Release Date: January 11, 2017
Track Listing
Japanese Version
- Ambitions (Introduction)
- Bombs away
- Taking Off
- We Are
- 20/20
- Always coming back
- Bedroom Warfare
- Lost in Tonight
- I Was King
- Listen feat. Avril Lavigne
- One Way Ticket
- Bon Voyage
- Start Again
- Take what you want feat. 5 Seconds of Summer
English Version
- Ambitions (Introduction)
- Bombs Away
- Taking Off
- We Are
- Jaded feat. Alex Gaskarth of All Time Low
- Hard to Love
- Bedroom Warfare
- American Girls
- I Was King
- Listen
- One Way Ticket
- Bon Voyage
- Start Again
- Take What You Want feat. 5 Seconds of Summer
Review
Ambitions is the band’s eighth full-length album, and it comes in two versions, Japanese and English. It features the singles Always Coming Back, Taking Off, Bedroom Warfare, I Was King, and We Are.
With the band signing on to the American record label Fueled by Ramen, they plan to go worldwide, starting with this album. With that in mind, one has to wonder whether this will capture an audience’s attention outside of their native Japan.
After listening to Ambitions, I can say it has the right formula for success. Many of the songs have that “radio-friendly” vibe to them. And due to the more personal topics of the songs, there is the potential for them to resonate more with a wider group of listeners.
Also, having an English-language version of the album helps get that worldwide appeal.
The two editions generally have the same track listing, except a few songs are exclusive to whatever version you buy. The songs 20/20, Always Coming Back and Lost in Tonight are on the Japanese version. Jaded, Hard To Love and American Girls are on the English version.
Given that Ambitions is blatantly geared towards achieving that worldwide breakout, is it still worth giving a spin? Well yes. Yes, it is. Ambitions is enjoyable from beginning to end, regardless of what version you listen to. If you want to cherry-pick songs instead of listening to the entire thing, go with the singles and Bombs Away, Jaded and 20/20 as starters.
If you like those, give the rest of the album a go.
One note to make is that this album will not be for everyone. Some may not like ONE OK ROCK veering off into the land of pop fluff for a short detour. There is still enough of what makes this band appealing despite that. So if you are wary, I recommend you at least give Ambitions a chance and see if anything changes your mind.
