Throughout their seventeen-year career, mega-successful j-pop group Arashi have traded in a variety of sounds. Of those, Power of the Paradise represents my absolute favorite — a dramatic mix of bombast and symphonics, all powering a sugar rush of propulsive pop melody. Though they’ve recorded better songs in this genre, Paradise pulses forward as a celebratory singalong, perfectly suited to its spot as their fiftieth single release.

The song made its debut as a theme for the Rio Olympics before its eventual release this month. This is not at all surprising, given its uplifting sound. Nearly the entire track is underlined by a cascade of powerful drums, which quickly become its strongest element. Over the top is a lush string section and hints of brass, giving Paradise a stately, orchestral feel. This potentially stuffy mix is expertly arranged to create a song that feels as accessible as it does grandiose. This has long been one of Arashi’s musical hallmarks, and it’s gratifying to hear their music retain such a high standard this late in their career.

I can’t put my finger on it, but the melody in the verses feels incredibly familiar. But in this case that’s actually a positive, as it evokes instant feelings of warmth and a complete desire to sing along. As a whole, Paradise isn’t as melodically adventurous as it could be, choosing a simple, heavily repeated refrain instead of something more ornate. There’s no telling how successful it would have been had it opted for a more experimental route, but its populous approach was probably smart. Power of the Paradise was designed as an anthem, and you can’t get much more anthemic than this.

Click to watch the short version of the music video