Interview] Kaori Oda releases her first best album beyond the 10th anniversary of her solo debut!

Kaori Oda, a talented singer, celebrated the 10th anniversary of her solo debut last year and released her 4th album "Gift. Following this, her first best album "THE BEST -REPLAY-" is now being released. This album is a collection of catchy songs that only Kaori, who has sung many game and anime theme songs, can deliver, and will be a delight for both longtime fans and new listeners. It is a best album that gives a sense of her history.

We chose songs that were turning points in her career.

─ I think a best-of album is the best album for people who have never listened to it before to pick it up. This is the first best album for you, isn't it, Mr. Oda?

Oda: Yes, it is my first time. Last year, we released our fourth album "Gift" on our 10th anniversary, and it was a year in which we felt the 10th anniversary, so we went beyond that and asked, "Well, do you want to release a best album next?" I was asked by the label. My first thought was, "Oh, are you sure? (laughs).

(laughs) ─ You were more surprised than happy.

Oda: Yes, that's right. I had the impression that a bests album is not something that one proposes to release on one's own, but something that is requested by the surrounding staff and the people who listen to one's music. I felt a little more confident.

─ ─ The title of the best album is very simple, "THE BEST - REPLAY-".

Oda: Isn't that easy to understand? (Laughs) A best album is an album where people can listen to the songs we have released until now again, so I thought "REPLAY" would be a good choice. After much deliberation, I came up with a simple title. I decided on this title because I think it will be easy to convey to those who are listening to my songs for the first time that this is the kind of music I have been singing, and I also hope that this album will be one that many people will keep replaying for a long time to come.

The album contains a total of 16 songs. What did you consider when selecting the songs?

Oda: I was worried about the selection of songs, because at first I wondered if it could really be called my best if I collected mainly singles. I thought that the best album is a passing point where what I have done in the past is connected to the present and continues into the future, so I decided to give priority to the songs that became turning points for me.

─ ─ The order of the songs is not in the order in which they were released, right?

Oda: Yes. It is the order in which I felt comfortable after listening to the songs in their entirety (laughs).

───It is true that when I listened to the songs in order, I felt the overall flow of the songs changing gradually in impression, while connecting similar types of songs. The earliest song is the second track, "Brilliant World. It is the theme song for the game "Luminous Arc.

Oda: Yes, it was my solo debut single released in March 2007. My solo debut is of course a major turning point, so I felt I had to include this song.

─ What memories do you have of "Brilliant World"?

Oda: When I recorded this song, I didn't think it would be my solo debut song, so I was able to record it without being overly enthusiastic. At the time, I was singing jazz and participating in Sound Horizon, so singing pop songs was more irregular for me. So when I listen to it now, it feels very new to me. However, the vocals are not too young compared to the other songs on the album, and I think they fit in well. We often sing this song live, but now it has been reincarnated as a more intense song with a band arrangement.

───It is rather fresh to hear the original song now, isn't it?

Oda Yes, it does. It has a cooler impression.

───The 15th song "Calling" is also an early song.

Oda Yes, it is. These two songs were both released in 2007. Calling" was the ending theme for the TV anime "Baccano! This song was the ending theme for the TV anime "Baccano ! This song was written by Yuki Kajiura. When I performed at one of her live concerts, she said during the MC that my singing voice sounds like I have a sense of accomplishment, and that she often writes songs with that image in mind. It is true that "Calling" is like that, as well as "Hanamori no Oka" and "dream scape," which I sang as FictionJunction KAORI in Mr. Kasoura's project. I was still in my teens when I recorded "Calling," but Mr. Kasoura's lyrics and the song have made my voice more mature, and I don't feel young at all when I listen to it now.