Archive for the ‘Leah Dizon’ Category
In order to promote Leah Dizon’s first album, Destiny Line, a PV for Again and Again was made. Leah co-composed the song herself alongside her brother Brad and seeing as the song is special to her, it’s no wonder a video was made. Although the video is very simple, there is something very endearing and relatable about it. It is shot completely in black and white to give it that home video feeling. Leah is seen as she wanders outside both on her own and as she lies on a truck. You can see the emotions of the song come across her face during the video and there are many scenes where she just seems so natural, which really works with the whole atmosphere of the song. Leah looks absolutely stunning here and the entire video is perfection, really complimenting the emotions of the song well.
PV Ranking: A +
Leah Dizon – Softly [Debut Single]
Posted on: August 2, 2008
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Leah Dizon’s debut single, entitled Softly, was released on 02.14.07. The title track was used as the ending theme for Terebi Tokyo TV show Webtama.
Softly, a sweet midtempo number, appears as the singles title track. The song starts off with Leah singing one line over a very sweet instrumentation. Her vocals are very pretty and help establish the song’s atmosphere. The first verse begins and Leah’s vocals continue to be strong, carrying with the music perfectly. As the verse goes on, the instrumentation begins to be more diverse and Leah’s voice follows this direction by giving a little more power. The chorus is very enjoyable as the music and her voice combine to catch the listener’s ear. For the third verse, Leah demonstrates even more vocal power and it really stands out to the listener very strongly. The song then closes with a very pretty instrumentation to make the song strong from beginning to end. Softly is a great song from Leah and it’s definitely one to look out for.
The tempo picks up for the first B-side, Everything Anything. The song starts off with a relaxing pop instrumental that really takes the listener on a ride. For the first verse, her vocals really capture a poppiness that just makes the listener smile. The chorus stands out as Leah shows a little more vocal strength and the way that she sings the title of the song really captures the listener’s ear. The pure instrumental section sounds great and very ear-catching before the chorus comes back in. Everything Anything is a wonderful sweet slow pop song, capturing the listener’s ear from start to finish.
Fever, a cover of Kylie Minogue’s song of the same name, is exclusive to the CD + DVD version. A very cool and fun instrumentation opens the song and then the first verse begins. Leah’s vocals carry very well here and have a certain sexual energy to them that capture the listener. The chorus picks up the energy even more and Leah’s voice goes perfectly with the music. Overall Leah does a great job of covering this Kylie Minogue song. Her voice goes really well with the music and she sounds very confident and comfortable on the song, which then hits the listener.
Without Your Love appears only on the CD edition of the single. Opening the song is an interesting and upbeat instrumental and then the chorus begins. Leah’s vocals have a certain deepness to them that really match the atmosphere of the music. The final line “who am I without your love” is the perfect finish and really transitions well into the music. The first verse features some very smooth vocals from Leah and she also hits her notes nicely. The sleeknes of the music is spotlighted on the pure instrumental section and it does a good job of captivating the listener.
In order to promote the single, two PVs were made: one for Softly and one for Everything Anything. There are 
various scenes in the Softly PV, including a scene of Leah walking on the beach, her sitting in a chair as her face and the lighting of the room both reflect the song’s atmosphere and Leah singing outside her home. The whole scenery of this video really works well with the song’s vibe and she looks great here. For the PV of Everything Anything, Leah is seen wandering around outside. There is a very natural atmosphere in this video and Leah looks great beautiful here. The video is a very nice fit for the song as well.
Single Ranking: A
Leah Dizon’s debut single is definitely a strong one. Softly is a very sweet ballad and it really does please the listener’s ears. Everything Anything is a great B-side and a really enjoyable way to pick up the tempo. The other B-sides, exclusive to only one edition of the single, both sound great and have a more upbeat sound that is ear-catching. Leah definitely did a great job here and made a big splash.
Leah Dizon – 恋しよう♪ [2nd Single]
Posted on: August 2, 2008
Leah Dizon’s 2nd single, entitled 恋しよう♪, was released on 05.30.07. The title track was used as the Lotte’s Chocolate Fruits Chocolate CM song and the music.jp CM. Could you be that one? was used as the Ninja Gaiden game CM song.
恋しよう♪ is a fun pop song that Leah brings to life. The song begins with Leah singing a line of the chorus and the first phrase “baby please, fall in love” sounds great. The pop instrumentation really catches the listener’s ear and transitions into the first verse nicely. Leah’s vocals are a bit deep here and she delivers her lyrics with a real energy that stands out. The chorus comes in full force and is addictive, particularly the English phrases. There is a certain coolness that comes out on the moment of pure instrumentation before the third verse comes, as Leah deilvers some great vocals, hitting the higher notes strongly. The song ends on a strong note as Leah sings a couple lines, taking the listener out nicely. This song is a great A-side and features an addictive pop sound that hooks the listener.
