Kiroro's album "Diary"

Hi, peeps ! I'm switching to some easy-listening music for the post of today. You know what I'm talking about: nice, infectious melodies -often with simple arrangements and warm vocals- that makes us smile, sometimes feeling guilty afterwards! Well, there is no guilt in me when I listen to Kiroro's music...

Kiroro is a female duo that puts its all into their music. They have been writing their own stuff for the last ten years and performing it to great succes, often with just a piano as the only instrument on scene. They became a local success in 1996 in their hometown Okinawa but nationwide popularity arrived in 1998 with their breakthrough hit "Nagai Aida", out of their debut album "Nagai Aida: Kiroro no Mori".

Kiroro is formed of Chiharu Tamashiro on main vocals and Ayano Kinjo on piano. Chiharu's voice is really touching, specially in slow numbers, which are their signature mark. I am posting today the album "Diary", released on March 3rd 2004. If you listen to the first song ("Mou Sukoshi"), you will get acquainted with the sound Kiroro is mainly known for: soothing ballads with just piano and voice (well, and some strings or guitar on the background). This has proved to be a hit formula for the girls, since their biggest hits have been ballads that followed this trend, such as "Nagai Aida", "Suki na hito", "Mirai he" or "Aitai".

"Mou Sukoshi" was released as a single, and so was "Bokura no Message", which was used as the OP of the anime TV series "Mujin Wakusei SURVIVE". Here you have that clip, courtesy of alictam23 @ YouTube:

A year later, another song from theirs ("Ikitekoso") would be used as the OP of the TV series "Kabutomushi Ouji Mushiking - Mori no Tame no Densetsu" ("King of Beetles", for short...). Up to now, that has been all of its connection to animation, but undoubtedly there'll be more to come, since the girls have the nice habit of releasing an album per year... Check out next the OP for "King of Beetles", courtesy of pturna @ YouTube:

And here's the album for your hearing pleasure ! Take the time to drop a comment on what you hear...