Super Eurobeat 198

10.Vicky Vale - Star Heart (Delta)
After a solid intro to the feminine side of eurobeat we have the first new entry by Clara under the Vicky Vale name. Star Heart sounds like a mixture of simple upbeat popmusic and eurobeat elements. The song has a slightly offkey sound to it that doesn't help the song in any way, actually it ends up sounding like a mishmash of elements that just don't fit together too well. The vocals sound really cheery and fit the mood quite perfectly, but the lack in melodic department strips out any edge the vocals create. Star Heart unfortunately lacks real spirit that would make it something that'd stand out on a nonstop. The fun part is how the lyrics from "Keep Fall In Love" are mixed into Start Heart towards the end and it's basically really hard to notice any difference in the first place.
Rating : 7-

11.Cherry - Keep Fall In Love (Delta)
As said previously, this track seems to infuse perfectly with Start Heart in terms of styles and vocals. Keep Fall In Love has a bit more of a disco-flavored mood to it, which is basically the only thing setting these songs apart. The same flaws plague this track though, the vocals sound upbeat but simply can't bring any life into an otherwise simple and repetitive song. The chorus has absolutely no edge to it, which makes it really hard to pay much attention to it. Like the booklet states, the direction the song was going for was meant to be PWL oriented and it does show, yet I can't exactly call it a good thing in this situation. A song which needs some more power and we really need to hear Clara letting her wild side show more often.
Rating : 7-

12.Stephy - Speed Demon (Dima Music)
Some songs just come off sounding maybe a bit too simplified. Speed Demon sounds really cool at first, but the energy it provides seems to die out after very few replays sadly. Vocalwork sounds really emotional and the points where Stefania really blasts out her best you can really feel that she was giving it all she got. Initially I would have valued the song fairly high, but time has gnawed out most of the magic leaving a fairly simple track that is fun on a nonstop, but not necessarily as a stand alone song.
Rating : 7½

13.Krystal - Dream (Dima Music)
The mood of the album changes drastically with this piece. The track has a very fitting mood for its title. Lyrical work is definitely something worth praising for in this situation, they actually show that you just need a clear image in your head about what the song is gonna be about and you can reap a mighty fine harvest. While the song introduces quite a few acoustic elements into an otherwise masterful electric soundworld, it still doesn't quite manage to sound unique. The Dima-flavored mood is heavily present both in good and bad. A good song that shines especially through the lyrics and vocals, now if only the melodic structure had a bit more edge this could've been a masterpiece.
Rating : 8+

14.Pamsy - Sunshine Baby (SCP)
Most people combine Pamsy to a slightly different mood than what Sunshine Baby provides. The song has a distinctive Kiki & Fancy feel to it, which is by no means a bad thing since the lovely K&F duet has been missing for a while now. The track though stumbles upon an unimaginative melody. The chorus and the na-na-na-na-wooos sounds really good, but the verses and the structure of the song on other areas just doesn't light the fire at all. I only wish this song had a bit of a edgier style to it, now it sounds simply too lightweight.
Rating : 7

15.Futura - I'm Superstar (A-Beat C)
If Futura became a superstar this fast, then there's something odd going on. I'm Superstar is one freaky track with so many disturbances in the force. I have no idea how this song came to be since it just sounds so schizophrenic. Jumping from very light sounds to a more arabic mood and then to a Norma Sheffield-ish territory the song just seems like it couldn't decide what it wants to do. Maybe the producers were hoping to showcase the variety Futura can bring, but it just ends up sounding confusing.
Rating : 6

16.Peek-A-Boo - Koko Soko (Asia/Saifam)
This Smile.dk original was one of the tracks that became most memorable from their newest album. It's pretty fitting that Asia covered it since it does sound pretty similar to their style. Vocals in the original were full of energy and action, Peek-A-Boo version on the other hand sounds kind of tired. If a vocalist ain't enjoying the singing this is what you get. The song itself is really fun and catchy, the chorus with all the ladidadidas and Koko soko asoko should be easy for anyone to remember and therefore easy to sing along to as well. The cover version doesn't sound quite as fully produced, but it's not a bad version either. The eurobeatization actually does the song a lot of good, would've just been more fun hearing a Smile.dk - Koko Soko (Eurobeat Version) instead.
Rating : 8-

