Music Review: Fairies - HEY HEY ~Light Me Up~

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Release Date: February 28, 2018

Tracklist:

1. HEY HEY ~Light Me Up~
2. MAMACITA

Total Runtime: 00:07:26

Recommended for: Those who like euro beats or festive Latin tracks.

NOT recommended for: Those looking for Fairies' usual pop tracks such as their previous two singles.

HEY HEY ~Light Me Up~ is the 16th single released by Fairies. It was released in eight versions: a limited CD+DVD edition, five limited CD member version editions, a regular CD+DVD edition, and a regular CD edition. HEY HEY ~Light Me Up~ sold 31k copies and ranked #2 in the first week, which is the highest for any single released by Fairies so far! Without further ado, let's get into this review.

Track Review:

Track One: HEY HEY ~Light Me Up~

HEY HEY ~Light Me Up~ is actually a cover of the 1993 hit song Hey Hey, by Vanessa. Fairies' version is slightly updated for the modern audience, all while still staying very true to the original. I'm quite surprised that Fairies would use such a song as a single as it's still an outdated genre but oddly enough, the song is still catchy with its eccentric beat. The vocals, in my opinion, aren't the best compared to their previous singles Koi no Roadshow and Synchronized. It could be because they've never had a song like this -- it's usually pop for Fairies -- or that it's a cover and it just doesn't fit their vocals so it comes off as weird.

Track Two: MAMACITA


This honestly should've been the A-side track as it sounds like a hit, or could've been saved for a Spring/Summer single. I think Miki's vocals greatly improved and are showcased here in both the verses and bridge. Listening to the instrumentals only, it was really composed nicely. The use of Latin percussion and Latin salsa is apparent throughout the track. The pre-chorus uses Latin salsa while the chorus uses the flamenco guitar and Spanish trumpet. Lyrically, it shows Fairies in a more mature way with its sensual themes, as seen in lines like “Don’t use the word of love, try to show me love Night & Day. In the waves of silk...” Overall, a solid b-side track that has the potential to be an A-side single.

The single is available worldwide on streaming services such as Spotify and Apple Music as well as for purchase on iTunes/Google Play. Let me know what you think of Fairies's latest single down in the comment section below.