Superfly - Box Emotions

Superfly, a one woman act by Ochi Shiho, has released nine singles to date, with a tenth soon to come. Box Emotions, Superfly’s second major album, ranked ninth on the Oricon charts in 2009.

At first listen, the track Alright is catchy with its wild beat. Alright is one of most popular songs from Box Emotions. The album art depicts a woman holding a box that is overflowing with various images; the box most likely relates to Pandora’s Box. Alright represents curiosity and the tinge of fear from the first wave of emotions that leave the box. The song is most likely the highlight of the album.

The lyrics in How Do I Survive? use a fair amount of English and are supplemented by an unforgettable twang of country hiding behind the guitar riffs. The vocal line has a jazzy tone to it, swaying and stretching from note to note. How Do I Survive? is the afterthought to Alright in that it second-guesses the act of opening the box and considers the consequences of that act.

Searching calms down a bit, but Superfly’s voice is a shade too dark for the lightness of the song; however, her tone pressures the listener to calm down and close their eyes. Most notably, the deepness of her voice is different from the average Japanese singer in the mainstream industry. This difference adds a slight mature slant to Searching as well as across the entire album, leading it away from cute bubblegum pop to music with more oomph.

In the beginning of My Best Of My Life, the jazz-like piano chord progressions are somewhat similar to Angela Aki’s brilliant technique. The piano is soon lost under a dramatic storm of instrumentals, but the message of the song isn’t lost: be yourself and live your life freely to experience it in the best way possible. Although quick, as the song concludes the listener is left feeling like they've just watched the closing first act to a rock opera. It's the end of something dramatic and life-changing.

Tanjou comes across as a song that gets blasted with the volume on high while driving down a deserted road, with the driver belting out the lyrics. It acts as a device for the listener and allows them to vent. The track starts with a pop-sounding, fast paced guitar and remains at the same tempo for most of the song. The significance of the title symbolizes rebirth, the dawn of a new era. The final track, Ai ni dakarete, has a hint of folk, almost country undertone to it and woos the listener into paying closer attention to the unexpected calm song. This is the only occurrence where Superfly seems calm in comparison to the rest of the album. The listener, surprisingly, is given a chance to hear her actually sing a ballad rather than a power ballad.

The top two tracks in Box Emotions are Alright and Ai ni dakarete. Both tracks contrast each other but represent the best of both worlds. Most of the tracks on the album showcase only how strong her voice is, not how soft or haunting it can be.