In the three years that have passed since MIYAVI released his last album , the often-called samurai guitarist released multiple singles, created a mini album composed entirely of collaborations with other artists, and completed a world tour (along with a staggeringly large amount of other live performances). Some of the highlights from his frequent touring include playing for fans in Morocco, performing a set at the Maquinaria Festival in Chile, being featured in Taylor Guitars' Winter NAMM performance showcase in California, and even opening for Lenny Kravitz in the Tokyo Dome. It's clear from his recent musical ventures that MIYAVI is more determined than ever to share his unique slap-guitar style and message of world peace through music with as many people as he can.
The summer of 2013 marked another major step for MIYAVI with the release of MIYAVI, a self-titled album. For this album, MIYAVI changed his official name from 雅-MIYAVI- to MIYAVI, recorded all of his songs in English, and made arrangements for a worldwide release of the album. The message of his actions is clear: MIYAVI has toured the world, and now he's ready to take over it. The style expressed in the songs on MIYAVI, like the styles of MIYAVI's previous albums, is fresh and completely unexpected. MIYAVI clearly caught dance fever after releasing his single "DAY 1" with YUKSEK (a French electronica DJ) in 2012, because the songs on this album are a marriage of his signature slap-guitar style with the sounds, beats, and high production values of modern dance music. Naturally, many concerns are raised when a rock artist decides to release a dance-inspired album: Is he selling out? Is he copying someone? Can he pull it off?
I'm pleased to say that, while a little messy at times, MIYAVI's new sound is not just 100% unique; it blazes a brand new trail with its unique combination of slap-guitar rock and dance music. In fact, I would even go so far as to say that MIYAVI is the slap-guitarist's best album to date.
The summer of 2013 marked another major step for MIYAVI with the release of MIYAVI, a self-titled album. For this album, MIYAVI changed his official name from 雅-MIYAVI- to MIYAVI, recorded all of his songs in English, and made arrangements for a worldwide release of the album. The message of his actions is clear: MIYAVI has toured the world, and now he's ready to take over it. The style expressed in the songs on MIYAVI, like the styles of MIYAVI's previous albums, is fresh and completely unexpected. MIYAVI clearly caught dance fever after releasing his single "DAY 1" with YUKSEK (a French electronica DJ) in 2012, because the songs on this album are a marriage of his signature slap-guitar style with the sounds, beats, and high production values of modern dance music. Naturally, many concerns are raised when a rock artist decides to release a dance-inspired album: Is he selling out? Is he copying someone? Can he pull it off?
I'm pleased to say that, while a little messy at times, MIYAVI's new sound is not just 100% unique; it blazes a brand new trail with its unique combination of slap-guitar rock and dance music. In fact, I would even go so far as to say that MIYAVI is the slap-guitarist's best album to date.
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| "MIYAVI" Limited Edition Album Cover |
Tracklist:
1. Justice
2. Horizon
3. Chase It
4. Secret
5. Cry Like This
6. Guard You
7. No One Knows My Name (Slap It)
8. Hell No
9. Ahead Of The Light
10. Day 1 (Album Version)
11. Free World
While MIYAVI is a rock artist and many rock instruments are used in this album, "MIYAVI" could just as easily be considered a dance album. Most of the songs use dance beats in lieu of drums for percussion, many tracks feature synth, ambient, and electronic notes or effects, and MIYAVI's voice is often enhanced or autotuned in some way. However, the foundation of every song is still based around MIYAVI's unique slap guitar style, and it's this style that so successfully blends the rock and dance sounds together in a way that no other rock artist has done before. Those who are skeptical of the dance genre can rest assured that this album is not a compromise, but an evolution. MIYAVI's sound has allowed him to freely experiment with a variety of genres while maintaining his original rock sound, and his experimentation with dance music is no exception.
In fact, the effects of incorporating elements of dance music into his songs are part of the reason why I believe this is his best album. One of MIYAVI's biggest weaknesses as an artist is that he tends to release albums that I would not consider to be "solid" or even "complete". While MIYAVI is a fantastic artist who has made many excellent songs, his ability to constantly innovate and evolve as an artist comes at the price of completeness. His albums will often consist of a couple of (incredibly well-done) leading tracks and a handful of fan favorites, but the rest of the album will feel much like a demo tape or jam session. And while this plays into the unique sound of MIYAVI's music, it doesn't make for an album that feels complete in the traditional sense of the word. But that's not the case with this album: MIYAVI worked with a very talented production team to take the album's songs, some of which could have easily suffered from the "demo-tape" syndrome previously mentioned, and embellish all of them with electronic backing and well-orchestrated beats. As a result, most of the tracks on this album have a very full and satisfying sound.