Could you be that one? serves as the single’s first B-side. Opening the song is an interesting and ear-catching instrumental that then smooths and moves into the first verse. Leah’s vocals sound very nice and have control and a little power to make them stand out. The chorus stands out as Leah emphasizes the first phrase of each line such as when she sings the title of the song. The guitar supports Leah’s vocals very well and help the song’s atmosphere be known. The third verse features a slightly different instrumental and Leah continues to give out more strong vocals. Could you be that one? is a wonderful pop song that really stands out on this single.
アイシテル ~Love Story~ is a great dance song that Leah sounds strong on. The song starts off with a cool dance beat and very quickly, the first verse begins. Leah delivers with attitude as her vocals really capture the atmosphere of the song. The hook stands out paritcularly when Leah sings “story” and other English phrases such as “any place, anytime” and then there is a very smooth transition into the chorus. Leah’s vocals are a little stronger here and the English phrases such as “no tragedy, just fantasy” and “make me feel this way” pop very strongly. The third verse is a nice breakdown as Leah sings in all English and with very strong vocals. Then the pure instrumental section comes in and stands out to the listener.
In order to promote the single, a PV for 恋しよう♪ was made. The video definitely matches the atmosphere of 
the song very well. The video features scenes of Leah and her friends having fun and taking some pictures and a fun party setting in which leah performs some cool dance routines. Leah does a great job of portraying the song’s feeling into this video.
Single Ranking: A +
Leah Dizon’s 2nd single is fantastic, featuring the fun and cute atmosphere of the title track as well as the sweet pop song, Could you be that one? and the sleek dance song, アイシテル ~Love Story.~ All the songs do a great job of bringing out Leah’s true sound.
Leah Dizon’s 3rd single, entitled L·O·V·E U, was released on 08.08.07. The title track was used as the Shueisha magazine PINKY CM song.
L·O·V·E U is a fun pop song that makes the listener smile. The song starts off with a very sweet instrumental with Leah singing in English in the background. She brings the cuteness on the first verse as she hits her notes nicely and her voice moves with the music very well. The chorus stands out, particularly for the English phrases and then the Japanese phrases sung with more power. That cuteness and fun atmosphere really are spotlighted on the pure instrumental section, which carries the listener away. This song is a wonderful pop number that catches the listener’s ear and remains addictive throughout the whole song.
Brand New Day, an acoustic upbeat number, appears as the B-side. The song begins with a nice acoustic-guitar-driven instrumental that begins slow and then picks up as Leah sings “crazy” repeatedly. Soon the first verse begins and the vocals are very nice and smooth, helping the listener follow. The chorus stands out as each line begins with Leah repeating a word and the use of frequent English makes the Japanese lines stand out. She then finishes by singing “it’s a brand new day,” before there is a transition into pure instrumentation. The pure instrumentation sequence features Leah speaking in English in the background, which reflects the hopeful atmosphere of the song. Brand New Day is an enjoyable upbeat number, driven by the guitar, which stands out.
In order to promote the single, a PV for L·O·V·E U was made. The video starts off with Leah running into 
school, late, for a test. Instead of answering the questions, she draws hearts and writes “honey” and “miss you” on her paper. After the teacher sees the kitten she drew, the teacher then tells her to pay attention to her test. There are then various dance sequences such as a routine performed in pink cheerleader outfits and one performed in more casual clothes. The video then ends with the whole video being a dream as Leah wakes up and realizes she hasn’t written anything on her test. She then crumbles up the paper and puts it in her bag. The video definitely captures the song’s atmosphere well and makes for an enjoyable watch while listening to the song.
Single Ranking: A –
Leah Dizon continues to stand strongly on her third single. L·O·V·E U is a fun pop song that holds that cuteness that just makes the listener smile while Brand New Day keeps the upbeat tempo while taking a more acoustic sound. Overall the single is enjoyable and worth checking out.
Leah Dizon’s debut studio album, entitled Destiny Line, was released on 09.14.08. Leah took an active role in the album, writing lyrics for 10 of the 14 songs and even composing one song (Again and Again) with her brother Brad. In order to promote the album, a commercial tie-in was called in. Are you feelin’ for me? was used as the Lotte Rich Fruits Chocolate CM song. Three singles were released prior to the album: Softly, 恋しよう♪ and L·O·V·E U.
IMPOSSIBLE, a fun pop song, is the album’s opening track and a good one at that. The song begins with a fun and poppy instrumentation before the verse starts. Leah sings in English and sounds so perfectly natural here as her vocals work well with the music to capture the song’s atmosphere perfectly. A combination of Japanese and English constitutes the chorus, which is very catchy with Leah showing off more of her vocal power. With the third verse, the instrumentation is pushed to the back so that the beat is heard but the music is barely audible in order to put an emphasis on Leah’s vocals again as she sings in all English. The song ends much like it began with the poppish instrumentation bringing the song to a close. IMPOSSIBLE is a great album opener showing off Leah’s ability to speak both English and Japanese over a fun beat; her vocals also bring the song to life.
