(the) Road to the Deep East

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1. Black Diamond/ DOUBLE& Amuro Namie
Honestly speaking, I didn't like this collaboration, 'Black Diamond' so much.
Amuro fans may like this song, but it's too close to Amuro's world. It's too sophisticated or stylish like other works from Amuro, and didn't intrigued me so much like her works.

In addition , in the PV, they dance together like 'handle' from DOUBLE, but Amuro's dancing is too great and cute and , it makes DOUBLE look like a just 33 year-old obasan Amuro wannabe.

If compared with wrestling tag teams, this tag team is like Stone Cold with Triple H, or the Rock with Shawn Michaels. Amuro's too strong character is killing the charm of DOUBLE. Although it is credited this song is from 'Amuro & Double', but this title should be reviced : 'Black Diamond / Amuro Namie feat. DOUBLE.'

As a person who prefers to DOUBLE, my rating of this song is,
Rating: 8.5 kote (out of 10 kote)

As you can see from this rating, I don't say this song is bad. I just had expected more.

Then, I'd like to pick up some of team I thought better than this tag team.

2. Miss DJ!! / DJ KAORI & DOUBLE
Contrarily to the Amuro, DJ KAORI, Japanese DJ and singer who calls herself famous DJ person in America, is not spoiling the charm of DOUBLE. It's more close to JPOP, rahter than to be pure R&B, and I liked this song.
Raitng 8.5 kote

6. My friend L'arperage noir mix with AI
And like Miss DJ, this collaboration with another famous Japanese R&B singer, AI is very natural, and perfect. AI was not as popular as today when they collaborated in this song, but I wish this tag team will be re-organized soon.
Rating 8.5 kote

If I compare with Wrestling tag team again, theses two tag teams are like Shawn Michaels and Triple H. So, I could enjoy them, without being irritated.

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These tag teams are tag team who battles in the same field, R&B. Next, I'd like to review some other greatest mixed tag tems, ( both sexually, and musically. )

5. Disturbance feat. TOKONA-X
TOKONA-X is a male hip-hop artist from from Nagoya. I liked his aggressive style and lyrics, and I was interested in his works. But I was shocked I found that he died in 2004. I'd like to excavate his works somehow in the nearest future.
Rating: 8.5 kote

8. Should Have Tried feat. Heartsdales
Heartsdales is also the duo which doesn't exist anymore. I'd known about this song from Heartsdales' album, and I still I think this song is one of masterpieces from them. The keys from Jewels and Rum from Heartsdales are low, and double's high-tone voice gives Heartsdales what they don't have. It's the ideal collaboration.
Rating: 9.0 kote

9. You Got To feat. S-WORD
Sometimes male additional rap music spoils the song from female singers, but it's not the case. The rap-less version of 'You Got to' is included in the DOUBLE's best album, and this rap-added version is just adding the charm of this song. S-WORD is still living Japanse hip-artist, I'd like to pay attention to his music, too.
Rating: 9.0 kote

10. DOUBLE TROUBLE/ TASHA feat. DOUBLE(Rating 8.5 kote)
TASHA is a female hip-hop artist from Korea. I don't understand Korean, but in this song, she raps in English, so I could enjoyed her rap. Her style is very similar to Jewels from heartsdales, and first I thought it's from Jewels.
Rating 8.5 kote

11. Platinum Date featuring DOUBLE/ZEEBRA
Of all collaboration works in this album, I liked this song the BEST.

Usually, ZEEBRA is another 'irritating JPOP star', annoying self-important hip-hop ozisan who appears in other JPOP artists' works and starts his boastful talk in a loud voice. For example, Grateful Days from Dragon Ash, Luxury Ride from Foxxi misQ. However, I liked his rapping and thought he is kakkoii ozisan for the first time in this song, Platinum Date.

Maybe the reason why I could love him in this song is because he doesn't talk about himself in this song. . Of course, I know he is a grandson of a famous entrepreneur and he is rich, but I don't think he is as rich as the person who has 'platinum date' with a girl in this song, the man who selects one from a lot of luxury imported cars and goes to Italy or Hong-Kong just to eat lunch or dinner. So, this lyrics sounded like a fiction to me, so I could endure his boasting in this song.


Then, this song is like a 'conceptual art' like Electro world from perfume, so I liked very much. I can select this song in my TOP40 JPOP of all time.
Rating: 9.5 kote

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Like this, although she calls herself 'Queen of R&B', she is challanging to hip-hop with many hip-hop artists in her past works in this album. So this album is becoming a good album to enjoy many styles from Japanese hip-hop. In '10 YEARS BEST', we can track the trace of 10 years of DOUBLE as R&B singer, and in this 'BEST COLLABORATION', we can see how this woman, or duo, was adventurous in the past.

And most most importantly, this album is just 3,300 yens, including DVD . It is less expensive than other JPOP albums including DVD, so I can recommend this album. At least, it is wiser choice than the singles I introduced yesterday.

Total Rating: 9.0 kote