It’s that time of the month again! It’s the Battle of the Songs! This battle is on the song “Wishing On The Same Star”, penned by Diane Warren. It is between the Australian girl band Girlfriend and Jpop artists Namie Amuro.
If you haven’t check it out yet, you should check out my Autumn Songs Playlist. It features the best songs for autumn from all over the world. You could find your new favorite tune and/or artist there today!
Namie Amuro: The Everlasting Queen of Japanese Music
Namie Amuro is my idol since I was in middle school. She is one of my favorite Japanese artists. I have written about Namie Amuro before here on this blog. I wrote a review when she released a really great album called _genic. I also wrote up a 20-year anniversary post. And then on the day when she retired from the entertainment industry, I wrote a farewell post.
But, this post is different. It is to celebrate! Finally, Namie Amuro’s discography was uploaded on Amazon Music and Spotify last week. It was a dream come true! I have been listening to all her songs nonstop since last week!
Wishing on the Same Star
This Battle of the Song is about the song “Wishing on the Same Star”. It was originally recorded by Keedy. It was on her 1991 album Chase in the Clouds. The Australian girl band Girlfriend released their own version two years later. It appears on their album It’s Up to You. Then, Namie Amuro recorded her own version in 2002.
An interesting fact is that this Amuro’s last single as a pop artist. After this, she transitioned into R&B and hip-hop music. Another fact that is that this single was planned to be her last for a while. The plan was for her to go to New York for artist development. But, that plan never happened.
“Wishing on the Same Star” was written by Diane Warren. She wrote songs for Celine Dion (“Because You Love Me”), Leann Rimes (“How Do I Live?”), Aerosmith (“I Don’t Want to Miss a Thing”), Taylor Dayne (“Love Will Lead You Back”), and others. She also wrote a lot of theme songs for countless films. Some of the most famous movie songs were “Nothing’s Gonna Stop Us Now” (Mannequin), “Music of My Heart”, “For You I Will” (Space Jam), and others. If you were living in the 80s and/or the 90s, then you know at least one song that was written by Diana Warren.
Girlfriend or Namie Amuro?
So here it is: the “Wishing On The Same Star” of the Battle of the Song. Who will win? Namie Amuro or Girlfriend. Please listen to each song and vote for your favorite one in the comments below!
Girlfriend’s Version
Girlfriend was your typical 90s girl group. The members were Robyn Loau, Melanie Alexander, Lorinda (Rindy) Noble, Siobhánn Heidenreich, and Jacqueline (Jacqui) Cowell. Their pop songs were about girl power waaaaaay before the Spice Girls. Also, they were about typical topics like romance. Yet, they weren’t only about music, but also for their fashion sense! The group released their own fashion line during the height of their careers.
Their version of “Wishing On The Same Star” features Siobhánn as the lead vocals. The other four members provided harmony. Girlfriend’s version is a typical 90s’ girl band ballad. It features a basic synthesized instrumental track, a sweet female vocal, rich harmonies, and the 90s’ keyboard. Whenever I listen to this song, I usually end up singing the harmonies as they are interesting. They are also very rich as they add some depth to the main vocals.
Girlfriend’s rendition of “Wishing On The Same Star” is very sweet yet a typical 90’s ballad. It is a great listen though, especially for those who lived through the 90s like me.
