rate The Sheena Ringo Singles Rate [winner revealed]

[Kyle-x]

Nooooo my girl Slide deserved to slither into the top 10 

[Invisibility]

The single version of Koufukuron is a rare miss, the album >>>

Happy and surprised Vogue and Gate of Living are top 15 smash hits!

[Suilen]

22 minutes ago, Invisibility said:

The single version of Koufukuron is a rare miss, the album >>>

Happy and surprised Vogue and Gate of Living are top 15 smash hits!

Certain individuals might be seething but the people have spoken

 

[Suilen]

Just realized (while preparing for the reveals) that I might've spread a bit of misinformation as It Was You isn't the only single not written by Sheena, but I hope that people will forgive this slip. Anyway, starting in about 4 hours.

[Curaga]

25 minutes ago, Suilen said:

Just realized (while preparing for the reveals) that I might've spread a bit of misinformation as It Was You isn't the only single not written by Sheena, but I hope that people will forgive this slip. Anyway, starting in about 4 hours.

Oh my...

I guess we'll find out which one(s) Sheena didn't write made the top 15! 

[AMIT]

On 4/11/2024 at 1:55 AM, Suilen said:

Certain individuals might be seething but the people have spoken

 

The MAN is responsible for the catchiest part of that song, surprised?

 

[Ewan Chaos]

1 hour ago, Suilen said:

Just realized (while preparing for the reveals) that I might've spread a bit of misinformation as It Was You isn't the only single not written by Sheena, but I hope that people will forgive this slip. Anyway, starting in about 4 hours.

[Suilen]

5 minutes ago, AMIT said:

The MAN is responsible for the catchiest part of that song, surprised?

 

Men make points sometimes, too. Anyway, I'm not even among the highest scores for that song, maybe the gays confused it with Madonna's vogue or something.

 

 

Speaking of high scores, #15 has the most 10s so far at five, so have fun figuring out what it could be.

 

[Suilen]

mathekr @Kyle-x @Curaga @gingguu @AMIT @Ewan Chaos @Meloetta Carey  @Subomie @Invisibility @Antisocialites @madonnas @confide in me @fauxtography @Maresia

 

The last stop before the top 10! Not without its serious casulties, though.

[Suilen]

Irohanihoheto / いろはにほへと

 

 

Score: 7,81 Album: Hi Izuru Tokoro (SUNNY)

Big Sheensters: gingguu, AMIT, fauxtography, Kyle-x, confide in me (10)

Little NishiNOsters: mathekr, Curaga (5)

 

I-ro-ha-ni-ho-he-to. Sheena's teaching us the Japanese syllabary with this one, and some people could use her help and at least learn hiragana after being weebs for so many years. Or she's teaching us the Japanese equivalent of the musical notes, which would be more fitting. Anyway, Iroha is an old poem that contains every single Japanese syllable and has been used a basis for kana's ordering system, although Japanese learners these days are more used to the vowel-based gojuuon system. You'd expect Sheena to cover that poem because out of all artists, she's the one who'd definitely do it, but alas, the song is a different beast, and the French title, 'Les Couleurs Chantent', is actually more appropriate as the song is full of colour allusions (and flowers). Love this line: "Yellow lily, why are you laughing on the verge separation?’ As we know, a lily is yuri in Japanese, and we know what it means – something gay is happening. Sheena wrote this song after reading the script of the dorama it was used for, 'Kamo, Kyoto e iku,’ and she wanted to put emphasis on the sacrifices a mother has to make. Neko Saito contributed to the song's arrangement, which means that it's probably the best thing he's ever done according to certain fans. The composition is supposed to be reminiscent of pre-jpop music, and while I'm usually a sucker for that, something was amiss for me (don't kill me, AMIT, love, focus on Curaga's low score).

 

AMIT has been spreading his love for the song for ages: "aaaaaa I love this one SO much, the harpsichord! the build ups! it's so joyful and catchy. the best song on the album and one of her absolute best compositions period.” Kyle-x is another big fan: "Every element of this song just does it for me. The composition is EVERYTHING.”

[Antisocialites]

so what you are actually saying is that Sheena threw the second brick at Stonewall? Fun song.

 

 

 

[AMIT]

Quote

Big Sheensters: gingguu, AMIT, fauxtography, Kyle-x, confide in me (10)

Taste gang RISE UP!

 

 

sis what happened here @mathekr

[Suilen]

The next entry marks an album's demise: Sandokushi, Muzai Moratorium, Sunny or Ukina. Any ideas?

 

[Curaga]

Speaking of lilies, does @Suilen come from すいれん / 睡蓮?

[Meloetta Carey]

my score for this one might've been a bit too low

[Antisocialites]

let me promote this Prince'd bop while we wait for the next update.

 

 

[Suilen]

4 minutes ago, Curaga said:

Speaking of lilies, does @Suilen come from すいれん / 睡蓮?

Yes, but more precisely, from a band with that name.

 

-

 

Kabuki-cho no Joou / 歌舞伎町の女王

 

 

Score: 7,88 Album: Muzai Moratorium

Big Sheensters: Invisibility (10)

Little NishiNOsters: Ewan Chaos (5,5)

 

The last single off Muzai Moratorium to leave us, and I think I'm livid. It's my favorite, and it defined some features of her singing style/pronunciation. It might've flopped harder than the other singles from the album, but who cares about that? I fear that Japan just couldn't handle the topic of generational prostitution, which is, well, quite heavy, but she approached it with honesty and grace. Or it could've flopped because she dragged people from Shibuya for being smelly, self-hating, and living in a state of a desperate need of something. The song is inspired by Sheena's personal experience, although not in the way you might imagine: she was scouted by some disgusting man to work in the sex industry when she was around 17 (?), and while she obviously refused, that incident left its mark, and she wrote a fictionalized story based on that (that man also told her that she could become 'a queen', hence the title). As for Kabuki-chou, she hadn't been there by the time the song was finished, so it's all completely made-up. Ended a certain singer-songwriter who needs things to happen in her life to write about them, I fear.

