Spending all my time reviewing Spending all my time

How many puns have I made with Spending all my time now? Three? Four? Well, I intend for this one to be the last because frankly there isn't much else I can cover about SAMT. I've looked at the jacket covers, the song, the PV, and now I'm going to look at the single as a whole to once and for all find out if this single is worth it! I normally (well, more like never...) don't do single reviews unless I want to look beyond the A-side  and the single as whole so I'm making an exception for my beloved techno trio of flawlessness. That and I feel like going past this single having just reviewed the A-side is going to leave a bad taste in my mouth. It's like when you take a huge bite out of an expired chocolate chip cookie and forget to wash it down with some milk. It just doesn't feel right especially when I realized I have so much more I want to say about this single. So I listened to the B-sides in their entirety and I'm here to deliver the verdict! I'll rank each song on my own personal Apple Rating System then average the single as a whole to see if it's worth buying.

So what do I think of each song? Well... do you want to know want to know who this post originally started out?

"OMFG HURLY BURLY AND POINT ARE AMAZING AND I'LL PROBABLY EDIT THIS POST LATER SO I DON'T SOUND LIKE A RAPID FANGIRL BUT AEW;FOIH;AOIWEHF;OIAWEHFG

IT MAKES UP FOR EVERYTHING WRONG WITH SAMT!"

Seriously, after I finished listening to the B-sides I just randomly typed this in then ran off into the sunset with Hurly Burly and Point blasting in the background on a loop. Maybe. As far as you know. Yeah. I realized after looking at my keyboard vomit, I probably needed to elaborate just a teensy bit more on how I feel about this single. But I think this will give you an idea of what the gist of this review is going to be about! So let's get started with the infamous A-side that split the fandom like a fault line!

Spending all my time

Here we have it. I've said in my previous two posts about SAMT that I don't really like this song. But the more I've looked at it, the more I've found it to be an enigma. What could be so bad about this song that it managed to divide the fandom so sharply? I believe there are a combination of things that caused this song to receive such an uproar from the fans. First of all, the actual song isn't that much of a standout song on its own. When I listen to Perfume, each song is a different listening experience, something I've never heard before. That's why I love their music so much. But SAMT is painfully familiar. As I've said before, it's reminiscent, no it's a carbon copy, of the genre of club music that's so popular in America. The lyrics are repetitive Engrish that lack no depth or meaning to them although I will say the few Japanese lyrics we have are good. The thing is, Perfume has done English lyrics well; "Take me Take me" was nothing but English lyrics yet it conveyed the sensual feelings behind the simple but powerful lyrics. Even "The best thing" had more depth than these lyrics. The song sounds like it's looped. And I don't like it. I will say, the one thing that saves this song from total hatred is that it has such an intriguing (albeit confusing PV) that I reviewed here. The dance is also another saving point but Mikiko can choreograph any Perfume song to be interesting. And... okay, it sounds slightly better when I listen to it in better quality. Still, I don't like it.

But what made the fans more angry, the song itself or the undertones of this song? When Perfume first switched to Universal, there were talks of international expansion. So is SAMT meant to be the "westernized" Perfume groomed to appeal to the American public so that they can get their foot in the door of the American market? Because if it is, I and a lot of other people, aren't okay with that. The real slap in the face is Universal and Perfume stated they wouldn't try to change themselves if they ever wanted to break into this market and when they released. Is this how all Perfume music is going to sound now? Generic, unoriginal club music lacking in their signature style? And if they do find success in America, will they be forced into maintaining this genre of music that clashes so much with everything else they've done? Hopefully not and I don't think we really have to worry about another song like this coming from them. Nakata could have just been copying experimenting with something different for Perfume and it just didn't turn out well. Keep in mind, SAMT isn't a bad song; it's just bad coming from Perfume.

So I'll give it two apples out of five. Is it low? Yes. But only because I know Perfume can do better! Now let's look at something that lives up to my standards of quality!

