author: meg

In July 2006, Daite Señorita was released as the first solo single for NEWS frontman Yamashita Tomohisa. The song was featured as the theme for the 2006 drama "Kurosagi," which starred Yamashita. Daite Señorita rocked the Oricon charts, taking the #1 spot and selling over 600,000 copies, ranking it the #4 single for 2006. More impressively, Yamashita's sales amounted to twice that of NEWS' per single.

A catchy rock track, Daite Señorita bursts to life with its whining electric guitar opening and in your face rhythm. Yamashita's mature voice is almost a surprise for the intense track but match the sound well, complementing the composition. The song mixes electronics into the rhythm, building up to the chorus where Yamashita pours his heart out into the vocals before ending the stanza in a satisfied sigh. Prior to the third chorus there is a two second pause (which is extended to fourteen seconds during the song's PV) before exploding back into action. The track closes out with just as powerful of an opening, leaving a lasting impression.

Yubiwa takes a different compositional turn, featuring an R&B styled opening with a violin solo twist as Yamashita mixes things up from Daite's racy start. In the early stanzas, Yamashita's voice goes a little too high in the vocals but he recovers in the catchy jazz chorus. The instrumentals are also key to Yubiwa's success, having a seductive dance feel that can be appreciated by any audience. Despite following Daite Señorita, the track is not overshadowed and shines on the single.

Himawari has a much closer sound to something produced by NEWS and brings yet another new element to the table: a love-style song. The gentle ballad features a delicate piano melody that is melded beautifully with the slow guitar and drum duo. Yamashita's vocals are clear and empowered, with a strong chorus that includes angelic backup singers. The song is tasteful and mature and is an impacting closure to the single.

Daite Señorita shows clearly that Yamashita has the potential to stand as a great solo singer. Fans of both NEWS and Yamashita can only hope that he again releases more solo material in the future.