KAT-TUN // Keep the Faith & LIPS

[yobebi]

[Amazon.jp]

Album. Keep the Faith
Artist. KAT-TUN
Relase Date. 2007.11.21
Language. Japanese
Genre. Jpop

Tracklist
01 Keep the Faith
02 Crazy Love
03 Lovin'U
04 Keep the Faith [instrumental]
05 Crazy Love [instrumental]
06 Lovin'U [instrumental]

DOWNLOAD zip @ 36 MB
⇢ [Mediafire]

--------COMMENTS/NOTES-------------

Most of my friends were surprised when I started listening to Kat-tun. I could barely understand their songs since they're all in Japanese, with just a sprinkling of Jingrish [Kat-tun fans would know this term :p]. And they're pop, one of the numerous boy groups under the stable of Johnny-san. Yet, there's something about this group that attracted me to them [not counting my fascination with Kame and Jin's pretty faces]. Most of their songs are louder than the usual Jpop songs, almost venturing into the pop-rock genre. Their PVs are also very interesting...they are always garbed in shiny, frilly, unbelievably-accessorised costumes which distract the viewer from the fact that all their PVs pay tribute to warehouses :p. Their songs reflect the different personalities of the 6 members. Listening to their albums is like a sound trip to the unknown. In Kat-tun's world, it is perfectly logical to have a ballad, a conga song, and an anime-inspired ditty all in one album.

Keep the Faith is the groups' 5th single. The first track, a rock-ish song of the same title, was used as the theme song of Jin and Taguchi's drama, Yukan Club. The other two songs, although not released, are as interesting as Keep the Faith. Crazy Love is their best ballad, in my opinion. Their sound in the unison parts are fuller, but isn't as strained as their previous ones. The singing parts are also more equally-divided here, with each member having a chance to showcase his singing prowess. Lovin'U is an acoustic track that was forever on repeat when I first got this single. It's a very light song, a fitting background song to my daily commute. Their different interpretations of the phrase "lovin'u" [robbing you, rubbing you] also make this song a lot more fun :)



[CDJapan]

Album. LIPS
Artist. KAT-TUN
Relase Date. 2008.02.06
Language. Japanese
Genre. Jpop

Tracklist
01 LIPS
02 LOVE
03 Message for You
04 LIPS [instrumental]
05 LOVE [instrumental]
06 Message for You [instrumental]

DOWNLOAD zip @ 47.3 MB
⇢ [Mediafire]

--------COMMENTS/NOTES-------------

Kat-tun's 6th single, LIPS, was one of the most talked about topics early year. Copies of the white-lipsticked Kat-tun album cover were leaked over the internet days before the actual release of the single. Fan reactions ranged from disbelief, to anger because of the seemingly-fugly album cover. This issue, coupled with Kame's drama One Pound Gospel, helped boost the sales of this single.

LIPS features Kat-tun trying to push the envelope in their singing. The first track, LIPS, may be their hardest rock song to date. I was almost afraid that this song will turn off some of Kat-tun's fans who are used to their pop songs. This however gained them more male fans. I don't quite know how to classify LOVE...it's pop with some techno and rock influences. Message for You makes a great message alert tone for your cellfones. It features Kat-tun on voice synthesizers, which sometimes channel Cher [remember her song do you believe in love?] It is a very trippy song, something you could listen to after work.

As usual, comments are very much welcome :)