When Gackt announced some time ago that he was going to release four singles in four weeks instead of an album (all with fanclub-only versions), the general reaction was either 1) WTF? or 2) jeez, don’t you have enough money already?
My reaction, though, was more along the lines of “bring it on!” To be honest, Gackt has been spoiling us in the past nine months or so with all he’s been releasing, and after how little there was in 2007 and 2008 I’m thrilled to have new Gackt to put on repeat. (Even if he is sucking every last bit of my money away.) I would have preferred an album, it’s true, but at least we get the songs.
The first single, Koakuma Heaven, came out this past week. Its cover alone is fairly controversial, because yes, that is Gackt dressed as a woman. The song, too, is from a woman’s point of view — and it’s not just any woman, it’s about a hooker. Which means that as cheery as it sounds, it is a trashy song. Well, leave it to Gackt to go out there and make me say WTF. (For the curious, you can check out the lyrics.)
As far as the actual song goes, it’s really too dance-y for me. It’s Gackt, so I can enjoy it (and I think repeated listens are making it grow on me), but it’s not the kind of song I generally go for. It’s not bad, per se, and I imagine people who like this kind of music will enjoy it, but it doesn’t really do it for me.
The B-Side, however, completely makes up for this. “My Father’s Day” is a straightforward rock track, exactly my favorite kind of Gackt song, and I quite enjoy it. The song is dedicated to Ogata Ken, an older actor he met and grew close to when he was working on Furin Kazan, who passed away last year. The lyrics are really touching, but it’s hearing Gackt cry out “Good-bye Dad” that’s heartbreaking. It’s definitely one of his better songs, and I expect to be listening to it on repeat for quite a while to come.
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Though I could pass on “Koakuma Heaven“, “My Father’s Day” has me sure that the next few weeks will be great, and I’m excited to hear the new singles.