Album arts + tracklisting: Beni - Red

Beni thought she'd hit the jackpot with Covers, which went on to be the biggest seller of her career and push more units than an Ayumi Hamasaki album. Beni thought she was the teflon don with the sales. So much so that she rushed out Covers: 2 thinking she could match prior success. But she quickly saw that Japan really ain't got no time for that.

Shockingly, Beni has done an Emancipation of Mimi and scrapped naming her albums after Care bears. I was expecting this album to be titled Sparkle, Diamond or Sapphire. But she curve balled me with Red.

How is this woman going to call her album Red, rock a fly red couture dress sat in a red chair, with a red lampshade and not rock a red bottomed Louboutin? Bitch, bye.

1. Intro
2. Reason
3. Satsuki ame | さつきあめ
4. Our sky
5. Fly high
6. Concrete rose
7. Red
8. Angel
9. Sweet danger
10. Sands of time
11. Home sweet home
12. Eien | 永遠
13. AM 2:00

Shockingly, regular contributor and master beat-recycler Daisuke Imai has only contributed to one track to this album: "Sands of time". D.I is a hot producer, but that man recycles beats like Evian water bottles. Given his dwindling output across Beni's Jewel, Fortune and Covers albums, it was only a matter of time until he was slowly kicked to the curb. Beni has instead opted to draft in Hirofumi Asamoto to handle the Lion's share of the album, who last worked with her when she was signed to Avex over 6 years ago. Beni is on that throwback shit.

Album reviews: Bitter & Sweet | Jewel | Fortune

Music video: Beni - Our sky

In the past couple of weeks Namie has thrown down 2 gauntlets which were so fucking heavy that they caused a tremor which caused wigs to slip off many a head and leave bitches on unsteady footing. Namie gave the world colour, white people, black girls on roller skates, gave us disco balls, L.A pool parties, ponytail whipping, and somehow gave us TLC in just two music videos. So naturally every other Summer J-Pop video is going to pale in comparison, but we'll let these chicks try with their shit anyway. Starting with Beni, who looks like a hygienic version of Madonna in Desperately seeking Susan who paid for her Kenzo skirt, as opposed to sucking a dick just to get it put on layaway.

Beni's dancing just made my dead one legged cousin turn in his grave and I have zero facks to give the song. I never tend to like Beni's singles. It's always her album cuts which do it for me, with the singles growing on me long after. I'm not expecting much from Beni's upcoming album. I never expect much from her in general, which gives her a wide berth for which to win me over. She did so in a big way with Jewel and I've written off her ability to do so again

Album reviews: Bitter & sweet | Jewel | Fortune

Single art + info: Beni - Our sky

Beni will be releasing her third original single following 2 years of releasing lifeless covers of other people's songs; completing her hat trick of flop singles following "Eien" and "Satsuki ame".

The latest Beni news to come through the wire is that she will also be releasing a brand new album on July 31. No tracklist or artwork has been revealed as-of-yet. But music outlets have begun listing this date as when Beni's new set drops. And often in J-Pop when this shit happens, it turns out to be pretty legit. So expect album info to surface real soon.

Given Beni's Mariah Carey like penchant for titling albums, we could probably guess what her next album is going to be called. So far we've had Girl 2 lady, Gem, Bitter & sweet, Lovebox, Jewel and Fortune. I say her next album will be called Vajazzle or Diamond. Or be a 2 disc album titled Diamond vajazzle.

I'd be lying through my teeth if I said I was looking forward to this new album of Beni's. She bludgeoned me within an inch of my life with her cover albums to the point where I began to lose interest in her. But I always respond to the muzak. So if Beni's new album drops and she gives me something on a level with Jewel or even Lovebox, then me and Beni will be cool again. I really hope she dials back on the ballads for this new album. She needs to stop chasing the pursuit of that iconic, memorable ballad which everybody will remember her for. Especially when they all sound like boring pieces of shit. 

Album reviews: Bitter & sweet | Jewel | Fortune