Single art & tracklisting: Namie Amuro - Dear diary / Fighter

Namie Amuro will be releasing a double A-side single on October 29th, "Dear diary" and "Fighter" - which act as the theme and insert songs respectively to the new Death note movie Death Note: Light up the NEW world.

Just when you thought Hikaru Utada's comeback in September was enough to put Ayumi Hamasaki on ice, Namie prepares to come through in October and send Ayu off like a curling stone.

I could not think of a better J-pop star to deliver new songs for a Death note movie than Les Namiserable, because she has been writing Ayu's name in her black notebook for years. The new movie may as well be her and Ayu's joint autobiography.

The main single artwork looks like "Damaged", and the songs sound really bad. "Dear diary" just sounds off. Namie's vocals and the music just don't mesh well together. "Fighter" sounds like a Diachi Miura left over and the chorus is awful.

The only post _genic single that I've liked has been "Mint", which at this point is the only song that I hope makes the cut of her next album. Namie can feel free to scribble the names of "Red carpet", "Hero", "Dear diary" and "Fighter" into every page of her death note book in permanent marker. I ain't trying to hear any of these again.