 

AMIT gives his fave too much credit, but who are we to doubt him: "invented whistling on a song! I don't think it's quite as catchy as koufukuron, but it's still great on its own and a certified classic!” "sex worker's rights anthem,” Melotta Carey quips. Well, sorta kinda.

 

Well, I know that it's a singles rate, but I think I'm going to do a bit of reflection on her studio albums once all their representatives are out since the discography rate is probably never happening. Despite the relative floppage of the singles (both in the rate and on the charts), Muzai Moratorium remains an iconic album which mightn't have had an immediate impact like First Love, for instance (we're still joking about Utada's daughters), but it was definitely influential in the long run, and many singer-songwriters that popped up in the 2010s own their careers to Sheena. Marunouchi Sadistic is undoubtedly Sheena's biggest classic, and if it'd been a proper single, it would've probably made the top 10 in the rate, and I know that some people are still grieving over its omission. The album has some of my all-favorites by her, such as 積木遊び and シドと白昼夢, and while I tend to be stingy with my 10s, they would've received them without hesitation. Muzai Moratorium is a coming-of-age album, and it could be the best one on the topic, but of course the heathens on this forum or otherwise won't even consider it. Feel free to share your thought about the album, too.

[AMIT]

 

oh HELL no

 

how the **** is that other Sunny single still in? I thought you said you hated that album @Curaga You can't do ONE thing right 

Edited April 12 by AMIT

[Curaga]

Um yeah wtf, not Muzai Moratorium leaving before Sunny 

[Curaga]

2 minutes ago, AMIT said:

 

oh HELL no

 

how the **** is that other Sunny single still in? I though you said you hated that album @Curaga You can't do ONE thing right 

In a twisted turn of events, I wasn't the problem this time! 

 

[Suilen]

On 4/13/2024 at 2:13 AM, AMIT said:

 

oh HELL no

 

how the **** is that other Sunny single still in? I thought you said you hated that album @Curaga You can't do ONE thing right 

Speaking of which...

 

La Solitude de l'aube / 孤独のあかつき

 

 

Score: 7,9 Album: Hi Izuru Tokoro (SUNNY)

Big Sheensters: gingguu, fauxtography, Kyle-x (10)

Little NishiNOsters: Meloetta Carey, Maresia (6)

 

The last Sunny single standing, is anyone surprised? Well, it might be my favorite after Carnation, but I kind of expected its sister Irohanihoheto to be the one. For those who don't know either Japanese or French, the title means "Dawn's Loneliness / Lonely Dawn." My dawns are lonely indeed, so totally relatable. The song is a rare case of Sheena not writing a song herself – instead, it was Aya Watanabe, the script writer for 'Carnation', a dorama where the single of the same name was used (and people say there was no impact), who did it. Apparently, the idea to collaborate came to her from the TV talk show for which the single was meant. There, two 'incompatible' famous people interview each other and try to establish some chemistry between them. Sheena participated in the show herself, and I've also seen such names as Kyary Pamyu Pamyu and Mika Nakashima (against my favorite mangaka, now I have to watch that). Lyrically, the song is in line with Ariamaru Tomi's message of positivity (not quite the Japanese Roar, but close – only saying that to make AMIT feel justified in his hate). Oh, and the album includes a slightly different arrangement, and I think I'm more partial towards that one.

 

AMIT overtly prefers the other A-side and spills some tea about the bridge: "a decent song, definitely not nearly as good as the other A-side which is godly. the bridge is great and the best part for sure, the whole song should have been more like it I fear."

 

So, SUNNY is out. There was a time when I considered it to be in Sheena's top 3 or something, but we all make mistakes. Not to say that the album is bad – it has its moments, and I still love Carnation, but as a certain member who'd rather watch all Drag Race shows in the world instead of participating in this iconic rate used to say, it shows a sign of a decline. However, I have to say that the concept seems more solid that some other albums (well, AN album), and the songs indeed promote positivity in some way or another, although NIPPON is definitely an example of radical positivity, kamikaze imagery and all. Considering the fact that Sheena was basically commissioned to write all of the singles instead of coming up with the ideas herself, the shaky consistency is almost admirable. I'm aware that most of the participants have already shared their feelings about the album, but if you have anything new to add, feel free to do so.

Edited April 27 by Suilen

[Meloetta Carey]

I thought Irohanihoheto sounded like "Kabuki-cho". I hate being mildly psychic sometimes.

Edited April 12 by Meloetta Carey

[Antisocialites]

9 minutes ago, Suilen said:

Little NishiNOsters: Ewan Chaos (5,5)

@Ewan Chaos you're paying for this. 

[Antisocialites]

The average score is kinda low for a Top 15… some of you were really harsh on these songs 

[AMIT]

Muzai Moratorium is just everything, I fear. A debut most girls WISH they could do. I'm still discovering things after listening for so many years (the write ups also definitely helped with that!). The songs don't stop growing even to this day, both the ones I wasn't too keen on at first like the last 3, the absolute highlights like 積木遊び and シドと白昼夢 like you said @Suilen and even the singles! It gets harder and harder to rank this below her next 2 studio efforts the more I listen to it, which is a testament to just how well crafted it is and how much love was put into its conception. It's frankly appaling that those 2 egregious latest releases are above it in this rate. I guess I could have been more strategic with some of my scores, but it is what it is. 

Edited April 12 by AMIT