AAA - Mirage

MIRAGE is not only the seventeenth single from unstoppable Avex pop group AAA, but also their first to enter the weekly Oricon charts at number one.

The Arabian-styled title track MIRAGE blends lighter, more exotic instruments with the band's usual synthesized pop sound, creating something a little reminiscent of their debut single, Blood On Fire. Retaining the typical AAA flavor, the track is fast-paced and upbeat; it's a catchy song driven by the melody. As is usual for some of their more commercially popular singles, MIRAGE contains no rap. This omission leaves the song feeling a little short at just over three minutes in length, but the track as a whole is cohesive and polished and won't leave you wanting.

On the B-side, Love Candle offers slightly different fare as an easy-paced track that showcases all seven of the members' vocal talents. Compared to previous releases, on which main vocalists Urata Naoya, Nishijima Takahiro and Uno Misako's voices were always pushed forward, it's clear that the band as a whole has grown enough to open up the floor to those members not often heard. There's a nice distinction between male and female vocals on the track, and while it's not outstanding in composition or overall sound, it makes a nice change from the relentless pace of MIRAGE.

Keeping up the tradition of including live recordings on AAA's singles, the third and final track on MIRAGE is a recording of a previous single called SUNSHINE from the group's performance at Budokan last year. Though this limits the single to only two bonafide new tracks, the recording is of a good enough quality to be enjoyable.

All in all, MIRAGE is no deviation from what is expected from the seven member group. While it's very standard fare for AAA, that's not to say that it's not an enjoyable, polished release - and with seventeen singles under their belt since the close of 2005, we're sure to see more from the group in the very near future.