If you are reading this then you probably like May’n, If you are wondering who May’n is, then keep reading. If you are wondering why I am saying If you a lot, it is because that is the title of May’n’s second album and this is the review for If you. The second album comes in a CD/DVD pack and is distributed by Victor Entertainment Inc. Japan. It has a lovely picture of May’n on both sides of the case, the CD has 12 tracks and the DVD has three music videos along with a bonus short trailer of the game Valkyria Chronicles 3: Unrecorded Chronicles which features May’n's “??????????”(MOSHIMO KIMI GA NEGAU NO NARA).
May’n is known for her j-pop style and moving ballads, and the album doesn't change much in regards to this style which is a good thing in my book. There are other artists that use many different types of beats (some range from euro-beat to rock to techno in the same album), but May’n’s album keeps it simple by not changing too much. The CD is ideal to listen to while working or when you just want to have music playing in the background. The songs interchange from upbeat tunes to soft flowing instrumentals so the entire album stays fresh throughout.
The song “Disco Galaxxy” sounds like a concert opening which fits well since it’s the first track on the CD. “????? ??” (YUZURENAI OMOI) is one of my favorites on the CD, and I believe that it is due to the emotion she puts into it, which in this case is a lot. Also, it was in the anime Sengoku Basara as an insert song so there’s a little bit of nostalgia induced by it. The song “HERO” is, to me, the only one that has a different type of beat because of its slight hard rock sound. That’s not to say is a bad thing, but I think it should have been a bit higher on the track list. Since the first track is upbeat, it fits better coming soon after to keep the high energy mood. There are a few songs which have an orchestral feel to them, and by keeping them mixed among other songs such as “HERO” the CD is very much enjoyable. Having the album with upbeat pop songs and a few ballads really shows May’n’s flexibility with her songs.
The DVD has three videos, the first being “READY GO” which shows May’n singing with five additional clones, each playing an instrument. The video was colorful and each May’n seemed to have their own style; for example, the one playing the string bass was very serious and wore sunglasses while the drummer had a cowboy hat and was energetic. The last one is “??????????”( MOSHIMO KIMI GA NEGAU NO NARA) which is the OP to the PSP game Valkyria Chronicles 3: Unrecorded Chronicles. They included the music video and the short version trailers for the game. Overall, the DVD was enjoyable and so was the CD; I found myself enjoying track two, “???????” (YUZURENAI OMOI); track three, “??????” (SHINJITEMIRU ); track four, “??????????” (MOSHIMO KIMI GA NEGAU NO NARA); track eight,“My Lovely Thing” (MY LOVELY THING); and track eleven “?????????” (AI HA FURU HOSHI NO GOTOKU).
I had heard of May’n before but never really listened to her music, but this CD has made me a fan. If you are not sure if you might like her music, I’ll make it simple: if you like music from Ayumi Hamasaki, Anna Tsuchiya, and Megumi Nakajima, then you will enjoy the music of May’n. If you are a fan of Sheryl Nome from Macross Frontier, then yes, you should definitely check out this CD.