Similar
to Dreams Come True (DCT) or Every Little Thing (ELT), GIRL NEXT DOOR (GND)
existed since 2008 as a band with a female singer (CHISA/千紗), a guitarist (Yuji Inoue/井上裕治) and a keyboardist (Daisuke Suzuki/鈴木大輔). However, unlike the aforementioned bands, GND didn’t become the next
big thing in Japan, disbanding in 2013. Based on the assumption that this type
of band was a sure hit in the parades, but also because Avex was promoting them
really hard, I thought, at the time of the release of their sophomore album, “NEXT
FUTURE” (January 2010), GND would be a household band in Japan. Unfortunately,
time proved how wrong I was...
I
followed GND during the band’s first years. If I remember correctly, I probably
stopped accompanying their work after I became obsessed with aidoru music, and
that was a couple of months after the release of “NEXT FUTURE”, which still is
my favorite album from this now-defunct band.
One
of the fair criticisms GND received from Western fans was how they didn’t
evolve or change their sound during the band's five years of existence. Based on that,
every album sounded the same, and I agree how their combination of 80s-inspired
blast of Techno synths, guitar solos and CHISA’s somewhat high-pitched vocals could
sound boring after a while. Anyway, they surely released some very good pop
songs, and “Triangle”, one of their most distinct-sounding early works, is a
personal highlight from the “NEXT FUTURE” album.
“Triangle”
was never released as a single, but it was one of the most interesting songs
from “NEXT FUTURE”, thanks to its apocalyptical synths and overall serious
vibe. Some smart choices, such as the bridge and the cracking glass sound near
the end, also helped creating an epic atmosphere to the song. As for the cute
CHISA, who is married to Olympic gold
medalist swimmer Kosuke Kitajima (北島康介), she delivers a balanced performance, even
though I agree she can sound a little too high-pitched sometimes. Try listening
to a lot of GND songs in sequence and you will see what I’m saying.
The
“NEXT FUTURE” album reached #1 on the Oricon charts, selling 91,138 copies. Lyrics
for “Triangle” were written by CHISA and Kenn Kato, while music was composed by
Daisuke Suzuki. As for the arrangement, GIRL NEXT
DOOR & Toru Watanabe (渡辺徹) were the responsible.
 |
| Source: generasia.com |
Hi, Marcos.
ReplyDeleteI remember seeing a couple of Girl Next Door music videos back in Japan. To be honest, I don't remember the songs too well but judging from "Triangle", I think the band skews closer to Every Little Thing than Dreams Come True.
I didn't realize Chisa was married to Kosuke Kitajima!