KAT-TUN - Keep the Faith

Keep the Faith is the hit single released by KAT-TUN on November 21, 2007, during the airing of the Japanese drama "Yukan Club," which starred KAT-TUN members Jin Akanishi and Junnosuke Taguchi. Both vocal and karaoke versions of the song were used as the theme for the drama. There were two pressings of the single: the first included a bonus track, Lovin'U, and the second had a DVD with a PV. In the first week of its release, Keep the Faith made #1 on the music charts. It remained on the charts for 16 weeks and was rated the 5th best single of 2007, having sold nearly 460,000 copies.

Keep The Faith is an explosive song that could double as music for something like "Mission Impossible" with its action packed rhythm. The opening is a harmony of catchy guitar and drum beats combined with shouts of "hi-yah!" and the song leaps to life as the members' vocals enter the composition and the sound tapers back to a gentle guitar melody. The song rides high and low, and while the stanzas are on a lower level, come the chorus, the song quickly builds and the rock-style sound takes over. There is a brief rapped stanza by Koki Tanaka towards the end before the song falls back into the opening instrumental, closing the song with a bang.

The B-side track, Crazy Love, is nothing like its counterpart and throws water on the flames that Keep the Faith ignited. While the 180-degree turn could have proved disappointing, the beautiful ballad that is Crazy Love simply can't be disliked as the vocals are crystal clear and moving, and the piano melody that guides the song is enchanting. The boys pour their heart into the track, taking turns between stanzas to belt out the lyrics as the song builds up before they rejoin to sing in unison during the chorus. The composition is comprised of an orchestra and piano, producing a delicate sound that is truly a masterpiece.

The sweetest addition to the single, however, is Lovin'U. Primarily an acoustic track, the stanzas are broken up between the members with only one singing at a time. This changes at the chorus, wheres all six members sing at once to gentle sound effects. Lovin'U is a truly endearing track which beautifully accents the song with its higher notes and cute lyrics, and it is quite a special bonus for those who can obtain the first press edition. Listeners are treated to the karaoke versions of all three songs on the first press edition, which are all enjoyable to listen to. While the vocal versions hold more excitement, the instrumentals are nothing short of impressive.

Keep the Faith is a shining example of the talent that KAT-TUN has. With their upcoming releases, the boys have many more chances to continue to blow away fans with their love songs and catchy rock tracks.