四銃士 (Yonjuushi) single review

Title: 四銃士 (Yonjuushi)
Artist: NEWS
Release Date: November 25, 2015
Tracks: 4

►Limited and Regular Editions jacket covers◄

General comments:

Yonjuushi is NEWS' first-ever DVD single. I don't know its difference from an ordinary single (What's the point of a DVD for a single? Enlighten meee). Regardless, it deserves its whole upgraded packaging. I honestly didn't expect this year-end release to be good--having the group release songs in an unusually fast pace I was a tad worried if the last of NEWS' 2015 spectacle would be spectacular too.

Subjectively, it is! I love the whole package. It's my new favorite. I am charmed by the tracklist, and the PV couldn't be more sophisticated. Musically, level-headedly, the tracks are hit-or-miss. Luckily they are all 'hit' to me; I can't even choose a favorite because all tracks are my jam! Like KAGUYA and チュムチュム, NEWS prioritized variety here. But I think the assortment is less apparent in this single due to having four tracks instead of the past singles' five. Three out of four are upbeat; two out of four are 'party'; four out of four have the beginning parts sung by Tegoshi! (Am I that observant, or just biased?)

Yonjuushi the single is innovative, albeit only in certain angles. Otherwise it could bring about a generic sound impression. NEWS is still an idol group with the same league of composers and same 'ol lyrical themes. Even so, if we focus on the innovative angles, this single is more than a Johnny's pop puppetry. Theyactually explored music, especially the title track. Let's now look into each of the songs.

Song by song comments:



01 四銃士 (Yonjuushi) may not be one's cup of tea. It wasn't for me, either. An arrangement by orchestra conductor Nishimoto Tomomi, the song is entirely based on the Classical piece Rhapsody in a Theme of Paganini (which I'll simply refer as Paganini in this review), by Romantic period composer Sergei Rachmaninoff. It's not a song only made to show NEWS trying the 'classic' sound; it is also the opening song for the anime Kindaichi Shounen no Jikenbo.

My introduction to this track was a statement from a member (I think it was Shige?) saying  Yonjuushi is very different and new from all the songs NEWS have sung. Of course it sparked my utmost curiosity. When I heard the Anime theme version I was worn for I didn't hear a bit of newness to it--except for the strange musical Form not commonly found in pop songs. Its A-B-A-B-A-B (Extended Tertiary) Form is molded in such a way that it sounds like a draggy Sonata-Allegro even though the track's tempo is actually fast.



To fully grasp why Yonjuushi sounds this way one has to listen to the original score in which it was derived. The similarities between the pieces are remarkable; the arranger transcribed the key parts of the 22-minute Classical piece to be the backbone of the 4-minute pop song. But wait, Paganini is complicated. It's in a Theme and Variations Form. I don't really intend to expound but I think this bit is interesting! Theme and Variations is a music Form with literally one main theme/melody and a lot of variations (In Paganini's case, it has 24 variations). So the piece itself has different 'versions'. And Yonjuushi is just another version.

The chorus ("Sono egao mamoritai" part) is thoroughly similar to the most famous and celebrated part of Paganini, the 18th Variation.  (In fact, when I listened to the whole piece I shed a tear at this specific part because it sounds... heavenly? *Classical music fangirl mode on*) Other parts are from the Overture, and a few bars from 10th Variation. Nishimoto did a good job making these different and mostly unrelated parts in a compact piece which is Yonjuushi, so as a listener, critical or not, everything will suddenly make sense. It may not be your cup of tea but it will definitely grow on you--that's the song's effect.

02 ANTHEM has cooled down from NEWS' previous Soccer songs, yet it has (un)surprising elements that makes it stand out from the rest of the single. It helps that Yonjuushi isn't really catchy, so it's ANTHEM that takes charge, in terms of power and the style that is inherently NEWS upon hearing. It resembles KAGUYA B-side Top of the World, which, being released in the same year as this song, gives an impression that either this or that is just an afterthought to the other--but ANTHEM's more striking chorus breaks this barrier and has the more 'World Cup' aura. Essential is the introduction part, the "Ooo-ooo-ooo-ooo" chant that impels the song's beat into its arguably most pulsating position among the Soccer songs. Amazingly though, it's the only one so far that doesn't have Tegoshi belting. Other than this the common factors of these said songs are also in this one: Massu's rapped bridge, Major key signature (I'm including this info because Top of the World also sounds like a soccer song but its key is in Minor) and a strong, pounding bassline from start to finish.

