Ken Hirai’s “Boku wa Kimi ni Koi o Suru” Single (Review)

Two months, two single releases. It’s a good time for Ken Hirai fans! He’s known for taking his time with his studio albums, but September and October of this year each saw a single release. After being impressed by the new direction he took with his Candy single that we reviewed a couple months ago, we thought we’d look into his latest Boku wa Kimi ni Koi o Suru single from October to see if he’s continuing this trend.

Well, the answer is no. This one is a traditional pop ballad, but it’s still awesome. Even better, similar to Candy, there are three new songs to enjoy here, with two B-sides in addition to the title track. Also, if you’re really motivated to check out the limited edition release, the bonus DVD has a nice surprise for you as well.

Find out what Ken Hirai has been up to in our review after the jump.

The album opens with the title track, “Boku wa Kimi ni Koi o Suru” (“I Will Make Love to You”), which was actually written for a Japanese film titled Boku no Hatsukoi o Kimi ni Sasagu (I’ll Give You My First Love). It’s pretty traditional with mainly piano and strings and some snappy percussion, standard love ballad stuff reminiscent of his “Canvas” track from Fakin’ Pop. The chorus section is very powerful, and I love the piano bridge between sections. It’s a solid track showing Ken Hirai in his element.

The second track, “Hitori ja Nai” (“Not Alone”) is probably my favorite of the three tracks on this single, coming in as a sweet pop song with some laid back woodwinds and piano that kind of skip along happily with side stick percussion and an accordion. It’s innocent and light, allowing you to relax and not invest as much emotion. There’s a part towards the end where a crowd of children sing “La, la, la!” along with Hirai, creating a Katamari Damacy-esque vibe that I found quite enjoyable.

“Catch You” gets us more electronic with a funky bass and some heavy electronic percussion. Hirai sings with his low ‘seductive’ voice. The musical backing for this one is great, with some gurgling synths and razor pads that really shoots for a modern sound showing that Ken Hirai is still ‘hip’ even at age 37.

As far as the limited edition DVD is concerned, the few dollar difference in price will get you a high-quality DVD video of a four-song set from Hirai’s recent Ken’s Bar II launch party performance from May 2009. The performance was held in Yokohama to celebrate the release of Ken’s Bar II, an album featuring Hirai’s take on a number of Japanese and English classics including “Moon River” and “Desperado.” Included here are two Japanese pieces, “Heart of Mine,” and a version of Hirai’s own “Even if” with him performing on solo piano which is a cool thing to see. Overall, this is an awesome bonus for fans of Hirai, and the price difference is minimal.

And that’s it. Who knows how long we’ll have to wait to hear more from Ken Hirai, but the Boku wa Kimi ni Koi o Suru single should hold you over for awhile. Between Candy and Boku wa Kimi ni Koi o Suru there are 6 new songs to enjoy, and fans will definitely want to pick up the limited edition for the awesome live performance. Pick it up at Play-Asia, and look into Ken’s Bar II while you’re at it.

Have I turned you on to Ken Hirai yet? If you were already a fan, what do you think of Candy and Boku wa Kimi ni Koi o Suru?