SweetS – countdown/oursong ~Wakare no Uta~ (a J!-ENT World Groove CD Single Review)

SweetS

1. countdown
2. oursong ～別れの詩～
3. 虹色の永遠 (sweet light wave mix)
4. countdown (Instrumental)
5. oursong ～別れの詩～ (TV MIX)

Duration: 12:48, Region 2, 4:3

1. Off Shot
2. Grow into Shinin’ stars (LIVE) from TOKYO DOME CITY LaQua SweetS Special Live ~1st Anniversary~ (August 30, 2004)

Back in 2002, Avex held auditions for a new female group they were developing called SweetS.  At the time, five girls between the ages of 12-13 would be selected from the audition and sure enough Akiko Kashiwagi, Ayaka Yoshimura, Haruna Takewa, Mai Iwasaki and Miori Takimoto were selected and a year later, the five member all-female group released their first single “LolitA ☆ Strawberry in summer” and the group took off in 2004 becoming one of the more popular female pop groups in Japan.

The group has returned with their sixth single “countdown/oursong ~Wakare no Uta~.  The single marks the first anniversary for SweetS and is a double-sided A-single.

The first track “countdown” features an upbeat pop track written by romantic high and music and arrangement by Yasushi Sasamoto and chorus arrangement by Yas Kitajima.

Overall, a good pop song but what I found awesome was the coupling track “oursong ~Wakare no Uta~”, a slow ballad written by romantic high and music and arrangement by Yasushi Sasamoto and chorus arrangement by Yas Kitajima.  The song allows the girls to sing each verse on their own and it’s really cool to hear the group sing individually instead of unison.

The third track “虹色の永遠 (sweet light wave mix)” features lyrics by romantic high and music aby ats and chorus arrangement by Uas Kitajim and a remix by Satoshi Ise.  The fourth track is an instrumental of “countdown” and the fifth track is a TV mix of oursong.

Also, if you get the CD+DVD version of this release, you are treated with “Grow into Shinin’ stars (LIVE)” from their performance at the TOKYO DOME CITY LaQua SweetS Special Live ~1st Anniversary~ (August 30, 2004).  The first video track, features the challenges the girls had to face in their first year as music artists and the challenges they had to go through as music artists such as learning the choreography, performing on stage, recording at the studio and pretty much doing all it takes to become a real performing group.

As for the second video track on the DVD, we get to see the girls perform their song “Grow into shinin’ stars (Live)” to commemorate their first anniversary and also to see the girls surprised when they receive a message from their mothers to celebrate the occasion and puts them into tears.

The CD insert features the lyrics to the three tracks and production credits.

Overall, a pretty solid single from SweetS and is definitely much more enjoyable if you get the CD+DVD version as we get to see how far the girls have come along since they won the audition to now celebrating their first year anniversary.

BUY THIS CD SINGLE: