Review: Miliyah Kato I HATE YOU
/Is MILIYAH's I HATE YOU as strong as it sounds? Lets find out!
★★★☆☆
I HATE YOU is the first physical mini-album release by Miliyah Kato (I specify “physical” as she did release a digital mini-album in 2014). It was released March 21, 2018. Unfortunately, it did not make it onto the Oricon Top 10 but instead claimed the 27th spot the week it was released. Before I dive into a breakdown of this album, allow me to provide a little background on Kato for those who are unfamiliar with her.
Kato is a Japanese R&B singer under the Sony Music record label. She made her official debut in 2004 with the single “Never let go”/”Yozora”. This was a big hit for her as it reached #15 on the Oricon chart. And Kato is still going very strong today.
I am going to dissect this album song by song and also discuss the promotional video for title song “I HATE YOU”, as I bought the limited edition version from CDJAPAN.
“I HATE YOU”. I love, love this song--from the first melody of the intro I was hooked. “I HATE YOU” has a catchy beat and I love Miliyah’s vocals with this song; they fit it so well. My only gripe is that she is slightly autotuned at the beginning of it, but once you watch the video this decision makes sense. This is a mid-tempo R&B tune but it still has a beat that you can dance to, and the lyrics are good. I actually like the lyrics quite a bit; “I HATE YOU” is about loving someone who doesn’t love you anymore and questioning yourself, asking yourself “Why and how can I still love them?” and “Why did I waste time on them?” This is a song I can relate to because I have had similar experiences in the past. This is the best song on the album--as it should be, being the title song.
“顔も見たくない” (“I Don’t Want to See Your Face Either; Kao mo Mitakunai”) feat. JP THE WAY. So, I didn’t know what to think of this song when I first heard it. To me, it is your typical R&B song. It has got a mid-tempo beat with autotuned rap; it starts off sounding like it could be a ballad then jumps into mid-tempo R&B. It is more of a head-bobbing song. JP THE WAY’s rap is lightly autotuned; I’m not a fan of autotuning so this turned me off a little bit, but I really like Miliyah’s vocals and I love her side of the rap. She does a decent job at rapping and it works with this song pretty well, as it fits with the tempo. This is a song many a girl (or guy) can relate to, for it is about having an argument with your significant other and not wanting to see their face or talk to them afterward.
“二人の関係” (“The Relationship Between Two; Futari Kankei”). Another mid-tempo R&B tune. I like the beat of it but I have a problem: there is not much that sticks out in this song. I like the lyrics, but I find nothing catchy or unique otherwise. To me, this is just a generic R&B song, and I don’t dislike it but I don’t love it.
“Interlude -the world-“. This is an interlude to the next song and it spans twenty-eight seconds. I found it very unneeded. However, it gives you a taste of what the next track will be about.
“世界” (“The World; Sekai”). Another mid-tempo/slow R&B song; I really like it. I love how the melody and the song flow together very well. My only complaint is that it doesn’t stand out like it should, as all the other titles on this album have a mid-tempo beat. But it is a very enjoyable tune, especially if you are trying to wind down to something relaxing.
“Don’t let me down”. This is my second favorite song on here; I loved it the first time I heard it. It is a mid-tempo R&B song (what a shock) but there is something unique about it that sticks with you. It also has the perfect beat to match Miliyah’s voice, and I love the lyrics. I highly recommend checking out “Don’t let me down”--it certainly didn’t let me down.
Now, speaking of the DVD, it is my favorite. I love the video for” I HATE YOU”; it is a throwback to all of those late night 90s commercials of the 1-800 numbers asking viewers to call single girls when they're lonely. I remember all of those commercials so it was a fun throwback for me. Miliyah’s outfits were awesome, too. Definitely check out the music video! It is so much fun and has to be one of my favorite videos I have watched in awhile. Unfortunately, the video is not available on YouTube, as Miliyah is under Sony Music Japan’s sublabel Mastersix Foundation.
I am a huge Miliyah fan, but I will say as a first mini-album, this was a little disappointing for me. I felt that it started off strong with “I HATE YOU” and also ended strong with “Don’t let me down”, but the in-between tracks are lackluster. They are forgettable and all blend together, honestly. If you are a Miliyah fan, I would pick I HATE YOU up if you can snag it for a reasonable price. Or you could just pick up her Femme Fatale album, as the best songs off of this mini-album are also on her newest studio album that dropped this past June 21. I am still glad I bought I HATE YOU, though, since mine came with stickers and the DVD (I got the first press edition as seen below).With that being said I give this mini-album a 3 out of 5.
