Fighting For Better Days in 'King for a day' by Merry Bad End (Song Review)

*All thoughts and opinions regarding the song in question are completely my own. Our opinions may / will differ, but ultimately we can not always have the same views on something. So, whether you agree or disagree with me, please respect what is being said here, and I will in turn respect your own views. I love discussing the merits and downsides of a song with others, so if you want a civil dispute, feel free to dispute with me! But, again: don't disrespect my opinion, or feel the need to try and make me think like you. We are individuals, and individuals do not have the same line of thought! Thank you.

**I am but a human, not a robot, therefore I will make mistakes. Any mistakes here, please point them out. I am useless with grammar, and have a tendency to litter my review with typo's. I am thankful for anyone who points them out, and will do my best to fix my mistakes if they are directed to me. Thank you in advance!

In which Chiima checks out Merry Bad End's most recent song release in a quick review...

Resisting the bad end with each passing day, Merry Bad End are back with a new fight song to inspire their fans, one that incites hope and spirit thanks to a powerful instrumental and beautiful vocals!

Acting as the third song release of 2020, King for a day follows a steady pattern of song releases from Merry Bad End, who have now been releasing a new song each month since the end of March this year. With each new track invoking an image of better times, King for a day comes at a perfect time in the year to inspire and uplift its listener, and to deliver a message of hope and resilience for those who need it most.

With its Dystopian sound and beautiful vocals, Merry Bad End are ready to help you resist these hard times, and to pull you forward in a bid to find light during even the darkest of times with their newest fight song. But it's up to you to determine how you feel about it, so here is the question: is it as inspirational as I make it out to be, or will it fall flat and leave you unfulfilled during these times?

It's time to answer that question and give King for a day a listen. Who will be wearing the crown once this is all over...?

Listen with me on Spotify.

Release Date: May 31st, 2020
Price: ¥1,500
Versions: 2 (Physical / Digital)

Track List:

1. King for a day
2. King for a day (Instrumental ver.)

King for a day

- Single Review -

Reminiscent of their second single Diamond Ain't Breakdown, Merry Bad End surprise us with the addition of King for a day, a heavier track that features the addition of gang-vocals, and sports an almost Dystopian theme to its sound, despite the vocals feeling quite hopeful and resilient against the instrumental track.

Now, I will admit that, when first giving this song a listen, I was a little more than hesitant; I'm not the biggest fan of heavy songs, and whilst I do enjoy them from time to time, they just aren't my general cup of tea. I'm an orthodox idol fan first and foremost, so upon learning that King for a day was going to be one of Merry Bad End's heavier tracks... well, of course I was a little put out. It's just not my style, and that's okay; we all have genres and styles that we enjoy more than others.

With that said, I do like King for a day, though it isn't my favourite of their most recent tracks. Still, I can't deny that it packs a punch, sounds pretty catchy from start to end, and I think the vocals are the most impressive that I have heard from MeriBa since I first heard them. I am also enjoying just how much it reminds me of Diamond Ain't Breakdown, which it has a similar sound and aura too. In no way is it a carbon copy, but it's definitely a sibling song of sorts, or an answer to its predecessor, if you will.

There is honestly a lot going on in this song, to a point where it feels a little more complex than its predecessors. I picked up on a few of these aspects right away, and a few I will have to find along the way after listening to King for a day more, but one thing that caught my attention right away was the inclusion of some background lines spoken by a woman, all in English. I'm still trying to decipher it - and ultimately failing - but whatever is being said, it feels like a speech or announcement you would hear on a radio during an emergency, and only enhances this idea of King for a day being a Dystopian style song. It feels empty, rehearsed and intriguing, and the fact that it is practically buried beneath the heavy drum beats only furthers my interest, and fuels my desire to know what the heck is being said.

I like to know stuff, and not knowing what this bird (woman) is saying frustrates me.

Of course, there are other aspects to the song that I enjoy a great deal, such as the gang-vocal chants of "King for a day" being riddled throughout the song. I have already found myself singing along to this, and can already imagine MeriBa's fans chanting along in unison, fists high in the air. The chants themselves feel somewhat defiant, and the fact they are overlapping the radio-like voice buried deep within the instrumental only furthers this image I have of a restless and resistant MeriBa, fighting for a better future in a Dystopian waste-land as they sing this song.

