Top 10: 北出菜奈 (Nana Kitade) - Song Edition

[beni 2149]

 

To celebrate our little Gothic princess' return, I have dived back into her discography, and based solely on my preferences, have composed a list of what I believe to be her best songs, ranked. From the best to the very best. This list will go beyond Nana's quite minimal PV/single works, since there's so few, but won't be expanding across her projects outside of her solo works from 2002-2009 (Loveless and THE TEENAGE KISSERS). There's just too much perfection on this tiny palette as is! Covers have also been blacklisted due to it not being original, solo material.

 

Check out the 'KEYWORDS' to make your searching easier to suit your own taste. I hope you find something to enjoy of hers!

 

 

 

 

Who is Kitade Nana?

 

Kitade Nana (北出菜奈) is a Japanese rock artist. She is affiliated with BIG APPLE and signed under Sony Music Entertainment, and has even released albums in both the United States and Europe. She debuted in 2003 with the single "Kesenai Tsumi", which was used as the first ending theme to Full Metal Alchemist anime. She has followed this with many other tie ins, from the anime Jigoku Shoujo ("Tsukihana") and drama opening to anego ("Kiss or Kiss"). After the release of her debut album, she had started wearing and representing gothic lolita fashion, and started modeling for magazines such as CUTiE, and companies from BABY to her favourite brand, THE STARS SHINE BRIGHT. Though her popularity began to dwindle after this time, she continues to garner a loyal fan base due to her status as a gothic lolita model.

 

 

The honorable mentions

 

 

 

赤い花 (Akai Hana) - Red Flower - B-side to Utareru Ame. A simply addictive and memorable pop tune.

刹那の絆 (Setsuna no Kizuna) - Bonds of a Moment - B-side to SUICIDES' LOVE STORY. Just as popping as Akai Hana!

悲しみのキズ (Kanashimi no Kizu) - Scars of Sadness - 7th single, was the theme song of PS2 game Fullmetal Alchemist 3: Kami wo Tsugu Shoujo. Simple yet effective.

eighteen sky - The closing, ballad track from her debut album, "18 -eighteen-". Gorgeous.

サイレン (Siren) - Image song for the Japanese releases of the Canadian cartoon series, Ruby Gloom. Released under the pseudonym of Ruby Gloom. Her best energetic number!

HOLD HEART - 4th single, and has a really old school flare. The music will get stuck in your head after only one listen.

 

The Top 10

 

10. 神様ひとつだけ (Kamisama Hitotsu dake) - My One And Only God

Key words: Dark, atmospheric, quiet verses then sudden/loud choruses, brooding, emotional

 

 

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"Kamisama Hitotsu dake" is my first entry for many reasons. What I had hoped to achieve with this list is to get new listeners for Kitade, and create a discussion point for current fans of hers. Also because I love this woman. But the point is that "Kamisama Hitotsu dake" is easily one of her hard tracks. And for her gruff voice, she pulls it off so well. It's a pity she didn't create many other similar songs, but that's why this one is so important, because it's really all we have of this dark and heavy sound. I feel like this is a very trustworthy 10th position to introduce newcomers to her because of the sound and her look, as she was already very much into the gothic lolita style now, and it's one of her edgy songs. I find this most suitable when introducing her to MH.

 

The way the song progresses also must be noted on. From the very edgy opening, to the quieter, almost ambient verses then suddenly transitioning into a rocking, dramatic chorus is simply breathtaking. And combining this with Kitade's already distinctive breathy yet nasily tone brings this storybook to life. And on the comparison to a storybook, "Kamisama Hitotsu dake" does this storytelling so well. Kitade's exceptionally brilliant lyrics create a story of escapism and fantasy, like it's literally pulled out from a fairytale. All in all, as soon as you get to the final verse, you'll understand what I mean by the progression and storytelling. With Kitade's hauntingly emotional vocal work and almost chaotic yet somber music score, "Kamisama Hitotsu dake" is the perfect starter to this countdown and displays all of Kitade's best attributes. 

 

 

9. 遺留品 (Iryuuhin) - Instant

Keywords: Ballad, sentimental

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The first out of three songs from the one single to be covered completely on this ranking, this is a B side to "Kesenai Tsumi". It being her best ever release of hers, it can't be denied how brilliant of a single this is, with the sentimental ballad "Iryuuhin" helping it out. A song I'm sure plenty of us can relate to, and is also a common theme in her music, of lost love. In case anyone else is also substicale to lyrics, this song has some of the best poetry:

 

"Even now whispered words and your warmth linger. There's too much oxygen when you're not in this room. / Even now mingled sighs and kisses linger. The temperature is too cold when you're not in this room." How could this not tug at even the hardest of heartstrings!?

 

... This is just the start of one brilliant single.

 

 

 

 

8. 泡沫 (Utakata) - Transience

Keywords: Unique (for Kitade), build up, ambient until dramatic climax

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B side to Utareru Ame, this is the most beautiful of Kitade's music. Without contest. For those of you who know of songs like Plastic Tree's "Andro Metamorphose", you can compare to such songs that have an extremely steady, ambient like buil up but then burst and transform into almost a completely different song. In fact both the two songs are very similar! This is another of Kitade's efforts which is completely outside of her typical writing and style, making for a totally undeniable impression. 

 

 

 

7. Alice

Keywords: Ballad, typical Kitade but disguised as cute and sweet

 

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What Kitade actually has very few of, is ballads. And surprise, surprise, almost all of them are knock outs! You would see "Alice" as track 6 on her debut album, "18 -Eighteen-". Being the only slow ballad number of the album itself, you wouldn't forget it. Nor can you even when going over her discography. Undeniably joyful and relaxing are understatements for this song. And yet, it's still as sentimental as she usually does thanks to her writing. But the pleasantry of it actually sounding almost like an idol song is what makes it stand out against her discography. It's hard enough picking only a few songs out of her debut album, but this being possibly her best ballad, it couldn't miss this spot.