17.Virginelle - The Power Of Love (Go Go's Music)
And if we want to talk about emotional performances, if somebody states that Elena isn't one of the fiercest female vocalists in the eurobeat world we're gonna need to have a chat. The Power Of Love showcases her abilities to the fullest: there's slightly calmer verses, there's screaming in the chorus and all those high pitched notes we've been lacking in her songs for a while now. The song also stands out as one of the more memorable Go Go's Music tracks in a while. The synths are strong and fitting for a female song plus the great chorus will definitely make you sing along to it. The long awaited return of Virginelle is every bit as great as was expected, a full length track would just be desired.
Rating : 10

18.Veronica - S.O.S. (Eurogrooves)
More of Annerley under Eurogrooves and with more ABBA covers, lack of imagination? Well I'm not complaining since these covers actually work surprisingly well, if it speak of the producers talent or the original songs' quality, that's a different topic. I do like how much more effective and powerful these covers are, there's no trace of those thin and unimaginative synths Eurogrooves commonly combines with the female entries. A nice cover, but the fact that the original has been so heavily played makes it lose some edge.
Rating : 8½

19.Christine & Irene - Easy Come & Easy Go (SCP)
Well these two girls have recently been pushing out the bubbly kind of SCP that I myself always crave for. Easy Come & Easy Go is very upbeat and girly, like a good comeback for all the macho energy on 197. Christine and Irene sound very similar due to all the pitching, but that doesn't really bother me, yet it does make the track sound so much like everything by Kiki & Fancy. The best part about this track is the way it never slows down even for a second. It creates this slightly rushed feel to it, but it's also the kind of music that usually makes me move so much faster while excercising. Perfect running material and something that'll make me smile even while heavily stressed.
Rating : 9½

20.Black Eva - Wroom Wroom Supercar (HI-NRG Attack)
I was listening to the album with random and what I noticed with Wroom Wroom Supercar is how similar it sounds to Pun Pun Beam. I absolutely still love Pun Pun Beam to death, so I can't exactly give this track much negative response either. The track is your every day HRG faire with a hyper synth and silly yet catchy vocals. The style the label is going for does scream out parapara, but if it also manages to reach its audience then the task is complete. A fun song all around with not much special going on for it, but it still sounds catchy and giddy. Wroooooooooom.
Rating : 9

30.HI-NRG All Stars - Rumiringo Superstar (HI-NRG Attack)
Well with an all female album it's fitting to end it on an All Stars tracks. Rumiringo Superstar shows what the label was best at during the Euromach years. The resemblance to Super Euro Flash is heavily present and while this track has a much more feminine attitude, it could just as well have been a memorable hit for Federico under any title. A very well produced song with a memorable title and an effective chorus. A good way to finish off this album.
Rating : 9½

Final Words :
It is slightly sad to notice how different the quality over all is between the female and male albums here. While this could just be the result of bad track selections from Avex's behalf, I still feel there's a slightly different attitude at the eurobeat labels when producing female songs. The songs often do suffer from simplified and overly light production values. The few times the labels really add in a lot of energy for their female tracks, that's usually when we get memorable and instantly catchy tracks, but that unfortunately happens too rarely. This album has been mixed really nicely together and the old hits included are pretty well thought, but the new entries over all can't really bring in the same level of quality as the men did. Virginelle pulls off a great comeback after a hiatus (if we don't include the remake of Fantasy) and leaves me craving for more. Also HI-NRG Attack does a good job with their entries. From Delta I really miss material like Rain and Set Me Free, but maybe that's just around the corner, who knows. Not the first time Avex makes weird selections and unbalanced albums.

Final Score : 7½

The Best 3 songs

- Virginelle - The Power Of Love
- HI-NRG All Stars - Rumiringo Superstar
- Christine & Irene - Easy Come & Easy Go

The Worst 3 Songs

- Futura - I'm Superstar
- Vicky Vale - Star Heart
- Cherry - Keep Fall In Love

Honorable Mention

- Black Eva - Wroom Wroom Supercar

Labels present on the album:

A-Beat C: 1
Delta: 2
Dima Music: 2
Eurogrooves: 1
Go Go's Music: 1
HI-NRG Attack: 2
Saifam: 1
SCP: 2

Reviewed by Bore