𝒲𝑒'𝓇𝑒 𝒶𝓁𝓌𝒶𝓎𝓈 𝒾𝓃 𝓉𝒽𝑒 𝒽𝒾𝑔𝒽𝓁𝒾𝑔𝒽𝓉𝓈 ~ SCANDAL Fanpage

ハイライトの中で僕らずっと . . .

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SCANDAL [スキャンダル] is a Japanese pop-rock group, formed in Osaka in 2006. With 11 albums released so far, they've been active for nearly 20 years now, having started when they were still in high-school. While they're a bit more upbeat when compared to the artists and bands I usually listen to, their sharp sound and distinct energy still make them one of my favorite bands anyway. Each member is a very big inspiration to me, and their music has helped add a lot of much-needed positivity to what I listen to. This is just a page for me to talk about their history and music. I love this band. ♡

メンバープロフィール . . .

ハルナ | HARUNA

Vocals / Rhythm Guitar

The band's headstrong leader, as well as their rhythm guitarist, and main vocalist. Needless to say, she fills all of those roles extremely well. Her voice is phenomenal, and so is her stage presence. While she does most of the singing for the band, she doesn't write many lyrics. She's also the oldest member of the group. As for her personal life, she has a dog named Lady, and is a big K-Pop fan.

マミ | MAMI

Lead Guitar / Vocals

The lead guitarist herself, and one of my favorites in all of Japanese rock. She often sings backup, but she does sing lead occasionally. I do wish they let her sing lead more, her voice is just so strong and distinct. She also handles most of the composition and arranging for their music. In regards to her personal life, she has a strong affinity for fashion, and also does embroidery as a hobby.

トモミ | TOMOMI

Bass / Vocals

The band's bassist and secondary vocalist, usually singing with or behind Haruna in most of the band's earlier songs. I love her energy, her voice is so bright and passionate, and her stage presence is always so fun to watch. She also has a great sense of humor. As for hobbies, she enjoys camping, golfing, and collecting vinyls. She's also quite a big fan of funk, R&B, and hip-hop music.

リナ | RINA

Drums / Vocals

The band's drummer, though she also plays keyboards and guitar occasionally. She's my bias, and personal favorite member. I love her songwriting, and I deeply respect her as a person. She is genuinely such an inspiration to me. She's actually the youngest member of the group, having joined when she was still in middle school. She also has her own YouTube channel. Subscribe to her. Or else.

ディスコグラフィー . . .

Yah! Yah! Yah! Hello SCANDAL (2008):

This early EP was released while the band was still indie, with three of the four songs here being singles they had released before under their then label, Kitty Records. At this point, the band was still quite niche, and very much trying to find their footing. Even still, this EP serves as a lovely introduction to the band's early years, with a rough, garage-rock and power pop sound that would define this era of the band. It's short, it's catchy, and it's a very good summary of the band's style during these years. I like it.

Best★Scandal (2009):

The band's debut album, and one of their most iconic releases by far. It's essentially an extended version of their first EP, featuring all of their previous singles, alongside some amazing new songs. That garage-rock style is still very much at the forefront here, but it's also been mixed in with some newer, slightly poppier influences that help this album stand out even more. My one complaint here is that the back-half is a bit less accessible than the first half. Either way, Best★Scandal is still one of the best debuts I've seen.

Temptation Box (2010):

Likewise, Temptation Box is one of the best follow-ups I've ever seen. The songwriting is even sharper, the songs just as strong, and while the sound here is a bit cleaner, it's still just as impactful. Sure, it's quite sad to see that rougher tone leave so early, but the songs here no doubt make up for it in their warmth and energy. For a time, this even used to be my favorite Scandal album, and while it's now only my second-favorite, I still think that Temptation Box is one of the band's strongest releases ever. It's amazing.