The album opens with "Justice", which is surprisingly somber compared to the upbeat feeling of the rest of the songs on the album. The pounding beat and repeating slap guitar chord are simple yet engaging. It becomes apparent very quickly that MIYAVI has been working on his English: like the rest of the album, most of the lyrics in this song are correctly-pronounced and fairly easy to understand. The next track, "Horizon" is both the best song on the album and one of the best songs MIYAVI has ever made. MIYAVI's mixture of slap guitar and dance music is best showcased throughout this catchy and joyful song. MIYAVI did a great job of using multiple variations of his slap guitar technique to fulfill roles in the song that are typically fulfilled by electronic and dance sounds, and the result is a truly unique sound.
"Chase It" is surprisingly one of the more complex songs on the album in terms of guitar. The slap guitar is rapid and dual-layered, and the reverb that is put on MIYAVI's voice works to enhance the verses' energetic build-ups that precede the loud chorus. "Secret" is an evolution of "Music Free", which is a song that MIYAVI wrote and performed while touring (in fact "Justice", "Chase It", "Secret", "Hell No", and "Ahead of the Light" are all final products of songs that were conceived in the same manner). It's simplicity makes it initially seem like one of the weakest songs on the album. After multiple listens however, the song's longevity becomes clear. The lyrics are very sexual, and make "Secret" an easy target for a variety of criticisms. However, if you've seen any of MIYAVI's live performances of this song back when it was called "Music Free", then you'll probably agree with me when I say that these newer lyrics suit the sexual sound of the song much better than the older ones.
In fact, the effects of incorporating elements of dance music into his songs are part of the reason why I believe this is his best album. One of MIYAVI's biggest weaknesses as an artist is that he tends to release albums that I would not consider to be "solid" or even "complete". While MIYAVI is a fantastic artist who has made many excellent songs, his ability to constantly innovate and evolve as an artist comes at the price of completeness. His albums will often consist of a couple of (incredibly well-done) leading tracks and a handful of fan favorites, but the rest of the album will feel much like a demo tape or jam session. And while this plays into the unique sound of MIYAVI's music, it doesn't make for an album that feels complete in the traditional sense of the word. But that's not the case with this album: MIYAVI worked with a very talented production team to take the album's songs, some of which could have easily suffered from the "demo-tape" syndrome previously mentioned, and embellish all of them with electronic backing and well-orchestrated beats. As a result, most of the tracks on this album have a very full and satisfying sound.
The album opens with "Justice", which is surprisingly somber compared to the upbeat feeling of the rest of the songs on the album. The pounding beat and repeating slap guitar chord are simple yet engaging. It becomes apparent very quickly that MIYAVI has been working on his English: like the rest of the album, most of the lyrics in this song are correctly-pronounced and fairly easy to understand. The next track, "Horizon" is both the best song on the album and one of the best songs MIYAVI has ever made. MIYAVI's mixture of slap guitar and dance music is best showcased throughout this catchy and joyful song. MIYAVI did a great job of using multiple variations of his slap guitar technique to fulfill roles in the song that are typically fulfilled by electronic and dance sounds, and the result is a truly unique sound.
"Chase It" is surprisingly one of the more complex songs on the album in terms of guitar. The slap guitar is rapid and dual-layered, and the reverb that is put on MIYAVI's voice works to enhance the verses' energetic build-ups that precede the loud chorus. "Secret" is an evolution of "Music Free", which is a song that MIYAVI wrote and performed while touring (in fact "Justice", "Chase It", "Secret", "Hell No", and "Ahead of the Light" are all final products of songs that were conceived in the same manner). It's simplicity makes it initially seem like one of the weakest songs on the album. After multiple listens however, the song's longevity becomes clear. The lyrics are very sexual, and make "Secret" an easy target for a variety of criticisms. However, if you've seen any of MIYAVI's live performances of this song back when it was called "Music Free", then you'll probably agree with me when I say that these newer lyrics suit the sexual sound of the song much better than the older ones.
"Cry Like This" is the best non-lead track on the album. This is a feel-good song that's reminiscent of "Superhero" from MIYAVI's last album What's My Name? It also has traits similar to that of Maroon 5's older sound (and I mean that in a very good way). The lyrics are both solid and moving. MIYAVI's Japanese songs have always had very moving lyrics, and as an English-speaker, it's very exciting for me to hear songs by him in my native language that pack almost as much of an emotional punch. "Guard You" is a soft acoustic track set to a very poppy beat, and briefly features the only Japanese lyrics spoken in the album. It's a pleasant-yet-sad song that reminds the listener that MIYAVI's slap technique is just as phenomenal on acoustic guitar as it is on electric.
