XlamV‘s “From Me” arrives with powerful vocals, breaks away from clichés for 2D idol groups, and impresses.
Title: From Me Release date: 21/04/2023 Label: REISEN RECORDS Genre: Pop/EDM
Tracklist:
1 - From Me
Track analysis:
1 – From Me
Say hello to XlamV, the fan-voted 7-member idol group part of the VS AMBIVALENZ franchise. The group makes its debut with the digital single “From Me”.
Breathy, atmospheric synths and a triplets-driven beat open the curtains to this tune however what awaits us may not be a deep EDM tune.
The verses are clean and bright, with dramatic piano hits and a muted guitar riff playing in the background, leaving more than enough space for the vocals to – one by one – shine in the spotlight.
Slowly, the song leads the listener to the chorus, introducing a sweet and slow-paced beat back into it while strings delicately paint the background.
If it was not noticeable until now, the mixing for the vocals is really well done. Instead of putting all 7 members performing the chorus at the same time, you get a lead vocal and a backing one, with members intercalating those positions between them.
There is no instance in which unisons take the lead which is quite impressive for 2D groups.
When that chorus kicks in, you will feel that hope and excitement in the lyrics, with those delicate strings putting a smile on your face as sweet piano melodies and vocals cozy around you.
After the bridge, the way Makoto Furukawa tackles that note, adding vibrato and outputting so much emotion will make you gasp.
Better yet, following that part, the instrumental completely changes key, opening up and getting even brighter while sounding tasteful, ready for the last chorus and outro. How that is done with a smooth fade in and fade out is ingenious. Such a simple thing made the song open this much and wrap up so powerfully.
XlamV wanted to impress and for sure they did with a song that follows the same quality standards as all songs released so far in the VS AMBIVALENZ franchise.
The final lineup for XlamV is lower ranged than the – once – 14-member lineup that VS AMBIVALENZ had.
As a result, their performances are more robust as well as melodic and mature, something that, in a way, I expected from this group but that is still rare to find among 2D groups.
At the same time, with the lineup having a lower vocal range as a whole, it provides more opportunities for each singer to perform comfortably, only slightly changing their tone if needed to harmonize with other members – like what happens in the chorus.
After listening to this song, I feel like this lineup is perfect. The skills and vocal ranges of each member fit well together and, individually, each member is well-equipped to impress.
Standing out in this performance is Tasuku Hatanaka – which opens this song up with a beautiful part -, Chiaki Kobayashi, Kengo Kawanishi, and Makoto Furukawa. They are a force to be reckoned with in this performance.
At the same time, Shintaro Asanuma, Ayumu Murase, and Reiou Tsuchida provided the perfect core to this group, complementing all members with their versatile vocals.
“From Me” breaks away from most clichés for pop tunes by idol groups, avoiding a high-tension EDM tune – although it hints at it -, having a perfect vocal direction and mixing that highlights all vocals, giving them not only an equal number of lines but also making sure they always sound clean.
Additionally, there are no forced unisons or filler “la la la” parts going on.
“From Me” is all about its pure, clean singing on top of a stellar composition that is daring enough to change keys midway and evolve in front of you.
And honestly, I want to listen to more and more of this and can’t wait for what XlamV will show us next.
If you haven’t had the chance to check this song, I thoroughly suggest you do it.
Introduction
VS AMBIVALENZ is a 2D music project by NIZISTA. It has a pretty unique format in which only 7 out of the 14 members were chosen through voting that went on from 2021 up until late 2022.
XlamV (read: Kranve) consists of Jintaro (CV: Chiaki Kobayashi), Nagomu (CV: Shintaro Asanuma), 39YEAH↗ (CV: Makoto Furukawa), Issei (CV: Kengo Kawanishi), Lion (CV: Tasuku Hatanaka), Auguri (CV: Ayumu Murase), and Subaru (CV: Reiou Tsuchida).
To get to know more about this project, please refer to THTFHQ’s extended article about VS AMBIVALENZ.
“From Me” is available for streaming on Spotify.
Do not support piracy. Remember to support XlamV by streaming via official outlets.