 

 

6. 鏡の国のアリア (Kagami no kuni no aria) - Aria of the Mirror Land

Keywords: Heavy, macabre, slow yet dark build up/tension, extremely rocking and jaring/haunting vocal and musical work, unique (for Kitade)

 

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This being the B side to "tsukihana", which is an impressive song as is, "Kagami no kuni no aria" really pushes the envelope. Completely out of ordinary for her, this track is the definition of gothic and dark if ever Kitade attempted it. Take this as the opposite of the earlier entry of "Utakata". The verses are so very creepy with Kitade's almost monotone and lengthy delivery, then the dramatic, emotional chorus. I can't help but think that this is one perfect for MH. 

 

 

5. (月華) tsukihana - Moon Flower

Keywords: Anime, theatrical, emotional, 

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And look what the Hell Girl Devil brings in! Yes, it's the previous track's title track, "tsukihana". This was very much my top track of Kitade's when I first discovered her. So very fitting to the anime, Hell Girl, it was involved with, and completely flawless with its PV too, "tsukihana" is complete magic. 

 

 

 

4. Fake

Keywords: Oldschool (pop)

 

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Never has a song screamed "THROWBACK!" so hard. From the cheesy insertion of the techno between verses, and even cheesier lyrics, "Fake" sounds so 90s, it's almost a guilty pleasure. And yet, everything about the song is still absolutely fantastic. Track 9 of debut album "18 -Eighteen-"

 

 

3. SUICIDES LOVE STORY

Keywords: Emotional/dramatic, ballad

 

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Another early favourite of mine when I first got into Kitade, "SUICIDES LOVE STORY" is everything I adore in a ballad. The breathy, high notes, the climatic chorus, the bittersweet lyrics, the painful vocals, everything just works.

 

 

2. 瞬間 (Shunkan) - Moment

Keywords: Ballad

 

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A very personal, almost throwback of sorts selection, "Shunken" comes in second because of the time I discovered it. It's the third and last ballad in the ranking, and is in this exact spot for being one of the first Japanese songs I discovered and adored. I didn't even know it was Kitade for ages until I got into her a couple of years later! Discovered on a random podcast find on iTunes back in 2012, I had it on repeat continuously with a few other anime openings I had no clue about (one being access' Dgray man opening and even ...). What immediately caught my attention was Kitade's rather unreserved vocals against the laid back, gorgeous melody of the ballad. It's very simple, but effective. It's not just because of nostalgia and... sentimental value, but because I still love it just as much as I did then, unlike how "tsukihana" had been bumped down. 

 

 

 

1. 消せない罪 (Kesenai Tsumi) ~Ice Cream Tenpura Ver.~ - Unerasable Sin

Keywords: Remix, heavy, 'classic', rock

 

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There are so many reasons as to why this song just has to be in first place. This being her first ever released song is one of the main reasons. The song is her most successful hit. It was so popular, Kitade released a slowed down version entitled "Kesenai Tsumi ~raw "breath" track~", and even this remix on her best of release "Berry Berry". With three versions of this track, including the original,  "Ice Cream Tenpura Ver/Berry Berry Ver" takes the cake. You could call this the sped up version if "raw breath track" is the slower one. But it has even more than that going for it. As already explained, Kitade rarely ever did anything hard or rough, with only three having such an edgy sound, and this being one of them. It's a real shame, but that's even more reason to sink yourself into these treats even more. The whole track is a rock fest from the start to end, and is exactly how brilliant any remix should be to top the original. 

 

 

So, have you discovered a new favourite artist? Will you be checking out her old material before she starts releasing again, or are you interested in what she'll be doing now? Feel free to add your comments and discuss! Thank you for reading~

 

[plastic_rainbow 2162]

Omgg yaaasss nice review @beni!!!!!

I was thinking about compiling a 'best of' list for her too ever since she announced her new solo work. This is a really good list and you actually picked a lot of my favorites!! I agree that Kagami Kuni no Aria will probably be well-liked by most MH users here as it's her heaviest track, and also one of my top favorites. So if you don't like her poppier and cute-gothic lolita stuff, be sure to at least give that one a listen. Really happy to see that you included Iryuuhin and Shunkan. Even though those are way back from her debut single, they still top many of her later works for me. I think a lot of it has to do with the nostalgic vibe it emits, and also because it just sounds so emotional. I don't know, I feel a lot of things every time I listen to them. As for her all time classic 'Kesenai Tsumi', I actually like the raw breath track remix a lot! The bass (i think) is so catchy at the beginning, and it's just an overall nice toned-down version of the original. Tsukihana and Suicides Love Story are great songs too, even though I didn't really like them as much back then. Now Suicides Love Story is one of my top ballads from her. Utakata is probably the most beautiful ballad of hers though. <3

 

Maybe I'm really biased as a long time follower, but everything here is worth checking out~

Just to add a few of my other favorites not listed here: m'aider, utareru ame, under babydoll, my dear maria., blue butterfly, akai kami no onna no ko (for the cutesier side of her, really sweet and lullaby-like), and I could probably list more but I'll stop...

 

Here's my honest opinion about her new solo work so far: you're not gonna like it if you don't like electronic pop. No more rockstar Nana, at least for now anyway. I really don't like this new direction of hers, but I do still LOVE her for who she is. Considering that many of her influences come from western rock bands though, I do still have hope for her. I want to her more grunge and shoegaze Nana, which she touched a lot on in The Teenage Kissers. (well, she was only really shoegazy with that one song Daydreamer)