ARTIST: Nagasawa Nao

ALBUM: NAO BEST

LABEL: avex trax

CATALOG #: AVCD-23525

DURATION: 48:38

RELEASED ON March 5, 2008

OFFICIAL WEBSITE

1. Mama Said
2. Kotoba<Kimochi-Kotoba ni suru Koto Yorimo Tsutaetai
3. Love Body
4. Mind
5. Fun Time
6. Girls in Love ~Koisuru Kimochi~
7. Love Body III
8. Rasta Love
9. GAME
10. To you
11. Cloudy blue
12. Futari dake no Uta

Nagasawa Nao is one of those artists that I probably enjoy more for her overall presentation which then enhances her music for me.

Nagasawa is bikini model where her past music was all about attracting the listener through her sexy body and with songs such as “Love Body”, just catching the attention of the viewer through her seductive dance moves.

But I started to see maturity with Nagasawa about two years ago. As one of the senpai for the younger idol groups and artists who participate in the avex idol events known as Girl’sBOX, I have seen another side of her that shows her as a caring older sister to these performers.

Around December 2006 with the release of “GAME”, the sugary idol pop perspective that I have seen of her started to change and started to see this sexy woman trying to break out of that idol pop scene. So, I figured, perhaps this is the starting point for Ms. Nagasawa because not only was the song catchy, the video was absolutely hot!

But then she released “LOVE BODY: SEASON 1″ and I figured maybe I was wrong. Maybe she was still going to stay idol pop and in 2007 forming the idol group known as Kingyo with Kayo Aiko and DRM member Hasebe Yu, I figured maybe she’s going to be marketed as such.

But then she released her 6th CD single (Note: Not including her two previous Indie CD singles released by King Records) “To you” with “Cloudy blue” as the coupling song and I realized that may have been right then, her music is shifting and changing for the best.

“To you” and “Cloudy blue” went more for a rock sound and it worked and from that point on, definitely look forward to see how her music would be marketed for the next upcoming music releases.

So, here we are in 2008, Nagasawa has two March releases with the Girl’s Box Lover’s High movie soundtrack and her first best album titled “NAO BEST” which features a total of twelve tracks.

Some may wonder why a best album with only six CD singles out but as last year’s album compiled all her “Love Body” songs, this album compiles her CD singles and some of her coupling songs.

Primarily the avex released CD singles and their coupling songs are what is featured on “NAO BEST” and you get a new track included titled “Futari Dake no Uta”.

The song is rock-based and I like it and almost has that “OLIVIA during ‘NANA’ phase” type of feel to it and I think it works for her.

The CD insert features the track lyrics and pictures of Nao dressed up as a hostess showcasing an art piece which is more or less a photo from each CD single. Also, the production credits. Also, included is a sticker of hostess Nao showing off a picture of “Love Body” Nao.

Granted not everyone owns Nagasawa’s complete discography but let’s say if you do, then really, this best album may not be worth it because you only get one new song. But assuming you own none of her CD singles, then would this best album be worth it?

Hmm…

At the time of the release of this best album, her DVD “Nao Best Clips” was released which comes with eight of her music videos.

Nagasawa has had DVD releases with the music videos before but with so many artists pairing their music videos with their best albums it would have been nice to have the DVD of the eight music videos to be included in a CD+DVD release of “NAO BEST”.

Also, one of benefits to owning the CD singles are Nagasawa Nao’s DVD’s for the CD+DVD versions as the making of the videos are just Nagasawa goodness and just fun to own. Now, I’m not sure if “Nao Best Clips” includes that or not but I’m guessing, it probably doesn’t.

So, going back to “NAO BEST”, for me, the album would be ultimate if paired with the DVD. But since it’s not, with this album you get all her CD singles and coupling songs plus a new track. If you don’t own a Nagasawa Nao album, then this is obviously what you want to get.

But for me, Nagasawa Nao’s music is enjoyed even more visually and I highly recommend picking up “Nao Best Clips” as well or purchasing the “LOVE BODY’S SPECIAL BOX Aitai” set and then purchasing the CD+DVD single for “GAME” and “To you”.

Like how a featurette or director’s DVD commentary can enhance the enjoyment of a film that was ok at first and later, can be extremely satisfying… Well, that is how Nagasawa Nao’s music videos are for me and I’m sure it will be the same for many others as well.

Listening to “Love Body” is cute and sugary. Watching and listening to “Love Body” is eye opening and immediately will catch your attention. The same with the music video for “GAME”.

Nagasawa Nao’s strong point is her visual appeal and the fact that there is no CD+DVD best album release for me is a bummer.

Nao Best

Nao Nagasawa

ARTIST: Nagasawa Nao

CD SINGLE: To You

LABEL: avex trax

CATALOG #: AVCD-31280/B

DURATION: 14:39

Release Date: September 19, 2007

OFFICIAL WEBSITE

1. To you
2. Cloudy blue
3. To you (Instrumental)
4. Cloudy blue (Instrumental)

DVD: Region 2, 4:3, DURATION: 10 minutes

1. To you (Music Video)
2. Making Of

Like many music idols that have came before Nagasawa Nao, typically when one reaches a stage of maturity, their music also goes through changes.

Nagasawa Nao returns with her latest CD single “To you” which ditches the “Love Body” idol style music and features a very cool rock n’ Roll sound.

Her last CD single back in December was “Game/Love Body For…” and earlier in the year, her latest album “Love Body -Season 1-” which both showed the sexy pop idol known for her naughty dancing and her body was typically the showcase.

With “To you”, the “Love Body” theme has been ditched and in my opinion, this new direction if Nagasawa Nao continues this route is a definite positive transition because both songs on this CD single “To you” and “Cloudy blue” are well done.

It’s very rock and it fits her well. Not that the past pop music didn’t but her vocals work with this rock format as opposed to the idol songs that she did, which I was not much into the music but more for her cute vocals and of course, watching her showcase that “love body” on the DVD.

As for the DVD, the DVD features Nagasawa Nao walking into an underground corridor with a Chinese dress and dragging a broken electric guitar. The band enters and they rock!

The video still retains Nagasawa’s sexiness but unlike previous videos before “GAME” which were cool but in a way cheesy (but enjoyed more due to Nagasawa’s sexy nature), this music video is very cool in style and overall atmosphere.

With most making of videos for Nagasawa, Nagasawa tends to showcase her cuteness and a side of her quirky self, but for this CD+DVD version, the focus and direction of the making of was much more professional and Nagasawa introduces people to the people involved in the music video, from the rock band to the makeup artist.

No flirtation, no quirkiness, purely professional, so fans who did enjoy that, like I have, may feel that the DVD is missing that typical Nagasawa element but personally, I didn’t mind and it was cool to see this mature side from her music carry on to the “making of” video editing.

The CD-insert features the music lyrics.

The difficulty for this CD single and for Nagasawa Nao’s music is that the majority of her fans enjoy her either for her sexiness (and purchase her gravure videos) or enjoy her because of that idol quirkiness.

For me, because she’s not in her teens and that she can only do the idol pop for so long, I’m glad that this makeover for Nagasawa is going in a positive direction musically and I hope people/fans approve.

I also hope that this is not a temporary change for just one CD single and we see her back to the pop idol routine in the next release. For me, that would truly suck.

She still looks sexy and beautiful in the music video and she will always have that killer “love body” but now she has very cool music to enhance her music career and I look forward to the next CD single.