Foxxi misQ - Say you luv me ~mahou no kotoba~

Unlike previous releases that have fast, raunchy R'n'B numbers as A-sides, Say you luv me ~mahou no kotoba~ is Foxxy misQ's first ballad single. It is also a single that takes a few risks and emerges as one of the more varied and interesting singles they have released to date.

Say you luv me ~mahou no kotoba~ is a rather sweet piece that opens with a subtle piano and acoustic guitar melody. Say you luv me becomes a tender and dreamy song with real heart despite the text speak title. That said, the slow pace might bore some. The girls sing in smooth R'n'B vocals that steer the song gently towards their hip-hop routes while crescendoing almost into a power ballad. While is may not be the most original ballad and at times it drags, generally, Say you luv me is a beautiful, relaxing song.

Take Control is firmly in Foxxi misQ territory though, as the thudding hip-hop beats return. Sampling heavily from Salt-n-Pepa's Push It, Take Control is an infectious number designed to fill dance floors. The vocals are sung with real attitude. The pitch is higher and it's more aggressive, but still has enough smooth sweetness to give the track a light feel while pushing the sexy nightclub atmosphere.

The first repeat of Say you luv me is another dance floor filler, but unlike Take Control, it is a house/techno remix. The pulsing house beat is very William Orbit and carries through as an instrumental piece of dance music until the 3rd minute when the girls' vocals begin, creating a neat balance to the continuing fast pace of the house beat. The notes blend perfectly, creating a believable piece of clubbing music from a slow R'n'B ballad, and this incredible synthesis makes the Orbitribe remix the delight of an already strong single.

Say you luv me closes with two further re-workings of the title track: an a capella version that adds little to the release, and the instrumental version. The a capella version is simply as the title suggests - a full length version without instruments - and although for the first verse or so it is enjoyable to hear the girls' singing voices clear and unhindered, for the full length it becomes boring, and the pauses between verse and chorus misleadingly suggest the end of the song. The other companion track is the classic version for karaoke enthusiasts.

While this single may not be the most representative of Foxxi misQ's regular style and thus may initially alienate old fans, it is a varied example of perhaps where their style is headed. The trance heard in the Orbitribe remix suits the trio exceptionally well though, and one might hope they continue to experiment in this direction in the future.