Rock is not just an image
J-pop diva Mika Nakashima looks like a punk rocker in the Nana movies. But does she possess the fire that characterises all rock artists?
The answer can be found in her latest album The End, a collection of new songs by Nakashima (subtitled Nana starring Mika Nakashima). It features Hitoiro (One Colour), the theme song to Nana 2. It was composed by Glay's guitarist, Takuro, who also wrote Eyes for the Moon, and Glamorous Sky, the best-selling single from the first Nana movie.
As a pop singer, Nakashima has a beautiful voice that can make even a non-descript tune sound breathtaking. But punk music demands something more wild and aggressive, a never-say-die spirit that - as Jack Black's character succinctly puts it in the great film School of Rock - has the guts to 'stick it to the Man'.
In this respect, Nakashima's vocals are too soft and brittle to set the rock tunes on fire. But her delicate and energetic voice brings another dimension to the music. Like the original manga and the Nana movies, which are more about young people chasing their dreams than rebelling against the authority (Nana's punk band always wanted to make a name on the music scene rather than staying independent), songs such as Blowing Out and a cover of Frank Sinatra's My Way brim with a youthfulness and playfulness that lift the spirits.
The End lacks fire and inventiveness, but it is an enjoyable album will recharge your batteries.