ANTHEM has its inclusion of Spanish words. Even though they're not uncommon in JPop, they have given such emphasis and life in this song. Remember Sayendou, "Bravo bravo"? ANTHEM would crush that with the weight of how "Bravo" was sung here. In fact, the weight is heavy indeed. A bass-laden track, the aforementioned lack of high notes makes it a staunch piece throughout. Except the bridge which has nice quirks to offer: Massu's relaxed rap and NEWS 'answering' to one of his lines, the little autotuned flourish at the end of the rap, and Tegoshi's part where the song reaches its peak by unusually deducing the layered harmony--only guitar and faint synths are his accompaniment. All in all, underneath the propulsive beat it impels, ANTHEM is simple, loud and stable.

03 永遠 (Eien), lit. "Forever", is nothing like NEWS' old song Forever. Both are ballads, but Forever-type songs seem to be left far behind the group's present repertoire, and Eien is just the proof. Most NEWS ballads today are painfully short and hanging like this song. As much as I like the contrast between the sublime choruses to the soft verses, and my "love at first hear!" immediate reaction, Eien is lacking in instrumentation and length--that length is actually vital.KAGUYA's B-side ballad 勿忘草 (Wasurenagusa) is much shorter than this, but that song has already served its purpose. Eien deserves to be longer (apparently, it won't be).

However, it yields some strong points. Aside from the brilliant shift from a dramatic chorus to a subdued verse, Tegoshi's introduction is really arresting. It's the first thing you'll hear in the song, an acapella (with breathy yet effective back-up singers) before a subtle piano and acoustic guitar soon followed by a much softer string overrides the verses. Piano, especially. There's a little bit of surprise when an electric guitar takes the place of the main instrument used, making the song a pop-rock ballad. The verses have some similarities with Chumu chumu's B-side ささぶね (Sasabune), so just like that Eien would also fit as a midnight drama soundtrack.

The ending quite disturbes me. If the loud-soft dynamics worked well in the chorus and the verses, it concludes with a very abrupt and plain piano part; without a bridge, without a third chorus, and without a decent coda. The song is good enough to redeem this hang but it undeniably strips its beauty to be considered as one of NEWS' best ballads. Otherwise, the members did a step-up in their vocals. They ride along the shifting moods Eien goes through as well.

04 SPEAKER reminds me of Western technopop, something Zedd would produce. For some reasons, even though it was my least favorite track when I was still new to the single, as time went by it became my favorite! The familiarity and the contemporaneity of the song, these blending to my personal preferences, made it to my LSS list.

Unlike the youthful, teenage twang most pop songs offer, SPEAKER lets NEWS be mature-sounding over the synths and upbeat rhythm. I could feel they're in their late 20's to early 30's in this song. Maybe it's in their voices that aren't coupled with autotune--considering this is a synth-heavy song--shows a natural and aesthetic blend. I love that it's fresh yet apt for NEWS' age. Added with the western quality, it reminds me of demo tracks for American pop acts which were left unreleased and used by a JPop pop band instead, in a positive way.

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My rating for this single is highly subjective. Yep, even I do have wordy comments and strong opinions in my reviews, when giving ratings I consider the impact to majority of listeners and not mine. Yonjuushi is a hit-or-miss package. You need to understand Yonjuushi (the song)'s origins to appreciate it. You need to at least differentiate the preceding soccer songs before seeing the uniqueness of ANTHEM. While Eien's bad ending is really unsatisfying; and SPEAKER is mediocre. My rating therefore lies on how these songs help NEWS' musical image to be pushed upward--and in that sense, for the fans they do. The single once again showcased the flexibility of the group.

Single rating: ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ (4 lovely eight notes out of five!)