Today
Angela Aki · 2007
65 min · 13 tracks · pop music
A blend of heartfelt piano ballads and uplifting pop anthems that showcase Angela Aki's emotive vocals and introspective songwriting.
Top tracks — play these first
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TODAY — The title track stands out for its anthemic quality and uplifting message about seizing the moment, encapsulating the album's overall theme of hope.
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愛のうた Start here — This song showcases Aki's ability to blend poignant lyrics with a beautiful melody, making it a quintessential example of her emotive storytelling.
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Silent Girl — With its introspective tone and delicate arrangement, Silent Girl reveals a more vulnerable side of Aki, highlighting her versatility as an artist.
Elevation
Our rating, out of 100 — and why.
AI-generated from five scored dimensions. An opinion, not a measurement.
The album showcases strong songwriting and emotive performances but lacks a cohesive flow across its length.
What we noticed
- The first half of the album features predominantly mid-tempo tracks, while the second half shifts to slower ballads, creating a noticeable dynamic contrast.
- Many songs incorporate a piano-driven arrangement, with Aki's vocals often layered harmonically in the choruses, enhancing emotional impact.
- Several tracks utilize a recurring lyrical theme of introspection and personal growth, which ties the album's narrative together.
- Composition 25% of the score
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7/10
- Craft 20% of the score
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6/10
- Durability 25% of the score
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6/10
- Distinctiveness 18% of the score
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6/10
- Sequencing 12% of the score
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5/10
the writing — melody, harmony, structure, lyrics
production, performance, arrangement
whether it rewards returning to it
whether it sounds like itself
running order, pacing, length
Known within its scene. Reported but not counted — how far a record travelled describes its reception rather than the record, and a newer release has had less time to travel than an older one.
Is this for you?
Good fit if you like
- long, immersive listening sessions
- dynamic emotional journeys
- late-night contemplative moods
- layered, dense sonic textures
Where this album fits
- In the catalog
- Breakthrough — Solidified Aki's status in J-pop after her debut, achieving commercial success.
- Career context
- Released in September 2007, Today was Angela Aki's second studio album following her successful debut, These Words. At this point in her career, she had already gained recognition for her powerful ballads and was solidifying her presence in the Japanese pop music scene. This album further established her unique style and lyrical depth, building on the momentum from her first release.
- Stylistic neighbors
- yuna· Norah Jones· Sara Bareilles
Tracklist
- 1 サクラ色 Start here 5:18
- 2 Again 4:33
- 3 TODAY 4:46
- 4 愛のうた 6:01
- 5 たしかに 4:58
- 6 Silent Girl 3:47
- 7 モラルの葬式 5:46
- 8 乙女心 4:16
- 9 One Melody 5:34
- 10 友のしるし 4:53
- 11 孤独のカケラ 5:23
- 12 On & On 4:55
- 13 Surrender 5:22
Reference: Wikipedia · MusicBrainz · Wikidata
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