REVIEW: "We've Got To Be Number One" - ONE OK ROCK 『完全感覚Dreamer/Perfect Sense Dreamer』

"We've Got To Be Number One"
ONE OK ROCK: 『完全感覚Dreamer』
A Music Video Review by 康博

For those who aren't familiar with the band ONE OK ROCK, here's a brief description:

ONE OK ROCK is a Japanese alternative rock band formed back in 2005 and composed of four members: Taka on vocals, Toru on guitar and occasional raps, Ryota on bass, and Tomoya on Drums. They originally had another member, Alex who was their guitarist, but left in early 2009 due to trouble he had gotten into. Their first single "内秘心書/Keep It Inside" was released in April of 2007 and since then, the band has released four albums, two EP's, and eight single (four which are radio singles only).

On February 3, 2010, ONE OK ROCK released their PV and single entitled "完全感覚Dreamer/Perfect Sense Dreamer".

So did I enjoy this song? Was it a hit or a miss with me? Is it recommended? Continue past the jump to find out my reaction towards it.

To be honest, when I initially heard about the drama with Alex and why he left, I didn't expect the other members to really stick it out because not many bands can handle losing a member in the way they did and honestly, it'd would have been completely understandable, in my opinion. However, when I did finally get around to listen to this song, I was absolutely hooked. For those people who don't know me well, I absolutely adore a driving beat. By driving beats, I means that no matter how hard you try, you can't help but head bang slightly to it or tap to it or move your feet to it. To me that's what a driving beat is and that is definitely what this song gives you.

I have to honestly give Toru a lot of credit, after Alex left, he got left with the weight of having to not only keep his own guitar skills up to par, but also having to pick up where Alex left off basically. Not going to lie, he did perfectly. This song is a perfect showcase of his abilities and the fact that he can handle all of this shows in his guitar abilities as well.

As for the music video, normally I hate simple looking black and white videos, but when it comes to ONE OK ROCK, it just fits their entire style. With this song, had they gone a different route with this video, I think it would have lost its appeal. The fact that they had close up Taka singing as the English appeared beside his figure made the lyrics, the song, and his vocals that much stronger. Also the fact that they shot the video with them setup in a lined format and in such an open space gave it a subtle feeling. You could tell that they weren't trying to enthrall you with a beautiful backdrop or extravagant props, but with their music and that's a huge bonus in my book.

Appearance wise, this band is ideal for me. I love the whole casual, yet slightly punk rocker style they have. They give off this vibe of chill and relaxation which is a great contrast to what I'm normally used to. It's good have a band that isn't in your face all the time, but rather calm and collective. Their appearance gives them a certain charisma and definitely adds onto the simplicity of this particular music video.

On the lyrics aspect of this song, I can honestly say that for some people these lyrics might need to be read and then reread a few more times due to the fact that Taka wrote it in a way that might seem odd or vague to some people. Once you grasp the meaning of the lyrics, you see the remarkable beauty of it. I think the fact that it might require a few listens and reads to get as well as the vague way it's written gives it beauty.

Overall, this song is a hit for me. Driving beat, enticing lyrics, casually simple feel, and just overall a song that motivates you to get up and do something for yourself. I'm a huge ONE OK ROCK fan and they never cease to amaze me with each single, this song was obvious example of why and how.

ONE OK ROCK's OHP: Here
ONE OK ROCK's MySpace: Here

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