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Overview

BETTER CHOICE is an original vocal track created for maimai ORANGE, composed and arranged by Jimmy Weckl (the stage name of Harumi Ueko) with lyrics by Keiko Oomune. The vocals are performed by Mina Takagi (高貴みな), a singer affiliated with the Mate Jazz Orchestra, whose clear, crisp voice anchors the track's cool, blue-hued atmosphere. The song sits at 130 BPM on a sharp 16-beat rhythm foundation, blending jazzy vocal phrasing with a polished pop sensibility. Jimmy Weckl, a veteran composer known for his work across multiple rhythm-game series, described BETTER CHOICE as something of a puzzle: layered with subtle rhythmic tricks from the very first bars, double-meaning keywords in the lyrics, and production details that reward attentive listening. The title itself, "BETTER CHOICE," reflects the song's forward-looking lyrical theme of moving toward the next step and making better decisions. Originally added to maimai ORANGE on November 13, 2014, BETTER CHOICE was unlockable through the music ticket system, initially costing 200 tickets, later reduced to 100 in ORANGE PLUS, and becoming freely available from maimai PiNK onward. Its Expert chart was designed by Techno Kitchen, while the Master chart was handled by Jack, both of whom crafted patterns that complement the song's crisp rhythmic character.

Videos

Master chart

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Expert chart

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Charts

STD

BASIC
4(4)
128 notesDesigner: -|Tap 107Hold 11Slide 4Break 6
ADVANCED
8(8)
347 notesDesigner: -|Tap 320Hold 10Slide 15Break 2
EXPERT
10+(10.6)
370 notesDesigner: Techno Kitchen|Tap 291Hold 42Slide 28Break 9
MASTER
12+(12.9)
550 notesDesigner: Jack|Tap 456Hold 38Slide 42Break 14

Trivia

  • BETTER CHOICE was added to maimai ORANGE on November 13, 2014, and originally required 200 music tickets to unlock, a price that was reduced to 100 tickets in ORANGE PLUS and eliminated entirely when maimai PiNK launched.
  • The vocalist Mina Takagi (高貴みな) is a member of the Mate Jazz Orchestra, a big-band jazz ensemble based in Japan.
  • Composer Jimmy Weckl (Harumi Ueko) noted this was his first vocal track featuring a female singer in some time, and intentionally built rhythmic 'traps' from the beginning that made the song challenging for the vocalist to sing.
  • Jimmy Weckl described BETTER CHOICE as a 'puzzle-like' song packed with various tricks and gimmicks, encouraging listeners to pay close attention for hidden details.
  • The lyrics by Keiko Oomune use double-meaning keywords throughout, designed to evoke specific imagery when the listener picks up on the layered wordplay.
  • The song's genre classification shifted across maimai versions: it debuted under ORIGINAL, moved to ORIGINAL & JOYPOLIS in PiNK, was listed as ORIGINAL in the early DX era, and was recategorized simply as maimai from DX PLUS onward.
  • In Asian English versions of maimai, the artist credit is romanized as 'Jimmy Weckl feat. Mina Takagi'.
  • The Expert chart (designed by Techno Kitchen) and Master chart (designed by Jack) feature level constants of 10.6 and 12.9 respectively under the current difficulty system.

FAQ

Who composed BETTER CHOICE in maimai?
BETTER CHOICE was composed and arranged by Jimmy Weckl, the stage name of musician Harumi Ueko, with lyrics written by Keiko Oomune.
Who is the vocalist on BETTER CHOICE?
The vocalist is Mina Takagi (高貴みな), a singer affiliated with the Mate Jazz Orchestra.
When was BETTER CHOICE added to maimai?
BETTER CHOICE was added to maimai ORANGE on November 13, 2014. It originally required 200 music tickets to unlock, later reduced to 100 tickets, and became freely available starting with maimai PiNK.
What BPM is BETTER CHOICE?
BETTER CHOICE has a BPM of 130.
Who designed the charts for BETTER CHOICE?
The Expert chart was designed by Techno Kitchen and the Master chart was designed by Jack.
What is BETTER CHOICE about?
The lyrics, written by Keiko Oomune, describe moving forward and making better choices in life. The song uses double-meaning keywords to evoke layered imagery, and Jimmy Weckl described it as having a cool, blue-toned atmosphere.

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