STANDARD

SCANDAL has been a band that is always ready and always able to surprise not just their old fans but also anyone new who listens to them for the first time. Having debuted as an all-girl pop-rock band in 2008, SCANDAL multiple faced hardships when female rockers were very rare in Japan. The four stuck together and pushed through their problems, quickly earning fame and earning the title of “Girl Band Representative of Japan”. SCANDAL helped created and lead the girl band boom in Japan and remain at the top of popularity among girl bands in Japan.

STANDARD, released on October 2, 2013, is the fifth studio album for SCANDAL and it is an album that is creative and addictive. This is an album that will pull you in and have you listening to track after track without stopping. STANDARD excellently shows the girls’ talent as rockers and multi-talented musicians; the album has an array of genres on this 13 track album that show just how talented they are. STANDARD contains a steady progression from electropop to hard rock.

This album also contains more songs written by a SCANDAL member or with the help of a SCANDAL member than ever before, including the first song ever fully composed, written, and arranged by the band alone. STANDARD is available in three editions: regular edition, Limited Edition DVD edition containing the music videos to “Awanai Tsumori no, Genki de ne”, “Kagen no Tsuki” and “SCANDAL IN THE HOUSE”, and finally it was also available in a Limited Edition with a special t-shirt.

Having debuted at #2 on the Oricon Weekly Charts with 21,979 copies sold on Flying Get Day, STANDARD has become SCANDAL’s fastest and best-selling album to date.

1. "Brand New Wave"

“Brand New Wave” is the opening track to STANDARD and is a song that can be rather deceptive, in a good way. With the electropop sound of “Brand New Wave”, it can make listeners think that the album will be a pop one. But this track will show you that you shouldn’t always judge an album by its opening track.

2. "OVER DRIVE"

“OVER DRIVE” is SCANDAL’s 17th single and the one released just before STANDARD was released. “OVER DRIVE” is a fun pop sounding song with rock undertones that show off the goofier side of SCANDAL.

3. "打ち上げ花火 (Uchiagehanabi)"

“Uchiagehanabi” is really where the progression back into SCANDAL’s usual rock sound begins. Still keeping pop undertones, the song is stronger on the instruments and less on the synth like the first two tracks were. “Uchiagehanabi” is a nostalgic and fun song about seeing the fireworks of summer with someone you care for.

4. "オレンジジュース (Orange Juice)"

“Orange Juice” is a funky rock song with the dueling vocals of lead singer/guitarist Haruna Ono and bassist/vocalist Tomomi Ogawa. Between Haruna’s deep voice and Tomomi’s high pitched voice, it creates an interesting combination that can be seen in a lot of SCANDAL songs; their voices a combination that always works amazingly together.

5. "メトロノーム (Metronome)"

“Metronome” is a heavier rock song that can easily push Haruna’s vocal talents. With a naturally deep voice, it’s never been easy for Haruna to hit the high notes such as the ones in this song. But she proves she can do it by hitting them excellently. With a strong rock beat, this is a song that any rock lover can appreciate and might just quickly become someone’s favorite track. This song can also showcase drummer Rina Suzuki’s talents.

6. "Weather Report"

“Weather Report” was used as the opening theme song to Japanese dub of the hit U.S show Scandal, a fitting pairing. Written by Rina, she tells that the track was written to go along with the show, a show that she is a fan of. The song starts off slow with a calming and soothing riff. Once Haruna’s vocals come in, the song becomes even more soothing. The song is quick to change from a song ballad-esque song to a strong rock song, never losing the emotion present at the beginning of it.

7. "8月 (Hachigatsu)"

“Hachigatsu” is probably the most personal song on the album for the girls. SCANDAL was formed in August of 2006 and in English, the title of this song is “August”. This is a softer rock song about the moment when the four girls met and chose to take the rock band path together. Throughout the entire song, the listeners will be able to hear the girls’ love not just for each other, but also for the music they create. With lyrics written by Haruna and composition by lead guitarist Mami Sasazaki, it is one that will surely show just how strongly the girls feel for each other and what they do as a band.

8. "会わないつもりの、元気でね (Awanai Tsumori no, Genki de ne)"

“Awanai Tsumori no, Genki de ne” is the 15th single from SCANDAL. This song was also used as the title track to the movie Ore wa Mada Honki Dashitenai Dake, a comedy film. This song is an upbeat rock song that is one anyone could enjoy.

9. "下弦の月 (Kagen no Tsuki)"

“Kagen no Tsuki” holds the place of the 16th single for SCANDAL. It is a softer rock song that combines the vocal talent of all four girls. With an even amount of vocals shared between the four, there isn’t much of a lead singer in “Kagen no Tsuki”. The way all four girls’ blend together is wonderful and adds a lot to the song.

10. "恋のゲシュタルト崩壊 (Koi no Gestalt Houkai)"

“Koi no Gestalt Houkai” continues the progression into hard rock with rougher guitar riffs played together by Haruna and Mami. When performed live, this is the song on STANDARD where Haruna puts down her guitar and shows off her singing and dancing talents.

11. "キミと未来と完全同期 (Kimi to Mirai to Kanzen Douki)"

“Kimi to Mirai to Kanzen Douki” is a fun pop-rock song where SCANDAL paired with the Grant Front Osaka robotics factory to create the “Robot SCANDAL” project. With strong connections to their hometown of Osaka, the girls were happy to create the song for the project. With lyrics written by Tomomi, the song fully conveys the girls’ lasting love for their home.

12. "涙よ光れ (Namida yo Hikare)"

“Namida no Hikare” is a bitter sweet pop-punk song sung about how it’s okay to cry when you want to. It’s a fitting song for an emotional band that has been seen time and time again tearing up on stage from the happiness they feel. This song also shows off not just the lyric writing talent but also the vocal talents that Mami has.

13. "STANDARD"

The closing track and the final track to the album, “STANDARD” is one that showcases many talents for the girls. Not only do they play the song wonderfully but it is the very first song fully written, composed, and arranged completely by SCANDAL with no outside help. The lyrics and arrangement are fully credited to SCANDAL and the composition is credited to Mami. “STANDARD” is a hard rock song that shows who the girls are – rockers. The girls have faced a hard battle with being labelled as idols but time and time again, they come back to prove that they are indeed not idols but fully rockers. It is not hard to see the passion, love, and excitement then girls have for music through this song.

In conclusion, STANDARD can be considered SCANDAL’s best album to date. It surprised many old fans and earned SCANDAL many new ones as well. It is an album that any rock fan can appreciate, it is one that will break down language barriers and impress someone even if they don’t speak Japanese. As expected of SCANDAL, STANDARD does not disappoint at all.