The B-side of her first single, Everything Anything, appears as the second song on the album. The track opens up with a slower instrumentation with an uptempo element to it. The first verse comes in as Leah sings in a higher range over simplistic instrumentation. With the verses, there is a more poppy sound than the rest of the song possesses but it doesn’t sound out of place at all. The chorus really displays the power of the music as it comes to alive and Leah’s vocals still sound nice with the music. The pure instrumental section does a great job of catching the fun and pretty sounds of the music before the chorus appears again. Leah shows off some nice adlibbing towards the end of the song before sweet instrumentation finishes the song off. Everything Anything is a nice pop song with a more slower feel to it and is a nice addition to the album.
Things are slowed down even further with the next song, Missing. An acoustic instrumentation opens the song before Leah brings the emotion in her voice for the first verse. Leah does a good job of keeping her vocals soft enough to work with the sound but maintaining that emotional presence that makes the song interesting. The chorus is pretty simplistic at the first appearance as it is entirely in English as Leah sings “missing you; I miss you more.” Later the chorus consists of those same lines echoing in the background as Leah sings Japanese over it. The constant repetition of the English lyrics can make the seem monotonous at points but it doesn’t put that much of a negative spin on the song. Leah’s vocals at the end of the song do a nice job of bringing the song to a close. Missing is a nice acoustic ballad with some good vocals. Although it does get a bit repetitive at times, it’s not a song to skip on.
恋しよう♪ picks the spirit of the album with a light pop sound with elements of summer. The chorus opens up the song strongly with a happy atmosphere, captured both in English and Japanese lyrics as well as some great vocals from Leah. With the verses, Leah delivers her lines with a certain rapidity and in a lower range that serves as a great contrast from the chorus. The pure instrumental section before the third verse captures the atmosphere so well that the listener can’t help but love it and the third verse continues the strength of the song as Leah brings some great vocals and shows off her range. Leah finishes the song off with some more great vocals to bring the song to an excellent close. The song is an excellent representation of the cute sound that Leah can bring to life.
運命線, the title track, is a nice pop song with a slower sound. A very natural sound opens the album with birds chirping before the instrumentation comes in. The feel midtempo with distinct pop elements that make it interesting. The first verse features lower vocals from Leah as she sings but once the chorus comes in, her vocals show more strength and range as she goes into her higher vocal range. The third verse features English lyrics as well as some very nice vocals, which make it pop. A sound with a more slow sound finishes off the song very nicely with some nice vocals from Leah again. It’s a nice title track with a nice sound.
Another B-side, Could you be that one?, appears as the sixth album track. The opening instrumentation begins slower and softer before getting poppier and louder as Leah delivers some adlibs. The first verse is more on the mellower sound so that the arrangement of the verses and the chorus resembles a few other songs on the album. The chorus features both English and Japanese lyrics and features a nice pop sound to keep the listener interested. The third verse changes things up and is the strongest verse with a slightly different sound and good vocals from Leah. The song is very simplistic and is the song’s shortest song, preventing it from becoming monotonous and repetitive. The song picks up the uptempo atmosphere of the song very nicely and segues into the next song on the album.
Are you feelin’ for me? is a hot dance track and the best song on the album. A dark instrumentation opens up the song with some somewhat chilling vocals from Leah that make it all the more enjoyable. The song is entirely in English so that Leah sounds perfectly natural. The first verse features some nice vocals over the same dark beat. The chorus picks things up to evoke a more light image before quickly returning to the dark atmosphere of the verses. The transition and combination of these two feelings really fit to make the song addictive. A sort of talking-rapping section shows off Leah’s slickness before the second chorus comes in and fits with the overall atmosphere of the song. The hot dark instrumentation brings the song to an excellent finish. Are you feelin’ for me? is a perfect offering from Destiny Line as it shows Leah in her element both language-wise and sound-wise.
Leah’s debut single, Softly, is the eighth song on Destiny Line. A soft and twinkling instrumentation opens the song up and immediately, a warm feeling is established. With the first verse, Leah’s vocals are soft and have the emotional presence required to bring the song to life. The hook begins to introduce more of an instrumental presence with Leah singing her way through it nicely. The chorus sounds great with beautiful music and some more wonderful vocals from Leah. The third verse brings even more interest as Leah steps up vocally by reaching more into her range as the instrumentation is taken to new places. The sweet and sparkling music brings the song to an excellent close. Both the beautiful instrumentation as well as Leah’s vocal talents combine to make Softly an unforgettable piece of the album.
