Release Date: June 20, 2018
Tracklist:
- Bangin’
- BLING BLING MY LOVE
- Fashionable
- Super Hero
- Soushisouai☆destination
- Mr.Platonic
- Kiss Me Babe
- Mr. Blue Sky
- Crossroad
- Koi no Roadshow
- Synchronized ~Synchro~
- Let it Go
- HEY HEY ~Light Me Up~
- ALIVE
Total Runtime: 00:53:21
Recommended for: someone looking for a newer style compared to previous Fairies tracks
NOT recommended for: those who don’t like tracks with a western sound or are looking for more pop-ballads.
JUKEBOX is the 2nd studio album released by Fairies. It was released in eight versions: a CD edition, a CD+DVD edition, a CD+Blu-Ray edition, and five limited CD member version edition. This is Fairies’ first album in almost 4 years and the album features a new sound from their previous singles. Since only 5 tracks in this album are new, I’ll just review those. Without further ado, let’s get into this review.
Track Review:
Track One: Bangin’
Bangin’ was the first song from the album to be revealed with a music video. Starting with the music video and choreography, this is probably the best Fairies has done in a long time (though they always had awesome choreography, I found this one fun to dance along to). The styling was also on point! On to the song, lyrics wise, you can tell what the song is about with lines like “Bangin” and “The rhythm is constantly hitting climax.” Their vocals greatly improved, not in the sense that they were bad before but they’re finally able to show their true potential in this album (possibly because they changed producers/management for this). For the instrumentals, it’s a pretty funky beat, featuring a few rock elements with the electric guitar. Overall, this is one of their best tracks so far and I’ve replayed several time when it first came out.
Track Three: Fashionable
Fashionable is completely different from anything Fairies has done before. For this song, they made the music video quite simple but it puts more importance on the choreography, which shined well. Also, the black and white scheme as well as their outfits were on point. For the lyrics, it’s mainly about being confident and using fashion/makeup as a way to be empowered. The instrumentals are your usual light EDM/pop beats and they really worked well with the members’ vocals. The chorus is very catchy and I can find myself replaying this song all the time.
Track Eight: Mr. Blue Sky
Mr. Blue Sky is one of the more cuter songs in the album, it has that idol feel to it. The lyrics are really cute and simple, it’s mainly talking about lady trying to get closer to a guy she likes and she associates him with the blue sky. For the most part, the song’s melody is great but the only thing that is off is the chorus. The instrumentals seem to over power their vocals in the chorus and the beats are not too recognizable aside from the drums.
Track Twelve: Let It Go
Let It Go is a interesting track, I believe it’s one of Fairies weaker song but it has potential though. I find that the track would be best for a concert setting as fans would be more hyped listening to it live. The lyrics are mainly about not letting fear/hesitation get in the way of what you want to do and to just let it go. Oddly enough, this track does sound like something I could see FlowBack doing. Honestly, the only great part of this song is probably the pre-chorus as it has a great buildup vibe to it. I don’t see myself replaying this song as much as the other tracks.
Track Fourteen: ALIVE
This song to me was a big surprise, the music video was released right after Bangin’, ALIVE really showcased everyone’s vocals. The music video is quite simple with light pastel hues, the members chose their own outfits that reflected their personalities. What made fans happy with this track is that Rikako and Mahiro finally have solo lines, usually they sing the back vocals. The message in the lyrics is interesting because they talk about two different things, longing for someone and then being hopeful for the future. The lyrics are beautiful and vivid nonetheless, with lines like “Wishes blinking beyond the darkness like the stars over time.”
The album is available worldwide on streaming services such as Spotify and Apple Music as well as for purchase on iTunes/Google Play. Let me know what you think of Fairies’s latest album down in the comment section below.
