THRIVE are back with a new single. “Maybe Love” is the unit’s second single. B-Project’s powerhouse unit, consisting of veteran singer / actor Kato Kazuki, Toshiyuki Toyonaga and Natsuki Hanae are ready to blow our minds.
Let’s kick off this review.
Single: Maybe Love Label: B-Project Release date: 23/03/16 Genre: J-Pop
Tracklist:
1. Maybe Love 2. 3.2.1 JUMP!! 3. Maybe Love -off vocal- 4. 3.2.1 JUMP!! -off vocal-
Track by track analysis:
1. Maybe Love
B-Project meets Uta no prince sama for “Maybe Love“. A song in which synths blend with a memorable bassline, funky guitars and groovy drums. The instrumental piece grabs the listener as soon as those funky riffs make way for the catchy chorus. Saying that this instrumental isn’t entertaining would be an understatement, it’s impossible to be indifferent to the energy and power this track packs. Vocally we need to point out that this track kicks off in the best way possible. Toyonaga‘s falsetto in the intro is an appetizer for a track that not only has his highly technical and controlled vocals but also features Kazuki‘s trademark sexy and powerful vocals, as well as Hanae‘s angelic high notes. Blend this all together and add plenty of vibratos, falsettos and adlibs and get this memorable track. 5/5
2. 3.2.1 JUMP!!
Breaking away from B-Project‘s trademark synths, THRIVE present us a pop-rock track where guitars take the center stage, not forgetting a funky bassline and mid-tempo, splashy drums. A rhodes piano takes turns with the synths to enrich the tracks’ sound. In the end this track, although with a completely different music genre as the previous one, is engaging and entertaining. And why is that? Well this is a genre that not only is extremely common for soloists – Toyonaga and Kazuki alike – but it also leaves more room for the vocals to shine while remaning catchy. The trio took the chance and delivered a solid performance on this pop-rock tune. 4/5
Final rating:
A unit that features just three of the most talented singers in the seiyuu world (and if you’re wondering about Kato Kazyuki – he’s also a seiyuu, with few work in the area but as of 2015 he’s been active voicing characters for mobile games and the sort). Toshiyuki Toyonaga leads the pack into stunning vocal performances throughout the single, but not taking the merit away, Kazuki and Hanae prove that they are on the same level as him, often adlibing, reaching power high notes, shooting vibratos and falsettos everywhere – the result: we couldn’t have a unit as balanced as this one. The on-sync choruses, the fact that there’s no one off key or struggling to reach certain notes, the vocal control (that lots of seiyuu lack when they sing), these three have it all.
In the end this single is more than recommended, not only for fans of the unit or specific seiyuu – but also for those that want to have a good time with groovy beats and flawless vocal performances.
“Maybe Love” is available for purchase on CDJAPAN for all overseas fans.
[…] [As previously reviewed] Breaking away from B-Project‘s trademark synths, THRIVE present us a pop-rock track where guitars take the center stage, not forgetting a funky bassline and mid-tempo, splashy drums. A rhodes piano takes turns with the synths to enrich the tracks’ sound. In the end this track, although with a completely different music genre as the previous one, is engaging and entertaining. And why is that? Well this is a genre that not only is extremely common for soloists – Toyonaga and Kazuki alike – but it also leaves more room for the vocals to shine while remaning catchy. The trio took the chance and delivered a solid performance on this pop-rock tune. 4/5 […]
[…] [As previously reviewed] B-Project meets Uta no prince sama for “Maybe Love“. A song in which synths blend with a memorable bassline, funky guitars and groovy drums. The instrumental piece grabs the listener as soon as those funky riffs make way for the catchy chorus. Saying that this instrumental isn’t entertaining would be an understatement, it’s impossible to be indifferent to the energy and power this track packs. Vocally we need to point out that this track kicks off in the best way possible. Toyonaga‘s falsetto in the intro is an appetizer for a track that not only has his highly technical and controlled vocals but also features Kazuki‘s trademark sexy and powerful vocals, as well as Hanae‘s angelic high notes. Blend this all together and add plenty of vibratos, falsettos and adlibs and get this memorable track. 5/5 […]