J-pop album- The Best of My Life by Changin' my Life

Changin' my Life is a j-pop band which split up in 2003 with the release of just three albums and six singles. It consisted of myco (vocals) who is currently in Quintillion Quiz, Tanabe Shintarou on guitar and Henmi Noritaka playing teh keyboard.Their single/album sales data is not available on the internet so I don't know how much this album sold. Changin' my Life's songs are ususally soothing pop ballads with a beat but they have done a few uptempo songs too. myco's voice is deep, powerful and strong and gives their songs a new dimension. Many of their songs have been featured in the anime Full Moon wo Sagashite which was based on the manga by Arina Tanimura.

1. Confidence- It is a slow pop song, which is a bit boring at times. myco's voice sounds strained at some places. In the beginning, it has some nice keyboards. An average pop track.

2. Myself- A pop ballad which if filled with emotion. It has guitars and keyboards in the background. The melody is haunting and beautiful. The instrumental interlude is a masterpiece. An unforgettable song which can never fail to make the listener love it. Myco's voice is very powerful in the chorus and you can't help but feel the intensity of her emotions.

3. Eternal Snow- While still recovering from the splendour of Myself, brace yourself for something along the lines of an epic masterpiece. If you look at the youtube video of Eternal Snow, you will see that so many people have said that this is their favorite song in the whole world. Eternal Snow is my favorite song too. It is a simple ballad with a wintry feel but every note is perfect. The instrumental intro is marvelous and gives you the feeling of being stuck in a blizzard. The lyrics of this song and powerful and meaningful and you will appreciate the beauty of this song even more if you know the lyrics. Eternal Snow is a song so perfect, few artists can produce such a song even in their whole career.

4. Luv Remix- This was Changin' My Life's debut single. It is a dance track. myco's voice doesn't suit this track. It is really very mediocre. It is a good thing Changin' My Life changed their style after this single.

5. Ajisai- It starts with a flute-like instrument playing a small intro and then myco's voice takes over. It is a soothing track with an arrangement that suits its style. It is hard to describe this song, since there is so much going on, but if you just close your eyes and listen to it, for one minute everything seems to be merged into it's melody.

6. Stardust- A spectacular track, to say the least. It is a typical Changin' My Life ballad which is what makes it better than 90% ballads out there. Changin' My Life doing what they do best.

7. Etoranze- This is a new kind of track for Changin' My Life. It has r&b influences with hints of arabian instruments.

8. New Future- A happy and optimistic pop track but there is nothing generic about it. It is about believeing in dreams and doing one's best. More than five minutes long, New Future is one of the best tracks on this album and in Changin' My Life's discography.

9. Love Chronicle- A very popular song among Changin' My Life's fans, it is a ballad with r&b elements. It does not use the standard piano, guitar and drums but uses a rather unusual instrument I don't know the name of. The lyrics are about love and being loved.

10. Christmas ni kuchizuke wo- As the name suggests, it is an upbeat christmassy track.

Overall this album was an extremely good listen with more than its share of great songs. If you haven't listened to Changin' My Life, this is a great place to start.

Pros- Wonderful ballads
Excellent arrangements
Strong vocals

Cons- Placing of songs was not good