For those of you that are new to j-pop or who live under a rock, it should be known that Gotou Maki was is an ex-member of the mega-group Morning Musume. *waits* Okay, if you haven't run away in fear, you can now read my review of her new single. I attempted to review her previous album, but couldn't listen to the whole thing. Here we go! Courage!

1. Uwasa no SEXY GUY
This actually starts off with a good beat reminiscent of a James Bond movie. In fact, I'm positive that's what they were going for. However, there is also a bit of a Latin feel to it as well. Maki's vocals are good; she always was the best singer in Morning Musume. The chorus has kind of a weird rhythm that is distracting, and the male backup singers are positively annoying. I won't even bother going into the lyrics, but no one buys this kind of music for lyrics, right? Again, I'd like to mention how much I hate these male speaking voices. They are ANYTHING but sexy. Otherwise, the song is actually pretty fun.
Rating: 8 out of 10

2. Kare, Ryokou Chuu Nare
Now, we move onto soft Caribbean type lounge music. It sounds like cheesy video game music, honestly. And what's with the jingle bells?? Maki has such a nice voice; why does she waste it on junk like this? The worst thing about this song is that it tries to be cute, but is way too boring to pull that off. That, and the accompaniment just sucks. Maybe if they had picked up the pace, added some more instruments, and let Maki use her voice, it could have been a good song. But, sadly, it's not. I want it to stop. Now. Please?
Rating: 5.5 out of 10

Overall Rating: 6.5 out of 10