author: Kay

Takekawa Ai made her debut in the music scene in November 2009. At the time, she was 21 years of age and already had 70 songs under her belt. Out of all these songs, I WILL and Super Lonely were selected to be featured on her first single.

In a slightly unusual way, the title track I WILL starts with the chorus bursting out in full power. With the first verse however, Ai takes a few steps back and the song nearly turns into a ballad. The strings in the chorus and the bridge add an extra dimension - perhaps a little dramatic, but at the same time creating a very dynamic song. Ai’s voice is as light as a young girls’, but at the same time it holds a lot of power and a hint of soul. Overall, I WILL is an elegant, grown-up pop song, carrying Ai’s freshness but also proving to the listener that she is not the next "tween" idol but a talented singer-songwriter.

The second track, Super Lonely, is a punk-like pop-rock song. The arrangement has been kept light, so it’s simply a fun song that encourages the listeners to move around. Although this one is a bit heavier than the title track, it has more teenage spirit and is far less serious. Fans of singer-songwriter YUI might like it as well.

Takekawa Ai has done a great job introducing herself, seeing as this single received quite a bit of recognition in Japan. The young singer is also trying to charm the European market, and this single points her in a very encouraging direction!