Artist: Kis-My-Ft2
Title: Thank youJan!
Release date: 24 DEC 2014
Type: single
Version: regular edition
Packaging: This came with a slip case being the first press edition of the version. The slipcase is a nice sturdy cardboard and the CD case itself feels thicker than the usual CD jewel case. The lyric booklet is part photo book with the lyric pages being mixed in with photo pages for the first half then the second half is just photos. There are five group shots then two sets of individual shots, so plenty to enjoy on the visual level.
Tracks:
1. Thank youじゃん! (Thank youJan!)
A really fun and poppy tune. It really makes me feel that Kisumai is shifting genres as they have been doing more standard pop songs like this with their more recent releases. It starts off with a good deal of energy that is carried through the entire song. The chorus has a nice catchiness to it, especially at the end. I love the use of instruments for the song instead of electronic beats as they add some nice flourishes in the music. While I do not think it is one of the group's stronger A-sides in the past year it is a nice little pop tune.
2. 君にあえるから (Kimi ni Aeru kara)
I really enjoy this B-side, which is a basic pop tune. It starts soft and mid-tempo but with the chorus the music swells and we get the highlight of the track. I would probably put this song on about the same level as the title track, though the chorus is slightly less catchy. And I love how it ends softly, making stand out from the other tracks on the single. It does make use of bells to give it a hint of Christmas flair and the lyrics revolved around that time of the year but not as overtly as the next two songs.
3. Holy night with you
Seeing as this single was released on Christmas eve the two bonus B-sides have strong seasonal connections, with this song being the first. While Kimi ni Aeru kara went lite with the use of bells they are going strong in this song. What I really love about this song is that it really sounds like there are more than three members in the group for a change. Sure Thank youJan has solo lines for those who are not Kitayama Hiromitsu, Fujigaya Taisuke and Tamamori Yuta but the harmonizing in this song goes beyond the usual standard for Kisumai and makes it sound like it is more than the main vocalists singing it.
4. Christmas Kiss
This song has the strongest traditional Christmas song overtones with a bit of an old school sound. It really takes the chorus for it to hit its stride, the verses just do not stand out and seem rather bland, especially compared to the chorus that holds some fun energy. The only exception is the third verse that comes with a change up in the music that keeps the energy of the chorus up the whole time and leads to a stronger end to the song than the rest of it. Overall it is nice enough but not a song I would put on a playlist until around Christmas when I start listening to Christmas themed songs.
Overall: I was not expecting much from this single as I felt with its release date it would end up being Christmas related. I was a bit off the mark as only the bonus B-sides had the direct Christmas link with the other two songs being more standard pop. And I do like that the group as a whole gets some lines and the split has been reduced quite a bit. I just hope this continues as the group goes on.
But while there are some nice tracks on this single it is not a favorite of mine. There just is not a lot that is really stand out about it. I am looking forward to their next single and hopefully it will not be much longer after that we get their next album.
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