Point

Do you have any idea how long I've been waiting for this song? Four months. That's four months of building up hype with the hopes that this song would be as good as it sounded from the preview. And when SAMT turned out to be nothing I was hoping for, my anticipation that Point would be the saving grace of the single only increased. I kept reminding myself that it might not be as wonderful as I was expecting it to be, it could be terrible, etc. etc. but it didn't matter! I was pumped for this song and thank god Nakata delivered! For a long time, I had tried to piece together a song from the 15 second CM we got and just when I think I had a clear idea of how the song was going to sound, I was blown away when I heard the real thing. The introduction was like floating into dreamland. The instrumental was like a much calmer Vitamin Drop except I think this song flows much better. Everything just sounds so... right in this song. It's a perfect combination of lightness and dreaminess that by the time I was done listening to it, I felt like I had been pulled into another world and floated out of it and back into reality. And the song is beautiful, just utterly beautiful. What makes the song so beautiful is how light it is; I could easily see it on JPN. The synths aren't heavy and the vocals are incredibly raw for Perfume but it works so well. The vocals sound just as dreamy as the instrumental, as though Perfume is breezing through this song like the wind on a spring day. Damn, that's a cheesy way to put it. But it's the only way I can think of describing it. I'm also in love with the vocal arrangement; the full chorus is lovely and matches the loveliness of the verses. There's also the lyrics at the end which are completely different and it makes for a perfect way to end the song and before you know it the song is over. I don't know what else to say except that the whole song is simple, but so beautiful.

Congratulations, Point, you have earned five apples out of five because you should have been the A-side. That is, it should have been this song or..

Hurly Burly

...this one! Moving away from the gentle airiness of Point the final song on the track is the quirky five minutes of fun known as Hurly Burly! Or Halle Berry. If you listen closely, it really sounds like that... Anyways, when I first heard the 15-second CM with the chorus of this song in it, I actually wasn't that keen on it. There was just something about that vocals that really weirded me out, which is strange in itself considering I listen to a group that is 95% vocoders and other forms of vocal editing. Then I heard a little more of the song and I like it a little more. And then a little bit more and this went on for a couple weeks until I was at the edge of my seat waiting to hear how this weird, but strangely awesome single turned out. And now that I've heard the whole thing, I think I'm in love with it just as much as Point. Although the two songs are on different scales of mood and musical styling, I think it was nice to end the single with Hurly Burly! The song has a very quirky feeling to it especially in the chorus with the repetition of Hurly Burly. Generally, the way the notes are structured is very odd, almost jerky but still smooth enough to make the chorus flow. The full instrumental is also a boatload of fun matching the bouncy, energetic feeling of the vocals. At its core, Hurly Burly is a dance track but unlike SAMT its a Perfume dance track done right. Hurly Burly is ones of those songs that makes me want to jump out of my chair and dance like around like a spazz. It's in the vein of songs like One Room Disco and Chocolate Disco except with just a little more quirkiness and funkiness added to it. Overall, the song is incredibly and a hell of a lot of fun to listen to. The song just makes me feel like I have all this energy that I never realized I had until I pressed play on this song!

And so once again, I'm giving five apples to the next B-side because this song and Point combined make SAMT pale in comparison. Take note, Nakata.

The Verdict

I would give it four out of five apples.

Although Point and Hurly Burly are stellar, the fact that SAMT was selected over those two as the A-side is what makes it lose its final apple. I will say it is nice to have two B-sides again since we haven't received something so generous since Linear Motor Girl and hopefully we can receive another single like this in the future! If you're looking for a Perfume single to buy I'd recommend this one if you can stand the A-side. If not... I think Spring of Life still has some copies left! The single might not be everyone's cup of tea but for me it's once again a pretty awesome release from Perfume. I wish them all the best in Japan and in conquering the world!

Spending all my time watching Perfume's new PV

Well, here we are. The final stage of Perfumania: the PV.

So far I've covered the jacket covers and the song of Perfume's 21st single, Spending all my time. Now here I am, ready to review the PV. As for the song, I've already ripped that apart in another post. But to sum it up, I found SAMT too reminiscent of a lot of popular American music and disliked the fact that it was lacking in the style of Perfume. It seemed more like an attempt to pander to Western audiences than another musical experiment. The real stinger was that we fans had been told the group would not change itself for an overseas audience and when this song came out with its gratuitous English, repetitive and generic instrumentals, and overall laziness in terms of effort on Nakata's part, it was a real slap in the face. However, I did say at the end of my post that there might be a chance the PV might soften my outlook on the song. After all, even though music is one of the things I adore about Perfume, it's also their dances, personalities, live performances, and music videos that pull me in. Maybe, just maybe, this song could be saved. With the same director of Spring of Life, and a preview of the PV already out, it looked promising. But the big question is, did it live up to expectations?

Brace yourself for some fangirling, because it totally did.

Knock knock!

Who's there?

It's Nocchi and A-chan!

Don't forget Kashiyuka!

I love those shoes. Can I steal buy them?

And thus the Nocchan shippers rejoice...

I really love the hand motions in this PV... I heard that they're sign language!

I love that Kashiyuka's doing the "Rock on!" sign.

Now they're all doing signs!

I hate that these numbers were never really elaborated on in the PV.