Contrary to what the title may suggest, "No One Knows My Name" is not a whiny follow-up to the title track of MIYAVI's 2010 album What's My Name? – MIYAVI has actually stated that the song is about how he felt while studying English in
America back in 2006. The song is structured similar to many western EDM (Electronic Dance Music) songs: a slow and ambient buildup followed by an energetic drop, but with slap guitar instead of dubstep and electronica. It's interesting initially, but it does grow old after multiple listens. "Hell No" is the only track on the album that feels less like a song and more like a demo or transition track. Although it is definitely a good live song, it doesn't quite cut it as its own studio recording, at least not in comparison to the other songs on the album.
"Ahead of the Light", which was previously released as a single, features a repetitive acoustic slap guitar melody set against a drum beat and pounding dubstep. You can clearly tell that this song was created by MIYAVI as an initial dance/rock experiment: the dubstep stands out from subtly produced synth noises heard in other
songs on the album, and the semi-acoustic guitar, electric guitar, and dubstep fight to be heard throughout the song instead of blending. The English lyrics are also not as correctly pronounced as in the other songs on the album. In spite of these shortcomings, I still found this song very catchy and fun to listen to. I just strongly recommend listening to this song on a good pair of headphones or speakers, as my 2001 Nissan Altima's car speakers do not share MIYAVI's desire for smoothly combining rock and dance music.
The album version of "Day 1" is just the original song preceded by the electronica
instrumental that MIYAVI uses to introduce the song during his live performances. MIYAVI made this song in collaboration with French electronic DJ YUKSEK, whose experience in production and mixing are extremely evident throughout the song. As a result, "Day 1" is still the
best-produced and fullest-sounding dance/EDM song that MIYAVI has released to date. The album concludes with "Free World". This song is built upon a guitar riff that initially seems
erratic and hard to follow, but you get used to it after the beat is introduced, and by the time the well-written chorus comes in the song has come together nicely.
In conclusion, MIYAVI is an excellent step forward for MIYAVI. His decision to flesh out his songs with the help of a production team turned out to be a very good one. He successfully incorporates just enough of his slap guitar style into his songs to create memorable and catchy music: not so little that it feels like he's using the dance music elements as a crutch, but not so much that it overpowers the dance aspect of the album. While What's My Name? helped establish MIYAVI's legitimacy as a unique and elite guitarist in the Japanese music industry, MIYAVI establishes his legitimacy as an artist and songwriter.
Whether or not you enjoy this album will depend on the perspective that have while listening to it. Rock listeners must be aware that this is just as much a dance album as MIYAVI is a rock artist. The guitar riffs solos are not as rapid and complex as they were in What's My Name?, but that's because they don't need to be. MIYAVI knows that he doesn't have to prove his abilities at this point (most of Japan is very aware of his guitar prowess thanks to his constant touring and collaborations), and he knows that one long mind-bending slap-guitar riff does not necessarily make a good song. You can tell that he knows this because this album is full of songs that use many simpler (but still unique) slap-guitar riffs to make some of the most solid music he's ever created. This more mature song structure ensures that he is safe from being considered a one-trick pony or being labelled as simply "the slap-guitar guy”. I tip my hat to MIYAVI for doing with this album what he has earned a reputation for doing with each new album: taking risks, experimenting with something completely different, and slapping the guitar in his own unique way.
In conclusion, MIYAVI is an excellent step forward for MIYAVI. His decision to flesh out his songs with the help of a production team turned out to be a very good one. He successfully incorporates just enough of his slap guitar style into his songs to create memorable and catchy music: not so little that it feels like he's using the dance music elements as a crutch, but not so much that it overpowers the dance aspect of the album. While What's My Name? helped establish MIYAVI's legitimacy as a unique and elite guitarist in the Japanese music industry, MIYAVI establishes his legitimacy as an artist and songwriter.
Whether or not you enjoy this album will depend on the perspective that have while listening to it. Rock listeners must be aware that this is just as much a dance album as MIYAVI is a rock artist. The guitar riffs solos are not as rapid and complex as they were in What's My Name?, but that's because they don't need to be. MIYAVI knows that he doesn't have to prove his abilities at this point (most of Japan is very aware of his guitar prowess thanks to his constant touring and collaborations), and he knows that one long mind-bending slap-guitar riff does not necessarily make a good song. You can tell that he knows this because this album is full of songs that use many simpler (but still unique) slap-guitar riffs to make some of the most solid music he's ever created. This more mature song structure ensures that he is safe from being considered a one-trick pony or being labelled as simply "the slap-guitar guy”. I tip my hat to MIYAVI for doing with this album what he has earned a reputation for doing with each new album: taking risks, experimenting with something completely different, and slapping the guitar in his own unique way.
Hey there! I randomly stumbled across your review on Miyavi's latest album on a whim when I was trying to look up lyrics to the songs lol. However, I'm glad I came across your review because I enjoyed it fully and I just wanted to say that it is very well written in explaining the details about just how incredible Miyavi has developed into an artist over the years. Each year he proves himself to be better and better. There is no try, he just does it and does it flawlessly! Thank you for your review. I really did enjoy it. =)
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