Hiroko - One in a Million (1988)

Review by Justin Kantor
Her voice isn't anything spectacular, strength-wise, but Japan native Hiroko Minato glides with surprising ease into English-language dance-pop. With diction more solid than some American singers in the genre, she evokes sass and charm into purely fun numbers like "You've Got Potential" and the Madonna-esque "My Love's Waiting." The slower entries are less impressive. "Never Give Up" and "Golden Lady" just don't have enough zest or grit in their melodies to fuel any fire, and their arrangements are equally unimaginative. Otherwise, the set is a harmlessly kinetic collection of slickly produced, youthful songs which Hiroko delivers with vigor and zeal. One in a Million's U.S. release in the spring of 1990 lagged behind the radio peak of pop-friendly club sounds, preventing it from achieving any real commercial results. But its content is nonetheless contagious.