The next song, Time (Clock Of The Heart), is a cover of the 1982 Culture Club song with the same name. The track begins with an uptempo and poppy sound before the first verse arrives, with some very nice vocals. This song is another one sung entirely in English and once again, Leah sounds as comfortable as ever as she sings her way through over a very memorable instrumentation. The chorus features some back-up vocalists and their presence isn’t needed as Leah more than handles herself. The instrumentation is definitely noteworthy as it changes and becomes addictive for the listener. Leah does a great job on Time (Clock Of The Heart) and although the back-up singers prove to be pretty annoying, the song still is one of the most memorable on the album.
The uptempo vibe of the album is kept up with アイシテル~Love Story. A strong R&B instrumentation opens up the song as Leah sings in English during the verses with a certain slickness. It is during the verses that Leah sings more in the lower range and it fits perfectly with the instrumentation. Both the hook and chorus are a combination of English and Japanese over a hot beat to make them stand out strongly and there is a certain confidence exuted from the song that makes the listener really feel the song. The third verse shows off Leah’s vocals as she reaches higher and the English lyrics keep it interesting. The following instrumental section spotlights just how good the R&B sound really is and how well Leah’s voice works with this sound. Instrumentation brings the song to a nice finish, rounding off the song as being strong from start to finish. The song is another great song on Destiny Line and it stands out very well.
A fun pop atmosphere comes in with Wonderlin,’ the eleventh song on the album. The song opens up very quickly with a very interesting instrumentation with some vocals from Leah. Her vocals here are pretty soft and sometimes the music drowns her out but she still manages to hold her own. The chorus once again consists of English and Japanese to really bring that cute pop atmosphere to the forefront. The pure instrumental section continues to emphasize that cute sound and it creates the image of a carnival, which fits perfectly with the lyrics and Leah’s vocals. Wonderlin’ is a nice change of pace, presenting a fun pop song that will have the listener engaged from the very opening of the song.
Leah’s third single, L·O·V·E U, comes as the next song on Destiny Line. The cute and innocent vibe from the last song carries over to this song. The track opens up with a happy and poppy instrumentation with Leah singing in English. The first verse then comes in and unlike in other songs, Leah keeps her vocals stronger so that the transition into the chorus is flawless. The chorus is a combination of English and Japanese to really make the listener pay attention to both languages. The arrangement and overall atmosphere established is reminiscent of 恋しよう♪. The pure instrumental section really does display just how cute and happy the song is and it is something that Leah continues to excel in. The happy and poppy instrumentation brings the song to an excellent finish. The song finds a good home on Destiny Line and is a track to be remembered.
A more American feeling is established with the semifinal song, Drive me crazy. The song opens up with an interesting and uptempo instrumentation before the first verse arrives. The English lyrics along with Leah’s vocals create a very slick and cool feeling that keeps the listener hooked as the song transitions into the hook, which shows off Leah’s vocals as she reaches higher than before. The chorus is easily the most addictive part with more aggression and good vocals to keep the listener feeling the song. The only Japanese in the song comes in once the chorus comes into play and that decision makes the song all the more slick. The following instrumentation has hints of Japanese instruments that actually work with the song. The third verse sounds a bit strange as the instrumentation sounds really different and almost sped up. As the song comes to a close, Leah shows off a fun flare in the background as she shouts things such as “crazy” and finishes off the song excellently. Drive me crazy is one of the more memorable songs on Destiny Line and should definitely be listened to by Leah fans.
The album finishes on an excellent note with Again and Again. She composed the song herself with the help of her brother Brad to really bring the personal touch. The song opens up with a beautiful and somewhat mysterious instrumentation with the sound of water drops falling. The first verse features English lyrics and the somewhat trembling element to Leah’s vocals really create the emotional presence that fuels this ballad. The chorus brings in the Japanese and is the most addictive part of the song as Leah shows off her vocal talents. The pure instrumental section spolights just how pretty the music is and is an integral part of the beauty of the song. Again and Again is a perfect finish for the album as an emotionally charged track with great vocals.
Album Ranking: A
Leah Dizon’s debut album, Destiny Line, features a variety of sounds. Leah brings strength on her uptempo and dance numbers such as IMPOSSIBLE, Drive me crazy and Are you feelin’ for me? She sounds perfectly natural here and this type of music is something that she should continue to follow. The cute songs on the album, 恋しよう♪, L·O·V·E U and Wonderlin,’ are all good examples of what Leah can do with a happy atmosphere. The ballads such as Softly as well as Again and Again show off Leah’s vocals over beautiful instrumentation to make the listener really follow Leah into the music. Her debut album is definitely something that should not be missed and hopefully she has a future filled with success.
Destiny Line - Ai no Matador - 