mini – Girls Spirit (a J!-ENT World Groove CD Single Review)

1. GiRLS SPiRiT
2. Dear Friend
3. Baby baBy

“GiRLS SPiRiT” is the second single to come from fashion model and modeling agency president turned pop star mini (note: the lower case name and her title tracks and lyrics tend to use a mix of uppercase and lowercase letters).

Known for her long legs and gracing fashion magazines such as “JELLY” and “BLENDA”, the model had always wanted to be a pop star and with the support and backing by popular music producers JIN and nishi-ken of High Speed Boyz, inc.

The single kicks of with “GiRLS SPiRiT”, an energetic, upbeat synth-pop driven track (and a song that is being used for the latest mini/Häagen-Dazs commercials in Japan), while the second track “Dear Friend” is an easily accessible J-pop driven track. While the third track “Baby baBy” starts off with an arrangement that seems like you are listening to classic Depeche Mode but transitions into a more pop track which compliments mini’s vocals.

What I enjoy about the the musical arrangement of this track and other mini-tracks on this single is that you can sense a mix of modern progressive synth pop but also get a taste of classic, old school synth pop fused together for pop tracks that are full of energy.

The CD insert comes with the production credits and lyrics to the three songs.

I have to say that I am surprised that she is on the Cutting Edge label considering her songs are more Avex Trax club-inspired. But I really dig the musical arrangement for mini’s songs and it will be interesting to see if she can achieve success like fellow model turned pop star, hitomi.

Overall, if you are a fan of mini’s music, definitely give “GiRLS SPiRiT” a try!

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