Yay! Another foot dance! I shall call it the Sock Dance!

Nap time for Perfume. Because they can't be awesome all the time!

And so Perfume's rock-paper-scissors tournament reaches a standstill...

Another cool dance move. I should make a list of my favorite Perfume dances!

A-chan levitates apples before our very eyes!

Whilst Nocchi performs magic tricks.

You know what they say, diamonds are a girl's best friend!

Maybe A-chan's going to give that flower to Nocchi.

Nevermind, Kashiyuka won't let her!

I should be focusing on A-chan controlling the floating apple but all I can look at is the donkey in the corner...

And another shot that makes little to no sense. But hey, stars are pretty!

Ouch. The idea of having to hold that position for hours makes my legs hurt.

Nocchi Stare!

Wow, the Nocchi Stare makes perfect slices of apples!

And breaks expensive figurines...?

Hee hee, spoon...

For some reason, I really love Kashiyuka's face in this part. It's almost like she's saying "Yeah, I'm dropping spoons. You wanna try stopping me?"

Yay! The positions they're in remind of the ones they did in Electro World!

Ah, I get all nostalgic just screencapping this...

Finally! We get to see some of the dance! The dance performed live is especially awesome!

And thus the shippers rejoice...

A-chan's classy by drinking levitated tea.

Poor Kashiyuka, all alone while A-chan and Nocchi continue staring at each other.

Nevermind! Did Nocchi grow bored of A-chan and replace her with Kashiyuka for these shots? How rude!

There sure are a lot of apples in this PV. It definitely beats out One Room Disco for the number of apples!

TRIANGLE! Makes me think of the album!

All the hard work put in to that castle knocked down by Kashiyuka's ESP. Remarkable!

Remember, Perfume haters: Kashiyuka is watching you.

Classic Perfume move. How I love it!

And another repeated shot. You get a lot of those in this PV. Especially since those shots could be replaced with what the hell's behind that door.

Seeing all those floating apples all I can think is "It would really suck if one of those bonked one of them on the head!"

And then they all come tumbling down. The end!

And the verdict is... unsurprisingly, I once again find myself enjoying a Perfume PV. But let me make one thing clear before I go into fangirl-mode. I still don't like the song. Granted, the PV does make my bitter dislike for SAMT soften just a bit but overall I still think it's one the weakest songs from Perfume's discography. However, I've found myself viewing this song the same way I view Voice; I don't like that song either but the PV is fantastic. Like Voice, SAMT's PV is what saves it from being chucked into the metaphorical trash can of songs I don't have the heart to listen to because they're too generic. What works to SAMT's advantage is that its PV gives it a meaning the song itself couldn't carry, blending both the song and the visuals so that they play off each other. There's also the dance, or the hand movements that match the tempo of the song. Once again, Perfume pulls an intriguing and simple but intricate dance to leave me wanting more. But I do wish they'd done some more whole body movement; it might have even been cool if they merged the hand movements with the Sock Dance! Then again, you can see the whole dance live at the ROCK IN JAPAN Music Festival and I love it as usual. It's not as strong as some of there other dances but it's polished and I like that they incorporated some sign language into the dance. The dance fits with the song and that once again bumps up my approval of the song by just a little bit. But (and I'm trying to stress this) I still don't like the song. But enough about the song. I spent a whole post going over why I don't like it; let's talk about what I do like!

With that out of the way... this PV is impressive! Mainly because all it had to work with was some repetitive Engrish and an equally repetitive instrumental track. I'm just glad the director was able to find a direction that worked with the song! Unlike Spring of Life, which was more futuristic and technical, SAMT takes a simpler direction... with ESP! Yes, when the PV came out one of the fan theories was Perfume was at an ESP training school. The concept made me laugh when I though of that but after seeing the PV again, I definitely think there was some sort of ESP/superpowers involved. Throughout the video, the girls are seen levitating objects, knocking more objects down without touching them, and generally showing they've developed some kind of powers. And yet, why can't they still open that door at the end? At the beginning it was understandable since they hadn't developed their ESP powers but when they tried opening the door again it was still locked. This is the part where a million fan theories come pouring in and I'd like to pitch in my own two cents. I think the door is meant to symbolize something unobtainable, like a goal that can't be reached. When Perfume tries to enter the door at the beginning and can't do it, they train themselves in ESP to open this door to the object they want believing the practice will properly prepare them to try again. However, despite the fantastic level their powers have grown, Perfume still can't open the door. So why? Is it something that isn't meant to be reached? Was the director too lazy to show what was behind the door? I'm not sure, but I think it is something along the lines of an unobtainable goal. One of the driving themes I noticed behind the PV was the concept of loneliness and finding solace in that. Perfume develops these wonderful, amazing powers but they have no one to share it with and they're literally "spending all their time" in a weird sort of limbo, trying to go forward but finding it impossible. That's what makes the PV so interesting. It's very strange and almost sad watching Perfume go about in this PV with no one to talk to. So yes, the PV does help the song a lot and I find it to be one of their good PVs.

