[WORLD GROOVE] Currently listening to Kosaka Riyu – Platinum Smile

January 12, 2008 by Dennis Amith 

 

ARTIST: Kosaka Riyu

CD SINGLE: Platinum Smile

LABEL: avex entertainment

CATALOG #: AVCA-26522/B

DURATION: 34:04

RELEASED ON October 24, 2007

OFFICIAL WEBSITE

1. Platinum Smile
2. Platinum Smile (Rock Edit.)
3. TOMORROW IS ANOTHER DAY
4. Platinum Smile (instrumental)
5. Platinum Smile (Rock Edit.)(instrumental)
6. TOMORROW IS ANOTHER DAY

DVD: Region 2, 4:3, Duration: 5:35

1. Platinum Smile Music Video

A beautiful ballad and the fourth CD single solo release for BeForU member Kosaka Riyu.

For those not familiar with BeForU, back in 2000, KONAMI and then TOSHIBA-EMI held an audition for a female unit. Kosaka Riyu was among the four original girls selected to be part of the group and the group went on to make music for the popular Beat Mania (Bemani) series especially with “Dance Dance Revolution”.

In 2004, Kosaka released her first album and has since released several CD singles.

On October 2007, Kosaka released “Platinum Smile” which was a song that is used as an insert song for the film “Kamen Rider the Next”. Although she has had several solo songs, her label Avex Entertainment indicates “Platinum Smile” to be her fourth CD single.

“Platinum Smile” is a beautiful ballad featuring two versions on the CD single. The first is a love ballad that is beautiful and definitely showcases Kosaka’s vocals and very touching. The “Rock Edit.” version is not a ballad and is actually a fast, uptempo song and is actually a very cool fast song for the young artist.

What I found so cool about this song is typically when redone on a CD single, you get a typical remix which is either good or bad and nowhere in between. For “Platinum Smile”, it’s pretty cool to see how the song can sound like an emotional ballad and the other, a kick ass song with atmospheric chiming of electric guitar and thought that was very cool to hear two different versions.

The song is written by Kosaka and composed by LOVE+HATE.

The other track is “TOMORROW IS ANOTHER DAY” which is a Japanese pop song which is nicely done. It has an Earthy sound to it and all in all, a very cool coupling song.

Now one thing I do have to add is that for the sixth track “TOMORROW IS ANOTHER DAY (instrumental), the duration time is 10:40. The song ends at 4:21 but around 10:31, the “Platinum Smile” song comes on and Kosaka says something right at the end of the track.

As for the DVD, the music video features Erika Mori (who plays the character of Kazami Chiharu from the film “Kamen Rider the Next”), as she puts on headphones and watches the television featuring Kosaka Riyu singing “Platinum Smile” passionately and dressed all in black (and in slow motion).  The music video also shows clips from the film.

As for the CD insert, pretty much a tri-fold which features Kosaka Riyu standing and the lyrics utilizing each fold and the credits for the CD single.

All in all, a very big contrast from the music that I have reviewed for BeForU and I have not listened to her previous CD singles before.

I was pretty impressed by the CD single title track and the rock edit and the two differing versions and it was a pretty solid single from Kosaka Riyu.

All in all, it’s a very cool CD single that I definitely recommend to fans of hers, BeForU, Kamen Rider fans and fans wanting to check out other female artists in the J-Pop realm.