Mika Nakashima -- Love Addict

This was the first CD that I had ever picked up of Mika Nakashima（中島美嘉）. I had heard her first single, "STARS" and the following "Crescent Moon", but her 7th single, "Love Addict"was the one that had me parting with my yen at the store. Since I was getting into jazz at the time, hearing Nakashima throwing herself into a bit of Henry Mancini swing got my attention, and of course, the cover of the disc didn't hurt either for advertising purposes. I also enjoyed the official music video since it seemed to pay some tribute to an obscure American 60s detective TV series titled "Richard Diamond, Private Detective". All I can say is that Mary Tyler Moore and Mika Nakashima now have a connection, although I think the former still wins out in the legs category.

Nakashima provided the lyrics for "Love Addict", while Shinichi Osawa（大沢伸一） (aka Mondo Grosso) put together the clubby jazz melody. Osawa was also responsible for helping out on a number of bird's soulful and bossa-tinged hits such as "Souls" and "Life". I kinda wonder if that was bird herself on some of the backing vocals in "Love Addict". The song itself was released in April 2003 and peaked at No. 5 on Oricon. It wasn't a humongous hit, only selling just under 70,000 copies, but hey, I enjoyed listening to the breezy and devil-may-care feeling that Osawa infused into the song.

Mika Nakashima -- Love Addict