But the PV isn't perfect. Unlike Spring of Life, where the plot was clear and defined with a beginning, middle, and end, SAMT's plot is... muddled. The problem is I'm not sure if what I'm looking at is supposed to be interpreted as something else or if it should just be accepted at face-value. Being the analytical person I am at times like this, I feel like the PV does have some sort of meaning to it; the problem is I'm not sure. On one hand, there's the fan theory that Perfume is at some sort of ESP-training school or that they're trapped in a room or that they're trying to get into a room... they're all good ideas but they're not very defined by the PV itself. Most of it is fan speculation with the holes filled up by fan theories. I'm not saying the director had to explain what he was trying to convey in giant, neon green flashing letters but there's a fine line between interpretive and just plain confusing and SAMT is precariously balancing on that line. It just felt like the PV could have been much more interesting and complete despite it already being decent. One of my biggest complaints is the door. That fucking door. I don't care if what was behind was supposed to be left to the imagination, I wanted to know what was behind that door! I wouldn't even care if it was AKB48 but they can't just leave me hanging like that and expect me to be okay with it. My point is, it would have been really cool if there had been something behind the door that could be the way to close the PV. Something else I didn't like was the overuse of the same shots. Normally I don't mind repeating a few shots but it was like the director got bored and lazily patched some existing shots again when he was editing. It might have been done with artsy intentions but to me it looked lazy. Still, overall the PV was good but could have been better. But considering the material it had to work with, I'm not complaining that much.

So that was the final phase of SAMT. And my verdict on the A-side as a whole? Skip it unless you're watching the PV. Hurly Burly and the little snippet of Point we've heard already sound much more captivating than SAMT; I might do a single review just so I can talk further about those two B-sides... Anyways, if you're new to Perfume, I'd recommend Hurly Burly or Point if you're looking for something more Perfume-y. As for now... all I can do is hope that SAMT isn't the directions Perfume's going to continue forward in. Because, come on. We all know they can do better than that. I eagerly await to see what they'll do next.

Spending All My Time Being Disappointed

Edit: This post is a little late due to the shitty Wi-fi at the place I'm staying at but I still felt the need to post it anyways. 

You readers all probably know I'm kind of a huge Perfume fan.

But just because I'm a fangirl doesn't mean I have to like everything they put out. As a fan, I always try to keep critical ear for each song they release and it just so happens a majority of their songs are really good in my opinion! Your opinion might differ from mine along with your thoughts on Perfume. For instance, I really don't like Voice! It's okay by far but for me it was just a little too slow and a little too boring for Perfume. And there are some indie singles I don't enjoy that much by them either like... Oishii Recipe and Secret Message! And 23:30, Speed of Sound, Zero Gravity... and Toki no Hari! Okay, it's not like I outright hate any of those songs but compared to some of Perfume's other music, these just tend to be less spectacular! Some of them just bore me and others don't appeal to me in terms of sound or musical style. You can look at my full ranking of every Perfume song ever made as of Spring of Life here, here, here, and here to see what kind of music I like best from the lovely techno trio. But I think one of the most important aspects of being a fan is not only supporting your group but also keeping a grounded and critical eye at what they do. Just because some song slaps Perfume's name on to itself doesn't mean I'll automatically love said song! It just so happens I like a lot of Perfume songs. Hell, I actually tend to hate when I dislike one of their songs because it just doesn't feel right. But it happens. Not very often, but it happens. The last time was with Voice but even then I find that song okay. My point is I don't lap up everything they put out like some techno-loving zombie fan. Hee hee, zombie fan... ANYWAYS.

That brings me to Perfume's latest single: Spending all my time. In case you've yet to convert to the Perfume fandom, I'll bring you up to speed. Spending all my time is Perfume's second single under Universal Music Japan, the first being Spring of Life. The label change from Tokuma to UMJ was exciting, like a fresh start for Perfume and hopefully more foreign access for fans outside of Japan. With Spring of Life being released on iTunes and talk of international performances it made me think maybe, just maybe I might be able to see this lovely group live. And a lot of other fans felt the same way. So the Spring of Life hype has come and gone and now we're into the next phase of Perfume: Spending all my time. On July 23rd, Perfume LOCKS aired the song much to the delight of the fans and I was ecstatic with the anticipation of hearing the song for the first time. So I listened to it. Then I listened to it again. I listened to it several times and I had the strangest feeling. A feeling I hadn't felt in a while. I was psyched to hear this song but after actually listening to it my hype and excitement died down as I realized something.