And I think that's the ultimate charm of this song; it's very image heavy for me as a listener, and I can easily construct a story line of sorts whenever I hear it. I like how easily it reminds me of Dystopia and broken lands, and how the vocals themselves create this vision of hope and moving forward despite the bad times. As a song, King for a day feels and sounds relevant to our current situation, and ignites a flame of optimism thanks to the brilliant vocals of MeriBa, who sound so much more impactful here than in their previous tracks.

King for a day feels reminiscent of a fight track, and one that is necessary during the times we are in. It feels inspirational and powerful, the vocals are the strongest I have heard from MeriBa thus far, and the instrumental itself is just fabulous. Granted, I don't think that I could deal with this level of heaviness every day, but  listening to something like this every once in a while is certainly a nice change of pace.

There's a lot to enjoy in King for a day, and I'm glad that I gave it a chance. I know I was hesitant at first, and I know that it won't ever be my favourite MeriBa song - that's still Now And Forever, for now - but it's still a great track, one that many will enjoy, regardless of whether you are a MeriBa fan or not.

- Conclusion -

I am slowly but surely becoming a bigger fan of MeriBa, and whilst I do not think that I will become one of their core fans any time soon, I am glad that they are steadily producing music and creating these sorts of songs. Sure, it's not my style, but that doesn't mean I can't indulge in them once in a while, right?

Anyway, I do enjoy King for a day, and whilst it may not become my favourite of MeriBa's most recent songs, I think it's a strong addition to their ever-growing discography. There is a lot to enjoy about this song, including the use of layering the chants over a radio-like voice and the heaviness of the instrumental, and the vocals are definitely some of the best we have heard from MeriBa so far. I just love how much the vocals contrast with the instrumental itself, and how soft the members sound. It's amazing, and only furthers this idea of defiance in my mind.

Still, I do think that there are some things missing from King for a day, and that includes the use of growls or screams. Now, let's be blunt here: I am no fan of, or even an expert on, growls and screams, but there were times during this song where a growl would have been perfect. Heck, at times the song feels a little empty because it's void of any of these things, and whilst I generally don't care for them, I do think that it speaks volumes when someone like me, a person who does not care much for growls or screams, believes that a song would benefit greatly from their addition.

I don't know if anyone else felt this at all, but for a song this heavy, I kind of expected the growls and screams, so to have the track completely void of them... well, King for a day sounded like it lacked something, and whilst I find the song itself full of power and greatness, it still feels a little empty during certain moments.

Anyway, I will round my conclusion off with this:

King for a day is a strong, resilient song that invokes an image of hope during a time of need. With its powerful instrumental and softer vocals, the members of Merry Bad End create a fighting song that helps you to find light even in the darkest of times, and encourages you to move forward with them. By making use of gang-vocals and layering these very chants over a radio-like voice, Merry Bad End create a rather fulfilling track that will appeal to plenty of listeners, and hopefully bring in a few new fans.

- Final Rating -

★★★★☆

King for a day is a great track, one that is strong and stands true to MeriBa's motto of resisting the bad end, making it a fitting release for the group who are steadily making a name for themselves within the idol community. I enjoy listening to it, and whilst it isn't my favourite track by the group, I do think that it's impressive and entertaining. Still, it would certainly benefit from some growls, and that is ultimately why I rated it 4 out of 5 stars, because at times it does feel a little empty.

Anyway, it's a good track, one that I hope you all check out, and if you aren't into Merry Bad End, I would be interested to know your own thoughts on it. After all, sharing is caring, and it's nice to share your views on various idols and groups with other people~

This has certainly been something a little different from me, and I hope you have enjoyed this slight change of pace in what I review. My recent interests have definitely been geared towards the cutesy, ballad or anime-style tracks, and whilst I am happy to listen to those on a daily basis, it's nice to fixate on a different tune and talk about a heavier style of music once in a while. But whatever your interests, I do hope that you give the songs I review a try, and I ultimately hope that you find something new to enjoy.

And to end this, I look forward to MeriBa's next release, and I not so secretly wish that it will contain a second track, as opposed to just a single song. But whenever that may be, I will continue to enjoy the music we have already, as well as songs from other idols and groups. Of course, I hope that you will all enjoy the music that your idols provide for you, and look forward to seeing you in my next post.

Until then, please take care, stay happy and healthy both mentally and physically, stay safe, and love your idols.

Much Love and joy,

Chiima~

If you enjoyed this song and want to support Merry Bad End by buying their music, please check out Idol Underworld!