Hello AramaJapan readers and welcome to this week’s installment of #1 Song Review! Last week saw B’z come out on top against SEKAI NO OWARI. This week we have 3 newcomers. Find out what various staff members thought of the songs that topped the physical and digital charts this week and share your thoughts on them too!

Oricon #1: KAT-TUN – Dead or Alive (not released digitally)

Ronald: I surprisingly don’t mind this song. This is different compared to the usual Johnny’s songs I have to review. It’s not some cheesy, super happy song. It has a very grand feel to it. There’s a lot of drama here. A touch of darkness. The vocals on here are also better than most of the other Johnny’s songs. The bridge on this is really nice. Surprisingly nice. My one complaint is that during the chorus, when they’re all singing together, it sounds a bit on the whiny side. 7/10

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Recochoku #1: Kumamushi – Attakaindakara (not released physically til 2/4 / not in the iTunes top 10 all week)

Ronald: This is an interesting song. There’s a bit of a bait and switch here. At first the song start off as your typical folky pop song but in the middle, things change. The song becomes a lot more upbeat, more fun, a bit funky. I was pleasantly surprised by this. It made me a lot more interested in the song. It made me feel a bit warm in the end. 6.5/10

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iTunes #1: back number – Heroine (Oricon #6 / Recochoku #2)

Ronald: This is nice enough. I do like the voice of the band’s singer, especially on the chorus and towards the end of the song. I just wish there was more going on in the song. It’s verging on background music. This just sounds like so many other songs. I wish there was something else here that set this song apart, kinda like what happened with the Kumamushi song. 5.5/10

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Ronald’s Rank:

1. Oricon #1: KAT-TUN – Dead or Alive

2. Recochoku #1: Kumamushi – Attakaindakara

3. iTunes #1: back number – Heroine