In honor of Kis-My-Ft2’s complete videography being uploaded to YouTube (in edited form, of course…), I can’t resist writing about each single. To put this in context for Bias List readers, Kis-My-Ft2 (or Kisumai, as they’re often known) are my J-pop version of Infinite. That’s how much I love them and their discography.
Yet, I rarely write about them because finding online links to their music was so hard… until now!
Ai No Beat (2012)
Ai No Beat was an interesting experiment. Kisumai released the song in both dance and rock versions. Then, these were combined for a mega-cool mash-up on the album. All three tracks are great, but I’ve always considered the dance version to be the “official” single.
Johnny’s music occasionally dovetails with K-pop trends, and I think Ai No Beat feels quite K-pop in its execution. This caused me dismiss it initially because I already had enough K-pop in my library. I was looking for something new and different. But, that turned out to be a big mistake. Ai No Beat is a fantastic burst of slick dance-pop – the kind we just don’t hear much anymore. I love the nimble melodies during its verses and how they gradually transform into something more anthemic as we reach the chorus. There’s a trance-like energy running through portions of this song, giving it plenty of momentum.
However, my favorite part of Ai No Beat is its dance breakdown. The “naked dance” hook is… interesting. But, just listen to how the production builds during this segment! It’s so exciting.
As for the video, the guys are back on their skates after a brief foray to the dance club. In the second version, they’re doing their glam rock thing atop a mountain of amplifiers. Looks a bit dangerous, to be honest…
| Hooks | 9 |
| Production | 9 |
| Longevity | 9 |
| Bias | 10 |
| RATING | 9.25 |
The Bias List // K-Pop Reviews & Discussion 
Just realized that this group definitely has 3 singers and 4 performers. I don’t how I feel about japanese groups that do this. It’s a really interesting concept and I wonder how it became a thing
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It was quite controversial, actually. The “front three,” as they became known, were given all the limelight during these first singles while the others were essentially back-dancers. This has since changed and the group is really seven singers/performers (though one member is essentially tone deaf lol — you’ve gotta love j-pop!)
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spill who it is? i wanna know the “tone deaf” one (putting tone deaf in quotations cuz the actual condition is super rare and poorly understood)
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Haha it’s Yokoo Wataru. But we love his offbeat charms and great personality. I can’t imagine the group without him, actually.
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Yeah, not really feeling this one either. I think one of the main selling points of KIS-MY-FT2 songs is the sense of uniqueness to it. Also, the melody just doesn’t stick with me.
I proclaim the beat to be “fire” though. I extremely love the rhythmic, ascending sound of trance and dance breakdown is certainly a highlight. Gonna wish more K-pop songs to pursue this type of sound. *Cough* Edenary *Cough*.
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