Quoting one of my favorite bloggers: "Doom to my ears- yes, I don't like this song."

My reaction after hearing said song.

Yes, Nia doesn't like a Perfume song. Crazy isn't it? It's just so... Western. Or American. Let's face it, Canada and Central America aren't exactly who Perfume's trying to pander to with this song. It's clearly meant for my home country, the United States of Generica. And the scary part is it would fit perfectly within the Billboard Hot 100. So why am I so sad? Isn't that a good thing? I have always wanted Perfume to reach international success, right? Of course I do, I wish them the best in anything they do but not at the cost of selling their originality for a few bucks in a foreign country overrun with songs that have the exact same rhythm and beat as over half the trash festering on the Hot 100 right now. Don't believe me? Take a look! Club music is everywhere in the US with it being the most overused genre of music the public eats up the way wotas in Japan eat up idols. That's the entire reason why I started listening to Japanese music first place: I was sick and tired of the club music I'd find at school, on the radio, in stores, at my own house, everywhere. And then I found Perfume. They were the first Japanese artists I really got into because they were the polar opposite of all this American music I'd grown to avoid like the plague. They were different, clean, polished, beautiful, interesting, and I loved their music. It was like nothing I'd ever heard. Sure, I knew of the technopop genre, I just never imagined I'd get interested in it. But Perfume did that. They got me to care about music again and for the next few years, they were my musical solace, a breath of fresh air. Soon I looked into other genres and slowly expanded my musical tastes but I always hold a special place in my heart for Perfume because they reminded me that you can be different and kind of weird and people won't always hate you for that.

Sweet Jesus, why do I always end up preaching about them? I've got an A-side to dig my claws into! Back on topic, the reason I dislike Spending all my time is because it just sounds... soulless. That and it's a carbon copy of nearly every dance/club track that's popular in the US right now. On the up side, at least it doesn't have lyrics filled with getting drunk and having sex with the first person you see! Instead, we get Engrish! So. Much. Engrish. That was what surprised me the most when I heard this song; I never thought I'd hear so much Enrgrish in a Perfume song. To be fair, the girls do a pretty decent job with the pronunciation and emphasis on certain syllables but the lyrics are so repetitive and so bland. I only heard three, maybe four, Japanese phrases in the song with the rest being the same thing over and over again with variations on the notes. If someone were to play this song to me without me having any prior knowledge of it, I wouldn't even think this was a Perfume song. It sounds like something I'd never hear from them and not in a good way. Let me say I'm not trying to sound like I'm against Perfume trying any new sounds; I love it when Nakata experiments because some really good Perfume songs have come from it (like 575!). But this isn't experimenting: this is copying a popular style of Western club music and coming out with song that could have been a unique and interesting take on certain style of music (call it "Perfumifying" a song) but instead I only get a half-baked song that I can hear if I merely turn on my local radio. I guess I'm just miffed that Perfume stated they wouldn't change their style in appealing to a foreign demographic but they did that anyways.

I'd honestly rather have them stay in Japan than sacrifice their creativity just to sell a couple bucks in a foreign country that will probably just peg them as "those weird Japanese girls." I hate saying that but it's true. Of course I still want them to succeed. I'd love to be able to walk into a stadium and see them performing right before my own eyes. But I know that's probably never going to happen and I also realize I probably won't ever meet them since I'm not as creepy as Perfume444. But as a foreign fan, I'll do anything I can to support them. I bought Spring of Life on iTunes and I have every intention of buying SAMT on iTunes (the B-sides at least, I'm still hesitant on buying the A-side). Who knows? Maybe one day I'll even be able to buy a physical copy from them. By the way, it is a fucking war zone over in Perfume City. Everyone is divided on this song; some people feel the way I do, others love this direction of music, and some downright hate it. I've seen so much division over a song since Kasuka na Kaori and the SAMT arguments are even worse. Oh well, what can you do about it? It's better to have fans that are critical than mindless fans that lap up everything their favorites put out.

And thus I can only wait for the final phase of Perfumania: the PV. Maybe, just maybe, they'll have such a mind-blowingly awesome PV the song will magically grow on me and I'll fall in love with it like I did Spring of Life. Or I can just cling to Hurly Burly and Point. Those two B-sides already sound pretty awesome to me. And most importantly they sound like the Perfume I know and love.