Baby Action (2011):

Baby Action is a bit of a strange one to describe. I love this album, almost as much as I love Temptation Box. That being said, I will admit that this album is probably the less accessible of the two. It took quite a bit of time for this album to grow on me. I'm happy it did though, as this album is still amazing. It's tracklist is very much less consistent than Temptaton Box, but I find the flashier and louder sound here to be very fun and refreshing. It might take some time to get used to this release, but I still think it's worth a listen.

Queens are Trumps -切り札はクイーン- (2012):

Another more complicated release, Queens are Trumps was also another album that had to grow on me. The back half of this album is phenomenal, with some of the band's best songs in their entire career. The first half however is mostly made up of cleaner or softer songs that didn't hook me that much on my first listen. I very much appreciate them now, but they were hard for me to appreciate on my first few listens. Despite this, I'd still say Queens are Trumps is an amazing album, and arguably one of their most iconic.

Standard (2013):

The last of the band's "classic" era, as I like to call it. Standard was, for the longest time, an album that I had a hard time getting a grasp on. After multiple listens though, I eventually came around to adore this album. Standard takes on a rougher, more grounded approach when compared to the last album, with a large focus on impactful, emotive, and fast-paced rock tracks. It certainly doesn't disappoint, and not once does the album ever let up in passion, energy, or originality. Standard, ironically, is really anything but standard.

Hello World (2014):

Hello World marks an important turning point in the band's career. Up to this point, the band didn't have too much creative oversight, with many of their songs being written by other writers for them. Hello World sees the band finally gaining that freedom, with nearly every song written and composed by only the members themselves. As such, Hello World has almost a soft-reboot feel to it's sound, functioning as a nuanced, emotional, and overall phenomenal evolution of the band's sound. It's one of their best albums ever.

Yellow (2016):

While Hello World was mostly a grounded, natural evolution of Scandal's sound, Yellow sees the group trying to take more liberties with their new creative freedom. The result is, good. Just not really striking, really? Yellow aims for a very sunny, upbeat, and simple sort of energy, and while that simplicity can create some amazing songs, it can also create some very uneventful ones. No song here is bad, but it's quite easy to tell what's filler and what isn't. Even still, Yellow's a solid album, and a much-appreciated bit of positivity.

Honey (2018):

This album is in my opinion, Scandal's best, and it's also one of my favorite albums ever. Honey was made with the words "sweet but sharp" in mind, and it certainly shows. It's aesthetics are loud, it's lyrics are expressive, and it's sound is just beautiful. The band sheds most of their pop influences here, taking on an edgier, fast-paced, and sometimes yearning tone that I find very refreshing. Every song on this album is full of power, and personality, and it certainly cements Honey's status as their best album yet. It's amazing.

Kiss From the Darkness (2020):

In 2019, Scandal announced that they would go back to being an indie band, moving to their own private label, 'her'. KFTD was their first major release under this label, and while it's still a good album, it's also sadly a step down from Honey. Of course, there are some amazing songs here, some of them even reaching the same heights that Honey did. However, other song here end up feeling like filler, and the mixing here can be a bit rough sometimes. Still, KFTD's hits certainly outweigh it's misses, and it's still an album I'd recommend.

Mirror (2022):

Mirror is quite the strange album, ditching most of the band's rock influences to hone in almost entirely on a clean, modern J-pop sound. As such, it's a lot slower and smoother than some of their previous works. I don't mind the experimentation with a more new, softer sound, but I do think they overdid it a bit with this one. Many of the songs here are just a bit too safe and similar for my liking. It's still fine music, but it never really hooks me, and I feel like it lacks a bit of the band's usual energy. It's a good album, just not my style.

Luminous (2024):

The band's latest release, and one of their most ambitious albums yet. Luminous takes many of cues from Mirror's pop influences, but instead combines them with the group's older rock style, creating both a return to form and a new sound for the band, all at the same time. It's a very creative and original approach that I love. Every song here is expressive and energetic, with crisp instrumentation, and some of the best vocals the band's ever done. It's a strong new direction for the band, and I'm excited to see where it'll go next.