOMAN
9. SUPREME
10. Pierce (ピアス)
11. Kioku (記憶) - how original after you have a song titled MEMORY
12. Epilogue (エピローグ)
13. LETTER

DVD Tracklist

1. DEAR (Music Video)
2. LOVE IS ECSTASY (Music Video)
3. Ashita Sekai ga Owaru Nara (Music Video)
4. Hatsukoi (Music Video)