Just yesterday, Kis-My-Ft2 released the video for their upcoming single Heartbreaker. And now, we have the solo debut from former member Hiromitsu Kitayama, who left the group earlier this year to join Hideaki Takizawa’s TOBE company. Needless to say, it’s been an unsettled year for us fans!
While nothing about Heartbreaker bowled me over, RANSHIN is kind of a revelation. Kitayama has long been Kisumai’s power vocal and his solo work thus far has revealed a strong penchant for rock music. RANSHIN builds nicely upon 2022’s excellent Hai ni Naru Mae ni, painting him as a genre-blending, alt-rock warrior. As heartbroken as I am about his departure from the group, it’s thrilling to see him perform the music he loves. The song takes advantage of his skills as a vocalist, rapper and dancer. It’s like a sampler platter for The Kitayama Show.
Slapping guitar collides with distortion, traditional instrumentation and odd, tempo-changing breakdowns to craft a track that’s continually in flux. Often, these structural diversions would irritate me, but RANSHIN has the power of individual perspective behind it. It’s not the work of a focus-grouped song camp. It bursts with personality at every turn, and that sense of expression is addicting. Above all, there’s an ambition powering RANSHIN‘s expansive sound. It takes many of my favorite elements from Kis-My-Ft2’s back catalog and tailors them completely to Kitayama’s strengths. That’s exactly what a successful solo track should do.
Hooks
9
Production
9
Longevity
9
Bias
9
RATING
9